Frugal Follies: Recipes

Showing newest posts with label Recipes. Show older posts

Showing newest posts with label Recipes. Show older posts

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Peanut Butter Cookies

Most weekends I make cookies with my kids, not only to save money but also as an activity we can all do together. No matter what their level, they can each help with reading the recipe, taking out and measuring the ingredients, mixing, and of course, eating!

Last week, I made a special purchase of chocolate chips, and we made Toll House Cookies. I loved the chocolate chips, of course, but the cookie itself is also great. The two kinds of sugars, and the lesser amount of flour, make for a tender, sweet cookie. But we ran out yesterday - I have to admit to having a couple myself - and I was all out of freezer cookie dough that I made at my last Freezer Cooking Day. So, I decided to make some cookies today.

Since I didn't have any more chocolate chips, I thought that changing the recipe to make a peanut butter cookie might work. I have several jars of peanut butter, bought on sale with coupons, and some small packets of peanuts from a recent plane flight. I washed off the excess salt from the peanuts and softened the peanut butter in the microwave, so it would mix into the dough better.

The results? Yum!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
(based on Toll House Cookies recipe)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Soften peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute and then add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in peanuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Chewy Chocolatey Freezer Cookies

These cookies are soft, chewy, super chocolatey, and yummy. It was originally a regular cookie recipe, and you can still cook them immediately. But I like to make a double batch of the dough and freeze it in rolls, as I did during my last bout of freezer cooking. Then they're there when I need them, and I don't have to make a mess to get fresh-baked cookies! And they are so much better than frozen or refrigerated dough - it's not made with corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and other "ingredients" that are horrible for your health.

Chewy Chocolatey Freezer Cookies

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in another mixing bowl. Gradually blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture.

To freeze, divide dough into thirds. Spoon each third onto a large piece of plastic wrap, then roll the plastic wrap up to make a roll of cookie dough. Twist the plastic wrap ends closed. Put rolls on cookie dough into a large plastic bag and place in the freezer to harden.

To bake frozen dough, remove plastic wrap from a roll and cut into 1/2 inch slices while still frozen. Place slices on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 9-11 minutes. Allow cookies to sit on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove and place on a wire rack.

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Monday, April 26, 2010

Wild Rice with Carmelized Onions and Dried Cranberries

I am not much of a side dish person. I'd much rather make a one-dish meal. Like a chicken and vegetable stir-fry served over brown rice, or some ground beef with tomatoes, onions, and peppers served over pasta. That kind of thing. But every once in a while I'll make a "proper" meal with a piece of meat and some sides.

This is a side dish that I modified from a package of Craisins many years ago. I've thought about buying lots of packages of cranberries around Thanksgiving when they're cheap, and drying them myself. Maybe I will do that later this year.

I love the sweetness of the caramelized onions, but I'm not always patient enough to wait until they're done. If I cook them for less time, it's just not as sweet, and thus not as delicious. If you don't have wild rice, you could just double the amount of brown rice - this would make the recipe less expensive. I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect that this recipe would be even better with dried cherries.

Wild Rice with Caramelized Onions and Dried Cranberries

2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
3 tbsp. margarine
3 medium onions, sliced
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup dried cranberries

Combine vegetable broth and both rices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Meanwhile, melt margine in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar. Cook 6-7 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook onions, stirring often, for 25 minutes or until onions are a caramel color. Stir in dried cranberries, then cover and cook cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until cranberries swell. Fold cranberry/onion mixture into cooked rice.

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Monday, April 19, 2010

3 Can Veggie Chili

I didn't eat beans much growing up, other than baked beans from a can with hot dogs. Or maybe a casserole with baked beans AND hot dogs. But other than that, not much. I guess my parents just didn't care for them.

Once I was grown, though, I started giving them a try. I started loving Mexican food, and I liked the refried beans or black beans that come on the side of a meal. Or, bean burritos or tostadas. Yum.

