French Bread Recipe

• From The Spruce Eats
• Found by Natasha for Zoe
• 
  
• Total: 50 mins

• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Rise Time: 105 mins
• Yield: 2 loaves (20 servings)

Preheat Oven: to 400*F 

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (95 F to 110 F), 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 5 1/2 cups bread flour (approximately) (all purpose flour works too), Optional: 1 large egg white (lightly beaten), Optional: sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions:
1 gather ingredients, 2 In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. 3 Mix in flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. 4 Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes. (or the 1st time i made it i kneaded it in the bowl…) 5 Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough including the dough top is lightly greased. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size. 6 punch down the dough 7 give the dough a quick 2 min knead 8 Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf. 9 Place loaves onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4-inch deep, into the top of each loaf. 10 Cover loaves and let rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. 11 While the dough is proofing again, heat the oven to 400 F. 12 Optional: Brush the loaves with beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. 13 Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes. 14 Remove loaves from oven and use a mister to lightly spray the tops of loaves with cold water. 15 Turn oven down to 350 F and bake loaves for another 25 minutes or until done. 16 Remove loaves from baking sheet and let cool on a rack.

Natasha's Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake
When Natasha (age 27 now) was I think 9, she entered this cake in the AV Fair's bake off competition.  She has used the Carrot Cake recipe from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook, but asked me if we could add more carrots and not put raisins in it because she didn't like raisins, but add walnuts because she did like those.  As it turned out, the carrots gave it moisture and the the judge's loved that as well as appreciating the raisin free recipe as many of them did  not care for them either.  She took 1st place and the money prize that went with it.  It's always better when she makes it, but the recipe card I have it written on was fading, so I thought I'd better capture it here.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3+ cups shredded carrots
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add carrots, oil and eggs.  Beat with an electric mixer until combined.  Stir in the cup of chopped walnuts.  Pour into two greased round baking pans.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove the cakes from the pans.  Cool thoroughly on racks before frosting.

She made a 2-tiered round cake with homemade cream cheese frosting for the competition.  We typically buy the cream cheese frosting already made now and sometimes just bake it in a rectangular baking pan and frost it right in the pan.  It's a favorite with my mom for her birthday every June, but these days, I have more time to make it than Natasha, so it's always extra special when we get her to bake it.

Weeknight Wonton Soup

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
5 cups chicken broth
1 4oz. can water chestnuts, diced and drained
3 green onions, sliced
1 pkg. Frozen
 wontons
1 5 oz. Bag baby spinach
1/2 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
Salt to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
1.  Pour the broth into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat...add the water chestnuts, green onions and frozen wontons and cook until wontons are cooked through and floating...2-3 mins.
2.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh spinach.  Cover the soup and let the spinach steam and soften in the hot soup for 2 mins.
3.  Season with Chinese 5 Spice, salt and cayenne pepper.

Korean Soybean Sprouts (Kongnamool)

I found this recipe on allrecipes

Ingredients

1 pound soybean sprouts

2 T. soysauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

2 T. chile powder

 1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 tsp. rice vinegar, or to taste

Directions

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the bean sprouts, and cook uncovered until tender yet still crisp, about 15 seconds.  Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process.  Once the bean sprouts are cold, drain well, and set aside.

2.  Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, chile powder, garlic and sesame seeds together in a large bowl.  Stir in bean sprouts and toss until well coated with the sauce.  Sprinkle with green onion and season with rice wine vinegar.  Refrigerate before serving.

Korean BBQ Chicken Marinade

This recipe was originally posted on allrecipes.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar or Splenda
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 T. lemon juice (optional)
1-4 tsp. hot chile paste (I used 1 tsp.)

Directions

1.  In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, water, onion powder and ground ginger.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes.
2.  Remove the mixture from heat, cool, and whisk in lemon juice and hot chile paste.  Place chicken in mixture.  cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before preparing chicken as desired.

Pancit

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com  I had been craving pancit, a dish I fondly remember from my childhood.  This was delicious.

Ingredients

1 12 ounce pkg. flour pancit noodles
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast meat
1 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
4 carrots thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 lemons, cut into wedges for garnish (I skipped this)

Directions

1.  Place the noodles in a large bowl, and cover wiht warm water.  When soft, drain and set aside.
2.  Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.  Saute' onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in chicken, cabbage, carrots, and soy sauce.  Cook until cabbage begins to soften.  Toss in noodles, and cook until heated through, stirring constantly. 

Hashbrown Hamburger Bake

I am cleaning out my freezer this week and planning my meals.  I found ground turkey and a package of frozen shredded hashbrowns.  I searched online and found this delightful dish.  I am looking forward to trying it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Mix hash brown potatoes, vegetable oil, and black pepper in a bowl; press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, garlic powder, and onion powder in the hot skillet until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
4. Mix water and gravy mix into the cooked beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover skillet, and simmer until water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Spoon beef mixture onto the potato crust.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 5 more minutes.