Yeast Rolls

Doesn't everyone need a good yeast roll recipe for all those holidays we celebrate which focus on meat and potatoes and gravy, with rolls used to slop up all the leftovers? This is that recipe. Be sure not to overcook them...as soon as they start turning golden they're done.

Yield: 16 huge rolls

1/2 cup hand-hot water (you should be able to hold your finger in it without recoiling from the heat)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/3 cup white sugar, divided
1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup hand-hot water. Let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat milk until it just bubbles. Dissolve remaining sugar and salt into milk, and stir in butter until it melts. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.
3. Add butter mixture and egg to yeast mixture, stirring well to combine. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When dough becomes too thick to stir, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, kneading remaining flour in. Dough should be slightly tacky. Return dough to bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until doubled.
4. Punch dough down and let rest 1 minute. Divide dough in half. Turn out half of dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a large circle. Cut circle into 8 or more sections (like pie pieces). Brush with melted butter and roll each triangle up, starting with the large side. Place on ungreased baking sheets, point side down. Repeat with second half of dough. Cover rolls with a slightly damp cloth and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Bake rolls at 350° for 10 minutes or until starting to turn brown on top. Do not overbake: they will be dry.

Chicken and Rice Soup

This soup is fantastic. Forgive the white rice in the above photo...I do usually use brown rice. This is the perfect recipe to use up leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. The perfect one. Trust me.

yield: 6 2-cup servings

2 Tbsp butter
6 celery stalks, sliced (leaves too)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large carrots, quartered and diced
3 cups roasted chicken or turkey
2 cups homemade chicken stock

10 cups water
3 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup brown rice

1. In a large stockpot, melt butter. Add celery, onion, and carrots; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes or until rice is done.

Mediterranean Breakfast Casserole

I have a confession to make: I've never been a huge 'breakfast casserole' fan. There's just something about loads of cheese and pre-made hashbrowns combined with sausage and eggs that just doesn't make me drool with anticipation. But a friend of mine made a breakfast casserole with feta and tomatoes and spinach that I actually liked, and it inspired me to try my own. Here's the result. Shannon said it was the best breakfast casserole he's ever had. I think it's pretty great myself, but I'd recommend it for breakfast-for-dinner as opposed to actual breakfast (as I'm not a big fan of broccoli in the mornings).

yield: 6 servings

1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup crumbled feta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup milk
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In large bowl, stir together French bread, feta, and mozzarella. In a separate small bowl, combine milk, eggs, and egg whites.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and onions; sauté 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in basil, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add to French bread mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. Pour French bread mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove foil and return to oven, baking 15-20 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

These muffins are *just* sweet enough and chock full of healthy stuff: flaxseed, wheat bran, and walnuts, among others. These are a perfect snack because they're not too sweet and there's no guilt in eating one!

yield: 24 muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup flaxseed
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup pumpkin purée
2 eggs
2 cups apples, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In large bowl stir together flours, sugar, and next 7 ingredients (through salt).
3. In small bowl stir together buttermilk, oil, pumpkin, and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring well to combine. Stir in apples, walnuts and raisins. Spoon batter into 24 muffin tins coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 2 minutes in muffin tins before removing from tins.

Pancake Syrup

Homemade pancake syrup, stored in an old Nutella jar. :-) I got this recipe from AllRecipes.com, and while it's extremely sweet, it's pretty good when you can't buy syrup in the store (or aren't willing to pay the equivilent of $15 for a bottle).

yield: almost 2 cups

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple extract

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and maple extracts. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini muffins make a great snack! They're even better if you freeze them first...

yield: 2 loaves (or 1 loaf and 18 muffins, which is what I usually do)

3 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups oats
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-1/2 cups skim milk
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Press zucchini on several layers of paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; set aside.
3. Combine oats with flour, sugar, walnuts, and next 6 ingredients (walnuts through nutmeg) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Add zucchini; stir. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Divide batter evenly between two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing makes you feel quite like you're at home like good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies!

yield: 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites or 1 whole egg
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Combine sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg whites; beat 1 minute. Add flour mixture and chips; beat until blended.
4. Drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

**NOTE**
I just made these for the second time in America and this recipe STINKS! It's wonderful for overseas, but in America DO NOT follow as above. Instead, use 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, or maybe 3/4 of each. 2.5 cups of flour total is way too much. The flour in America is different…more dense…so you don't need as much. 

Apple Walnut Cake

Dense and chewy, this apple cake is a great fall treat.

Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 9 servings

1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups diced peeled apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Fill a bowl with water; place raisins inside to soak.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until sugar dissolves. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir until well blended. Drain raisins and squeeze out extra water. Stir apple, walnuts, and raisins into flour mixture.
4. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Chicken Stir-Fry

Stir-Fry is one of those dishes that I rarely made in the States because I didn't have a good recipe. It's good for using up leftover small bits of veggies, so I've become accustomed to adapting my recipe depending on what I have. Last night's version included:

yield: 4 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped
1 large handful of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
4 carrots, sliced
1 cup water, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick wok (or skillet) over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until done. Add broccoli and remaining vegetables, stirring to combine. Add 1/3 cup water. Reduce heat to medium, cover the wok, and cook until vegetables are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add soy sauce and remaining 2/3 cup water to vegetable mixture, stirring well. Push all the vegetable mixture to one side of the wok so that the liquid in the bottom is visible. Using a wire whisk, stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch into water. Stir the whole mixture, coating chicken and vegetables with cornstarch mixture. Serve over rice.

