Yummy Wheat bread ala Jen Bird

Ok my Friend Jen Bird gets total credit for giving me this recipe. And i am so glad she posted it on her blog cuz I just loved it! Ot was easy and yummy and healthy. Ady has eaten about a half a loaf since i made it yesterday. Enjoy!

In your mixer mix:
5 C HOT water
¼ C oil
¾ C honey

Then add:
2 C wheat flour
Mix until it looks soapy

Then add:
1 T bread enhancer/gluten
1 T salt
2-3 C wheat flour (or until it looks like a pancake batter consistency)

Then add:
2 T yeast

At this point, keep adding wheat flour 1 C at a time until it cleans the bowl.

NOTE**You end up adding A TOTAL OF 10-11 CUPS OF WHEAT FLOUR** (no more than 11 cups) So I like to keep a little piece of paper close by and mark how much I’ve added. Like in the beginning you add 2 Cups, so then make 2 marks, then when you get it to a pancake batter consistency mark how many cups you’ve added. And so in the end it ends up being 10-11 cups of wheat flour. (If this doesn’t make sense, please let me know)

Let it knead in the machine for 5 minutes. Then cover it and let it raise for 15 minutes.

Divide it into 4 equal loaves. Then beat out each loaf on an OILED countertop in a rectangle until all the bubbles are out. And roll it into a loaf and put into your pan. (I grease my pans with Crisco)

Then let them rise for 15-25 minutes. (I actually let it raise for 30 minutes)
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Asian Flank Steak with Wilted Baby Bok Choy

I made this for dinner a couple nights back and it really was so easy. Now if I read through a recipe and see the name of an ingredient that I do not know, I usually skip right over it but everything in the recipe can be bought at your grocery store. In the Asian/Japanese cooking section. And since I am posting it not Eric, it goes without saying that it is EASY!

Ingredients 1 ½ - 2 lbs of flank steak, scored and seasoned 1 T olive oil 2 T sesame oil 3 T mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) ½ t chili oil juice of ½ lime, about 1 ½ T 1 T hoisin sauce 1 T soy sauce 1 T honey 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 shallot, minced 1 T ginger, minced 1 clove of garlic, minced 3 T chopped cilantro 1 head of baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise (or other leafy green, such as fresh spinach) 2 T diced red pepper

Directions In a bowl, combine sesame oil, mirin, chili oil, lime juice, hoisin sauce, tamari, honey scallions, shallot, ginger, garlic and 2 T chopped cilantro and whisk to blend. Pour over steak and allow to marinade for 2 hours (or more). Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Remove steak from marinade (reserving marinade), pat dry and sear until just brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to Crock-Pot slow cooker and pour reserved liquid over. Cook on high for 3 hours, turning once or twice. Place bok choy on top of steak and cook for 10 more minutes, until bok choy begins to wilt. Remove bok choy from Crock-Pot slow cooker and place on platter. Thinly slice (1/8”) steak and place on platter, pouring reserved liquid over steak. Garnish with diced red pepper and remaining 1 T of chopped cilantro.

Sili - Cupcake Molds

Ok this isnt really a food or restaurant review, but I have a friend who made me cupcakes in little silicone molds, they are re-usable, are non-stick and you can bake them free standing on a cookie sheet, they are sturdy enough they do not need to be put into a muffin tin. Awesome huh? I love making cupcakes, so I just ordered some for myself. You can get them at William Sonoma. They even have cute holiday molds.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

Tonights dinner is gonna be soooo freakin' good, that's all I have to say....

INGREDIENTS
4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white vermouth or wine or white cooking wine
6 plum tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved, or 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) tomatoes, drained and finely chopped, juices reserved 1 Tbs.
dried Greek oregano, crumbled, or 2 Tbs. minced fresh oregano
Sea salt,
to taste Red pepper flakes, to taste
paprika, to taste
2/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese, preferably Greek or Bulgarian
2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, with tail segments intact, and deveined
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint, plus mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a large, nonreactive, flameproof casserole or sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and tomatoes (but not their juices). Add the oregano now, if using dried. Season with salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add some of the reserved tomato juices if you prefer a thinner sauce. Stir in the cheese, then the shrimp. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the shrimp are evenly pink and the cheese is beginning to melt, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano, if using fresh, and the minced mint. Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve immediately from the pan. Serves 4.

Tortilla Soup

I am making this for quick dinner, tonight Eric and I are going on a date to a Haunted House with some friends and I thought warm soup before we went out would be just perfect. Also to be a little healthier I substituted the tortilla strips for wheat torillas cut into strips and baked them drizzled in olive oil in the oven instead of frying them. Ya for BFL!!!


Ingredients

tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1 pasilla or green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
6 stale corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
a pinch of garlic powder,onion salt and thyme
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped, for garnish
Chipotle Crema, accompaniment, recipe followsIn a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with the Essence.

Ladle the soup into 4 or 6 serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, and Chipotle Crema.

Chipotle Crema:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Process on high speed until smooth. Serve with the soup.

6 Hour Chili

I made this chili this morning and it is cooking in the slow cooker right now and it it smells so good, I cannot wait for Eric to get home from work so we can eat it.

Ingredients

5 lb. ground beef
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) chopped tomatoes with
juices
6 to 8 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 cups unsalted beef stock
Sour cream, chopped red onion, grated,
cheddar cheese and/or chopped fresh cilantro
for garnish

Directions

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, brown half the beef, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add the garlic, yellow onion, tomatoes with juices, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, cornmeal and stock to the slow cooker and stir to blend. Cover and cook for 6 hours according to the manufacturers instructions.

Skim the fat off the surface of the chili. Ladle the chili into warmed bowls and garnish with sour cream, red onion, cheese and/or cilantro. Serves 8 to 10.