Crusty Bread

Look at SIMPLY SO GOOD for great pictures, add in suggestions and other great tips in the comment section.

In a large bowl mix,
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 3/4 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. yeast
Whisk together.
Add in
1 1/2 cups water.
Mix with a spatula.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let sit for 12 to 18 hours on the counter.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Put dough on a heavily floured surface and form into a ball then cover with plastic wrap from the bowl.
Heat a dutch oven with lid for 30 minutes.
Put dough into heated dutch oven with the lid on.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Done and beautiful bread.

Chai Tea

This is from a friend on facebook who got it from her friend Shaily.

1/2 cup of water
2 heaping tablespoons of tea (I use 2 tea bags)
4-5 heaping tablespoons of sugar (I use honey and just drizzle in a little)
2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger (I grate over the pan till I think it looks good)

Let it boil until it turns a really dark caramel
color. Then, add to that 1 1/2 cups of milk (preferably whole) and
watch it until it's just boiling. Pull it off the stove, strain, and
serve.

You can also add cinnamon, a bit of nutmeg and
some black pepper. None of which has ever been added with a measuring spoon.

(Picture, hopefully, coming later this evening.)

Molasses Cornmeal Bread (Anadama Bread)

I traded a loaf of bread with someone at bible study. This is the bread I received! It is great for sandwiches. We made grilled cheese with almond cheese to go with our tomato soup.

7-8c flour

1.25 c cornmeal

2.5t salt

1.5T yeast

1/3c softened butter

2.25c very warm (120-130F) water

2/3c molasses

Mix 2.5c flour, cornmeal, salt and yeast in KitchenAid bowl.
Add butter.
Gradually add water and molasses.
Beat and scrape the bowl as needed.
Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.
Knead 8-10 min.
Allow to rise in a greased bowl covered with a damp cloth until doubled in size.
Divide into two loaves for second rise in greased loaf pans.
Bake @ 375F for 45min.

Annie also said: "This dough is stiff enough to do free form loaves by doing the final rise on a pizza shovel and baking on a preheated stone if you want to."

Peanut Soup

I found this recipe HERE.
1 tablespoon canola oil
½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 medium to large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 serrano chile pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 medium garnet sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup creamy peanut butter
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the ginger, carrots, bell pepper, serrano chile, garlic, and onion.
Sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the sweet potato and stock.
Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender, add the peanut butter, and purée until smooth.
Return the purée to the saucepan and stir in the tomato sauce.
Cook until warmed through.
Transfer to servings bowls and top with the peanuts.

Black Bean Burgers

I saw these burgers HERE. I really like the flavor and they hold together a lot better than I expected. We put them on THESE buns!

¾ cup panko
olive oil
30 oz black beans (I make mine in the crockpot so I don't have to worry about rising them.)
2 eggs
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Heat skillet to medium-high. Combine panko with 2 t. olive oil and mix. Add to skillet and toast. Stir frequently until golden. Remove from heat and cool.

Put 2 1/2 c. beans in a large bowl and mash until smooth. In a small bowl, whist eggs. 1 T. oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add egg mixture, toasted panko and 1/2 c. beans, pepper, cilantro and shallow to the mashed beans. Stir together.

Make 6 patties about 1 inch thick. (They can be wrapped in plastic wrap to be refrigerated for up to 24 hrs.) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Pizza Sauce WITHOUT TOMATOES!!!

LOOK at that beautiful pizza. Pizza crust made with whole wheat flour and topped almond cheese.

This recipe is from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom.
She has great photos on her site of how to make this. Check out her other comments and suggestions too.

I found this recipe when my husband's aunt came over. I was planning on making pizza for dinner but she can not have tomatoes. This recipe is so good and could fool anyone that it is not make with tomatoes.

onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 T overflowing of balsamic vinegar
8 oz can beets, drained (save liquid)
15 oz pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
1/2 c veggie broth
1 t. salt
lots of pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil
2 T dried oregano
1 1/2 t. cornstarch +2T beet juice


Sautee onion and garlic until onion is translucent.
Add lemon juce and vinegar.
Simmer 5minutes.
Puree beets in blender. (Save the liquid.)
Add pureed beets, pumpkin, salt, pepper, basil and oregano to pan. Stir.
Whisk in broth.
Simmer 5 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
Whisk cornstarch with a little beet juice then put in hot pan.
Cook 1 more minute.
Taste to adjust any seasoning.

Crockpot Applesauce

We went to visit relatives this past weekend and my husband's aunt had made applesauce in the crockpot that my littlest loved. I never even thought about making applesauce in the crockpot but it is easy and she loves it.

I found THIS recipe. And I used THESE apple suggestions.

8 apples- cored and peeled.
You must peel them!
(Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Empire, Mcintosh, Rome)

lemon peel
1 t. lemon juice
3 inch cinnamon stick
5 t. brown sugar

Put it all in the crockpot on low for 6 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick and enjoy.

Kiwi Pops

Found HERE. These are so good and simple.

Cut a kiwi into one inch thick pieces and peel.
Put on a stick.
Freeze on wax paper.
Melt 1 cup dark chocolate and 1/2 cup coconut oil in a double broiler.
(MSPI make sure the chocolate is MSPI friendly)
Cool chocolate to room temperature.
Dunk kiwi.
Eat or freeze.

These are best eaten the day made or maybe the day after. I feel they loose flavor after that.
They are really good. Imagine a healthy Dilly Bar.


My toddlers (1- and 2- years old) enjoy these.

Donuts

I do not like donuts and I like THESE.
I don't really think this counts as cooking. They are good hot!

canned biscuits (anything BUT the flakey layer kind).
Melted butter (4T) (coconut oil for MPSI)
Sugar & Cinnamon
1/2 inch vegetable oil

Medium heat for oil.
Cut holes in the dough. I used the vegetable oil lid.
Brown both sides. Tongs work best for flipping.
Cool slightly on paper towel lined plate then lay in shallow dish of melted butter then shallow dish of cinnamon sugar. EAT!