Our Christmas Brunch

:: Menu ::

Savory

Fried Eggs

Sautéed Vegetables

Sausages

Sweet

Stollen

Poppy seed Cake

Rommegrot

Beverages

Eggnogg

Coffee

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

We sautéed mushrooms, onions, and green peppers to go with our eggs and sausages.

Every year on Christmas Eve, our Grandma sends home a loaf of her homemade Stollen. We like to toast it and smother it in butter.

I was browsing around, trying to find something utterly scrumptious to make, and found this recipe.

My litte neice enjoyed her first Christmas.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Sauce is so important to a homemade pizza. I’m sure you could buy a very good bottled sauce. But why not make your own and control what goes into it?

This recipe makes a slightly sweet pizza sauce. The maple syrup helps to balance the acidity of the tomato paste. If you would like a less sweet version, simply decrease the amount of maple syrup.

.

:: Quick Homemade Pizza Sauce ::

.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons red cooking wine (optional but very good)

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together until well combined. Place over low heat and cook until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Makes about 3/4 cup, or enough for two large pizzas

P.S. It’s Kitchen Tip Tuesday…

Chocolate & Almond Biscotti

This Wednesday was Dad’s birthday. Finding I didn’t have a present, I decided to bake him some biscotti. I was a little concerned he wouldn’t like them. Twice before I have made biscotti - and failed miserably. However, this batch turned our quite well (perhaps due to the fact that I actually followed the recipe).

“Those were good,” he said the next day. “Those are good.”

I am pleased and satisfied.

.

:: Chocolate & Almond Biscotti ::

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons softened butter, divided
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (120z) bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325° F. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture with the mixer on low and beat until well combined. Stir in the almonds. If the dough is too wet to handle, stir in an additional 1/2 cup of flour.

3) Butter 2 large baking sheets. Divide the dough into 3-4 portions and shape into long, flattened logs on the baking sheets, about 5 inches wide and 5/8 inches thick.

4) Bake the logs in preheated oven for 27-30 minutes, or until firm and slightly browned. Transfer logs one at a time to a cutting board and cut diaganally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange sliced back on the baking sheets and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

5) Line two large baking sheets with wax paper. Melt the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons butter in a double boiler. Place in a rectangular baking pan and dip the bottoms of the biscotti in the chocolate. Place the dipped biscotti onto the wax paper lined baking sheets and place in the freezer to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

~

P.S. This is my entry for Eat Christmas Cookies 2. Stop by and see the roundup of delicious Christmas cookies!

Gifts from the Kitchen 2008

————~:: Make It ::~————

.

Apple & Cranberry Chutney

 Blueberry Syrup

Jam Jar Muffins

Cookie Scones

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

————~:: Wrap It ::~————

.

Goodie Bags

Gift Adornments

Cookie Compotes

Quick Bread Wraping

Printable Gift Tags(pdf)

Cookie Gift Sleeves

Yeast Spotting

To my surprise and delight, my 100% Whole Wheat Bread has been featured on Yeast Spotting, a weekly showcase of yeasted baked goods. Stop by, and you might find something you can’t resist making…

Green Tea and Red Rice Swirl Bread from Apple Pie, Patis & Pâté

Favorite 100% Whole Wheat Bread

We discovered what we consider to be the best all-purpose bread recipe. We try other bread recipes, but we always return to this one.

The original recipe included walnuts and sunflower seeds, but after protests from certain parties, we omitted them. The recipe also called for over 1/4 cup of sweetener per loaf. This produces a very sweet loaf, so I reduced this amount to 2 tablespoons. I also added 2 tablespoons flax meal, which gives a more rustic look. For an extra special touch, I like to brush the top with milk and sprinkle with oatmeal.

.

:: 100% Whole Wheat Bread ::

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Note: This recipe makes a very large loaf. I usually double the recipe and make three 9×5 inch loaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey, molasses or maple syrup
• 3 1/2 cups (18 3/8 oz) Hard Red (traditional) or Hard White (17.5 oz) Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons flax meal, optional
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

To prepare the dough:

(Hand Method) Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet, but remember: wetter is better. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till  smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

(Mixer Method) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet, but remember: wetter is better. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead by machine until fairly smooth, about 10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

(Bread Machine Method) Place all ingredients in bread machine pan and set to dough cycle.

To Shape the Loaves

After the dough has risen, gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased large (9×5 inch) bread pan or two small bread pans. Cover the pan with a towel or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes-1 hour, till it’s crowned about 2 inches over the rim of the pan. Preheat your oven to350°F about halfway through the rising time.

To Bake the Loaves

If desired, brush top of loaf with milk or egg white and sprinkle with oatmeal, poppy seeds, nuts, etc. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until it turns a deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Yield: 1 large or 2 small loaves.

