Author: danwatt
Grandma Fleener’s Snickerdoodles
Grandma Fleener's Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 egg
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Mix shortening, sugar and eggs together
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
- Add flour to shortening mixture
- Shape into 1 inch balls
- Roll balls in cinnamon/sugar mixture
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
Nutrition
Red Velvet Cake
Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 pound butter at room temperature, 2 sticks
- 2 egg
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 ounces red food coloring
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 cup melted marshmallows
- 1 lb Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition
- Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well
- Sift together flour and salt
- Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk
- Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture
- Pour batter into three 8-inch round greased and floured pans
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting
Icing
- Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl
- Add marshmallows and sugar and blend
- Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken Cooked
- 3 cups Spaghetti Dry, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese Grated
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper Finely Diced
- 1/4 cup onion Finely Diced
- 4 oz diced pimentos Drained (1 jar)
- 2 cups chicken broth Reserved from pot
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper to 1/4 Teaspoon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese Additional for topping
Instructions
- Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
- Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).
Notes
Nutrition
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 packages Active Dry Yeast 0.25 Ounce Packets
- 8 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup extra reserved
- 1 teaspoon baking powder heaping
- 1 teaspoon baking soda scant
- 1 tablespoon salt heaping
- butter melted, lots of it
- 2 cups sugar
- cinnamon A generous sprinkling
Instructions
Dough
- Heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
- Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
Rolls
- Remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
- To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter.
- Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down.
- Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One log will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)
- Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans.
Cooking the Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
- While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
- Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Fried Rice
p 206
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Canola oil
- 2 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced and peeled
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup scallion chopped
- 4 cups long grain rice cooked
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil (Asian)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until firmly scrambled, about 2 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl.
- Add 1 tsp more of the canola oil and the chicken to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 6-7 minutes; transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp canola oil to the skillet, along with the ginger, garlic, and scallions; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Add the rice, peas and carrots; cook 2 minutes.
- Stir in the reserved eggs and chicken, the soy sauce, and sesame oil and cook until heated through, 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 egg
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons vinegar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
- Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.
- Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Nutrition
General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 cup chicken broth reduced-sodium
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
- 8 tbsp sugar
- 8 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 8 tsp peanut oil
- 8 scallion chopped
- 8 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 cup white rice cooked
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add chicken; sauté until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
- Add reserved sauce to pan and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Serve chicken and sauce over rice
Nutrition
Vegan Chocolate Cake
When Elijah was little, he had a dairy sensitivity. We had to use Almond or Soy milk as a substitute in almost every recipe. We used this chocolate cake recipe many times, and it was incredibly simple and good at the same time.
Beer Bread
Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 3 teaspoons baking powder omit if using Self-Rising Flour
- 1 teaspoon salt omit if using Self-Rising Flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 can beer 12 ounce
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients and beer.
- Pour into a greased loaf pan.
- Pour melted butter over mixture. (or mix into batter for a softer crust)
- Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Flour Tortillas
Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water warm
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix dry ingredients until well combined.
- Add oil and water with mixer running at a medium speed. Mix for 1 minute, stopping several times to scrape the sides of the bowl. After about 1 minute, or when mixture comes together and begins to form a ball, decrease mixing speed to low. Continue to mix for 1 minute or until dough is smooth.
- Transfer from mixing bowl to a well-floured work surface. Divide into 16 fairly equal portions. Turn each piece to coat with flour. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes before proceeding.
- After rest period, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keep work surface and rolling pin lightly floured. Don't stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other or they will get soggy.
- When pan is very hot, place one dough circle into pan and allow to cook about 1 minute or until bottom surface has a few pale brown spots. The uncooked surface will begin to show a few little bubbles. If tortilla is browning too fast, reduced heat a bit. If it's taking longer than a minute to see a few pale golden brown spots on underside of tortillas, increase heat a bit. Flip to other side and cook for about 30 seconds. You want the tortilla to be soft but have a few small pale golden brown spots on surface. Remove from pan with tongs and stack in a covered container or zippered bag till all tortillas are cooked. This will keep them soft and pliable.
- Wipe out the pan in between tortillas if flour is started to accumulate.
- Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel in the bottom of a microwave-safe container (with a cover) that will hold the stacked tortillas. Microwave, uncovered for 15-25 seconds (start with 15) or until warm, then cover to hold heat while serving.
- Store in an airtight container or plastic zippered bag at at room temperature for 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 1 week, stored in a zippered bag. Or freeze indefinitely. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zippered bag before placing in freezer.
Nutrition
Zucchini Muffins
When we first started gardening, our garden overflowed with large zucchini. We would have so much shredded zucchini that we had to store a lot of it in the deep freezer. Instead of just cooking zucchini bread, we would occasionally make these muffins for breakfast.
Almondmilk Pancakes
Almondmilk Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cup Silk Pure Almond Original or Vanilla
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 2 egg large
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together Pure Almond, butter and egg.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir just to moisten - a few lumps are fine.
- Coat griddle with cooking spray.
- Cook 4 pancakes over medium heat, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Notes
Nutrition
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 russet potatoes peeled and quartered
- 2/3 cup chicken broth plus splash to deglaze pan
- oregano fresh, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil a large roasting pan.
- Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Season with salt, oregano, pepper, rosemary, and cayenne pepper. Add fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Place potatoes in bowl with the chicken; stir together until chicken and potatoes are evenly coated with marinade.
- Transfer chicken pieces, skin side up, to prepared roasting pan, reserving marinade. Distribute potato pieces among chicken thighs. Drizzle with 2/3 cup chicken broth. Spoon remainder of marinade over chicken and potatoes.
- Place in preheated oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Toss chicken and potatoes, keeping chicken skin side up; continue baking until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165F. Transfer chicken to serving platter and keep warm.
- Set oven to broil or highest heat setting. Toss potatoes once again in pan juices. Place pan under broiler and broil until potatoes are caramelized, about 3 minutes. Transfer potatoes to serving platter with chicken.
- Place roasting pan on stove over medium heat. Add a splash of broth and stir up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain; spoon juices over chicken and potatoes. Top with chopped oregano.
Notes
Nutrition
Sirloin Steak with Garlic Peppercorn Sauce
This recipe, or one very much like it, is something that Dan tried making before children, at our Fern Flower house in Columbia, MO.
Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes
Ingredients
- 150 g salted butter
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 300 g self-rising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 egg
- 300 ml buttermilk
- 2 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl so that it's completely smooth and sugar-lump free. Transfer this to a piping bag or sandwich bag and leave to one side.
- Measure the flour and baking powder into a clean bowl and crack in the eggs. Stir to mix them in, then keep whisking as you slowly add the buttermilk. Add a pinch of salt.
- Heat up a large, non-stick frying pan to a medium heat and rub with butter. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of pancake mixture into the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Snip the end off of the piping bag and squeeze a thin line in a spiral on top of the raw batter and leave for another 30 seconds. Flip the pancake over quickly and cook for just 30 seconds on that side.
- Transfer to a plate, wipe the pan clean with kitchen roll and repeat to make stacks more. Reheat the cooked pancakes for 30 seconds in a microwave if you prefer and serve with ample fresh berries.
Notes
Nutrition
Whole Wheat Pancakes
Whole wheat flour makes pancakes taste nutty and delicious. This recipe is quite flexible. We love using a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. The pancakes are lovely, light and fluffy. For 100% whole wheat pancakes, simply use all (1 1/2 cups) whole …