Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 ½ Cornmeal

¾ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp Kosher salt

2 large eggs

4 Tbsp butter (divided)

Directions

Whisk cornmeal, soda and salt together in a bowl.

Whisk eggs and milk together and then add to dry ingredients.

Combine vigorously.

Add a teaspoon and a half to your hot skillet and pour in some batter.

Cook on one side and then flip.  Take out when cooked through and golden brown.

Repeat as you go.

No buttermilk?  Take regular milk and add 4 tsp of apple cider vinegar and let it stand for a minute as a substitute.

Pizza Dough in 30 minutes

For carb-lovers, this recipe is a godsend. We love making our own bread, pizzas, and pastries, but it’s such a hassle making dough that requires kneading and hours of resting, that we don’t do it very often. That’s why this recipe of ours is so great – homemade dough that you can make in under half an hour, no wait-time!

This makes one large disk or three little ones, perfect for Grandkids!

Ingredients

2 1/2-3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup warm water or milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small bowl or glass, combine 1/2 cup warm water with yeast and sugar. Stir together and let rest 5-10 minutes, or until frothy. 

Report Note: if mixture is not bubbly, discard and start again.

Combine 2 cups flour with yeast mixture, remaining water, olive oil and salt, and mix together until a shaggy dough forms. 

Gradually continue adding flour until dough is smooth, then let rest 10 minutes. 

Use dough immediately, store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for later use.

This dough is so much better if you let it rest overnight.  Follow all the steps above and let it rise for an hour.  Spray a gallon plastic bag with oil and then put the dough in, seal it and throw it in the fridge.  Take it out an hour before use and let it come to room temperature, shape it and let it rise.  You will be rewarded.

https://food.12tomatoes.com/30-minute-dough/

Lemon-Olive Chicken with Orzo

I made this during Quarantine and was totally out of Lemons so I used Oranges and orange juice and it was delicious.  I also used whole pitted Kalamata black olives.

Serves four

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo pasta

1/2 medium lemon, cut into 4 wedges

1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides; remove from pan.

Add broth to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.

 Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Return chicken to pan. Cook, covered, 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender and a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°.

Kale mushroom feta quiche

Mushroom, Kale Feta Quiche

By Rachel with help from Kass

Ingredients:

Olive oil or butter to sauté

1-2 bunch kale

One large onion

1 lb white mushrooms

1 ½ cups feta cheese

10 eggs 

1 cup milk

2 sheets puff pastry (or two pie crusts) 

Salt 

Pepper

Instructions

Sauté one bunch kale torn into smaller pieces removing center stem.

Dice and sauté an onion.

Slice and sauté mushrooms. 

Combine in bowl. 

crumble one block of feta into veggies mix

 In separate bowl whisk 5 eggs and a half cup milk. 

Add liberal amounts of pepper and a tsp salt. 

Mix with half the veggie mix. 

Do it again with the other half (5 eggs, half cup milk, salt, pepper). 

Get two pie pans use puff pastry as crust (just lay down a sheet). 

Pour in each mix into a pie pan, crumble half a block of feta on each quiche. 

Bake one at time at 400 for 45 min. Do fork test (come out clean). 

Yield is two quiches. 

Calzone – a pizza turnover

I got this recipe from an insert in the Seattle times way back when.  Julia Child had posted it in the Sunday section of the newspaper.  It called for a steamer and a food processor and a pizza stone.  None of which I had but started to slowly acquire them afterwards and have never been without the invaluable steamer and food processor.  This recipe really galvanized my entire cooking experience.  Just recently when going through old papers I came across a photocopy of the recipe and am committing it to the blog for the place it plays in my history.

Ingredients

Dough for three 12 inch disks

3 cups flour

1 package yeast

1/8 tsp sugar

½ cup tepid water

.75 cup cold milk

1.5 tsp salt

2 TBSP Olive Oil

Filling (per calzone)

1 sweet Italian sausage

1 fennel bulb

1 onion

1 medium red bell pepper

Garlic oil (1 garlic clove in 3 TBSP olive oil)

Salt pepper and lemon juice

Cheeses

            ¼ cup parmesan

            1/3 cup swiss

            1 ounce cheddar or swiss in long logs

Herbs

            Minced parsley

            Oregano

            Basil

            Thyme

Method

Make the yeast mixture, let stand 5 minutes

Into food processor add flour, salt and olive oil.

Process to blend

Then add yeast mixture and process a few times

Then dribble in milk till ball forms.  It might require more than ¾ cup.

Let dough rest for five minutes.

Turn out onto a floured board and kneed 50 strokes. 

Let it rest then kneed it 20 more times.

Let dough rise for 1.5 hours

Then divide the dough into thirds and let rest for then minutes.

As dough rises, steam and slice the sausage and vegetables.

Oven to 500 degrees.

Toss dough into three separate round disks, 12 inches in diameter

Paint dough with garlic oil in center of disk.  Leave ½ inch around edge free of oil.

Spread ingredients onto half the disk and then fold over and seal the edges.

Paint with garlic oil and use coarse salt on top of calzone. 

Bake on parchment paper, or corn meal on pizza stone.

Bake for six minutes till golden brown.

Sue Warner-Bean’ s Curry Chicken Salad

I got this from Nanci Zombro who got it from Sue Warner-Bean.  We made it for a worship in the park experience with John Knox church for 105 pita pocket sandwiches.  So many people asked for the recipe that I have added it to the blog!

Ingredients:

1 8oz Cream Cheese

¼ Cup Butter

2 tsp Curry Powder

1 clove Garlic, minced

½ Cup Major Grey’s Chutney, finely chopped

¼ Cup chopped nuts (any kind)

(Stop here for making a vegetarian version)

 8 to 12 ounces Cooked Chicken, finely chopped

Green Onions, chopped

Beat Cream Cheese and butter.  Add curry, garlic, chutney, and nuts.  If mixture is too thick you can add a small amount of sour cream or milk to thin it out a little.

Add chicken and green onions.   Beat until blended.

Serve immediately or cover with a damp paper towel and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Sue put  it on crustless bread that she added chopped nuts to all around the outside.  Nanci and I put it in a pocket pita.  The next tea party we do, we will try it Sue's way.

...

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups cooked rice

3⁄4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour and thyme and cook for 1 minute.

Gradually stir in broth and milk, stirring until thick and smooth.

Stir in chicken and add salt and pepper; set aside.

Grease a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish.

Spread rice in prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the peas and then pour creamed chicken mixture over.

Dot with remaining tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese which you mix together.

Bake at 400° until hot and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.