Kaiser Rolls

Mike and I had been married a couple of years when we moved to the Chicago suburbs. This is where I had my first taste of a Kaiser roll. I fell in love with these hard rolls and have loved them ever since. I love crusty chewy rolls; I think they're perfect for most sandwiches.

When I was looking for a roll recipe to serve my grilled chicken breast from a couple of posts ago I ran across a recipe for these lovely rolls and thought that they would be perfect. The rolls were not quite as crusty and chewy as I thought that they would be. They were just a little bit of a softer roll than the Kaiser rolls that I have purchased, but even though they made a terrific sandwich.

Kaiser Rolls (Source: adapted from Taste of Home)
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups warms water (110 to 115 degrees F) divided
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cold water
Poppy and/or sesame seeds
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Grease the bottom of the bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down and divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. Flatten a little with palm of your hand. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat egg white and cold water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or with sesame seeds. With a scissors, cut a 1/4 inch deep cross on tops of rolls.
4. Bake at 400 degree F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

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Triple Chocolate Muffins

Can you believe it I had never eaten a chocolate muffin before I made my own last week. It seems funny to think that I would not have had at least one in my life time being the chocolate lover that I am. This past weekend I was in the mood to make muffins and I had a craving for chocolate, so I decided it was going to be one of my baking projects for the weekend.

When I ask my guys in the house what they thought of my idea; I didn't get a very positive feedback. Neither one sounded too thrilled with the idea of chocolate muffins, but as you can see my craving won out. Plus the fact I knew the rest of my kids would be around and they are bigger chocolate lovers than these guys are.

I had some milk chocolate and some white chocolate chips that I wanted to get out of my pantry so I decided to throw them in with the cocoa to make the muffins even better. I had some sour cream in the fridge that needed to be used up so I decided to throw that in too. Maybe these muffins should have been called clean out the cupboard muffins. Well whatever they are called I enjoyed them and I know at least one of the guys in house enjoyed them too. And you know it was not my hubby Mike, since he is not the chocolate lover that I am.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup cocoa

1 egg 

3/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

In another bowl slightly beat egg and mix in the milk, sour cream, and cooled melted butter.

Take the wet ingredients and add to the dry, mix until just blended. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in.

Lightly grease muffin tins or use paper liners. Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each one 2/3 full. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can use a toothpick to test the muffins if it comes out clean the muffins are ready to remove from the oven. 

Set on cooling rack and cool completely.

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Grilled Chicken Breast

I was in the mood for a little experimenting this past weekend. I had decided on chicken breast on the George Foreman Grill, but wanted to try something a little different. So I decided to throw some flavors together that would I not have thought of trying before.

For the marinate I used beer for the base along with some parsley, cumin, a pinch of onion, garlic, salt and pepper. I wasn't sure what to expect and to my surprise the chicken turned out nice and tasty. I served it on some fresh homemade buns. I had the leftovers later in the week and added a slice of tomatoes and toasted the buns, it was just as tasty the second time around.

With summer here in the States I am sure that this chicken would be great if it was made on an outside grill. I used my George Foreman Grill since it is nice and quick to heat up and easy to clean up.

Grilled Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bottle beer (your favorite kind)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
A pinch of cinnamon
1/2 medium onion thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut chicken breast in half and then slice each half the long way for a thin piece of chicken. Add all ingredients into a Ziploc bag and set in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. Turn bag once in a while to mix things up. Heat grill brush with olive oil and cook chicken until no longer pink in center. Serve with your favorite bun.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I am a girl that loves sweet potatoes.  I didn't discover this until just a few years ago. It was quite by accident, I was on a kick for eating healthy and knew that they were good for you so I decided to give them a try and I was hooked. Usually I like to eat them baked with nothing on them.

I have seen recipes for baking sweet potato fries and chips; they looked so good that I had to try this. But each time I was disappointed.Each time the fries and the chips both came out either limp or black; I could not get the crispy potato that I was looking for. So finally I just gave up and decided to roast them.

I went with sweet and salty, because I thought it sound just right for a sweet potato. So I went with cinnamon, sugar, and tossed in a little sea salt. They turned out delicious and I loved the sweet and salty flavors on the potato. Who needs fries or chips anyway?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes cut into cubes (about 3 to 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
Sea salt to taste
Nonstick spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Scrub potatoes and dry off with a paper towel
3. Cut each potato into cubes
4. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and toss until well coated.
5. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the potatoes. Toss until the potatoes are coated.
6. Cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with a nonstick spray.
7. Spread the potatoes on the pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
8. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender. Serve immediately.