I also started liking chili. The problem with chili, though, is that since I don't mix meat and milk, I either have to have chili with meat but no cheese on top, or chili with cheese on top but no meat. Most of the time I pick choice #2.

This is a super quick, no-brainer veggie chili that I make when time is short. It's not the most gourmet recipe, but when we're hungry it does the job. I don't always measure accurately on the spices; add as much or as little as your family likes.

When I do have time I'll cook some dried beans, or use the ones I made during Freezer Cooking Days. Lately I've been using one can of tomatoes with green chilies (that I stocked up on at the Albertsons closing sale) instead of one can of tomatoes and one can of chilies. But I don't like it as much - I like having more of the chilies in it. Over the last couple of months, I've had to leave the green peppers out due to their rising costs. But the prices seem to be going down now, so the peppers are back in!

3 Can Veggie Chili

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, peeled and diced
1 green pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 15-oz can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until starting to brown. Add green pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes with juice and turn heat to high until the mixture comes to a boil. Add chilies and beans, mix, and turn heat down to simmer. Add spices. Cook for 10-15 minutes, adding water if the chili becomes too dry. Serve over rice or pasta with shredded cheese on top.

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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Cilantro Pesto

I love pesto.

Before I started sticking to an $80 per week grocery budget for my family of 5 (that includes all food, toiletries, paper goods and cleaning items), one of my favorite indulgences was to go to a local Italian grocery store. There I'd buy a crusty loaf of bread, some ripe red tomatoes, a ball of homemade mozzarella, and best of all, a big bunch of basil.

For dinner, I'd make a pot of pasta, topped with chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto. Or I'd smear the basil pesto on the bread and top with the tomatoes and mozzarella. Yum.

Unfortunately, my limited budget has curtailed those favorites for now. So I was excited to see at a different grocery store this week that bunches of cilantro were on sale for 50¢. A great opportunity to make some affordable, yet delicious, cilantro pesto.

Taking all the leaves off of the cilantro stems is a bit tedious, but definitely worth it. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty much like basil pesto, but with a spicy kick to it. It's great over 3 cent per box pasta or on homemade whole wheat French bread.

Cilantro Pesto

1 bunch cilantro
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, peeled
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Remove leaves from the cilantro stems. In a food processor place the cilantro leaves and the other ingredients. Process until smooth.

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Sunday, April 4, 2010

Balsamic Chicken

This is a recipe that my mom passed down to me. After she retired, she spent a lot of time typing in all her favorite recipes, as well as recipes that her mother passed down to her. She printed the pages and put them in page holders, and then the pages went into a large binder. I love having my mom's cooking wisdom all in one place. I've put my own recipes in the binder's pockets; one day I hope to make the same sort of cookbook for my daughters!

With pepper prices so high now due to the cold Florida winter, I'd leave them out in order to save money. It will still be delicious!

Balsamic Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 large onion, cut into eighths
1 green or red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a 2-qt. baking pan and cover with onions and pepper pieces. Sprinkle garlic on top. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, sugal, oil, and pepper. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

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Sunday, March 28, 2010

Chicken Basquaise

So last night I was making dinner. I had planned on making chicken with peppers, but bell pepper prices have been ridiculous lately because of the cold winter here in Florida, so that was out. I looked through my crisper drawer and didn't find much that wasn't slated to be used for our Passover seder... hmmmm, here's some onions, some celery, some garlic... there are some cans of tomatoes in the pantry... aha, Chicken Basquaise it is!

I adapted this recipe from a cookbook that I appear to have gotten rid of in my last cookbook purge. With millions of recipes available online now, I've pared down my cookbook collection to less than a dozen volumes, plus my mom's recipes and the ones I've collected over the years.

Looking at some other online versions, many versions use bone-in chicken; I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Some call for ham, but I don't add that. And, some call for bell peppers - obviously I didn't add any this time!

And sorry no picture this week - we were so hungry, we devoured it before I realized that I hadn't taken one!

