Pesto

BY BETTY WATSON

Sometimes not complicating is the best way to enjoy things. And this recipe is the proof. With freshest of the ingredients brought together without hassle you have the most amazing flavorful pesto sauce.

I had this questing always lurking on back of my head “How to make a pesto?”. I knew it was simple but the amount of ingredients always put my recipe on the edge, until I found this pesto sauce recipe. Give it a try and you will fall in love with its simplicity and creamy pesto sauce.

Ingredients:

• Bulk of Parmesan Cheese to make 1/2 Cup grated cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh Parsley
• ¼ cup fresh Basil  (or 1 Tbsp dried basil)
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 to 1 cup Olive oil

I am back from vacation, well not exactly vacation. It is bit confusing. Let me explain. It was supposed to be vacation but turned out to be one from hell. First the flight that was supposed to land around 11:00 pm landed around 2:00 am, then another 2 hours in plane due to bad weather. Finally made it out of plane guess what, everything coming into the airport was blocked. That wasn’t the worst part of all. There wasn’t a single hotel with rooms available. Wait for it here comes the best part, rented car from Budget Car Rental and while I was napping my friend decided that wasn’t the right car and got it exchanged along with my stuff in it. Then comes calling to Budget, they were closed for weekend and on week days they were not interested in picking up the phone or even calling me back. Alas a phone call from budget just before my flight back to SLC to inform me that we returned the empty car even though my friend saw the GPS in the car and thought it belonged to the rental when returning the car. Lesson learned never renting car from budget ever again.

With all this hassle on vacation all I wanted was to relax when I came home. So I challenged myself to make a bread. Followed the recipe to exact and something wonderful happened. My house was smelling of fresh bread and that made me so happy. The bread was dense, soft and amazing.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ cups hot water (130 ° F.)
• ¾ Tbsp salt
• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 ½ Tbsp Dough Enhancer
• 1 ½ Tbsp SAF Instant Yeast*
• 6-7 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour

• Mill about 6 cups of wheat in the Nutrimill on the medium setting.
• Add water, honey, oil, Dough Enhancer, salt and four cups of whole wheat flour to the Bosch Compact mixing bowl. Knead on speed 2.
• Add the yeast, and the remaining flour, until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl (the amount of flour used will depend on the moisture content of the wheat and other factors). Knead until the gluten is properly developed (12 – 18 minutes, depending on the protein content of wheat).
• Oil hands; remove dough from mixer, shape into loaves, and place in well-greased pans (use hand shortening). Let rise until double in size.
• Bake at 350 ° F. for 35 – 45 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and let cool on wire rack. Makes two, 24 oz. loaves.

Beef Stir Fry

Recently Bosch Food Processor was awarded Best Food Processor Brand – Reader’s Choice Award by About.com. So to share that excitement, today I have a recipe using the food processor that can be made in minutes. Enjoy!!!! 

Best Food Processors Voting Results:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 pound lean ground round steak (hamburger may be used)
• 1/3 cup chopped water chestnuts
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ¼ cup candied ginger, finely chopped
• ¼ cup beef broth
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• Optional Garnish Thai Chili (Only if you are brave enough)

Method:

French Onion Soup

Spring is knocking on the door. It is time to get our gardening tools out, dust our bbq grill and start to seriously work on that new year’s resolution of shedding some extra pound before getting our sexy, summery outfits out. If you are anything like me, then you will wait till last moment and then panic attack. I always keep saying next year I will work out before summer and be in best shape for summer. Doest it happen? You know the answer, it start with just one bite of cake and just one spoon full of something and never stops.

Lets put that aside. Talk about French Onion Soup. The word french, makes the plain old onion soup sound like sexy dress and more desirable. I am not huge onion fan when it comes to soup. But as spring is here and temperature is getting warmer, oh ok I know you are wondering where am I going with this. Well mom once told me that onion has a property of maintaining your body temperature. So with temperature going slightly high but still cold I thought this will be great recipe to start with. The recipe is from Bosch Compact recipe book.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 3 cups water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
• 4 slice French bread ¾ inch thick
• ¾ cup grated Swiss cheese

Method:

• Slice onions in Bosch Slicer/Shredder with slicing disc.
• Cook butter and onions in saucepan on low heat until onions are tender.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except bread and cheese, and simmer for 10 t0 15 minutes.
• Toast bread under broiler, sprinkle with cheese, heat bread in microwave until cheese melts, or put under broiler.
• Float bread in each bowl just before serving.

