Blueberry Orange Bread

A tasty loaf for citrus-season, special occasion or brunch.

Prep:  25 minutes

Bake: 1 hour at 350 degrees

Makes: 1 loaf (16 servings)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

1 T all-purpose flour

1 t. finely shredded orange peel (zest)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey or other sweetener)

1 T baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t EnerG Egg Replacer + 2 T warm water (or 1beaten egg)

1 1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla

1.  Grease bottom and 1/2 of sides of loaf pan; set aside.

2.  In small bowl, combine blueberries, 1 T flour and orange peel, toss lightly to mix; set aside.

3.  In large mixing bowl (Bosch), combine 3 cups flour, sugar(or substitute with wet ingredients), baking powder, soda, and salt.  Make well in center of dry ingredients; set aside.

4.  Mix in egg, milk, orange juice, oil, vanilla (and sweetener if subsituting for sugar).  Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in blueberry mixture.

5.  Spoon into prepared pan.  Bake @350 for about an hour, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  (cover with foil for the last 10-15 mintues of cooking time to prevent overbrowning).  Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool thouroughly on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  (This can be made in advance and frozen for later use).



Famous Rolls

We first enjoyed these rolls at a Thanksgiving dinner shared with The Quinn Family in our home.  They are Amy's mother's famous rolls and the extended family requested that she bring them to each Thanksgiving gathering.  We can understand why.  They're delicious and the recipe feeds a crowd!  Even with our substitutions they're great!

1/2 Batch (2 Dozen Rolls)

2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast)

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar/honey

1/2 cup Smart Balance

1 cup water

4 1/2 tsp EnergG Egg Replacer + 6 Tbs. water

1/2 cup sugar/honey

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

Full Batch (4 Dozen Rolls)

4 pkgs active dry yeast (9 Tbs. active dry yeast)

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tbs sugar/honey

1 cup Smart Balance + some to brush on top of rolls when they are baked

2 cups water

3 T EngerG Egg Replacer + 3/4 c. warm water)

3/4 cup honey

9 cups flour

4 tsp. salt

Directions for a full batch (4 dozen rolls):

1.  Dissolve 4 packages yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 2 Tbsp sugar/honey.  Cover with Saran Wrap and set aside to rise (if it doesn't foam, you did something wrong and need to start over).

2.  In a sauce pan, melt SmartBalance in the 2 cups water until hot, not boiling.  Beat EnerG Egg Replacer and water together.  Mix into the eggs, 1 cup sugar/honey, hot water and SmartBalance and then the foamy yeast.  Then stir in flour and salt.  You don't want to touch the dough now beacuse it is very sticky!  Just stir with a spoon (bamboo or wooden spoon).  Cover with a towel or the bowl's lid, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (the dough should double in size).

3.  Add some flour so it isn't too sticky, and divide dough into 4 equal sections.  Roll out, one section at a time, on a floured board or counter top to 1/2  " thickness.  Cut into 12 triangles (like a pizza).  Roll up each triangle--start at the wide edge and roll towards the center.  Put on greased baking sheet about 2" apart.  Cover with Saran Wrap and let rise 1 hour.

4.  Bake at 400* for 10 minutes.  Check the tops and bottoms of rolls.  If both are light brown, then rolls are ready.  If they are too light, then they aren't fully cooked so put them back in for a minute or two more until they are light brown.  Brush tops of rolls with Smart Balance as soon as they come out of the oven so the Smart Balance melts.  Enjoy!

*Quinn Note:  If using Rapid-Rise yeast, cut the rise times in half.  Everything else is the same.  Personally, I like to use regular because with rapid-rise you can taste the yeast more, but if you are crunched on time, rapid-rise will work and they'll still taste great!

*Lori Note:  Instead of the Eggs or EnerG Egg Replacer, I can also use 1 T ground flax and 3 T water per egg and 1 t. baking powder.  I also usually end up using an added 1-3 cups flour...depending on the humidity of the day I make these.  Extra rolls freeze well for later meals.

