Oladyi

I spent a short amount of time visiting Riga, Latvia.  While there, I was introduced to many Russian dishes.  Most of them didn't agree with me, but this was one of my favorites.  Pronounced Oh-lah-dee, these are the Russian version of pancakes.  The biggest thing here is that you MUST use kefir.  You may substitute it with buttermilk, but it is just not the same.  Kefir is slightly thicker than buttermilk, but runnier than yogurt.  KEFIR, remember that, KEFIR!    I would eat them with jam, which was a nice contrast to the slightly sour taste from the kefir. 

Oladyi

Ingredients:
2 cups kefir
1 egg
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour

Directions:
1. Whip (by hand) kefir, egg, and sugar until well combined.  Add baking soda and salt. 
2. Stir in flour gradually until batter is the consistency of sour cream, but not quite pancake batter.
3. Heat about 2 Tbs. canola oil in a medium skillet until hot.  Using a large serving spoon, pour batter into the hot oil.  Fry in oil until the edges start to turn brown or curl upward.
4. Turn over and cook on the other side for about 1 minute.  Drain on paper towels before serving.

Sourdough Pancakes

As I said in the previous recipe, my dad LOVES sourdough everything.  Sourdough pancakes were a regular thing at our house on Saturday mornings.  I remember all through my childhood, my dad would get up early Saturday morning and make pancakes, eggs, bacon, OJ, and sometimes even the treat of homemade syrup.

This recipe cracks me up.  This is the comment that was put at the bottom of the recipe card:
"You can add the sourdough flavor to whatever you like by just adding less or more (1/2 cup) starter to your recipe.  I like to add it to dinner rolls or breadsticks, etc.  Steve adds it to just about everything: ice cream, casseroles, candy! (just kidding)" 

Sourdough Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cup sourdough starter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium size (non metal) bowl. 
2. Combine sourdough starter, egg, milk, and vegetable oil.  Slowly stir into dry ingredients.
3. For each pancake, pour about 1/3 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.  Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges are browned. 

Sourdough Bread Starter

Here's another tribute to my dad!  My dad loves sourdough.  EVERYTHING sourdough!  This is the recipe for his sourdough starter.

Sourdough Starter

Ingredients:
1 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup flour

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, let stand 5 minutes.  Add milk and flour.  Mix well.
2. Place in large glass jar or metal bowl.  Cover with cheesecloth or plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place free from drafts for 72 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times daily.
3. Use within 11 days or store in refrigeraetor.
4. To use, remove starter from refrigerator.  Stir well and meausre amount needed for recipe.  (It is best to let starter stand at room temp for at least 1 hour before using)
5. Replenish remianing starter with starter food; cover and return to refrigerator.

Starter Food:
Equal amounts of milk and flour (you may add more or less depending on how much you want to have).

Crescent Wrapped Raspberry Brie

My friend, Shelby, told me about this recipe, and then I found it on another friend's blog (Karyn). I am posting it because it sounds SCRUMPTIOUS to me, even though I haven't tried it yet (emphasis on yet).

Crescent Wrapped Raspberry Brie

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 round (8 oz) brie cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbs. raspberry jam

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Unroll dough; separate crosswise into 2 sections. Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal, forming 2 squares. Place 1 square on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Place cheese on center of dough. Spread 1 Tbsp raspberry jam on top of the cheese. Place remaining square on top of cheese round.
4. Press dough evenly around cheese; fold bottom edges over top edges. Gently stretch dough evenly around cheese; press to seal completely. Brush with beaten egg.
5. (Optional) Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes & top it with shapes before cooking to decorate it.
6. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Okay, I'll admit it, I am a SUCKER for pumpkin. Especially once September hits, I am ready for my fall favorite pumpkin recipes. My house smells of pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin french toast, and when Coffeemate comes out with their holiday collection, I stock up on their Pumpkin Pie flavored creamer. I needed a new recipe this year though to add to my collection, and since breakfast is on the menu this week, I am adding pumpkin to a pancake recipe. Hmmmmm, maybe I'll even add chocolate chips and top them with whip cream.... oh, the goodness.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:
1. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Zuchinni Bread

We've recently been going to a local orchard once a week to pick fresh produce. One GREAT find for us was their squashes. We've gotten zuchinni that are half the size of Jocey! And we can't eat them fast enough (we like to grill them with steaks, chicken, etc.) before they go bad. So, I've started making zuchinni bread. I haven't been a fan of it in the past, largely because I don't like the shreds of zuchinni in there. But when I make it in my Kitchenaid food processor, all those little shreds get pureed. I've altered my recipe to be a little healthier. I wish I could find one that didn't have so much sugar in it, but it'll do for now. It's so good toasted with a little butter on it.

Zuchinni Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded zuchinni
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch bread pan with shortening.
2. In food processor, puree zuchinni, sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into bread pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and lay pan on side on a baking rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then slide a knife around edges of loaf and remove from pan.
6. Allow to completely cool before slicing.

Whole Wheat Bread

So I packed my grandmother's recipe for whole wheat bread this week, without thinking that I may need it before we move! DUH! So, I had to find one on the Internet that looked similar. Here's what I found, and may I just say it was REALLY good?

Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. butter
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbs. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
1. Dissolve brown sugar in 1/4 cup hot water. Add butter, and stir to melt. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add white sugar, salt, and bread flour. Beat well. Stir in butter mixture. Stir in enough whole wheat flour to make a stiff but not dry dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a large, well oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until dough doubles in bulk.
4. Shape into loaf. Place in greased, 9 x 5 inch pan, turning loaf over in pan to grease top. Allow to rise until dough doubles in bulk.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Brush top of loaf with butter immediately after removing from oven. Let cool before slicing.

25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Crescent Dinner Rolls

I'm reposting my recipe for Crescent Dinner Rolls for today. Again, something I'm serving for tonight's big Cajun Night Before Christmas Feast. Plus, I really don't have time today to find another recipe. :)

25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Cinnamon Rolls

This is a must at my house for Christmas - cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. My family tradition was always to get an orange in our stocking, then we'd sit down and have breakfast together of oranges and homemade cinnamon rolls. Now, I make them the night before, and save the last rise for Christmas morning so I am not slaving in the kitchen.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup warm milk
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 2 tsp. sugar, and warm water. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate. In a separate bowl, mix the salt, oil, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and warm milk. Slowly stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is firm enough to form a ball (should not be sticky).
2. Cover the dough and allow to rise until double in size (about 2 hours).
3. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Pour melted butter over surface and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up dough, jellyroll style. Using plain dental floss to cut (slide floss underneath dough and wrap around to cut off pieces), cut rolls approximately 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches thick.
4. Place on lightly greased pan and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. While rolls are baking, combine ingredients for icing and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls are done, spread icing on while warm.
4.

Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with butter and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Pumpking Chocolate Chip Bread

Here's another gift giving recipe I like to use. I LOVE pumpkin chocolate chip ANYTHING, and this bread is mm-mm-mm-good! I wrap them up in candy gift bags (clear celophane) after they have cooled.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 8 mini (6 inch) loaf pans, or 3 regular (9 inch) loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill pans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 35 minuites, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.

25 Days of Christmas Recipes - Corn Bread Stuffing

This is a different take on my grandmother's stuffing recipe. I really like making this with southern dishes. It's a little more sweet, and really good with a smoked turkey. I'm also making this on Christmas Eve for our "Cajun Night Before Christmas" celebration.

Corn Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 cylinder maple flavored pork sausage
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 bag corn bread crumbs
1 tsp. rosemary
½ Tbs. poultry seasoning

Directions:
1. Cook sausage, onion, carrots, and potato in medium skillet, leaving fat on when done.
2. Combine with bread crumbs until well incorporated. Add seasonings.
3. Use to either stuff your turkey, or reheat by wrapping in aluminum foil and cooking with your turkey for the last 45 minutes.

Stuffing

This is one of my favorite dishes that my Grandmother Cook used to make. It is also one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. This stuffing is delicious, easy, and SO MUCH BETTER than the boxed kind! If you like to stuff your turkey, use half of this stuffing, then wrap the other half in aluminum foil and heat it in the oven with your turkey for 30 minutes. Then mix the two together before serving.

Grandma Cook's Thanksgiving Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 cylinder pork sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 medium potato, finely chopped
1 bag seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp. sage
½ Tbs. poultry seasoning

Directions:
1. Cook pork sausage, onion, carrots, and potato in medium skillet, leaving fat on when done.
2. Combine with bread crumbs until well incorporated. Add seasonings.
3. Reheat as you prefer to.

Pizza

I recently found the beauty of having a pizza stone.  My crust would never bake evenly, it was difficult to work with, I just did not enjoy making homemade pizza.  Until I learned how to use a pizza stone.  The key here is to place your pizza stone in the oven as it is preheating, and you preheat it to the hottest temp it will go (usually somewhere between 450 and 500).  Leave it in there for at least 20 minutes.  Then remove stone and place your pizza on the hot stone and return to the oven.  Perfect crust every time!

Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water

1 package regular or fast-acting dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
Cooking spray to grease bowl
Pizza sauce of your choice
Toppings of your choice
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. With a wooden spoon, stir in half of the flour and all of the oil, salt and sugar. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is easy to handle.

2. Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Place dough on floured surface. Knead by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, sprinkling surface with more flour if dough starts to stick, until dough is smooth and springy. Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place 20 minutes.
3. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours. (If dough should double in size during refrigeration, gently push fist into dough to deflate it.)
4. Roll dough out into a round that will fit your pizza stone.  Place dough on hot pizza stone, add your sauce and toppings.  Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden. 

Olive Oil Pizza Sauce

My family is not a huge fan of the red tomato pizza sauce.  Well, at least not since I tried this.  Instead of using a red OR white sauce, give this recipe a try with some fresher toppings like mushrooms, artichokes, roma tomatoes, olives, maybe even some grilled chicken. 

Olive Oil Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. oregano

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes (the longer it sits, the more flavor is infused). 
2. Using a pastry brush, apply sauce to uncooked pizza dough.  Add toppings and bake pizza according to directions. 

