Farfallini with White Beans

This pasta has evolved over the last couple of months, and it makes a really good meatless main dish.  

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans

1 pound farfalline pasta (farfalline is a little bow-tie shaped pasta)

2 large onions, chopped

5 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 pound hard salami, diced

2 TB fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil - or to taste

1 bag baby spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread diced tomatoes in a single layer on a sheet cake pan and roast in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes.  Tomatoes will dry out slightly and juices will begin to carmelize.
2. Drain beans into a large colander and rinse with cold water.  Leave the beans in the colander.
3. Saute onions in 1/4 cup olive oil until translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic to the pan and continue to saute until onions are just starting to brown and garlic is fragrant.
4. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions.  When pasta is done, dip out 1 1/2 cups of the water pasta cooked in and reserve.  (I use a large mug or a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)  Pour pasta and remaining cooking water over the beans in the colander to drain the pasta - the hot pasta will heat the beans.  Return the pasta and beans to the pasta pot.  Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and stir gently.
5. Add onions, sun dried tomatoes, salami, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil to the pasta.  If mixture seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water and stir.  (The longer the dish sits, the more pasta water it will absorb.  I usually end up adding almost all of the reserved pasta water.)
6. If you are not going to serve the pasta immediately, cover the pot and place in a 300 degree oven to keep warm.
7. Just before serving, fold in the baby spinach, adjust seasonings, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Bagels

Homemade bagels topped with Italian cheeses.

In the planning for a young men campout tonight, Mark was assigned to bring breakfast. It had to be something quick to put together, that didn't require any cooking, created minimal mess, and would be fast to eat. Bagels sounded like the plan until I priced them at the local grocery store - 75 cents EACH. And when feeding boys and men, you know that 1 bagel per person is just not going to be enough.

Recently I read a post on the Sisters Cafe blog (sisterscafe.blogspot.com) that referred to an older post (January 24, 2009 if you want to find it for yourself) for homemade bagels. I will never purchase bagels again! These were easy to make and taste phenomenal. And you should smell the house while they're baking. Oh, and the cost for 12 bagels. . . less than a dollar.

Following is the recipe for bagels adapted from Sisters Cafe - try it, you'll like it.

Homemade Bagels
2 c. very warm water
1 1/2 TB instant dry yeast
3 Tbs granulated sugar, plus 1 Tb
5-6 c. high gluten or all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt

In the bowl of an upright mixer (KitchenAid or Bosch), combine water and 3 TB sugar. Add 4 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Mix with dough hook until combined and makes a soft dough. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a stiff dough. Knead in the mixer for at least 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. This dough should be stiffer than regular yeast bread dough. (If the dough is too heavy for your mixer, you will need to finish stirring in the flour and kneading the dough by hand.)

Spray a large bowl with Pam. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled, about an hour.

Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 6 inches long. Fold the ends over each other and pinch together. Spray a baking sheet with Pam, place the bagels on the sheet, cover with a towel, and let rest about 20-30 minutes. The dough will raise, but won't be doubled.

Bagels have "rested" for 30 minutes and are ready to boil.

While dough is resting, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 TB sugar. (This takes a while. I just let the water boil until I was ready to use it.)

Spray a baking sheet with Pam and sprinkle with cornmeal.

Working in batches (I was able to boil 3 bagels at a time), add the bagel to the water and boil, turning, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. I used a large flat pancake spatula with holes in it to turn the bagels and to lift them out of the water. I turned each bagel completely twice, with each turn lasting about 10 seconds. Then lift out of the water and place on the prepared sheet. The bagels will look lumpy. At this point, top with kosher salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or leave plain.

Bagels boiling in water. Turn every 10-15 seconds.

These have been boiled and are ready to be baked.

Bake 20-25 minutes. If adding cheese (I used an Italian blend of mozzarella, provolone, asiago, and parmesan), remove from the oven, top with cheese, then return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly - about 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Just out of the oven - warm bagels with a dusting of kosher salt.

We served these with Bacon-Onion Cream Cheese Spread.

Bacon-Onion Cream Cheese Spread

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup half-n-half or cream
1 bunch green onions, sliced (use all of the white and about 2 inches of the green stems)
1 TB finely minced onion (use more or less to taste, depending on how strong the onions are)
1/2 cup diced, cooked, crisp bacon

Combine cream cheese and cream with mixer until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Add salt or onion salt to taste. Chill several hours or overnight before serving.

