Lynchburg Virginia: Pantry Corner Page

Summer California Salad

2006-06-30T22:55:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
1 Container (8 oz) nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons Chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon Honey
1 Small head iceburg lettuce cut into 8 wedges
8 Fresh apricots, halved and pits removed
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 Cantaloupe, seeded, sliced and rind removed
1/4 cup Shelled and chopped natural pistachios

Preparation
To make dressing, in a bowl whisk yogurt, orange juice concentrate, basil and honey. To assemble salad, on individual serving plates arrange remaining ingredients, dividing equally. Serve dressing on the side.

Chewy Chocolate-Cinnamon Cookies

2006-05-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

Chewy Chocolate-Cinnamon Cookies

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( You can use whole wheat and get 2 grams of fiber per cookie)
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Beat butter until creamy. Add brown sugar and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; beat until blended. Add egg, baking soda, corn syrup and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour and cocoa; beat into butter mixture. If batter becomes too stiff, use wooden spoon to stir in remaining flour. Cover; refrigerate about 30 minutes, if necessary, until batter is firm enough to shape. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place balls 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are set and tops are cracked. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 40 cookies.

On the weight watchers plan, these are just 1 point each.

Awesome Strawberry Bread

2006-04-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

This bread really is good, my kids LOVE it!

Awesome Strawberry Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 10oz pkg frozen strawberries, thawed w/ juice (reserve 1/4 cup of the juice for spread if desired)- I used fresh strawberries that I pureed but left some chunks and added a few packets of splenda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans(optional)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (for spread)

Lightly grease two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans or three 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Then add eggs one at a time, and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with milk, beating until combined after each addition. With a spoon, stir in strawberries and nuts. Turn into prepared pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes for larger loaves, 30 to 35 minutes for smaller loaves, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool bread in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. To make strawberry cream cheese spread just combine with a mixer the softened cream cheese and reserved strawberry juice. I sometimes add a little bit of grated orange zest.

Fluffy Gingerbread

2006-04-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

Fluffy Gingerbread
From Southern Sideboards

Gingerbread:
½ cup butter or shortening, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups sifted flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ginger
¾ cup molasses
1 cup boiling water

Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ to 1 cup chopped nuts
¼ cup butter, softened

Gingerbread:
Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs; then blend in remaining ingredients. Bake in an 8 x 11-inch pan at 350 F for about 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, spread TOPPING over the gingerbread. Make TOPPING by combining ingredients. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Serves 8.

Notes: Test for doneness after 20 minutes – mine was completely done after 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the topping - it may not take 10 minutes to bake.

Baked Oatmeal

2006-04-21T20:15:00.000-05:00

Baked Oatmeal

A wonderful filling and good breakfast that you can enjoy any day of the week.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white sugar (I used 1/4 brown and a tiny bit less than 1/2 cup white)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanila
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups quick cooking oats (I used old fashioned oats and worked fine)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat together oil and sugar. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, vanilla, baking powder,
oatmeal. Beat well then stir in raisins. Pour into a lightly greased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven until firm, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Some great toppings:
vanilla yogurt
warm maple syrup
cinnamon apple sauce

Other add ins:
walnuts or slivered almonds
dried cranberries
canned pumpkin(omit the raisins)

More birthday cake fun!

2006-04-03T14:10:00.000-05:00

For my doll loving daughter I decided to make her a mini doll cake, otherwise known as a barbie doll cake to most. I cannot find a really good moist white/yellow cake recipe so I resorted to a good 'ol duncan hines boxed cake mix. For the skirt of the cake I used a Pampered Chef 1 quart batter bowl but you can also use an ovensafe glass bowl. I greased and floured the pampered chef bowl really good and then filled it alomst up to the top so that she would have a nice long skirt. I then took the leftover batter and baked that in a square pan for her platform.

I baked the bowl about 1 hr 15 minutes until it was done when I put in a pick in the middle. The square one didnt take that long, 25 minutes maybe??

