Plain rice (well not so plain)

 I love to flavor my rice just a little and we still call it plain rice. 

(you off course mix everything together before eating)

I mostly cook with jasmine rice. When it is done cooking I add the following:

Butter
Salt
Granulated garlic
Lime Juice (just used bottled, so I always have it on hand)

This recipe makes rice so much better!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

 I found this recipe because I wanted to make a stove top cake. There is a stove top oven called the Omnia. I decided to create my own stove top oven out of cheap pans from DI and what I had laying around the house. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked. I halved the batter recipe and it cooked 15-20 minutes longer but everyone liked it. 

I used an angel food pan with a removable inside. I put a wide camping pan on the bottom. 

I lined the inside with aluminum foil but am planning on buying a sillicone bundt pan insert. (this will avoid burning of the bottom)

I used a 5 quart mixing bowl as a lid. 

Ingredients: (this is the full recipe)

1 cup butter
1 cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Line the angel cake pan with aluminum foil and spray with oil.  In a saucepan, melt 1 cup of butter. Stir in 1 cup water and 6 tablespoons cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the cooled cocoa mixture.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the cocoa buttermilk mixture. Stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated stove top oven for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished cake but will do so next time. 

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This easy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavors, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It's incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp canola oil or other neutral-flavored oil
1 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
9 cloves garlic crushed (about 3 Tbsp crushed garlic)
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
4 cups water
1 cup mung beans picked over for stones and well rinsed
14 oz can coconut milk
1-2 medium limes juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped


(this is what mung beans look like)


Instructions:

(stove top)

In a large pot heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat.

Add the cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute, until they just begin to darken.

Add the garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it has browned, but watch it very carefully so that it doesn't burn.

Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine, then add ginger, coriander, turmeric, salt, and chili powder.

Sauté this mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the water and mung beans. (I pre-boiled the mung beans for about 30 minutes before adding them to the spice mixture) Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture once or twice.

Taste a few mung beans to make sure they are cooked. If they are, stir in the coconut milk, and increase the heat to medium-high.

Once the curry comes to the boil turn off the heat. Stir in the cilantro and the juice of one lime. Taste and decide whether you'd like to add the second lime as well.

Serve hot.

We served it with Indian Rice and Naan bread (see other recipes).

No Knead Bread - Jim Lahey

Ingredients:

3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (it’s a small amount but trust us, it’s correct)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 cups water
Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and mix with a spoon or your hand until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. This should take roughly 30 seconds. You want it to be a little sticky. (Many people who bake this bread find the dough to be sticker than other bread doughs they’ve worked with. Even though it’s not what you’re accustomed to handling, it’s perfectly fine.)


Cover the bowl with a plate, towel, or plastic wrap and set it aside to rest at warm room temperature (but not in direct sunlight) for at least 12 hours and preferably about 18 hours. (Ideally, you want the room to be about 72°F. In the dead of winter, when the dough will tend to rise more slowly, as long as 24 hours may be necessary.) You’ll know the dough is properly fermented and ready because its surface will be dotted with bubbles. This long, slow fermentation is what yields the bread’s rich flavor.


Generously flour your work surface. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to turn the dough onto the surface in one blob. The dough will cling to the bowl in long, thread-like strands and it will be quite loose and sticky. This is exactly what you want. Do not add more flour. Instead use lightly floured hands to gently and quickly lift the edges of the dough in toward the center, effectively folding the dough over onto itself. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. That’s it. Don’t knead the dough.


Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Place the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust the surface with a little more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover the dough with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will be double in size and will hold the impression of your fingertip when you poke it lightly, making an indentation. If the dough readily springs back when you poke it, let it rise for another 15 minutes.


A half hour before the dough is done with its second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and place a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and its lid (whether cast iron or enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.


When the dough is done with its second rise, carefully remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Also, uncover the dough. Lift up the dough and quickly but gently turn it over into the pot, seam side up, being very careful not to touch the pot. The blob of dough may look like a mess, but trust us, everything is O.K. Cover the pot with its lid and bake for 30 minutes.


Remove the lid and bake until the loaf is beautifully browned to a deep chestnut color, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a wire rack. Don’t slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

Whole Wheat Waffles

 Ingredients:

1 cup Whole wheat flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 eggs separated

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

Beat the egg whites until you get peaks when you stop and pull the beaters out and then mix the rest of the ingredients and gently fold in the egg whites and cook in the waffle iron. 

White Chili

Ingredients:

4 lg. chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 (15 oz) cans white beans, juice and all

2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 (15 oz) cans white corn, juice and all

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp gound cumin

1/4 cup minced, dried onion

4 fresh limes, cute into wedges

1 bag white corn chips

grated Cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except for the limes, corn chips, and cheese. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve by putting corn chips into the bottom of the bowl, ladle chili over the top to the corn chips, sprinkle with grated cheese, and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. 