A few notes about the bagels:

1. Yeast: I use instant yeast for almost all my baking. I love SAF Instant yeast when I can find it, otherwise I use Fleischman's Instant yeast. The yeast comes in a brick-like package until it's opened. Once I open the package, I put the yeast in a plastic container in the fridge and it seems to last a long time. I've never had a problem with the yeast. The instant yeast can be mixed in with the flour, which saves the step of "proofing" the yeast before adding the flour. It's also less sensitive to heat, so I don't need to be too careful with the temperature of the water. If you are using regular yeast, go to the Sisters Cafe blog and follow their instructions.

2. Flour: High gluten flour adds a chewiness to bagels, pizza crust, and french bread that is hard to get with all-purpose flour. Sam's Club sells huge bags of high gluten flour for the best price I've found. The high gluten flour seems to absorb more water than all-purpose flour, which means I usually end up using a little less flour than when using all-purpose flour.

3. Mixer: The Bosch handled a double batch of dough without any problems - including kneading the dough for about 7 minutes. Based on experience, I wouldn't try a double recipe in the KitchenAid.

4. Baking: I baked 2 trays at a time and switched racks after about 15 minutes. Then cooked each pan about 10 minutes longer. (If adding cheese, remove bagels 5 minutes before cooking time has ended, add cheese, and return to oven to finish baking.) I have a gas oven that I'm still trying to get used to, so your time may be more or less than mine. Bagels are done when brown on the bottom and golden brown on the top. If you are concerned whether they are done, remove one bagel from the pan and cut into it.

Granola

I debated on whether to call this post Heavenly Granola, Darn Good Granola, The Best Granola I've Ever Eaten, or some other superlative name. Why the focus on granola? Well, I'm giving a demonstration to a group of women in our church next week on making granola. So I've been trying different granola recipes, seeking one that was more than just OK or even pretty good. I think I've found it. The recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz who adapted it from Feast by Nigella Lawson.

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sliced almonds or chopped pecans
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup oat bran
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour (freshly ground)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup untoasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup golden flax seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 325F.

1. Put rolled oats in a large baking pan and bake for 20 minutes while assembling the other ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, combine nuts, coconut, oat bran, wheat germ whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and kosher salt.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the applesauce, syrup, honey, and vegetable oil until warm.

4. Add oats to other dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly dispersed. The mixture should clump a bit. If it seems too dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time (shouldn't need to add more than 2 tablespoons), and mix.

6. Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray, then divide mixture evenly between the two pans. Spread out the mixture to an even layer.

7. Bake the granola for 45-60 minutes, stirring and rotating pans every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and cool in pans. The granola gets crunchy as it cools. Store granola in a large, airtight container.

Add raisins, dates, dried apples, dried cherries, or dried cranberries when you serve the granola. Enjoy!

From Dried Beans to Refried Beans

A few weeks ago for our evening Relief Society (an organization in our church for women age 18 and older), I made tostadas for the dinner. If you haven't had tostadas before, think of it like an open-faced taco. Start with a tostada shell, spread with refried beans, and top with cheese, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. If desired, add salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Rather than using canned refried beans, I've been making my own using either canned pinto beans or dry pinto beans. The flavor and texture are so much better than the canned refried beans, and, by planning ahead, it doesn't take that much more active prep time.

Several of the women in our ward had never cooked dried beans before. If you haven't cooked beans, give it a try. They're a delicious, economical addition to your meals. I love the flavor and texture of pinto beans, and use them in chili, soup, taco meat, and refried beans.

Preparing dried beans:

Measure 1 pound of beans (about 2 1/4 cups). Sort the beans and remove any stones or clumps of dirt. Put beans into a colander and rinse with running water. Place beans in a large pot, add 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans. Put beans back into the same pot. Add 6 cups of water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. (Older beans make take longer.) Add salt to taste. (NOTE: do not add salt until the beans are tender.)

At this point, your beans are ready to use.

Refried Beans

Drain beans from the cooking liquid, but reserve some of the cooking water.

Heat 2-3 TB vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add 2 cloves of garlic that has been minced. Saute until fragrant. Add the drained beans and stir. With a potato masher, begin mashing the beans. Add cooking liquid, about 1/4 cup at a time as you continue to mash the beans. Keep mashing beans and adding the cooking liquid (or water) until the refried beans are the desired consistency. For additional flavor, I like to add some onion powder, cumin, and dried cilantro to taste.

If you are starting with canned pinto beans, drain and rinse the beans. Follow the instructions above for refried beans, but use water instead of cooking liquid when you are mashing the beans. It's that easy.

