Panzanella Salad with Spinach

I made this salad recently and it was so delicious.  Its fancy and maybe a little time-consuming, so its great for a fancy dinner or when you're asked to bring a salad to a get-together.

source

Panzanella Salad with Spinach

From Jenny Evans Gatherings

For the bread:

1 crusty loaf of multigrain bread (I used Kroger's PS brand multigrain bread)

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and Pepper to season bread

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-in cubes

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

1/2 red onion, chopped small

3 large garlic cloves, minced

15 large basil leaves, chopped or julienned

8 oz. container of small, fresh mozzarella balls each cut in half

4 cups baby spinach leaves, cut into 1/3 inch slices

salt and pepper to taste

For the bread, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the loaf into 1-in cubes and toss with olive oil.  Lay single layer on a baking sheet  and sprinkle with with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes and let cool. 

For the vinaigrette, put all ingredients into a blender and puree.  For the salad, in a large serving bowl, combine all of the ingredients and pour the vinaigrette over everything.  Salt and pepper and toss well- allow to sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Whole Wheat Bread

After trying several whole wheat bread recipes, this is the one I like best.  It's incredibly soft and makes 4 loaves, so that will usually last our family for about 10 days (if I can keep everyone's hands off of it when it comes right out of the oven, otherwise one loaf is gone in about an hour).  I love it because it's 100% whole wheat healthy!

Whole Wheat Bread
from my sister-in-law, Cathy Ostergar

4 cups lukewarm water
1 tablet crushed or 1/4 tsp. ascorbic acid (or Vitamin C powder)
2 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup gluten flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
5 cups whole wheat flour

Mix above together and let rise 10 minutes.

Then add:
1/3 cup of oil
1/3 cup of honey
1 Tbs salt
3-4 cups whole wheat flour

Knead in mixer for 10 minutes or by hand 15 minutes.
Let dough rest 10 minutes.
Divide and shape into loaf pans, then let raise 'til beautiful.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Easy Artisan Bread

I love this bread, and it's about the easiest thing in the world to make!  Perfect for Sunday afternoon when you have a little time.  I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but you get the idea!

Easy Artisan Bread
from the book "Artisan Bread in Five minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Makes 4 one pound loaves, unused dough can stay in the fridge in a lidded container for up to 14 days.

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbs granulated yeast (any kind)
1 1/2 Tbs Morton's kosher salt
6 1/2 cups (2 pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour

Mixing the dough:
In a 5 quart bowl, dump in the water and add the yeast and salt.  Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn't matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.

Dump in the flour.  Stir until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, it will be a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut.  You want the gases from the yeast to escape.

Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise.  When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.  But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will have doubled in size  Do  not punch down the dough!  Just let it settle.

The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is much easier to handle when it is chilled.  It is intended for refrigeration and use over the next two weeks, ready for you anytime.  ( iIt gets a little iffy around day 13-14, so use before then).

About 1 1/2 hours before dinner:
Pull the dough out of the refrigerator.  Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out. You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested.

Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using a serrated knife and form it into a ball.  (Don't handle the dough too much, just shape it into a ball and smooth the front of the dough by pulling dough to the back).  Place the ball on a silpat (or some parchment paper) and let it rise for about 40 minutes.  No big deal if it sits for 60 or 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place a metal cookie sheet/roasting tray on the bottom rack (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam.  Let it preheat for 20 minutes.

Cut the loaf with 1/4 inch slashes using a serrated knife in a tic-tac-toe pattern.  (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom).

Before you place your bread in the oven, dump a cup of hot water into the cookie sheet/roasting pan you placed on the bottom rack (be forewarned, sometimes this causes the pan to warp).  Then place your bread in the oven (on it's cookie sheet or silpat) on an upper or middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color.

Allow the loaf to cool for a bit before serving.

