Basic Sweet Rolls or Bread

My Mother-in-law makes these rolls which are, incidentally, found in the cookbook my Mother typed for the church I grew up in during the year in which Joe and I were married.  WOW, that's alot of memories and family tied together in one little recipe.  Seriously, my Mother-in-law is a great baker, and this is the recipe she really uses for all the breads that she makes ... sweet rolls, bread, dinner rolls, etc.  and it's pretty simple, really.

Basic Sweet Rolls
2 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 pkgs dry yeast

4 cups flour

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine (NOT hot, just warmed enough to melt)
3 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten

If you're in the 1930s and have unpastureized milk, then heat milk until scalded - if you're making this in 2010, then just warm your milk slightly (like 1 minute in the microwave).  Add sugar and salt to the milk - allow to cool.  Soften 2 packages dry yeast in 1/2 cup of lukewarm water.  when the yeast is starting to "grow", add to the cooled milk mixture.  Add 4 cups of flour and cover with a towel - sit in a warm space and let raise to bubbly stage. Add butter, eggs, and the next 3 cups of flour.  Knead in only as much additioanl flour as needed to make a dough that can be handled using small amounts at a time.  Allow to raise to double in bulk (an hour or so?).  Shape into buns, cinnamon rolls, braides, or any type of rolls you want. 
Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

So, for those of us not used to making breads or our own dinner rolls...a few tips. 
to make great "clover leaf rolls", spray each cup in your cupcake pan, pinch off about 1 tbsp dough, using as little extra flour as you need, roll into a small ball, repeat two more times so you have three balls - put into a sprayed cupcake cup, repeat to fill pan  allow to raise, and bake.
cinnamon rolls are a breeze with this recipe - just roll about half the dough (mixing with flour as needed to roll) into a long rectangle, spread with a bit of butter, some brown sugar, and cinnamon to taste, or just use pre-mixed cinnamon sugar.  Roll long sides to long sides making a long tube.  cut into slices about 3/4 inch thick - put on a baking sheet and allow to raise and then bake.
For bread you can just place the dough into two 10 x 13 loaf pans.  again, allow to raise and then bake.

Thanksgiving Meal

Turkey

Is there anything else?

Well, I suppose some do ham...but really, Thanksgiving screams Turkey.

And so did the deals from the chain stores last week.  Spend $20, use a coupon for $10 off your turkey - which made our turkeys pretty darn inexpensive this holiday season.

So, all you need to do to cook a SIMPLE turkey is...

THAW the turkey thoroughly!

REMOVE the gunk that the turky makers insist on putting in the former stomach cavity.

Lightly oil the bird, then put sage, salt, and pepper on the skin of the bird, put in a roasting pan, some people prefer covered, others open, then bake!

BAKE for hours and hours at 325 degrees.  (it's about 12 to 15 minutes per pound)

carve and serve.

There are tons of marinades, brines, rubs, and other recipes for turkey on the web.  And the Butterball site, http://www.butterball.com/ is the best at predicting how much turkey to buy, and how long to cook it.  These are important things to keep in mind when buying and preparing your meal.

TURKEY GRAVY...

2 cups turkey broth, made by boiling the neck (one of the things stuffed in the cavity of the bird) and 3 cups water for a few hours

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 cup water

Mix the flour, corn starch, and water in a small bowl or shakable container
bring the broth to a boil, then remove from heat.  Stir in the flour mix, then return to heat and stir like crazy!  keep stirring until it thickens.  Then add pepper to taste and serve.

Cranberry Dressing or Stuffing

I found this recipe a few years ago - and made it then.  It was well loved, and I've been making it annually since.  It's really got a unique flavor with the berries in it, and it's very different from stuffing that has that cut up meat remnants baked in ... those little hidden "jems" aren't my cup of tea... these cranberries are a perfect option for me!

And do you know the difference between dressing and stuffing?  Stuffing is "stuffed into the cavity of a bird prior to cooking".  So, stuffing has to be treated with care - it has to be cooked to at least 165 degrees because it's been soaking up raw turkey juices for hours in the bird.  And, it slows down the cooking of the bird because it blocks the heat that could otherwise go into the cavity of the bird and cook it from multiple directions.  I also read that a stuffed bird is frequently drier because you have to cook it longer to over come what I just said... so dressing is the same stuff, but not in the bird, rather in a pan, and it's used to "dress up your plate".  I pick dressing!

Cranberry Dressing

1 16 oz package preseasoned bread cubes called stuffing mix
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (this is not that strange can-shapped log that is sliced and served on a plate at the holiday table, this is a soft gel that flops out of the can )
2 cups chicken broth, water or turkey broth
1cup onions
1 cup celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine

in skillet, cook celery and onion in margarine or butter until quite soft - about 10 minutes. 
Add turkey broth to cranberry sauce - mix.
Put the bread crumbs in a big baking dish, add the celery and onion, then the liquids and mix everything well, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (this is the perfect amount of time for your turkey to rest and be carved, so put the stuffing in when the bird comes out!)

makes alot of servings - at least 8 but with everything else planned for thanksgiving, it'll serve 16ish!

Chicken Breast with Artichoke & Swiss on Couscous (Wednesday)

We had a very similar meal a few weeks ago, and Barbara's family thought she'd re-invented the wheel - they thought it was the best thing she's ever cooked - or at least close.  We're going to change up the meal just a touch by adding the artichokes under the swiss.  I did promise Barbara to melt my swiss cheese this time - that might cause issue, but I'll try it with at least my plate!
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts $3.10
olive oil .20
white wine .25
artichoke hearts .99
4 slices swiss .50
$5.04

So, to make the chicken,
Place 1/4 cup white wine and 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, heat over medium heat to almost boiling, add the chicken tenderloins, cook for four minutes, flip, cover, and cook another four minutes.

place 1-2 artichoke heart quarters on top of the chicken, then cover with a slice of swiss or provolone cheese.  Place under broiler for 3 or so minutes to melt and slightly brown the chicken.

serve this chicken with:

Parmesan Couscous
I like to buy plain, unflavored sides when we have grains - rice and pasta mixes, while fast and easy are LOADED with sodium.  and artificial things I'm not in the mood for.  SO... here's my recipe for Parmesan Couscous.

1 box Plain Couscous (check stats - should have zero sodium)
1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring as much water as the box dictates to a boil  use just watern o oil or butter, then add the couscous and remove from heat.  After five minutes remove cover, fluff, and stir in parmesan cheese and artichoke hearts.  Cover again, and let sit up to 10 minutes, covered, before serving.  (Don't let it get cold, but give the cheese a few minutes to melt together.

Serve chicken and couscous with a side salad.

Sweet Potato Chips $1.55

I set out tonight to make sweet potato fries for Joe and myself... Kids aren't so fond of them - they got green beans and pretzels. Then I realized I needed to have dinner on the table in 20 minutes - scratch that, no time for those delicious dices of potatoes to appropriately cook (I could have microwaved the pieces (on baked potato setting), then broiled them as normal, but even that seemed to take too long).

AH HA! Time to once again crave the only kitchen tool I really don't have... the mandolin - NO, NOT the stringed instrument - goodness knows I have enough noise around the house! NOT another "instrument" instead I've longed for a GOOD mandolin - an adjustable slicing "tool". This is what you really need to make homemade chips. It's not really a "typical" kitchen tool, but i really want one... well, not "one", but a "good one!". I want a good, sharp, washable, sturdy mandolin, and I can't afford one right now, and thus I don't have one, and I probably won't have one anytime soon.

So, I peeled my sweet potato (about 2 inches in diameter and 7 inches long - that's enough for two people), then tried my darnedest to slice it into as thin but uniform thickness slices as I could achieve, tossed those thin slices with 2 tsp of olive oil and a couple grinds of sea salt and threw them in the oven (on the DARK cooking sheet) for about 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Crunchy, NO, done, yes. Yummy, YES, I thought so. As they sit around waiting for Joe to get back home they are actually getting crunchier.

Give 'em a try, and tell me how you did. I'm looking forward to trying again and again until I perfect the crunch

what you need-

4 medium size sweet potatoes $1.25

tablespoon olive oil, or canola oil .20

salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika(or spice you may like to try, so many different flavors work with sweet potatoes) .10

White Bean Crostini and Blue Cheese, Walnut,cranberry Salad $7.12

Yeah!! Another salad! I am so happy that Kim is so cool with having salad often. Its funny because cool and interesting salads are what I usually order when dining out, and now I just create them at home, and Oh My Godness, for a fraction of the cost. This salad was actually Kims idea, and I am happy I used up blue cheese from last week and walnuts. I also wanted to get even more nutrients in the meal, so I added a whitebean crostini to the mix. The white beans I had boiled and frozen two weeks ago, when we had pasta with beans and spinach.

I also had a bit of leftover meatloaf and potatoes, which Michael had along with the salad. The "bean crostini" was in no way passing his lips, however, it gave me an idea for next time I make "mystery" mashed potatoes. I guarantee he will never know.....

Salad

2 heads of romaine chopped or mixed bag of greens or spinach $1.50

4 ounces blue cheese .99
1/2 cup cranberries .60
1/4 cup chopped walnuts.40

1 cup raspberry vinegrette.50

Combine in salad bowl and mix in dressing

White Bean Crostini 16 oz can of white beans.69

1 tsp olive oil.20

1 tsp rosemary.05

salt to taste

Total $7.12

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender

Loaf of french or Itaian bread sliced thiny$1.99

1/4 cup olive oil .20

brush oil on bread and toast at 300 for 10 minutes or until crisp

spread bean dip on each toasted slice of bread

Meatloaf Patties & Smashed Potatoes with a healthy twist! $6.94

We bring you a bit more (adapted) Rachel Ray tonight - in some life a long time ago we watched the food channel on occasion (back when I had time to watch tv before cooking dinner! - now the food channel is something I Google on occasion!) - Joe saw this being made on tv and requested it ... it was the first meatloaf I'd ever made, and I actually enjoyed it. Now, it's one of his favorite treats!

Meatloaf Patties

1 to 1-1/2 pound ground beef - preferably 93% lean $2. 39

1 slice bread, torn into smallish chunks .04
1 egg white .08
1 tsp. seasoning salt (or 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper)
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste .05
1 medium onion chopped finely -- reserve 1/4 for later use. .20
1/8 cup milk (add last if necessary) .05

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create well in the center - put bread chunks in well and cover with milk... pour egg whites over bread along with salt, tomato paste and 3/4 of onion. Combine everything well and form 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent (traps heat - a stove top/oven combo.



Hi Barbara here with a healthy potato recipe.
I have taken to hiding food groups in my sons meals. In my meat sauce I will put a lot of finely ground up carrot, I put ground up beats in his chilli, pureed sweet potato in his mac and cheese. It's one of the only times I feel good about being a liar. Michael absolutely eats with his eyes first, and his eyes dont like the site of vegetables. Cauliflower is so incredibly healthy, I found the easiest way to hide it in food, through the only way my son will eat potatoes- mashed.

The recipe is simple:

1 to 1-1/2 lbs potatoes of choice (red with skins, peeled, yellow, white - it's up to you!)$1.25

1 head fresh cauliflower $1.39

1/4 cup butter .20

1/4 cup milk.10

salt

pepper

Wash, and if applicable, peel potatoes and place in cold water in large enough pan to boil both potatoes and cauliflower simultaneously. Bring potatoes to a boil, add frozen cauliflower or cut up fresh cauliflower, and boil approximately 10 minutes until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain, return potatoes and cauliflower to the hot pan in which you cooked them ... add butter and salt/pepper to taste, mash with potato masher or fork to desired consistency - add milk as necessary for creaminess.

(returning the cooked potatoes/cauliflower to the pan helps to eliminate the moisture from the water and helps them soak up the creaminess from the milk and butter.)

For most people this procedure would produce amazing healthy mashed potatoes, however, for my oh so picky son, who wont eat mashed potatos that have any lumps in them, I have to run the potato cauliflower mixture through the food processor or blender(a hand mixer will do as well) It is worth all the trouble for me, because Mr. Finicky always asks for seconds! Of course I dont tell him he is having "seconds" on vegetables. Ha!

Finally, this is the most awesome meatloaf gravy ever!

3-Condiment Pan Gravy

2 tbsp butter ,20

remaining onion
2 tbsp finely chopped mushrooms (if desired - totally optional!)

