naan

Naan (Indian flatbread)
*recipe adapted from http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com
This was so good! I'd never had naan before, but I tried an Indian dish (chicken tikka masala--which was okay, but not great) so I figured I should give it a try. Wow. And it was so simple. Definitely a "keeper" recipe. And it would go good with anything. In fact, we dipped ours in honey butter and it was like dessert!

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl by hand), stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and yeast.

In a small bowl, mix together the egg, yogurt, and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir for about 1 minute, until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase machine speed to 2 (or by hand) and knead the dough until it is smooth and shiny, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.
Put a baking stone or heavy baking sheet on the lowest rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees for at least 30 minutes prior to baking.
Divide the dough into eight pieces and form into teardrop (mine were more like oval) shapes with your hands, about 6 to 8 inches across.
Cook two or three pieces at a time. Drop the dough onto the hot stone and shut the oven door, watching until they are just starting to turn brown in places, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the naan and lay on a board. You can lightly brush with melted butter or garlic butter, or just enjoy them plain.

Butterscotch cookies

These cakey little cookies are some of our family favorites. I got the recipe from my mom. I thought I had already posted them here, in fact I know I took a picture of them. But I can't find the post (or the picture!) so if it's a repeat, I'm sorry.

Cream together:
1/2 Cup shortening (I know, I know. I don't usually use shortening either, but trust me--don't try to substitute anything for it.)
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
2 eggs

Cream until the batter lightens in texture and color. You'll actually see a change.

Stir in:

1 Cup (NOT 1 can) evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and stir in:

3 Cups flour (maybe just a little less, depending on how rounded you like them--less flour=flatter cookies)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp soda

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes at 350.

Glaze:

1/3 Cup butter
3 Cups powdered sugar
5 TBSP. hot water

spread glaze over still warm cookies.

Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

My husband's favorite cookies are homemade oreo's and oatmeal cookies. I decided to make his favorite oatmeal cookies into a sandwich cookie using cream cheese frosting. He loves them...and so does the rest of the family. I tried this using a couple different oatmeal cookie recipes and I think this one works the best because the cookies are soft and not too fluffy.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and milk; mix well. Add rolled oats and stir in. Sift together dry ingredients and mix in until smooth. Stir in nuts if using them. Form into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8 oz container cream cheese
3/4 cube of butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Soften cream cheese and butter (but don't melt). Stir together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Frost the pan side of one cookie and place another cookie on top of it to make an oatmeal cookie sandwich.

Honey Popcorn

This is one of the first recipes I ever put in my little blue recipe box. My best friend brought it to our Merrie Miss recipe exchange when we were ten or eleven. Her mom made it frequently and I always loved it. Friday nights at our house are Movie and Popcorn Night at our house. There are many times we have a snack different than popcorn at Movie and Popcorn Night, but last Friday we stuck with tradition and had this. I ate most of it, but it looks like Annie has inherited my love for it.

Honey Popcorn
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cream
1 cube butter
1 cup marshmallows
2 large bowls popped corn

Cook all ingredients except marshmallows over medium heat to soft ball stage, stirring constantly (or in my case, with just quick little breaks in between stirs). Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows. Pour over popped corn.

French Breakfast Puffs

This is one of the first recipes I remember baking. Kate and I used to make them all the time when we lived at home. Now my kids love them! They are better as mini-muffins but also work as regular sized muffins. Makes 24 mini muffins.

Sift together:

1 1/2 Cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

In another bowl combine:

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir by hand JUST until moistened. (do not overmix)

Grease mini-muffin tin and fill with batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. While baking combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. After removing from oven, immediately tip tops in 3 Tablespoons melted butter then into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Sweet Pork Salad

This was the best dish I've made in a long time! We ate the leftovers for dinner the next night and we NEVER do that--usually I just send leftovers with Barry for lunch the next day. But I would have eaten this every night for a week. It's really that good. And don't leave out the tomatillo dressing--I toyed with the idea of just being lazy and serving it with ranch dressing, and I'm so glad I didn't because the dressing is amazing! I found the recipe at the sister's cafe http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com. They have some awesome recipes, go check it out!

Shredded Sweet Pork

3 lb pork roast

1 c brown sugar

1 c Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day (abt 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...1 c brown sugar and 1 c red enchilada sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 c water

3 c rice

4 cubes chicken bouillon

4 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tb canola oil

2 Tb fresh lime juice

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1/2 onion1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Garlic Black Beans

1 can black beans

1/3 c tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

2 Tb canola oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tb chopped cilantro

Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm. *I would at least double this recipe--but I really like beans!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 c buttermilk

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c sour cream

1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing

1 c fresh chopped cilantro

6 green onions with ends, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp sugar1 jalapeno, sliced thin - add to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

To assemble salad: Grate cheese onto a tortilla shell and place in oven under broiler until cheese is melted and shell is puffy. Top with romaine lettuce, beans, rice, and pork. Garnish with tomatoes, avacado, pico de gallo, whatever you like. Top with dressing and crispy tortilla strips.
*The recipe calls for cotija cheese, but I used sharp cheddar.

My Favorite Cake--tres leches cake

I love, love, love this cake! Unfortunately, it's also probably the most fattening, unhealthy cake recipe I've ever seen--but it's worth it, I promise! Just try to make it when you're having company, so you don't wind up eating the whole cake. I got this recipe from a cooks illustrated magazine a couple of years ago (love that magazine!). It is a little tempermental, make sure to beat the eggs and sugar until very thick so they will be sturdy enough to support the milk mixture.

Milk Mixture
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (14 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
1 cup heavy cream (I think this is a little skimpy--I usually use 2 cups. Look at the recipe--one more cup of cream isn't going to matter that much!!)
3 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the milk mixture: Pour condensed milk into a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on low power, stirring and replacing plastic every 3-5 minutes, until slightly darkened and thickened, 9-15 minutes. You want it to resemble dulce-de-leche. Remove from microwave and slowly whisk in evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.

2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9 inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Heat butter and milk in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted; set aside off heat.

3. With electic mixer on medium speed, beat eggs in large bowl for about 30 seconds, then slowly add sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until egg mixtre is very thick and glossy, 5-7 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in melted butter mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, scraping down bowl as necessary, then mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.

4. Using skewer, poke holes at 1/2 inch intervals in top of warm cake. Slowly pour milk mixture over cake until completely absorbed. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

5. For the frosting: Remove cake from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat heavy cream, corn syrup, and vanilla to soft peaks, 1-2 minutes. Frost cake and serve. The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days--or so they say, mine's never lasted that long!