Savory Beef Stew

Hearty and wonderfully aromatic; especially great for a cool evening served with your favorite bread.  An adaptation of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book's "Polenta Beef Stew" sans polenta, p. 489.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-oz can beef broth

1 1/2 cups water

8 ounces boiling onions

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

5 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup snipped fresh flat -leaf parsley

1 4 oz can tomato paste (or 8-10 oz V8 Vegetable Juice)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Place flour, garlic powder, thyme, basil 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a plastic bag.  Add meat pieces a few at a time, shaking to coat.  In a Dutch oven, (or large skillet) brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil; drain fat.  Return all meat to Dutch oven; add chopped onion, dried rosemary (if using) and garlic.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer covered 1-1/2 hours.

2.  Stir in boiling onions, potatoes and carrots.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes more until meat and vegetables are tender. 

3.  Just before serving, stir the 1 tsp. fresh rosemary (if using), parsley, and tomato paste (or Vegetable Juice) into the stew.  If desired, garnish with rosemary sprigs.

NOTES: 

*I usually make up a large batch of Beef Stew Meat following the proportions for spices and directions for browning the meat in step one, cool the extra in the refrigerator then freeze 1-2 lb portions in a quart freezer bag to add to vegetables for making a "quick" stew later. 

* After having prepared the meat, I often go off a basic mental formula for the rest of the ingredients. I usually use one to two cups broth (often water + beef bullion for stew) for each person I'm planning on serving, along with at least one carrot and one potato per person expected to dinner. My Grandma Phelps taught me that 'should company show up at dinner time, just add an extra cup of broth or water to stretch it a little farther'.

* I like to prepare the stew in the morning or early afternoon and cook it in a Crock Pot, enjoying the soothing aroma in the house all day and later enjoying time with my children during the evening hour that I'd otherwise be preparing dinner.  On low 6-8 hours (all day) or on high for 3-4 hours.

*Adding the tomato paste or V8 juice at the end, for that added savory flavor, ensures the acid doesn't toughen the stew, but that it is tender instead.

*I often use onions I chopped previously and stored frozen, or I rehydrate dehydrated onions instead of using onion powder and boiling onions.

Soft Wheat Bread

Based on Meghan's delicious Soft Wheat Bread, with our necessary specifications.  We always double her recipe and everyone we share this with either asks for the recipe or hopes for more....it's so yummy!

Yield: 4 loaves

2 Tbsp. yeast
4 cup warm RiceMilk (OR 4 c. hot water and 2/3 cup powdered RiceMilk)
3/4 cup honey
2/3 cup shortening OR Smart Balance
5 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all purpose or Better for Bread flour (plus more if needed till dough pulls off bottom of bowl)
12 Tbsp. Wheat Gluten
2-3 tsp. salt

1.  Place honey, yeast, and warm RiceMilk (or hot water) in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 10 minutes.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine the flours, salt, wheat gluten (and powdered milk if using).

3.  Add the shortening to the water mixture.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the water and shortening mixgture.

4.  Knead the bread dough for 10 minutes (5 minutes Bosch) or until smooth.  Knead for a couple minutes on the counter until smooth and elastic.

5.  Place dough in a large greased bowl and allow dough to rise for 1-1/2 hours.  When dough has doubled in size, punch down and let sit on a counter for about 5 minutes.  Separate dough into 4 equal sections and shape into loaves.  Place in 4 greased loaf pans.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour till dough has doubled.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or til internal temp is 200 degrees).  Turn out of pans onto wire rack until cool.  Serve hot or slice and bag or freeze to thaw and serve later.

Pumpkin Craisin Muffins

This tasty moist muffin recipe, based on the Pumpkin Wheat Honey Muffin recipe I found on Allrecipes.com, emanates the wonderful cranberry, pumpkin and cinnamon-spicy sweet smells that say "Fall" to me. 