Matooz' Rolls

I have never cooked rolls (or even bread for that matter) in my life but I was really craving some yummy homemade rolls so I stole this recipe from my sis-in-law Suzanne's blog. She has made these rolls for lots of family occasions including thanksgiving and christmas and they never disappoint and are requested often. I was nervous to try them because last time I tried baking bread it ended horribly but I'm happy to say these were a success! Even I (the baker) was raving about how good they turned out :) I halved this recipe and got about 2 pans worth of rolls which was plenty for us but it is a great amount if you're cooking for a large group.  Taken from http://www.suzmatooz.blogspot.com/2009/02/for-jo-ive-been-promising-bryans-very.html

My Family's Roll Recipe
In a medium/small bowl combine 2 Tbsp. yeast and 1 Tbsp. Sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set in a warm place. The yeast needs time to rise and become active. (maybe 10-15 mins.)

In a large bowl combine:
1 Cup butter (melted)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Boiling Water

Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ingredients from the first bowl (yeast, etc) to this mixture.

Add: 4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cold water
2 tsp. salt
7 1/2 cups Flour  ( I needed more flour at sea level, dough should be a little shiny and just barely too sticky to roll out)
in the order they are listed and mix with a spoon.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. About 2 to 3 hours before baking remove from fridge and form rolls.

For crescent rolls, divide dough into fourths and roll each part out into circle and spread with melted or softened butter. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and roll up each piece, beginning at wide end of triangle.

Cover (we just usually use a clean dish towel) and let rise for 3 hours.

 

Bake at 425 for 8 to 12 minutes. Altitude and humidity seem to affect these a lot, so check them often to see how long it takes where you live! (I barely needed 8 min at sea level)

Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting

photo from kuki's kookbook blog

 These were good the first day, better the second, and divine the third.  They were like Pringles, once you pop one you just can't stop!

Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting

From kuki's kookbook blog

·                     1 stick butter, at room temperature

·                     2 cups sugar

·                     2 eggs

·                     1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

·                     1 teaspoon vanilla

·                     2 cups flour

·                     1 teaspoon baking soda

·                     1/2 teaspoon salt

preheat oven to 350 degrees. cream together butter, sugar, eggs, banana and vanilla until light and creamy. add flour, soda and salt. pour into an 11x13 inch jelly roll pan. bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake bounces back when pressed on. cool completely and then top with frosting.

brown sugar frosting:

·                     1 stick butter, softened

·                     8oz cream cheese, softened

·                     1/2 cup brown sugar

·                     2 cups powdered sugar

·                     2 teaspoons vanilla

·                     1/4 teaspoon salt

·                     milk, if needed

in a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip all ingredients together until light and fluffy. if frosting is too thick, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

What makes whole wheat bread "perfect"? Fluffy, moist, light, soft, delicious bread that you would prefer over a piece of cake during your late-night-after-the-kids-have-gone-to-bed-sugar-binge. Yes, this is the one. You will absolutely LOVE it.

courtesy google images

**A Few Notes before you begin: I grind my own whole wheat flour- I cannot guarantee a similar result of perfection with store-bought whole wheat. If you have a Bosch, you can buy a wheat grinding attachment (I have it and love it). I grind 20 cups at a time and store what I don't use in a ziploc in the refrigerator. If left out at room temp., it will go rancid in less than a week. Vital wheat gluten is found in the baking section of your grocery store- I also refrigerate this after opening. And, of course, I keep my yeast (Red Star brand from Costco) in the freezer at all times.

Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

Amy Foulger

*Makes 2 large loaves, or 3 small

3 cups warm water

3/4 Tbs. salt

1/4 c. canola oil

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. powdered milk

1 1/2 Tbs. yeast

1 Tbs. vital wheat gluten

1/2 c. slow-cooking oatmeal

4-6 c. whole wheat flour

(see recipe for below for eggwash and oatmeal- optional)

Mix all ingredients in your Bosch until blended. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then, mix it again for 5 minutes. If needed, add flour for desired consistency. Dough should be slightly sticky. Place dough in a greased, oven-safe bowl and rise in 185 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down your dough, pinch off 3 loaves (or two large loaves, depending on your loaf pan size). Shape dough into greased loaf pans**(see below) and put back in 185 degree oven to raise for 20 more minutes (don't go over this time around as loaves will raise fast as they bake). Remove from oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

**For a straight-from-the-bakery look, you can apply an eggwash (2 Tbs. water+ 1 egg) and oatmeal on top of your loaves right before raising the second time (while in loaf pans). Mix the egg and water, spread on loaves with a pastry brush, and then sprinkle oatmeal on top. Raise in oven.

