Steak Marinade

 Marinade steaks between 2 hours and overnight.

• ▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ pinch of red pepper

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I brought some lemons back from CA (and bought more at Costco) with the intention of trying to make lemon marmalade again. Last time was good, but a little overcooked. This time I got lucky and it's pretty close to perfect.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 pounds Meyer lemons
• 2.5 cups sugar
• water (3 cups needed for the actual jam recipe, but start with more for boiling)
• Pomona's Pectin (I bought this in CA.  Not sure if it's available locally, but it's really a unique product that allows me to successfully make jam with less sugar.  It's a 2 step process - definitely different than using SureJell, so read the directions carefully.)

PREPARE THE PECTIN 

• Prepare the Calcium Water.  To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.  Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
• For this recipe, mix 4.5 teaspoons of pectin powder with 2.5 cups of sugar. 

SOFTEN THE LEMON PEELS

• 1.5 pounds of washed Meyer lemons (round the weight up if necessary, but don't cut a lemon to keep it at 1.5 pounds. I weighed 1 lb, 12 ounces for this batch.)
• Place in a single layer in a pot, cover with water, bring it to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. (Cover with a lid to keep your water from evaporating.)
• Cool until you can work with them.
• Save the cooking water.

COMBINE INGREDIENTS 

• Cut each lemon in half and remove the seeds.  The lemon is pretty broken down after all that simmering, so use a cutting surface that will hold the juice that tries to escape.
• Peels and all, put them in the blender with 3 cups of the cooking water. (I divided the lemons and water in half to do this in 2 steps.  Not sure my blender would have held it all and I didn't want to overprocess it.)  
• I processed it on my slow pulse setting so it would roughly chop but not puree.
• Pour it into a pot and bring the water and chopped lemons to a boil.
• add 3 teaspoons of prepared Calcium Water (1 part of the Pomona's process)
• Add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the marmalade comes back up to a boil.  Once the marmalade returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

PROCESS THE JARS

• Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

NOTES (as if I needed more):

Food in Jars has a more traditional marmalade recipe but it's lemon ginger.  That sounds pretty great so I might use my extra lemons along with a tube of Aldi Ginger Paste to try this all over again.

I used bits and pieces of all these recipes.  Take a look if you want to refer to someone who knows what they're talking about.

• https://pomonapectin.com/orange-marmalade/
• https://foodinjars.com/recipe/meyer-lemon-ginger-marmalade/
• https://foodinjars.com/recipe/honey-sweetened-meyer-lemon-jam/

I'm pretty sure this is all firmly in the ranks of rambling, poorly written recipes, but since there are basically 5 readers, I'm not too concerned.  LMK if something is unclear and I'll update.

90 Minute Man Bread (aka My New Favorite White Bread?)

 Taken from Don't Waste the Crumbs.
(My notes at the bottom.)

• 1-1/2 cups of warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2-1/4 tsp active-dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• Vital wheat gluten - 1 Tbsp per cup flour (optional)

1) If your kitchen is not warm, turn your oven to low. This is simply to warm your kitchen up a little bit (since it’s cool where we live).

2) In your mixer bowl add warm water, honey, and yeast. Stir a few times until honey dissolves. Once yeast starts foaming (5 minutes or so), add flour, melted coconut oil, and salt. Using dough hook, knead for 10 minutes on low/medium low. Leave your dough ball in the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise for 30 minutes.

3) After the first rise, lightly flour a surface and scoop your dough ball on it. Knead your lump of dough by hand a few times, until it forms a firm ball. Cover this ball of dough with a towel.

4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, make sure this is in the oven to warm up. Alternatively, you can use a cast iron skillet while the oven is preheating – as one reader had great luck with! (Note: We have only tested this recipe with a pizza stone.)

5) Let rise for 30 minutes.

6) After the second rise, place dough ball directly on pizza stone, cut two slits on the top of the dough ball and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. If you are using a loaf or cast iron skillet, the cook time may need to be increased an additional 10-15 minutes. (bread is done when the internal temp is 220 degrees).

7) Let cool and enjoy.

NOTES

*We move this dough from the counter to the pizza stone, but if you don’t feel confident in that transition, flour a piece of parchment paper and shape the dough on that for the second rise. Then move the entire paper with the dough to the oven for baking.

