Fool Proof Wheat Bread

by Sandy Barker
Two Loaves: Four Loaves:
3T (or 3 pkg) yeast in 1/2 c warm water
3T Yeast in 1/2 c warm water
2 1/2 c warm water 5 c warm water
4 c whole wheat flour 7 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c oil 2/3 c oil
1/3 c honey 2/3 c honey
1 T salt 2 T salt
2-3 c white flour* 5-6 c white flour*

1. Sprinkle yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside.
2. Combine water, oil, honey, salt, and 4 or 7 cups flour (dependent on amount being made). Beat at low to medium speed in a mixer for 2-3 minutes.
3. Alternately add yeast mixture and remaining flour (you can use brown or white wheat for any part or all of the recipe. The best I've made is with white wheat/white flour combo) until dough cleans bowl. You may need to add more dough than what is listed.
4. Knead 5-10 minutes, until elastic.
5. Grease pans and hands. Form loaves (Section the dough into 4 pieces, roll piece flat, then curl up and pinch it together at end) and place in the pans. Allow to raise while the oven preheats. (I often cut off about 1-2 inches off end of the loaf before putting in pan and allowing it to raise longer, so I can make a few rolls too.
6.Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. If it browns to early, you can put tin foil over the top to shelter the crust or turn the oven temperature down.
7. (Optional): Put butter on top of loaves while still warm (I haven't done this and it still tastes yummy).

NOTE: This bread can be kneaded by hand, but it is a very sticky dough, so use oil on your hands and on the kneading surface.

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients
French bread loaf (1 or 2)
1 roast
1/2 purple onion, sliced
provolone cheese, sliced (can work with swiss too)
mayo
season salt
Italian seasoning
paprika
au jus season packet

1. Place the roast in the crock pot. Add 2 cups of water and the au jus season packet. Cook on low for 8 hours.
2. Cut the french bread loaf in half lengthwise to open for sandwiches.
3. Mix together the mayo, season salt, Italian seasoning, and paprika to taste. Spread on both sides of the bread.
4. On one side of the bread, place the roast beef (in slices or shreds), cheese, slices of onion. Put both sides of bread on cookie sheet, face up.
5. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and a little brown.
6. Cut into sandwich size. Ladel the juice from the crock pot to bowls to place on the table.
7. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I'm posting this recipe on the other two *other recipe blogs that I contribute to--not only because I don't have three new recipes to contribute this month, but also because my hubby thought this was SO GOOD (so did I) that I figured I'd share it with everyone.

I made this recipe up for the sole reason that I have never found a good, healthy tuna noodle recipe that wasn't full of butter, sour cream, and cheese. So, I threw together my own ideas and it was a success. Let me know what YOU and YOUR family thinks!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Boil Egg noodles so that you'll have about 3-4 cups of cooked noodles

Meanwhile, in a large skillet sautee (in about 1-2 tsp olive oil):
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
8 oz (or 10 medium) mushrooms (chopped)
About 1/2-3/4 cup cooking sherry
1 tsp minced garlic

Once onions are translucent add:
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp ground mustard powder
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 to 2 tsp onion salt
1 to 2 tsp garlic powder
1 to 2 tsp salt
1 to 2 tsp pepper

Stir together until its creamy then stir in:
3 cans of tuna (6 oz cans) after draining liquids

When noodles are nearly all the way done boiling, drain the water and stir them in with the creamy tuna mixture in the skilllet. Once thoroughly mixed together pour contents of skillet into a 9 x 13 baking dish

Sprinkle top of noodles with about 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until bread crumbs are browned and top noodles are crisp

Serve hot! Enjoy!

*Pleasant and Plump
*Delicious Dishes

Winter Squash & Sage Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb  Sage sausage -or your favorite 

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained

1 12-oz pkg frozen winter squash puree, thawed

1 cup chunky-style chipotle salsa -or other salsa

1.5 cups water

1 3.5-oz pkg herb-flavored goat cheese, crumbled

  Fresh sage (optional)

Direction:

In large saucepan cook sausage over medium heat until brown and no pink remains, stirring to break up; drain fat.  Stir in beans, squash, salsa, and water.  Bring to boilin; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve in bowls; sprinkle goat cheese and fresh sage.

This was in the Better Homes & Garden magazine.  I loved it!  My loved the thickness the puree gave the soup.  Here were my changes:

1/2 lb. chicken sausage  (I randomly had this on hand - so I added lots of dry sage seasoning & I think garlic while cooking it.)

