Apple Stuffing

 

This stuffing is a hit here at my house. I paired this with some Boneless Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze, and a green salad.

Apple Stuffing

Ingredients
Serves 8
3 tablespoons butter, plus more to butter baking dish
1 loaf Italian or French bread, torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced
salt and ground pepper
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges then thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth(low-sodium works well to)
1/8 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13" baking dish and set aside.
Spread the torn, bite-size bread across a rimmed baking sheet. Bake till dried, about 20 minutes. While bread is baking, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter then add onions, celery, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, till onions are opaque and celery is tender, about 6 minutes. Add apples, cook about 3 minutes more to soften. Pour into a large bowl.
In the same saucepan, bring broth to a boil, remove from heat and set aside. When bread is done, add to large bowl with the apple mixture, along with the sage, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add half the broth and mix. Add the rest of the broth and mix. Pour stuffing into the buttered baking dish and spread evenly. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40-45 minutes.

Oreo Cheesecake

 

 

These photos are actually mine this time. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Normally I'm not one to worry about what things look like as much as they taste like, but Brandon helped me with this one. I used my large spring-form pan for this one because I like cheesecake to be thinner. It's such a rich dessert. Do you like Oreos? You're going to LOVE this Cheesecake! I got this recipe off of You Tube, from Nigella, but I modified it.

Oreo Cheesecake

1 package Oreos(remove the centers and whir the cookies to make crumbs)

1 1/3 cup Oreo crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted

Whir together, mush into spring form. Put in freezer until filling is ready.

2 1/2 packets, cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 whole eggs
3 yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa(disolve in a little bit of hot water)

Mix all together. Add the rest of the Oreo crumbs and mix it in.

Pour on top of the Oreo crust.

1 package Oreos(don't use it all), "mince" as many oreos as you want for the topping, and sprinkle it on top of the cheesecake.

Wrap with foil(just incase it leaks), and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (I cooked mine an hour each time I made it). When done, let cool, cover and put in fridge about 4 hours or over night. Enjoy.

Spinach and Feta Bread

The title will take you to thekneadforbread.com, and if you click on the link below the pictures on that blog, you can see a tutorial for making this bread. I had my family try this first, then after I got their opinions, I told them what it was. HUGE hit here, and my kids won't touch feta cheese otherwise. It was the perfect crispy crunch on the outside and so soft on the inside. Will definitely make this again.

Spinach and Feta Bread Recipe:
Ingredients
Night Before:
3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Dough:
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup dark rye
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method
The night before you want to make this bread, combine the "night before" ingredients together and beat till well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 12 -16 hours.

The next morning add a little oil to a sauce pan (about 1 tablespoon). Place on the stove to get warm. Add in chopped spinach and saute till cooked. Be sure to continuously stir. You don't want the spinach to turn brown. Once cooked (about two minutes) pour out the spinach onto paper towels to remove any liquid,than set aside.

In a bowl mix with a wooden spoon the "night before" mixture and water. Add in the rye flour and the whole wheat flour, mix till smooth. Add in salt and instant yeast, stir till well blended. Allow the mixture to sit for ten minutes uncovered.

Now, start to add in the bread flour, about a 1/2 cup at a time. Till the mixture becomes to hard to mix. Pour out the dough onto a floured surface and begin to knead in the rest of the flour. Use just enough flour till the dough in slightly sticky. You may need to add more or use less, it all depends on your dough. Knead the dough for about 8 - 10 minutes. Then allow to rest for 5 minutes. This will help the dough to relax.

Flatten the dough a little and add in the cooked spinach and feta cheese. If your spinach is clumped together don't worry it will break up during the kneading. After the spinach and feta is incorporated, you can add a little oil to a clean large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and turn over till lightly coated on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 2 hours or till double in bulk.

After dough has risen pour out onto a flat surface. Cut in half. Shape into two round loaves and place onto a cornmeal covered piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little whole wheat flour. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour. About 45 minutes before baking, place your baking stone into the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Also place a cast iron skillet on the bottom of the oven, to create steam. If you are using a cookie sheet do not place the cookie sheet into the oven before hand. Score the tops of the loaves. Place the loaves into the oven. Once you place the breads into the oven pour about a cup of boiling water into the hot cast iron skillet and close the door. Reduce the oven to 400F. Bake for 30 -35 minutes or till when tapped on the bottom of the loaf it sounds hollow.

Naan

I found these pictures at the nibble.com, the title will take you there. But the recipe is just a combination of several recipes I looked at. I had Naan for the first time while trying samples at Costco. I immediately bought their Naan and have been looking for a copycat recipe ever since. While there are MANY different recipes out there, I chose this one with basically the same ingredients as the one from Costco. These can go with many meals, used as bread for a sandwich(Naanwich), by itself, with Hummus, Ghee or many other ways. I will be making these again and again in our home.

Naan
Makes 6 Naan

3/4 cups warm buttermilk(take care not to overheat or it will sepparate)
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons Canola oil
pinch of baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
flour for rolling

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm buttermilk. Add sugar, salt, vinegar, oil, baking soda, and mix well. Mix flour and cornstarch together, then add to the yeast mixture. The dough will be wet and sticky. Sprinkle with some oil, cover and let rest for 3-4 hours.

Preheat your pizza stone to 500 degrees for about 30 minutes, or if you're using a cookie sheet, preheat the oven and when you're ready to bake then put it in the oven with the Naan.

