1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups bread flour, divided
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Combine water, sugar, and butter in small saucepan (or use the microwave); bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand until mixture cools to a temperature between 120-130 degrees.

Meanwhile, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, walnuts, cranberries, oats, yeast and salt in large mixing bowl; add water to mixture and stir until well blended. Turn dough out onto heavily floured surface and knead in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.

Cover dough with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until double in bulk.

Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times. Roll dough into 14×7-inch rectangle. Roll up dough, starting at narrow end, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch ends to seal. Place dough, seam side down in a well-greased 8×4-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack before slicing.

Makes 2 full-size crusts

1 pkg. dry yeast
1  2/3 cup very warm water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Dissolve yeast in water. Add oil. Add flour and salt, stirring until moistened. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth ball, about 2 minutes. Put in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Divide into 2 portions. Preheat pizza stone or pray pizza pans with cooking spray; dust with cornmeal. Roll or press dough to form crust. If it’s too elastic, let dough rest for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Top crusts w/ desired toppings and bake on lowest oven rack for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Glazed Blueberry-Lemon Muffins
Makes one dozen large muffins

For the Muffins:
1 lb. (3-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1-1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted (optional)
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
3 cups confectioners sugar
6 Tbsp. water

Instructions for the Muffins:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil (or spray with cooking spray) the top of a standard 12-cup muffin tin (cups should be 2-3/4 inches across and about 1 inch deep) and line with paper or foil baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, crème fraîche or sour cream, eggs, and egg yolk until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened (the batter will be lumpy)–there should still be quite a few streaks of dry flour.

Sprinkle the blueberries, pecan pieces, lemon zest, and vanilla extract onto the batter, and fold them in until just combined. (The batter will be lumpy; don’t try to smooth it out.) Do not overmix.

Use an ice cream scoop if you have one with a “sweeper” in it; otherwise, use two spoons to spoon the batter into the muffin cups, distributing all of the batter evenly. The batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by about 3/4 inch. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. (The muffin tops will probably meld together.) Let the tin cool on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes.

For the Glaze:
Put the confectioners’ sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add 6 Tbs. of water and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thin enough that it will drip off a spoon; if it’s more like a spreadable icing, thin it with more water, 1 Tbs. at a time.

When the muffins have cooled down but are still slightly warm, use a table knife to separate the tops, and then invert the pan and pop out the muffins. Put the muffins on a rack over foil to catch any glaze that drips off. Dab the glaze on the muffins with a pastry brush, or spoon the glaze on and let it drip over the sides. It should leave a smooth, somewhat translucent coating. You may not need all of the glaze. Wait 20 to 30 minutes for the glaze to set; it won’t dry completely.

The nutty topping adds a wonderful crunch, and the cake moist and delicious. It’s perfect for a special breakfast treat or an afternoon tea.

Topping:
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix egg whites, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Set aside.

Cake:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until blended, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Stir in flour mixture alternately with sour cream in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until just blended, then gently stir in chocolate chips. Spoon evenly into greased 10″ tube pan, smoothing top with spatula. Spoon topping evenly over batter, but do not stir in. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto plate, then invert again onto plate so that nuts are on top. When cool, drizzle with glaze if desired.

Glaze:  (optional)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp sour cream
Milk to thin

Blend until smooth and of desired consistency. Drizzle over cake.

I developed this recipe a few years ago and it’s been a popular side dish for our guests ever since.

1/2 cup wild rice, cooked
2 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
8 oz chicken broth
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add celery and onion; saute until tender. Add shredded carrot, chicken broth, cranberries and seasonings. Simmer gently until cranberries are plump, about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked white rice and wild rice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until thoroughly heated. Taste; adjust seasonings if needed.

This soup makes a quick and delicious lunch or dinner. Add crusty bread and a wedge of cheese; you’re good to go!

1 pkg turkey sausages, casings removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
32 oz chicken broth
10 oz fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Remove sausage from casings, breaking into small pieces. Cook sausage in olive oil; drain and crumble. Add onion and garlic to pan; saute until soft. Add turkey back into pan, then add beans, tomatoes, and broth. Cover pan and simmer until hot. Add spinach and heat until just wilted. Serve with Parmesan shavings and crushed red pepper for a little heat.