3 cups pumpkin puree  (I still have frozen pumpkin in my freezer from halloween -never carved, oops!)

Goat cheese?  sick!  Maybe some herbed feta -but I am not that fancy.  No cheese & no fresh sage.

I think I also added sauted onions & chicken bullion & salt & pepper  (afterall I at least doubled the squash)

Bruschetta

This is a favorite appetizer/snack at our house...here's OUR recipe. See what you think.

3-4 Roma Tomatoes chopped and diced into tiny pieces
1/2 white onion chopped and diced into tiny pieces, too
1/4-1/2 cup minced FRESH cilantro
Juice from 2 limes
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 baguette

Set your oven to BROIL. Cut your baguette into 1/2 inch slices and spread on butter and a little garlic powder. Place cut baguette pieces onto a baking dish and broil for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice tomatoes and onions, mince cilantro, mix in lemon and lime juices, and add garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix together well so it looks like a nice, chunky pico de gallo salsa.

When bread comes out of the oven, spoon on your tomato mixture and eat like an open faced sandwich. You can't get enough...SO YUMMY!

Enjoy!

Italian Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (we love Newman's Own Italian Dressing)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or mix basil, oregano, crushed red pepper and garlic powder)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in wedges
baby carrots (as many as you like)
1 onion, cut in chunks

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with half of the Italian dressing, spices, and the grated cheese. Put the potatoes, onions and baby carrots on top and around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, spices and cheese. Cook on Low for about 6-8 hours, or until the chicken and potatoes are tender. We love the dressing so much that sometimes we pour extra on as we eat.

This is an easy meal to prepare and always a hit with my kids and guests. That makes it a winner in my book! Hope you're hungry!

German Pancakes...Like you've never had them!!!

Seriously, these are yummy without anything on them! I tried them for breakfast on New Year's Day, YUM! Sorry, I didn't take a picture, but they look like your typical GPs but thicker and browned a little more from the butter. So, here it goes...
1/2 cup butter
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put butter in a glass cake pan. Place in oven for 5 minutes, until butter is melted and bubbles. While butter is melting, put milk, flour, sugar, eggs and salt into blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Remove pan from oven and adjust heat to 450°F. Immediately pour mixture into pan and return pan to oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 8 to 10 minutes more until edges are puffed and browned. Serve with strawberries, powdered sugar, syrup, or any of your favorite toppings.

Toffee

I have always been intimidated when it comes to making toffee, but this recipe is really simple and it turned out the first time I tried it...

Layer a 9x13 pan with 2 layers a foil and 1 layer of silvered almonds.

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp real vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Combine above ingredients and cook in a heavy pan, on almost high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture is the color of a brown paper bag, pour into prepared pan. Let cool.
Cover with dipping chocolate and chopped walnuts. ***You can also turn the toffee over & put chocolate & nuts on the other side.
Break into pieces and enjoy!

Crepes

1 1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt
2 eggs beaten well
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp melted butter

Beat all ingredients on high until smooth. It will seem a little runny but it's right...

Pour into a shallow skillet and kind of swirl the batter around until thinned out in pan. Bake on each side until done and serve with either cinnamon & sugar with butter or with fruit and cream. Delicious!!!

Chicken Tortellini Toss

This is a super quick dish that I make and my family loves.I got it from Better Homes and Gardens and have adapted it for my family's tastes. Feel free to do the same! I find that Emily likes the tortellini, I like the broccoli and Scott likes the aspect of "chunks".

*1 bag cheese tortellini
* 1-2 large chicken breast
* 1/2- 3/4 jar of Classico roasted tomato pesto sauce
* Fresh broccoli (give or take 2 cups. I like more, so I add more!)
* 1 can diced tomatoes
* Fresh grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

- Cook chicken, cut, and set aside. (I've pan seared it, and sliced it, chunked it, or boiled it and chopped it. Do it however you like.) Meanwhile, boil tortellini according directions on package. Add the broccoli to the water at the last three minutes or so. Drain water. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pesto to the tortellini and broccoli. Then add the chicken. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top. (Feel free to add any other Italian seasonings you might like. I think that the pesto sauce is pretty flavorful, so I like to just add more pesto.)

As you can tell, this recipe is easily adaptable. Other substitutions can include doing half broccoli with half califlower.

Happy Eatting!