Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls

This past weekend was my pseudo-birthday as Mr. E. and I were traveling home from a wedding weekend on my real birthday AND I was sick with bronchitis... no fun! So we pretended that this weekend was my birthday and so I made cinnamon rolls to welcome in my birthday weekend. You may ask why I made the rolls for my birthday (rather than Mr. E.). Well to put it simply, I love to bake and I would have been so impatient watching him have all the fun of kneading the dough and seeing the fruit of his labors. So I decided to create the breakfast for us and it was delicious. Not too rich, and not too sweet... just right and of so comforting to start the day. And yes, these cinnamon rolls are made with mashed potatoes :)


Ingredients
DOUGH
* 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 3 large eggs
* 4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
* 3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)
* 2 tablespoons sugar

FILLING

* 1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
* 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
* 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
GLAZE

* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* 2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Preparation
DOUGH

*
Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
*
Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.
*
Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.
*
Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling

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Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.
*
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).
*
Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make glaze

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Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.

Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2009

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Pesto Croutons

I eat soup nearly every day for lunch in the winter. Most of the time it is the Trader Joe's low sodium version of which there are 3 different kinds... as you might guess, it gets pretty boring after awhile... so I am trying to make more soups on weekends and this weekend I tried this wonderfully healthy and easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Southern Living... Yum!

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup refrigerated pesto, at room temperature
* 6 sourdough bread slices
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 shallot, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 (15-oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained
* 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1/4 cup half-and-half
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Garnishes: fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread pesto on 1 side of each bread slice. Cut each bread slice into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden, turning once after 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool.

3. Melt butter with oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in bell peppers and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 10 minutes.

4. Process red pepper mixture, in batches, in a blender or food processor 8 to 10 seconds until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Return red pepper mixture to Dutch oven; stir in half-and-half and parsley, and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; top with croutons. Garnish, if desired.

Beef Pasties

My husband three favorite ingredients in the world are beef, carmelized onions and bleu cheese. So when he came across a recipe that included all three... he could not resist! He spent late Sunday afternoon preparing this wonderful dinner... I was so impressed with the end product as it looked like something a professional pastry chef might have made. We made one change to the recipe... he did not use shortening but rather substituted more butter (I just can't get over the idea of putting crisco into my food... it just does not seem like real food to me...).


Ingredients
crust

* 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
* 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
* 1 1/8 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (preferably nonhydrogenated), frozen
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 7 tablespoons (or more) ice water

filling

* 4 teaspoons olive oil
* 2 large onions, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 10 oz skirt steak, cut crosswise on diagonal into 1/4-inch-wide strips
* 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
* 6 oz coarsely crumbled Stilton blue cheese (1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups), divided
* 1 large egg white, beaten to blend

Preparation
crust

*
Blend both flours and salt in processor 5 seconds. Drop in shortening by tablespoonfuls. Cut in until coarsely diced. Add butter. Cut in until coarse meal forms. Transfer to bowl. Add 7 tablespoons ice water. Toss with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into disk; wrap and chill at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.

filling

*
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions. Sauté until deep brown, reducing heat if necessary to avoid burning, about 30 minutes. Add wine and thyme. Simmer until liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
*
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out each dough disk between sheets of parchment paper to 9-inch round. Peel top parchment off each. Spread 1/4 of onion mixture on half of each round, leaving 1-inch plain border. Top onions with beef strips. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt over beef on each, then top each with 1/4 of cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Brush dough border with some egg white. Using bottom parchment as aid, fold plain dough half over filling. Seal edges. Fold sealed edge over again; press with fork to double-seal.
*
Brush each pasty with egg white. Cut 3 slits in each top crust. Divide pasties (still on parchment) between 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
*
Bake pasties until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; serve.



Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2009

Root Vegetable and Mushroom Pie with Rosemary Biscuit Topping

I was slaving away with work throughout the weekend so when Mr. E was narrowing down his list of "what to make for dinner on Sunday evening", he asked me for my input on the final decision. It was between something called Beef Pasties or the Vegetable Pie listed below... Of course, I was not partial a dish with the word "pasties" in the title and I voted for the pie.. good decision on my end... Mr. E.... not so much.
I went into the office around 4:30 to finish up some work while he began preparations for his dish which he thought would take about an hour (MAX) total to prepare and then it would bake for 1 hour 45 minutes so we we could enjoy it for dinner. I called him at 7pm to let him know I would be home in 15... he was not a happy camper. He had just finished the dish and was ready to put it in the oven... with 2 hours left to bake on it. We decided to have it for dinner another note, but from my initial tasting pre-baking... it was divine. However, it made enough food to feed the entire Dugger family so we will be eating leftovers for a long time! However.... I would have to say it is on my list of top ten comfort foods... and it is healthy!

Ingredients
filling

* 6 cups water
* 2 tablespoons vegetarian bouillon base
* 2 very large carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 large parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 large rutabaga, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms,* broken into 1/2-inch pieces, rinsed
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 cups chopped onions
* 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
* 1/2 cup all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons imported dry Sherry
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

biscuits

* 2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* 1 teaspoon salt
*
* 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
* 1 1/3 cups (or more) chilled buttermilk

*
*Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Preparation
filling

*
Bring 6 cups water and bouillon base to boil in large pot over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve bouillon. Add carrots and next 5 ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; reserve vegetables and broth.
*
Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in garlic and rosemary; stir 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved broth, then cream and Sherry. Cook until sauce is thick and reduced to 4 cups, whisking often, about 8 minutes. Mix in reserved vegetables and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with foil; chill.
*
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake filling, covered, until bubbling, about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare biscuits.

biscuits

*
Stir first 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups buttermilk, tossing with fork until dough is evenly moistened and adding more buttermilk by tablespoonfuls if dry.
*
Drop biscuit dough atop hot filling by heaping tablespoonfuls; sprinkle with pepper. Bake uncovered until tester inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2009

Sushi in Ohio...