Separate the dough into 6 different pieces, with oil on your hands, and roll each into a ball. With a rolling pin and flour, roll each ball to about 1/4-inch thickness(Not too thin, it will stretch when you move it). Place two at a time on preheated stone for 3 minutes, flip it and bake for 1 minute more. There will be air pockets in it.

Spread Ghee(clear butter), or whatever you want and enjoy.

Tortellini with Sausage Soup

 

I am a huge soup fan, and this one has a great flavor, veggies, pasta and cheese. It was very filling, which is a plus in soup. I hope YOU ALL give this one a try.

Tortellini and Sausage Soup

3 links Italian sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup water
2 cans chicken broth
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini, fresh, or small box Tortellini with Parmesan.
2 Tablespoons dried parsley

Directions
1. Slice open sausage links and remove sausage. Cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat, stirring frequently, then drain the fat. Cook until sausage is thouroughly cooked and onions are translucent.

2. Add water, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil and oregano. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

3. Add zucchini, tortellini and parsley, simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes or till the tortellini's are tender. Enjoy.




parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

4. Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Pukkolla

In the picture, this is Pukkolla with fresh peaches on it, I believe. Click on the title and it will take you to theveganmouse.blogspot.com, but the recipe is below. Paula, thanks for finding this for me, I've been CRAVING this for a while now! Oh so good! This is a recipe from Jamie Oliver. He says "Pukkolla is my name for this outrageously scrumptious concoction. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN HAVE FOR BREAKFAST as it's got everything you need to kick start your day." It's basically a personalized composed museli. I LOVE this stuff!

Composed cereal(recipe follows)
Milk to cover
1 Granny Smith apple, washed, unpeeled, cut in half

I would definitely try to make this the night or day before you want to eat it, although it can be made at the time(although you won't get the smooth silky scrumptious texture that the milk gives it overnight). I normally place double the amount of composed cereal I need(4 portions for 2 people) into a bowl. Doubling up like this gives you enough to eat for the next couple of days. Cover with milk, grate in half an apple per person and stir immediately to stop the apple discoloring. Place in the refrigerator.

Composed Cereal:
8 large handfuls organic Scottish porridge oats(scottish oatmeal-I like Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 large handfuls ground bran
1 large handful chopped dried apricots
1 handful chopped dried dates
1 handful crumbled walnuts
1 handful smashed or chopped almonds, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts

Add poridge oats and bran to a large plastic container with apricots and dates. Crumble in walnuts and add chosen nuts (I usually bash them in a tea towel). At this point feel free to improvise, adding any other preferred dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, strawberries or figs, but personally I think the above combination works pretty well. This will keep for a good couple of months very happily in an airtight container, but you'll have eaten it by then, I guarantee. The great thing about it is that you can adjust it to your own preference, but I would suggest you stick to the basic dried ingredients that I use as they work so well together. It's very handy to have a large plastic airtight container to store your composed Pukkolla in, so try and get a hold of one.

This is from foodnetwork.com, but when I went to look for it, it's not there any more. My copy was printed 11/21/2006. I guess they rotate recipes as they add new ones on the site.

Flatbread

I found this picture off lifesambrosia, the title will take you there. She's got so many fabulous recipes there with pictures to go along with them. Brandon introduced me to that site. But the recipe for the Flatbread is below. I got it from marthastewart.com. These can be topped and baked with so many different things, or you can eat them plain, or fold them in half to make a Flatbread sandwich. I made the sandwiches one night for dinner, it was fun to do something different.

Flatbread

1 3/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
2 cups warm water
2 Tablspoons extra-vergin olive oil, plus more for bowl
1 Tablspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for suface

1. Combine yeast and water in a mixer bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed to low. With the machine running, add flour, a little at a time, and mix until dough comes together. (You will need more flour in warm weather than in cold.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours(or overnight).

2. Remove dough from refrigerator, and bring to room temperature. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

3. Divide dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, gently stretch 2 pieces into 14-by-7-inch rounded rectangles on a parchment-lined peel or inverted rimmed baking sheet. Brush with oil, and top as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully slide parchment with flatbreads off the peel or sheet onto the pizza stone. Bake until flatbreads are golden brown, 10-12 minutes(keep a good eye on it, every oven is different). Repeat with remaining dough.

Breadsticks

I found a PERFECT picture of what these breadsticks look like, so this is a repeated post, only I'm deleting the previous one. I have tried several breadstick recipes over the years. They were ok, but nothing too exciting, until now! This is the pizza dough recipe that I use most of the time. When I make it into pizza, I double this recipe to make one large pizza. I've posted that recipe previously. This is simple and yet very tasty. Brandon helped with the seasonings and I think it's just perfect! It goes great with many main dishes, so it's pretty versitile. The link takes you to where I found the picture, but the recipe is below.

Breadsticks
1 package active dry yeast(or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast)
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt and 2 cup of flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes). (Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Let dough rest for a few minutes so it will be easier to roll out. Using a cookie sheet with sides, place 1 tablespoon of butter on the sheet, and stick it in the oven till the butter melts. When the butter has melted, take it out and rotate the pan till it has greased the entire pan.

With the pan still warm, roll your dough into a rectangle the size of your cookie sheet, and place over the melted butter.

Melt in the microwave 1 Tablespoon of butter, and baste it on top of the dough. Working quickly, sprinkle with garlic salt(or garlic powder and salt), dried parsley flakes, motzerella cheese and then sprinkle with parmesian cheese. Be pretty generous and get all the way to the edges with these toppings.

Score your breadsticks however you want them to be cut. I score horizontally down the middle and then several vertically.

Bake for about 12 minutes. All done. Eat 'em up.


Let me know how this goes for you!