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Homemade Onion Cheese bread

Years ago, I was heavy into baking breads. Unfortunately, my middle was getting a little heavy too. Therefore, I stopped eating so much bread. One of the favorite recipes has been requested from one of my sons. This was my starting point for most of the breads that I had made. I started using sour dough starter in the dough. This added a much richer flavor to an already wonderful bread.There are all kinds of recipes for sour dough starter. Use one that you are comfortable with. 

Bread is like granola. Once you get the technique down you can experiment with all kind of different varieties.  

Here is my basic recipe for Onion Cheese Bread. Feel free to experiment with it when you get comfortable with it.

Ingredient 

6 to 7 cups flour more may be needed

2 ¼-cup milk

3 tablespoons butter

2 packages active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded or small chunks. Best to incorporate both

One bunch of spring onions. Regular caramelized onions work well to.

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter to 120 degrees. Combine half of the flour with all the yeast, sugar, salt, milk and butter mixture, cheese, onions and garlic powder in a large bowl
2. Knead with a mixer fitted with a dough hook at highest speed for 3 minutes. I never had a mixer big enough so I always did it the old-fashioned way, by hand. I always preferred it as you get a better feel of your dough. Even if you start with the mixer you do need to knead it by hand for at least 15 minuets to produce the gluten for successful bread.
3. Add the rest of the flour and continue kneading for three minutes.
4. If the dough seems too sticky, slowly add more flour until the stickiness is corrected.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl, and spay the top of the dough with cooking spray or softened butter, cover with cloth or wax paper. Let rise for one hour.
6. Punch dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes.
7. Divide dough in half and form one loaf each in two greased 9 x 5 inch standard loaf pans. I always divided in three sections and rolled it into long ropes to braid into one loaf.
8. Cover and let rise for 45-60 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
10. If you are doing the braided version, take one egg white and a small amount of water and beat together. Take a pastry brush and brush half of egg white mixture on bread before putting into oven. Half way through brush the rest of the mixture on the bread.
11. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 350F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the breads are browned.
12. If in a pan cool in pan for 5-10 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a minimum of 5-10 more minutes so the bead firms up enough to be cut. Braided version just take out and let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Popovers

Another bread that we enjoy are popovers. This is a quick bread and great for dinners. Much better then Pillsbury biscuits or rolls.  If you make them for your guests you will get rave reviews.

Ingredients

1 cup four

1 cup milk

½ t salt

2 eggs

This makes 5-9 popovers

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease your cast-iron pan. A well-seasoned cast-iron muffin pan is necessary for success. Make sure that it is well heated in oven before adding batter.

Make sure all ingredients are room temperature. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Best result come from separating the egg white and beating them until frothy. Incorporate the other ingredients and beat until batter is whipped well.

Fill pan ½ - ¾ full. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Keep a close watch on them toward the end as ovens may very. placing them on the highest rack seems to work well also.

Mac and Cheese

As long as I am writing about different kinds of breads. How about another wonderful carb? Let’s talk mac and cheese. Our wonderful go to when we really want to treat ourselves. This is not such a healthy loss weight version but if you’re going to do Mac and Cheese you might as well go all the way.

Ingredients

½ lb. macaroni

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter. Not margarine or any other substitute, remember real food.

2 cups preferable cream but whole milk works well to

4 or more oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese. You can never have too much cheese so if you want more feel free.

6 oz. shredded American cheese. Again, if you want more feel free. And please not Velveeta.

1-teaspoon salt

¼-teaspoon black pepper

½-teaspoon ground mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In medium pan, melt butter on low

Add flour, salt and pepper to butter and whisk until smooth

Slowly add cream or milk into flour mixture until smooth

Bring to boil and then simmer until thickened

Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted

Set aside

Cook macaroni until half way done. This is important you do not want to overcook macaroni because it will continue to cook in oven and absorb cheese sauce. Do not rinse macaroni.

