Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Here it is, the dutch oven bread recipe.  This is taken from The New York Times and my neighbor (Cozette) has added her variation to it.  It's absolutely, fabulously delicious.  I always double the recipe and it makes a large loaf.   

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Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery author of My Bread
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting    or         400 grams
¼ teaspoon instant yeast                                             or         1 gram
1¼ teaspoons salt                                                        or         8 grams

1 1/3 cups cool water (55 to 65 degrees)                    or         300 grams

(Cozette Variation) Also add 1 Tbps. finely chopped rosemary & 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt (and rosemary) Add 1 1/3 cups water (and olive oil), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic about 8 inches wide and six inches deep) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf. 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I received this recipe from my wonderful neighbor and friend, Cozette Hardy.  She brought me some zucchinis from her garden and this recipe her mother makes.  I've made it twice now and it is very delicious.  I would take a picture of it, however, the first time I made it I put the nuts with the chocolate chips and the second time I made it I didn't use any nuts and put a little more cocoa in it to make it a little darker chocolate.  Both cakes look totally different so I'm not really sure how it is suppose to look.

Oma's Chocolate Zucchini Cake (from Cozette Hardy)


Cream together:
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 Tbls. Cocoa
1 Teasp. vanilla
2 eggs

Then add: 
1/2 cups buttermilk (I use the powdered buttermilk with water)
2 cups grated zucchini

Mix dry ingredients: 
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Teasp. cinnamon
1 Teasp. baking powder
1 Teasp. soda
1 Teasp. salt

Add to creamed mixture dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and zucchini 


Pour into cake pan (9"x13") and sprinkle with:
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 325* for 40-45 min.  Test with a toothpick.  Sandra Bingham's recipe 

Crockpot Chicken

This is like the easiest recipe ever.....

Crockpot Chicken 
6 Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  (I trim all the fat and yucky stuff off).
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup water

1 (8-oz) Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

Put chicken breasts, Italian dressing mix, and water in crock-pot and cook all day on low.  Take chicken out and cut into small pieces.  Add cream cheese and soup to Crockpot and stir.  Put chicken back into Crockpot and heat through.
Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice.

**I use light cream cheese and don't use all of the drippings left in the Crockpot.  This makes it not quite as rich and a little less fastening**

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is from my sister Brenda.  She makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

1 Square Blue Bonnet Margarine 

1/4 Cup Crisco (4 Tbls. cut off the square bars of Crisco) 

1 Cup Brown Sugar 

3/4 Cup White Sugar 

- Cream the above ingredients together well. 

2 Eggs (use medium ones, or at least the smaller ones in the box of large eggs)

- Add to above mixture and mix well

Add: 

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/2 Teaspoon Salt 

2 and 1/2 Cups Flour 

1 Bag, Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips

Mix well, drop in spoonfuls on cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350 degrees.

Brenda bakes her's for 9 minutes, I usually bake mine for 11 minutes.  All ovens vary in heat, so just watch them closely while you figure out your oven.  They should be just barely starting to go a little browned, but not too much.  They will form as they cool. 

The best is when they are slightly crunchy on the outside and really soft in the middle. 

Yum!  

Muddies Buddies

This recipe is not to be confused with the lame recipe on the Chex cereal box.  This recipe comes from my daughter, Kristen.  It's soooo much better than the box recipe.  Be careful though, it's extremely addicting and very rich.

Muddies Buddies 


1 Box of Chex cereal (any kind, however, I used Rice)
2 Big scoops of Peanut Butter (it's not very scientific)
2 Cubes of Butter
1 Bag of Chocolate Chips (I used milk chocolate, however, I'm sure semi-sweet would be just as good)
1 Bag of Powdered Sugar
*Melt the peanut butter, chocolate and butter on very low heat (chocolate burns easily).
You can either heat it in a large pot and add the Chex or you can pour it over the Chex in a bowl.  I prefer to use a large pot and then stir the cereal into it so you don't waste any of the chocolate mixture.
Stir until all are covered.
*Scoop some of the Chex/Chocolate/PB mix int a large ziplock bag, cover with powerder sugar and shake.
Repeat until all covered and put in bowl for serving.

