Arugula Rice With Chicken Sausage

I invented this tonight!  And so, it probably tasted even yummier to me because I was so proud of myself, but everyone else here liked it, too.

1 1/2 C. rice (I did half white, half brown)
2 C. chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
12 oz. Chicken Sausage (I used sun-dried tomato and Asiago cheese variety), sliced thin
3 potatoes, cooked, cubed and salt/peppered to taste
1 large or 2 small bell peppers of any color, sliced
Handful of arugula

Cook the rice using the chicken stock as the liquid.

When the rice is almost done, saute garlic and onion and brown the sausage all together over med-high heat.  When the onions and garlic are soft and translucent, add in the cooked potatoes.  When the rice finishes cooking, open the lid and toss in the arugula and peppers, then cover again and let sit for a few minutes to wilt the arugula and soften the peppers.

To the sausage mixture, add some fresh basil, dried marjoram, dried oregano, and a dash of ground paprika.

Combine the two mixtures.  Stir really well to evenly distribute the arugula, as it tends to clump together.  If you don't like arugula, you could substitute spinach, but I loved the flavor the arugula added.  Lastly, I sprinkled some grated cheese similar to Parmesan, but from goat's milk.  However, I don't think it really needed this at all.

Zucchini: Use 142

I've come to realize that Zucchini is just one of those garden veges that is bountiful and somehow no matter if you have enough from your own garden....you seem to find more on your car after church from anonymous donors....0bviously, they simply don't know just how many uses there are.....

Zucchini French Fries

2-3 med to large size zucchini  (skins removed, seeds removed, and sliced into french fry shape.  This is very easy if you already have a french fry making tool....but even if you don't...its worth cutting them)

Put cut zucchini sticks into plastic bag.  Add 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, salt, pepper, and any other spice that you like....we added a variety of stuff.  Shake (with bag closed of course.....or if your in the mood to clean up, keep the bag open.)

Pour out on to a cookie sheet.  Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for around 25 min...(please check this because I don't know your oven personally, and it might have a slightly warmer personality then my oven does and it could cook those babies faster..or slower depending...so, don't blame me....I'm just sayin')

Anyhow, add Ketchup to a plate..and enjoy them.  I mean really enjoy them...they are not potatoes and they came out of your garden for goodness sake..so eat them knowing you are really doing your best to be a good steward of the harvest you've been given.

Um....okay....yeah, ...enjoy!

Mel's 1st place Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobler

Hi ya'll.  I won first place last week at our ward campout with my Blackberry cobbler.  So, here it is for all to enjoy..

Ingredients:

3 cups blackberries.  (Mine were freshly picked, but I'm sure store bought is just a great.  They key here with fresh or store bought is to wash and freeze them individually on a cookie sheet.  The Frozen state of the blackberries is very important in the cooking process.)

1-2 white cake mixes (depends on how much of this stuff you want....so if its just for the family use only one cake mix)

1 can Cream Soda

1 Stick butter

1/4 cup sugar  (um  yeah, it's dessert.....it's not really healthy, but it won FIRST PLACE!!!!)

Okay, take the stick of butter and grease the bottom and sides of the dutch oven.  Place frozen blackberries on the bottom of the oven.  Cover with dry cake mix.  Pour the can of cream soda over the cake mix(s).  Slice the remaining butter and put that over the cake mix in slices.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top.

Cover oven with lid. and cook with charcoal bouquets ( 8-10 on bottom and 12-14 on top...for my large dutch oven...it could vary by size so be careful and check often) until brown on top and bubbly. 

Really Yummy folks!.....and did I happen to mention it took FIRST PLACE?!!!!!  :)...I'm pretty proud of that.

Naan Bread

2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 C. warm water
1/4 C. sugar
3 T. milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 C. bread flour (less if you use all-purpose, or whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
1/4 C. butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in the warm water, sprinkle sugar over and let sit for 10 min.  Stir in milk, egg, salt, and 3 C. flour.  Gradually add remaining flour, stopping when you have a soft dough.  Knead 6-8 minutes, until smooth.  Let rise in oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth for 1 hour, or until doubled.  Punch down and knead in garlic if desired.  Pinch golf ball-sized pieces of dough, roll into balls and place on a tray.  Cover with a towel and let rise 30 min, or until double..

Heat a grill to high heat.  At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle.  Lightly oil grill.  Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned.  Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over.  Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes.  Remove from grill and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

I've been known to do half white, half whole wheat and they still turn out delicious.  Also, I always cook them on my George Foreman grill.  Way easier.  These are seriously SO yummy!