Pretzel Bites

photo from getoffyourbuttandbake blog

Oh wee!  So, so divine.  So, so good.  So, so easy since you just use Rhodes rolls.  I made both the cheddar dip and the cinnamon sugar ones.  Oh my goodness, so good!

PRETZEL BITES

Recipe from getoffyourbuttandbake.com

Texas size Rhodes Frozen roll dough

*as many as you like – each roll makes four bites

coarse salt, parmesan, garlic, cinnamon & sugar

Vanilla glaze (optional)

Take a thawed roll.  Cut it in four equal sections.  Place dough bites on greased sheets. I placed five across and five down on large baking sheets.  Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and let dough rise until double in size. (about 35-45 minutes) Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil.  When dough has risen, plop about 10 pieces into the boiling water, tossing gently for about 45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and place bites on paper towels to drain slightly.  Move bites to greased baking sheets, and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done and golden brown. 

Brush bites with melted butter, sprinkle with Kosher or Sea Salt, garlic and toss in Parmesan cheese.  You can also make Cinnamon and Sugar bites. Make a mixture of Cinnamon and sugar:  About 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and mix together well. After you butter the pretzel bites, toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

You can serve the Parmesan Pretzel bites with a cheddar dip, and the Cinnamon and Sugar Pretzel bites with Vanilla glaze.  So yummy . . . so simple!

VANILLA GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Combine sugar, milk, butter and vanilla and mix well. 

CHEDDAR DIP

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2  to 2 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese.

Melt the butter in a med. size saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir until blended, and

butter has turned lightly golden brown.  Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar Cheese until smooth and all of the cheese has melted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Shake a few red pepper flakes into sauce for added zing!

Breakfast Pockets

photo from budgetgourmetmom.com

I am not gonna lie.  These were to die for...and so versatile!  You can put anything in the middle!  I froze about 20 of these and they were delicious just nuked in the microwave a little bit.  The dough is DELICIOUS!

Breakfast Pockets

Recipe from budgetgourmetmom.com

Dough

§  1 1/2 tblsp yeast

§  1/2 c warm water (110 degrees)

§  3/4 c evaporated milk (110 degrees)

§  1/2 c vegetable oil

§  1/4 c sugar

§  1 egg

§  1 tsp salt

§  3 1/2 c flour

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in the water. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Once the dough is done, punch down. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Filling

§  1 lb bulk sausage

§  1/2 c onion, chopped

§  1 1/2 c frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed

§  7 large eggs

§  3 tblsp milk

§  1/2 tsp salt

§  1/2 tsp pepper

§  1/2 tsp garlic salt

§  pinch of cayenne pepper

§  2 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Add the hashbrowns, eggs, milk, and spices. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm.

To Freeze:
Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, place in the freezer until frozen. Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

Pic courtesy How Sweet It Is

I saw these a few weeks ago and instantly knew I had to make them. A way to feel good about eating chocolate chip cookies? I'm sold. And, they were every bit as good as they sound. They almost tasted healthy. Christian went nuts over them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

from How Sweet It Is

makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose) (I used all-purpose)

1 cup rolled oats (I used quick oats)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (any kind will do)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Add oats to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth and caramel in color. Add in vanilla and butter, whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible – there still may be some small butter chunks. Add flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining milk and combine until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with lines and pour about 1/4 cup batter into each line. Optional: Sprinkle the tops with raw turbinado sugar. (I didn't do this and I loved them plain.) Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with butter!

Strawberry Cheese Danish

photo from life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

So danishes are one of my weaknesses whenever I stay in a hotel and have breakfast there.  When I saw this recipe it immediately stuck out to me.  Here is what I would do differently: I don't love strawberry jam, especially when it tastes fake!  So I would do just cream cheese or use blackberry or blueberry preserves--but that's just me! 

