Pepperoni bread

This is so yummy!  It's like a pizza "loaf".  Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup unbleached flour
2 tsp. sugar in the raw
1 tsp. sea salt
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/3 cup whole milk or half-n-half
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, room temp
2 TBL olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup Mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan blend
1 stick pepperoni, rough chopped (found in the deli)
2 TB unsalted butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

In a mixer bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, combine milk and 3/4 stick butter and heat over low until melted.  Remove from heat and cool to 120 degrees.  Pour milk mixture over flour mixture.  Stir a few times with a spatula, then mix with a dough hook for about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and mix for 3 more minutes.  Stop the mixer and add 1/2 cup flour and mix for another 2 or so minutes.  Add more flour by the tablespoon as needed until dough is soft, but slightly sticky.  Lightly flour a work surface and turn dough onto your surface, kneading a few times.  Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place till dough doubles in size.   Make your tomato sauce while the dough rises.  Add the tomato paste, water and some spices in a bowl.  You can use whatever spices you like, I just happen to be on a thyme kick right now!  Mix thoroughly until it is the thickness you like.   Gently deflate the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface.  Melt 2 TB butter in a small saucepan and add minced garlic.  Saute' for a few minutes and remove from heat.  Roll out your dough ball while the butter is melting and the garlic is being sauteed.  Roll into a rectangle shape, maybe 1/4 in thin.  Brush dough with garlic butter.  Brush tomato sauce on top of the garlic butter.  Sprinkle with cheese and chopped pepperoni.  I just sliced my pepperoni thick, then rough chopped it into chunks.  Next, I used my loaf pan as a "measuring guide" to cut my dough into strips.  I cut the dough into 5 equal strips width wise.  Then, stack the strips on top of one another.  At this point, cut the stacks of dough into 4 pieces, so you have nice little stacks of square dough.  Lightly oil a 9"X 5" loaf pan.  I love, love, love my stoneware loaf pan for pepperoni bread!  Now place the stacks of dough in the loaf pan so they are touching one another as shown below.

Preheat the oven to 350 and cover the dough with a towel and let it rise until it is above the top of the pan.  As you can see, there is room at each end of the loaf.  That's OK because the dough will rise and fill the pan.  It should rise for an hour or so, till doubled in size, depending on how warm your kitchen is.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven, and brush with any leftover garlic butter you may have had and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.  Turn the loaf upside down onto a plate and pull apart to serve.  Y-U-M!

Corn casserole

This is such a great side dish!   If you love corn, this is right up your alley!  It's easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cans creamed corn

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 egg

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 2QT casserole dish with nonstick spray.  Mix all ingredients, pour into casserole dish, and bake for 45-55 min.   Y-U-M!

Creamy mashed potatoes

The secret?  Cream cheese!

Who doesn't love potatoes?  Especially if they house little craters of butter?!  Two of my favorite ingredients!  The secret is the cream cheese!  I have tried sour cream, which you could also add, but the cream cheese works great!

Ingredients:

5 lbs Idaho, or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and quartered

2 (8oz each) packages cream cheese

sea salt, pepper

1/2 - 1 stick unsalted butter

1/2-3/4 cup milk

Wash, peel and quarter potatoes and place in a large pot of water.  They should fit in an 8 QT stock pot.  Boil till fork tender.  Drain and return to the pot with the heat OFF.  Add cream cheese, milk, butter, salt and pepper and mash with a hand masher.  Or you could just use a mixer and beat them till they are of a consistency you like.  I like them thick and creamy.  After mixing, I dot the top with butter so they form these cute little craters.  YUM!!  You can do these the day before and just heat in the oven when you have available oven space.

Honey roasted squash

Oh how I love squash.  Any kind, any way.  This is an awesome side dish for Thanksgiving.  I would also use it for squash risotto or for squash soup.  I always use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the seeds.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, quartered
1 acorn squash, quartered
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 TB rosemary, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Clean, scoop and rinse squash.  Line a cookie sheet with foil. (shiny side DOWN)  Place quartered squash on the cookie sheet, skin side down and drizzle with olive oil.  Put about a half inch of water on the cookie sheet as well, it will help keep the squash moist.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  While the squash is baking, make a paste with the honey, brown sugar, rosemary, and butter.  Brush honey mixture on the squash (save a little for the end) and return to the oven to roast for another 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and gooey.

Artisan bread

This is so easy!  Recipe adapted from Natasha's Kitchen.  This version is a no knead recipe.  I think the next time I make it (which will be very soon!), I'll add some rosemary to the dough.

Ingredients:.
1 1/2 half cup warm water ( 100- 115 degrees)

1/2 TB salt
1/2 TB sugar (I used sugar in the raw)
3/4 TB yeast
3 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 TB cornmeal 
plus extra flour for dusting

Directions:

Add sugar and salt to a large bowl.  Add water and sprinkle in yeast.  Let sit a couple of minutes, then mix well.  Measure out and add flour.  Stir until well blended.  Let sit 2 hours  in a warm place till it is 2-3 times the size.  Turn dough onto a floured surface and fold dough over twice.  Sprinkle cornmeal onto counter (or surface you are working on)  and place dough on top of cornmeal.  Let sit uncovered 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Make 3 slits with a very sharp knife in the top of the dough ball.  Fill a pan (not glass!) with 1 cup hot water and place on the BOTTOM rack of the oven.  Place the dough ball on a pizza stone, or a lightly greased cookie sheet turned upside down.  Bake at 450 for 20- 25 minutes or until golden brown.  I use a pizza stone that has been very well seasoned.

The browner or blacker the stone, the better!  

Let cool before cutting!  Enjoy!! 

Chicken & dumplings

This recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.  Its was full of flavor, easy to make, and hearty.  I added sage to mine because I love the taste of sage with any chicken dish.

Ingredients:

2 TB unsalted butter

2 TB olive oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 whole chicken, cut up

1/2 tsp sea salt, pepper and paprika

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

6 cups chicken broth

1/2-1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup heavy cream

Dumplings:

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal 

1 heaping TB baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 - 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (or half & half)

Directions:

Mix flour, sea salt, pepper and paprika in a large mixing bowl.  Dredge chicken in flour.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large stock pot.  Brown chicken in oil/butter.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Brown celery, carrots and onion in the same oil/butter you used for the chicken.  You should have some crispy goodness floating around in the pan by now.  I never peel my carrots, just wash them thoroughly.  Stir, and let cook for about 8 minutes.  Add the chicken back into the pan and add chicken broth, thyme, sage, apple cider and heavy cream.  Let simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.  While the chicken is cooking, make the dough for the dumplings.  Mix together dry ingredients, then add buttermilk a little at a time.  Don't over mix.  The dough should be moist, but not wet.  Remove the chicken from the pan and pick the meat off with two forks, or just use your hands like I do.  You have to remember to let it cool a little first!  Ouch!  Put the shredded chicken back into the pan, and drop in the dumplings making them tablespoon size.  Or you can just use your hands (again) like I do and just pick out little balls of dough and drop it in the pan.  Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Complete goodness!

Banana bread

This is by far the best recipe I've tried!  It comes from Cook's Illustrated July/Aug 2010.  It's a little more labor intensive, but so worth it.  The secret to this recipe is the reduced banana juice.  Let me preface this recipe by saying I freeze my old bananas.  They're great for smoothies, and now, this bread recipe!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 large bananas, peeled

8 TB unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray.  If your bananas are frozen, pull them out and let them thaw for 5 or so minutes before you peel them.  Peel and slice bananas and put them in a glass bowl covered tight with plastic wrap.  Cut a few slits in the plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes.  While the bananas are in the microwave, mix flour, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.  When bananas are done, strain them over a small sauce pan and simmer that lovely "banana juice" for about 5 minutes until it reduces.  While the juice is simmering, put the bananas in a food processor and process till smooth.  Place the banana mash in a large mixing bowl, then mix in the banana juice.  Add eggs, butter, brown sugar and vanilla and whisk till well mixed.  Fold in dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are blended in.   Fill loaf pan half way with batter and sprinkle the top with sugar.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  My batch made a large loaf, plus 12 mini muffins.  I absolutely love the stone loaf pans for baking bread!