Mens Breakfast

It has been a while since I blogged about the men's breakfast held at our house biweekly. This week I made a spinach and bacon quiche (it is definitely a keeper because the quiche turns out very flaky) and homemade cinnamon rolls. I found the recipe for the cinnamon rolls on a blog I frequent and it's really easy since the dough starts in the bread machine.


Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Courtesy of Money Saving Mom

Dough:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups flour (Add a bit more if dough seems too wet after first few minutes of kneading in the bread machine.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast

Filling (Can be doubled):
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing:
1 teaspoon milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons (or less) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the dough ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle. After the dough cycle is finished, roll the dough into a large rectangle and spread it with 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon cinnamon.

Roll up and cut into 10-15 rolls and place in two greased round cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Spread the icing on as soon as they come out of the oven.

You can also cover the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap, stick them in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake in the morning.

Note: I have condemned all my round cake pans so I used a 9x13 baking dish instead.

Chicken Tacos

I've been accused of having recipes that are too difficult and not easy enough to prepare in a weeknight. Who, moi? Well, you complained and I listened. These chicken tacos have three ingredients and uses a crockpot...it doesn't get any easier. You can always adjust the spice level by adding chili pepper or some chipotle chili in adobo sauce for an extra kick. I have served this along with my favorite Spanish rice recipe. This recipe is courtesy of a dear friend.

Chicken Tacos
Recipe Courtesy of Mindy Collins
Serves 4

2 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (yes, frozen)
1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken stock
1 packet chicken taco mix

Add all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred with two forks. Serve inside warm tortillas along with your favorite taco toppings.

French Boule

One of my favorite cookbooks that I acquired last year is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The authors promise that anyone can bake a loaf of bread that rivals something from a French bakery in just five minutes of active preparation time. I have made the Challah bread and it turned out superbly. I made this loaf today and I must admit, it really did taste like something from a professional bakery.

The Master Recipe: Boule (Artisan Free-Form Loaf)
Recipe Courtesy of Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Makes four 1-lb loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal for pizza wheel

1. Warm the water slightly to about 100 degrees F.
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container.
3. Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary. Mix in a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform.
4. Allow to rise at room temperature, covered, for 2 hours.
5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight is best.
6. On baking day, sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal. Pull off a 1-pound piece of dough. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
7. Rest the loaf and let it rise on the pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes.
8. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler pan for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
9. Dust the loaf with flour and slash the loaf with 1/4 inch-deep cross using a serrated knife.
10. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan. Slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch.
11. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in a lidded container and use over the next 14 days.

Valentines Day Supper

I don't know if it is because we are now parents or the fact that we live in a town where we don't have many people to call upon for babysitting but it seems like the last couple of years have been very low key for us for Valentines Day. Gone are the days of eating out at our favorite French restaurants like this one (I would have mentioned the one in our current city but it has since closed...go figure) or taking spontaneous vacations to the City of Lights.

This year, my hubby fixed steaks indoors. We may have cracked the secret on how restaurants fix steaks because it really tasted so moist and it was very easy to prepare. The recipe calls for rib eyes but we did the same instructions for New York strip steaks. We had this along with creamed spinach and twice baked potatoes.

Pan Seared Rib Eye
Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown

• 1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
• Canola oil to coat
• kosher salt and ground black pepper

Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

Birthday Party Fare

My son turned two a few weeks ago and we had a small party for him at the house. We served a small lunch and cake for dessert. I got the recipe for these hamburger sliders from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. The burgers were very moist and delicious! We served them along with these shoestring potatoes that I remember having as a kid, chocolate milk and birthday cake, of course!

Hamburger Sliders
Recipe Courtesy of Jessica Seinfeld

• 1 lb lean ground sirloin or lean ground turkey
• 1/2 pound white button or (stemmed) shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup whole-wheat or Italian (seasoned) bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped or grated zucchini
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray, for coating skillet
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 whole-grain hamburger buns, for serving
• Tomato slices, for serving (optional)

Yields 16 small burgers.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix the meat, mushrooms, bread crumbs, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper until well combined. The mixture will be moist. Form into 16 patties and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Coat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, carefully add the oil. Add the burgers and brown on one side for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the burgers, then slide the skillet into the oven. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes longer, or until the burgers are no longer pink in the center and the meat is thoroughly cooked. Serve each burger on a bun and topped with a tomato slice, if desired.

Notes: I chopped the zucchini and mushrooms in a mini food processor and it proved to be much easier. I also used barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. Instead of whole wheat buns, I used mini brioche rolls. I also added a slice of sharp cheddar cheese to each slider.

Bread Machine Buttery Rolls

I have attempted several times to make dinner rolls and have failed miserably. I'm not sure if it's the altitude or just error on my part. I found this recipe on a blog I frequent and I loved that it starts in the bread machine. They are very easy to make and turned out super despite the high altitude! I will probably always attempt other recipes but this one is a keeper!



Bread Machine Buttery Rolls
Recipe Courtesy of Money Saving Mom

1 cup warm milk (70-80 degrees)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

Add ingredients in the order list to your bread machine. Run on dough cycle. When dough is complete, divide into 20-24 portions and shape into balls.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-16 minutes until golden brown. Yield: 20-24 rolls.

Notes: You can do a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I have a hard time forming rolls so I stuck three small balls in my muffin pan and they have a much nicer shape.

Cauliflower Soup

I got a head of cauliflower in my organic box this past week and I was really excited so that I could try this recipe. Cauliflower is pretty bland and I usually fix it in an Indian curry but this soup is so flavorful! Here is the original recipe. I adapted it so that it wouldn't be so high in calories and it was still exquisite. A perfect vegetarian supper but if you miss the meat, add crumbled bacon on top. We had this along with homemade buttery rolls.

Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 whole cauliflower head, roughly chopped
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 4-6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
  

In a large dutch oven, over medium heat, melt butter and add olive oil. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrot and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Right before serving, add chopped parsley and stir. Serve immediately and top with additional parsley and bacon if desired.