4 cups peeled potatoes, cubed
1 large green bell pepper, small diced
1 red bell pepper, small diced
1 1/4 cup chopped onion
7 cups frozen corn
1 (14 oz.) can creamed corn
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve fat)
32 oz. chicken broth
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Cut potatoes into small, bite-size cubes. Dice peppers; chop onions. In large pot, saute onions and peppers in reserved bacon fat until soft. Add chicken broth and potatoes; bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat, cooking for about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in corn and creamed corn; cook until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Whisk flour into milk. Strain into soup, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Add bacon; stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls; garnish with shredded cheese.

1 ¾ cup fully cooked ham, cubed
3 ripe tomatoes, cut in chunks (plum tomatoes work well)
1 11oz. can corn kernels, drained
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut in long, thick strips
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup ranch dressing, homemade or purchased
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 small head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
¼ cup smoked almonds, rubbed between paper towels to remove excess salt, than coarsely chopped

Toss first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to mix and coat.

To serve, line a large serving platter with lettuce; top with ham mixture and sprinkle with almonds. Serves 4

This recipe was given to me by my friend Kathi, who got it from her mom, Shirley. It makes enough batter to make fresh muffins every day for a week!

3 cups sugar
1 cup Crisco
4 beaten eggs

Cream together the sugar, Crisco and eggs.

2 cups boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
3 tsp baking soda

In medium-sized bowl, pour 2 cups boiling water over dates and baking soda. Let stand for 3 minutes.

4 cups flour
4 cups All-Bran cereal
2 cups Bran Buds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 quart buttermilk

Mix together and add to creamed mixture; stir, then add date mixture. Mix well. Pour into large covered container for storage in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it stands. To bake, scoop into muffin pan lined with paper muffin liners. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

6 sweet and tart apples (I like using a mixture), peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, washed and sorted to discard any shriveled ones
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2-1 cup granulated sugar, depending on sweetness of your apples
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil; lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until apples are soft enough to mash. Taste to check for sweetness/tartness and add sugar if desired. Cook until sugar is dissolved if you added more.
Remove from heat and mash with potato masher. Serve hot to accompany poultry or pork. Store in fridge for a week or two if it lasts that long, or freeze up to a year.

from America’s Test Kitchen

4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6-8 ounces each, 3/4 – 1 inch thick
Table salt for brining (I used kosher salt)

To brine: Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from brine, rinse chops under cold water and dry with paper towels. If you are using enhanced pork injected with a salt solution, eliminate this step.

Breading:
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn in 1-inch pieces
1 small minced shallot (about 2 Tbsp)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed in garlic press (about 1 Tbsp) (this tends to be a bit garlicky, so watch out!)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 tsp of dried)
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour - plus 6 Tbsp, used separately
3 large egg whites
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pork chops with brine as directed above.

2. Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. You should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs. Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme and parsley.

3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined and smooth; add remaining 6 Tbsp flour to mixture and whisk until smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.

4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining three chops.

5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, about 17-25 minutes. (It took longer for my chops to reach 150 degrees, but maybe living at 7400 ft. had something to do with that.) Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

These chops were tender from the brine bath and the tops of the chops were crunchy, just like ATK promised they’d be. The bottoms of the chops, however, were not as crunchy as the top. If you went through the trouble of browning them before baking, maybe you could remedy that, but I like the ease of popping them in the oven straightaway.

Dried fruit, couscous and mixed greens toss together into a colorful, cool summer salad.

3 cups cooked couscous
1 medium red or yellow sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries and/or golden raisins
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup bottled poppy seed dressing
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
dash of hot pepper sauce
8 cups mixed baby greens
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine cooked couscous, sweet pepper, dried fruit, cilantro and green onion. In a small bowl combine dressing, grated lime peel, and hot pepper sauce. Stir half of dressing into couscous mixture. Cover and chill mixture and remaining dressing for 1 to 4 hours. To serve, combine salad greens and almonds in a large bowl. Pour remaining dressing over greens; toss to coat. Divide greens among 6 salad plates. Spoon couscous mixture atop the greens.

I made these muffins today to go alongside our steaming bowls of soup at lunchtime. They’re from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. I love the combination of grains that give a little bit of crunch to the slightly sweet muffin.

Great Grains Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup quartered prunes or other dried fruit and/or chopped nuts (optional)   (I used raisins)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter or spray muffin pan or line with paper cups. Place muffin pan on baking sheet. (I didn’t do that; I just stuck it on the oven rack.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornmeal, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, maple syrup, eggs and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough—or if the batter is a bit lumpy, that’s fine. Stir in fruit or nuts if you’re using them. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then carefully lift each muffin out of its mold. Serve warm.