Chicken Basquaise

2 onions, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large saute pan over medium heat, saute diced onions in olive oil until softened. Add celery and saute for 3 more minutes or until very soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute - do not allow garlic to brown. Remove vegetables from pot into a medium bowl. Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Saute chicken for 4-5 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Add vegetables back to the pan and mix with chicken. Add canned tomatoes, hot sauce, oregano, and pepper and turn the heat to high. When sauce begins to boil, turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

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Monday, March 22, 2010

Passover "Macaroni" and Cheese

With Passover coming up soon, I'm planning what I'll need to buy before the holiday, so I pulled out my Passover recipes. After having turkey and brisket and leftover turkey and leftover brisket, I usually want to have something homey, some comfort food. This substitutes well during Passover. I got this recipe a few years ago from About.com, and it is a really good Passover dish.

Passover "Macaroni" and Cheese

3 cups matzah farfel (or break up enough matzah into small pieces to make 3 cups)
8 oz shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
6 tbsp. melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups mil
1 1/2 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 2 qt. casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer, or until brown on the edges.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Oven-Baked Banana French Toast

This weekend, something amazing happened: I had leftover challah in my refrigerator! Usually my kids devour it at Friday night dinner and Saturday morning breakfast, but for some reason, there was almost a whole loaf left. And, there was still a little left over from last week as well. This was a great excuse to make French toast for Saturday dinner.

I used my mom's recipe, but added some mashed bananas. I had frozen some bananas that were going bad, thinking that I would make banana bread out of them. But I haven't been in a banana bread kind of mood lately, so I decided to use them here. You can freeze the bananas whole; once you've defrosted them, peel them and they'll be all mushy.

My mom's recipe usually calls for an overnight soak - it's great for brunches. I only soaked the bread for a couple of hours, but it still worked out okay. I think longer would have been even more tasty, though. Also, the original recipe called for French bread, but the challah worked very well, too. I used brown sugar because I thought it would go well with the bananas, but you could use regular sugar as well.

Note: It makes a lot more than I have pictured! I forgot to take a picture until after I had served it. The ones in the pictures were soon devoured as well.

Oven-Baked Banana French Toast

l loaf French or challah bread, ends removed, cut crosswise in 1-inch thick slices
1-1/2 cups milk
4 large eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
cinnamon for sprinkling

Arrange bread slices in a single layer in a 9x13 baking pan. Beat remaining ingredients except cinnamon together, until well blended. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours so that bread soaks up the liquid.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan or another 9x13 baking dish. (Or, line pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil.) Transfer bread to greased pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

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Monday, March 8, 2010

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh (or tabouli) is a side dish or salad made out of bulgur wheat, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mint is traditional as well, though I rarely add it. Vegetables like scallions, tomatoes, and cucumber add to the bounty. It can be made lots of different ways - sometimes I will add feta cheese to the mix; other times I will brown some ground beef and add the crumbles to the dish. I may serve it on the side with grilled chicken, or over lettuce leaves as a salad (as I will be this week, according to my menu plan).

Bulgur wheat is crushed wheat that has been parboiled and dried, and some but not all of the bran has been removed. Therefore, it is considered a whole grain. It is not the same as cracked wheat, which is not parboiled. I purchase the Goya brand, coarse granulation. In my local grocery store, it is located along with other Hispanic baking goods, such as masa harina, in the baking aisle. It also could appear in the rice/pasta aisle.

There is also a tabbouleh mix made by Near East that is commonly available in the rice/pasta aisle. This comes with a dried spice packet; you have to add olive oil, lemon juice, and any other vegetables. This is good in a pinch, but I think that the fresh parsley is so much better.

Tabbouleh

2 cups water
1 cup coarse bulgur wheat
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 Kirby cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 bunch Italian parsley, stems removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon jusice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil water in a small saucepan. Add bulgur wheat, cover saucepan, and turn off heat, leaving saucepan on burner. Allow bulgur to steam until all the water has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice scallions, tomatoes, and cucmbers. Place parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. When bulgur is finished, place in a large mixing bowl and add scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and garlic. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice into the bowl and toss thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Either serve warm or put in refrigerator for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

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Monday, March 1, 2010

Whole Wheat French Bread

I love having some French bread in the freezer, ready to be taken out, defrosted, and made into some yummy garlic bread. Or topped with tomato sauce and cheese for a quick French bread pizza.