The longer the refried beans sit, the thicker they get. If that happens, just heat, add more water, and stir to combine. Or keep the refried beans warm in a crock pot.

Fresh Lime Curd

I was assigned to bring fruit to a family party for Memorial Day. Easy assignment as the strawberries are still out and taste great, the first watermelons of the season are on the shelves, and fresh blueberries are now available. Now for the dip. In my goal to live more providently, I'm trying to use the items I already have rather than running to the store to purchase something else. With almost a full bag of fresh limes sitting on my cupboard, I knew I needed to use them.

In a serendipitous moment, the June issue of Bon Appetit magazine had just arrived with a recipe for Lime Tart with Blackberries and Blueberries (which sounded wonderful, but will have to keep for another day). The lime tart is made with lime curd. I made the lime curd mostly according to the recipe, let it chill, and added whipped cream. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fresh fruit. And if you've never had watermelon with fresh lime, you're in for a treat. Enjoy!

Lime Curd
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 TB unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (I used regular, salted butter)

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium metal bowl to blend. Whisk in lime juice. Set bowl over large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until curd thickens and instant read thermometer inserted into curd registers 178 - 180 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Pour into bowl. Add butter to the warm curd; let stand a minute, then whisk until blended and smooth. Cover curd and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.

For Fresh Lime Curd Fruit Dip
Whip 2 cups whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Whip to combine. Gently fold whipped cream into lime curd. Chill until time to serve. Serve with fresh fruit.

You can also use the mixture to fill tarts or as a cake filling or frosting. The flavors are tart, refreshing, and perfect for summer.

Lesson learned:  I had the idea to add lime zest to the recipe to add a little extra limey-zestiness.  But don't do it!  Whatever was added in flavor was more than offset by two negatives: the lime zest was tough and it turned dark in the finished product.  Just leave it out.

Homemade Croutons

For years I've made croutons, and never really thought anything about it. It was just something I did with day-old (sometimes week-old) bread, rolls, hot dog buns, etc. It's a great way to use something that might end up being thrown out. The prep time is minimal and they taste delish! Much better than any packaged croutons I've ever tried. Try them on salads, soup, or eat them by the handful. I store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Pull them out right before you serve dinner and they're ready to go.

Croutons
8 slices "homemade" type bread - use day old for best results
4 TB vegetable oil
4 TB butter
onion powder
Garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut bread into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Put oil and butter on a large rimmed baking sheet and place in oven until butter melts. Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle with onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Sprinkle bread cubes over melted butter and lightly toss until most of the bread is coated in the butter. (I use a large pancake turner and just scoop the bread and flip it over.) Bake about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until bread is toasted and dry. Cool on baking sheet. Store in ziplock bag in the freezer - if you can keep them that long!

Notes:
1) Almost any type of bread works for croutons EXCEPT bread with whole grains (like wheat berries) mixed into the dough. The grains get very hard. I also have not had good success with using the dinner rolls from Sam's Club to make the croutons - the croutons never dried out. Perhaps it's because I live in a high humidity area? No idea.

2) The baking time is approximate because all types of bread have a different moisture content. If the croutons are getting brown but aren't getting crisp, turn down the heat in your oven and prop open the oven door just a crack with a wooden spoon.

3) I've made croutons with all different seasonings and spices including season salt, parsley, sage, rosemary, etc. All are good, but for a basic crouton that will go with anything, the onion powder and garlic salt really can't be beat.

What's for Dinner? Try Pork Tenderloin

We had the LDS missionaries over for dinner Monday night, along with Mark's brother Anthony and a friend, Josh. With Mark and me that made 6 for dinner - and I knew time was going to be tight because of work - and we had another obligation that night where we needed to be out of the house by 6:15 p.m.

Here's the menu:
Pork tenderloin
Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
Gravy
Steamed carrots
Fresh rolls
Chocolate cake

It all came together FAST - literally less than an hour - and tasted great. And we were out of the house by 6:15. Not bad.

Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/4 cup Dijon whole grain mustard
1 TB dried rosemary (or 2TB fresh)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
4 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
Balsamic vinegar

In a bowl, combine apple juice, mustard, rosemary, garlic, and pepper. Put pork tenderloins in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, add marinade, seal tightly. Place in a bowl in the fridge and marinate at least 3 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally (every 60-90 minutes).

Drain and discard marinade from the meat. Place meat in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. (I used 2 9 x 13-inch pans.) Drizzle roast with balsamic vinegar (about 2 TB total drizzled over the 4 tenderloins). Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until meat reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

NOTE: Don't be alarmed by the amount of mustard in the marinade. I know it sounds like a lot, but the final product doesn't taste like mustard.

