Multi-grain Date rolls

Add, in order, to the bread machine bowl:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup 9 grain mix for bread
1 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP butter (margarine will do if you must!)
2 TBSP dry milk powder
(or eliminate milk powder and substitute milk for water)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

load it all in the bread machine bowl, in sequence, set the machine for dark bread (the heavy dough takes slightly longer to cook) and press "go!" I usually hold back a bit of the water until every thing else has mixed, adding a little bit of the remainder at a time until the dough is firm but soft.

While the bread machine is producing dough for you, measure and set aside:
1 1/2 cups dried dates, chopped coarsley

Most bread machines will mix the ingredients, let the bread raise for a while, then mix some more, and let it raise again. Four minutes before the end of the last real mixing time, add the dates. Let the bread finish mixing and let it raise a little.

Remove the bread from the machine before it's finished raising. Cut it into small pieces and shape as desired. There's room for a great deal of creativity here. I use some very small loaf pans, and some tiny pie pans from small chicken pot pies, shaping and sizing the bread for those. I also cover a cookie sheet in parchment paper and shape some basic roll shapes - suitable for sandwich buns later - for cooking there. I made some long strips of dough and braided it together for a fun long & narrow bun.

Place the rolls in a warm place to raise again; it will probably need to be noticeably warmer than room temperature.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 for 20 or 25 minutes until the inside is completely cooked. Cool on a cooling rack.

These are good hot (either fresh from the oven, or fresh from the toaster) and buttered. My sweetheart likes raspberry jam on them. They're modestly sweet, and the grains make for an wonderfully fun texture. I like to serve them alongside barbecue (we barbecue meat, veggies and fruit all together).

TexMex meets the West Coast in Meatrolls

In a large frypan, sauté until brown:
5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin,
1 pound of chicken thighs, de-boned, cut into small pieces,
1 pound stew beef, cut into <½ inch pieces season with pepper (no salt),

When the meat is nearly done, add:
1 tsp chicken bouillon base.
½ tsp hickory smoke flavoring
½ cup catsup
1 tsp dark chili powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Assembly:

Make the dough:
3 cups Bisquik
½ cup water
1 tsp chili powder
¾ tsp dried oregano

Roll out on a very well-floured board (or onto cheesecloth or parchment paper; this stuff is sticky!) into a sheet 15” x 20”. Mark a line 3” or so from the far end: don’t add any fillings to the last 3” of the bread: that will be used to close the roll and hold it closed.

Cover the dough (except a 1” border and the last 3” noted above) with the meat mixture.

Cover with:
1 cup of shredded or grated parmesan cheese. (Do not use the powdered stuff in a can from Kraft. Eww.)
Seasoning to taste: Essence is nice.

½ cup frozen veggies (your choice) thawed to room temperature.

Roll the loaded dough up from the full side towards the empty 3” end. Seal the ends as you’re rolling so that the stuffing doesn’t roll out. You should have a roll about 4” in diameter and about 16” long. Cover with shredded cheese: cheddar, Parmesan or both.

Bake at 350 until the top is dark (expect 20 minutes: I cook it until a thermometer in the center has hit 135 - 140 degrees). Do NOT be surprised if the bisquik dough hasn’t held together on top.

Remove from oven and let it cool completely. Then slice into single servings (I cut it into about six 2” slices). Put each slice in a freezer bag or heavy duty sandwich bag, and freeze until needed. Microwave on a small plate and serve, or eat it while you’re running off to do something exciting.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie Recipe

OK. Confession time. I don't make this one. I didn't invent the recipe. This is one the real cooks in my family make for me on special occasions. (I love it when they do! This is good!) But please don't deceive yourself: this is not health food.

One pie:

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsel, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 banana, divided- 1/2 mashed, 1/2 sliced for garnish
• 3 bananas (sliced)
• 1 (9 inch) baked pie crusts (they use a graham cracker crust; even better richer with an Oreo cookie crust.)
  
• whipped cream

Here are the directions:

1. In a saucepan mix together sugar, salt and flour.
2. In a medium bowl combine egg yolks, milk and cream. Mix well.
3. Slowly add milk mixture to dry ingredients in saucepan, stirring with a whisk.
4. Cook over low heat until thick.
5. Remove from heat and add butter and mashed banana. Stir to combine.
6. Slice bananas into the pre-baked pie crust. Over the bananas, put in 1/2 cup of the morsels, spread evenly.
7. Pour filling over bananas and morsels, shake slightly to settle filling.

Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours until well chilled. Garnish top of pie with whipped cream, sliced bananas and the remaining chocolate morsels.

Savory Chicken Meat Roll

In a large frypan, sauté until brown:
5-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin,
1 white onion, peeled and sliced thin.
When they’re brown and beginning to soften, remove to a bowl and set aside.

Deglaze the frypan with:
1 pound of chicken thighs, de-boned, sliced thin,
season with pepper, and
1 tsp vegetable bouillon base.
When the chicken is both done and well coated in the bouillon base, remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add:
½ pound pork sausage, herb flavored if you like. Break it into small pieces as it’s cooking.
When it’s both done remove to a bowl and set aside.

