Creamy Cucumber Salad

 

• ½ cup sour cream 
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp granulated sugar 
• ½ tsp dried dill 
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1 large cucumber 
• ¼ red onion (optional)

This was better than the version I usually just throw together.

Cinnamon Rolls

A combination of several recipes.  These get rave reviews and keep well for a few days, so they're great for holiday breakfasts.

Makes 12 very large rolls 

Tangzhong Starter

6 T water

6 T milk

4 T all-purpose or bread flour

Dough

5 c (600 g) all-purpose or bread flour

1/4 c dry milk (optional)

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2 T instant yeast (I usually use SAF Gold, but regular is fine)

1 c milk, warm

2 eggs

8 T butter, melted

Filling

3/4 c packed brown sugar

3 T ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

Icing

8 oz cream cheese, softened but cool

2 T corn syrup

2 T cream (or milk or half-and-half)

1 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1. To make the tangzhong: Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk until no lumps remain.

1. Place the saucepan over low heat, and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes.

1. Transfer the tangzhong to a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and let it cool to room temperature.

1. To make the dough:  Combine the tangzhong with the remaining dough ingredients, then mix and knead — by mixer or bread machine — until a smooth, elastic dough forms; this could take almost 15 minutes in a stand mixer.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, and let it rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in bulk.
3. Turn dough out onto floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 1/2" thick (approximately 14"x18").  Mix together the filling ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border on one long edge.  Roll from the other long edge and pinch to seal.  Cut into 12 equal pieces and place in a greased 13"x9" pan.  Cover and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1.5-2 hours.
4. To make icing: While the dough rises, combine all of the icing ingredients in a bowl and mix at low speed for about 1 minute.  Increase the speed to high and mix until the icing is smooth (about 2 minutes). 
5. Bake at 350 degrees until instant read thermometer measures 185-190 degrees in the middle, about 25-30 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack then spread icing on top.

Sautéed Cabbage

 Hardly worth noting this simple recipe except when I made it Tony specifically said, “yum!” And that doesn’t happen often. 

• 1 (2 pounds) head green cabbage

• 1/4 cup high-quality unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup chicken broth0

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled, for garnish (optional)

  Cut up the cabbage.

  Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add cabbage, and toss until well coated. Stir in the chicken broth, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender but still a bit firm, 8 to 12 minutes.

  The bacon probably shouldn’t be optional, it does get soggy in leftovers though so eat it the first day.

Sprouts

 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0249/1474/files/Sprouting_Guide_with_Discount_95b6a8f2-f3bd-4c5d-ae39-aea3cc26dabc.pdf?v=1695918605

Best Ramen Noodle Coleslaw

 Salad:

• 2 (3 ounce) packages chicken-flavored ramen noodles, broken into pieces, seasoning packets reserved

• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds

• ½ cup slivered almonds

• 1 (16 ounce) package coleslaw mix

• 3 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  
  

  The thing that set this recipe apart was toasting the crunchy ingredients first.

  Bake noodle mixture in the preheated oven until fragrant

   and toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

  
  
  
  

  
  

Buttermilk Bread

 

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk 

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1-1/2 tsp baking powder 

2 cups flour 

Preheat oven to 325°. Whisk together wet ingredients, then fold in dry ingredients until combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and an internal temperature of 200°. 

Kind of sweet; like cornbread without the cornmeal. Would probably be good as a breakfast bread with some cinnamon mixed in.

Rice Consommé

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

3/4 cup water

1 (10.5-oz.) can beef consommé

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

2 large oregano or thyme sprigs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine rice, water, and consommé in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Scatter butter over the top, and tuck thyme sprigs into liquid.  Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake at 400°F until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

s is 

UPDATE - this ATK recipe is even better

12 eggs

12 oz cottage cheese 

• Mix 1 egg and the cottage cheese in a blender. 
• Whisk the rest of the eggs then mix them in. Mixing them all in the blender makes the eggs “too delicate”
• Put add ins in muffin tins: bacon, Gruyère, or scallions, sun dried tomatoes, feta. 
• Pour in egg mixture and mix each gently with a skewer.
• It’s not in the recipe, but they need seasoning too.

Bake at 325 in a water bath. Done when they reach 170.

******************

8 eggs

2 cups cottage cheese

1 tbsp cornstarch optional, for creaminess

1/4 tsp salt

Optional mix ins

1/4 cup roasted red pepper

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 

• Preheat oven to 300 F and boil water in a kettle.
• Add eggs, cottage cheese, cornstarch and salt to a blender, blending on high until just combined and creamy.
• Grease a 12-count metal muffin tray with cooking spray, then add overtop of a 9×13 baking sheet. Divide fillings of choice among muffin tin cups, then divide egg filling among the cups.
• Add the baking sheet with filled muffin tin to the oven, then very carefully pour boiling water into the baking sheet to fill it up to submerge the bottom of the muffin cups.
• Bake for 30 minutes until just set. Remove the muffin tin first, then carefully remove the baking sheet underneath with the water. Remove egg bites from muffin tin cups once cool and serve and enjoy!

Notes:

• I sprayed the tins and put maybe a tablespoon of chopped fresh spinach in the bottom along with maybe a tablespoon of shredded cheddar and just a little measure of real bacon bits. (Nick had a little package of crispy salad topping bacon and it was perfect.)
  I doubt it was more than a half-teaspoon per. 
• They don't bake long and the temp is relatively low so I would probably pre-saute any heartier veggies before adding them in.
• Also, my eggs are pretty average sized lately so I thought I'd use 10 instead of 8 and I ended up dumping a little of it. (not 2 eggs worth, but there was still some left after I filled the muffin tins to the top.)
• I used a sheet pan for my water bath but it would feel a little safer to have something deeper for moving the hot water out.  I just let it cool enough that I wasn't going to get burned, but it was still a little tricky.
•  Starbucks are bacon and Gruyère.
• I brought some to post-partum Jenny today and this is the reply

Pumpkin Pancakes

 

• ▢ 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ 2 Large Eggs
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons Butter Melted
• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups Milk

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Mix them together but don’t over mix. Let it rest for 5 minutes before cooking.

