Bran Magic Muffins

Cream together:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Then add and stir:
2.5 cups flour
1 cup bran flakes (cereal)
1.5 cups All Bran (cereal)
2.5 tsp baking soda

Then add and stir:
1 cup boiling water
2 cups buttermilk

Let sit (usually overnight) so the cereal absorbs moisture and dissolves.  Store batter in fridge in an air tight container.  It will stay good for weeks!  Give it a good stir before baking.  Spray muffin tin with baking spray.
Bake at 400* for 18-20 minutes.

Variation: Add frozen cranberries and sprinkle coarse sugar on top
Makes 24 muffins.

Recipe credit: @motivationmindy

Serious Eats Beef and Barley Stew

Ingredients

• 1 - 1.5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, seered and cut into small pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 12 cups chicken stock or beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup pearled barley

Sear the chuck roast, then cut into small bits.

Add the beef to the 12 cups of broth and simmer for one hour.

Saute the diced vegetables.  Add the vegetables and barley and simmer for another 90 minutes.  Remove lid the last 30 minutes to help thicken.

Total cook time is about 3 hours.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Summer Spinach Salad

5 oz (1/2 bag) spinach
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice (for apples)
1 can mandarin oranges (or fresh cutie slices)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup toasted pecans
1 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
1/2 avocado (optional)

dressing:

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3-4 tsp sugar, or splenda, or honey
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Chicken Picatta w/ Lemon Noodles

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe with some small changes.  The way we made it knocked our socks off, so we're not changing a thing!

Buttery Lemon Noodles:
8 ounces pasta (fettuccine, linguine, angel hair, egg noodles)
1 tablespoon butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken Piccata:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (butterflied)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/2 cup Martinellis Apple Cider
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon drained capers

For the buttery lemon noodles: Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

For the chicken piccata: Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in the flour.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; fry them a little longer if the breasts are thicker, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the garlic to the skillet and saute. Pour in the chicken broth and cider, and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Allow the sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it's cooking.

Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cream. Add the capers, then cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it's too strong!

To finish the noodles, melt the butter in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the cooked pasta. Cook it in the butter for a couple of minutes so that a few of the noodles get a little bit of a pan-fried texture to them. Grate in some lemon zest and squeeze in some lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Mexican Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

Recipe credit: Rebecca Cooper

This should be the ONLY rice I ever make.  It's that good!  Distinct cilantro taste, and invisible spinach nutrients.

1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro
1 cup tightly packed spinach
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups rice

1. Put cilantro, spinach, and broth in blender and blend until pureed.  Add milk and salt and blend until well combined.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet.  When butter is milted, add rice and saute until brown (3-4 minutes). Stir constantly.  Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add cilantro/spinach mix, stir well, bring to a boil.
3. Cover, turn to low. Cook 20 minutes. Take pan off heat and let rice steam in the covered pan for 10 minutes.

Chickpea Farro Spinach Soup

• Chickpea Farro Spinach Soup
• (Twopeasandtheirpod recipe)
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (15 oz) cans vegetable broth
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups cooked farro
• 1 cup packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
2.  Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, basil, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the farro and spinach and stir just until the spinach is wilted. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and serve warm. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note-to cook the farro, rinse and drain 3/4 cup farro. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain any excess water. OR you can buy Trader Joe's 10 minute farro, it is my favorite and only takes 10 minutes to cook. For vegan, omit the Parmesan cheese.

Quick and Easy French Bread

This is a recipe I found on urbanstrawberries.wordpress.com. 

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
5 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white (or 2 Tbsp olive oil)

DirectionsPreheat oven to 450*F.

In a large bowl, mix warm water and yeast until yeast has dissolved.  Next add sugar, salt and flour. Knead ingredients together till it’s a soft uniform dough.

Now place a thin towel over the bowl with the dough in it and let it rise in a warm place for 15-30 minutes.

Separate dough into two, and begin shaping dough into long loaves, and place on a baking sheet.

Make slits with a knife and brush with egg white or olive oil. If you are garnishing with herbs or cheese, do so now.