Assembly:

Make bread dough. (See here for a yummy example.) Use either a one-pound loaf recipe, or half of a 2-pound loaf recipe. Roll out on a well-floured board into a sheet 15” x 20”. Mark a line 3” or so from the far end: don’t add any fillings to the last 3” of the bread: that will be used to close the roll and hold it closed.

Cover the dough (except a 1” border and the last 3” noted above) with the onion/garlic mix. Be sure to reserve any liquid from that bowl for later.
Then layer the chicken over the top of the onion/garlic mix.
Then layer the small pieces of pork sausage evenly over the top.

Cover with:
1 cup of shredded or grated parmesan cheese. (Do not use the powdered stuff in a can from Kraft. Eww.)
Seasoning to taste: rosemary is nice.

Roll the loaded dough up from the full side towards the empty 3” end. Seal the ends as you’re rolling so that the stuffing doesn’t roll out. Wrap the 3” over the top, using the liquid reserved from the onions as glue to seal the roll shut. You should have a roll about 4” in diameter and about 16” long.

Lay the roll, sealed side down, on parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle on the top:
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese. Press it into the surface of the roll.

Let it raise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Bake at 350 until done (expect 40 minutes: I cook it until a thermometer in the center has hit 135 - 140 degrees).

Remove from oven and let it cool completely. Then slice into single servings (I cut it into about eight 2” slices). Put each slice in a freezer bag or heavy duty sandwich bag, and freeze until needed. Microwave on a small plate and serve, or eat it while you’re running off to do something exciting.

Savory Beef Meat Roll

In a large frying pan, sauté until brown:
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced,
1 pound stew beef, cubed,
1 pound hamburger (shredded beef would be better, but it's more expensive).
Season with pepper and
1 tsp beef bouillon base.
Cook until brown.

When the meat is both done and well coated in the bouillon base, add
1 can tomato sauce,
bring back to temperature, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes while the sauce reduces and coats the meat.
Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Assembly:

Make bread dough. (See here for a yummy example.) Use either a one-pound loaf recipe, or half of a 2-pound loaf recipe. Roll out on a well-floured board into a sheet 15” x 20”. Mark a line 3” or so from the far end: don’t add any fillings to the last 3” of the bread: that will be used to close the roll and hold it closed.

Cover the dough (except a 1” border and the last 3” noted above) with the beef mix.
Cover with:
1 can black beans, evenly distributed over the surface of the meat. If there’s any liquid, reserve it.
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Roll the loaded dough up from the full side towards the empty 3” end. Seal the ends as you’re rolling so that the stuffing doesn’t roll out. Wrap the 3” over the top, using the liquid reserved from the beans (or water) as glue to seal the roll shut. You should have a roll about 4” in diameter and about 16” long.

Lay the roll, sealed side down, on parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle on the top:
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Press it into the surface of the roll.

Let it raise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Bake at 350 until done (expect 40 minutes: I cook it until a thermometer in the center has hit 135 - 140 degrees).

Remove from oven and let it cool completely. Then slice into single servings (I cut it into about eight 2” slices). Put each slice in a freezer bag or heavy duty sandwich bag, and freeze until needed. Microwave on a small plate and serve, or eat it while you’re running off to do something exciting.

Herb Dough for Meat Rolls

Into the bread machine, in this order:
1½ tsp active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP dry milk powder
2 TBSP butter
1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Spices:
1 ½ tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1 ¼ tsp onion salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp celery seed

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting.

When the machine beeps, divide the dough in half. Use each half for a meatroll.

West Coast Oriental Beef Soup

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon
1 pound beef (I used chuck steak)

Fry the bacon in the bottom of a cast iron dutch oven.
Add 1-1/2" of the white end of a leek, thinly sliced.
Preheat a large cast iron fry pan while this is cooking.

Remove the bacon when it's crispy. Pat dry and set aside.
Pour some of the bacon grease into the fry pan.
Add water to the leeks in the dutch oven, to 3" or 4" depth.
Add 2 tsp concentrated chicken stock (not beef stock).
Bring the stock to a boil; turn back to medium.

Slice the beef thinly (1/8") across the grain, and then into 1-1/2" lengths.
Season generously with freshly ground pepper.
Brown the beef strips quickly on both sides in the bacon grease, a few at a time.
As soon as they're brown on the sides, transfer to the boiling chicken stock.

Add vegetables, all cut to very thin 1-1/2" lengths:
3/4 cup carrots.
The rest of the white portion of the large leek.
1 entire leek leaf.
2 large stalks of celery.
1/2 of a jalapeño pepper.

Optional:
A handful of fresh brown mushrooms, thinly sliced.
A few cloves of garlic, peeled and either sliced or smashed.

Season aggressively with:
celery seed
freshly ground pepper

And season gently with:
ground cinnamon.

Chop up a portion of Chinese cabbage into the now familiar 1-1/2" lengths. Fill a large soup bowl 1/3 full with the chopped cabbage. Ladle boiling soup over the top and let it rest for five minutes. The boiling soup will cook the cabbage, and the cabbage will cool the soup to a temperature that can be eaten.

I like this soup with fresh milk and white bread or a roll that will handle dipping.