Let them both cool and then flip to rack to finish cooling. I made this frosting and blew up 2 hand mixers LOL I used half butter and half crisco.

Best White Icing Ever
cakecentral.com
Serves/Yields: 4 to 5 cups. (20 servings)

This icing recipe is #1! It's quick and easy to make, bright white for cake decorating, and you can easily change it's consistency! This is the most important icing recipe you'll ever have. It's so basic, it makes the hassle of cake decorating so much easier! If you wish, use half shortening and half unsalted butter.

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup shortening
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, water and vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for a full five minutes. It won't look like Icing at first, but keep the mixer going for a full five minutes, and then you're done!
Note: If you're not using this for decorating, but just for icing the cake, thin the icing by adding 3 tbs. of corn syrup, or water to the icing.

-I had to add about 2T more water b/c this was so very thick and hard to work this.

I tinted some the lavendar color and a tiny bit the green. I tried to decorate the cake to look like her dress.

I put the platform on the foil covered board and coated it with the white and then added the upside down bowl in the middle of that and started with the stars on the top,lavendar. I should have put on a thin layer of white before doing the stars but I was afraid of running out of icing. It was ok but a few spots of cake did show through but it still tasted great and Gwen loved "my cake" as she kept saying and pointing! After you finish the skirt take the legs off of a mini barbie type doll( we found ours at dollar general) and then put wooded picks in her leg holes to hold her on top of the cake and then using a small star tip "ice" on the top of her dress all the way around.

Birthday cake fun!

2006-04-03T13:58:00.000-05:00

My son just turned five and requested that I made him a spiderman cake. I looked the net over to find the perfect one and I succeeded! He was so excited and in total shock when I brought it out. It took about 3 hours to decorate it from start to finish and by the time it hit the table he was ripping into it. I followed this tutorial to make him: http://frostingfun.blogspot.com/

This is the cake that I used and just love it. I always have to add chocolate chips to it because that is the way little man likes it.

WONDER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan or 8-inch round pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix: 1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
3 Tbs. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
Add:
1 Tbs. vinegar
6 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cold water
Stir well. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

This is the icing recipe that I used. I used half butter and half crisco:

Best White Icing Ever
recipe from: cakecentral.com
Serves/Yields: 4 to 5 cups. (20 servings)

This icing recipe is #1! It's quick and easy to make, bright white for cake decorating, and you can easily change it's consistency! This is the most important icing recipe you'll ever have. It's so basic, it makes the hassle of cake decorating so much easier! If you wish, use half shortening and half unsalted butter.

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup shortening
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract
Directions
In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, water and vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for a full five minutes. It won't look like Icing at first, but keep the mixer going for a full five minutes, and then you're done!

Note: If you're not using this for decorating, but just for icing the cake, thin the icing by adding 3 tbs. of corn syrup, or water to the icing.

-I had to add about 2T more water b/c this was so very thick and hard to work with.

Billy Bob's Stuffed Cabbage

2006-03-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
8 large cabbage leaves
1 can tomato soup
1 pound ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Method:

Cook cabbage leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften. Drain. Mix 2 tablespoons of the soup and rest of ingredients. Divide the mixture among cabbage leaves. Fold the sides in, roll up, and secure with toothpicks.

In large skillet, place rolls, seam side down. Add rest of soup to pan, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking. Spoon soup over cabbage rolls often while stirring.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2006-03-21T22:48:00.000-05:00

An Indian Dish sure to perk your taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
salt to taste
boneless skinless chicken breasts: cut into bite-size pieces
skewers for the chicken
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper: finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream

Method:

In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne,black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt.

Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Prepare Barbeque grill for a hot fire.

Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 60 seconds. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, salt to taste.

Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Crusted honey mustard chicken

2006-03-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

Crusted honey mustard chicken

2/3 cup lite honey mustard dressing
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dill, freshly chopped
1 medium scallion(s), finely sliced
1 cup corn flakes crumbs
1 pound uncooked chicken breast, boneless and skinless, four 4 oz pieces

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, combine honey mustard dressing, salt, pepper, dill and scallions; remove 1/3 cup and set aside. Place corn flake crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts into dressing mixture, then corn flake crumbs. Place into shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake until chicken is golden and no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Drizzle remaining dressing mixture (the 1/3 cup that was set aside) over chicken breasts and serve. Serves 4

Viva Madrid Spanish Chicken

2006-03-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

This dish has a very unique yet delicious flavor. My kids even ate it!

Viva Madrid Spanish Chicken

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 dates, pitted and chopped
3 T flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
dried thyme to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour to evenly coat. Brown chicken in the skillet about two minutes on each side. Set aside chicken, and heat remaining olive oil in the skillet. Mix in bacon, onions, and garlic, and cook until onions are tender and bacon is evenly brown. Sprinkle with flour and cook for two more minutes. Mix in dates. Pour in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer ten minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Season with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cover, and continue cooking fifteen minutes over low heat, or until chicken juices run clear.

Serve over egg noodles,couscous, or rice.

Beef and Guinness Pie

2006-03-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

Beef and Guinness Pie
Serves 6

1 lb lean stew meat, cut into cubes
flour, salt and pepper for dredging meat (also used Cavender’s Greek Seasoning)
2 T vegetable oil
1 can Guinness Stout (the alcohol cooks out, leaving just the flavor-yum!)
3-4 large carrots, cut up
1 medium onion, cut up
1 T corn starch for thickening stew, pre-mixed into 2 Tbsp. cold water
1 pkg Pepperidge Farm frozen pastry dough (2 sheets)

Dredge stew meat in flour and sauté in hot skillet until meat turns brown on all sides. Place browned meat in crock pot or Dutch oven and cover with Guinness. Let cook, the time depending on setting of crock pot or oven...usually at least 4 hours or so (if using an oven, set at 250). An hour before serving, thaw dough and add vegetables to crock pot. Thicken stew with cornstarch mixture. Place 1 layer of dough into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until golden, puffy and flaky. Pour (ladle) stew mixture onto baked pastry and cover with second layer of dough. Place in a 350 oven until top layer of dough becomes a puffy flaky pastry.

Sandy’s recipe and Notes: Doubled the meat and carrots, cooked in slow cooker on Low for 6 hours. Didn’t need the cornstarch.

Irish Stirabout (Oatmeal)

2006-03-16T09:23:00.000-05:00

You can do without the whiskey soaked raisins here, it's just has yummy with plain raisins or any other dried fruit.

Irish Stirabout (Oatmeal)

Steel cut Irish oats have an unparalleled texture and flavor, but do take more time to cook. Start this luxurious version the night before for quick bowl of the best oats you ever tasted!

4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Irish steel cut oats
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup Irish whiskey or brandy
1 cup raisins
8 T cream
4 T brown sugar
4 T butter
2 cups fresh berries

The night before, boil four cups of water and salt, add oatmeal, stir and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and leave overnight. In a second pan, bring corn syrup and brandy to a simmer over medium heat. Add raisins and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Cover and set-aside until morning.

The next morning, bring oats to a brisk boil and cook until they are just tender. Meanwhile, place 2 TBS of cream, 1 TBS brown sugar, 1 TBS butter, and 1 TBS drained raisins in each bowl. Add hot cooked oats and top with fresh berries. Serve, allowing each person to unveil the tasty surprise awaiting below. Sandy's recipe

Irish Soda Bread

2006-03-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

A Taste of Ireland...Soda Bread
by Bridget Haggerty
Taken from www.irishcultureandcustoms.com

There's an ancient Irish proverb that says one should serve only "the newest of food and the oldest of drink." This illustrates exceedingly well the Irish attitude toward baking and distilling or brewing.

