Hot Cross Buns

I originally posted this recipe last year around Easter, but since it is that time of year again and I'm currently making my second batch of Hot Cross Buns, I thought I would re-post in case anyone is interested in a Hot Cross Bun recipe ... and this time with more pictures.

Hot Cross Buns - from America's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
1 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup raisins

1. Measure all ingredients except raisins into bread pan. Select dough cycle. Add raisins at add ingredient signal.

2. When done, turn out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 12 portions. Roll each into a ball and place on prepared baking stone. Gently flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Cover and let rise for 35-45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Mix together 1 egg white and 1 tbsp of water and brush over buns. Using a knife, cut slits in the top of the bun, to make the shape of a cross.

4. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until tops are brown and they sound hallow when tapped.

Makes one dozen buns.

The Food Network Chef's Cooking Challenge

Sarah at I Blame My Mother is challenging her readers to join her in The Food Network Chef's Cooking Challenge. Each week, one of the chefs from the food network will be featured and participants will be asked to choose any one of their recipes to recreate and post. It just so happens that there are 52 chefs and 52 weeks, meaning that this can be a year long challenge! I am so excited for this. I'm always looking for excuses to make new recipes. Thanks to SnoWhite for letting me know about the challenge. I've already got my recipe picked out for the first week. Anyone else interested in the challenge?

Summer Squash Patties

A new and delicious way for us to enjoy summer squash from the garden.

Summer Squash Patties - modified from here
3 cups shredded summer squash
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan.

3. Form squash mixture into patties and place in pan. (I tried using my handy dandy hamburger patty maker but it wasn't worth it because they just fell apart). Flatten patties with a spatula and push mixture together to keep them whole. My first few rounds fell apart but I got the hang of it as I went.

4. Cook for 3-4 minutes until brown and crispy. Flip. Repeat.

5. Remove from pan. Placed cooked patties in a pan in a warm oven while you cook the remaining patties.

Serve with sour cream, red pepper relish and/or applesauce. The red pepper relish and sour cream was my favourite. Alternatively, you could add some Parmesan cheese to the mixture.

Makes 8-10 patties.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is by far my most favorite (and possibly least healthy) cookie recipe. I heart heart heart these cookies. Therefore, the problem is, whenever I make them I tend to eat the whole batch in one sitting far too many. So, I like to make these cookies for times like this, when I am going to be spending five days with my extended family. That way, I can enjoy a few but most the damage will be at the expense of my beloved family member's waistlines instead of mine.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla, plus some
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/s tsp baking soda
2 cups oats
1 - 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.

2. Add remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips. Combine well with a wooden spoon. Mix in chocolate chips. Form into balls and place on baking sheet, flattening slightly.

OR...

Make these cookies into a dessert pizza by pressing dough into two 10-inch greased pie plates. Top with your favourite "pizza" toppings such as M&Ms, skor bits, chopped nuts, coconut, raisins etc. Allow more baking time (it takes about 35-45 minutes). Top with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and/or ice cream. I don't have a picture of this recipe in the form of pizza but I will update this post next time I make it (which will be soon, believe me!)

3. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. They may not look done after this amount of time, but please please please trust me, they are done! They will harden up as they cool and if you cook them much longer they will be hard as a rock. You've gotta trust me on this one.

4. Let cookies cool 10-15 minutes on baking sheets before you attempt to transfer to wire cooling racks. But, please promise me that you will remove one and eat it immediately, within five minutes of removing them from the oven.

Makes 4 dozen.

This recipe is being shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge recipe swap.

Sausage, Broccoli and Rice Skillet

Who doesn't love a good one dish meal? This is (almost) one of those. If you don't count the pot you cook the rice in, then you're golden.

Sausage Broccoli and Rice Skillet
1 lb Oktoberfest sausage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 tomatoes, diced (or 1 large can)
1/2 cup tomato soup (this is only really necessary if you are using fresh tomatoes - if you're using canned, the juice from them will be enough. And quite honestly, if you're using fresh you probably don't need it either. I just had it in the fridge so I added it in with my diced tomatoes that came from the freezer)
Dash of hot pepper flakes (because, if you haven't gathered by now, I love them - but they aren't necessary)
2 tsp Italian spice blend (or some oregano, thyme, basil, whatever...)
1 large head broccoli, cut up
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked chick peas

1. In a large skillet, brown sausage with onion and garlic until sausage is nearly cooked.

2. Add tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil. Simmer 1-2 minutes.

3. Add broccoli, cover and simmer until broccoli is cooked. (When I made this, I steamed the broccoli first until it was just about cooked but not quite. But then I figured, you might as well just throw it in there raw and let it cook in the skillet. It will take a bit of time but it will save an extra dirty dish. You decide what's best for you - time or extra dishes to wash).

4. Stir in rice and chick peas and heat through.

Yum yum!

Pastitsio

Before I start, let me say that this recipe is not quick and simple to throw together. It is quite time consuming and makes every dish in your kitchen dirty. So, if you do not want to spend 50 hours in the kitchen, don't make it. Well, that's an exaggeration but once I got started on it I realized there was a bit more effort required than I usually like to exude. Also, this is definitely not the most healthy and low fat recipe I could have ever made... there are probably a billion calories in it. Sometimes I read recipes not-too-closely and decide to make them and then realize that it probably wasn't the best choice after all. Hmm, so why am I even posting it? Well, because it was darn good, that's why.

recipe modified from 9x13 The Pan that Can Cookbook

1 pound ground beef (I used venison because that's what I do, but I'm sure most would use beef)
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dried penne pasta*
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*this is not enough - I think it needs two cups.