Cover the dough with the towel once more and let rise 5 minutes or so (the longer the better).

Remove towel, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are brown and crusty. I did 19 minutes.

Pork & Veggie Eggrolls

This started as an attempt to make Lumpia, a Filipino eggroll, I ate a lot as a teenager in the Bay Area. Alas, there are no lumpia wrappers to be found around here, so I ended up using eggroll wrappers....which means they are eggrolls, not lumpia. But they turned out AWESOME! I'd seen several people comment on some lumpia recipes that they added cilantro for an extra kick, and I DO love cilantro, so I went for it. These did NOT disappoint. I'm already craving them again and it hasn't been a week! To be completely honest, adding the onion powder was a mistake (I thought I'd grabbed the garlic powder). But, the end result was so yummy, I'm keeping the onion powder in there.

1 lb ground pork, browned and set aside (drain grease, leaving just enough to coat the skillet for veggies)

Add to skillet:

1/2 cup onion, minced (I just tossed everything in the food processor)

1/2 cup carrot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp minced garlic from a jar)

Saute 2-3 minutes, then add:

1/2 cup cabbage, minced

1/2 cup green onions, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp soy sauce

Saute another 2 minutes and add pork back in, stirring to combine.

Scoop 3 Tbsp onto each eggroll wrapper and roll up.

Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown in vegetable oil that is 375 degrees (medium heat).

A good sweet chile sauce from the asian market will put this over the top, but it's pretty good even without the sauce. We bought something called 'Dragon Fly Sweet Chile Sauce.' Makes 15 large eggrolls Note: These should freeze well. Store wrapped rolls in freezer bag, then thaw before frying. Next time I'm going to freeze half so we have 2 meals for the prep time of 1.

Petite Vanilla Scones (Starbucks copy)

For the scone:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
1 small box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract)
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream

For frosting:
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter and cut it in using a pastry blender or two butter knives until it forms small crumbs.

Stir in pudding mix, Make a well in the center of the mixture and add vanilla, egg, and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Stir gently with a fork until just incorporated. Bring the dough together with your hands.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface.  Form into two small rounds. Cut each round into 8 triangles and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush each triangle with a little of the remaining 1 Tbsp cream. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until just golden. Cool before frosting.

To make the frosting: Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until crumbly. Beat in vanilla and 2 Tbsp cream.  Add more cream as needed for desired consistency. Frost cooled scones with a knife.  Let frosting harden, then serve.

Perfect Potato Soup (Pioneer Woman)

6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
6 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
1 cup grated cheese of your choice

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside.  Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and cajun spice.

Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil.  Cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together flour and milk, then pour into soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the soup and blend in a blender/food processor until completely smooth.  Pour it back in the soup pot and stir to combine.  Let it heat back up and taste for seasoning, adding more of what it needs.  Stir in cream, then parsley.

Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

"Orange Frog Eye" Jello Salad

This isn't actually frog eye salad, but it's close enough to make kids think it is (pineapple, orange, coconut).  And since they *like* frog eye, that's what we called it.  ;>

1 8oz cream cheese
1 small box of lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
2 ice cubes
1 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 14oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained (halved grapes would be a good sub)
1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut flakes
1 8oz container Cool Whip

Whip the cream cheese.

Dissolve jello in boiling water, then add 2 ice cubes.  Add to cream cheese.

Add drained pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, coconut and stir until combined.

Chill until partially set, then fold in Cool Whip.  [I let it set overnight and added the Cool Whip the next day before serving…this worked fine.]

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

This muffin batter throws together in a few minutes and stores well for 6 weeks.  Bake as many or as few muffins as you like.  Just make sure you give the batter 8 hours in the fridge before baking your first batch.


5 1/2 cups all-natural bran cereal (I used All Bran and it's just about the entire box)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 1/2 cups white sugar
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 cups buttermilk (make your own by adding 4 Tbsp vinegar to 4 scant cups milk, let sit for 10 min)
1 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable)
4 large eggs, beaten

Optional additional ingredients for baking:
*frozen berries, small pieces of frozen fruit
*chocolate chips
*raw sugar for muffin tops

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until everything is moist. Scrape the muffin mix into a large container with tight fitting lid. Label the container with the date the batter was mixed (or the date it will expire).  Store in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.  Wait at least 8 hours before baking first batch.