Preheat: 350 degrees    Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup Craisins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon EnerG Egg Replacer and 4 Tablespoon warm water (2 eggs)
1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin or 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper liners. Place the craisins in a cup, and add enough hot water to cover. Let stand for a few minutes to plump.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center, and put in EnerG Egg Replacer mixture, pumpkin, oil and honey. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Drain excess water from craisins, and stir into mixture until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups so they are about 2/3 full.

3. Bake for 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan before removing from cups.

*Muffins tend to freeze well when made in advance.  For quick and easy breakfasts, make a double batch when preparing, cook both batches and freeze one.  Just pop frozen muffins in the microwave to heat and serve warm.

Waffles

Most breakfast meals are comfort foods for us and our boys love waffles.  We like to serve them with applesauce, fruit or maple syrup on top.  These make up well in larger batches to freeze and toast later, or keep in the refrigerator to heat up a day or two later for a quick breakfast.  This recipe is another based on Better Homes and Garden's Waffles.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 scoops ground flax seed + 6 T water (OR 3 tsp. EnerG Egg Replacer + 4 T Warm Water)
1 3/4 cups RiceMilk
1/2 cup cooking oil*

Mix the moist, add the dry, mix to lumpy batter consistency.  pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup on each side of waffle iron heated to iron directions.  Serve hot, spread with Smart Balance, jam, applesauce or other fruit topping. 

* For a lower-fat version, half of the oil can be substituted with water without affecting taste.

Taco Meat

Starting off, I had a hard time deciding how to make taco meat without a taco seasonings packet (which usually contained milk, MSG or other allergen ingredients).  Then I discovered Dora Gonzalez' 'Basic Meat' Recipe.  It helped us decide what worked for us.  It works well in burritos or enchiladas too.

Ingredients:

One pound Basic Make-Ahead Ground Beef
1 T Cumin
3 clove garlic, pressed
1 can Stewed-Diced (or crushed) Tomatoes
A pinch of crushed chili pepper if desired
Salt to taste

Simmer ingredients till hot and serve in corn or flour tortillas topped with fresh diced tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole and salsa.

Basic Make-Ahead Ground Beef

I love the convenience of cooking up a large batch of ground beef in advance and freezing it in 1 pound packages (1 quart size freezer bags),  for quick-meal making later.  This basic recipe is similar to a Pampered Chef  recipe my mother give me.  With a few added ingredients, this basic recipe is great for tacos, spaghetti, sloppy joes, and more!

Ingredients:

6 lbs. 90% lean Ground Beef (or Turkey)
6-12 garlic cloves, pressed
3 medium onions, diced

Cook ground beef with onions and drain off fat.  Add garlic and simmer. 
Use needed portion in dinner recipe and freeze the rest for later.

Fajitas

This one is based on another of Dora Gonzalez' sizzlin' recipes.  I love it since I can slice up bell peppers and onions in advance (before I forget I have them in the crisper and they go bad) and freeze them into 'fajita mix' size packages for a quick meal with little prep time.  I love the color and variety of taste when using green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers and will put a little of each into each 'mix' along with 1 to 1/2 sliced onion.   I usually leave out the Worchestershire sauce in the mixture below.  When it's all done, our children eat the chicken part best of course, and we all enjoy it!

2 lb. beef skirt or chicken breast (I usually cook an average of 1 chicken breast per person being served)
oil for panfry
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 large bell pepper (or more)
Juice of 1-2 lemons
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix:  1/2 cup Italian dressing & 1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce

12 flour tortillas
1 recipe guacamole
Fresh cilantro

Marinate beef or chicken with lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt & pepper for 2-3 hours.  Slice onion, tomatoes, bell peppers.  Heat skillet with small amount of oil and brown meat.  Remove meat and marinade sauce from skillet.  Cook veggies 'til tender.  Remove veggies, add meat and layer veggies back on top of meat.  Drizzle on Italian dressing sauce and let sizzle.  Serve with warm tortilla and layer on guacamole, cilantro or other choice of toppings.  Roll, eat and enjoy!

*We've found that sliced raw bell peppers and onions freeze well in advance, as would cooked sliced chicken breast, to make this meal 'fast' and easy to make up.