Sunday, September 30, 2012

Dishes in Five Ingredients #SundaySupper - Baked Sweet Potato with Maple-Jalapeno Sour Cream



This week’s Sunday Supper is all about Dishes in Five Ingredients or less and is hosted by #SundaySupper Contributor Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites.

You don't need a lot of ingredients to make something delicious!  Some of the best meals come out of what is in the pantry and "what's left in the fridge!"

Did you know?..........sweet potatoes are not even potatoes!  Not even distant cousins, twice removed.  Sweet potatoes are part of the Morning Glory family!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Jalapeno Sour Cream

The skin forms a crispy, crackly crust and steams the potato.


4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed, dried
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tb. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. seeded, minced jalapeno
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste (a freebie)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. with rack positioned in the center.  Bake directly on rack for 40-45 minutes, or until soft when pierced.  Set a cookie sheet underneath just in case.
Combine sour cream, maple syrup, jalapeno, and lime juice;  chill until ready to serve.
Serve potatoes with sour cream mixture. Of course you can add bacon bits and scallions.  It's allowed!



Breakfast, Starters, Butters and Jams:

Main Dishes:


Desserts:
Beverages:
Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite 5 Ingredient Recipes! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!  We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk White Bread

This was a White Bread challenge for me.  I've always wanted to learn how to make a good bread.  Getting a nice, crusty loaf straight from the oven is not an easy task.


I wanted to make an "everyday" bread that was easy to make since alot of us don't have the time to be baking bread!  The first recipe I tried was called "Easy Everyday Bread".  Throw all the ingredients in a bowl, let it rise in the fridge overnight and bake it the next day.  Sounds simple enough.

The measurements were totally off and I got something similar to a batter.


Recipe #2 was more of a traditional method.  The dough was more workable and had a nice rise.  It did not rise anymore than what you see here.


My yeast was not expired and these recipes called for all-purpose flour.

The birds are having a field day!

My last attempt!
A recipe directly from Red Star Yeast.
Bought some fresh yeast and BREAD FLOUR!

Why should you go through all this trouble?  When the weather gets cool, I like to bake and when I saw the ingredients in a loaf of store-bought bread - Home Pride Honey Wheat (which is what I usually buy) it was kind of disturbing.

Enriched wheat flour (flour, barley malt, ferrous sulfate (iron), “B” vitamins (niacin, thaimine mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid)), water, sweetener (high fructose corn syrup or sugar), yeast, wheat bran, whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, molasses. Contains 2% or less of: soybean oil, salt, sweet dairy whey, butter (cream, salt, enzymes), maltodextrin, honey, corn syrup, calcium sulfate, soy flur, dough conditioners (may contain: dicalcium phosphatecalcium dioxidesodium stearoyl lactylateethoxylated mono and diglycerides, mono and diglycerides, and/or datem), yeast nutrients (may contain: ammonium sulfateammonium chloride, calcium carbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and/or ammonium phosphate), cornstarch, wheat starch, vinegar, natural flavor, beta carotene (color), enzymes, calcium propionate (to retain freshness), soy lecithin.

This recipe is for just one loaf of bread.  I was not going to make more until I was sure about this recipe.  Twice bitten!  This can easily be doubled for two loaves.  You can visit Red Star for directions using a Bread Machine, a hand-held mixer or Food Processor method.

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
1 +1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
2-1/4 tsp. Active Dry Yeast (1 pkg.)

Stand Mixer Method

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand 5 minutes.
Warm up buttermilk to about 80 degrees, or room temperature
Combine dry ingredients and liquid ingredients in mixing bowl with paddle attachment for 4 minutes on medium speed.
Gradually add flour and knead with dough hook 5 to7 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top.  Cover; let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface;  punch down to remove air bubbles.  Roll or pat into a 14 x 7-inch rectangle.  Starting with the shorter side, roll up tightly, pressing down into roll.  Pinch edges and ends to seal.  Place in a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.  Cover; let rise 1 more hour.

 Not perfect, but its over the top of the pan!


Bake in preheated 375 degree F. oven 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from pan and let cool.


Cinnamon Honey Butter

Mix together 1 stick unsalted, softened butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Use the Cinnamon Honey Butter on toast, pancakes, waffles, sweet potatoes, etc.
Try and bake a loaf on the weekend when you are not so busy.  The yeast is doing all the work - not you!

~Red Star Original
Sharing with The Country Cook - Weekend Potluck

Monday, September 24, 2012

Slow-Cooker Hungarian Beef Goulash

No need to brown the meat in this recipe.  Instead, the meat is coated in a spicy crust that gives this goulash all its flavor.

Hungarian Beef Goulash

  • 2 lbs. beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
  • 2 tsp. caraway seeds
  • 2 Tbsp. sweet or hot paprika (or a mixture of the two)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted with garlic)
  • 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. water
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (plus 2 Tbsp. for dumplings)
Place beef in a 4-quart slow cooker.  Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan or meat tenderizer.  Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well.  Top with onion and bell pepper

Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan;  bring to a simmer.  Pour over beef and vegetables.  (You can skip this step and just add the ingredients to the slow cooker).  Place bay leaves on top.  Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4-1/2 to 5 hours on high or 7 to 7-1/2 hours on low.

Discard the boy leaves.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Parsley Dumplings


3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. corn meal (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
During the end of cooking time, drop Tablespoons of dumpling batter onto simmering goulash.
Cover and cook 10-12 minutes.

Substitute buttered egg noodles for the dumplings.
~Adapted from EatingWell
Sharing with:  Recipe Round Up - Soups and Stews - Gooseberry Patch

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Chunky Apple-Apricot Bread Pudding

It's an Autumn Apple Party today here at #SundaySupper!  Fall is in the air!  Time for mums on the front steps, all the beautiful colors of Fall and all things APPLE!


Cindy @Cindy's Recipes and Writings  is our Hostess this week.  Our awesome #SundaySupper Movement with Isabel have over 50 apple recipes to share!  This is a recipe for a delicious, comforting bread pudding, that honestly - I could not stop eating!

Chunky Apple-Apricot Bread Pudding
  • 1 Tbsp. soft butter
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 
  • 3 cups day-old hearty white bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 1-1/2 lbs. firm baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks (I used Braeburn)
  • 6 Tbsp. apricot preserves
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 11 x 7 baking dish with the softened butter.  Sprinkle 3 Tbsp. of the sugar on the buttered surface; tilt and shake the pan so it's sugared.  Stir together 1/4 cup of the sugar with the cinnamon.

For the custard:  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.  Gradually pour in the cream, milk, and all the remaining sugar (3/4 cup) whisking to incorporate, then whisk in the salt, vanilla and lemon zest.  Add the bread cubes into the custard, pushing them down so they are all submerged, and stir in the apple chunks.

Spoon the pudding into the baking dish, spread everything out to fill the dish in an even layer and smooth the top.  Drop teaspoonfuls of the apricot preserves on the pudding, distributing it all evenly, then scatter the chopped walnuts on top.


Finally, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the pudding.


Put the pudding dish inside a roasting pan, and set the big pan in the oven.  Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan, enough to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish - don't splash the pudding!

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.  Carefully lift the roasting pan from the oven to a solid surface.  Leave the pudding dish in the water bath to cool gradually. 


Serve family-style while it is still warm.
I added a little caramel sauce to bring this over the top!



Soups, Salads, Starters and Breads

Main Meals
Sides
Desserts 



  • Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite apple recipes! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your apple recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!
    ~Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy

Friday, September 21, 2012

Swiss Cranberry Muesli

Muesli is a popular breakfast meal based on uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts.  Muesli was introduced around 1900 by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables was an essential part of therapy.  This doctor was in charge of the Zurich Sanitarium.  So if you are feeling off-the-wall, eat some Muesli!

 There are many versions of Muesli as there are breakfast cereals, but this one is similar to the original Swiss version - a combination of overnight-soaked grains, nuts, dried fruit and yogurt.  Make it the night before and you'll have breakfast ready when you are.



This is not a hot breakfast for a cool morning.  If you prefer, have it for an afternoon wake-you-up snack.

Swiss Cranberry Muesli

by Patricia Stagich
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Keywords: breakfast yogurt muesli oatmeal
Ingredients (2 servings)
  • 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (plain or flavored)
  • 1/2 cup low-fat milk (you can also use any fruit juice)
  • 6 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats
  • 2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds
  • 1 Tbsp. wheat germ
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. salt.
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
You can make any combination with this Muesli.
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~Adapted from EatingWell 

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