To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Add any fruit or choc chips to the portion of batter you are going to bake.  Spray muffin tin with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Fill cups 2/3 full.  If desired, sprinkle lightly with course sugar.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes for standard size muffins (10-12 for mini). Muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow muffins to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.  These muffins taste best when they are cold from the fridge!

Overnight Baked French Toast

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/12/overnight-baked-french-toast/

French Beef Stew

I threw together a new stew tonight and it tastes very much like beef bourguignon without the work. Don't get me wrong - BB is totally worth the work - but not something I have time for very often.

French Beef Stew

1 lb stew meat, 1/2" cubes

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Dash of cayenne 

1 1/2 Tbsp Beef Base 

1/2 cup red cooking wine

4 cups hot water

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp cold water

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 red potatoes, 1/2" cubes

3 celery stalks, sliced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp butter 

1 onion

4 mushrooms (baby bellos, sliced)

1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Place flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne in a bag, shake and coat cubed meat.

Brown the meat on med-high heat with olive oil. I use a cast iron ceramic pot.

Drain the excess oil. Add cooking wine and water to de-glaze the pot. Add beef base and remaining spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for one hour.

Combine cornstarch with water and stir into pot. Add carrot, potato, celery, Worcestershire sauce, and continue to simmer for another hour.

In a skillet, sauté sliced onion and mushroom until caramelized, then add to pot for the last 15 minutes.

I noticed a big difference in the tenderness of the meat between 2 hrs and 2.5 hrs simmering. So, if you're not in a rush, give it the extra 30 min before serving. 

Belgian Waffles

I got lucky with an internet search for a light, fluffy belgian waffle.  This one comes from www.somethingswanky.com and is exactly what I was looking for - just a hint of sugar and spice.  I made one minor change by cutting the cinnamon in half, because I only enjoy a 'hint' of cinnamon.  The ingredient list can look intimidating, but it's all stuff you have on hand, and honestly take about 2-3 minutes to toss together.  Love these!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup corn starch

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup cooking oil (canola)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

a pinch of nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp if you prefer)

1. Preheat waffle iron

2. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.

3. Spray waffle iron w/ non-stick spray before each waffle.

4. Pour approx. 1/2 cup batter on hot iron and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, or to your liking.

5. Serve hot and fresh with berries and whipped cream.

Easy Artisan White Bread

Easy Artisan White Bread - Piseco Baking Company

3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups (2 lbs) All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (SAF)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or food-safe plastic bucket, using Danish whisk/dough hook.

Mix and stir everything together to make very sticky, rough dough. Or, in a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with beater blade foe 30 to 60 seconds.  Make sure there are no dry spots.

Next, let the dough rise. Cover bowl or bucket with a lid or plastic wrap.  (Remember, your container must be at least 6-quart capacity). Let dough rise at room temp for 2 hours.  (If you are in a hurry you can skip this step and put it right in the fridge, but leaving it at too temp for 2 hours is best case scenario). Store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before baking. Can be stored up to 7 days.  The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it will get. Over the course of the first day or so, you will see it rise and then fall.

On baking day, grease your hands and pull off 1/3 of the dough or a ball roughly the size of a softball. Form dough into a round ball or longer log.  (You could also divide into 9 large rolls).

Stretch dough into a nice tight ball, leaving seams underneath.  Will look like a ball of freshly pulled mozzarella.  Place dough on parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Sift a light coating of flour over the top.  This will keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

Let the dough rise for about 45-60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much, but it will settle and expand slightly.  Preheat your over to 450 and place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack. Have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

When you are ready to bake, slash the bread 2 to 3 times with a sharp blade, making a cut about 1/2" deep.

Place the bread in the oven and carefully pour the hot water into the pack on the rack beneath.
Quickly close the over door.

Bake bread for 25 - 35 minutes, until it is deep golden brown.  Lots of steam will escape oven when the door is opened, so be careful.

