Challah (Egg Bread)

Best Challah (Egg Bread)
Originally found here

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising
Yield: 2 loaves

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon salt
8 to 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins per challah, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.

2. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.)

3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

4. At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves. To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.

5. Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.

6. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.

7. Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.

Baked Apple and Cheese Pancake

Baked Apple and Cheese Pancake
Recipe from Betty Crocker's Cooking For Today

Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 cup shredded Swiss, white Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz.)

1/2 lemon

2 medium apples, thinly sliced

Powdered sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 425. Heat margarine in rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches, in oven until hot and bubbly. Beat flour, milk, salt, and eggs until well blended. Pour into baking dish.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until sides of pancakes are puffed and deep golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese. Squeeze juice from lemon over apples, arrange apples in center of pancake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Luscious Mango Bread

Luscious, Delicious Mango Bread
Recipe from here.

Whisk together:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 level tsp powdered cardamom seeds (I didn't add this)
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl, beat together until well mixed:

4 tbsp canola or other flavorless vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
Add 2 tbsp flax seed powder and beat in.
Add 2 cups mango pulp and beat until well mixed. (I bought a can at the Indian grocery store)
Add the flour mixture and mix well.

Directions

Pour the batter into a standard 9X5 inch greased loaf pan and bake in a 350-degree oven around 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few crumbs stuck to it. Please note that because no two ovens are the same, even at the same temperature, the bread might take more or less time to bake in your oven. Whatever you do, don't skip the toothpick check!

Cool on a rack before unmolding and cutting into slices.

Zucchini Bread

The other day, my little sister and I walked to the Farmer's Market on a beautiful sunny day. I had never been to a FM before so because we had nothing else to do, we decided to travel the four miles down and back on foot to get there. It was pleasant enough despite our blistered feet and sweaty clothes! At the FM I bought two huge zucchinis and a delicious home made bread. This recipe is made with the lovely zucchini I brought back home.

Zucchini Bread
Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, brown sugar, zucchini, and vanilla; stir well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour. Cool.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Over the weekend, my mom left to go on a church retreat so I was told to act as "housekeeper" until she got back. So today before church, I got up really early at around 6:30 AM to start the food we would eat upon coming back. This was my first time cooking with meat. Never in all my soon to be 18 years had I touched a piece of meat...can you believe it? As a result, I was a little nervous as to how this meal would turn out. Thankfully everyone told me it was good, including our unexpected guest!

Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Giveaway

It is with much excitement that I announce a giveaway my little sister and I are hosting! It will be our first one, so be sure to enter!

Click HERE to go to her blog.

Crockpot Oats

We recently got a new crockpot after our older one broke. I've been taking advantage of the easy preparation a machine like this offers. This recipe was the first I made and I thought it turned out delicious. In fact, I'm still having the leftovers for breakfast and it's been three days since I made this yummy breakfast. Steel cut oats can be found at your local health food store or at just any grocery store. You just have to look carefully!

Slow Cooker Fruit, Nuts, and Spice Oatmeal
Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

.

2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups diced apple
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I ommitted this because we never buy almonds)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 cups water
1 cup milk (I used soymilk)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I used all-spice)
2 teaspoons butter

.

Directions

Combine the oats, apple, cranberries, almonds, pecans, water, milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and butter in a slow cooker. Cook on Low overnight or 8 hours.