Fruit-on-the-Bottom Baked Oatmeal

Back when peaches were in season, I devised a baked oatmeal recipe to incorporate them. I just threw a few things together and pushed it into the oven. To my surprise, it was really good. We’ve tried it with pears and apples, with the same delicious results.

Hot fruit on the bottom, sweet oatmeal in the middle, and crunchy almonds on top. This could easily be a dessert…

:: Fruit-on-the-Bottom Baked Oatmeal ::

Ingredients:

• Approximately 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced fruit* or enough to generously cover the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons demerara, sucanat or rapadura, divided
• 1/3 cup slices almonds

*Peaches, pears & apples are good choices. If using apples, make sure to cup them thinly or they will be crunchy.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Melt butter; pour 1/4 cup into bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons demerara. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 tablespoons demerara.
4. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or Vanilla Sauce.

Serves 6-8

Last Friday we attended a tea party hosted by the S. family. Take a look at our lovely afternoon…

The Menu

Lunch

Roasted Carrot Soup

Sandwiches

Fruit Salad

Chicken Beggar’s Purses

Dessert

Chocolate Trifle

Date Triangles

Sandies

Pumpkin Kolaches

For lunch our hostesses served Roasted Carrot Soup, garnished with scallops, bacon and sour cream.

The U. family brought Cucumber sandwiches. We provided Spiral sandwiches and Turkey Cranberry sandwiches.

The K. family made Five Ingredient Salad. This is my favorite fruit salad recipe - I’ll have to give you the recipe some time…

Our hostesses also served Chicken Beggar’s Purses - chicken filling inside a won ton wrapper, fried in a thin layer of oil.

After chatting and allowing the food from lunch to “settle”, we had tea.

Along with our tea we had four desserts: (clockwise from top left) Chocolate Trifle, Date Triangles, Sandies and Pumpkin Kolaches.

Thank-you to the S. family for hosting such a delightful tea party.

Whole Wheat Pasta

A couple Saturdays back, Mom decided to serve Hungarian Meatball Stew for our Sunday dinner. Then we discovered we didn’t have near enough pasta.

Oh well.

Amanda & I whipped up a batch of fresh pasta and spent Saturday afternoon rolling and cutting fettucini. We used every drying rack we could find. When those ran out we used oven racks. After we had used every available space, I coiled the pasta. I wouldn’t recommend this. The noodles stuck together. However, when you make 3 pounds of pasta to serve 17 people, things can get a little desperate. 

Here’s the recipe I use every time to make pasta. You can cut it into any shape you wish.

:: Whole Wheat Pasta ::

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups traditional (12 5/8 oz) or white (11 5/8 oz) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

DIrections:

Hand Method

1. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, water and olive oil. Add the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Sprinkle the kneading surface with remaining 1/3 cup flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface roll each third of dough into a 1/16 inch thick square about 12×12 inches. Cut as desired. Or follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using a pasta machine to roll and cut the dough.

Mixer method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center.
2. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, water and olive oil. Add to the flour mixture. With the dough hook, mix until well combined.
3. With the mixer running, add the remaining flour. With the mixer on low, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface roll each third of dough into a 1/16 inch thick square about 12×12 inches. Cut as desired. Or follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using a pasta machine to roll and cut the dough.

Your can use this pasta immediately, or dry on racks for later use. It should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, as there are raw eggs in the dough.

Makes about 1 pound of fresh pasta.

Homemade Seasonings - Taco Seasoning & Chili Powder

. . .

: : Taco Seasoning : :

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder (see recipe below)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using.

. . .

: : Mild Chili Powder : :

If your prefer a more spicy chili powder, simply increase the amount of cayenne pepper.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

These are the tortillas that changed Dad’s mind about soft-shell tortillas. They are way tastier than store-bought, especially when eaten fresh from the skillet.

: : Whole Wheat Tortillas : :

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 5 cups (25 oz.) hard red or white wheat flour + extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup palm oil shortening or coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions:

1) For mixing by hand: In a large, heat-proof bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt. Rub in the palm or coconut oil by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. 
For mixing by machine: Put whole wheat flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add palm or coconut oil and pulse until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Pour into a large, heat-proof bowl. 
2) Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth. 
3) Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Cover with a damp cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. 
4) Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Do not overcook or your tortillas will be brittle. Place finished tortillas in a kitchen towel to soften. Roll out the next tortilla while the other is cooking. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes about 18 tortillas

Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

It is nearly impossible for find a good (i.e. healthy) store-bought salad dressing that isn’t way overpriced. The solution: make your own! Here is my current favorite recipe.

: : Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette : :

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press*
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

*2 cloves makes this dressing quite spicy. If you prefer a milder version, use the smaller amount.

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small jar. Screw on the lid and shake until well blended. Allow to sit 1 hour for best flavor. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes about 1/2 cup