Add macaroni to cheese sauce and blend

Pour into greased baking dish

It is going to look somewhat soupy, don’t worry this is why you did not cook the macaroni all the way.

If you want and you might as well go all the way add more cheese to the top along with breadcrumbs

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

As long as we are having Mac and Cheese might as well have fried chicken with it here is my recipe. If you like your own use that one

Fried chicken

2 ½ lb of cut up chicken. We like dark meat so we just use thighs and drumsticks.

1 cups buttermilk

1-teaspoon lemon juice or juice from ½ lemon

2 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons McCormick Mediterranean spiced sea salt seasoning

Vegetable oil, enough to fill a cast iron Dutch oven about two inches high.

To marinade fried chicken

Place chicken in a container to marinade.  Preferable one you can cover and shake chicken around.

Add 1 cup buttermilk

Juice from ½ lemon, if you do not have fresh lemon jarred lemon juice will work. Keep in mind it is not as taste as fresh and can be rather strong.

Allow it to marinade overnight in fried or 8 hours. It works best to let chicken get to room temperate before frying.

This makes the chicken tender and gives it a nice zing.

To fry chicken

Combine 2-cups milk with 2 eggs to dip chicken in

Combine 2-cup flour with 3 tablespoons McCormick Mediterranean spiced sea salt.

Preheat frying pan with at least two-inch high veg oil. I sprinkle a little flour mixture into pan to test. If it sizzle its ready

Dip chicken into egg mixture then roll into flour.

Carefully place in pan. Do not over fill pan so chicken has room to cook on all sides. I cover and let fry for 5 or 7 minutes check it for brownness. Turn occasionally for even cooking about 20 minutes per batch. Keep watch of temperature though out cooking

Eggs avocado and toast



This is not a recipe but I have this for breakfast a lot. The egg is large because it is a goose egg. Goose eggs equal three chicken eggs. An avocado a day keeps the belly fat away. The Toast is Ezekiel 4-9 bread. Flourless bread. I like it.

An added comment about eggs. If you have to many eggs such as chickens, ducks or geese you can freeze eggs. Crack them into a bowl and you can either  put them into a zip lock bag whole, I usually put 6 eggs into a pint size. Also you can stir them up and later use them for scrambled eggs. Also you can chop up vegetables to put into the scrambled eggs.  Eggs can be kept in the freezer for up to six months. Although I have had some of my eggs in the freezer for a year and they are just fine.





 Steel cut oatmeal

Steel cut oats have a higher protein value in them. Along with this they have a lower glycemic index.

one cup water

1/3 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup raisins

2 Tbsp. chopped black walnuts ( I have the advantage of our own grown walnuts)

1 Tbsp. flax seed

    Cinnamon to taste  

Add milk or desired soy product 

To make oatmeal

Boil one cup water with raisins and walnuts

When it come to a boil add oats

cook for ten minuets stirring occasionally

before removing from pan add flax seeds

put in bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and add milk

Granola

 Homemade granola is a great alternative to sugary cereal. Unfortunately many store bought granolas have just as much if not more sugar content in them. Here is a recipe I use and we love it. Keep in mind granola is not a you have to be exact recipe, you can add and subtract ingredients to your liking.

Makes about 6 cups

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup flaxseeds

the seeds can get caught in your teeth so ground flax can be an alternative

do not forget  to add this ingredient because this is the beneficial part of granola if you know what I mean 

1/3 cup unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds

I like both so I add both

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup dark (not blackstrap) molasses

I also add our own maple syrup recipe will follow

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup veg oil

I prefer safflower oil

Dried fruit such as raisin, craisins, banana chips or what ever else you like.

To prepare granola

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside

To make granola

In a large bowl combine oats, almonds. flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, ginger, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla and oil

To bake granola

Spread in even layers on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until oats are crisp and lightly colored

Add fruit. It is best to add fruit after baking granola immediately after removing from oven. This is   because fruit can become over toasted. Dried fruit is already dried. This has been my experience.

