Battered Onion Rings

Every once in a while we like to make something good and fried as a special treat. These onion rings are actually way better than the kind that you buy at a restaurant. A lot of times in a restaurant you bite through the crunchy outside only to have a slimy onion that you can hardly bite and usually slips right out of the breading. My husband told me that is because onion rings from restaurants have usually been frozen and re-cooked so the onion gets really soft. But these were the perfect texture. Soft enough to enjoy but firm enough to bite through.

1 large sweet onion
2 eggs
3 Tbsp evaporated milk
3 Tbsp water
Salt and Pepper
Flour to thicken

Combine ingredients, making sure to add plenty of salt (it took a lot more than we thought). Also, leave the mixture at a somewhat runny consistency. If you add too much flour the batter will be very thick and the rings won't get crispy enough. Deep fry until golden brown. If using a more shallow pan you will have to flip them. Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes

I didn't grow up eating homemade mashed potatoes. In fact, I remember the first time that I found out that mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes. It was almost Thanksgiving a few years ago and I was a missionary in Honduras (obviously they don't celebrate it there). My companion and I decided that we wanted to throw a Thanksgiving feast for all of the missionaries in our zone. We decided to make peach cobbler rather than peach pie, we made rolls, juice, salad, and the zone leaders brought rotisserie chickens (because they don't eat turkeys in Honduras). My companion said we should make mashed potatoes but I told her that would be possible because they don't sell potato pearls or flakes there. I remember being pretty shocked when she said we could make them from real potatoes. And it turns out it's not difficult at all. I made them last night for dinner in only about 30 minutes (including boiling time).

Potatoes, peeled and cut (unless you use red potatoes, which I did this time)
Milk
Sour cream
salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste

Boil cut potatoes until soft. Drain water and smash the potatoes in a bowl using a potato masher. Add a little bit of milk and a few spoonfuls of sour cream (depending on how many potatoes you used). Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. You can even add other things like cheese and green onions if you want to!

Zucchini Bread

I have always loved zucchini bread (and am fascinated that a vegetable like zucchini would taste so good in a sweet bread). I had never tried to make it myself before and this is the first recipe that I tried. It turned out pretty well and I think I would use it again, although it is a little different from the one that my mom used to make.

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups raw, shredded zucchini

Cream sugar, oil, and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in vanilla and zucchini. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° for about 40 minutes.

Poppy Seed Bread

I have a great recipe for Poppy seed cake (which I will have to make sometime soon so I can put it on my blog) but this time I decided to make a Poppy Seed Bread from scratch to see what the difference was in taste. The differences are about what you might expect. It is less sweet but still tastes great - especially with the glaze.

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix the first seven ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk together last three ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine in large bowl. Grease two large loaf pans. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes. Start checking with fork or toothpick at about 45 minutes. (Five small loaf pans bake for around 30 minutes)


Glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp melted butter
1/4 cup prepared orange juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together. Brush on top of bread while still warm. Let bread cool for 10 minutes, remove from pans and brush the rest of the glaze on top and sides.

Crescent Rolls

 

Did you know that croissants and crescent rolls are different? I had no idea. But as I was researching it online I found out that true croissants are larger, sweeter and flakier than than crescent rolls. So I was looking online for a good recipe and finally settled on this one from Allrecipes.com because the very first review I read was from someone who said she had never made bread before but found the directions simple and easy to follow and the rolls turned out great. I found that to be equally true for me. They were even better than the Pillsbury kind. The only drawback is that you have to start them about 3 hours before dinner so they have enough time to rise and bake.

2 Tbsp yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened.

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
3. Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

Bread Bowls

This is actually the same recipe that I use for pizza dough with very few variations. I have it listed separately for ease of use.

2 1/4 cups warm water
2 Tbsp quick rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
7-8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add salt, sugar, and 3 cups flour. Mix well. Stir in eggs and oil, slowly adding flour. Mix until it becomes a dough that is soft but not sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 10-20 minutes. Divide into about 8 portions and cut slits in the top. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. When you remove bread from oven, brush with butter.

Potato Soup

This is a delicious and very hearty soup that my husband grew up loving. It is so much fun to share recipes from our families as we are developing our own family "food identity." In his family they always ate it in bread bowls so I like to serve it that way as well. This recipe is very easy to adjust for family size. These are the approximate measurements I used and it made about 4 servings. For a large family this recipe would have to be at least doubled.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1-2 cans evaporated milk
1% milk
3-4 medium potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream (maybe a little more)
1/4-1/2 lb bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 green onions, chopped
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

Cube potatoes and boil until soft. Cook bacon and cut into small pieces. In a large pot, melt butter and whisk in flour. When the mixture is bubbly, add the evaporated milk. Slowly pour in 1% milk until desired thickness is achieved. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes. The trick to this recipe is using quite a bit of salt and pepper to season.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

 

This is another one of my favorites from my childhood. I have always loved broccoli and hated mayonnaise. Surprisingly, even though this casserole has mayo, I still really like it - as long as I don't think about the fact that it is in there. When we eat it, we like to mix in the rice, not just leave it as a side dish. 

Recipe yield: at least 8 servings - for a smaller family, cut this recipe in half (or freeze the leftovers)

20 oz pkg. frozen broccoli cuts

4 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cans cream of chicken soup

Curry powder (the American kind - not the Indian kind)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Paprika

Cook broccoli; drain and place in 9x13" pan. Top with cubed chicken and sprinkle with a generous amount of curry powder. In a separate bowl mix the soup, mayonnaise, milk, and cheese and pour over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Stuffed French Toast

 

I think I learned this recipe from one of my American mission companions, although I don't really remember. It is a great addition to french toast, although when you make it you have to be aware that it is very rich and very filling so you probably won't eat as many pieces as you normally would. 

Bread

Plain cream cheese

Jam (your flavor of choice)

Eggs (I usually use one for each person and one extra for good measure)

Milk

Vanilla

Syrup

Mix eggs and milk by beating together. I like to add a little vanilla when I make this recipe. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese and jam on one slice of bread. I have also used a flavored cream cheese and skipped the jam but I prefer eating it this way. Top with another slice to make a sandwich. Dip sandwich in egg mixture, covering both sides of the bread and cook on a large skillet. Enjoy with your choice of toppings: butter, syrup, powdered sugar, etc.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Traditionally, Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish made of sautéed pieces of beef in a sauce with sour cream. Since becoming popular in other parts of the world, recipes have become as diverse as the chefs who make it. This is a recipe that my mom always used when we were young. Sometimes we ate it over rice, sometimes over pasta, and sometimes over potatoes. It is an easy recipe and is very quick to make.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

On medium-high sauté beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is fully cooked and onion is soft. Add soups, sour cream, and seasonings. Simmer 5-10 minutes. In this particular batch I added chopped celery for a little crunch. We often ate this meal with grated cheese over top as well.