Subjective evaluation: this is one of the best things that I've ever cooked. The flavors have elements of both boldness and subtlety, the vegetables include the gently crisp cabbage with the gentler carrots and the tender beef. The chicken broth gentles the boldness of the beef wonderfully, but I think it's the cinnamon that brings it all together. This is better fresh than day-old.

Chili Chicken Sandwich

Layer it up:

1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted & buttered.
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
⅓ can of prepared chili con carne, heated.
½ hard boiled egg, sliced.
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese.
Season to taste.

Broil it in a toaster oven until the cheese melts.

Chow down and enjoy.

Serious Meat Rolls

Into the bread machine, in this order:

1½ tsp active dry yeast

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

2 TBSP white sugar

2 TBSP dry milk powder

2 TBSP butter

1¼ tsp salt

1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting. When it's done, cut it in half, and roll each half out on a flowered surface, until it's less than 1/4" thick. Coat with:

Sliced steak (season and grille a 12 oz steak; refrigerate, slice thinly; half for each roll)
one chicken breast, seasoned and grilled, refrigerated and sliced.
3 oz thinly sliced pepperoni
4 slices of bacon, soft cooked
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup frozen veggies (I like French cut beans)
4 ounces (1/4 pound) of crumbled cooked pork sausage.
Season with a fair bit of freshly ground pepper (the bacon provides enough salt).

Roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll, resulting in a roll that's 12" x maybe 4" diameter. Let it raise for 20 minutes, then bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes until the inside is completely cooked. Cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm, sliced thick as a main dish (I like it with fresh corn on the cob), or slice it into appropriate size pieces and freeze separately for re-heating later.

Interesting Ham-Wrapped Things

This was mostly an experiment, albeit a yummy one.

Get some Black Forest ham from your favorite deli, relatively thinly sliced. Black Forest is cured as a whole ham, so the slices can be quite large; mine were about 6" x 9". I used two at a time, as if they were a tortilla, wrapping the rest of the ingredients.

Layer the filling inside:
3 or 4 thin slices (cut into ribbons) of hard salami
2 or 3 spears of zucchini
4 or 5 shrimp
a few shards of sliced onion
a few ounces of shredded cheese (I used cheddar, but use whatever you have!)
a tablespoonful of honey mustard salad dressing

Pin the whole thing together with toothpicks, and bake (toaster oven!) at 400 for 10 minutes. Use a knife & fork: it'll be juicy.

Sausage & Onion Roll

Into the bread machine, in this order:

1½ tsp active dry yeast

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour

2 TBSP white sugar

2 TBSP dry milk powder

2 TBSP butter

1¼ tsp salt

1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting.

While the bread machine is producing dough for you, sauté and set aside:

1 pound of pork sausage

Then in the same pan, sauté in
1 TBSP of olive oil plus
1 TBSP butter:

2½ large onions, sliced

When they're medium brown, add

the previously cooked pork sausage,

2 tsp beef soup base or bouillion

1 small can tomato sauce

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp cumin

and sauté until they're dark brown. Set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

When the dough is done, roll it out on a floured board, until it's about 12" x 20". Spread with:
2 TBSP butter, melted
all of the sausage/onion mixture, and
½ cup grated cheese (Cheddar works; Jack is better.)

Roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll, resulting in a roll that's 12" x maybe 4" diameter. I like to slice the top artistically and brush with:
1 egg, beaten (you'll probably not use more than half of that).

Let it raise for 20 minutes, then bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes until the inside is completely cooked. Cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm, sliced thick as a main dish (I like it with fresh corn on the cob), or sliced thin as a side dish or re-heated for a snack.

Onion Garlic Bread

Into the bread machine, in this order:
1½ tsp active dry yeast
2    cups whole wheat flour
2    cups white flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP dry milk powder
2 TBSP butter

1¼ tsp salt

1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting.

While the bread machine is producing dough for you, sauté and set aside:
2   large onions, sliced
6   cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped


Sauté these in 1 TBSP of  olive oil plus 1 TBSP butter.
When they're light brown, add
2 TBSP brown sugar


and sauté until they're dark brown. Set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

When the dough is done, roll it out on a floured board, until it's about 12" x 20". Spread with:
2 TBSP butter, melted
all of the onion/garlic mixture, and
½ cup Parmesan cheese.

Roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll, resulting in a roll that's 12" x maybe 4" diameter. I like to slice the top artistically and brush with:
1   egg, beaten (you'll probably not use more than half of that).

Bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes until the inside is completely cooked. Cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm, not hot. We sliced it thin and served it alongside barbecued steak.

This produces a hearty bread, slightly sweet. It's more filling than I expected.

Olive and Feta Shred Bread

Into the bread machine, in this order:
1½ tsp active dry yeast
1½ TBSP fresh rosemary, removed from the stem, roughly chopped
1½ TBSP fresh lemon thyme, removed from the stem
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1½ cups white flour
1¼ tsp salt
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP dry milk powder
2 TBSP butter
1 1/3 cups water

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting. Three minutes before it’s through kneading, add:
¼ cup Kalamata olives, very roughly chopped (quartered lengthwise is fine)
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled or very roughly chopped

(I buy these at an olive bar in the local specialty food store, which means that they come in oil – olive oil, I presume. I drain much of oil from the olives and feta when I buy it, but I include what remains in the bread: it carries much of the flavor!)

