French Bread

French Bread   (recipe for 2 loaves)
Double this recipe for 4 large loaves.  The photo shows loaves baked on easy, non-stick Demarle bread form.

1 Tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
1 1/2 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour (1 whole wheat)
3 T canola oil
1 egg yolk  -reserve the egg white
----1 egg white and 1 T water for brushing onto loaves before baking

In mixer  combine water, yeast and sugar.  let sit 10 min.
Add flour, salt, oil, egg yolk and mix well 5 minutes.  May add more flour until the dough cleans the side of the mixing bowl.

Let rise 45 minutes.  Shape into loaves, and place on greased cookie sheet (silpat works great inside the cookie sheet). Cut slits across the top of each loaf and brush egg wash over each loaf.  Let rise 25 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 18 minutes
remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Tangy Baked Chicken or Pork

Tangy Baked Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs
Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/2 onion chopped (I used dried onion)
1 cup water

With chicken thighs in large skillet, pour sauce over chicken thighs.
Bring to simmer; cover and cook on med/low for 45 minutes
May also add chopped celery, 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp chili powder and 2 drops tabasco sauce for spicier flavor.
This would be a good crockpot recipe!

Serve over rice

Balkan Chicken

Balkan Chicken
A recipe from my sister-in-laws Aunt Shell

3 lbs boneless chicken   (can use steak too)
16 oz plain yogurt
1/2 C lemon juice
1 T cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp gr coriander
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Marinate  over night
Best of BBQ'd
Serve with rice and veggies; or skewer with veggies for shishkabobs

Blueberry Zucchini Lavendar Muffins

Blueberry Zucchini Lavendar Muffins
Need a good use for zucchini and you still have Lavendar in the cupboard, here's another muffin recipe to try.  Everyone loves this recipe!

3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
3 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
31/2 cups flour  (I like to add 1 cup whole wheat and 2 1/2 cups white)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lavendar dried flowers
1 pint fresh blueberries

Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar.  Add zucchini, salt, flour, baking pwd, soda, cinnamon and lavendar.
Gently fold in the blueberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes
let cool 15 minutes before inverting the muffins onto cooling rack

Banana Blueberry Lavendar Muffins

Delicious Muffins from allrecipes.com. I made these without lavendar and again with the lavendar.  Both recipes are yummy.  Side note:  After baking the lavendar muffins, and eating several myself, I  surprisingly got a solid 9 hours of sleep.  In hind sight, I think those muffins did the trick!

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup white sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp lavendar flowers (buy package from Sprouts)
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup milk (I used original Almond Milk)
1/4 cup canola oil (substitute with applesauce)
1 egg beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix all wet ingredients except berries.  Add wet to dry ingredients stirring just until combined.  Stir in Blueberries.

Bake 400 for 20 minutes or if using Demarle muffin pan, bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Cool 10  minutes before removing from pan

Quinoa salad

Quinoa is the way to go...loaded with protein

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.               

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/detail.aspx

           

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

This salad is easy to make, perfect for a summer gathering or lunch for a baby shower.

1 lb bow tie pasta
1 bag baby spinach
1 can artichokes quartered
1 small can sliced olives
1 avocado sliced
cherry tomatoes
Ghirard's Romano Cheese salad dressing (I use Ken's Steak House Lite Northern Italian with basil    and romano since Ghirard's is not easy to find)
Feta Cheese


Cook pasta.  Mix spinach and pasta then add all ingredients except cheese.  Pour most the bottle of dressing over salad and stir, then top with feta cheese.

Serves approx 12-15

Frozen Fruit Salad

Frozen Fruit Salad

1 8 oz cream cheese softened

1 cup sugar

1 can crushed pineapple drained

1 8 oz frozen whipped topping thawed

1 10 oz pkg frozen strawberries thawed 

3 bananas diced, or frozen cherries - I used frozen peaches slightly thawed and chopped

3/4 cup chopped pecans -optional

Mix cream cheese and sugar, fold in remaining ingredients and pour into non stick mold

(Demarle molds are perfect for this)

Freeze 4-6 hours or overnight.

Remove 20 minutes before serving.

Apple Syrup

Yummy Apple Syrup

1 cup sugar
2 cups apple juice
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 T lemon juice

In saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch then add rest of ingredients. cook til thickened.
Serve over crepes with ice cream, or pancakes and waffles.
Store in refridgerator

Chicken Pot Pie

This was delicious using left over shredded crockpot chicken 
A day ahead: cook 2 chicken breasts with seasonings ( I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken) and a little water in crockpot on high 3 hours then turned to low 3 hours or so.  Chicken should be very tender and fall apart.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 cup sliced carrots,
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

1 unbaked pie crust

Prepare pie crust:  2/3 cup lard or shortening, 2 cups flour,  1 tsp salt, 5-6 TBS cold water
Mix shortening and salt, then cut in the flour using 2 knives until flour looks like small peas.
Mix in cold water just enough until dough can be shaped.  Roll out and set aside.

Cook carrots, sliced celery, and frozen peas in saucepan with enough water to cover.  Simmer about 15 minutes until tender.

Saute onions in butter until clear.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, celery seed.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  (I didn't have any chicken broth so I used the vegetable broth from the cooked carrots/peas/celery) Simmer on med low heat until thick.  Add chicken and cooked veggies.

Transfer to casserole dish. cover with pie crust.  Make slits in crust to allow steam to vent.
Bake at 425 for 30 minutes until golden brown  -may need to cover crust the last 10 minutes to keep from getting too dark.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bakin soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup white chocolate chips  -Not white baking chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Cream butter and sugars about 3 minutes, add egg and vanilla.  Add flour, soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  Stir in oats, chips and cranberries.

Bake on Silpat at 350 (or 375 on parchment lined baking sheet)  until golden about 10 minutes.  Cool 2 minutes then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Makes 24 cookies  Recipe adapted from browneyedbaker.com

McCormick Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes -Taste of Home

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes -(from my days before the Shift)
  -not gluten free but could be
Super moist and delicious!

1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1 pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding small box
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp McCormick ground Cinnamon
1 tsp McCormick ground Cloves
1 tsp McCormick pure Vanilla Extract

Beat all ingredients on low speed 1or 2 min than on medium speed 2 minutes. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  (I use Demarle large muffin flexipan.  You don't have to grease the cups and the cupcakes plop out perfectly everytime.)
Bake 350  (or 325 if using Demarle pan) for 20  minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean)

Frosting:
8 oz Cream Cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
Beat above ingredients until light and fluffy.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar
Stir until smooth

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a favorite for Easter Dinner and lunch with the ladies. 

Prepare pecans:

2 cups pecans

1 egg white

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBS water

Beat egg white until very frothy, but not stiff.  Add remaining ingredients except pecans and stir well.  Add pecans and mix to coat.  Spread pecans on baking sheet (silpat) and bake at 200 for 45 min turning every 20 min.

Salad:

Fresh Spinach

Strawberries, sliced

Kiwi sliced

Red onion thinly sliced

Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

Dressing:

3/4 cups canola oil

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp poppy seed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp celery seed  (I didn't use)

1 T Honey

Shake together all ingredients.  Toss salad ingredients together, Add dressing just before serving then sprinkle with pecans.

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Super Chicken Enchilada Pie
1 large pkg. salted tortilla chips
Canned diced green chiles (I used one can)
2 double* chicken breasts, cooked and diced (*that's the kind I found)
Sliced ripe olives, about 1 can
Chopped onion to taste
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pound grated cheese (jack, cheddar, or longhorn)

In a 13 x 9 pan place half the package of chips. Cover with half the chiles and half the rest of the ingredients.

Make another layer in the same order, starting with chips and ending with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees only until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. Do not overbake. Serve immediately and enjoy.

(Suggestion: dilute the soups slightly with milk so they are easier to spread.)