1. Meat sauce: brown meat and onion in a large skillet. Once meat is nearly cooked, add mushrooms. Cook until meat is cooked through, drain if necessary. Add tomato sauce, broth and cinnamon to mixture. I know cinnamon sounds weird but trust me, add it. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Drain and return to pot. The recipe said to use one cup but then at the end I did not have enough. I would suggest two cups. Toss cooked pasta with 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs and half of the butter. Set the pasta mixture aside. You can see in the picture that there is too much sauce compared to the pasta.

3. For cream sauce, in a small saucepan melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in salt and peppers and flour until smooth. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups milk. Cook and stir until mixture is thick and bubbly. Gradually stir hot mixture into two eggs.

4. Grease a 9x13 pan. Spread half of the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Here is where I discovered I did not have enough pasta. There was barely enough to cover the pan, let alone trying to make two layers out of it. Also, there was way more sauce than pasta, making it quite soupy. Top with meat sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Top with remaining pasta and another third of the cheese. Pour cream sauce evenly over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Since I didn't have enough pasta, I just went pasta, meat, all of the cheese and all of the sauce.

5. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

It was quite tasty, although because there were not enough noodles, the ratio of meat to noodles to sauce was a bit skewed. I will definitely try this again and just make a few adjustments. I served it with yogurt dill bread and corn on the cob.

Yogurt and Dill Bread

Yogurt and Dill Bread - adapted from America's Best Breadmachine Baking Recipes
1/4 cup water
1 cup no-fat plain yogurt
2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp minced dried onion
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 1/2 tsp yeast

1. Add ingredients to bread pan in order recommended by your manufacturer. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.



2. Gently knead and shape into desired loaf size/shape. You could put it in a loaf pan like normal, but I decided to make a circle loaf on my pizza stone.

3. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Tent with foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until loaf sounds hallow when tapped.

This bread is to die for. The fragrance while it was baking made me want to jump right into my oven and gobble it up. And the taste did not disappoint, either. Both FD and I were highly impressed by the texture and taste of this loaf. It was light and flavorful. The yogurt adds a nice kick. This is going to go on the "make again" list.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Last fall, when the tomatoes were ready to be harvested, you might remember me mentioning something about making and canning tomato sauce. At that point in my "blogging career" I wasn't as into posting recipes as I am now, so I don't believe I posted about how I did that. Anyway, you may also remember that at the time my tomatoes were ready I didn't have a load of time to be spending on canning and preserving. So, bags and bags of whole tomatoes made their way into the freezer.

A few weeks ago, I used my last jar of canned homemade tomato sauce. I almost cried. Since then, I have made a few things using store bought tomato sauce. But you know what they say, once you go homemade, you never go back. That's how the saying goes, isn't it?

On tonight's menu is a recipe that calls for a can of tomato sauce. I debated about whether or not I should just use a can from the pantry. Then I opened my freezer, did a little digging and realized that I still have quite a few frozen tomatoes. Throughout the year, I have been using them in the place of canned diced tomatoes in my cooking. I decided there was no reason why I couldn't make some more tomato sauce with the rest of these maters to get me through until the next harvest.

Homemade Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp EVOO
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp oregano*
1 tsp thyme*
2 tsp Italian spice blend*
Salt
Pepper
6-8 large tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 cubes homemade vegetable broth (I think this is about 1/2 cup)
3 tsp sugar

*Fresh spices would be ideal, but I didn't have any one hand so dried will do.

1. Place the tomatoes in a hot water to loosen the skins. Mine were frozen, so it took a while but this should make the skins fall off very easily. Once skinned, place tomatoes back in the bowl.

2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add spices and stir to mix.

3. Meanwhile, mash tomatoes a little bit with a masher. I had let mine sit for a while to begin thawing but if you are working with fresh tomatoes you won't need to worry about that.

4. Add wine vinegar, broth and tomatoes to the pot. Stir and mash some more. Bring to a boil and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and let cool. Once sauce has cooled slightly, use an immersion blender to puree. This can be a messy step, so be careful. If you don't let it cool enough, you might get burnt. Taryn, when I was making this today I was reminded of your tomato soup fiasco as I dodged drops of boiling hot tomato sauce flying at my face.


Makes approximately 6 cups. You can very easily increase or decrease the recipe. In the fall when I was canning, I think I did about 50 tomatoes.

I didn't feel like going through the whole canning process, especially since I only made a small amount this time and will be using some tonight. Instead, I froze the sauce in 2 cup portions in plastic freezer bags.

Curry Chicken Bites

This recipe was inspired by Linda's famous "Curry Chicken"

Curry Chicken Bites
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
For Marinade:
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup mustard
4-5 tsp curry powder
For Coating:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder

1. Mix butter, honey, mustard and curry powder for marinade in a medium bowl. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and place in bowl. Stir to cover all the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

2. In a medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, curry powder, garlic powder and chili powder. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken pieces from marinade to coating. Cover bowl with a lid and shake to coat. The chicken pieces should be lightly coated.


3. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes so chicken will become crispy.

Serve with rice and a green vegetable (such as roasted asparagus). Serves 4.

Tzaztiki Sauce

Tzaztiki Sauce

1 cup (4 oz.) plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Dash salt and pepper
1/8 cup chopped, fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Serve on pitas, with Greek salad or on Greek Feta Burgers. It can also be used as a dip for vegetables or chips.

Make 1 1/2 cups.