Taro Rolls

We had Polynesian Night this past Friday. We had wonderful food so I thought I'd share with everyone! Here's the first part. I had these rolls when I ate at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Oahu (Hawaii) a few years ago. They are wonderful. The only hard part is finding poi. After asking around, I found out that they sell it at Longs Drugs here in Vegas (I guess they cater to the polynesian population here).

Poi is made from taro root - it is steamed and then mashed or pressed. It is served plain as a side dish, but can also be used to make chips or breads. I prefer it used in breads, eaten plain isn't quite that appetizing (to me, anyway).

Taro Rolls

Ingredients:
2/3 cup warm water
1 egg
1/2 cup poi
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. purple food coloring
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. yeast

Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine water, egg, poi, butter, and food coloring. Mix until combined.
2. Add sugar, salt, and yeast to wet ingredients. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
3. Remove dough from bowl. Make 12 rolls, forming each into a ball.
4. Line baking pan with aluminum foil and place rolls in pan. Set aside and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until rolls are set. Allow to cool before serving.

Chocolate French Toast

I am up to experimenting with french toast again! This time, I tried chocolate. Oh, my goodness. It turned out great. We topped it with whipped topping and hazelnuts. It's not terribly rich, so you can handle having it for a meal (we even had it with scrambled eggs), but it's also great for a desert. Oh, chocolatey goodness!

Chocolate French Toast

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 loaf white bread (yes, I used the WHOLE loaf. But hey, you can always eat leftovers!)

Directions:
1. Preheat griddle to 350 degrees. In a blender, combine all ingredients except bread. Pour into a shallow dish.
2. Grease hot griddle with butter. Dip each slide of bread, covering both sides, in egg mixture. Place on hot griddle and cook each side 3-5 minutes or until toasted. Repeat with remaining bread slices until mixture is gone.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

This is such a great recipe for when you want a quick pumpkin pie fix. I was messing around with various french toast ideas one day, and thought it sounded good. And voila! Serve it with whipped topping or syrup if you are going for the traditional french toast taste. This recipe serves 5 people, 3 slices each.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Ingredients:
5 eggs, beaten
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. vanilla
15 slices white bread

Directions:
1. Heat non-stick griddle to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients, except bread, and whisk until smooth. Coat each slice of bread in mixture and place on hot griddle. Cook for 5 minutes per side or until bread turns brown/toasted. Serve hot.

Banana Pancakes

Jack Johnson is performing in Salt Lake next week, and we are so bummed that we will not be able to go. Whenever I make this recipe, I have to put his CD in and listen to "Banana Pancakes." These are a great alternative to plain pancakes. We love them, especially our little monkey, Jocey! We eat these with fresh fruit, mostly fresh pineapple if we can get one!

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ripe bananas, pureed
1 cup flour
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:
1. Combine egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and bananas in large bowl. Beat until smooth.
2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until batter has no lumps in it.
3. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium high heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto the griddle. When bottoms are golden brown and bubbles start to form on the tops, turn them over and cook until golden brown.

Crescent Dinner Rolls

I first had these rolls at my parent's house after Sara got home from her mission. A woman in Sara's mission made them for my parents when they went out to get her. They are fantastic! They are not crescents like you eat in France, but they are still very good. They're very good with honey butter, but can definitely stand on their own without any toppings.

Crescent Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup warm milk
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 2 tsp. sugar, and warm water. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate. In a separate bowl, mix the salt, oil, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and warm milk. Slowly stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is firm enough to form a ball (should not be sticky).
2. Cover the dough and allow to rise until double in size (about 2 hours).
3. Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with melted butter. Slice the dough, like a pizza, into 8 wedges, and roll up each wedge from the wide to the narrow end. Repeat with second piece of dough.
4. Place the rolls on baking sheets with the narrow tip of the dough tucked underneath. Cover the rolls and allow to rise for another hour.
5. Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with butter and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Banana Bread

Something that has become a staple in our house (mainly because Jocey begs for bananas when we go to the grocery store, then only eats half of the bunch) is banana bread. I've created a recipe that is a little healthier though. I don't like the banana breads that use all wheat flour or no butter. In my opinion, why shouldn't we use butter? It's natural! Anyway, Jocey helped with this recipe, too. One day when I made it, she turned the nob on the oven down and I didn't realize it until the bread was done. But, it was absolutely perfect! You know how sometimes you get banana bread that is soggy in the middle, or burned on the top? Guess I have a little chef in the making because when she did that, it turned out perfect. I tried it again today to make sure, and wow, I'm so impressed. Great bread. Hence, I'm giving both of us credit for this one (C for Cat, J for Jocey).

CJ Yates' Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
4 medium very ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 2, 8-inch bread pans with shortening.
2. In mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
3. Pour batter into bread pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, then at 200 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Loosen loaf from bread pan by running a butter knife around the edges. Remove from bread pans and allow to completely cool before putting in baggies. Loafs will keep for 10 days when kept in refrigerator.

*Emergency substitution: I HATE to buy buttermilk just for the sole purpose of making this, so I make my own: 1 Tbs. lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup.