Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. white wine to deglaze the pan *

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 Russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 c. fresh kale, chopped **

3 c. chicken broth

2.5 c. water

1 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

* I cut this out.

** I didn't have any kale on hand so I just did without.

Recipe:

1.  Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.

3. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.

4. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

When we go to Olive Garden, this is the soup I always get. I love it because of it's strong flavors! So, while this was a good copy-cat, I really don't think it comes close. Not nearly strong enough. But, if you like flavor/heat on the weaker side, then this is your dish!

Source: Annie's Eats, Zuppa Toscana

Mom's Scones

Ingredients:

1 c. warm water

1 c. warm milk

1 T. dry active yeast

3 T. granulated sugar

1/4 c. melted butter, cooled

1 T. salt

5-6 c. bread flour

vegetable oil for deep frying

Recipe:

1. Combine warm water and warm milk. Stir in the sugar. Add yeast and stir lightly.

2. Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes. 

3. In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk mixture and melted cooled butter. Add the salt.

4. Start the mixer and add the flour one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be slightly sticky but workable.

5. Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel. Set in a warm place allow to rise until double.

6. Pour your oil in a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones) or a deep fryer and heat slowly over medium-high heat. 

7. While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto the counter, without flour, into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

8. You may choose to butter the counter lightly. Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares or triangles. 

9. Heat oil to between 350-400 degrees and cook scones until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

These weren't great, but they were still good. I think the thing I didn't like about them is that it's just SO much fried food at once. We ate these with honey-butter which was really, really good. I didn't like the scones so much after they were cooled. They were best hot. I'd have to tweak this recipe a little bit before I would make it again.

Source: Make It Do, Mom's Scones

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

Ingredients:

Bread Dough:

1 T. yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

4-5 1/2 c. flour

3 T. vegetable oil

1 egg yolk

Garlic Butter:

1/2 c. of real butter

1 1/2 T. garlic bread seasoning

shredded mozzarella cheese

Recipe:

1. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly.

2. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger.

3. Knead, either by hand or in mixer for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

4. While dough is rising, combine butter and garlic bread seasoning. Set aside.

5. Roll dough into a rectangle that's about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with cheese.

6. Roll up jelly-roll style and then use dental floss to cut into 12 equal slices. Place each slice in a muffin tin. Cover with a clean cloth. Preheat oven to 350 and allow rolls to rise while the oven is heating.

7. When the oven is ready, bake for 18-22 minutes. When you notice the cheese getting brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the rolls. This will keep the cheese from burning although it will get pretty brown on top.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I really liked these, but because I made them so long ago and can't remember exactly what it was that I did and did not like, I'm afraid to give them a higher rating. Guess I'll have to make them again! With that being said, I really did like the cheesy mess between each layer of bread and I did like the seasoning. I made these for the missionaries one night and our newest Elder declared that "[they were] the best rolls [he's] ever had!" So, they must be good, right?

Source: Our Best Bites, Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

2 T. active dry yeast

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. salt

3-3.5 c. all-purpose flour

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

3. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this recipe. I was a little skeptical at first and wondered if I'd be able to get the soft, fluffy bun texture, but this recipe did not disappoint! You could easily make these whole wheat as well. Besides being super easy and quick, they were soft, fluffy, and the perfect hamburger bun! I don't think I'll ever buy buns again!

Source: Taste of Home, 40-Minutes Hamburger Buns

Griddle Flat Bread

Ingredients:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. ice water

3 T. shortening

2 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

pinch of baking soda

Recipe:

1. Combine dry ingredients together. Add in shortening and mix until the shortening has been crumbled.

2. Mix in water and form into a dough.

3. Cut into 4-6 equal pieces and roll out into a thin disk.

4. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and cook on a hot griddle, 1-2 minutes per side. Turn with spatula. 

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I used this recipe to stand in as pita bread for dinner because I didn't have the 2.5 hours I needed. This recipe only took about 20 minutes, so it solved the time problem. I liked this bread a lot actually, the only thing I would change would be the salt content. It's presence was a little bit too noticeable for me. 

Source: About.com, Griddle Flat Bread

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast (frozen is okay too!)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1-oz. pkg dry onion soup mix

2 c. water

2 cans beef broth *

6-8 large buns (Try this Quick French Bread recipe!)

Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

* I just used 2 1/2 large beef bouillon cubes and added 2 c. water (in addition to the 2 c. called for)

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large pot oven medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

5. When meat is ready, shred with a fork. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. *

6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

* Rather than put everything under the broiler, I simply buttered the sliced open bread and put them on a griddle until they were golden, like a grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the meat and cheese between the two pieces of hot bread. It melted the cheese and kept the whole sandwich from getting a little too much heat.

Freezer directions: 

1. Prepare roast through the first 2 steps above. After meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix and bouillon, and freeze.

2. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

* I used a frozen roast and basically skipped all of the instructions I could! Haha! I just dumped the roast in the pot, and sprinkled and covered according to step 3.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Loved this! The meat was so extremely tender and juicy and delicious! Can't wait to make these again! I think the original recipe calls for 6-8 loaves, but we demolished the meat in just 4 sandwiches! Easy and delicious. I'm tellin' ya!

Source: Our Best Bites, French Dip Sandwiches

Quick French Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 c. warm water

2 1/2 t. dry active yeast

1 t. sugar

1 T sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

3 1/2- 4 c. all-purpose flour

1 egg white and 1 T water*

* in an effort to save my lone egg for something else, I brushed my bread with a little bit of milk(which makes the top of the loaf turn a darker brown). I'd imagine that you could also use warm water and baking soda which would leave the loaf closer to it's natural baking color.

Recipe:

1. Combine 1/4 c. water, yeast and 1 t. sugar in a bowl. Allow to stand until bubbly.

2. Add in 1 T. sugar, salt and remaining water.

3. Gradually add in flour, mix well and knead for 5 minutes. Let rise for 15-20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 300 while dough rises.

4. Place several cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil while you form the loaf. If you want to make 2 smaller loaves, divide dough in half. 

5. Flour a surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Roll up the dough and turn ends under and place seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet. *

6. Cut 3 diagonal cute into the loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Combine water and egg white and brush onto loaf.

7. Pour boiled water into an oven-safe dish and place on the lower rack of the preheated oven. 

8. TURN OFF THE OVEN! Place sheet with bread on the rack above the water. Let rise until double and then take out the pan of water, about 10-15 minutes.

9. Turn oven on to 425 degrees and bake 10 minutes.

10. Turn heat down to 375 and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

*I actually thought the rolling out process produced rather puny loaves, even when I didn't divide it and tried to make a single (I divided my dough into 4 parts in order to use for some delicious French Dip Sandwiches!). I recommend forming the dough into a ball and then rolling it out into a fatty snake (think play dough snakes as a kid) and making the French bread shape that way. Much easier, quicker, and no seam or folding under!

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a pretty easy recipe, but it's definitely a very involved one. It's not like other bread recipes where you can go off and leave the dough alone for an hour or two. So, if you're going to make this one, make sure your mentally there. It could be super easy to get distracted and ruin the bread. I definitely think I'll stick to brushing the bread with milk. So much easier. As far as taste goes, I thought this recipe was a pretty close match to store bough French bread. The outside is slightly crispy while the inside is nice and fluffy. I'll definitely be making this over buying every time! In fact, I kind of want to make another batch today and just eat garlic bread because I can!

Source: Thirty Handmade Days, Quick French Bread

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Ingredients:

2 1/4 t. yeast

1 T. honey *

1 1/4 c. warm water

1 1/2 c. bread flour, divided

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, divided

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

1 t. salt

cornmeal, for spinkling

* I used sugar. My honey was caramelized.

Recipe:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, honey, and 1/2 c. water. Stir gently to blend.

2. Whisk 1/4 c. bread flour and 1/4 c. whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

4. Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook. Add in the remaining 3/4 c. warm water, 1 1/4 c. bread flour, 1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour, olive oil, and salt.

5. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise about 1 hour, or until doubled.

6. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Place a baking stone (or pizza stone, if using one) in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.

7. Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a 6 1/2 to 7-inch circle.

8.  Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.

9. Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface (can be baked on a baking stone or directly on oven racks). Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden. Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more.

10. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining pitas. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

These ain't no store bought pitas! To me, store bought pita and tortillas have the same problem: they taste a little plastic-y. No bueno. These pitas take pita bread to a whole new level! Soft and fluffy and full of flavor! Well, as full of flavor as you can get with wheat. We had them with Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad, but they would be divine with just about anything inside. Maybe a scrambled eggs for breakfast even? I don't know that I will buy pita bread again in the future.

Source: Annie's Eats, Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla extract

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. milk

Glaze:

3 T. butter, melted

1 c. powdered sugar, sifted

3/4 t. vanilla

2 T. hot water

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil, granulated and brown sugar until smooth.

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

4. With the mixer on low speed, add in baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until just combined.

5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6. Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, about 15-17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time.

7. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing.

8. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and water. Whisk until smooth.

9. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time. Serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

We loved these! Super easy to make and just all around delicious! They're good with or without the glaze on top. I don't know that they taste just like an old-fashioned doughnut, but that's okay! They're that good. Good balance of nutmeg and cinnamon, fluffy, soft, and just what we like.

Source: Sweet Pea's Kitchen, Glazed Doughnut Muffins

Spinach-Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:

**The measurements are all guesses as I just throw stuff in as I go**

1 c. frozen mixed berries (I used the Costco kind with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

1 banana

2-3 heaping handfuls of spinach

1 c. water

Recipe:

1. Throw it all in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Serve while it's still cold.

Rating: 4 of 5

Seeing as Ally is a terrible eater....as in, will only eat a few select dishes.....I decided we would try "green smoothies" to get her fruits and veggies in. And, guess what? This recipe worked. Of all the ingredients in this smoothie, she will only eat bananas willingly. So, I consider this a high success! That and it tastes pretty darn good. Definitely keeping this on the list of breakfast food for her.

Source: my own

Bell Pepper Chicken

Ingredients: they're all approximate as I was just throwing things in as I went along

2 chicken breasts, thawed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1-2 t. chicken bouillon

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

5-6 shakes of hot sauce

up to 1/4 c. sour cream

1/2 to 1 c. water

1/2 each red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers, sliced

rice

Recipe: 

1. Mix soup, sour cream, garlic, water, bouillon, hot sauce and garlic together. Add chicken and bring to a boil.

2. Boil for a 5-10 minutes. Simmer chicken until cooked through. The mixture should be somewhat runny, so add more water if needed.

3. With 5-10 minutes left, add pepper slices to chicken mixture until tender.

4. Serve over hot rice.

Rating: 4 of 5

So, for a throw-in dinner, this turned out really well. It reminded me a little bit of jambalaya. It has great flavor, but very little heat. It's great over rice, but I think it'd be good over quinoa, too. I'd definitely make this one again.

Source: my own

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. water

6-7 cups fresh seedless watermelon chunks

3 T. fresh lime juice (approximately 3 1/2 medium-sized limes)

Recipe:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved (do NOT stir). Place in a bowl to completely cool.

3. Put the watermelon chunks and the lime into a blender or food processor. Pulse about 20 times to chop the melon and then process until the watermelon is completely pureed.

4. Press the watermelon through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and any extra pulp.

5. Combine with the cooled sugar syrup. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Pour the watermelon mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker.

7. Mix until the sorbet has thickened, approximately 25-35 minutes. The sorbet will have soft serve texture. You can enjoy right away or put the sorbet into an airtight container and place in the freezer until firm for about 2 hours.

Rating: 1 of 5

In theory, this would have tasted great! But, for whatever reason, the mixture would just not set up! So, I ended up having sugary watermelon tasting juice stuff. So disappointed. Gonna have to figure out what went wrong, because it would have been sooooo tasty. Especially since the recent lactose intolerance thing has really been causing problems with dessert. I just hated the fact that I lost so much of a really, really good watermelon this week :(

Source: A Sweet Pea Chef, Watermelon Sorbet

Colorful Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa, thoroughly washed in a fine sieve

1 3/4 c. water

15-oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1 c. frozen corn *

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped**

1 Jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped ***

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic  vinegar****

salt and pepper

*used a can instead

** I used what I had on hand and that meant cutting out the red pepper and jalapeno and replacing it with just a green bell pepper.

*** I didn't have a red onion on hand so I just used my normal onion substitute of dried chopped onion.

**** I don't really like the balsamic taste, so I substituted it with lime juice. Much better.

Recipe:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer (not removing the lid!), until all of the water has been absorbed. *

2. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Mix well.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic and pour over the quinoa; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

*I don't have a rice cooker. I followed the instructions on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5

Did I like it? Yes. Would I make it again? Yes. Did LaDon like the quinoa? Surprisingly, yes! I really don't think I would have liked this with the balsamic, so I'm glad I switched it out for the lime juice. Cilantro and lime go better together anyway. Even Ally liked it and that girl never eats new food.

Source: Girl Cooks World, Colorful Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad

Beignets

Ingredients:

1 (1/4-oz) envelope active dry yeast *

3/4 c. warm water

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. evaporated milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 T. vanilla

1 t. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 t. salt

2 T. shortening or softened butter

4 c. all-purpose or bread flour

vegetable oil, for frying

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, for dusting

*I used 2 1/4 t.

Recipe:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, water, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Add 1/4 c. sugar, evaporated milk, egg, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.

3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add half the flour, mixing just until combined.

4. Add the shortening and the remaining flour, mixing until the dough forms into a mass.

5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and knead a few times.

6. Place the dough into a large greased bowl. Turn the dough to grease it all over. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for 2-4 hours, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

7. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

8. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and gently shape the dough into a rectangle. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

9. Pour oil into an electric skillet or Dutch oven until it is 3 inches deep, and heat to 360 degrees F. Fry dough, in batches, 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack sitting on top of paper towels. To keep beignets warm after frying, place in preheated oven.

10. Dust the beignets liberally with powdered sugar, or pour sugar into a bad and shake to coat. Serve warm.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I've never had a true New Orleans beignet before, so I'm not sure what they're supposed to taste like. But, we liked these just fine. What's not to like about something completely covered in powdered sugar? They're easy, that's for sure. They definitely have a flavor that I feel like is a little bit of an acquired taste, at first, and then after the first one or two it just starts to taste like a fresh doughnut. Ally absolutely loved, especially since Tiana makes them in The Princess and the Frog.

Source: Ezra Pound Cake, Beignets

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat

Ingredients:

2 c. milk

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

6 T. brown sugar

4 T. butter, melted

4 1/2 c. flour *

2 t. fine salt

1/3 c. baking soda

3 c. warm water

coarse salt 8 T. butter, melted in a shallow dish **

*I used bread flour and it was AMAZING!

** I actually only used 4 T. butter and had just enough

Recipe:

1. Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about 1 1/2 minutes. It should be about 110 degrees.

2. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the butter and sugar. Combine.

4. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and then add the fine salt. *

5. Knead for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand. Put in greased bowl and cover with greased cling wrap. Let rise for 1 hour in warm place until doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

7. Divide dough into 12 lumps. Roll them all out as thin as you can. **

8. Combine the warm water and baking soda in a wide bowl.***

9. Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then dip in the baking soda water. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. ****

10. Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned. Serve with cheese sauce.

11. Melt the butter. Roll pretzels in butter and then dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated.

*I actually added about 1 1/2 c. of flour, mixed, added the 2 t. salt, mixed, and then continued on with the rest of the flour.

** Since we have little mouths, I decided to go for a more portion friendly size and divided the dough into 24 pieces.

*** I used a pie plate.

****For the pretzels that we wanted to cover with cinnamon and sugar I didn't sprinkle salt on them.

Rating: 5 of 5

Soft, fluffy, tasty, easy, and so close to Auntie Anne's. I couldn't help but shouting out every few minutes, "These are SO GOOD!" While Ally would throw in, "Oh my goodness! They are perfect!" And Daniel just took his cinnamon-sugar covered pretzel and dipped it in more cinnamon and sugar. Seriously, so good! I just don't know that I've ever had a more delicious soft pretzel!

Source: Yammie's Noshery, Auntie Anne's Pretzels

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas

1 c. warm water

2 1/4 t. active dry yeast

1 T. honey OR sugar

2 t. salt

2 T. olive oil OR canola oil

3 c. bread flour (give or take 1/2 c.) *

*I only needed 2 1/2 c.

Recipe:

1. In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam.

2. Pour in salt, oil, half of the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands.

3. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on a walk away! The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean.

4. Lightly grease the bowl and the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours.*

5. Shape dough into whatever you would like.

6. Bake at 500 degrees F for 9-10 minutes.

*My bread was double at the 1 hour mark.

Rating: 3 of 5

This is a really simple recipe. For sure. It's not my favorite pizza dough recipe, but it's a good thin crust recipe. It's perfect for little mouths, like D and A's. Not so puffy that they can't get it into their mouths.

Source: Lauren's Latest, Fail-Proof Pizza Dough

Pre-Baked Pizza Crusts

These are the 1 of 5.

Her little pizza is the 4 of 5

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast OR 2 1/4 t.

1 1/4 c. warm water

3 c. bread flour

1 1/2 t. sea salt *

2 T. olive oil

* I didn't have any sea salt so I just used Kosher salt

Recipe:

1. Add yeast to warm water. Mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

2. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook. Mix flour, salt, and olive oil. Add yeast mixture and on medium speed, mix dough. Continue letting dough hook kneed until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

3. Line two baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour.

4. Divide dough into 16 even pieces. Tuck edges under to make 16 small balls of dough. Place each ball onto prepared baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and place in lukewarm oven for 45 minutes to rise.

5. After rising, roll dough out into 3-4 inch circles. Dough should not be too thin.

6. Place baking sheet in oven and preheat everything to 475 degrees F.

7. When oven and sheets have preheated, bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

8. Use immediately, store in air tight container for 3 days or freeze.

9. To use dough to make fresh pizza straight from the oven rather than pre-baked crusts, increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and after rolling out the dough, top raw dough with sauce, cheese and toppings and bake on pizza stone for 10-15 minutes or until browned and bubbling.

Rating: 1 of 5 (adjusted 4 of 5)

First things, first. I loved working with this dough. It was so smooth and fluffy and felt like it was going to make a delicious pizza crust. I love bread flour! However, I think the temperature and cook time were way too high/long. Instead of soft little pizza crusts, they came out as hard burnt crackers (as seen in the picture). I, thankfully, saved a few just in case it didn't turn out and cooked them at 450 for 6 minutes. They turned out perfectly! So, I don't really like the recipe as is, but with the adjustments it turns out well.

Source: Out of the Box Food, Pre-baked Pizza Crusts

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine

1 t. canola oil

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 T. chili powder

2 t. ground cumin

3 t. sugar

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 c. water

1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)

2 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 6-inch soft corn tortillas

cooking spray

salt and ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 t. salt, and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

5. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

6. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

7. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 c. of the enchilada sauce, 1 c. cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

8. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cove with plastic wrap; microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

10. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

11. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

12. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

13. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

These enchiladas were good, but they weren't out of this world, or even on par with restaurant enchiladas at all. But, then again, I have pretty high standards for enchiladas. Have you been to Mama Chu's in Provo (their chimichangas are to.die.for. delicious)? I liked the browning process of the tortillas at the very beginning to give it the crunch factor. I thought the spicy factor for this dish was just right. I was expecting it to be a little bit more kick-y with 2 jalapenos AND 3 T. of chili powder. But, it was fine. At this point, I'm not sure if I would make these again. Not because they weren't good, but just because I think there is a better enchiladas recipe out there.

Source: Pink Parsley, Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Margherita Pizza

A few weeks ago the kids and I went to the library and I stumbled upon a children's book, Pizza for the Queen. It was a cute little story about a pizza man who had been asked to make pizza for the queen. He wanted to make her pizzas that were true to the taste of the town and in the process invented a new pizza: Pizza Margherita. Named after the the queen, Queen Margherita. It was a really cute story and the best part of it all....it's true! So, at the end of the book, the author included a recipe for Pizza Margherita and I just had to try it.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg. yeast or 2 1/4 t.

1 t. sugar

3/4 c. warm water

2 c. + more flour

1/2 t. salt

1/8 c. OR 2 T. olive oil

Pizza:

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 c. fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 t. balsamic vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Recipe:

Dough:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and olive oil together in a mixing bowl.

3. Put the flour mixture on a pastry board. Create a well in the center of the flour mixtures. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and begin forming the dough with your hands. *

4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and can be stretched. Add more warm water if necessary. If the dough seems sticky, add a little more flour.

5. Roll the dough into a ball and cover it with a towel. Let is rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

6. When done rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and stretch the dough into a pizza shell and place on a pizza pan or stone.

Pizza:

1. Brush the pizza shell with about 1/2-1 t. of olive oil and run your crust with the cut sides of the garlic.

2. Arrange tomato slices over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly throughout.

3. Bake at 500 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

4. Sprinkle hot pizza with chopped basil, salt and pepper and, if desired, drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top.

*I actually did all of the dough mixing in my mixer and it turned out really well.

Rating: 4 of 5

Admittedly, this is not the BEST Margherita pizza I've ever had, but it is delicious. I actually liked it better the second day rather than fresh out of the oven. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that the basil flavor melded over during the night. I loved the crust. Nice and thin, but still so soft. One thing I love about pizzas is that the tomatoes get hot and soft which completely changes their taste to me. Love it. Really, you can taste every element in this pizza. I am a Margherita pizza lover though.

Sources:

Crust: Pizza for the Queen by Nancy Castaldo

Topping: Eat Yourself Skinny!, Margherita Pizza

Homemade Sandwich Bread

(pre-cooked loaves. Imagine a shade or two darker.)

Ingredients:

2 c. lukewarm water

2 T. sugar

1 T. dry active yeast

2 T. butter, softened

5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour + more for kneading the dough *

1 T. kosher salt

* I made this again and used bread flour instead. It made the bread at least 5x better! Fluffier, tastier, holds together even better. Bread flour is the way to go. Also, the 5 1/2 c. makes the perfect texture. I didn't need to add any more flour when kneading. It was perfect!

Recipe: (Yields 2 standard or 1 lb. loaves)

1. Put the water and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to dissolve the sugar.

2. When sugar is dissolved toss in the yeast. Whisk again to dissolve. Walk away for the bowl for 5-10 minutes to give the yeast time to work. After 5-10 minutes, there should be a thick, creamy layer on the surface of the water.

3. Add the flour and salt into the bowl with the yeast.

4. Cut the soft butter up into a few pieces and add to the bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients. (If using a stand mixer, use your dough hook.)

5. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. The dough is ready when it's formed a smooth ball that feels elastic-y when you touch it, very little of the dough sticks to the dough hook when you pull it out of the bowl, and there will be very little dough actually sticking to the sides of the bowl.

6. Round the dough up into a ball. Put it in a large, lightly greased bowl. Coat a piece of plastic wrap with a little oil. Loosely cover the bowl with it, oil side down.

7. Let it sit in a warm place for about an hour, or until it's doubled in size. If you check it after 15 minutes, you should notice that it's started to grow.

8. After about an hour, your dough should be doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Knead it a couple of times and form it into a neat ball. It should be smooth and tacky, but not sticky.

9. Sprinkle a little flour on a board. Set the dough ball on the flour. Divide the dough in half. Each half becomes one loaf.

10. Knead each half, separately, a few times. Lightly grease two one-pound loaf pans. Set each formed loaf in the pans. *

11. Set the pans in a warm place, uncovered. Let the loaves rise like this for about an hour, or until they've doubled in size.

12. About 15 minutes before your house is up, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

13. When they're done, the tops should be a nice light brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Then, with potholders, tip the loaves out of the pans and let them finished cooling on a rack.

14. Let the loaves cool to room temperature before slicing.

*When I form my loaves I like to flatten it out into an oval-ish shape and then roll it up. It makes a nice smooth top and transfers to the pan neatly. (Trick from Emily - who is the master of homemade bread.)

Rating: 4 of 5

To be honest, I like this recipe than my bread machine recipe for white bread. Oh no! That poor machine is going to get dumped by a laborious recipe! Crispy on the outside, incredibly moist and chewy on the inside. My kind of bread. One thing that I really like about this recipe versus my bread machine recipe is that it maintains it's shape when sliced and smeared. My other recipe practically crumbles if anything touches it. I can almost taste the salt, which I liked. I'll definitely be making this one again....in the morning probably. We REALLY like cinnamon-sugar toast in this house.

Source: The Hungry Mouse, Homemade Sandwich Bread