Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie

 Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

4 Cups cooked shredded or ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 Cup baby carrots sliced

1 Cup frozen English peas

2 Cups broth

2 Tablespoons butter 

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 garlic cloves minced

1 medium onion chopped

Mashed Potatoes (goes on top)

Cheese (goes on top potatoes)

Paprika for garnish**

With stove on medium high heat, place butter in medium sauce pan. When butter has melted, add flour. Add salt, pepper, garlic, onions. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Slowly pour in broth while constantly whisking. Combine flour mixture and broth thoroughly. Taste for seasoning, Add carrots. Cook until carrots start to become tender and  mixture starts to boil and thicken.Add meat and peas. Pour into 9x9 pan.

Top with mashed potatoes, cheese, and paprika if desired.

** Smoke paprika is delicious in this dish.

Strawberry Pie

 

Strawberry Pie

Easy Strawberry Pie

On stove top:

In medium sauce pan, Boil for 5 minutes: 

1 cup whole strawberries and 3/4 cup water. Remove from heat. 

Mash the berries. Pour mashed berries through a strainer. 

Measure 1 cup strawberry juice. Pour juice into pan. (Use same saucepan)

Add 3 Tablespoons corn starch. 

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar. Whisk together.

Place saucepan on medium heat. Whisking constantly. Bring mixture to boil for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture is clear. The mixture is cloudy at first. Remove from heat. Add 2 cups of whole or sliced strawberries. Pour into your favorite pie crust. Serve with whipped cream.

 

Easy Tzatziki Sauce

Easy Tzatziki Sauce  

1/2 English cucumber finely grated, strained

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

1 to 2 clove garlic finely grated

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh dill (1Tablespoon dried dill)

Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Serve immediately or chill before serving. Serve with homemade pita chips (recipe in this blog under All In One Bread Recipe).

All in One Bread Recipe use for Pita Bread, Pizza Crust, Dinner Rolls

Clover Rolls

Pita Bread

Pizza Crust

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven 500 F. Place rack on lowest part of the oven.

 

2 1/4 cups (386 grams) all purpose flour

1 packet rapid rise or instant yeast

2 T oil

1 cup warm tap water

2 teaspoons  sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Use stand mixer with dough hook. Place all ingredients in the bowl. Mix on low. Once ingredients are combined: knead the dough for 5 minutes using the mixer. If kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover with clean towel. Let rise for 60  minutes until doubled in size. Punch dough. For Pita Bread: Place dough on oiled surface. Cover with bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut dough in half then cut each half in 4 sections. Roll out to 5 inch disk. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Let rest for 15 minutes. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Bread should rise and puff. Remove from oven. Cut into half for pita pockets or triangles for soft chips. Separate triangles and bake for 2 minutes @ 500 F for crispy chips. Serve with Tzatziki Sauce (recipe in this blog).

*This recipe converts easily to pizza crust and dinner rolls. For pizza crust, punch dough, cut into half, rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into desired shape for pizza or use small ice cream scoop to make clover rolls as pictured above.

Banana Walnut Quick Bread

Banana Walnut Bread

 

Banana Walnut Bread

1 ¾ cups (291 grams) all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons butter softened

1/3 cup canola oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons whole milk

1 cup very ripe mashed bananas

½ cups walnuts (optional)

 

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, oil, sugar, until creamy then add eggs, vanilla, milk. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients alternating with banana. Add walnuts or pecans if desired.

Bake in preheated oven 350 F for 55 - 60 minutes in a buttered or oiled loaf pan. If using stone or dark metal pan, decrease the temperature to 325 F.

Serve warm with butter or cream cheese. Enjoy!

 

 

Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate Waffles

1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if using all purpose flour add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons  sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup half and half (any milk)*

2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Mix together in large bowl. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. 

Prepare waffle iron and cook waffles per manufactures instructions..Enjoy!

*Half and half makes the waffles fluffy on in the inside and crispy on the outside.

Tip: Want more chocolate? Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips. 

Go crazy add your favorite nuts. Top with slices of bananas and/or strawberries.

**Bonus Recipe: For pancakes pour an additional 1/4 cup half and half.

Best Cinnamon Rolls

Large Rolls

Small Rolls

Best Cinnamon Rolls

 

4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 large eggs

 

In a medium sauce pan, add milk, sugar, butter and heat to 115 F over low heat or until butter is melted. Stir constantly.

In a large bowl (stand mixer with dough hook) add 2 cups flour, salt and yeast, stir. Stir in milk mixture. Add eggs. Thoroughly mix. With mixer on high, add rest of flour ½ cup at a time. Knead: Mixer with dough hook knead 3 minutes. Knead by hand 6 minutes. Butter a large glass bowl. Add the dough. Turn the dough once. Cover with clean towel. Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch dough. Invert the bowl over the dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. 

Roll out dough to 9x13 rectangle.

Spread the dough with soft butter. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the dough.

For large cinnamon rolls, roll the dough from the wide side.

For smaller cinnamon rolls, cut the dough in half and roll the dough from the long side.

Roll dough tightly. Pinch the seams together. Cut using a serrated knife. Place in a buttered baking dish.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Bake 375 F for 20 -30 minutes.

Enjoy or drizzle with icing**.

*Cinnamon mixture:  Stir together: ½ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon

**Icing: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract