Sarah's Refrigerator Bread

I haven't actually tried this one yet.  But Sarah says it's good.  Only she emailed me the recipe instead of posting it on here.  Silly Sarah.

Ingredients
3 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon yeast (2 envelopes)
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt (I always forget to ask people what the difference between kosher and non-kosher salt is)
sprinkle of sugar
3 1/4 cups hi-gluten flour
3 1/4 cups oxident flour (lets be honest, I'm gonna try to just use bread flour because I'm not as dedicated a baker as Sarah is)

Directions:

• mix everything together in a bowl or container (first with a wooden spoon, then slightly knead in the bowl till all is moistened) 
• Let rise for 2 hours (Sarah's recipe says "raise" for two hours, but I don't know how to actively raise dough)
• Refrigerate in the same bowl/container (cover with lid or plastic wrap) up to 14 days
• Divide into four balls (don't roll into balls, form into balls) and cut sliits on top
• Place on greased baking sheet
• Let warm 40 min to 1 hour 40 min 
• Bake for 30 min in pre-warmed oven of 375 

Sarah also says you can do half a recipe in a 3 quart container (otherwise you need a 6 quart container)

Strawberry Salad

Its been a while since anyone has posted on our much-neglected recipe blog, but I've been cleaning out my email inbox and coming across recipes I've tried recently and want to save :)  This first one is for a strawberry salad that my mom makes and that I made a few months back for a dinner party w/ some friends.  It's every bit as good as I remember from childhood:

Dressing: whisk together
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper

Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 head Boston lettuce
1 pint sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped (or sliced) almonds

You can obviously substitute other types of green. . . I usually add Spinach.  Also, the dressing recipe makes a LOT of dressing, but it lasts a while and isn't bad to have on hand.

Flank Steak Marinade

This is the marinade that my (Ashley's) aunt uses for her AMAZING flank steak tacos:

1/2 c soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbs each brown sugar (firm packed), lemon juice, salad oil
1 tbs minced onion
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and marinade a 1.5 lb flank steak overnight. Cook over wood or charcoal for top flavour - serve w/ black beans, guacamole and cilantro - YUMMY!

Variation on a Theme: Spinach & Rice Chicken Pockets

The chicken pockets recipe I posted a few years ago now (wow time goes fast!) has been popular and I know it has lent itself to a lot of variations - Lee told me about a Mediterranean version that she really should post (ahem ahem!)

This version was a good way to use up cooked chicken and brown rice and since its a leftovers recipe measurements aren't exactly exact!

First sautee chopped onions (I used half a large onion), garlic (I used 3 cloves), and a generous amount of spinach in a saucepan until spinach shrinks and onions are at least a little tender.

Add chicken (we had a little more than two breasts' worth)

With pan still on low heat add about 4 oz of cream cheese (the cream cheese goes farther if it can melt and coat everything)

add 1 tsp of dill and pepper to taste.

Just at the end mix in cooked brown rice (I think I used about 2/3 a cup)

Unwrap crescent rolls and form two crescent rolls into a square. Spoon chicken mixture into the middle of each square, bring corners to the top and pinch to make a pocket.

Cook @ 350 for about 15 minutes.

I only had one tube of crescent rolls, so I made four pockets and had quite a bit extra, but I plan to make chicken salad wraps with it tomorrow. It is quite delicious!!!

~Ashley

Curry Chicken

Great curry recipe that has the right combinations of flavor and spice. Great over rice (obviously).

Ingredients

3 onions (or dried onions to taste)
¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 cloves crushed garlic
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp white sugar
1 pinch salt

1 tbsp tomato paste
1 (3 lb) whole chicken, skin removed and cut into pieces
Water to cover

½ lemon, juiced
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Fry onions in olive oil until browned. Add cinnamon and bay leaf. Continue stirring and add the ginger, paprika, curry powder, sugar, salt and garlic. Continue stirring for 2 min till mixture becomes a paste.
2. Add chicken pieces and tomato. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Simmer until chicken is done – about 20 minutes
3. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
4. Optional: If you like your sauce thicker, after the 20 minute simmer remove about ½ cup of the liquid with a measuring cup and put it into a jar with 2-3 tbsp of flour. Shake till dissolved then add and stir into the pot.

Servings: 6

sef

Country Quiche

This is a great recipe for an easy dinner or a nice brunch (especially in the mini version). These are also great to take on trips (they can be refrigerator) for an easy lunch in the car.

Ingredients

8 slices bacon (I just use crumbled bacon from a bag and pour it in till it looks good)
1 small onion, chopped
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (9inch) unbaked pie crust (or 2 cans crescent rolls)
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place bacon in large skillet to cool till done and drain (this step is only needed if you are using bacon strips)
3. Sauté onion till soft
4. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, flour, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add bacon, onion, mozzarella, and cheddar – mix well.
5. If using pie crust: Pour into pie crust.
6. If using crescent rolls: Either form rolls into a pie crust OR flatten out the rolls and pinch together each of the seams. Cut circles with a small wine glass or biscuit cutter. Press circles into greased mini muffin pan and fill with 1 tps of egg mix.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 45 min (or 20-25 min for mini quiches) or until lightly brown on tip and firm in the middle.

Servings: 48 mini quiches or 8 servings of the large pie crust.

sef