Author: Lynnae

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King Arthur Flour

Lynnae

Flour.  Exciting topic, huh?  But, I have recently discovered what a difference it makes.  When we lived in Utah, I used to buy Lehi Roller Mills flour.  I thought it was pretty good stuff, and I could buy it for cheap at Costco.  I was a little sad when we moved to Michigan, because I was going to miss the stuff.

Well, I’ve just been using the cheap Costco brand here, but a few weeks ago, my husband came home with a discovery–King Arthur Flour.  He got a sour dough starter, a few recipes, and a flour recommendation from a fellow foodie at work.  He came home and started baking pizza crust and ciabatta bread.  And, we could tell a difference with the King Arthur Flour  (I feel like I’m in a commercial, but I’m completely serious).

Next, I tried some of our favorite recipes–cinnamon rolls and pretzel bites–with the King Arthur Bread Flour.  They turned out better than they ever have before.  I’m really blown away by the difference.  So, now, I pay almost $1 a pound for our bread flour (which I figure really only costs me a couple extra dollars a month), and see it as money well spent!  Check out their web site.  It’s really informative and has lots of great recipes and products.

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pita

Lynnae

The hubby had requested Pepper Steak Sandwiches for dinner, and I scheduled them for tonight, but, he decided to skip dinner because of the diet, so I will make them another time.  Instead, I made Chicken Bacon Ranch Pitas, similar idea to the Pepper Steak Sandwiches.  Here is the list of ingredients.  The amounts are just guidelines to get you started. 

2 chicken breasts
4 strips of bacon
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
4 pita pockets (the fresher and thicker the better)
Ranch dressing
chopped lettuce
cubed tomatoes
cubed half of an avocado

First, I cooked the bacon.  I cook mine in the oven at 425 degrees in an aluminum foil lined baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes.  Way less mess and fuss.  If you haven’t tried it, it’s worth your time.  While the bacon was cooking, I cubed and then browned the chicken in a frying pan.  When both were done, I crumbled up the bacon in the frying pan and added the cheddar cheese to melt.  I also put my pitas in the now warm and turned off oven to warm for a few minutes.

Then, I use pita like a soft taco shell and load up with my favorite toppings–the meat, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and ranch dressing.  Enjoy!

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Taco Tuesday

Lynnae

Tuesday nights are taco nights around here.  We try to mix it up by having a different kind every week.  This week we had hard tacos with ground beef.  Not much of a recipe to share with this one, but I saw an idea on pintrest, and thought I’d try it.  I broiled my shells in the oven after a put in just the meat and cheese.  Then I added the fresh ingredients.  Two thumbs up from the taco lovers in our family.  Here’s a picture:

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Pepperoni Mac N Cheese

Lynnae


We recently made a tasty discovery with our mac n cheese.  Instead of topping with bread crumbs, we started topping with pepperoni, a little pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese.  Yummy!
4 tbsp butter
2 ½ c.  milk
¼ c. flour
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 ½ c. mild cheddar cheese
½ – 1 c. pecorino Romano cheese
½ lb pasta shells
½ head of cauliflower, cut into florets
15-20 pepperoni pieces
1c. pizza sauce
1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 375° F.  Butter a 9×13 pan.  Using a flatter pan with increased surface area increases the pepperoni to mac n cheese yummy factor.  In a large pot, bring water to a boil, adding a dash of salt and a small amount of oil.  When boiling add pasta.  Cook until just underdone.  At the same time, in a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add the cauliflower.  Cook until tender. 
In the mean time, heat milk in microwave for 2 minutes.   Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add flour.  Cook, stirring for 1 minute.   Slowly pour milk into the flour mixture while whisking.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture thickened and bubbling.

Stir in salt, nutmeg, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Slowly add the cheeses until melted.  Drain pasta and add to cheese sauce.  Drain the cauliflower and blend in the blender or food processor to a slightly chunky texture. 

Add to the cheese sauce.  Fold the cauliflower and pasta into the cheese sauce.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish. 

Drizzle pizza sauce on top, and then top with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. 

 Bake about 30 minutes.

Tip:  You can double the recipe and freeze half for a future freezer meal.
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Pumpkin Stew

Lynnae

Today is Halloween, and it’s a tradition at our house to make Pumpkin Stew.  Yummy warm comfort food!  The hardest part about this recipe is getting the pumpkin ready.  It does take a little bit of work and some advanced planning.

Pumpkin Stew

Brown Meat

Simmering Stew
 Pumpkin Stew

1-2 lbs. stew meat cut into 1 inch squares
3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
3 c. water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Bay leaf
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can green beans
1 can beef bullion (optional if you prefer a brothier stew)
1 pumpkin

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Place beef in pan and cook until brown.  Add in the water, potatoes, carrots, pepper, salt, bay leaf, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.  During the last 15 minutes, add the bullion, tomatoes, and green beans to the saucepan.


While that’s cooking, cut the top off the pumpkin and remove the seeds and pulp. 


Preheat oven to 325° F.   Put the pumpkin on a heavy baking pan.  Fill the pumpkin with the stew and brush the outside of the pumpkin with the remaining oil.

Bake in oven for two hours or until tender. Serve from the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Stew
Pumpkin Stew

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Lynnae

Normally, Tuesdays are reserved for taco night.  But, today is a particularly windy blustery day here in Michigan thanks to Hurricane Sandy, and nothing sounds better than a hot bowl of broccoli cheese soup and Parmesan rolls.  So, that’s what we’re having for dinner tonight.  Here are the recipes:



Broccoli Cheese Soup
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
3 c. water
2-3 c. chopped broccoli (I also like to add cauliflower)
2 tbsp chicken flavor instant bouillon
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese  (the sharper the cheddar, the less you will need)
2 c. half and half  (I also put 1/4 c. cream to 1 1/2 c. milk to reduce the fat)

Melt butter in large sauce pan.  Stir in flour.  Gradually stir in water and then broccoli, bouillon, and Worcestershire.  Over medium heat, cook and stir until thickened and broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add cheese and cream and cook until cheese melts and soup is hot.  Do not boil.