Whole Wheat Bread

I needed to make bread today and decided to try a NEW recipe because trying new things makes life exciting. It turned out SO yummy I just might convert to this recipe instead of the one I grew up with...if my Mom won't disown me!

This makes a LOT of dough, so I would recommend halving the recipe unless you have a Bosch or a heavy-duty mixer.

Whole Wheat Bread

3 1/2 cups hot tap water

1 (12oz) can evaporated milk

3 Tbs instant yeast

2/3 cup oil
1 cup honey (use the same measuring glass as the oil and the honey slide right out)

1 cup white flour

3 Tbs vital wheat gluten

2 Tbs dough enhancer (this is optional--I just happen to have some)

12 cups whole wheat flour (I used white wheat: approx 8c wheat berries= 12 c flour)
1 1/2 TBs salt

Grind your wheat (in your electric wheat grinder) while getting everything else ready. Then, using a Bosch or other heavy duty mixer, combine ingredients in the order given, mixing well after half the flour, then add the other half of flour and salt. Add a little extra white flour as needed if dough is too sticky. Knead in mixer for 8 minutes. Dump out dough on your countertop and spread with your hand. Form into 5 medium loaves or 4 large ones. Press down the sides of each dough piece to fill the bottom of the pan, leaving the top round and smooth. Let rise in a warm spot until almost desired bread size. (about 1 hour). Bake in preheated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire racks and brush tops of hot loaves with butter, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely before slicing. Actually, it is best when served hot, slathered with butter or jam. YUM!

{Picture & Recipe from Sisters' Cafe}

Easy Chicken Skillet

To save time, I'm just going to post a link for this recipe. I printed it off like a year or 2 ago and finally just made it tonight. It is so easy and tastes absolutely amazing!

Spring Stir-Fry in Peanut Sauce

Jess, I talked to Ryan about this recipe in Phoenix and told him I would post it on here so you could make it for him. I got it from kraftfoods.com. It's so yummy!

1/2 cup Catalina Dressing

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp. oil, divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

4 cups mixed cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli florets and red bell pepper strips)

8 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the pasta cooking water

2 green onions, sliced

MIX dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce and crushed red pepper; set aside. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to large serving bowl; cover to keep warm.

HEAT remaining 1 tsp. oil in same skillet. Add broccoli and bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

ADD pasta, vegetables and dressing mixture to chicken; mix lightly. If desired, gradually stir in enough of the reserved pasta cooking water until sauce is of desired consistency. Sprinkle with the onions.

Nutrition information can be found here.

Glazed Mini Meatloaves

These were cute little suckers - and super tasty. The glaze was a little strong for Ryan, so may want to sample yours before you slather it all over the meat.



Glazed Mini Meatloaves
adapted from The Best 30-Minute Recipe

Makes 4-5 mini meatloaves.

Meatloaves:
17-20 saltine crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (I used a combination of lean ground chuck and lean ground pork)
2 teaspoons oil (I used canola oil)

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add ground meat and combine until uniform. Shape mixture into oval loaves (shoot for 5).

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling. Add meatloaves (without letting them touch sides) and brown well on one side, 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip loaves over and tidy up edges using a spatula. Brown on this side for another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer mini meatloaves to a foil-lined baking pan and spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

{Recipe & Photo from My Kitchen Cafe}

Raspberry Lime Rickey

Summer is coming, folks...and for those of us without a Sonic nearby we are going to have to create our own refreshingly cool beverages. Here is a great one we tried out last week:

Raspberry Lime Rickey


12 oz. package frozen raspberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes - it was plenty)
Club soda, chilled
Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don't clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses. (We put ours in the blender with ice cubes and it turned out heavenly!)


{Recipe & Photo from My Kitchen Cafe}

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

For the sauce:
4 Tbsp butter
2 8 oz packages sliced mushrooms
Salt and ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cream

Set the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. Add two chicken breasts. Cook on each side until well-browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Once browned, place chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil into the pan and brown the other two chicken breasts. Remove the pan from the heat and set the chicken breasts in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Leave the skillet off the burner until there is 10 minutes left until the chicken is cooked. When the chicken is almost done, put the pan back over medium high heat to make the mushroom sauce. Add the butter and the mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Once chicken is done, remove from the baking dish. Serve chicken breasts with the mushroom sauce ladled over the top. I served mine with mashed potatoes, using the extra sauce as a gravy.

{Recipe from Rookie Cookie}

Strawberry Lassi

This drink is a traditional Indian drink, but you can make it for ANY occasion. So yummy.


Strawberry Lassi

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
12-15 frozen (or fresh) strawberries
handful of ice

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Not a big fan of Indian food? Don't be deterred by the name! TRY IT! It isn't too curry-ish, just lots of yummy spices and flavor.

So this is one of the best dishes at Bombay House and we have been searching high and low for a recipe that compares. This one was DELICIOUS. Ryan couldn't stop eating. It was perfect with this, this, and this. Great birthday dinner.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (If you no-likey spicy, cut it down to 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and refrigerate for one hour. Grill or cook chicken in frying pan. Discard marinade.

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (again...leave out if you don't want it too spicy)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over hot rice.

{As found on mykitchencafe.blogspot.com}