When the bread machine pronounces the dough ready, remove and shape into a loaf. I prefer to slice the top of the loaf, brush the top with melted butter, and sprinkle some shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes until done. We prefer not to slice the bread, but to rip hunks off of it, hence the name “Shred Bread.”

Parmesan Basil Bread

4 slices homemade 7-grain or 9 grain bread
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup shredded (not powdered) Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Paprika to taste

Start with a slice of home-made 7-grain bread. Toast on one side. Spread the untoasted side thickly with good mayonnaise. Mix the Parmesan and chopped basil, and cover the mayo and bread. It should be quite thick. Sprinkle paprika for appearance and taste. Broil until the basil begins to wilt and the Parmesan begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

Review: This makes a great bedtime snack. If you want to lighten it up, use less mayonnaise (though the mayo does contribute to the flavor). I might try it with a little lemon juice mixed into the mayo, or sprinkled on top of the mix.

9 Grain Bread Machine Bread

Add, in order, to the bread machine bowl:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup 9 grain mix for bread
1 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP butter (margarine will do if you must!)
2 TBSP dry milk powder
(or eliminate milk powder and substitute milk for water)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups (or a little more) lukewarm water

load it all in the bread machine bowl, in sequence, set the machine for dark bread (the heavy dough takes slightly longer to cook) and press "go!" I usually hold back 1/4c of the water until every thing else has mixed, adding a little bit of the remainder at a time until the dough is firm but soft.

This is our family's staple whole grain bread: we love it toasted with home-made jam, or broiled with meat and cheese on top.

9-grain Mix for Bread

Combine in a large storage container:

1 cup Flax Seed
1 cup millet (millet seed)
3/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup rolled barley
3/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seed
1/2 cup pumpkin seed
1/2 cup bulgar
3/4 cup cracked wheat
1/2 cup oat bran or wheat bran
3/4 cup Quinoa
1/2 cup seminolina

I buy these in the bulk food section of a large grocery store. The proportions aren't real important: add more of the grains or seeds that you like (I really enjoy the millet and flax, so I use more of it).

Use for bread making (see this recipe).

Bacon Basil Garlic Bread

Bread machine style hearty bread.

Makes one big ol' loaf.

1½ tsp active dry yeast
3½ cups flour: either white, or up to half white & half wheat.
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP milk powder
1½ tsp salt
3 TBSP bacon grease (yes, bacon grease!)
1⅓ cup water, cool to tepid. NOT warm. Filtered is better.

Set the bread machine on normal and fire it off. When it stops to let the bread rise, add:

½ pound bacon, fried crispy and crumbled, cooled
½ head (5 or 6 large cloves) of garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped, browned in bacon grease, cooled.
½ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, tossed in with the garlic for the last minute and fried until well wilted.

Serve it sliced thick and hot out of the bread machine (or oven) or slice it thin and toast it. Either way, enjoy it with enough butter to scare Weight Watchers! I like it with a glass of milk for a snack. it goes well with stew or barbecued steak or chicken as well.

Review: This came out nice and golden, very well raised. It's not too light, not too heavy for homemade bread. Surprisingly, it is not a heavy bread, provided it rises well (and mine rose very well with these proportions): the flavors are still relatively mild. Next time, I think I'd increase the bacon content (probably not as far as a pound) and at least double the fresh basil. I might add some Parmesan to the mix as well.

Supplemental: I made toast of this the next morning, and topped it with eggs scrambled with cheese (cheddar plus Parmesan) cooked in a tiny bit of bacon grease. Oh my! It was superb.

Overwhelming Spaghetti Sauce

Serves 6 or 8

Ingredients

• 6-12 heads garlic, peeled and smashed: make it a lot.
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• butter and olive oil (equal parts) to fry them in. Don't be shy.
• 2 lbs lean hamburger, cubed
• 1 lb sage sausage, cubed
• 2-3 TBSP dried oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tsp ground clove
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground black pepper, maybe more.
• 1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp powdered cumin
• 2 tsp (or 2 TBSP) Tabasco chipotle sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 2 cans cooked and diced tomatoes.
• 1 jar, bottle or can, prepared tomato sauce, any flavor

Preparations: heat large (preferably cast iron) skillet. Heat oil and melt butter. Fry garlic and onion until transparent. Add cubed hamburger and sausage. Cover and cook until meat is cooked all the way through. Add the dried oregano. Yeah, I know it's a lot. Add the other spices too. Stir well.

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid; add to meat and stir well while frying. When they're hot and spicy, add tomato sauce and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil, stirring. Adjust spices, which mostly means add more of this or that. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve over hot pasta. Enjoy! Don't count calories!

Review: This is not wimpy diet food. Ya gotta eat this meal with a fair bit of gusto! And it's so rich and flavorful that gusto is not hard to come by. Some garlic bread, Caesar salad, and a bold hand-made brew(Alaskan Amber is an excellent choice!) make a good meal for a bunch of good friends.