Strawberry Cheese Danish

From Life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

Strawberry Cheese Danish

·                     1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

·                     4 ounces cream cheese, softened

·                     1/4 cup sugar

·                     2 tablespoons lemon juice

·                     8 teaspoons Strawberry preserves

Glaze:

·                     1/4 cup powdered sugar

·                     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·                     2 teaspoons milk

Directions:  Seperate dough into four rectangles. Seal perforations. In a small bowl whisk together cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread 1/4 of the mixture onto each rectangle. Roll up from long side; pinch edges to seal. Holding one end, loosely coil each.

   Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Top each coil with 2 teaspoons preserves. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or golden brown.

   For glaze, in a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth and drizzle over each danish. Makes 4 danishes.

Fail-proof Pizza Dough and Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

photo from laurenslatest.com

This was the number one rated recipe on this blog.  The breadsticks were cheesy, garlic-y, and amazing!

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough and Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks 

From laurenslatest.com

Basic Pizza Dough
yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough


Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup…depending on the heat & humidity}
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn’t stick to your hands.
Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. It should look something like this when it’s done!

The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!


Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That’s it!

Now you can turn this dough into anything your little heart desires.
How about some Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks?


Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks
yield: 1- 12 inch pie
Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese {use the real stuff!}
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside down cookie sheet…a tip I got from Natalie!}
Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}
Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Pizza Crust/Calzone Crust

We just had our friends over for calzone night and I thought I'd try this recipe for a change.  Definite good move.  This crust was really easy to make and very tasty!


Pizza Crust 
From The Pioneer  Woman Cooks
If using as calzone, half the above recipe to make 4 adult calzones, bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Brush tops with olive oil and make slits for ventilation.
Yield: 2 pizza crusts
Ingredients
1 tsp or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
In a mixing bowl, pour the yeast over 1 1/2 cups of warm water, stirring gently. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt. Using an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until the dough forms a ball. (You can also do this by hand.)
Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough in the bowl and turn over to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Divide the dough in half, then using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape, pressing it into an oiled pan with your fingers. The thinner the better. The surface of the dough should be lumpy from finger marks.  The other half of the dough may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days before use, or frozen for up to 6 months.

Sweet Fruit Muffin

Photo from Tasty Sensations blog

Super yummy!  I made these with a mixed frozen fruit from Costco...super good and nutritious feeling!

Sweet Fruit Muffins

Recipe from tastysensations.blogspot.com

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract
2 c. fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 c. chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and almond extract, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries and stawberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries and chopped strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Makes a dozen very large muffins, or 24 mini muffins + 6 large muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown, and tops spring back when lightly tapped (about 18-20 minutes for mini muffins)

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Photo from tastykitchen.com

These seemed a little high maintenance, but they were easier than I thought they would be and they were really delicious.  The dough seemed to runny to roll in cinnamon but it actually worked well.  

Snickerdoodle Muffins

From tasty kitchen blog

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2-¼ cups Flour
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ¼ cups Buttermilk
• _____
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. (I learned the hard way that they are too fragile for just cooking spray.)
In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.
When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.
Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits

Photo from melskitchencafe.com

Party in your mouth!  These things melt in your mouth and then you have to eat like 5 more.  Seriously, like 5 more.  These are amazing!  FYI, I also froze some of these and they tasted great the next time we ate them.


Cheddar and Herb Biscuits
Recipe from melskitchencafe.com


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok – the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine three tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly (alternately, you can dip the top of the biscuit into the butter mixture). Serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Orange Rolls

Photo from Yourhomebasedmom.com

This is the best recipe for a really quick, delicious roll.  If you have time make the real ones, but if you  need something quick and easy these are really good.  Oh, I did not use Orange Essential Oil, I just used orange juice concentrate and it worked great.


Quick and Easy Orange Rolls   



Recipe from Yourhomebasedmom.com

12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed
grated rind of one orange
1/2 C sugar


Citrus Glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp orange juice
Mix together until smooth

Add in 2-3 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil or to desired taste (optional but oh so good!)
Thaw dough in the refrigerator over night or 2-3 hours prior to use. Cover with plastic wrap while thawing.
Grate orange rind and mix with sugar. Roll thawed roll in melted butter and then in sugar and rind mixture.
Place on greased cookie sheet or 9 x 13 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow rolls to double in size – approximately 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes and frost with citrus glaze while warm.
Enjoy!