This is a delicious, quick pasta sauce. If you prefer, Italian style turkey sausage can be substituted for the pork sausage. Just add a little olive oil to the pan when you brown it.

1 pkg. sweet or hot Italian pork sausage (if you use links, remove from casing)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb bowtie or penne pasta

Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat, breaking up chunks with a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. Add onions, garlic, peppers and mushrooms; saute until crisp-tender. Add crushed tomatoes and marjoram. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until flavors blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve sauce over pasta. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan. Add a fresh salad and garlic bread to complete your dinner!

While visiting Franklin, Tennessee several years ago we stopped for a snack at a charming little bakery.  This is one of their most popular soups, and they kindly shared the recipe with us. Wish I could remember the name of the bakery!

10 oz. frozen broccoli or fresh equivalent
1 qt. chicken stock
6 T. butter
2/3 c. flour
3 oz. Velveeta cheese
1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 c. milk

Cook broccoli in chicken stock until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Puree broccoli in food processor until chunky/smooth. Melt butter in soup pot. Add flour and stir over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually stir reserved liquid into butter mixture. Add cheese and stir until soup comes to a boil. Add broccoli and milk. Heat to boiling point, but don’t boil. Garnish with additional grated cheese.

Just in time for the arrival of cooler evenings, here’s one of my favorite comfort dinners—Chicken Pot Pie. It’s simple to customize this recipe to suit your family’s taste. Stir in whatever vegetable you desire before pouring the mixture into the casserole dish. For ease of preparation, you can start with a rotisserie chicken (I like to get them at Sam’s Club). Make a large 9×13 pot pie, or fill individual ramekins and top with a single large biscuit. Dig in!

FILLING:
6 cups cooked chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
8 oz  fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp dried thyme (optional)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half-n-half or heavy cream
3 Tbsp freshly chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, melt butter, then saute onion, green pepper, and mushrooms until tender. Sprinkle flour over vegetables; stir and cook briefly until well mixed. Stir in chicken broth, thyme, and cream; add peas. Cook until peas are tender and sauce is thickened. Add chicken and parsley; salt and pepper to taste. Keep mixture very hot until biscuits are made, then pour into greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Place on baking sheet lined with foil to catch any spillovers. Preheat oven to 425 degrees while making biscuits for the top.

DROP BISCUITS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold buttermilk
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, then cooled for 5 minutes

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and melted butter in measuring cup.

Add buttermilk to flour mixture and stir gently just until dough pulls away from bowl.

Drop 12 large spoonfuls of biscuit batter over hot chicken mixure in baking dish. (If the mixture is cool, your biscuits will be soggy.) Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. While it’s baking, how about making a crisp salad to complete your dinner!

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half and then the yolks.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly to keep from sticking. Cook and stir until pudding is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour pudding through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to stir the pudding through. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter melts. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming. Chill until set, about three hours.

To serve, pour in individual serving bowls. Top with berries and/or peaches and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Makes 3 cups, about 4 servings.

Creamy deliciousness! Enough for a 9 inch two-layer cake.

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate in double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 5-10 minutes. Let cool until lukewarm.

In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for three minutes or until creamy. Add milk and beat until smooth. Add melted chocolate an beat well for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of desired consistency. I use this to frost the Chocolate Cake recipe on this site.

By popular demand of our current guests, here’s my go-to piecrust that I used for the Spinach-Mushroom-Bacon Quiche and Mixed Berry Crostata that I served today. It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They call it “Double-Crust Pie Dough,” but this name, given by one of our guests, has a little more pizzaz, don’t you think?

These directions are for mixing in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, follow the usual steps for mixing by hand.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter-flavored Crisco, cut into 1/2″ pieces and chilled
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces and chilled
6-8 Tbsp ice water

Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined, only a few seconds. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

Sprinkle 6 Tbsp of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff spatula (cooler than your hands), until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until it does.

Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4″ disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out and fitting into a pie plate.

To Make Ahead:

The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling

10 cups shredded hash browns
1/2 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1/4 c. butter and pour into 9×12-inch baking dish. Add 5 cups has browns (no need to thaw). In separate bowl, mix soup, sour cream, milk and green onions. Pour 1/2 of mixture over potatoes in dish. Salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheese. Add remaining hash browns; top with soup mixture, salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Bake for 55 minutes.