When the Mr. and I were driving home from the holidays on the East Coast, I had this intense craving for sushi. Unfortunately, where we live is at least 30 miles away from decent sushi.... So for the past 3 weeks I had just given up this craving until I saw Giada making sushi rolls on the Food Network... and she made it look so easy, all I needed to purchase was: two bamboo mats, black sesame seeds, sticky rice and Nori! Luckily the rest of the ingredients could be found at a large grocery store...

I attempted the two recipes below and while the first round was not as pretty as you might find at a traditional Sushi restaurant, Mr. E. and I enjoyed them immensely and agreed that it was as attractive as could be for a first go... next time I am going to get some high quality fish and attempt the raw sushi rolls!





CRAB, MANGO AND AVOCADO SUSHI ROLLS
Ingredients

* 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and patted dry with paper towels
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 4 teaspoons lemon juice
* 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
* 5 cups cooked Sushi Rice, recipe follows
* 4 toasted nori sheets*
* 1 avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into thin slices
* 1 mango, peeled and cut into thin slices
* 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin slices
* 1/4 cup black sesame seeds*

Directions

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Serving suggestion: wasabi, sweet picked ginger, soy sauce

Special equipment: a bamboo sushi mat

In a medium bowl, mix together the crabmeat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on the sushi mat. Using wet fingers, spread 1 1/4 cups of the rice evenly over the plastic wrap to form a rectangle slightly smaller than the sushi mat. Lay a sheet of nori over the rice. Arrange 1/4 of the crab mixture along the center of the nori leaving a 2-inch border at the top. Top the crab mixture with 1/4 of the avocado slices, 1/4 of the mango slices, and 1/4 of the red bell pepper slices. Using the sushi mat as a guide, fold the rice over the filling and roll into a cylinder. Remove the plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle each roll with the black sesame seeds.

To serve, using a sharp, damp knife, slice each cylinder into 6 pieces (re-wet the knife after each slice). Arrange the crab rolls on a serving platter and serve with wasabi, sweet pickled ginger and soy sauce.

Cook's Note: For spicier rolls, substitute the red bell pepper with 2 seeded and thinly sliced jalapenos.

Yield: 24 crab rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Sushi Rice:

* 2 cups short-grain sushi rice (recommended: Kokuho Rose)*
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the vinegar over the rice and mix with a fork. Transfer the cooked rice to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Allow the rice to cool completely before using.




VEGETABLE ROLLS WITH CHILI MAYONNAISE

Ingredients

* For the Chili Mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup Asian chili sauce*
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce*
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

For the Vegetable Rolls

* 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and cut into thin slices
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cored and cut into thin slices
* 1 large carrot, shredded
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 6 rice paper rounds*
* 6 butter lettuce leaves, ribs removed
* 1 1/2 cups cooked cellophane noodles or bean threads, cooled*

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

For the Chili Mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic, and brown sugar.

For the Vegetable Rolls: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, carrot, mint, and basil. Add the Chili Mayonnaise and toss well.

Lay a damp kitchen or paper towel on a work surface. Soak a rice paper round in warm water for 20 to 30 seconds until softened. Place the rice paper on the damp towel. Lay a lettuce leaf in the middle of the rice paper and spoon some of the vegetable mixture on top. Place 1/4 cup of the cellophane noodles on top of the vegetable mixture. Roll the rice paper around the filling and seal the ends with a little water. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Store the finished vegetable rolls in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours wrapped in damp paper towels.

Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com

Garlic Croutons

We had a loaf of stale focaccia in our freezer that I just could not bear to part with… voila CROUTONS!

INGREDIENTS:

2 T EVOO
2 garlic cloves (minced)
¼ tsp salt
4 cups (1/2 inch) bread cubes, or a full loaf cut into cubes

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the EVOO and salt together in a LARGE bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and toss until thoroughly coated. Spread the bread onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. All the croutons to cool before serving or placing in a storage container in the freezer. Then you can simply pull out a handful each time you make salads or for French Onion Soup!

Cajun Spiced Popcorn

This weekend we decided that since the area in which we reside is very flat… and it has been snowing for the last 3 months, it might be a good time to test out our cross-country skiing skills. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that XC skiing looks a lot easier than it is in reality. I fell down quite a few times and have the bruises to show for my attempts. However, we are not giving up and are planning to try it out once again this weekend. XC skiing is a wonderful full body workout and once I got the hang of it (somewhat) it was enjoyable to just be in my surroundings.

I decided to make a snack for the two of us to enjoy on our hour-long drive home from the state park, which is where this recipe comes into play. Mr. E. and I received an air popcorn maker as a wedding gift and it has been put to very good use. We have tried many different flavors but this has been one of my recent favorites.

1. Pour ½ cup of unpopped kernels into the popcorn maker.
2. While the popcorn is popping melt 2 T butter in the microwave.
3. In a separate bowl, combine:
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh or ½ tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp Tabasco
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
¼ tsp onion powder
4. Mix the spices into the melted butter (be sure it is still completely melted otherwise it will not spread throughout the popcorn)
5. Slowly add the spicy butter to the warm popped popcorn and mix around after each spoonful of spice distribution. Enjoy this healthy treat! Beware of the spiciness!