Gravy
3 TB vegetable oil
2 TB butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 1/2 cups cold water + additional water if needed
1 1/2 tsp beef base
1 1/2 tsp chicken base
Drippings from baked tenderloins

Heat vegetable oil and butter in saucepan until butter is melted. Add flour and continue to cook and stir about 90 seconds or until mixture is almost starting to brown. Add apple juice and water and stir with a whisk. Add beef base and chicken base. Cook and stir over medium heat until gravy thickens. When the tenderloins are done, add the drippings from the roasting pan(s) to the gravy and stir to incorporate. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water to desired consistency.

(Cooking tip from a chef: Add COLD liquid to hot roux for lump free gravy. I've never had a problem with it.)

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, white potatoes, or red skinned potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

Rinse potatoes and cut into chunks. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread in a shallow baking pan (I use the large cookie sheets with a 1" side). Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Stir about half way through baking time.

Diane's Rolls
This is my go-to recipe for rolls in a hurry. They always taste great, they can be put together quickly, and I always have the ingredients. It takes less time to make the rolls and form them than it takes to go to the grocery store. Literally. Let the rolls raise while the meat is cooking, then pop the rolls in the oven while the meat is resting. Wah-la! Fresh rolls for dinner. NOTE: I'm including the instructions for the way I make the rolls using instant yeast. If you just have regular yeast, let me know and I'll send you the standard instructions (or refer to the instructions in the family cookbook).

2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4-6 cups flour
2 TB instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt

In mixer bowl, add ingredients in order: water, sugar, oil, eggs, 4 cups of flour, and yeast. Mix until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt and mix to form soft dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour or as needed. The dough will be soft. Knead (I use the dough hook on the mixer) for about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Form dough into 36 rolls and place on baking sheets. Cover with a towel and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

NOTE: I use parchment paper on my baking sheets and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Also, flour amounts and baking times seem to be slightly different in NY than in Utah. I think it may have something to do with the humidity, altitude, and possibly the flour itself. Start wtih the amounts and times listed, and increase if needed.

Chocolate Cake
1 chocolate cake mix, made according to package directions

Before baking the cake, sprinkle with:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

No frosting needed!

I'm estimating the cost for dinner for 6 people at around $20.00.

Hot Fudge Sauce

We served this with ice cream for dessert on the last day.

Hot Fudge Sauce
1 square butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag (12-ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Over medium heat and stirring constantly, melt together all ingredients except vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture is simmering. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Sauce thickens as it cools. Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

Quick Trick Lasagna

Quick Trick Lasagna - the trick is that you don't have to cook the noodles first!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion
1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 (32-ounce) jar or can spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and onion. Season with garlic and onion powder. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and water and simmer while preparing other ingredients. Mix together the ricotta and eggs.

In a greased 9 x 13-inch pan, layer 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with meat sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

NOTES:
You can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta - I just like the flavor and texture of the ricotta a little better than the cottage cheese.

For the youth, we made all the lasagna the day before, covered it with plastic wrap (the acid in the tomatoes will eat through aluminum foil after a while), and refrigerated until time to bake for dinner. If you make the lasagna in advance, allow about 20-30 minutes extra baking time.

Quick Vegetable Burger Soup

We served this soup to the adult leaders for lunch on Saturday, along with the homemade French bread. Because I knew we would be busy with making the bread Saturday morning, and didn't know how much time that would take, I didn't want anything too involved for lunch. This was a great choice.

Quick Vegetable Burger Soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 (1-lb) cans (4 cups total) stewed tomatoes with onions and peppers
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 cups water
1 large package (20-ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 tsp brown sugar

Brown ground beef, drain. Stir in everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Southwestern Egg Casserole

We served this to the adult leaders on Saturday morning. (The youth ate oatmeal on the trail.) I like making this for groups because it holds well and still tastes good even when served at room temperature.

Southwestern Egg Casserole
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese or cheddar jack blend, shredded
12 eggs
3/4 cup flour
2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
half of a 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained, or to taste
1/2 cup picante sauce or salsa (extra chunky salsa works well)
Additional salsa to serve on the side

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic pan. Sprinkle cheese in bottom of pan. Beat eggs, add flour slowly, then mix in evaporate milk and whole milk. Pour egg mixture over cheese. Carefully spoon chiles over the surface, tehn sppon salsa over all. Bake about 45 minutes or until center is set. Serve additional salsa on the side.