• 1 clove garlic
• 6 oz. blue cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk

Method:

• In blender mince together the garlic and four ounce of the cheese.
• In Bosch mixing bowl add the mayonnaise and sour cream, and mix well, using wire whisk.
• Add lemon juice, pepper and salt, then blend in the milk and the blue cheese (cut into pea sized pieces).
• Note: Mix until milk is combined. If you like the dressing smooth, not chunky, as all the blue cheese with the garlic.
• Chill and stir before serving. Makes 1 ½ cups. Serve it with your choice of fruits and vegetables or anything you love.

I had a week off from work. What is a girl to do when you have so much free time on hand. What else shop, eat and travel. My week off was to clean my kitchen, my closet, my room, list to be continued. Nothing of that happened. Instead I packed my bag and headed to my friends place, Chicago. My love affair with chicago was instant when I first laid eyes on its downtown from plane, four years ago. Beautiful downtown on the lake side, and abundance of restaurants you will never be board, and shopping you name it they have it, most of all, I could get the new york experience with slightly less crowd.

That is why I have been little lazy with posting my blog. My creative thinking cap was lost and I had my eating hats on, hopping from restaurants to carts. In situations like this I get my magical help (cookbooks) out for blog posts. Today’s recipe is one of my favorite. I only do few changes with the ingredients here and there, to give it a variation. It is easy, tasty and makes you fell better as you are eating healthy. This recipe is from the Delicious Meets Nutritious, Xagave cookbook by Stephen Richards.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. Xagave
• 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast cut into pieces( Thighs can be used too)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp. Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp. Minced Ginger
• 1 Bunch Scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 18 oz Can Water Chestnuts, drained
• 1/4 Cup Roasted Unsalted Cashews
• 1 Small Head Lettuce, leaves seperated

Method:

• Combine soy sauce and xagave in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add chicken pieces. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Note: Can be substituted with shrimp or tofu.
• Stir fry until the meat is done (about  4 to 5 minutes).
• Add 1/2 of the soy sauce and Xagave mix, scallions, chestnuts and cashews.
• Stir fry until warmed through, couple of minutes.
• Divide the lettuce leaves on the plates and chicken mix into lettuce leaves.
• Drizzle the remaining soy sauce mixture over the lettuce wraps and serve.

Time to combine your baking hat with thinking cap and put together you prefect bread recipe: King Arthur Flour, Fleischmann’s Yeast and Kansas Wheat Commission are co-sponsoring the 2011 National Festival of Breads competition, which seeks the best yeast bread recipes from home bakers throughout the United States. The competition is open to home bakers ages 18 and up from all over the nation.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2010, amateur bakers can submit original recipes for Ethnic Breads, Rolls, Time-Saving and Easy Breads, and Whole Grain Breads, to NationalFestivalofBreads.com. A secure, easy-to-use form is available for bakers to enter recipes online; submissions will not be accepted by mail, fax, e-mail or phone. The deadline for entries is Feb. 7, 2011.

Judges will vet all entries and select eight finalists, each of whom will receive airfare to and accommodations in Wichita, to participate in national competition events June 23-25, 2011. In addition, each finalist will receive a $500 cash award, participate in a Wheat Harvest Tour to a working Kansas wheat farm, flour mill and grain elevator, and take part in other activities.

Judges will evaluate the finalists’ yeast bread entries based on taste, originality, ease of preparation, healthfulness and appearance. One Grand Prize Winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to a baking class of his or her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vt., a year’s supply of Fleischmann’s Yeast, plus $2,000 cash.

Find out more about the competition.

By AL’S WHOLESOME FOOD.