Garlic Herb Bread-Machine Bread

For a 1½ Pound Loaf:

In this order:
1.5 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ TBSP sugar
½ tsp dried dill, crushed
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp salt

then:
fry ½ cup chopped onion in
3 TBSP butter or margarine

until they just begin to brown. Cool. Add to mixture above.

Then:
1¼ cup 1% milk (adjust for your particular bread machine).
1 TBSP dried milk powder.

Set the machine on “regular” and press “Go.”

Let the loaf sit for 30 minutes before slicing. Or skip slicing altogether and just tear off chunks to eat as "shred bread."

Review: We never did slice ours. The aroma that fills the house is pretty attention-grabbing. We just wrapped it in a cloth napkin in a basket and served it with a spaghetti dinner. Very nice.

Savory Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. close the chicken and dredge in a mixture of:

1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons creole seasoning (I like Emeril's Essence)
1 teaspoon garlic salt

At this point, put the chicken breasts on a greased piece of aluminum foil on the baking sheet you'll cook the chicken on. Open the chicken and fill with Savory Stuffing (recipe follows). Be careful to spread the stuffing evenly. Place a slice of cooked bacon over the stuffing and close the chicken breast.

Sprinkle some of the remaining dredging mix over the top, along with a tablespoon of Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the chicken is completely done.

Savory Stuffing (I use these quantities for 3 or 4 chicken breasts): in a food processor bowl, combine:12 - 15 shrimp, thawed
4 - 5 pieces of bacon, cooked
3 cloves garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (eg. Essence)
1 teaspoon rosemary (fresh is best)

Press Go and process until it's the consistency of chunky peanut butter. Then add 4 or 5 more shrimp, pulse processing until they're in medium size chunks.

Review: We served this with white wine or a brown ale, depending on if the guests were wine snobs or microbrew snobs (I admit to membership among the latter). This turned out to be one of the better stuffed chicken recipes we've tried; the whole family really liked it. The flavors blended together very well. The extra slice of bacon may not have been necessary, but my daughter disagrees: she liked it. Couldn't find anything to complain about, really. Three thumbs up!

White Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 4 or 5

Ingredients

• 6-12 heads garlic, peeled and smashed: make it a lot.
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• butter and olive oil (equal parts) to fry them in. Don't be shy.
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  
• 1 lb sage sausage, in small pieces
  
• 2-3 TBSP dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground white pepper, maybe more.
• 1 TBSP dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 jar, bottle or can, white spaghetti sauce, any flavor
• 1 can chicken broth
  

Preparations: heat large (preferably cast iron) skillet. Heat oil and melt butter. Fry garlic and onion until transparent. Add chicken and sausage. Cover and cook until meat is cooked all the way through. Add the dried oregano. Add the other spices too. Stir well.

Add meat and stir well while frying. When they're hot and spicy, add spaghetti sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring. If you like, thicken with flour.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Review: This is very good, and quite rich. I prefer to toss this with spiral spaghetti, and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

7 Grain Bread Machine Bread

Add in order:

1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
2 cups unbleached flour
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 TBSP nonfat dry milk powder
2 TBSP flax seed
¼ cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 TBSP roasted sesame seeds
¼ cup cracked wheat
2 TBSP millet
2 TBSP oat bran
2 TBSP butter
1 ⅓ cup water, or a little more to make soft enough dough (watch the dough to make sure it's not too dry).


Feel free to substitute milk for the water and powdered milk. Note: between all the grains and the flours, you're targeting a total of 4 cups.

Set the bread machine on "normal" and fire it off.

Review: This makes a very heavy loaf that's chock full of seeds and grains. It's become a favorite at our home. We vary the proportion of the various grains and seeds; personally, I love to emphasize the millet: very crunchy. Just make sure the grain/seeds total never goes above 1½ cups and the flour (white and/or wheat) never drops below 2½ cups, and you always have at least half of the flour in white flour.

Golden Granola Bread, Bread Machine Style

Makes one big ol' loaf.

1½ tsp active dry yeast
3 cups flour: either white, or up to half white & half wheat.
¾ cup granola: the richer the better
¼ cup cashews, chopped lightly
¼ cup dried bananas, chopped lightly
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup water, cool to tepid. NOT warm. Filtered is better.
1½ tsp salt
2 TBSP oil
1 egg

Set the bread machine on normal and fire it off. Serve it sliced thick and hot out of the bread machine (or oven) and enjoy it with butter!

Review: This came out nice and golden, very well raised. It's not too light, not too heavy for homemade bread, but it is quite sweet. My wife - the local expert on sweet - says it's a good breakfast bread. Next time, I think I'll increase the dried bananas, and maybe the chopped cashews as well.

Stuffed Pepper Pockets

Serves: eight large pockets (8 servings, or enough for 2 to 4 hungry teenagers)

Prepare the dough. I use a bread machine. Add in sequence:

2 tsp active dry yeast
3 ½ cups white flour
1 ½ tsp salt
3 TBSP butter
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup milk (maybe a little more if your bread machine needs it to make the dough soft)

Set the machine for Yeast Dough, and start it off. While that’s mixing, work on the stuffing:

In a large frying pan, fry until tender:

2 cloves garlic, mashed & chopped
½ cup chopped red onion
¾ cup chopped yellow onion
1 TBSP butter

When it begins to get tender, add:

4 strips of bacon, chopped into small pieces.
1 tsp red pepper flakes (pizza peppers)

Cook until bacon is done. Set aside in a large bowl to cool. While that is cooking, mix together:

1 whole red, yellow or orange pepper, chopped fairly small
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 ½ cups of shredded parmesan cheese
1 ½ tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano

When the onion and bacon mix is cool, mix it in with these vegetables in a large bowl.

Deglaze the frying pan with:

1 pound of chicken thighs, chopped into ½” chunks.
1 pound pork sausage
1 TBSP chicken bouillon paste

Set aside to cool (use the bowl that you cooled the bacon & onion mix in). In the frying pan, fry until tender:

2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped, minced or pressed, in
4 TBSP butter.

Assembling the pockets:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Just before assembling, mix into the filling:

4 eggs

Cut the dough into eight equal parts. (Halve it, halve the pieces, and halve those one more time.) On a well-floured board or counter, roll out one piece at a time into a 9” or 10” circle. Place 1/8 of the mix (a generous scoop) off center in the circle, and spread to cover ½ of the dough, leaving ¾” inch around the perimeter uncovered. Moisten the perimeter with water or, if you’re feeling fancy, with egg wash. Seal the edge with those fun little folds that make an apple pie look so cool! Coat the entire top with the garlic butter mix, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top is well browned. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, but serve hot.

These freeze and re-heat (microwave or toaster oven) quite well.

Review: This recipe is good; spicy but good. The pockets did fine in the freezer, and came out slightly less spicy, though the texture was a little less solid - the effect of the mushrooms, we think. Next time, I think I'm going to aim for a greater percentage of meat, and more stuffing altogether.

Bob's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Polish Golabki)

courtesy Bob Holden

Ingredients - Stuffing:
1 – large head white cabbage
1 - pound ground beef
1 - pound ground pork
2 cups steamed white rice (leftovers work great)
1 – small, or ½ large onion, finely diced
3-4 Cloves garlic minced
2 – Raw eggs
¼ Cup minced flat leaf parsley
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Ingredients - Tomato Sauce:
1 - can tomato sauce
2 - cans water (rinsing remaining tomato sauce in can)
3 - Tbs white flour (mixed in 1/3 cup cold water)
½ - Cup sour cream
2 – Tbs Veggetta (or vegetable, beef or chicken bouillon)
½ - Tbs garlic powder
1 – Tbs dehydrated onion flakes
1 – Tbs sugar (needed only if sauce is too tart)
3 to 4 – dashes of Tabasco Sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Core cabbage, remove tough outer leaves, and boil covered for about 20 minutes or until just soft and pliable. Shock in ice water to stop cooking and let cool. Drain well, dry, remove leaves and stack on a plate.

Stuffing:
To the ground meat add steamed rice, diced onion, minced garlic, raw egg, minced parsley, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix with hands until well blended. Flatten cabbage leaves on a clean plate and fill each with ½ cup each of the mix (or the appropriate amount for the size leaf being filled). Roll up the two sides and from one end roll to the other making a complete roll. Place rolls on a cookie sheet pre-greased with olive oil or butter. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour until the meat is cooked. Let stand in the oven an additional 15 minutes before removing.

Sauce:
In a 3 ½ to 4 quart sauce pan add one can of tomato sauce, two cans of water, and bring to a boil. In a mixing bowl, or glass, add 3 heaping Tbs flour and mix well. Add slowly to boiling tomato sauce and blend with a wire whip until slightly thickened. Ad Vegetta (or bouillon), garlic powder, and onion. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes reducing sauce. Add sour cream and mix well. Add sugar, salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste. In a large covered casserole dish add enough sauce to cover the bottom. Transfer rolls to the dish covering each roll with sauce and serve. Extra sauce should be placed in a gravy boat and served over rolls.

Sausage Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted
2 strips bacon
3 oz sausage, sliced lengthwise
1 oz Irish cheddar cheese, sliced thin
2 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp fresh garlic: I like a couple of cloves of fresh roasted garlic, but thin slices of raw garlic is fine.
dried parsley flakes
salt & pepper

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. Layer bacon & sausage on one side. Spread Parmesan generously over meat.

Close the chicken breast and place on an oiled sheet. Top with more parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake 18 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Review: The success of this recipe depends on the quality of the sausage. Thin sliced anduille from the deli makes this perfect: don't get carried away with it.

Chicken Breasts stuffed with Shrimp & Bacon

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted
7 large shrimp: I use the pre-cooked frozen type: do not thaw.
2 strips bacon
1 tsp fresh garlic: I like a couple of cloves of fresh roasted garlic, but thin slices of raw garlic is fine.
1/4 tsp ground paprika
1/8 tsp ground chili powder
1 oz Irish cheddar cheese, sliced thin
1 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. Layer shrimp and bacon on one side. Drizzle lemon juice over shrimp & bacon and cover with garlic and then Parmesan cheese. Season with paprika and (if you like) Cajun seasoning.

