Whole Wheat Bread

Source: Louise Mueller 

(This bread recipe has NEVER failed me!)

Mix & sponge 15 min:   

(Sponge just means let it sit)

4 cups wheat flour       

5 cups warm water        

2 Tbsp yeast             

2 Tbsp gluten
2 Tbsp dough enhancer  

Then add:

½ cup potato flakes
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
4 tsp salt
6-7 cups wheat flour (keep adding until side of bowl comes clean)
             

                                                              Preheat oven 150°. Knead dough 8 minutes. Divide dough into 3 sections. Roll each section out 3 separate times, folding into thirds between each. Roll up each into loaf, tuck in ends, pinch seams together, put into pans. Turn oven off. Place loaves in oven to raise for 25 minutes. Turn oven to 350° while loaves are in oven, bake 35-45 minutes until internal temperature reaches 205°.

Pasta Amatriciana

Source: Rachel Ray

1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 slices thick bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped (I use pre-chopped, frozen)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I use 4 tsp. jarred)

1 cup chicken stock

1 can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (28 oz)

salt

pepper

½ cup parsley, chopped

shredded Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta, al dente.

Heat olive oil in deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and crisp 4-5 minutes then add onions and garlic, cook to soften. Stir in stock and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15 min. Toss pasta with sauce and parsley. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Castellina

Source: Olive Garden

      (time consuming and expensive, but worth it every once in a while)

1 1/2 lbs penne pasta, cooked al dente

Sauce:

1/4 cup pancetta (or bacon), diced

6 Tbsp butter, cubed

1 tsp garlic, chopped

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups milk

1 oz cornstarch

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup smoked Gouda cheese, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

8.5 oz can sliced artichokes, drained

1/4 tsp pepper

¼ cup mushrooms, sliced

Chicken:

1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

¾ cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Sauce- Saute pancetta in a large pot, over medium/high heat until crisp and golden brown. Reduce heat, add butter and allow it to melt. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for approximately one minute, stirring frequently (do not brown.)  Whisk in cream, milk and cornstarch. Raise heat to medium/high. Whisk in Parmesan and Gouda cheeses. Once cheese melts, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and let stand uncovered.

Chicken- Mix flour with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess flour. Heat olive oil in large sauté pan. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides (approximately 7 minutes total.) Add sauce and bring to a boil on medium/high heat. Transfer drained, cooked pasta to large platter. Evenly distribute chicken and sauce over pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chicken Parmesan Bake

Source: Tricia Neilson

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

¼ cup chopped basil (optional)

8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese

1 (5 oz) pkg garlic croutons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic. Arrange the chicken breasts in bottom of dish, pour marinara sauce over chicken. Sprinkle basil over sauce, top with half of the mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle on the croutons, then top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken breasts, until thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Roasted Sausage and Vegetables

Source: Margie Reese

1 14 oz.Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage, sliced

5 carrots, peeled and rough chopped

3 stalks celery, rough chopped

4 potatoes, any kind, rough chopped

1 onion, sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss vegetables with olive oil, then with soup mix. Place in 9x13 pan, roast for 30 min. Add sausage, roast for 10 more minutes.

*Other kinds of sausage work well also- I like the chicken apple sausage from Costco. If using raw sausage, add at beginning with veggies.

Creamy Cheesecake

Source: Pamela Thomas (served at our AZ wedding reception)

Crust:

4 oz crushed butter cookies (or graham crackers)

3 Tbsp butter

Cake:

5  8 oz. packages softened cream cheese

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter and mix with cookie crumbs. Press into 9” springform pan. Bake for 10 min.

Add each package of cream cheese one at a time, mixing 30 seconds between each. Add the sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Beat in eggs, separately, mixing 30 seconds each. Beat in vanilla. Pour over crust, bake for 50 minutes. Chill at least 6 hours.

Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Source: Ina Garten

1 lemon,zested

¾ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil plus 3 Tbsp

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 stalks rosemary

1 Tbsp thyme

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 lb pork tenderloin

salt

pepper

Mix all ingredients except salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Marinate for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tenderloins from marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in sauté pan. Brown meat on all sides. Place meat on a sheet pan and roast for 35-45 min, depending on size of meat, until 137 degrees in center. Let rest for 10 minutes and slice

* I always save enough left overs to make Pork with Creamy Hunter's Gravy later in the week. So delish!