I made a half recipe and it made 11 pancakes. They were tasty and it was a good way to use up a partial can of leftover pumpkin.

Everyone’s Favorite Fruitcake -KAF

 

1. 
   

   Ingredients

   Fruit

   • 1 1/2 cups (213g) dried pineapple, diced
   • 1 1/2 cups (255g) raisins, golden or regular
   • 1 cup (128g) dried apricots, diced
   • 1 1/2 cups (223g) dates, chopped
   • heaping 1 cup (170g) candied red cherries, plus additional for decoration, if desired
   • 1/3 cup (64g) crystallized ginger, diced, optional
   • 3/4 cup (170g) rum, brandy, apple juice, or cranberry juice

   Batter

   • 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F
   • 2 cups (425g) dark brown sugar, packed
   • 1 teaspoon table salt
   • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
   • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
   • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   • 1 teaspoon baking powder
   • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
   • 3 cups (360g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
   • 2 tablespoons (11g) black cocoa, optional, for color
   • 1/4 cup (85g) boiled cider, golden syrup, or dark corn syrup
   • 1/2 cup (113g) apple juice, cranberry juice or water
   • 2 cups (227g) chopped, toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)

   Topping/glaze (optional)

   • rum, brandy, simple syrup, vanilla syrup, or ginger syrup
   • 
     

   To prepare the fruit: Combine the fruit with the liquid of your choice in a non-reactive bowl; cover and let rest overnight. Too impatient to wait until tomorrow? Microwave everything for 1 minute (or until it's very hot), cover, and let rest 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. This recipe makes enough batter for ONE (not all!) of the following: 3 dozen individual (muffin pan) cakes; 16 mini loaves (about 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"); 6 to 8 medium loaves (about 3" x 5"); or 2 standard 9" x 5" loaves. Choose your pans (or combinations), and lightly grease them. If you're making muffin-size cakes in a standard muffin pan, line the pan with muffin papers, and lightly grease the papers.

3. To make the batter: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl (at least 6-quart), and beat together until well combined.

4. Beat in the salt, spices, and baking powder.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.

6. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and cocoa.

7. Add the flour mixture and the syrup (or boiled cider) to the mixture in the bowl, beating gently to combine.

8. Stir in the juice or water, then the fruit (including any additional liquid that has collected in the bowl), and the nuts. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and stir until everything is well combined.

9. Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

10. Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven, as follows: about 60 minutes for the individual cakes; 65 to 70 minutes for the small loaves; 75 minutes for the medium loaves, and 2 hours + 10 to 15 minutes for the 9" x 5" loaves. The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

11. Remove the cakes from the oven. Fruitcake can remain in its pan for storage, if desired. Or carefully remove cake from the pan after about 5 minutes, loosening its edges first.

12. Brush the warm cake with rum, brandy, simple syrup, or flavored simple syrup (vanilla, rum-flavored, etc.). If you like just a hint of rum or brandy flavor, add 1 tablespoon of liquor to 3/4 cup vanilla syrup or simple syrup, and brush this mixture on the cakes. (This keeps them moist for weeks; you can skip this step, but they won't stay moist long-term.)

13. When the cakes are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 6 to 8 weeks.

    NOTES:

    Set a calendar reminder to start this around October 25.

    This batch made enough for 4 of my little pans. Increased by 25% if everyone wants one.

    
    

Pumpkin Cardamom Crumb Muffins

 Yield:

12 muffins

• Softened butter (or cupcake liners), for the pan

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

• ¾cup/96 grams all-purpose flour 
• ½cup/110 grams packed dark brown sugar 
• 1teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• Salt
• ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted ( 1 stick)

FOR THE MUFFINS

• 1¼cups/251 grams granulated sugar
• ½cup/125 milliliters vegetable oil
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2large eggs
• 1(15-ounce/425-gram) can pumpkin purée
• 2cups/256 grams all-purpose flour 
• 3tablespoons pumpkin spice
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon salt
• ½teaspoon ground cardamom
• NOTES: excellent flavor. The cardamom amounts are not too much.
• Follow the crumble directions carefully. Mine was more like paste that melted into the muffin cups. Tasty but not cute at all.

Baked Ziti

NOTES FIRST:

I’m sure this is a fine recipe as-is, but I want to start by saying I changed pretty much everything and am just posting because the lemon zest in the ricotta is a worthwhile step. That’s all.

Actually, I made a half batch with cheap jarred sauce, the wrong shaped pasta, plain ole’ mozzarella and no spinach. The recipe is forgiving enough that even that was quite good. But, future self, add the zest if you have it. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce
• 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ziti pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 1½ cups grated smoked mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley and/or torn basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread ½ cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper.
• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Return the pot back to the stove. Over low heat, drizzle the bottom of the pot with a little olive oil and add the spinach. Toss and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted, working in batches if necessary. Turn off the heat, remove the spinach from the pot, and gently squeeze out some of the excess water. Coarsely chop it and set aside.
• Add the pasta back to the pot along with the remaining marinara, most of the chopped spinach, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and more fresh pepper and toss until combined.
• Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top. Top with the mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16 to 22 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot.