Category: Recipes

I’ve finally found a bread recipe that we both love! It has been a long process of trial and error and some not so yummy bread. This recipe works great for sandwiches and toast, so we are both happy.

Crunchy’s Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
2 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup dark rye flour
1/2 cup wheat germ

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions
Mix the yeast, water, honey, butter and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer with a spoon. Mix in the rye flour, wheat germ, 1 cup of the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flours.

Add the remaining whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Attach the dough hook and knead at low speed for 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough is shiny and elastic. If you don’t have a dough hook, knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm area for about an hour (or until it has doubled in volume).

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Gently press down the dough and divide in two. Form each piece into a roll 9 inches long and place into a buttered and floured bread loaf pan (9 x 5) with the seam down. Cover again and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 205 degrees. Transfer loaves immediately to a wire rack, letting cool to room temperature.

This pie is tasty! I don’t usually make it because my mom makes it for me. 🙂

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Pie crust – make your own or buy it at the store

Pie Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbls. flour

1 small sour cream (I think that is 8 oz, mom you can correct me if I am wrong)

1 egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 can apple pie

Topping:

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. margarine

Bake 24 minutes at 400°, sprinkle topping, bake 20 minutes more.

Autumn Apple Salad with Pomegranate
Vegetarian Times – October 2008

Fuji, ginger Gold, and Pink Lady apples are good choices here because they resist browning.

2 tsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. honey
12 cups mesclun salad mix
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
1 cup pomegranate seeds

1. Heat oil in small skillet over low heat. Add shallot, and saute 4 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and stir in balsamic vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine mesclun mix and apple slices in large salad bowl. Drizzle with half of shallot dressing, and toss to coat. Divide salad among six plates. Top with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and remaining dressing.

This salad won me over because it had goat cheese and pomegranate, but the Fuji apple I bought for it stole the show, it was yummy.

The magazine also gave a tip on how to remove pomegranate seeds without getting squirted. Slice off the top of the pomegranate, then cut the fruit into quarters. Place one quarter in a large bowl of water, and rub the seeds from the pith with your fingers. Let the seeds sink to the bottom of the bowl, and repeat with remaining quarters. Strain out water — the yield for one pomegranate is about 3/4 cup of seeds. My giant pomegranate yielded over one cup.

This is Matt’s favorite brinner recipe.

Spiced Apple Pancake
Good HouseKeeping October 2007

Tip: For the puffiest pancake, use a cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have one, choose a heavy 12-inch skillet with a bottom that is at least 10 inches in diameter and an oven-safe handle.

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 lbs. Granny Smith apples (3 to 4 medium), peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
3 lg. eggs
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (ummm I use both because I like it that way)
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat butter, water, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium-high heat to boiling. Add apple wedges; cook 12 to 15 minutes or until apples are golden and sugar mixture begins to caramelize, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor with knife blade attached, place eggs, milk, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, adding liquid ingredients to blender first. Blend until batter is smooth.
3. When apple mixture in skillet is deep golden, pour batter over apples. Place skillet in oven; bake 15 to 17 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

 

 

In case you haven’t noticed it is apple season.  There are gigantic displays of apples at the grocery store (no trees here 🙁 ), and it got me thinking that I should share some of my favorite apple recipes.  I will share them over the next couple of weeks.  I have some I really want to try, like this one and this one.  (As long as there is apples in the recipe it is healthy, no?)  Today’s recipe actually is a healthy one, I won’t start you off on cake. 😉

 

 

Apple-Cheddar Salad with Walnuts (from Good Housekeeping, October 2007)

1/4 c. apple cider or apple juice

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. honey

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

1 head Boston or Butter lettuce, torn into pieces

1 lb. Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Empire apples (2 to 3 medium), cored and thinly sliced

1/4 c. walnuts, toasted

3 oz. shaved extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese

In large serving bowl, whisk together cider, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.  Add lettuce and apple slices and toss to coat.  Arrange salad on 6 plates; top with walnuts and cheddar cheese.

 

I actually like to eat this for lunch, so I whisk the dressing ingredients together in a container and then just put some lettuce, half an apple, some walnuts, and cheese on a plate and drizzle the dressing on then toss with my fork.

 

I made this delicious french toast casserole Saturday night for baking Sunday morning and it was a big hit with Matt.  Let’s just say it was so good he ate the leftovers last night for dinner because he wanted more.  (I left the pecans off because he doesn’t love pecans on his food.)  In keeping with my wanting to make all my own bread I had to make the challah bread myself.  I learned challah was a braided bread and didn’t feel like doing that, so I found a bread machine recipe that worked great, I followed one reviewer’s suggestion of adding one more egg and I think it turned out well.  This is a great recipe to make the night before and pop in the oven the next morning.