Pizza Dough

Source: The Food Nanny

1 TBSP active dry yeast (Red Star from Costco)
1 cup warm water- not hot
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Set oven to 500° with pizza stone inside.
Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover and let foam for 5 min. In large bowl, mix oil, honey, salt and yeast mixture. Mix in 3 cups of flour by hand 1 cup at a time. Mix until dough pulls away from bowl, adding up to one more cup of flour, 1/4 cup at a time, if necessary. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 2-3 minutes. Cover dough with bowl until ready to roll out. Divide dough into 3 portions, roll out and quickly move to floured pizza peel or roll out on parchment. Top with olive oil and toppings, transfer quickly to heated pizza stone, bake for 5 minutes.

Toppings:
Arugula Pizza- top crust with olive oil and fresh mozzarella cheese, bake for 5 min, then top with fresh arugula, fresh chopped tomatoes, dress with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Margarita Pizza- top crust with olive oil and diced, seeded tomatoes, bake for 4 minutes, add fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese, bake for 2-3 more minutes. Dress with fresh sliced basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cranberry Chicken

Source: Megan Bruschke

6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup Russian dressing

1 envelope onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for one hour.

(I often use frozen chicken tenderloins, bake for 30 min, on convection setting.)

(Replace cranberry sauce with 16 oz apricot jam for Apricot Chicken.)

Zuppa Toscana

Source: Olive Garden

1 lb mild Italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean Italian)

2 large Russet potatoes, chopped

1 large onion, chopped (I use pre-chopped, frozen)

2 garlic cloves, minced (I use jarred)

2 cups kale, chopped

16 oz chicken broth

4 cups water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Drain fat. Over medium-high heat, add chicken broth, water, potatoes and garlic. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Variations: Switch kale for spinach, half and half for cream to save money. (Heavy cream is definitely better!)

Black Bean Burritos

Source: Zonya's Health Bites

2 cups brown rice 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped (I use pre-chopped, frozen)

1 bell pepper (I use pre-chopped, frozen)

1 tsp minced garlic (I use jarred)

2 cups medium salsa

2 cans black beans

2 cups frozen corn

½ cup parsley, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

Cook rice as directed on package. (I love Basmati brown rice. It smells like popcorn. I make lots and freeze it to make recipes like this super fast.)

Sauté onions, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil. Add salsa, black beans, corn, rice, parsley, cumin, and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve in tortillas, top with cheese and sour cream.

If I don't have every ingredient, I just improvise. Peppers, corn, parsley, even oregano can be left out. The salsa gives it most of the flavor. The cumin makes it extra good though. This makes a lot. It freezes well individually portioned in zip lock bags.

Lasagna

Source: Tami Richardson

9 oz. Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles

1 lb Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage

½ large onion, diced (I use frozen pre-diced)

2 cloves garlic (I use 2 tsp jarred minced garlic)

1 1/2 jars favorite spaghetti sauce

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk, warmed

½ cup parmesan cheese (yes-the green can on this one)

3 cups shredded cheese, I usually use cheddar, only because I always have it on hand

Preheat oven to 350.

Sauté onion until transparent, add garlic for 1 min, add sausage and brown, then drain. Add spaghetti sauce  to meat reserving 2 cups.

In separate pan melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 min. Add milk, whisking until smooth and thick, about 3-4 min. Whisk in parmesan cheese.

In 9x13 pan pour enough spaghetti sauce to cover bottom, layer noodles, then meat sauce, then white sauce, then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat for second layer. For top layer, add noodles and top with reserved spaghetti sauce, top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 60 min, tented with foil the first 40 min, until golden brown.

Beef Curry

Source: Margie Reese

3.5 oz. box S&B Golden Mild Curry Sauce Mix

2 lbs stew meat

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks

1 onion, sliced

2 potatoes, large dice

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

(Yes, do put in the entire package of curry. I wondered at first.) Variations- replace beef with cubed raw chicken breast or thighs, or leave meat out. Chick peas would be a good source of vegetable protein in this recipe.