**Vital wheat gluten is optional but helps create a more pliable, softer loaf.

Jenny's Notes:

• This is a very easy recipe and makes a very soft, pleasant bread (probably even good for sandwiches, although we've only had it by itself).
• I used Heritage White Flour and omitted the Vital Gluten.
• I baked it in my dutch oven on parchment paper.
• I baked it a little longer than 25 minutes (probably about 30).  It hadn't reached 220 degrees, but I took it out of the oven 1) because I had somewhere to be and 2) because it seemed done on the outside.  It was cooked all the way through.

Jonah-approved!

Pizza crust - Gerardi method

 5 stars!

I used the Sallys Baking Addiction recipe - https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-pizza-crust-recipe/#tasty-recipes-66436

• I mixed it at lunch time so it had lots of time for the yeasty taste to develop. (Probably not essential)
• To bake, I preheated the oven to 475 with a baking sheet inside to heat up.
• I rolled out the crust on a silicone mat.
• Brush it with olive oil where the sauce will be to keep it from getting soggy.
• Add sauce and toppings and slid it onto another inverted baking sheet to make it easier to transfer to the hot pan.
• When the oven was hot I pulled out the pan and butted up against my inverted baking sheet so I could easily slide it all onto the hot pan. An extra set of hands would probably make all that unnecessary.
• Bake 10 minutes on the bottom rack and maybe 4 more on the top.

It slid onto a cutting board easily.

NOTES: 

• Holly uses parchment paper at 450.
• Johnny uses a silpat and 500 degrees.
• They both use TJs crust
• Sallys recipe filled the baking sheet with a thicker crust than I usually make. Next time I’ll probably try 2 thinner crusts.
• Fwiw, I added Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the crust. It was good.

Spaetzel

• 
  
  
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 4 Tablespoons butter for serving
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh snipped thyme (optional)
• Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil
2. While water is heating, mix flour and salt
3. Add eggs and milk to flour and combine well. It should be the texture of a very thick pancake batter.
4. Add batter to spaetzle maker hopper.
5. Push batter through spaetzle maker and the drops should be about the size of a solid macaroni noodle or a large orzo pasta.
6. Once spaetzle is floating on top of water, remove with slotted spoon and place in covered container.
7. So easy and fun to make!  Be sure to get a Spaetzel maker.   All this nonsense I read about trying to use a colander … just spend a few bucks. It’s so efficient! And a spider strainer is the perfect tool for getting them out. 
8. This recipe makes 4 very hardy servings or 6 reasonable ones. 

Crusty Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread

 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

3/4 cup (95g) chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

3/4 cup (105g) dried cranberries*

1 Tablespoon honey

1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F (35°C))

*No need to grease the bowl.* Stir the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the warm water. The dough will be pretty sticky– don’t be tempted to add more flour– you want a sticky dough. Gently shape into a ball as best you can. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!) and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and be covered in air bubbles.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Doesn’t have to be perfect! Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper. (Large enough to fit inside your pot and one that is safe under such high heat. I use this parchment and it’s never been an issue.)

Using a very sharp knife, gently score an X into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap and leave alone for 30 minutes.

During this 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C). (Yes, very hot!) Place your dutch oven (with the lid) or heavy duty pot inside for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it all– the parchment paper included– inside the pot. Cover with the lid.

Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before breaking/slicing/serving.

Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 week.

NOTES:

• Warm bread for brunch?  Yes, please!
• I messed up the oven settings but the heated dutch oven carried me through and I was able to save it.  It was great this time, and I'm sure will be even better if I follow the directions carefully.
• Go to Sally's site for similar recipes for olive bread and jalapeno cheddar.
• Source: Sally's Baking Addiction; the baking site that never disappoints

Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1 (8 ounce) package wide egg noodles

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

• 8 ounces cooked ham, cubed

• 8 ounces Swiss cheese, cubed

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup (such as Campbell's® Healthy Request)

• ½ cup 2% milk 

• ½ cup light sour cream

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer noodles to the prepared casserole dish; top with chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese.

3. Mix cream of chicken soup, milk, and sour cream together in a bowl; spoon soup mixture over noodle mixture.

4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in the melted butter until crumbs are coated with butter and cheese, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over casserole.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is bubbling and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Allow casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

   
   

   Notes:

   A little salty so perhaps I’d try a low sodium can of soup next time. (I wonder if that’s even a thing?)

   I added a diced red pepper for color.

   Tasty and nice looking. Definitely worth making again.

   Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231154/creamy-chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/?print