NOTE about baking dishes: Be sure to use glass or ceramic for this dish, or any time you are baking eggs. Don't use metal dishes when baking/cooking eggs - the eggs will react to the metal and turn a greenish/gray color. They're still safe to eat, just not very appetizing. (Chalk this one up to a lesson learned the hard way!)

Hot Bean Dip

This recipe originally came from Anne Peters Hutchings, my friend and neighbor all the years we were growing up. It's always been a hit.

Hot Bean Dip
1 can refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 TB taco seasoning mix
1 cup cheddar jack cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until hot. Stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

If you are in a hurry, you can heat everything in the microwave or in a heavy pan on the stove.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This recipe originally came from Grandma Mecham, who lived 2 houses over from us in Bountiful, Utah.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
2 cups raisins
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Boil raisins with water for 2-3 minutes. Cool. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour with salt, baking powder, soda, and spices. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with raisins, oats, and nuts. Mix well and drop by teaspoonfuls on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake.

Chocolate Chip/White Chocolate & Craisin Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 12-ounce package chocolate chips
nuts (optional)

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and soda. Add additional flour (if needed) so dough is moist but not sticky. Mix in chips and nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

White Chocolate & Craisin Cookies
Follow above recipe, but instead of chocolate chips add 1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips and about 1 1/2 cups of craisins. Add chopped pecans if desired.

Brownies and Chocolate Frosting

I was planning to make homemade brownies, but that changed when I discovered we had 12 boxes of brownie mix left over from girl's camp. The frosting was homemade, however.

This recipe makes one 8 x 8-inch pan. Double the recipe for a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Brownies
1/2 cup butter
4 TB cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add vanilla. Add flour, baking pwder, and salt and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting
1 square butter at room temperature
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 TB cocoa
1 TB oil
1 tsp vanilla
milk, cream, or canned milk

Using a hand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar in mixing bowl. Add cocoa, oil, and vanilla. Mixing constantly, gradually add milk to desired consistency.

Veggie Dip

16 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 TB dried minced onions
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp parmesan cheese (like Kraft)
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp chicken bouillon
dash of pepper
2-3 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

Combine sour cream and mayonnaise. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let chill several hours or overnight.

French Bread

We made 60 loaves of French bread on Saturday morning and sent them out to the kids "on the trail" to eat with their dutch oven soup for lunch. It was a hit. This recipe makes 3 loaves.

3 cups warm water
2 TB sugar
2 TB oil
7 cups flour (see note)
2 TB instant dry yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt

Cornmeal
1 Egg

In mixer bowl, combine water, sugar, and oil. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour and yeast, and mix until smooth. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and salt, and mix until the dough cleans the side of the mixer. Add additional flour, a spoonful at a time, if dough is too sticky. (When using the bread flour specified in the notes, I haven't had to add any additional flour to the dough.) Knead for 10 minutes on medium speed. Place dough in a large bowl and cover with a towel. Punch down dough every 10 minutes. Repeat 6 times. After 6th time, place dough on lightly floured board and divide into 3 pieces, each piece weighing about 1 lb. 4 ounces (or just eyeball it). Let rest about 10 minutes. Roll out each dough ball to about 9 x 13 inches. Starting with the long side, roll up like a jelly roll. Seal the edges. If desired, cover baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with Pam, and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on baking sheet.

Mix 1 egg with water to make an egg wash. Spread on the top of each loaf. With a sharp knife, score each loaf 5 or 6 times. Cover with cloth and let rise until about doubled (time ranges from about 30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is). Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.

NOTES:
Flour: For best results, use high gluten flour that includes malted barley flour as one of the ingredients. Yes, it does make a difference. Sam's Club has it in 50 lb. bags in the Baker's and Chef's brand. I've also found it at Yoder's Country Store in Medina, NY in 5- and 10-lb bags and it's called Qualitate Bread Flour. You can also make it with regular flour, but the dough ends up being softer. When using regular flour, you may need to add more flour to get the right texture.

Mixer: I've made this in my KitchenAid and Bosch. In the kitchen aid, I usually use the paddle for the first mixing, and then change to the dough hook when I add the last half of the flour and the salt.

Forming the bread into loaves: For a smooth bread with a finer texture, roll the dough to the specified size using a rolling pin. For a more rustic bread with larger air holes in the finished product, use your fingertips to gently spread the dough to the 9 x 13-inch size, and then roll up. This will retain some of the air bubbles from the raising. If you want baguettes, roll or spread the dough to approximately 15 inches x 5 inches, roll from the long side, and place on baking sheets.