Today I would like to share a very special recipe from our guest. The recipes is from Al’s Wholsome Food by Mr. Al Godsey and his wife Pam. We received mini version of this bread during Christmas time along with few other. They were light fluffy and delicious. So let’s bake a fluffy loaf like a professional baker with some tips and help for Mr Al. And just don’t go anywhere soon we still have more recipes form Al that I will posting soon. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 15-16 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (hard “red” or “white” spring wheat)
  Note:Protein (flour is best when freshly milled – (more food value) hint – 8 Cups red and white.
• 3 – Cups white wheat and grind in mill on fine or the dial at 12:00 straight up
• 6½ Cups Water @ 100 ° F
• 2/3 Cups Vegetable Oil
• 2/3 Cups Honey (raw or pure)
• 2 Tbsp Salt
• 3 – Tbsp – Yeast (Red Star or Saf-instant)
  Note:(Please note this recipe is recommended for a 700-watt + Bread Mixer or knead by hand 100 times and let rise 3 times – Total kneading -300 times.)

Method:

1. Mix 1 Tbsp yeast, ½ cup of water at 100° F and 1 tsp honey in a small bowl.
   For 2-3 minutes to brew. – Note to TEST the yeast!
2. Add 7 cups of whole wheat flour and 6 cups of water 100° F into the large.
   Mixing bowl and mix on #1 or low speed for ½ minute.
3. Add 2/3 cups vegetable oil and 2/3 cups honey into the mixing bowl and mix on #1 or low speed for ½ minute.
4. Add 2 Tbsp salt, and the brewed yeast from small bowl, and 2- more Tbsp of yeast (Total yeast 3 Tbsp) (Optional 3 Tbsp Gluten flour) and mix on #1 or low speed for ½ minute.
5. Add the last 8-9 cups of whole-wheat flour until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Use # 2 speed. (Put the final cup of flour in very, very slowly.
6. Mix for 10 minutes on #2 speed.Let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes in the mixing bowl in a warm place. When Raised (about double in bulk), put in a greased pan and let it rise 15-20 minutes more or in the oven at 145-148 °F until it again doubles in bulk. When the dough is raised, turn on the oven (do not pre-heat oven over 145-148 °F) and put the raised bread in the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 350 °F and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 8- 10 – one – lbs. Loaves – or 4 – 5 in big loaf pans.
   Remove the bread from the pan after cooling for a few minutes and brush it with
   Vegetable oil on top of the bread loaf.

Mix some honey and butter in a cup and spread it on the bread. Enjoy!

Sorry for the late announcement of the recipe contest result. Due to the large number of recipes that we received it was very difficult to choose just one winner. The entire recipes were wonderful and I would like to thank everyone for the support and the recipes. This post is all about the winner recipe. The winner gets free powerful, convenient  L’Equip Stick Blender.

The winning recipe is Crab Stuffed Trout and the winner is Thelma Babin. Congratulation Thelma. Your new stick blender should be arriving shortly after you send me an email at chandani AT kitchenresouce DOT com to confirm your mailing address. And here is the recipe for everyone else to enjoy.

As I haven’t included image of this recipe. I would like everyone to try this recipe and upload their picture then I will take the best picture from the bunch to publish in the blog with the recipe.

Crab Stuffed Trout

Preparation Time:1 hour

Servings:12

Ingredients:

• 12 Trout Fillets

Fish Glaze:

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons Italian Dressing
• 1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard

Crab Filling:

• 1 cup yellow onion
• 1 cup green bell pepper
• 1 cup celery
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Crab Meat
• 1 8 ounce package velvetta cheese

Method:

• Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

• Mix the milk, Italian Salad Dressing and yellow mustard to form the glaze. Baste each filet with glaze. Line the sides of each muffin cup with a fish fillet, making sure to overlap edges of fish. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. This will form a cup for the crab filling. When fish is done, set aside.

• While fish is baking, use a Alligator Chopper with Collector and chop onion, bell pepper and celery.