2 tbsp flour.05

1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock.59

1 Tbsp ketchup.10

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard.10

1 Tbsp. steak sauce.15

Total $6.94

Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to medium heat. Add butter and onion to skillet - cook 2 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour - cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock - bring to a bubble... add more stock if it's too thick. Stir in condiments and remove from heat.

Serve smashed cauliflower potatoes, meatloaf and a bit of gravy on a plate - sit back and enjoy the smiles. You might also enjoy a side tossed salad with oil and vineagar tonight.

Wednesday Refried Black Beans & tortillas $3.45

Today is Ash Wednesday - for the Catholic friends among us, it's a day of both fasting and abstaining... fasting from food is currently practiced as 2 small simple meals and 1 small dinner. All with the objective of fulfilling your minimalist food needs, not satisfying your every hunger. Abstaining is what most non-Catholics observe us doing - not eating meat on Fridays... well, we also do it on Ash Wednesday, and throughout the triduim (commonly known as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, the three days after lent comes to a close but before Easter Sunday) - many folks fast througout the Triduim as well.

Enough about the religious practices of the Catholics among us - let's get on to the food...

Refried Black Beans

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil .10

1 Tbsp. Garlic .05

1 can Black Beans, undrained .59

2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix .10

heat oil to hot, add garlic - heat until savory - about one minute, then add black beans and taco seasoning mix. Mash the beans with a wooden spoon or potato masher until the consistency desired - heat to desired temp (water from beans will both evaporate and soak into the bean "mash").

Top with thick salsa (1/2 cup) and cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) and heat (covered) without stirring until cheese melts - you may place in broiler or oven if your pan is oven proof (no plastic handles!)

Homemade Tortilla Chips

1 package flour or corn tortillas (like for quesadillas or soft shell tacos) .98

olive oil spray .10

salt

using pizza cutter or scissors or knife, cut the tortillas into either wide strips (1") or triangles, whatever you prefer... place on a baking sheet without touching - spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray, then salt to taste. Place in 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes, remove, flip chips, and return to oven for another 5-8 minutes until desired browness is acheived. They will crisp up outside the oven, so do not over cook!

I'm also making a spanish rice type of dish - just for fun since I'm already messing up the kitchen.
I've added:

1 8-oz can tomato sauce .49
2-3 Tbsp. diced mild green chilis (from a little can) depending on taste .39
1 cup rice .40
2 cups water
1 tsp garlic salt .10
1/2 tsp cumin .10
1 tsp. sugar .05
Total $3.45
mix all ingredients in a medium covered sauce pan, heat over medium high heat to a boil, reduce heat to low simmer - simmer covered for at least 20 minutes until rice is plump.

Pasta Aglio Olio and Tomato Basil Bruscetta $5.20

Aglio meaning garlic and Olio meaning Oil(which could only mean Olive Oil) That is exactly what the pasta consists of- garlic and olive oil. In Italy, it is usually the pasta one makes when in a hurry, or when they have limited ingredients in the house, and need to whip up a meal. Upon further research, apparently pasta aglio olio is most known in the Abruzzo region of Italy, because at one time it was the most poverty striken of regions. That is actually the region that I come from, and I can confirm I have had many a Aglio Olio in Abruzzo. I will admit that it taste far better in Italy, then in America, as does some meals(not all, just some-sorry have to be honest)I suspect it is because of the olive oil. The olive oil is like no other, the flavor, texture, richness is hard to discribe. I personally always use extra virgin olive oil when cooking, and when making this dish I highly reccomend fresh garlic.

3 cloves garlic minced .40
1/2 cup olive oil .40
1 lb pasta of choice(Im using linguine)$1.00

salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to instruction
heat skillet on low with oil
saute garlic slowly, carful not to burn
Drain noodles, loss with garlic and oil

Optional tomato and basil
dice 3 or 4 tomatos(.80), and 2 tablespoons chopped basil .30
when pasta is cooked toss in large skillet with oil and garlic combo, add tomato and basil, and saute together for 2 or 3 minutes

Bruscetta

loaf of french or italian bread $1.50
1/4 cup olive oil.25
1 clove garlic.15
diced tomatos(2).40
chopped basil(1 tablespoon).15

total $5.20
Slice bread, brush with olive oil(1/8 c) and bake in oven at 350 until crisp
combine tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil, add salt to taste
top bread with tomato topping

Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin $4.22

Let's jump right is, cuz it's our night to really shine in the kitchen and this is an amazing tenderloin! ... Prepare your potatoes (recipe at bottom) first as they take considerably longer than the meat!

Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin

Olive Oil spray

1/2 tsp. cumin.10
1/2 tsp cinnamon .10
1/2 tsp salt.05
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper .02
1/8 tsp chile pepper .05

1 pork tenderloin (1 lb), trimmed of visible fat $3.40
1 tsp. olive oil .10

2 Tbsp honey .20
1/2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce (like the hot wings sauce) .10
1 tbsp minced garlic .10

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a small roasting pan or ovenproof skillet (just large enough to hold your pork) with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and chile pepper.  Rub the pork evenly with the teaspoon of olive oil then rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork until it is coated.  Coverly loosely with plastic wrap - refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the honey, garlic and hot sauce.  Whisk to mix and set aside.

Set a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot enough to sizzle water.  Place the pork in the pan, cooking for 1 (one) minute per side, or until browned all around.  Transfer to prepared oven-proof pan.  With a basting brush, evenly coat the pork with the prepared honey mixture.

Roast the tenderloin about 18 minutes per pound, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reaches 155 and the juice runs clear.  Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Transfer pork to cutting board and slice into thin slices.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

wash (peel if desired) and dice potatoes of choice (red, yellow, white, russet, etc.)
toss with LIGHT coating of olive oil (i do it right on the cutting board)
place on dark baking sheet and seperate to allow even cooking
season with your choice of seasoning salt or ground rosemary or just salt to taste.
bake at 400 degree oven for first 15-20 minutes while you prep the meat - then turn oven down to 350 when you sear the meat allowing it to cool to the 350 degree oven for proper preparation of the meat.
toss regularly (10 minute intervals) to ensure even browning and cooking
approx. cook time is 40 minutes


Fresh Steamed Brocolli
wash and cut brocolli into spears
boil 1 inch of water in a pan large enough to hold all your brocolli
As soon as the water boils, add brocolli - steam for about 7 minutes
drain - spritz with "spray butter" or lemon or serve plain (my personal choice!)
YUM!

Ginger-Lime Swordfish (Wednesday) $8.17

ooo, more Jillian, this time from her website!  What better way to enjoy super healthy fish than with some vitamin and other nutrient packed sweet potatoes!  Barbara will blog like crazy about how healthy this whole meal is!!!  Meanwhile, I just rave about flavor and how inexpensive it is at the same time!!!

Ellie would declare it's the "Best of Both Worlds"!

Ginger-lime swordfish
2 tsp. grated lime rind (zest).05
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes).40
1/4 c. honey .30
2 Tbsp minced ginger root (peel ginger, then use garlic mincer),20
2 Tbsp mnced onion .15
1 Tbsp soy sauce .10
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves).49
4 swordfish steaks or other "thick" fillets of choice (3/4 in thick) $ 4.99
vegetable of choice .99
sweet potatoes(2) large .50
Total: $ 8.17

Preheat broiler
combine first 7 ingredients in small saucepan... heat to combine.
dip each steak into the lime mixture to coat
Place fish on broiling pan coated with cooking spray, sprinkle with fresh pepper, and broil 10 minutes or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork.

While fish cooks, reheat lime juice mixture over medium heat, cooking until reduced by half - about eight minutes.  Serve sauce with fish.

We're also featuring sweet potatoes, which you will scrub thoroughly, then microwave for about 7 - 10 minutes depending on your microwave's power.  You can either peel after cooking or serve with skins on and slice/scoop the flesh out while eating.  Don't eat the skins.  We prefer to microwave, peel, then slice.  I serve with a wonderful table seasoning salt blend from Aldi.

Lastly, we've suggested Vegetable Normandy, or other frozen veggie of choice.  Steam per directions on bag in the microwave while the potatoes are resting right before dinner is served - spritz with spray butter if your family says so.  Microwave steaming your vegetables is the best way to retain all the nutrients you can!  Fresh veggies will take about 4 minutes per pound.

I like my picture too, so I thought you might like to see another shot of how tantalizing this meal is ... Cooking is fun when you follow easy recipes for super nutritious foods!