In old Ireland, the woman of the house made a variety of breads and cakes which she baked every day in a bastible or pot oven beside the open fire. Whatever she created - from griddle cakes to barm brack, it was seen as a sign of great respect to offer her guests bread that was still warm and uncut.

Soda bread first appeared in the 19th century, when baking soda was introduced as a leavening agent. Combined with flour and buttermilk, as well as salt, it's very easy to make. Served, still warm from the oven with, as the Irish say, "lashings of butter", the aroma and taste are unique to Ireland and it's become the established favorite with tourists and locals alike. As for the cross that usually appears on the top, you may be surprised to learn that it isn't a religious symbol at all. In the old days, it was simply a practical method of dividing the baked bread into four quarters; for large appetites, one quarter might be served as a single portion.

I've seen and tasted dozens of variations for soda bread, including one in which raisins are added to a white flour mixture. The end result is sometimes called "spotted dog" (not the same as the suet pudding I remember as a child). By far and away, my favorite is the following, which my friend, Jane FitzGerald, graciously allowed me to share with you. It's so good that it has won first place and other awards in several of the baking contests held during Cincinnati Irish Dancing competitions.

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups sifted all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar (for dough)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (can sub currants or you can omit them all together)
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons sugar for glaze
2 tablespoons very hot water

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt into a bowl. Add raisins, then buttermilk and mix until blended. The dough will be very sticky. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 10 times. Shape into an 8 inch round loaf. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cut a cross on top with a sharp knife. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of sugar in the 2 tablespoons of very hot water to make a glaze. Brush the glaze over the loaf and return it to the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately cover with a towel while the loaf cools. This will ensure a chewy crust.

Irish Apple Cake

2006-03-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

Food historian and cookbook author Theodora Fitzgibbon once said, "All Irish people have a very sweet tooth," and if you grew up in an Irish household you know this to be true. In the earliest times, the sweet was a simple concoction of fruit and honey: later cooks found that fruit and berries were equally delicious baked in pies, puddings, and cakes. Legendary Irish cook Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House, County Cork, says, "Homemade apple cakes are the most popular sweet in Ireland," and apples in general are the basis of many traditional and contemporary Irish desserts.

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-inch square cake pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, apples, nuts, and vanilla and stir well. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves 10 to 12.
From a friend Sandy

Kim’s Pumpkin Muffins

2006-03-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

So very good! I like to make them in the mini muffin pan and bake about 12-15 minutes, you'll notice when they are done.

Kim’s Pumpkin Muffins

1½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs, then add oil, pumpkin and spices. Mix together with dry ingredients. Spoon into greased muffin tins. If you fill them halfway, bake for 20 minutes and you’ll get 16 muffins. If you fill each muffin tin full, you’ll get only 12 muffins and will need to bake them for 25 minutes. If you want to make this as a bread, lightly grease a loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

ZESTY GRILLED TUNA

2006-03-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

ZESTY GRILLED TUNA (can be charcoal grilled, gas grilled or broiled)

1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. prepared white horseradish
1 tsp. prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 (5-ounce) tuna steaks

Heat charcoal grill until coals form white ash OR preheat gas grill to medium OR preheat broiler.

In small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, soy sauce, garlic, horseradish, mustard, salt & pepper. Transfer 1/2 cup of mixture to a small bowl and reserve. Marinate tuna steaks in remaining mixture for 10 minutes. Place tuna steaks on grill or in a broiler pan; grill or broil until steaks are browned & cooked to taste, 4 -5 minutes per side. Drizzle steaks with reserved dressing mixture. Serve immediately.

Ten-minute Crusted Fish

2006-03-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

Ten-minute Crusted Fish

4 fish filets (about 6 oz. each)
1/3 cup light Mayo
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

Preheat broiler. Coat broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place fish on pan. In small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread evenly over the top of fish, then broil for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork and topping is golden.

Bowties with Sausage Cream Sauce

2006-03-03T08:41:00.000-05:00

Very easy dish to make and it tastes fantastic!