Note: The lime juice really makes this chili good. 

Conversion dry and cooked beans

 I often use dried beans instead of canned. Here are the conversions:

2 cups of dried beans = 1 lb of beans

1 cup of dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans

1/2 heaping cup of died beans = one 15-ounce can of beans

Black and Pinto Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced
1 green pepper, seeded & chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 14.5 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 14.5 oz can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
2 14.5 oz cans diced/chopped tomatoes

Directions: 

Precook the ground beef in a pan
Add the other ingredients in the order listed.
Add about 1/4 can water to each of the tomato cans, swish to rinse, and pour the water into the cooker.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for all day.

I often use dried beans instead of canned. Here are the conversions:

2 cups of dried beans = 1 lb of beans

1 cup of dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans

1/2 heaping cup of died beans = one 15-ounce can of beans

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

2 1/4 active dry yeast 
1 pound all-purpose flour, or as needed - divided
1 cup warm water (105 degrees F/41 degrees C)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, or as needed

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Place yeast into bowl of a large stand mixer; whisk in 1/2 cup flour and warm water until smooth. Let stand until mixture is foamy, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk 1 egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt thoroughly into yeast mixture. Add remaining flour (about 3 cups).

Fit a dough hook onto stand mixer and knead the dough on low speed until soft and sticky, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape sides if needed. Poke and prod the dough with a silicone spatula; if large amounts of dough stick to the spatula, add a little more flour.

Transfer dough onto a floured work surface; dough will be sticky and elastic but not stick to your fingers. Form the dough lightly into a smooth, round shape, gently tucking loose ends underneath.

Wipe out stand mixer bowl, drizzle olive oil into the bowl, and turn dough over in the bowl several times to coat surface thinly with oil. Cover bowl with aluminum foil. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and pat to flatten bubbles. Cut dough into 15 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round shape, gently tucking ends underneath as before.

Use your hands to gently pat and stretch the dough rounds into flat disc shapes about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange buns about 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Dust buns very lightly with flour. Drape a piece of plastic wrap over the baking sheet (do not seal tightly). Let buns rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Beat 1 egg with milk in a small bowl, using a fork, until mixture is thoroughly combined. Very gently and lightly brush tops of buns with egg wash without deflating the risen dough. Sprinkle each bun with sesame seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on top, 15 to 17 minutes. Buns will stick together slightly where they touch. Let cool completely, tear the buns apart, and slice in half crosswise to serve.

Pancake syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

Black Bean Salsa Soup

"This soup is one of those last minute things I tossed together one night. It's very simple and it takes about 5 minutes to put together."

Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (you can use any broth)

• 1 cup chunky salsa

 

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 4 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

1. In an electric food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth.

2. Heat the bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated.

3. Ladle soup into 4 individual bowls, and top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream.

Other things that we like to put on top are:

diced red onions

diced avocado

cheese

tortilla chips

Self-Rising Flour

This is how you make self-rising flour when you run out of the original.

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 cup Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached

• ½ teaspoon Salt, table

• 1 ½ teaspoons Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1
  Stir or sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Presto, you've got self-rising flour!

Pannenkoeken (dutch pancakes)

These are kind of like french crepes but are not as thin.

Ingrediënten:

• 250 gram bloem

• snufje zout

• 500 ml melk

• 2 grote eieren

• snuf kaneel

• 1 appel

• scheutje olijfolie

• boter om te in te bakken

Extra benodigdheden:

• toppings om de pannenkoeken mee te beleggen. Bijvoorbeeld kaas, spek of stroop, poedersuiker.. noem maar op!

Bereiding

1. Schil de appel en rasp deze fijn.

2. Zeef de bloem en mix dit samen met het zout en de kaneel met de helft van de melk. Voeg een voor een de eieren toe (mix het ondertussen door) en voeg tot slot beetje bij beetje de rest van de melk en een scheutje olijfolie toe. Roer de geraspte appel door het beslag.

3. Verwarm een beetje boter in een koekenpan, zorg er voor dat de pan goed heet is voor je de pannenkoeken gaat bakken.

4. Verdeel (bijvoorbeeld met een soeplepel) beslag in de pan en bak de pannenkoek om en om mooi bruin. Herhaal dit tot het beslag op is.

Buttermilk Cornbread

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 2/3 cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.

2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Fluffy Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 large eggs

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a nest. Add the eggs, olive oil, and salt to the center and use a fork to gently break up the eggs, keeping the flour walls intact as best as you can. Use your hands to gently bring the flour inward to incorporate. Continue working the dough with your hands to bring it together into a shaggy ball.

2. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes. At the beginning, the dough should feel pretty dry, but stick with it! It might not feel like it’s going to come together, but after 8-10 minutes of kneading, it should become cohesive and smooth. If the dough still seems too dry, sprinkle your fingers with a tiny bit of water to incorporate. If it’s too sticky, dust more flour onto your work surface. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Dust 2 large baking sheets with flour and set aside.

4. Slice the dough into four pieces. Gently flatten one into an oval disk. Run the dough through the Pasta Roller Attachment three times on level 1 (the widest setting).

5. Set the dough piece onto a countertop or work surface. Fold both short ends in to meet in the center, then fold the dough in half to form a rectangle (see photo above).

6. Run the dough through the pasta roller three times on level 2, three times on level 3, and one time each on levels 4, 5, and 6.

7. Lay half of the pasta sheet onto the floured baking sheet and sprinkle with flour before folding the other half on top. Sprinkle more flour on top of the second half. Every side should be floured so that your final pasta noodles won't stick together.

8. Repeat with remaining dough.

9. Run the pasta sheets through the Pasta Cutter Attachment (pictured is the fettuccine cutter). Repeat with remaining dough. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Notes

Fresh pasta can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. 

White Bread

Ingredients

3 cups Water
3 tablespoons Yeast
3 teaspoons Salt, table
4 tablespoons Oil
½ cup Sugars, granulated
8 cups white flour

Directions

Step 1
In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and 4 cups flour. Mix thoroughly, and let sponge rise until doubled in size.

Step 2
Gradually add about 4 cups flour, kneading until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn several times to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.

Step 3
Punch down the dough, let it rest a few minutes. Divide dough into three equal parts. Shape into loaves, and place in three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch greased bread pans. Let rise until almost doubled.

Step 4
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes. The loaves may need to be covered for the last few minutes with foil to prevent excess browning.

French Bread

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 T instant yeast

1/2 C very warm water

1 1/2 T sugar

2 C water

1 1/2 T oil

2 1/4 t salt

6 C flour

Combine the yeast, 1/2 C warm water, and sugar, and let proof for ten minutes. (I should admit I’ve skipped this step and thrown everything into the mixer at once, and it’s worked fine.) Then add remaining 2 C water, oil, salt, and 3 C of flour. Mix until flour is incorporated, then add remaining 3 C flour gradually. Knead about five minutes, then turn out onto generously floured surface. Every ten minutes for the next hour knead two or three times. Form into 4 loaves. Brush with beaten egg white. Slash 3 diagonal lines into tops. Raise until double or 30 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then at 375 for 20 minutes.

We often eat this with a homemade Boursin spread. I will post that recipe also. 

Crescent Rolls

Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 c warm water

• 2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder

• 2 Tbsp dry yeast

• 1/4 c sugar

• 2 tsp salt

• 1/2 c butter

• 1 egg

• 4 1/2- 5 c all purpose flour

Directions:

1. In a Kitchenaid mixing bowl, stir in warm water and nonfat dry milk powder until it dissolves.

2. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour.

3. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.

4. Add 2 more cups of flour, mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.  (You can switch your attachment to the dough hook at this point for easier mixing.)

5. Add 1/2 cup flour again, mixing on low speed until wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.  You can add an additional 1/2 c if your dough is still too wet but I usually stop at 4 1/2 cups of flour total.

6. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.

7. Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil around the sides of the bowl so that the bowl is coated.  

8. Spray some plastic wrap with non-stick coating and place the plastic over the bowl. Allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size and rises to the top of the bowl.

9. Once the dough has risen, place your dough on a flat floured surface, then divide the dough in half. 

10. Roll out 1/2 the dough into a circle.

11. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 even slices.

12. Begin to roll the slice of dough in, starting from the wide end and tuck the small point underneath. 

13. Place rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet.

14. Repeat steps 10-13 for the 2nd half of the dough and let them rise for 1- 1 1/2 hours, until double in size

15. Bake at 375 F for 12-15 minutes or until golden-brown. 

16. Brush with melted butter while hot.

 

Whole Wheat Bread

Our kids love this bread. It is soft  and doesn't taste like your average whole wheat bread. Most people who try it think it is a mix of wheat and white. I use white wheat and grinding your own flour makes a big difference in how it tastes.  This recipe makes 4 8/4 inch loaves.

7 c. whole wheat flour (grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)

2/3 c. vital wheat gluten

2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. steaming hot water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt

2/3 c. oil

2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar (I like honey the best!)

2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice

5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 8-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.

Notes: 

The best pans to use are 8×4 inch non stick pans.

When the dough is put into the bread pans, squish the dough softly into the corners of your bread loaf pans. This will make your bread cook more evenly and not have the large lump in the middle of your loaf.

When you are done mixing the dough it should like somewhat shiny. This indicates that the gluten are well developed. If I don't see this after mixing it for 8-10 minutes then I add a few minutes to the mixing time.