Close the chicken breast and place on an oiled sheet. Cook 18 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Review: I used to cook these in my George Foreman Grill, but I've been baking them recently, in my toaster oven. I really like the results: juicier, easier cleanup (please bake on tinfoil!), and more tender.

Easter Steak Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Less subtle, more manly nourishment than the Bacon Stuff Chicken Breasts described earlier. These came about as a discovery resulting from Easter. We (aka "I") barbecued steak for thirty people for Easter dinner (why be a slave to tradition?), and it seems that thirty pounds of New York Steak was a bit much. The steak had been cooked to medium rare, having been gently seasoned with salt, pepper, some garlic powder, and a little of a commercial steak rub, then refrigerated for a couple of days. Serves 2 hungry guys. (Is there another kind of guys?)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, defrosted and sliced open (butterflied)
1 leftover Easter New York Steak (see above), cut into 1/4" strips
2 TBSP bacon grease
2 tsp mango papaya jam
4 oz sharp white cheese (we used a sharp cheddar made from raw milk)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste (don't be overly shy)
1 tsp brown deli mustard

Butterfly the chicken breasts, salt & pepper the insides. Cover one side with mango papaya jam and Parmesan cheese. Lay the slices of cold steak over the cheese. On the other side, layer chili powder, rosemary, and sharp white cheddar cheese. Close the chicken breast. Stall for time until your wife leaves the kitchen; then coat the outside - top and bottom - with bacon grease. Add pepper or a pepper mix to taste. Grill on a hot grille for long enough that the chicken is cooked and the steak is hot: it was about 7 minutes for me in one of those George Foreman Grilles, and the bacon grease all melted off anyway, except that the taste was still in the chicken, and it held the pepper in place pretty well.

Review: I kind of figure that chicken calls for a light beer (like an amber ale, or a German hefeweizen), and that steak calls for something darker: an oatmeal stout would have been good with this New York steak (except that it was a family gathering at Easter). A Dunkel (dark hefeweizen) would be good here, or a dark Czech lager like Krušovice. The steak stuffed chicken breasts were wonderful: not at all over-the-top for a meat lover, though my sweetheart looked at me oddly when I talked about adding bacon next time.

Meat Lovers Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted
3 large shrimp: I use the pre-cooked frozen type. Do NOT thaw.
2-3 strips bacon
2 oz sausage, in slices
1 oz Irish cheddar cheese, sliced thin
1 tsp fresh garlic: I like a couple of cloves of fresh roasted garlic, but thin slices of raw garlic is fine.
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
salt & pepper

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. Layer cheese shrimp, bacon & sausage on one side. Season the opposite side with Cajun seasoning and garlic.

Close the chicken breast and place on an oiled sheet. Cook 18 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Review: I like how the flavors came out on this. I might add a teaspoon or two of mango or apricot jam, and this is one time it might be good for the chicken to be tied closed: it can get a little messy if you're not careful.

Basic Egg Hoosh

Serves Two hungry guys, or three gentle ladies.

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, diced.
• Bacon grease for frying garlic & onions
• Half a pound of bacon, fried and chopped into 3/8” chunks
• Six large eggs.
• 4 oz cheddar cheese (sharp is best), cubed
• 3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Fry up the garlic and onions on medium heat. Add the cooked, diced bacon. When it’s all hot, crack the eggs into the frypan. Add the cheddar cheese and do not stir yet. Season with salt & pepper to taste. When the eggs begin to cook on the bottom, begin to stir gently. As the eggs cook and the cheddar melts, add parmesan cheese.

Serve with more parmesan sprinkled on top, and/or some salsa next to it.

Review: I've been making this, and variants of this, for decades. Another name is "Clean Refrigerator Eggs": whatever you find goes in the eggs. This was what came together today, and it was perfect. I like it with a thin slice of homemade bread with homemade jam (the jam's her domain), and a glass of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Love it!

Tropical Cajun Chicken Breasts

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 ea Chicken breasts
2 TBSP Cajun seasoning (I like Emeril Essence)
2 TBSP Mango preserves or jam
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Butterfly fillet the chicken breasts. Spread 1 TBSP mango jam inside each. Season with part of the Cajun seasoning. Cover jam and seasoning with 1/2 of the Parmesan for each piece.

Close the chicken breasts. Season top and bottom with the remainder of the Cajun seasoning. Bake on a greased, foil-covered sheet at 400 for 18 minutes; test for doneness, and bake more as needed.

Review: This is good, but it kind of needs something. I think I miss the bacon.

First Night of Camping Steak

I camp a lot. This is always the first night's meal. Serves one.

Ingredients:

12 - 18 oz sirloin steak (Yeh, I know it's big. that's the point, actually.)
some barbecue spiced pepper.
a small can of green beans. Carrots are an acceptable substitute. Spinach is not. Eww.
An onion bagel.

Implements of cookage:
Campfire with good coals and not a lot of flame.
Grille over the fire.
Tongs for grabbing stuff you drop in the fire.
Gloves to keep you from burning the hair off the back of your hand when you grab stuff from the fire.

