German Pancakes 6 eggs 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups milk 1 1/2 Teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cube butter PREPARATION: Turn oven to 450°. Put butter in jelly roll pan and place in oven. Melt butter. Remove pan from oven. Add remaining ingredients together and mix very well. Pour into pan. Cook for 10 minutes. Put butter in jelly roll pan and place in oven. Melt butter, then remove pan from oven. Add remaining ingredients together and mix very well. Pour into pan. Cook for 10 minutes.

Christine's Mock Tapioca (Sister wives) 16 cups milk 2 1/4 cup sugar dash of salt 1 1/2 cup Cream of Wheat 8 eggs, separated 4 Teaspoon vanilla PREPARATION: Combine milk, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Slowly sprinkle in Cream of Wheat, stirring constantly. Return to boil and lower heat. Cook until thick (approx. 15 minutes) stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat egg whites until stiffened and fold into cereal. *This is supposed to be super yummy!

BAKED SALMON WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE You can use this same sauce with many other kinds of dish - steak or fillets. 4 salmon steaks (fresh or frozen 2 tbsp. mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/4 tsp. dry tarragon 1/4 tsp. dry dill weed 1 tsp. lemon juice Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking oil. Rinse salmon and pat dry; arrange in baking dish. Brush with mayonnaise mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, just until fish flakes when tested with point of knife or fork. Serve with red boiled potatoes and asparagus or broccoli. Serves 4. This mixture can be used when cooking in the microwave or on the grill. For grill cooking, spray grill with cooking oil, do not use a low fat mayonnaise (it will stick). Coat second side of fish before turning.

Famous Dave's Bread Pudding

1 loaf cinnamon-swirl bread
2/3 C. golden raisin
1 1/2 C. sugar
4 C. milk
2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/4 C. vanilla extract
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon

Praline Sauce:
2 C. unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 C. chopped pecans
3 Lbs. light brown sugar
1 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 C. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Coat bottom and side of a 2" deep baking dish heavily with butter. Tear bread into 1" pieces. Mix with raisins and spread it evenly in the prepared dish; be sure to turn crusts side down as they tend to burn easily. Whisk sugar, milk, 2 cups whipping cream, vanilla, eggs and cinnamon until blended. Pour over bread mixture. Place baking dish in a 4" deep baking pan. Add water to reach halfway up side of the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour in 325 F oven. Remove from water bath and let stand 20 minutes. Spoon warm into dessert bowls and drizzle each serving with warm praline sauce. Top with whipped cream and add a scoop of ice cream. PRALINE SAUCE: Heat 1 cup butter in large saucepan until melted. Add pecans and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cook until pecans begin to change color. (Mixture will foam over, so use a large saucepan.) Add remaining butter and mix well. This will cool the pecan mixture and stop the cooking process. Remove from heat. Combine brown sugar, whipping cream and cinnamon in a saucepan and mix well. Cook over low heat until blended, stirring constantly; increase heat. Cook to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in pecan mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Remove from heat.

Pretzel Rolls

Pretzel Rolls

from How Sweet It Is (on Tasty Kitchen) and My Life as a Mrs.

Makes 8 buns

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 cups warm water

– 1 package (1/4 Oz. Packet) Active Dry Yeast (not Quick Rise Yeast)

– 2 tsp. sugar

– 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

– 2 tsp. kosher salt

– 4 tbs. unsalted butter, melted

– 1/4 cup baking soda

– 1 egg, lightly beaten

– pretzel salt, to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir and let sit for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter and mix with the dough hook until it is well-combined. Add the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and place in a warm place for one hour (I turned my oven on low and set the bowl on top).

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a baking mat. If you are making buns, cut the dough into 8 pieces (each should weigh about 4-4.5 ounces) and place on a lightly floured surface. If you want to make bites or rolls, cut the dough into smaller pieces. To form each piece of the dough into a nice round piece, pull the sides all the way around and pinch to seal. Then, place the pinched side down on the floured surface, cup your hand and roll the dough in small circles until it is round and smooth. Place each piece on the baking sheet seam-side down at least one inch apart (you may need to use two pans), cover with a towel, and let rise another 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large sauce pan, bring 2 quarts of water to a low boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and slowly add in the baking soda. Place 2-3 rolls at a time in the liquid seam-side down. Poach for 30 seconds on each side. Place back onto the baking sheet with the seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

4. Brush the egg on each roll, covering all the way around. Sprinkle the pretzel salt on top. With a serrated knife, cut slashes on top or make an ‘X’. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Zentz THAI Style Dinner

THAI Style Dinner
This a recipe that I got from my friend Renae Zentz.

Marinade for Tofu or Chicken:
1 cup apple cider vinegar—I like Braggs organic
1 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP olive oil, sesame oil, OR peanut oil
1-2 tsp curry paste—green, yellow, red, masman… choose a favorite
(Or use curry powder)
1 inch ginger root, grated (check the freezer door for ginger root)
2-4 cloves garlic, pressed
Optional ingredients: lime/lemon juice (use less vinegar), star anise

Tofu: Cube firm or extra-firm tofu and soak in marinade 10 min or more
Chicken: Slice boneless skinless chicken breasts and soak in marinade 10 min or more
(Both chicken and tofu can marinade overnight in the fridge)

GRAIN: Prepare long-grain brown rice, quinoa or rice noodles according to instructions

Vegetables:
Choose a 3 or more vegetables and have FUN cutting them up (or use fresh frozen :)
Group 1 needs a little more cooking time unless cut very small
Onion, diced
Celery, sliced on diagonal
Carrots, julienne peeled
Group 2, add after a few minutes
Broccoli, chopped
Cauliflower, chopped
Zucchini, julienne peeled
Crooked neck, chopped
Cabbage—red, green or napa
Snow peas, whole
Spinach, Beet tops—add these last
Frozen peas can be added right at the end

Heat 2 TBSP coconut oil or olive oil in skillet. Stir in vegetables, 1st group a few minutes, then 2nd group; pour some ( ½ cup) of the marinade over them, and cook until tender.

Season to taste with your favorites like green butter or pesto, curry powder, garam masala, tumeric, 5 Chinese spice, cumin. Set aside.

Stir-fry the Tofu:
Scoop equal parts of peanut butter and honey (½ cup) into hot skillet with ¼ cup coconut milk (2 coconut milk ice cubes). Add drained tofu and gently stir-fry for @ 5 min.
In large serving bowl, scoop noodles, then vegetables, then fried tofu on top. Garnish with chopped peanuts, flax seeds and cilantro.

Homemade Gluten Free Pasta

Homemade Gluten Free Pasta

98g millet or 3/4 cups
33 g potato starch or 1/4 cup
2 g guar gum or 1 teaspoon
1/2 g xanthan gum or 1/4 teaspoon
1 whole egg
1 egg white
4 g olive oil or 2 teaspoons
For cooking pasta: 4 g of kosher salt or 2 heaping teaspoons

Bring a pot of water to boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer sift flours together with gums. Make a well in the flour and add eggs and oil. Using the paddle attachment run mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes until a soft dough forms. (you can also mix dough by hand but the stand mixer is quite fast).

Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper. With the pasta machine dial set at one pass the dough through the sheet pasta side. Pass it through again at the number two setting. And then pass it through the machine to cut into fettucine. (if you are rolling the dough by hand do so between two sheets of parchment and roll as thin as you possibly can prior to cutting into noodles).

Put two heaping teaspoons of kosher salt into boiling water.

Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes until slightly al dente.

Drain and serve with some butter and a little truffle oil or truffle salt.

Here is what I am going to try next:

1. After reading other ratio rally ideas I am going to swap out the egg white for an egg yolk.

2. To achieve a lighter pasta (though this is quite good now) I am going to weigh a little bit of each whole grain flour that I have to see which one is lightest and I will use that instead of the millet. I chose millet first because it is a favorite of mine and it is the least expensive of the healthier flours. I also chose to use just two flours to keep ingredients to a minimum.

3. Once I find the lighter flour I will be making ravioli and celebrating. I haven’t had good ravioli since Adriattica closed way back when.

4. I may also try a 20 minute dough rest covered with a damp kitchen towel.

Stay tuned……