STROMBOLI

Stromboli

The original recipe for this calls for premade dough. After reading the ingredient list on the package, I just could not bring myself to buy it. I whipped up some dough and filled it up, this was an easy and fast dinner. (like my fancy plate? We ate outside)

DOUGH:

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbs. butter, softened
3 eggs
1/3 cup powdered milk
About 6 cups flour (use at least 1/2 wheat)

Combine water and yeast, set aside.

In mixer combine sugar, butter, eggs, powdered milk, and about 4 cups of flour. Slowly pour in yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated. Then add enough flour til dough pulls from the sides and the bowl is clean. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. Knead for about 4 minutes. Cover and let raise in bowl til doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Then roll out flat and cover with fillings.

FILLING:
any kind of meat you like. I used pastrami and ham
any kind of cheese you like. I used Mozzarella
Fresh chopped parsley, basil, spinach (whatever herbs or veggies you want)

Roll the dough out flat and place all meat, cheese, veggies on top. Fold the dough over and seal. Brush with butter and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake 375 for about 25 minutes or until the dough looks done.

ZOPF

Did you see my post for Challah? It was an attempt to create this bread. I finally tracked down the recipe and it was just as I remembered. Thanks to Rosemary and Amber Yamamoto for sharing.
Zopf

11-12 c flour
2T yeast
2 sticks butter softened
3 c milk- lukewarm ~100 degrees
3/4c sugar
3 eggs at room temp
2 t salt
the zest of 1 lemon
egg wash

Place 3 c flour in bowl and sprinkle the yeast in and mix. Mix in sugar and salt. To the heated milk add butter. add beaten eggs to milk mixture. add milk mixture to dry ingredients and add zest. begin mixing and add one cup of flour at a time, until desired consistency reached.
Continue to mix for 5 min. Do manual kneading for a few minutes. Place dough in greased bowl and let rise until doubled (can punch down and let rise again if desired) Shape dough and let rise. Bake @ 350 for 35-45 min, on a cookie sheet that is greased.

*to shape dough- turn out onto counter. cut into thirds. cut each third into thirds and roll into ropes. Braid and place on baking sheet to rise 20-35 min.
*prior to baking may coat with an egg wash.

Texas Sheet Cake

Growing up, my mom used to make this for family gatherings. She would store the extra out in the laundry room on top of the dryer. I remember sneaking out A LOT to snag a taste. It is one of my favorite treats she makes.

This is the recipe she emailed me. (my husband does not care for nuts, so as you can see I have omitted them. My moms was always loaded with walnuts!)


Texas Sheet Cake

bring to a boil: 3/4 lb butter
4 T. cocoa
1 cup water

sift together: 2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
pour hot mixture over flour & sugar.

add: 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
mix and beat somewhat....
Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

5 min before cake is done, mix and bring to a boil 1/2 c. butter, 6 Tablespoons milk, 4 Tablespoons cocoa.
remove from heat and add 1 pound of powdered sugar. Beat with mixer. Add 1 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Spread on cake immediately after taking from oven.


( I make my own buttermilk:
1 tsp. lemon juice mixed in 1/2 c. milk, mix first and let sit until ready to use)

Green-ya colada

1/2 can of unsweetened pineapple (use the fruit and the juice)
1/2 cup low fat coconut or almond milk
1 cup ice
1 ripe banana
your favorite protein powder (naturally sweetened)
Few generous handfuls of washed spinach
spoonful of coconut oil

Blend together and serve. YUM! My kids especially love these! If you want an extra punch of coconut flavor add a teeny bit of coconut extract.

Black Bean Soup

I got this recipe from my good friend and neighbor. Its so simple and easy, and freezes really well. I adapted it just a teeny bit.

BLACK BEAN SOUP
serves 8

2 cups dried black beans (food storage!)
2 cups frozen corn (or 1 14 oz can corn)
one medium onion, diced
2 Tbs. garlic (about 2 cloves, finely diced)
2 Tbs. cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

You can easily add extra grains in this soup. Quinoa, barley, millett would all be easily disguised.

Sort and rinse the beans. place them in a large bowl to soak. I usually soak my beans for 2 or 3 days before I cook them, just be sure to drain and rinse them well twice a day, keep them covered with water.

When you are ready to cook your soup add the soaked beans to a crock pot and cook them about 8 hours on LOW. Add corn, onion, garlic, cumin, salt pepper and chicken stock. Smash the beans a little if you want and let everything heat together in the crock pot. Add pre cooked quinoa, barley or millet a few minutes before serving. Top with avocados, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream, or other favorite toppings and scoop up with chips or serve with corn bread!

Braided Bread (Challa)

Growing up, we had a neighbor who made the most beautiful braided bread. She was friends with my mom and I loved when she'd come by, she rarely came empty handed. She was from Switzerland and used to say the bread was "just something they made". She had a talent and not only was her bread lovely, it tasted great too.

She offered to lend a hand with our wedding reception and guess what she did? She baked 5 gazillion loaves of that beautiful bread. I remember her stopping by my house with samples and asking for feedback when she had tweaked a recipe just a bit.

I have tried to replicate her recipe over the years, but nothing comes close. (I need to track her down!) I made this braided bread on Sunday to serve at family dinner, it needs some obvious fine tuning, but turned out pretty good.

Braided Bread
(also called Challa)
Ingredients:

3 Tb yeast

2 cups warm water

½ c. sugar

1 Tb salt

½ c. oil (I used grapeseed)

6 -7 c. flour

5 large eggs

Directions:

Combine water, yeast and sugar, leave it to proof for about 10 minutes in a bowl(I used my Bosch). Once its all foamy and bubbly, add the salt, oil, and about 3 cups of flour. Mix together well and then add the eggs. Once the eggs are all incorporated, add about 3 more cups of flour. Add enough flour til you get a good dough to work with and it pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover it and let it sit somewhere warm for about an hour. Separate into 3 large pieces and then divide each of those pieces into three smaller pieces. Roll into snakes and braid together. Let rise for about 1 hour, it will be about double in size. Then brush with egg wash (1 egg white and 1 Tb water).

Bake at 350° for about 18 minutes

These loaves are 100% white flour, something I have not done in a long time. When I make this again, I will definately add some fresh-ground-something-or-other. The dough was very soft and workable, it could use a little more substance.

Banana Bread

Fist off, banana bread is SO FUN to make with kids, my boys love all the smashing and squiching of the bananas! But waiting an entire hour from start to eating is taxing. My kids asked a zillion times if the bread was done and they watched it in the oven while it rose, remarking every 37 seconds that it looked done!
Banana Nut Bread

1/2 c. oil (I used coconut)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas (smashed)
2 c. flour (I used a mix of whole wheat, spelt, kamut, and buckwheat)
1 t. soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t. baking powder
3 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts (you can omit the nuts if your family doesnt like them)
bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour

( I test with a tooth pick if it doesn't look done, sometimes it doesnt)