Remove bread from oven, and cool on a rack.

Gwen's Soft Pretzels

I made a new friend today, who recently moved here from NY, where she owned a bakery.  Her name is Gwen and she makes a KILLER soft pretzel!

Dough -
61 ounces all-purpose flour or approximately 17 cups
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons instant yeast (instant is better than active)
4 cups water

Topping - (the topping is what replaces 'boiling' and gives them the brown color and the 'snap')
3/4 cup water
8 teaspoons sugar
8 teaspoons baking soda

Optional - pretzel salt, cinnamon sugar, melted butter

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together until dough is cohesive and fairly smooth.  It should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, sprinkle it with water.  Cover dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Turn dough out onto light greased surface, fold over a few times to gently deflate it (get the air out, but don't knead), then divide into 4 ounce pieces. Roll each piece into 18 to 24 inch ropes.

In shallow bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Shake rope into a pretzel, then dip into topping. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake in a 400* oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with melted butter, dip in cinnamon sugar is desired.

*Do not use table salt for topping on pretzels. Use only pretzel or coarse salt, as table salt will soak in while baking.

*This recipe can be halved or quartered, as desired.

*If not measuring flour by weight, hold back 2 cups flour and used to achieve desired consistency.

Everything Topping
Sesame seed
Poppy seed
Minced onion
Minced garlic
salt

For 1/2 recipe of dough:
30.5 ounces all-purpose flour or approximately 8.5 cups
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 tablespoons instant yeast (instant is better than active)
2 cups water

Britney's Amazing Orange Rolls

Orange Rolls

1 recipe of sugar factory smokehouse rolls (below)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed OJ
grated orange rind from two large oranges

Orange glaze:
Mix together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed OJ, 1/2 tsp grated rind.

Make recipe for rolls. Combine butter, sugar, OJ, and orange rind in a small bowl and mix well.  Roll each portion into large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread half of the mixture onto each rectangle.  Starting with the long side, roll up jelly roll style. Seal edges well, then cut into 1 inch slices.

Place on greased jelly roll pan (must have sides because it will drip when baking). Let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes. Then drizzle orange glaze over the top of each roll.

The Sugarfactory Smokehouse Cinnamon Rolls or Dinner Rolls

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 Tbsp SAF instant yeast
Put into KitchenAid mixer and whisk.

Mix together and let sit for 15 minutes.
Then add 2 beaten eggs and mix.

Then add:
7-8 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt

Mix in mixer with paddle hook until combined. Then switch to your bread hook and mix for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon rolls: Pour out on floured counter and divide the dough in half. Roll out each half into rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Pour 1/2 cup of melted butter over dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon and white sugar. Roll lengthwise and seal edges well. Cut about 1 inch thick with dental floss. Put in greased jelly roll pan and let them rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Rolls: Pour out on floured counter and divide dough in half. Roll out each half into circle and using a pizza cutter make 8 equal triangles. Roll each into a croissant shape.  Put on greased cookie sheet. Let rise another 30 minutes. Bake at 350* for 18-22 minutes.

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Steel Cut Oats

1 1/4 cups steel cut oats
3 apples, chopped
2 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 cups nonfat milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup dried cranberries (fresh is even better!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Spray your crockpot with a non-stick cook spray.
Add everything to crockpot and stir together.
Cook on low for ~6 hours. Cooking time may vary, based on your crockpot.
To reheat, add a little milk or water and heat in microwave.

Smaller recipe for 2 - In a mini crockpot:
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 cups coconut milk
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Cook for 2 hours on high.  Add brown sugar to taste.
Would also be fantastic with toasted pecans or walnuts on top.

Avocado Rice

Avocado Rice

3 cups uncooked rice (Basmati white & wild rice blend)

½ red onion, diced

Juice of 2 limes

4 ripe avocados

½ cup cilantro, chopped

garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

1 Rotisserie chicken, chopped

Cook rice in chicken broth or add chicken boullion cube. Cool rice.

Add all other ingredients and stir until well blended.

Toss in chicken last.