Italian herbed Bread -- Macaroni Grill

This is a recipe from Kathy -- She said it tasted a lot like the bread at Macaroni Grill. As far as I can tell, the bread is that best part of that place. So here it goes. Of course, I am bound to try it out a few times, and then start turning it into dirt with more grains. What can I say? I'm crazy.

Italian Herb Bread

2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon. minced fresh red onion
1 tablespoon dry or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon dry or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon dry or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or thyme

Add:
2 cups flour

Mix well, then add:

4 cups more flour

Mix well. Knead 3 minutes in Bosch/mixer on high or by hand. Let rise till double (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Punch down. Divide into three round loaves and place on a greased cookie sheet. Baste with

1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Sprinkle with sea salt

Raise uncovered until double (about 1 hour).

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes till golden brown

Mom's Meatloaf

I got this recipe from my mother, who got it from my Grandmother -- Anne Wendling MacAllister. It is the best meatloaf because it is not too dense. I love it.

Ingredients
2 and 1/2 Pounds of Ground Beef
1/2 pound sausage
1 c. instant Quaker Oats (I use regular, and it is fine)
1 can tomato soup (I use a small can of tomato paste ... yum, yum)
1 Onion chopped
1 egg
1 t. salt and pepper

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 60 minutes.

Try baking with cut potatoes around the loaf. Yum. Have a lot of Ketchup on hand!

Italian White Bean with Turkey

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 cups cut-up cooked turkey or chicken 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained 1/4 cup sliced ripe olive 2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook basil and garlic in oil 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring frequently, until hot. Try serving with a fun-shaped pasta and cream sauce

Asian Salad with Lime Dressing

Asian Salad with Lime Dressing Lime Dressing
1/3	cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1/4	cup vegetable oil
1	tablespoon rice or white vinegar
1	teaspoon grated gingerroot
1/4	teaspoon salt
Asian Salad
2	cups chopped escarole
1	cup chopped cooked chicken
1	small jicama, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
1	large papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped (1 cup)
1	large yellow or red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1/2	cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro

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Serve with...
Minted Citrus Granita
Total Time: 3 hours 40 min

1.	In tightly covered container, shake all Lime Dressing ingredients.
2.	In large bowl, place all Asian Salad ingredients except peanuts and cilantro. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.
3.	Top with peanuts and cilantro. ** substiture peaches or pears for the papaya This recipe came from Bettycrocker.com.

Mexican Pasta Skillet

Mexican Pasta Skillet (vegetarian)

1	cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
2/3	cup uncooked elbow macaroni (2 ounces)
3/4	cup water
2	teaspoons chili powder
2	cups Progresso® red kidney beans (from 19-oz can), drained, rinsed
1	can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2	cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1.	Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in 10-inch nonstick skillet; reduce heat.
2.	Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve in shallow bowls, and arrange tortilla chips around the rim of each bowl. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro for extra Southwest flair.

Peanut Butter Fudge-Swirl Brownies

Peanut Butter Fudge-Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter over low heat; stir to blend. Set mixture aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter and oil together with an electric mixer until combined. Add the sugar and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in he eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined.

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the peanut butter batter and the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir the peanuts into the remaining peanut butter batter.

Scrape the peanut butter batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Spoon the chocolate mixture over the batter. With a table knife or metal spatula, make a zigzag pattern through the layers to create a marbled effect. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted 2 inches from the center comes out almost clean. Cool the brownies in the pan, set on a wire rack.

Portions for 9 by 13 pan: 1.5 of a recipe:
Ingredients
4.5 ounces semisweet baking chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts

Jill's Butter Sauce

So, I follow a blog called Kipper's Snacks. I love because it is the classic recipes from a chef's family. They are simple and yummy. I trust kip.

I made his apple cake with butter sauce a few months ago, and we fell in love with the sauce. I started putting it all pancakes and french toast and wrapping it up as gifts for friends.

But the sauce was always just a little too buttery for pancakes. I made some adaptions for the sauce, and now it is much better for breakfast meals.

Jill's Butter Sauce

1 and 1/2 c. butter
1 can evaporated milk (about 1 and 1/2 cup)
1 and 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 to 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
3 T. honey
1/2 T. vanilla

Heat the butter, sugar and milk for 20 minutes, but don't let it get past a mild simmer. Mix in the maple syrup and honey. Add the vanilla.

Let the mixture cool a little and then serve. The honey might pool into little chunks of candy at the top at the sauce cools. You can pull these out and eat them, or you can just mix them back into the sauce. So yummy either way.

Southwest Cornbread

Southwest Corn Bread

Yields One 9 inch pan for bread or 12 small muffins.

Bake at 360 in a convention oven.

Ingredients

1 1/4 t. flour (cups?) (might have been a typo ... flour should weigh 5.5 oz. or be 156 grams)

2 t. baking powder

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. cornmeal

2 eggs

1/4 oil (vegetable)

1/2 c. milk

3 T. syrup or honey

1/2 c. corn niblets

1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 360

Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cornmeal and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, and syrup or honey.

Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until a smooth consistency is achieved

carefully fold in the corn and cheese

Pour batter into pans or muffin pins

garnish with additional cheese or corn or peppers

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top.

Cool on wire racks.

Basic Biscuits

Basic Biscuits

Makes 12 round biscuits

Bake at 350 in a convection oven

Make a soft and sticky dough. Mix by hand only.

3 1/4 c. flour

1 t. salt

2 T. sugar

2 T. baking powder

10 T. unsweetened butter

1 c. Whole milk

Egg wash (2 eggs, 1 yolk, a pinch of salt)

Instructions

Sift the main dry ingredients together.

Be sure the butter is cold and sliced into small cubes. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your finger tips until butter pieces are no larger than pea-sized.

In a different bowl whisk together the eggs and the bitter milk.

Make a depression in the dry bowl. Pour milk mixture in and fold it into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.

Turn dough onto a flour surface and mix in a little flour. Shape or roll until 1 1/2 inch thick.

Cut into rounds with a 3 inch cookie cutter.

Place on a parchment lined cookies sheet and let sit 30 minutes.

Brush with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool on wire rack.

Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Ginger Scones

Ginger Scones

Makes 14 round scones

Bake at 350 in a convection oven

Make a soft and sticky dough. Mix by hand only.

3 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 T. baking powder

10 T. unsweetened butter

1 egg

1 egg white

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. candied ginger

Egg wash (2 eggs, 1 yolk, a pinch of salt)

Crumb Topping (1 1/3 c. flour, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 3/4 cinnamon, 1/8 t. salt, 1/2 c. unsalted butter, 1/8 t. baking powder)

Instructions

Sift the main dry ingredients together.

Be sure the butter is cold and sliced into small cubes. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your finger tips until butter pieces are no larger than pea-sized.

In a different bowl whisk together the eggs and the bitter milk.

Make a depression in the dry bowl. Pour milk mixture in and fold it into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.

When batter comes together but is still a little lumpy add the ginger.

Turn dough onto a flour surface and mix in a little flour. Shape into one large ball. Shape into disk or roll out until 5/8 inch think.

Cut into circles with a 3 inch round cutter.

Place on a parchment lined cookies sheet and let sit 30 minutes.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool on cookies sheet.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Makes 16 wedged scones or 14 round

Bake at 350 in a convection oven

Make a soft and sticky dough. Mix by hand only.

3 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 T. baking powder

10 T. unsweetened butter

1 egg

1 egg white

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. dried cranberries

zest from 1/2 an orange

Egg wash (2 eggs, 1 yolk, a pinch of salt)

Sanding Sugar (as needed)

Instructions

Sift the main dry ingredients together.

Be sure the butter is cold and sliced into small cubes. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your finger tips until butter pieces are no larger than pea-sized.

In a different bowl whisk together the eggs and the bitter milk.

Make a depression in the dry bowl. Pour milk mixture in and fold it into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula.

When batter comes together but is still a little lumpy add the dried cranberries and orange zest and hand mix briefly.

Turn dough onto a flour surface and mix in a little flour. Shape into two large balls. Shape into disks and cut disks into triangle wedges.

Place on a parchment lined cookies sheet and let sit 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool on wire rack.

Brush with egg wash.

Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bridget's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bridget's Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 c. Flour

2 t. Baking soda

1 t. salt

4 cubes butter

4 eggs

1 c. white sugar

2 c. brown sugar

1 T. Vanilla

1 and 1/2 chocolate chips

Cream together butter and eggs. Add sugars and then vanilla.

Mix flour, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to mixer 1/2 cup at a time.

Add chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (or more)

Homemade Hot Dogs

Käsekrainer Hot Dogs! These were one of my favorite foods in Austria. They are basically giant hot dogs with boiling hot cheese inside. The best part is they server these dogs in fresh rolls with a hot shape cut out of the middle. So yummy! Prepare to scold your face and love every minute of it.

Ingrediants:
White bread dough
cheddar wursts
catch up

White Bread Dough
white flour
wheat germ
water
honey
oil
salt
yeast
gluten
oregano
dry milk
sugar
lecithin liquid

Start with 2 cups of water and adjust from there. I use this dough for pizza too.

Separate the dough into roll sized balls. Roll out each ball into a snake shape. Roll the snake around a wurst. Seal off the ends. Let hit one to two hours to rise. Make at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Here is the real thing!

Here is the homemade version:

Supper Cakes (Pancakes and Yogurt)

* This is a Little Kitchen on the Prairie original ... taken in part by Susan Westover (the cottage cheese) and in part from the holy bible. The word "sup" refers to the action of using one food to scoop up another. For example, the "supping" referred to in the Last Supper with Jesus and his apostles was most likely the supping of hummus with fresh pita. As I understand it, this is the origin of the word supper that crept into western culture.

In our family we enjoy this original treat as a substitute for forks at breakfast, lunch or dinner. The goal is to make sure the pancakes are soft and moist. If they are firm and dry, they will not sup correctly.


Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick (I surrender)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup of water
3 T. dry milk
3/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
Olive oil

Supper Sauce
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
3 T. fresh pear butter or fresh (loose) jam or jelly


Prepare the Supper Sauce and set in a few small bowls on the table.

Place a thin (cheap) frying pan on the stove over medium to high heat. Pour in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Mix the pancake ingredients by hand (minus the oil). There will be clumps. When the oil is hot, pour in three pancakes. When the bubbles on the cakes have just barely started to pop, flip the pancakes. Do not let them cook too long on the second side.

Several on a plate. Tare pancakes up into big pieces. Roll the pancakes or big pieces and dip or "sup" them into the Supper Sauce and then put them into your wide open mouth.

Replenish Sup bowls as needed.