Egg wash: The egg wash helps the crust brown. You don't have to use it. But if you do, you can also sprinkle the loaves with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, and they'll stay on.

Baking time: The baking time varies between 20-30+ minutes. I think it's a factor of how big the loaves are, whether or not the oven temperature is calibrated correctly, and the altitude. I can't give much advice here except to check it after 20 minutes, and then at 3-5 minute increments until it's done.

Cilantro Lime Rice

I created this for dinner last week, and it turned out really well. Hope you like it.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups rice
4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 large limes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Put rice, water, and bouillon in pan, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, grate the zest from the 2 limes, juice one of the limes, and chop the cilantro. When the rice is done, add the zest, juice and cilantro and stir all together.

We used this in burritos, soft tacos, and as a side dish, and it was good. And was still good a couple of days later for leftovers.

My New Favorite Pan

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to cook. And now I love to cook even more. I don't normally go into raptures about pans, but that was before I discovered the 6-quart Lodge Color Enamel Dutch Oven in Island Spice (red). It's beautiful and functional, and things cooked in it come out like a dream.

OK, I'll admit that I've coveted for years another brand of enamel dutch oven, but just couldn't justify the expense, which is about 5 times what the Lodge cost (about $60 at Target). Can't think of a better use for the Target gift cards we received for our wedding. Thanks, everyone!My coveting days are over and I'm sold on this great pan.

Case in point: I made Viennese Stew in it the other night. It came out perfectly, and the pan was easy to clean up. (I did spray it with Pam before adding the ingredients.)

If you are concerned about maintaining cast iron, set your worries aside. This ISN'T the pan you take camping (use the traditional Lodge pans for that). This deserves a place of honor in your kitchen. Just be careful not to drop it or bash the enamel.

Viennese Stew a.k.a. 'Nam stew (a Smith family favorite)

2 lbs pork shoulder roast

2 1/2 tsp salt (divided)

1 tsp pepper (divided)

1 1/2 cups onions, finely sliced

6 TB butter (I use less)

3 large potatoes, sliced

2 carrots, sliced (I use 3-4)

2 cups cabbage, chopped or shredded

2 tsp caraway seeds

1 cup beef broth

Cut pork into 1-inch cubes and brown. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Saute onion in butter and reserve leftover butter.

In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, arrange half of the potato slices. Sprinkle with a little of the salt and pepper. Make successive layers of teh pork, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and remaining salt and pepper. Pour reserved butter over the top, then add the broth.

Cover the casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and bake 15 minutes longer. Serve directly from the casserole dish. Serves 6.

I made 1 1/2 recipes (plus extra carrots, onions, and cabbage) to fit in the 6-quart dutch oven.

Appelolliebollen!

No, it isn't a swear word or a sneeze (although it does have a certain power to it when you say it with force). It's a treat they make at Christmastime in the Netherlands.

Why a Christmas treat in February, you may be asking? We had a Relief Society (an organization for women in our church) lesson on the Netherlands last night. A woman who had lived just outside of Amsterdam for several years talked about the country, the food, the people, the windmills, the wooden shoes, and the daffodils. I got to make one of the treats that was served.

Appelolliebollen

1 1/2 cups apples, peeled and chopped into a small dice

2 cups flour

1 TB white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, separated

1 cup sweet milk

Oil for frying

Heat oil in fryer or large kettle.

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in milk. Beat egg yolks and stir into batter. Beat egg whites until stiff (like meringue) and fold into the mixture. Fold in apples just until ingredients are blended.

Drop by tablespoons (like a large soup spoon) into the hot oil. Drop only enough balls to leave room for the bollen to move freely. When the bollen are golden brown, they turn themselves over if you've given them enough space. Drain on paper towels. Eat while warm with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

A few notes:

I put the chopped apples in a lemon juice/water solution while I was preparing the dough. This keeps the apples from discoloring.

• Don't overwork the dough. Stir just enough to combine the ingredients. The finished dough is about the texture of waffle batter.


• I cooked the bollen in a 4 quart kettle with about 2 inches of oil. I cooked about 6-7 bollen at a time and didn't have any problems.


• If the bollen don't turn over by themselves, give them a nudge with a wooden chop stick. I've noticed that the bollen turn over best if they are round. The more "arms and legs" they have, the less likely they'll turn over by themselves.


• These are best while hot. If you are making a lot, keep them warm in the oven until you are ready to serve. I just put them on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and set it in a warm (185 degrees) oven.