Procedure:
Let the grill heat up while you're rubbing in a whole lot of spice into the steak. Use a can opener to open the beans, but leave the lid in place. Slice the bagel.

Plop the steak on the grille and enjoy the sizzle. Nestle the can of beans into the coals.

When the steak is cooked 2/3 of the way through, flip it over (once!) and put the bagel on the grille (sliced side down) to toast. Crack open any beverage you like as long as it comes in a long-necked brown bottle and does not include the word "Lite" on the label. Make sure the beans are beginning to boil. Sharpen your steak knife.

When the steak is done, pull it all off the grille and onto your plate.

Consume with enthusiasm. Skip the veggies if you feel like it.

Option: mix a little butter and bleu cheese (the crumbly, real stuff) together and let it melt on top of the steak for the last couple of minutes on the grille. Gorgonzola works well too. Mmm, mmm.

Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients: Serves 4:

• 4 Large chicken breasts
• 8 Strips bacon or prosciutto
• 8 Slices aged Irish cheddar (a hard, sharp white cheese)
• 8 cloves fresh garlic
• 4 tsp Mango jelly, or mango preserves
• Chipotle Tabasco Sauce
• Freshly grated parmesian cheese
• Chopped parsley for garnish
• George Foreman Grille

Oven or toaster oven

Directions:
Since I used Costco frozen chicken breasts, I defrosted them in the microwave while I grilled the bacon. When the chicken was thawed, slice them in half horizontally, like sandwich bread. Remove bacon from grille. Close the chicken breasts, and grille with the fresh garlic cloves on the George Foreman grille, in the bacon juices (most of the bacon fat has dripped out of the grille because of the design of the grille). Cook until the center of the chicken breasts are no longer pink.

While the chicken is grilling, preheat the oven to 400 and prepare the rest of the ingredients, which mostly means slice the cheese, and get the rest of the stuff out of the refrigerator. When the chicken is ready, open each breast like a sandwich. Spread 1 tsp mango jelly or preserves on one side. spread a little chipotle Tabasco on the other side. Layer bacon and Irish cheese slices.

Close the resulting "Chicken Sandwich"  and place on a foil-covered tray for baking. Bake until Irish cheese begins to soften. Remove from oven and cover in shredded Parmesan cheese mixed with parsley flakes or chopped parsley and continue baking until the Parmesan is melted.

Serve with Steam Train Porter or a quality microbrewed amber ale. Enjoy with friends.

Review: This may be the best thing I've ever done with chicken breasts. It was inspired by a night of movies and friends, and has itself inspired all the rest of the chicken breast experiments. Don't skip the mango jam: that's what makes this one shine.

Stockpot Chili

Basic Ingredients. Serves 4 hungry beasts or a good family meal with leftovers.

This is a smaller batch than this recipe is for.
The recipe's quantities will fill this pot FULL!

• 2 lb fairly lean hamburger
• 2 lb sage sausage
• 2 large white onion, chopped
• 4-10 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1-2 large bell pepper, chopped (1/4” or so)
• 1-2 can beef broth, 15 oz (or water and concentrate)
• 2-3 can beans, 15 oz, drained, black, or pinto. Spiced is nice.
• 2 can diced tomatoes, 15 oz, undrained. Spiced is nice.
• 1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz
• 1-2 TBSP chili powder (or more)
• 1 can of chilies
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp to 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 – 4 TBSP chili powder
• Olive Oil if needed for frying

Maybe add some of these options. You do not want to add all of these in the same batch. Pick a couple.

• Corn, frozen or canned: a can or a small bag
• Some crumbled bacon: 3 slices to a pound
• Fried mushrooms: whatever you like. More is better.
• Coarsely chopped olives: some.
• Dark beer instead of beef broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2-4 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• Some Tabasco sauce: chipotle flavored is good. Less than a cup! Maybe a few teaspoons. How adventurous are you?

Serve with:

• Shredded cheddar and/or Monterrey Jack cheese
• Sour Cream
• Homemade sourdough bread

Dutch oven or stockpot. Big is good.

Directions:

Cook the hamburger and sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, spices and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the broth (or beer) and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute. 

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and kidney beans to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add crumbled bacon, corn, olives if you like. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and adjust spices as necessary (roughly translated: add more of some of the spices if you like: boldness is good, but don’t get stupid). 

Simmer until vegetables are hot (and if using frozen corn, until it’s cooked).

Serve family style with bowls of shredded cheese, sour cream and maybe some more chopped onions. You might save the olives, fried mushrooms, and/or crumbled bacon for condiments, especially if you have finicky eaters.

Works best with a good amber ale or strong ale. Maybe an oatmeal stout.

Review: This is not so much a recipe as a launch point. Gather round your ingredients, and while the meat is simmering, make some executive decisions. Involve the family. There are a thousand excellent variations of this. 

This does really well if it's cooked all day, but it begins to all look the same. Recommended: save the corn, some beans, some of the peppers, olives if you use them, and add them half an hour before serving, to keep their shape and color, to make it look interesting. 

It's far better than anything I've ever had from a can or even from a restaurant!