Italian Bread Bowls

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• These seemed like they would be perfect to serve our chili in for Thanksgiving, however, I made them twice, the first time, they were too small, the second time, I made them big enough to get chili in, but, they were not as I expected (tough exterior, flaky interior), these came out rugged, but the inside was not flaky soft and yummy...  I am posting this anyway to see if anyone has suggestions? Thanks.
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• 2 (.25 ounce) 6 tsp packages active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
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• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.
3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
4. Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
7. To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.

Blue Ribbon Chili

• When Harry suggested to me that we should shake up Thanksgiving this year, and do chili, we discussed doing Turkey Chili, but I thought we also needed to make a regular chili too. I found this recipe on All Recipe's and thought  we should give it a try. It turned out fantastic! It was a hit with everyone but H, who preferred the Turkey Chili. I apologize for not taking as many pictures with this recipe as I did the others, I ended up doing most of my cooking Wednesday as M was sick on Tuesday. The upside, is that this turned out so well, I intend on making a triple batch of this next weekend to store away in the freezer for those moments when chili would be handy to have in a can (since we cannot use the canned chili anymore this is great!)so I will take more pictures then!!!

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• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2  1 onion, chopped

4 stalks Celery Chopped Fine.

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce   1 15.5 oz can Italian Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
• 4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/debdoozies-blue-ribbon-chili/detail.aspx

Pumpkin Roll

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (purpose)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice



Cream Cheese Filling

2 tbsps sugar
8 ozs cream cheese (softened)
14 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar


1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
2 In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly.
3 Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes.
4 Lay a damp linen towel on the counter, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Carefully roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes.
5 Make the icing: In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
6 When the cake has cooled 20 minutes, unroll it and spread icing onto it. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Keep the cake refrigerated or freeze it for up to 2 weeks in aluminum foil. Cut the cake in slices just before serving.

So this was the FIRST time I have attempted a jelly roll type dish, and I used a cookie sheet, the cake came out a bit thick, and cracked :-(, When I do this again, I will be more careful to make this thin. I also would go with parchment paper rather than the  Tea towel, even with the towel being damp the cake tried to stick to it. I'll update when I do it again hopefully we get a better result. Taste wise though this was good!!!! Definitely will do this again!

Recipe from :http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Granny-Kat_s-Pumpkin-Roll-Allrecipes

Turkey Chili

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (7 ounce) can salsa
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or coarsely chopped tomatoes packed in puree
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix, coriander, oregano, chili flakes, and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, and green chilies, and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili, reduce heat, and continue cooking 15 minutes more. Again, adjust the consistency with water as needed.
Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and serve.

This came out good just as the recipe dictates, however, if I was going to make it again, I would omit the coriander and the zucchini...  I doubled the recipe, and it went over with 4/5 stars.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to take a minute and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I will be posting recipe's and photos (some from my new camera) from Thanksgiving over the next few days!  In the mean time, I hope your Holiday is Joyful!

~Christina

Thanksgiving Prep Day 1, Monday

As I am planning Thanksgiving day this year, I want to be resting, and enjoying my family on Thanksgiving, so I am intending on finishing cooking Wednesday Evening, All we will have to do Thursday, is heat and eat. With three kids its much easier for me to do it this way as well. 


Today, this morning I have prepared Turkey Chili, Deviled Eggs, and Home Made Mayo, This afternoon, I will be baking, Bread bowls,  Rolls, and bread sticks :-) Recipe's and pictures to follow this post.

Bread's

This week, along with Thanksgiving, I am going to be tackling some of our hardest to find items, Bread and Mayonnaise. As we are preparing C for school next year (2012 Preschool)  learning more about soy, where, and (even more daunting) how it is hidden in the foods we eat, we are quickly coming to the conclusion that it is just not possible to try to have them serve her ANY food at school. We have been lucky up until this point, C seemed to just not like bread at all, even the one brand (Beembo) that didn't have soy (until they changed the recipe recently), until (dun dun dun) H and I made bread sticks the other night. So now I am on a quest to master the basics of bread,  (sandwich loaf, sandwich bun, hot dog (ish) bun). Here are the recipe's I will be trying this week:

1. Brioche Burger Buns
2. Pan Brioche
3. Flour Tortillas
4. Burger or Hot Dog Buns
5. New England Style Hot Dog Buns (recipe below)
6. Alton Brown's Mayonnaise
7. Whole Egg Mayonnaise (with Canola oil instead of Veg Oil)

New England-Style Hot Dog Buns

 Makes 1 dozen sliced buns 

 Rich in eggs and butter, this dough is soft and tender and does not require excessive kneading. It is easy to make by hand and even easier if you have an electric mixer with a dough hook.

 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

 1/2 cup warm water 

 1 teaspoon salt

 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring, plus additional for dusting 

 3 large eggs 

 1/2 cup warm milk

 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

 2 tablespoon salad oil 

 2 tablespoons water

 Combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. (This allows the yeast to "bloom.") 

 Add the salt and flour.

 Lightly beat 2 of the eggs with the milk and add this mixture to the bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add this as well. Have the remaining 1/4 cup warm water ready. If you are mixing by hand, add some of the water and begin to mix, adding the water as needed. If using an electric mixer, attach the dough hook and jog the machine (turn it on and off) until the dough begins to form. This prevents the flour from jumping out of the mixing bowl. Add the remaining warm water as needed; the dough usually takes the full amount. 

When a soft dough has formed, knead for 5 minutes by machine or about 8 minutes by hand. This is a soft bread and does not require as much kneading as chewier types The finished dough should be soft but dense and should not be sticky. 

Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil it with the salad oil. Place it in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.

 Punch the dough down and move to a work surface. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a square. Using a knife, cut the dough into 13 equal pieces. This is best done by cutting 12 pieces and using scraps to make the thirteenth. If there is not enough dough for the thirteenth piece steal a little pinch off the others. With the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, lightly grease a baking sheet that is at least 15 inches long. 

Shape the dough into uniform 7-inch-long tubular pieces. It is important that all the pieces be the same length. Place the tube in a line, side by side, down the center of the baking sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch gap between them. Put the pan in a warm place and let rise a second time. 

 Prepare a thick egg wash by mixing the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water. After 15 to 20 minutes, the tubes of dough will have risen enough that they will be touching. 

Generously brush the tubes with egg wash, return the pan to the warm spot and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, 10 to 15 minutes. 

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Place the buns in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until deep golden brown. 

 Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes, then run a spatula under them to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Using 1 or 2 spatulas, carefully lift the baked dough in one piece onto a rack to cool. It is crucial that you not let the buns break or tear apart. After an hour, when the baked dough is completely cooled, move it in one piece to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice down the center of each tube. You will lose half a tube on each end (which is why you need 13 tubes to make 12 buns). The place where the tubes met is now the center of each bun. They will open naturally when it comes time to stuff them, but you can make a small incision to ensure that this happens. Wrap the buns in plastic wrap until ready to use. If you do not intend to use all 12 buns, freeze the extras and defrost when needed.