Cheese and Veggie Twist

Dagmar's last...for a while. :) Enjoy!

courtesy

Cheese and Veggie Twist

Dagmar Jewkes

2 large eggs

1/2 c. tomatoes

1/2 c. mushrooms

Shredded Cheese

1/4 c. green onions

Bacon, crumbled (optional)

2 cans reduced-fat crescent roll dough

Mix all ingredients except crescent dough. Season with salt and pepper. With the dough, separate all the triangles and fan them out in a ring, with the narrow sides on the inside of the ring, 1/2 overlapping, corners of the long side pointing out (so it looks like a sun or star). Spread mixture over the inner portion of the ring. Fold the outer tips over to the inside and push edges together. Cook at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Watch the dough so it doesn't burn- if necessary, cover dough with foil until inside of twist is thoroughly cooked.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

Photo from eatcakefordinner.com

These are as good as they look though I admit that mine didn't look like this picture.  All tastes the same in the mouth!

Texas Roadhouse Rolls - Copycat Recipe

Recipe from Eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 c. sugar 

2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)

2 whole eggs

2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.  Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter.  Beat thoroughly.  Let stand until light and foamy.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  

Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.  

*Jenn's Notes: I shaped my rolls by rolling out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then I folded the rectangle in half, making it about 1-inch thick. I used  my rolling pin and rolled over the dough, ever so gently, just to seal the two halves together.  I then used a dough scraper and cut the rolls into squares and placed those on my greased baking sheet.  I cut the recipe in half and I got exactly 12 big rolls and baked them for 16-17 minutes.  In order to get the 5-6 dozen rolls like the recipe states, you would have to make really small rolls.  

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

I made this loaf/cake over the weekend and thought it was really delicious- tart, flavorful and different from your run-of-the-mill breakfast cake. Really though, you could eat this anytime of the day as a delicious and satisfying snack.

courtesy

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

For the loaf:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tbs. flour, divided

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup plain (not low-fat) yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (approx. 2 lemons)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups blueberries (can use frozen, but thaw first), rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9X5 loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 c. flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a small, separate bowl, gently toss the remaining 1 Tbs. flour with the blueberries until coated. Gently fold blueberries into batter. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack placed over a cookie sheet (important!). While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup. In a small saucepan, stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes and then remove from heat. Poke holes with a toothpick all over top and sides of loaf and pour lemon syrup slowly over the top. Allow loaf to cool completely before making the lemon glaze. To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the sugar and lemon juice. Mixture should be thick, but pourable. Add more lemon juice, if needed. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of the loaf and allow to harden before serving.

Lehi Orange Rolls

Photo from Sister's Cafe

Just look at these.  They were so good!  I froze half the batch and ate them later and they were still so delicious!

Lehi Orange Rolls   

Recipe from The Sister’s Cafe

1/3 cup warm water
2 Tb yeast
3 eggs
1 tsp orange extract
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
5 1/2 – 7 cups flour, divided
1  cup butter, softened, divided
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
zest of 2 oranges
Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup very warm water.  Add eggs and beat.  Add orange extract, 1 cup warm water, salt, 1/3 cup sugar, oil, and 4 1/2  cups flour. Beat.  Add 1/2 to 1 cup flour and knead for several minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Put in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
Knead dough 5 or 6 times.  Divide in half.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Roll each half out into a narrow and long rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread with softened butter, remaining sugar, and orange zest.  Roll up lengthwise  and pinch to seal edge of dough.  Cut rolls about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Place in a greased pan fairly close together and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour in warm place.  Bake at 350 degree for 12 to 17 minutes. Don’t overbake.  Let cool slightly, then ice with orange cream cheese icing.

Orange Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 package of cream cheese (4 oz.), at room temperature
1 Tb butter, softened
1/2 package of powdered sugar (about 3 cups)
2 Tb orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 – 1 tsp orange extract, to taste

Beat all ingredients together.  Add more orange juice, if necessary, for drizzle consistency.  Use over orange rolls.