Cran-Raisin Oatmeal

Warm oatmeal is a nutritious and filling way to begin your day! In this version, the oats are not mushy...they still have texture. So if you like mushy oatmeal, don't make this recipe!

yield: 3 servings

2 cups water
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oats, stirring well. Add remaining ingredients; stir well. Cook until water is absorbed, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup: the perfect comfort food on a gloomy day.

yield: 6 2-cup servings

2 Tbsp butter
6 celery stalks, sliced (leaves too)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large carrots, quartered and diced
1 pound chicken breasts
10 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups noodles

1. In a large stockpot, melt butter. Add celery and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add carrots, chicken, water, bouillon, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes.
2. Remove chicken breasts from soup; let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred chicken. Return chicken to pot. Add noodles; cook 10 minutes or until noodles are done.

Cinnamon Rolls

Warm and sticky cinnamon rolls are a little time-consuming, but a fantastic treat for special occasions.

yield: 2 dozen rolls

Rolls:
1 cup warm milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 1/2- 4 cups flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

1. To prepare rolls, combine warm milk, sugar, salt, and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes or until frothy.
2. Place 2 1/2 cups of flour in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add milk mixture, egg, and melted butter, stirring to combine. Gradually add remaining flour until dough is tacky. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding flour if necessary and kneading until dough is no longer sticky. Return to bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, adding flour if necessary and kneading until dough is smooth. Roll out into a 10 x 15-inch rectangle.
2. To prepare filling, while dough rises, combine brown sugar with cinnamon. Stir in walnuts.
3. Brush rolled-out dough with 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture and raisins, leaving a 1-inch margin on 1 of the long sides. Tightly roll up dough lengthwise, starting with the edge that has filling all the way up to it. Press edges to seal. Using a knife, slice roll into 24 pieces. Place rolls in a 9 x 13-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (at least 1 1/2 hours; you can leave them overnight if you want).
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Bake rolls at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in pan.
6. To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

Moist and buttery, this cake is perfect either alone or topped with fruit (strawberries!) and whipped cream.

yield: 24 servings

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour through salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Spoon batter into two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. (optional) Wrap cakes in foil and freeze for up to a month. The cakes will be extra moist after they're thawed.

Chicken Salad

Sweet grapes, tart cranberries, and crunchy cashews lend to a more complex salad than "just your momma's chicken salad."

yield: 2 servings

1 large chicken breast, cooked, shredded, and cooled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup quartered grapes
8 slices hard-crust bread (optional)

1. In large bowl combine chicken, mayonnaise, and honey; stir well. Add in cranberries, cashews, and grapes, stirring to combine. Eat alone or in sandwiches.

Basil-Chicken Sandwiches

A cool, easy, and delicious chicken sandwich, perfect for hot summer days. Shown here with fresh strawberries and raspberries.

yield: 4 sandwiches (2 servings)

1 large chicken breast, cooked, shredded, and cooled
8 slices hard-crust bread
4 tsp pesto
4 tsp mayonnaise
2 small tomatoes, sliced
2 oz cheese, sliced (I used kaşar, since that's what's available here)
12 fresh basil leaves

1. Spread 1 teaspoon of pesto on each of 4 slices of bread. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on each of the remaining slices of bread.
2. Top each slice of pesto-smeared bread with chicken, cheese, tomato slices, and 3 basil leaves. Top with mayonnaise-smeared bread.

*I will confess, I stole the idea for this recipe from a friend. But the improvisations (and improvements, in my opinion) were all my own. :-)

Cran-Walnut Banana Bread

Oh. My. Yum. I got bored with regular banana bread and decided to experiment. This banana bread is full of healthy extras and pairs tart cranberries with sweet chocolate chips.

yield: 1 loaf

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350° .
2. Combine flours, wheat bran, flaxseed, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a whisk.
3. Beat sugar and butter together in large bowl until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat until just moist. Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips, and cranberries. Pour into loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

Zesty Cheese Pizza

A cheese pizza with a bit of a kick, utilizing kasseri cheese (or "kaşar" in Turkish) which is widely available in Turkey.

1 pizza crust
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz diced tomatoes
10 oz kasseri (kaşar) cheese

1. Combine oregano, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 tsp pepper; set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add salt, remaining pepper, garlic, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until thick.
3. Preheat oven to 400°.
4. Top pizza crust with tomato mixture and cheese; sprinkle with oregano mixture. Bake at 400° 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tangy Pasta with Feta

Tangy balsamic vinegar and mustard contrast wonderfully with sweet grapes in this light, summery dish.

Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 4 1&1/2-cup servings

3 cups uncooked bow-tie pasta
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 cup green grapes, halved
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil
2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Cook pasta and drain. Combine pasta, tomatoes, grapes, basil, and green onions in a large bowl.
2. While pasta cooks, combine vinegar through pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Add cheese; toss to combine.