Let cool completely and store in airtight container at room temperature. for one week.

Lamb shank in red-wine sauce with a Greek salad  and a ciabatta bread is a great for a menu for company. Serve a cheesecake for desert and you will get rave reviews. Here are the recipes and my suggestions. 


Lamb Shank with Red-wine Sauce

This is my favorite recipe to make when company is coming over for dinner

Ingredients


2 Tbsp. olive oil, I prefer Basil Olive Oil
4 lamb shanks
Cloves of garlic, this is up to you 1 to 4 cloves depending on preference
Cup of carrots diced
Cup of onions diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 can plum tomatoes drained and chopped
sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tbsp. honey
chopped parsley

To Make lamb shanks

preheat oven 325 degrees

Braise lamb shanks in a large Dutch oven on stove top in olive oil. cook until browned on all sides.
After meat is browned remove from Dutch oven to platter, cover and set aside.

Reduce heat to low and add garlic to toast, once done remove and put on plate with meat.

In the same oil, you may need to add a little more, toss in the carrots, onions and celery. cook until soft. Add wine and cook down to until half is reduced. Add the chicken stock and thyme. Bring it to a boil and then add meat and garlic back into Dutch oven. Pour in any juice that has collected on the plate. Cover and put in oven for about 2 hours. Add honey.

This can be put over rice or orzo.
ENJOY!


Greek salad

4 to 5 cups chopped romaine, baby spinach, and spring mix.
assorted olives, I like a lot of different olives, kalamata and black
thinly sliced in round or half round slices
peeled and chopped cucumber
one can chickpeas rinsed and drained
one container of cherry tomatoes. I like to cut them in half
Feta cheese regular or with basil and tomatoes

Dressing

I like to give my guest the option of blue cheese or vinaigrette.


New York cheese cake
This is not my own recipe but is the one I like the best.
CRUST
1 cup Graham Cracker crumbs (store bought works well)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter melted
Mix crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter, press onto bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes
let cool

FILLING

5 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons four
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. blend in sour cream

Pour over crust. Bake 1 hour 5 min to 1 hour 10 minuets or until center is almost set. Run a small knife around the rim of the pan to loosen cake, cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or over night. Actually, when I am having guest I always make the cheese cake the day before. When serving I top with whatever fruit is in season. I cook up about 3 cups of fruit and add sugar to taste, let cool also

 Peach pie

I like peach pie a lot more than an apple pie. Just as easy and better tasting in my opinion.

Crust for two pies I use Pappy's piecrust dough but you can use the recipe in my can't make a pie post or your own.


5 cups sliced and peeled peaches ( about 9 medium) If you put peaches in a clean sink with hot water it will blanch the peaches and make it easier to peel.
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, I like to add a little more
3 tsp. butter  

Heat oven to 425*, Prepare pastry. Mix peaches and lemon juice. Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with peaches. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crust which has slits in it; seal and flute (the part I can not do) Cover edge with 2- 3-inch strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking. Also line a pan with aluminum foil to put under pie to prevent mess in oven. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust

 

Strawberry pie



2 pints fresh strawberry's
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 pie crust for nine inch pie
1 3 oz. package wild berry Jell-O
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. butter

To make glaze
In sauce pan add sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened and clear.
Remove from heat
Add Jell-O, vanilla and butter

To make crust

Like I said I use Pappy's pie crust you can use whatever you want. A graham crust works just as well

Roll out pie dough and place in pie pan, crimp sides.

Bake in 350* oven for about 20 minue5ts or until done

Let cool.

After pie crust is cooled slice and place strawberries in crust. Then pour glaze over strawberries

Cool for about an hour.

Variation.

You can add softened cream cheese to the bottom of the strawberries. Just heat cream cheese enough to pour into cooled crust then add strawberries

. 

 Roasted red peppers

Apple wood smoked ribs

Slow baked beans

Cole Slaw

Roasted herbs corn

carrot storage
what to do with to many peppers and tomatoes
gumbo
salsa