I made four loaves of whole wheat French bread for Freezer Cooking Day this weekend. (I hope you followed me on Twitter to follow my cooking progress, and became a fan on Facebook to see pictures of the results!) Here's the recipe - it makes two loaves. I originally got this from somewhere on the Internet, but forgot to get attribution, and modified the recipe some. Enjoy!

Breadmaker Whole Wheat French Bread

1-1/2 cups water
4 tsp. or 2 packets yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey

Add ingredients in the order listed. (I know... I usually add the salt to the water and the yeast with the dry ingredients, but this is what the original recipe called for.) Put breadmaker on dough cycle. Check after a few minutes of kneading - it should make a solid ball. If dough is too wet, add flour by the tablespoon until a ball is made. Check during the rising part of the cycle to make sure that the dough does not overflow the bread pan; if it is close, punch down the dough manually.

Once cycle is complete, divide dough into two long loaves and place on a greased baking tray. Allow loaves to rise in a warm place (for me, that's in the oven after the oven's been turned on for one minute, then turned off) for about 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven (take the bread out first if it was rising there!) at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Kasha Varnishkes

Kasha varnishkes (kasha with bow-tie noodles) is a traditional recipe in my family. How I remember driving the five hours to my grandparents' house, getting there at lunchtime, with a big pot of it waiting for us for lunch. My mouth is watering as I write this.

Kasha is buckwheat groats. It's a whole grain and is very nutritious. You can find it in the kosher food section of your grocery store. I use the Wolff's brand, coarse granulation. Varnishkes is Yiddish for bow-tie noodles (farfalle). I almost always purchase whole wheat pasta, but I make an exception for this dish. I'll be making this for dinner this week, according to my menu plan, alongside chicken and a salad.

Kasha Varnishkes

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup kasha
1 egg, beaten
2 cups bowtie noodles
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth to boiling; turn to low. In a bowl, mix the kasha with the beaten egg until the grains are coated. Heat another saucepan on medium-high heat, then add the kasha to the pan. Toast the kasha until the grains have separated and the egg has dried. Pour the chicken broth into the saucepan with the kasha. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat, allowing the kasha to absorb the liquid. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl. Then add the cooked kasha and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Crockpot Beef Stew

So after spending way over my grocery budget at the Albertsons closing sale, I am eating from the pantry again this week. Tomorrow's meal: beef stew, cooked in the crockpot.

Since I don't want to run out for any ingredients, I looked at various beef stew recipes and compared them to the things in my pantry. For instance, I don't have any potatoes (we rarely eat them, anyway), so that's not going in. And no beef broth on hand, either, though I do have bouillon cubes. But then if I add salt, the result will be too salty. I only have one pound of beef, so I've cut back on the liquids.

Some recipes call for browning the beef beforehand. It probably tastes better that way, but I doubt I'll have the time tomorrow to do it. Besides, what's the point of using the crockpot if you have to cook stuff first?

So, this is what I'm planning to make. I can't vouch for how good it will be, so please don't make it until I come back and comment! (I'll also add a picture of the results, too.)

UPDATE: The stew turned out very delicious! It was a little too salty because of the bouillon; I'd definitely make it with beef broth instead next time. I also might throw in a few more vegetables. But I give the recipe a thumbs-up!

Crockpot Beef Stew

1 lb. stew beef, cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup flour
3 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 cans mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup sparkling grape juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup hot water
1 tsp. flour
1/4 cup water

Coat beef cubes in flour and place in crockpot. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and mushrooms to crockpot on top of the beef. Pour the juice and Worcestershire sauce over the meat. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water and add to the crockpot. Cover and set crockpot on Low. Cook for 8-10 hours, adding extra water if needed. 30 minutes before serving, mix the flour and water well, add to the crockpot and mix. Serve over brown rice.

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Sweet Bagel Chips

My daughter had a friend visit for the weekend. The friend's mom was going to a convention, so as a thank-you for watching her daughter, the mom brought over a big bag of bagels. The plain ones served as breakfast the next day, and we munched on the chocolate and raisin/chocolate combo bagels as snacks. But this morning I still had four chocolate and three raisin/chocolate bagels, which were very, very stale.

So, I thought, why not make bagel chips?

Instead of seasoning them with garlic powder or onion powder, as I would for a plain bagel, I sprinkled them with sugar. Adding cinnamon would also be tasty on a raisin bagel. We had these for a snack today - delicious! And I feel good using up something that would otherwise have gone in the garbage.

Sweet Bagel Chips

6 bagels (chocolate, raisin, or blueberry flavored)
3 tbsp. sugar

Slice bagels lengthwise, then each half lengthwise again to make 4 circles. (If the bagels are very thick, slice into 6 circles. Place on a cookie sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle sugar over slices. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp.

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Monday, February 8, 2010

Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagna roll-ups is a dish I like to make when I have a little extra time. Somehow I like it better than traditional lasagna. It's elegant enough for company, yet fun for the kids. It also can be frozen and reheated for another, busier time. In fact, I think I'll add this recipe to my Freezer Cooking Day next month.

Lasagna Roll-ups

Makes 8 servings

1 package lasagna (the traditional kind, not the no-bake kind)
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. ricotta or cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 jars (15.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and boil for 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Plunge lasagna strips into a bowl of cold water to stop further cooking. Drain and lay cooled strips side by side on a towel to dry.

In a bowl, combine beaten egg with ricotta and mozzarella cheese. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onions and garlic until tender. Stil in basil and pepper. Add to egg/cheese mixture and mix.

Pour 1 jar of sauce into the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish. Spread each lasagna strip with 1/4 cup filling, then roll up. Place each rolls in a baking dish, seam size down.

Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Recipe: Jalapeno Poppers

With Super Bowl Sunday comes one of my favorite meal plans of the year. I make several appetizers, and we nosh on them throughout the game. (My kids love this meal, too!) One of my favorite things to make is jalapeno poppers. They're a little spicy, though not as much as you might expect, since the creamy cheesy filling cuts the bite of the jalapeno. And they're delicious! Though I must admit that this is not the most healthy of recipes, it's certainly fine occasionally. And certainly it is much less expensive than buying them at the store.

I modified this recipe from one I found on Allrecipes.com. Make sure to wear gloves when you seed the peppers (removing the membranes as well) and not to touch your eyes. I learned this lesson the hard way!

Jalapeno Poppers

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
8 jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into halved jalapenos. Put milk, flour, and bread crumbs into separate bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos into the milk, then into the flour. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Dip the pepper halves into the milk again and then into the breadcrumbs, and let dry again.

In a skillet, heat the oil and deep fry the jalapenos until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes each. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

Challah

I make two challah breads every Friday in preparation for the Sabbath. The children's mouths are watering from the moment the golden loaves come out of the oven, hoping for a bite. But, no, they must wait until dinner.

I started making my own challah to save money - store-bought challah was hitting $3.49 a loaf, plus the extra trip to buy it on Friday. But, more importantly, it tastes so much better than store-bought!

I didn't think I'd have the time to make bread each week - until I found a recipe online for bread machine challah. You make the dough in the bread machine, then shape the loaves and bake in the oven. It's really easy. I modified the recipe as the original proportions were coming out too gooey. I save the egg whites and egg wash to make a scrambled egg breakfast a few days later. And if the bread hasn't been completely eaten by Sunday morning, it makes delicious French toast!

I let the dough rise in the oven (warmed for one minute, then turned off) because here in humid South Florida, it is difficult to get dough to rise out in the open. The oven method seems to work for me.

Bread Machine Challah

3/4 cup water
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup oil
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. dry yeast
cooking spray
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Place the water, egg yolks, salt, oil, flour, sugar, and yeast in the bread machine in the order suggested by your machine's manufacturer. Set to the dough cycle and start. After a few minutes, check the dough - it should have been formed into a firm ball. If it is too gooey, add flour by the teaspoonful until a ball forms. If it is too dry, add water by the teaspoonful until it is firm but not gooey.

When the dough cycle is done, remove the dough from the machine. Preheat the oven for 1 minute, then turn off the oven. Grease a baking sheet with the cooking spray. Divide the dough into half, then each half into thirds. Stretch out each section into a long strand. Taking three strands, braid the strands together, and pinch the top and bottom ends together. Do the same for the other three strands. Place on the baking sheet and allow the loaves to rise in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the challahs from the oven and preheat oven at 350 degrees. Meanwhite, brush the challahs with the beaten egg. Bake the challahs for 30 minutes, lightly covering the loaves with aluminum foil after 15 minutes of baking.

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal in the crockpot

I have been doing the Eat from the Pantry Challenge this month, and one of the first things that I ran out of was instant oatmeal. It's a regular purchase at my house, as I don't have the time to make oatmeal in the mornings - my middle child's bus shows up just after 7:00 and needs a lot of help getting ready, and I love my sleep! So I was thinking about alternatives, and it struck me that my crockpot would be great for making oatmeal. I could start it before I went to bed, and in the morning, there'd be a delicious pot waiting for me and my family.

I looked around on the Internet, searching for good oatmeal recipes. Here's what I found:

Use steel-cut oats or old-fashioned oatmeal if you want to make it overnight. Quick oats will cook too quickly - in 4-5 hours, even on low. The steel-cut oats recipes looked intriguing, but I have two canisters of old-fashioned oats to use up, and didn't want to buy more.
The amount of liquid to oats usually ranges from 2:1 to 3:1. You'll want the higher ratio if you like your oatmeal very creamy, lower if you like it more solid.
Some recipes suggest using milk or half-and-half, others just water. I used mostly water, but added a small amount of milk.
Most recipes suggest using dried fruits for flavorings. This makes sense since the long cooking time will water down the flavors of fresh fruit, so dried fruit, with its concentrated flavor, would be better. I thought that adding fresh fruit just at the end of cooking would allow it to warm up and flavor the oatmeal without diluting the flavor.
Sugar? Some add it during cooking, others wait until it's done.

Here's the recipe I came up with:

Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal in the Crockpot

2 cups old-fashioned oats
4 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 bananas, sliced

Grease the bottom and sides of the crockpot insert well. Add all ingredients except for bananas and mix well. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours (overnight). A few minutes before serving, remove the lid and add sliced bananas and mix well. Put the lid back on and cook for a few more minutes to warm the bananas. Makes 4 large servings.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Yum, chocolate chips. I love 'em straight from the bag. But even better, slightly melted in a cookie, they are divine.

I really like this blondie recipe because it's quick to make and I don't have to deal with the kids trying to steal tastes of the dough while I make individual cookies. But they're still gooey and chocolatey just like cookies. Or, you could use a different kind of chip, like butterscotch, or mini M&Ms.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix the melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is completely moistened. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the baking pan evenly. Bake for 35 minutes.

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Ratatouille (the stew, not the movie)

This is a pretty simple ratatouille recipe given to me by my mom. It used up two of the many cans of tomatoes in my pantry, as part of the Eat from the Pantry Challenge. Unfortunately there are still at least ten more cans. The recipe originally called for less garlic but I love garlic, so I added more. It's good hot, or even better after it's been chilled in the refrigerator overnight.

Ratatouille

1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 onion, sliced
1 eggplant, peeled and diced
3 zucchinis, unpeeled and sliced
1 green pepper, diced
2 14-oz. cans tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute garlic and onion in oil until limp. Add eggplant and toss in oil. Add zucchini and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook covered, for 20 minutes on medium-low heat. Uncover and simmer down for another 20 minutes.

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