Mom's (Jill's) Wheat Bread

The bread I grew up on and love that my mom got from Jill L.

Ingredients:
1 qt. Warm Water
3 T Yeast
1/2 C + 2 T Oil
2 T Salt
1 C. Powdered Milk
2 Eggs
3 C Whole Wheat Flour
8 C White Flour

Directions:
1. Beat 10 minutes
2. Rise
3. Form 4 loaves (could do in 3 in larger pans like mine)
4. Set 10 min.
5. Shape
6. Rise
7. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

Crockpot Mom's Beef Stew

from Favorite Family Recipes: Mom’s Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs steak, cubed
• Tabasco sauce, to taste
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped or diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 c. beef broth
• 2 large potatoes, cleaned and cut into large cubes
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/2 c. tomato juice (or to taste)(used 8 oz tomato sauce, was good)
• cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

• Braise beef in oil until just brown on all sides (turning only once if possible).
• Add Tabasco, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add onions and saute until onions become clear.
• Transfer to a *large pot and add beef broth, potatoes and carrots.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour (or until potatoes are cooked through) if you want the beef to be really tender, simmer for even longer.
• About 20 minutes before serving, add corn, peas and tomato sauce and simmer until ready to serve. If you like your stew nice and thick, add a about 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch to some beef broth, stir until smooth, then stir into the stew.
• Add beef broth to thin out and cornstarch to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
• *You can also throw everything (except potatoes, corn & peas) in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours -- add potatoes, corn & peas the last 2-3 hours so they don't get too mushy.

Challah Bread

from Food Thoughts of a Chef Wannabe

 

Apparently this is the traditional Jewish Shabbat bread. I made it to go with a french toast recipe and it was easy and fairly quick for a yeast bread. I was really struggling getting my dough to braid, so I just formed it into a long loaf. I think I ended up with about 4 C of flour instead of 3.5. And I let it rise for about 45 min. after forming it and before baking.

 

 

Ingredients

1 (.25) pkg dry active yeast
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups flour (more if you will be kneading by hand, I used my dough hook)
1 egg yolk for brushing over bread before baking, or 2 tbsp butter melted

In a large bowl, mix together your yeast and the water.  Let the mixture stand until it looks kind of, cloudy and scummy.  Yea, I know, real technical term.  It should take about 10 minutes.  At this time you will need to stir in the honey and salt, until it is all dissolved and add the beaten eggs..  Mix in the flour a little bit at a time, until the dough becomes sticky.  Sprinkle flour on the dough and knead it until it is smooth, about 5 minutes.  I did all of this in my stand mixer.  

I let it run with the dough hook attachment for about 3-4 minutes.  Perfection.

Now, for the dough into a ball, and place in a bowl that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or brushed with oil.  Let ir rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size.  It will take 45 minutes to an hour.

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Punch the dough down and cit it into 3 equal pieces.  On a floured sruface roll the small pieces into ripes about the thickness of...hmm...a cigar and about 12 inches long.  The ropes should be a little fatter in the center than the edges.  Now, let's be real, mine were far from perfect, they were fatter than they should have been but as you can see, it turned out perfectly fine.  Pinch the ends together and flip them under. 

 

Place the beautifully braided loaf onto a baking sheet lines with parchment paper.  Brush the top with beaten egg yolk.  You can also used melted butter.

 

 

Bake the challah in a preheated oven until the top turns a beautiful rich brown color and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap on it.  It should take 30-35 minutes.  Place it on a wire rack to cool when it is done!

Mexican Haystacks

Had with the Elders over for dinner, everyone liked it. Didn't try it with lettuce, but Daniel suggested cabbage might be good. Might try that or lettuce next time. Also would be good with fresh tomatoes on top as well. Camilla liked it as well. Is good with cabbage.

from JensYummyFun

Mexican Haystacks

8 oz cream cheese
2 C milk
1 C water
1 C sour cream
2 tsp cumin
1 med sweet onion diced
1 Tbl chicken bouillon 
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
3-4 frozen chicken breasts
2 Can diced green chilies
1 bag frozen corn
2 cans black beans
2 cans Rotel
Fresh cilantro (optional)
cheese
Sliced Olives (optional)
Fresh diced tomato (optional)
lettuce/cabbage (optional)

(**This makes a big serving so 1/2 the recipe if needed. Half served about 6 people)

Combine all ingredients but chicken, beans, corn and Rotel. Heat until smooth and blend until creamy. Immersion blender works best. Then add remaining ingredients and let cook all day, stirring occasionally.  Once chicken is cooked it can either be removed from crock pot to be diced up or the longer is simmers, the closer you'll get to it shredding on it's own :)

Serve over a bed of tortilla chips and rice with warm bread sticks. Garnish with cheese and fresh cilantro. YUM!!!

Creamy Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

I had an open can of Italian diced tomatoes and used those instead of tomato paste. Still turned out tasting good. Could try adding chicken or sausage with it if meat is desired.

from a Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Serves: 4-5

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) elbow macaroni (used mini fusili (sp?)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 tbsp flour
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1½ cups cheese (mild, medium or sharp Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack)
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Then drain and set aside.
2. In a pan, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned.
3. Add the flour to the onion mix and stir, mixing thoroughly.
4. Whisk in the milk, and stir until the mixture is thickened.
5. Add the tomato paste and oregano. Stir.
6. Gradually stir in the grated and parmesan cheeses.
7. Add the pasta and stir.
8. Serve right away and enjoy!

Her Notes

I put my finished macaroni in an oven proof dish, covered it, and kept it in a 300 degree oven until dinner time. (Maximum time was 15 minutes.)

Broccoli Soup

 

 Note: wondering if this could be made in the Vitamix?

Mom's (Granny's) Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 medium Potato

2-3 cloves Garlic

1 medium Onion

1 1/2 bunch Broccoli

3 C Chicken Broth (just enough to cover broccoli to simmer)

Milk, Cream, or Half & Half

Sour Cream

Optional: Cauliflower, Carrot, etc.

 

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add cut up broccoli, potato, chicken broth, and salt. Boil til softened.

2. Puree in blender. Hold back on chicken broth and can add later if needed.

3. Add cream, half & half, or milk to desired consistency.

4. Salt and Pepper to taste.

5. Serve w/ sour cream.

 

Another recipe from the Food Network

We enjoyed this recipe. I did add a little more broccoli, I think, than it called for, per reading the comments. I want to ask mom her recipe and try it out as well. I didn't do the croutons this time. I used my immersion blender, but would probably just throw it in the full blender next time to make it smoother (as Camilla would probably do better that way).

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream
• Homemade Croutons, recipe follows

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.
Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.

Homemade Croutons:

• Day old French bread
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Fried Rice

We all enjoy this at our house and I wanted to save it as I feel it's kid friendly.

Ingredients:
3 C uncooked rice
3-4 carrots
5-6 eggs
ham/bacon, cooked
peas
1 section broccoli
onion/green onion
green beans
cabbage
any other vegetable needing to be used up
salt and pepper
ginger (ground or fresh)
garlic salt
soy sauce
vegetable oil

Directions:

Cook rice in rice cooker with 6 C of water with a dash of salt.

In the meantime start cooking carrots and onion if not using green onion in a bit of vegetable oil. Gradually add other vegetables depending on how long they'll take to cook and soften until you have a good amount. Add meat.

In a separate pan scramble eggs and break into small chunks.

Once rice is cooked you can add it to the vegetables and mix. Add the eggs and mix. Then upon preference mix in salt and pepper, garlic salt, ginger, soy sauce, etc. as desired to taste.

Serve.