Refrigerator Pickles

Brine:
3 C. cold water
1 C. vinegar
2 T. salt

Cukes:
1 sliced onion
2 T peppercorns
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Dill, to taste
Small whole cucumbers, or sliced larger cucumbers

Stir brine to dissolve really well.  Layer the solids in 2-3 quart-size jars.  Pour brine over.  I combined a few recipes, so I don't know exactly how to do it.  I let them sit on the counter, loosely covered for several hours and then stuck them in the fridge.  They were way yummier and more flavorful the first time around, so I'd say go heavy on the seasonings and flavor.

Good luck!

Rice Vegetable Soup

10 C water
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small white potatoes, diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium summer squash, sliced
1/2 C rice, long-grain
2 bay leaves
2 cans tomato sauce
2 TB beef boullion
1/4 tsp ground thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Place onion, garlic, carrots into pot.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add water, beef boullion, potatoes, rice, bay leaves, tomato sauce, thyme, and Italian seasoning.  Simmer for 20 min. or until rice and vegetables are done.  Add zucchini and summer squash, cook for an additional 5-10 min.
I made this recipe up a few days ago when I needed to take dinner to someone.  (I know, I know, great time to make something up...but I didn't have may ingredients on hand, I refused to go shopping, and I needed to use my squash and zucchini from my garden.)  Cheryl helped me a bit with the recipe (thanks Cheryl!!)  And it ended up tasting so good that I thought I'd post it here.  I was thinking that the next time I made it, I might add celery and/or barley.  If you make it, let me know what you think-even if you don't like it.  Thanks!

Whole-Wheat Bread

There are about a million reasons why I love this recipe.  The directions are clear.  You can't mess this up.  The bread is so tasty and good for you.  The dough is fun to work with- not a sticky mess.  The bread is moist and sticks together- you can actually slice it thin and it will work with you.  And despite the length of the recipe, it's actually not at all time-intensive like other yeast breads.  Oh... it's just perfect.

makes two 1-pound loaves

Soaker

1 cup (4.25 oz) coarse whole-wheat flour or other coarsely ground whole grains (oats, corn, barley, rye)

3/4 cup (6 oz) water, at room temperature

Whole-wheat Poolish

1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) high protein whole-wheat flour

1/4 tsp. instant yeast

3/4 cup (6 oz) water, at room temperature

Dough

2 cups high protein whole-wheat flour

1 1/3 tsp. salt

1 tsp. instant yeast

2 T honey

1 T vegetable oil (optional)

1 large egg, slightly beaten (optional)

2 T sesame seeds, poppy seeds, quick oats, or what bran for garnish (optional)

Note: The use of oil and/or egg is offered as an option to tenderize the bread.  If you use either of them, you will need to add additional flour during the final mixing.  Let the dough determine how much flour to add, as you knead it to a firm, slightly tacky consistency.  Another way to tenderize the dough is to use milk or buttermilk instead of water when making the poolish.

1. The day before makeing the bread, make the soaker and the poolish. For the soaker, mix together to coarse whole-wheat flour and the water in a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave it at room temperature until the next day.  For the poolish, mix together to whole-wheat flour and yeast, then stir in the water to make a thick paste.  Sir only until all the four is hydrated, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, or until it just begins to bubble.  Then put it in the refrigerator overnight.

2. The next day remove the poolish from the refrigerator  1 hour before making the dough to take off the chill.  In a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), stir together the whole-wheat flour, salt, and yeast.  Then add the poolish and the soaker, as well as the honey, oil, and egg.  Stir with a large metal spoon (or mix on low speed for about 1 minute with the paddle attachment) until the dough forms a ball, adding more water or flour if needed.

3. Sprinlkle whole-wheat flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed iwth the dough hook).  Add flour if necessary and knead until the dough forms a firt, supple dough.  This will take 10 to 15 minutes by hand, slightly less by machine.  The dough should be tacky but not sticky.  it should pass the windowpane test and register 77 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a large bowl and ransfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. 

4.  Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

5. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces (they should weigh about 18 oz each).  Shape them into sandwich loaves, as shown here.  Lightly oil two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans and place the loaves in the pans.  Mist the tops with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

6. Proof at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until the dough nearly doubles in size and is cresting above the lip of the pans.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack in the middle of the the oven.  Just before baking you may choose to garnish the loaves by misting the tops with water and sprinkling sesame seeds.

8. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, then rotate them 180 degrees, if necessary, for even backing.  (Mine is usually done after 30 minutes... so I recommend checking now to see if it is done.) Continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes longer.  The finished bread whould register between 185 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit at the center and should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.  The loaves should be golden brown all around and firm on the sides as well as on the top and bottom.  If they are soft and squishy on the sides, return them to the pans and continue baking until done.

9. When the loaves have finished baking, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before slicing or serving.