Bulgur and wild rice pilaf

1 cup wild rice
1 cup long grain brown rice
1 cup bulgur
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup diced celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
6 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
3 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp chicken bouillon
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms and celery, cooking until fragrant. Set onions and garlic aside.

Heat another Tbsp of oil. Stir in the rices and bulgur. When rice grains become clear, pull off heat.

In a large saucepan, combine rices and bulgur with onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic and chopped apricots. Add water to cover, plus an additional 3/4 inch. Sprinkle in bouillon and herbs. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook, covered, until all liquid has been absorbed. Check for doneness once absorbed. If still a bit hard, add another 1/2cup water. Cook another 10 minutes, then check again.

Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Heavenly MFBC yeast rolls

These are one of my fondest memories from church as a kid. I'm serious! Marietta First Baptist Church had the best homemade dinner rolls for Wednesday Night Suppers. And my mom scored the recipe.

In Bowl 1 dissolve 3 T sugar in 1.5 cup very warm water. Add 1 1/4 T yeast and stir gently to dissolve.

In Bowl 2 mix:
5.5 cups flour (can sub 2 cups wheat flour + 3 cups flour)
1 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 c dry milk
2 T sugar

Back to Bowl 1. Add 4 eggs and 1/2 c melted butter (I told you these were good!) and beat well.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. If the dough barely sticks, that's good. Knead the dough on a floured surface 8 minutes. Coat bowl in oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat lightly with oil. Let rise in a warm place 30 minutes. To test readiness, poke with your finger. If the indention stays, you're good to go. Roll onto a floured surface 1 inch thick. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or a juice glass. Place on a cookie sheet and paint each roll with milk (or more melted butter). Let rise 30-45 minutes until doubled in size. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Heavenly.

Sauerkraut and sausage stuffed bread

Soft yeast bread braided around sauerkraut, slice sausage and spicy Dijon mustard


Step 1:

Make 1/2 batch Morning sunrise bread or other white bread dough. Let rise once, then punch down. Let dough rest ten minutes.

Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into a long rectangle. Cut strips one inch wide along both sides, leaving about 5 inches in the center. Spread Dijon mustard down the center. Place a layer of sliced smoked sausage on mustard, then top with 2-3cups sauerkraut.



Gently pull the dough strips in, each one overlapping the last to make a 'braid'. If the dough isn't sticking well, brush it with water to help hold in place.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees until browned. Slice, and serve!

Sauerkraut and sausage calzone

This is a variation on the stuffed bread recipe above. It makes a great lunch - easy to pack, easy to eat. Just make it up the day before and refrigerate once cooled.

Follow the recipe above, but rather than rolling the dough into a large rectangle, roll it into two smaller ovals. Fill with sausage, sauerkraut and mustard. Pull the sides in to make a roll. If needed, brush edges with water to help them stick. Pinch the edges together to seal, then place the roll on a baking sheet with the seam side down.



Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees until browned.

25-minute broccoli cheese soup

3-4 large potatoes, washed and cubed
2 cups broccoli florets, cooked until bright green
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp butter
1/4 cup light cream
2 tsp chicken bouillon
pepper
nutmeg (opt)

1 cup shredded Gouda or cheddar cheese

Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft, stirring often.

Once potatoes are cooked, drain off the water - but keep it! Add 1 tsp chicken bouillon, garlic and onions, cream and a pinch of pepper and nutmeg. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture. Add the potato water as needed to thin the soup to the consistency you like.

Taste, and add another tsp of bouillon if desired.

Stir in the cheese and ladle it up!

Dinner?

Pizza fritta.

I'll try it and keep you posted.

Cinnamon raisin rolls

Dough:
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk
1 1/2 tsp yeast
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 to 4 1/4 cups flour

Filling:
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins (soaked in hot water 15 minutes, drained)

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm milk. Add yeast and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes.

Add butter, eggs, orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir until well until it evenly mixed. Turn dough our onto a floureds surface. Slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky about 5 to 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat with the oil from the bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. After the dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and let sit 20 minutes.



In the meantime, make the filling. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drain raisins. Melt butter. Keep each of these separate. Roll dough out into a 12" x 20" rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly. Top with raisins.



Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 12 slices. Place dough slices, flat side down, in a greased 9x13 pan, preferably glass. Crowd them so they touch - this way they'll rise up nice and tall! Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning...

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the oven pre-heats to 375°.



Bake rolls until just golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately take them out of the baking dish (you don't want them to overcook). Let the rolls cool slightly and serve warm, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

Curried chicken pizza

I could have called it "cleaning out the fridge pizza" but the PR major in me thought better of it. I tried to recreate a pizza I'd had from a local delivery place - really great, exciting taste! The thing I love about curry is that it's one part exciting spice and one part smoky comfort taste.

1 recipe favorite pizza crust, pre-baked
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken cut into strips
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 Granny Smith apple, chopped
3/4 cup creme fraiche (sour cream)
1 tsp curry powder
pinch cinnamon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Mozzarella

Heat olice oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Cook onion until soft, then add chicken and garlic. Stir often until not pink remains. Sprinkle on curry and cinammon. Turn of the heat and stir in apple, tomato and creme fraiche.

Spread chicken mixture over pre-baked crust. Top with a little shredded mozzarella - you don't need a lot since there's no strong tomato marinara to match.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees until cheese has melted.

This recipe is for Hanalee.

Cornmeal pan-fried fish

We buy inexpensive frozen fish and doctor it up at home.

4 white fish fillets, thawed
1/3 cup cornmeal
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper OR dill
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat.

Pour milk into a bowl. In wide-bottomed bowl, mix dry ingredients. Dip the fish in the milk, then roll in the cornmeal mix until well-covered.

Cook the fillets in the frying pan 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Flip halfway to ensure even cooking. Fish should flake easily with a fork when it's done.

Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. (Also really good for making fish tacos!)