Bowties with Sausage Cream Sauce

1 package Bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or hot (your choice) Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes,
drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I've also used half & half)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large, skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic, cook until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, half & half, and salt. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

White Garlic Pizza

2006-02-21T13:55:00.000-05:00

Homemade cheese sticks!

White Garlic Pizza
1 (12 inch) pizza dough of your liking
8-10 ounces shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3 Cloves garlic, put through garlic press (more if you like)
Romano or parmesan cheese to taste
1 T Olive oil

Cook pizza dough in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Spread olive oil mixed with garlic over dough with a brush. Sprinkle with Romano or Parmesan cheese to your taste. Top with Mozzarella. Bake at 425 degrees for apporximatley 15 min or until lightly brown.

Master Pizza Dough

2006-02-21T13:51:00.000-05:00

Master Pizza Dough
Makes 1 (14-inch) thick-crust pizza or 2 (12-inch) thin-crust pizzas.

3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour(of half white and half whole wheat)
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 to 130*F)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal

In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt. Stir very warm water and olive oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes. Lightly oil 1 (14-inch) or 2 (12-inch) round pizza pan(s). Sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape dough into smooth ball. Divide and roll dough to fit desired pan(s). Top pizza as desired. Bake at 400*F for 15-20 minutes or until done. Baking time depends on size and thickness of crust and selected toppings.

The Grand Salsa Experiment: Black Bean Variety

2006-02-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (11 ounce) can of white shoe peg corn, drained
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, partially drained
2 tomatoes, diced
2 bunches green onions, chopped
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method:

Just mix it up in a bowl and stick in the fridge. Sometimes I add some balsamic vinegar, or sometimes chile powder, I like those small cans of green chile too, and in some stores you might find a bottle of cactus sliced which is also good to add.

Salsa can be a grand experiment just start adding things. Basil is good, garlic powder, a dash of olive oil, and I might just try throwing in some chopped mint leaves sometime. If you try the mint leaves let me know, you might just save me from a bad experiment.

Red Velvet Cake

2006-02-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful cake from a dear friend Brenda. Would be super cute baked in heart shaped pans for Valentine's Day.

Red Velvet Cake
Cake:
2 1/2 cups SELF-RISING flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 large eggs

Frosting:

1 1/3 sticks butter, softened
10 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (1 lb.) box confectioners' sugar
2 cups chopped pecans(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients with an electric mixer until well blended. Spray three 9" round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter equally into the 3 pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Carefully remove layers from pans to the wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine butter, cream cheese & confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy, then fold in 1 1/2 cups pecans. Once cake layers are completely cooled, frost between layers of cake, top and sides. Decorate top of cake by sprinkling the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 10-15 servings.

Jeff's Southwest Dip

2006-02-12T03:34:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

16 oz package of mild sausage (I like the kind with sage in it, but that is optional)
1 package of Philly cream cheese (you can use the Neufchatel fat free kind)
1 can of RoTel Original chilies (Use the hotter varities if you are into pain)

Method:

Brown & drain sausage

Melt cream cheese into sausage

Stir in the chilies.

Put in a bowl

Dip with Tostitos chips.

Get fat :)

For bigger parties, or for those wishing to get really fat, just double or triple all ingredients.

Gingerbread hotcakes with applesauce

2006-02-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

These are soo good on a cold morning to really wake you up!

Gingerbread hotcakes with applesauce
from Family Fun magazine

1 cup plus 2T flour
1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp each: nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk (can use soy)
1/4 c oil, plus oil for the pan
1 1/2 T molasses
1/2 tsp. vanilla
applesauce

Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt in large bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk eggs until frothy. Then whisk in sour cream, milk, oil, molasses, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid, whisking the batter until smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat pan or griddle with a thin layer of oil. Ladle on 1/3 cup batter and cook 2 minutes or until golden on each side. Serve with soft butter, warm maple syrup, and applesauce