Veggie Dip (Grandpa Hammond's)

This recipe was given to me by Grandma Hammond.  It is one that Grandpa Hammond use to make.  Its really good with chips or vegetables.  Make sure you use real mayonnaise (not miracle whip).
If I've got a lot of people coming for dinner I usually double the recipe. It should be stored in the refrigerator at least overnight, however, it gets even better after a day or two.

Veggie Dip 

1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Mayonaise
1 tablespoon Minced Onions (dry)
1 tablespoon Parsley Flakes
1 teaspoon Dill Weed
1 teaspoon Bon Appetit (located in the spice section at the grocery store)

Mix well.

Yogurt Salad (Grandma Hammond's)

This recipe is from Grandma Hammond. It was always a favorite at G'ma Hammond's house and now it is a favorite at our home also.

Yogurt Salad

3 containers strawberry yogurt (6oz size)

1/4 cup sugar

1 large can fruit cocktail (drained)

2 cups miniature marshmallows

3 or 4 bananas (sliced)

2 cartons cool whip (small)

Blend sugar and yogurt with other ingredients. Fold in cool whip.

Put in a glass pan (just because the plastic ones crack when you try and cut it when it's frozen).

Just before serving, let thaw slightly and then cut and serve.

Acini Di Pepe Pasta

My mother started making this when I was growing up, I always enjoyed it even though it was kind of "different". I don't like the way some people call it "Frog Eye Salad", that just doesn't sound very appetizing. This is one of those recipes that at first people, especially teenagers, say "eewww....no thanks"., but then they taste it and love it.

I always use more marshmallows than the recipe calls for and I never put nuts in it.

Acini Di Pepe Pasta Salad

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)

1 cup acini di pepe pasta (uncooked)

1 cup drained pineapple tidbits

1 can mandarin oranges

12 ounces Cool Whip

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows.

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Stir the sugar, flour, salt, egg, butter, lemon juice and pineapple juice in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. Cool. (It will thicken as it cools).

Boil acini di pepe in water about 10 minutes.

Drain, rinse in cold water. Dry

When all liquid is removed, add cooled mixture.

Refrigerate overnight.

Add Cool Whip, drained mandarin oranges, drained pineapple and marshmallows.

Chill and enjoy...

Tres Leches

Tres Leches (Jana Fowers) 350° 30-35min.

Cake:

5 eggs separated

1 c. sugar (separated 3/4 and 1/4)

1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

Beat egg yolks in medium size bowl with 3/4 c. of the sugar until the mixture is light in color. (about 3-5 minutes). Carefully stir in milk, vanilla, flour, and baking powder, and set aside.

Beat egg whites until peaks start to form. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until whites are stiff, BUT NOT DRY. Carefully fold the egg whites into other cake mixture. Butter a 9x13 baking dish, pour batter into baking dish and bake cake for 30-35 minutes at 350° until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Milk Syrup:

1 c. heavy whipping cream (8 oz, half pint)

1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 can 12 oz evaporated milk

2 T. vanilla

In a saucepan mix cream and milks together. Bring to a boil, stirring, remove from heat, cool slightly then add vanilla. Poke holes in cake with toothpick. Slowly pour milk over cake.

Garnish with fruit and whipped cream.

I use to use a different recipe for chicken enchiladas, however, one day one of the girls I work with mentioned this is how she makes hers. I quickly wrote it down and have been making them this way ever since. They are super easy. I usually serve them with spanish rice, corn and tortilla chips.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Cooked Shredded Chicken (about 2 to 4 cups)

--I either purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it into pieces or cook boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 3 or 4) in the crock pot on high for about 3 to 4 hours until they are cooked and tender. I’ll do this the night before and then they are ready to go the next day. You can also boil chicken).

1 Large Can Green Enchilada Sauce

--LaVictoria is the best brand if you can find it

Jack Cheese – Grated

--I use Monterey Jack cheese. You can purchase it already grated or grate it yourself. The brick of cheese that you grate yourself seems to melt better.

1 Can diced green chilies

Flour Tortillas

Spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

Mix the enchilada sauce and the green chilies together.

Cut the tortillas so they will lay flat in the pan.

Layer the tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese and then do another layer with tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese. Then do a layer on top of just the tortillas with the remaining sauce and cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for about 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with Spanish rice and mixed vegetables.