• Heat Olive oil in 3-quart saucepan and pour chopped vegetables. Sauté 10 minutes. Add crabmeat and cheese and simmer an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

• Mix well, then fill fish cups with crab filling. Bon appetite!

We all have heard of the whole-grain buzz now and again. But along with this buzz comes many questions, questions and more questions. What are considered whole grain? What are different types of whole grain? What is the daily intake quantity? How can I make sure I am getting the whole grain when I am buying my groceries? What are the methods to include it in your diet? What are the recipes using whole grain? How to make it interesting for kids? Etc the question goes on.

In this post I will try to answer some of those questions. The importance and value of leading a healthy life is vital in today’s fast moving world. You are expected to perform more for which you need to be healthy and balanced. For being healthy and balanced you need to eat right and exercise. Whole grains are important part of it.

First question what is whole grain?

Whole grains or foods made from them, contain all three essential parts (Endosperm, Barn and Germ) and all the naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. (www.wholegraincouncil.com)

This remains the same even with the cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded or cooked grain as long as they are not processed to remove any of the nutrient shown in the figure.

What are types of whole grain?

• Amaranth
• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rye
• Teff
• Wild rice
• Wheat
• Barley
• Corn, including whole cornmeal, popcorn
• Oats, including oatmeal
• Rice (brown and colored rice)
• Sorghum
• Triticale

The underlined are gluten free.

The following are not considered whole gain:

• Enriched flour
• Barn
• Germ, wheat germ
• Degerminated
• Pearled barley
• Grits, hominy, farina

What is the daily intake quantity?

According to Whole Grain Council grains listed below with their amount counts as 100% whole grain serving.

1. ½ cup of Pasta
2. ½ cup rice/other grain
3. 1 slice bread
4. 1 cup cold cereal
5. ½ cup hot cereal
6. 1 small bagel, muffin

USDA recommends on eating at least 3 oz of whole grain daily.

How can you be sure you are purchasing whole grain product?

The next question is bit tricky. Even after all this information how will you know if you are getting whole grain or not. You grab a box of serial from convenient store, and you want to get the whole grain. But you don’t have time to go through each and every ingredient. Well I have mentioned Whole Grain Council a lot of time. But trust me guys it is the best source for whole grain. You will find everything you need on their website. As tricky as the question is the answer is simple. For example: if it says Whole (name of grain) or you can look up for the grains that are mentioned above.  Or even easier check for whole grain logo/stamp.

Nowadays people are more aware of the whole grain so nearly all the food provider are including it in their ingredients and most of the times they are listed clearly on the packaging. Most of this information was gathered from Whole Grain council and I would like to thank them for providing it through the website and their seminar.

With all this information about whole grain I am ready to cook something using it. So here is the recipe for whole wheat rolls.

WHOLE WHEAT ROLLS.

Ingredients:
Grind: 9 cups wheat in Nutrimill or Vitalmill on fine.

• 4 Cups milk, warmed
• 1/2 Cup warm water
• 1/2 Cup shortening or cooking oil
• 3/4 Cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
• 9 Cups whole-wheat flour

Method:

Combine: Milk, water, shortening, honey, salt and eggs in Bosch mixing bowl.

Add: 5 cups whole wheat flour and knead on low speed until well blended.

Add: Dry yeast and blend again. Add remaining 4 cups whole-wheat flour and knead 10 minutes.

Put: Dough in large bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk.

Roll: Out dough 1/2″ thick on floured board. Cut with a round cutter for rolls.

Let: Rise until double in bulk.

Bake: 350° for 20 minutes.

Variations:

Crescent rolls: Roll out a circle of dough 12″ in diameter and 1/2″ thick. Cut in pie shaped pieces. Roll from the wide side of wedge in and place on greased baking sheet point placed underneath. Let rise. Then bake.

Cloverleaf rolls: oil muffin tins and then pinch off 1″ size balls of dough, mold until the top is smooth and dip in the oil and turn right side up, Put three into one muffin mold. Let rise. Then bake.

This recipe also makes delicious cinnamon rolls, hamburger buns, pizza dough or Christmas braid.