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Orange Coffee Cake

I had a couple of oranges sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be used, they were to the point that I thought that they would only be good to use for a baking project. Knowing that Mike loves sweet breads made with orange flavoring, I started looking for a recipe for a coffee cake.

I wanted to make it for Sunday morning so I was looking for something that would be fast to make. The recipe I found could not have been much simpler to make. It uses a can of refrigerator biscuits, along with butter, sugar, and of course my oranges that were sitting in the fridge. Normally I would not choose a recipe with biscuits that were purchased at the store, I would prefer to make my own dough, but this sounded pretty yummy.

We loved the orange flavor of the coffee cake and the orange cream cheese frosting really complimented the coffee cake nicely. The recipe is supposed to be baked in a 9-inch cake pan which I didn't have, so a 9-inch  springform pan was used and I covered the bottom of it with aluminum foil just in case of leakage. I would change one thing the next time, I would bake the recipe for about 5 more minutes than what it called for, the coffee cake was just a tad under baked. But with that said I know that I would bake it again, it is nice to have something that takes so little effort.

Also I want to thank Michele over at Follow Me Home for the award that she nominated me for. I hope you will visit her blog; she is one of the sweetest bloggers around and has the funniest sense of humor. I love her blog and I am sure you will love it as much as I do. Thanks, Michele!!

Orange Coffee Cake (Source: adapted from pauladeen.com)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons, melted butter, plus more for pan
1 (16.3-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon orange zest
Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons orange juice or more as necessary
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Separate the biscuit dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in the center of the pan. Cut the remaining biscuits in half, forming 14 half - circles. Arranged the pieces around the center biscuit with the cut sides facing the same direction. Brush melted butter over the tops of the biscuits.
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Mix well and sprinkle over biscuits. Bake for 20 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. (Make sure they are golden brown or they may be a little doughy in the center).
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, and orange juice. Blend until smooth adding more orange juice, if needed, to thin. Drizzle glaze over the warm coffee cake and serve.

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

We had a college student staying with us for a couple of weeks who works with Mike. She had to be out of her apartment the middle of the May and she couldn't move into her new apartment until June 1st. We have a couple of empty bedrooms since our kids are mostly grown and are on their own, we offered her to stay with us those 2 weeks. She turned out to be a foodie like me, so we got along great.

I had some shrimp in the freezer, but wasn't sure how to make them. Our college student had a recipe that her mother makes with chicken and she suggested we try it with the shrimp. It turned out to be so delicious I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. The Cajun seasoning gave the shrimp and the pasta a nice amount of heat. I love foods that have nice colors to them, I guess that it true that we eat with our eyes first. And one thing about this dish it had nice colors with the red and green peppers along with the pink shrimp.

I am sure that I will have to try this recipe with chicken, since a certain member of the family doesn't eat shrimp, but I know that he would love it with chicken.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta (Source: unknown)
Ingredients:
8 to 12 ounces uncooked pasta (I used Penne Rigate, but you can use your favorite)
1 pound raw shrimp (shelled and de-veined)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or a little less if you want a little less heat
Salt to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon onion minced
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with Cajun seasoning and about 1 teaspoon of salt or to taste. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the shrimp, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until it turns pink. Remove shrimp.
3. Add the bell peppers and onions to the skillet and saute 9 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the liquid is evaporates.
4. Mix the lemon pepper, basil, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Return the shrimp to the skillet and add the mixed seasoning to the shrimp mixture. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add the pasta, toss to coat. Serve immediately.

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Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

I have seen so many recipes floating around the web for this style of potato. I have made hasselback before, but never with cheese. They looked so good that I decided to make them with my oven fried chicken from a couple of posts ago.

In my book cheese and potatoes are always a good combination and make a wonderful side dish for just about any meal. They were easy to make and we all enjoyed them. Most recipes for this potato called for Parmesan, which I didn't have in the house so I substituted Colby jack, which worked out fine. So I would suggest to use your favorite kind of cheese or whatever you may have in the fridge.

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes (Source: adapted from zoomyummy.com)
Ingredients:
3 Large Russet whole potatoes, scrub clean
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into slices
Colby jack cheese, sliced enough to fill every other slit of the potato
3 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Scrub the potatoes clean. Using a sharp knife slice into the potato making sure to not go all the way to the bottom.
3. Cut your butter and your cheese. Open the potato slits and put the butter and the cheese alternating between the two. (It helps if the butter is chilled a little so it is more firm).
4. Place the potato on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non stick spray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake for 45 minutes; remove the baking sheet from the oven. Drizzle the cream over the potatoes and top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
6. Place the potatoes bake into the oven and continue to bake for about another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked fork tender.

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