whole wheat honey bread/pizza dough

Dry Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

2 Tbsp. Flax meal (optional)

4 Tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten

1 Tbsp. Sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

1.5 Tbsp granulated yeast

4 cups warm water (about 100 degrees F)

1/4 cup honey or raw sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix yeast, water and honey- allow to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Mix other dry ingredients separately in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and olive oil to dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Let rise in a large bowl for 1.5-2 hours or until top of dough flattens. You can also choose to put the dough in the fridge, in a large plastic container(loosely sealed) and it will keep for two weeks.

For loaf bread: Preheat oven to 425, place grapefruit sized ball of dough in pregreased pan, parchement or on floured pizza stone and bake for 30 min- until golden brown

For pizza: Preheat oven to 425. Roll out dough to desired thickness on parchment paper. Par-bake for 5-7 minutes. Add toppings and back for another 10 min or until cheese and edges of the crust become slightly golden. 

Variations: I will add to the dry mixtures a couple tablespoons of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway, sunflower seeds or rosemary( or other fresh herbs).

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls from Jean-Claire Baarspul

Rolls:
5 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato or yam
2 tbs. orange zest
1-2 tsp of almond or vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 packages yeast
1 cup very warm milk
1/4 cup butter softened
1 large egg

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1.5 tsp vanilla
2 to 4 tsp water

Filling:
2 TBS butter
i don't measure these, but i add, cinnamon, nutmeg a little bit of cloves and ginger and about 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts (your choice) I did a mix of walnuts, pecans and almonds

Directions
mix for about 1 minute 4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. add the warm milk and let sit 5 min. Then add 1/4 cup butter, sweet potato, orange zest, extract and the egg. beat with an electric mixture on low, 1 minute, scraping frequently. beat on medium one more minute, stir in remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
knead dough about 5 minutes or until springy. place in large greased bowl, turned to coat, cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise for about 1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Punch down dough, flatten into 15x10 inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. spread 2 tbs butter and then sprinkle evenly the cinnamon and brown sugar. , roll up tightly, the long way. pinch edge to seal. use floss or string ( I just use a knife) to cut into 5 1-inch slices. place in 13x9 inch baking pan. let rise again for about 30 minutes and bake, Or place into refrigerator over night, for fresh cinnamon rolls on christmas morning!
in morning, turn oven on to 200 degrees. when it comes to temp, turn it off, and place the pan of rolls inside. leave for 30 minutes until doubled in size. take out of oven. preheat it again to 400 degrees. place rolls back in oven and bake for 10 min, then flip, glaze and bake another 5-7 min let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Tikka Masala from Brennan Hamrin

Ingredients

* 1 cup yogurt
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
* 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 bell peppers chopped
* 4 Carrots chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Pan fry the chicken.
4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and 2 teaspoons salt. Add Carrots and Peppers and saute a few minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Best served with rice and naan bread.

Whole wheat oat bread

Makes two to three 1.5 lb loaves (I made two).

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (I used soy)
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
5 Tbsp safflower oil (or canola oil)
2 2/3 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour (ground from hard winter berries)
2 cups oat flour (ground from oat groats)
3 T flax meal

1. Mix the yeast salt, honey, and oil with the lukewarm water and milk in a 5-quart bowl
2. Using a spoon, food processor with dough attachment, or a stand mixer, mix in the whole wheat flour and flax meal without kneading the mixture.
3. Cover the mixture, and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flatten on top); approximately 2 to 3 hours.
4. Although the dough can be used after it has risen and collapsed. Refrigerate it in a lidded, not airtight container and use over the next 5 days (I used my tea container). After the five days, put the dough in the freezer for up to 1 month.
5. On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Using wet hands, scoop out a 1 1/2-pound (cantaloupe-size) handful of dough. With wet hands, quickly shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
6. Drop the loaf into the prepared pan filling it slightly more than half-full.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Flour and slash the top of the loaf using the tip of a serrated bread knife.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 5 minutes, if not using a stone; otherwise, preheat the oven 20 minutes before baking time.
9. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake the loaf for 50 to 60 minutes or until deeply browned and firm.
10. Allow to cool completely before slicing in order to cut reasonable sandwich slices.

Spicy Sweet Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is my ultimate comfort food. So over the last several years I have worked on getting a good recipe.
 
Ingredients:
2 T. Melted butter and more for baking dish
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I make my own by using old sandwich bread that was frozen)
2 lb. (4 cups) grated cheese

• I use tillamook vintage white cheddar, dubliner white cheese, parmesan,  gorgonzola 
• mild cheddar can also be used if you don't want to spend the money on the more expensive ones.

16 oz penne or your favorite pasta
2 1/2 milk
16oz cream cheese
Gorgonzola
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 Tbsp. Sriracha (depending on how spicy you want- I usually put more)
3 Tbsp. Honey (to taste)
Pepper
Salt


Butter 9x13 baking dish . Toss melted butter with bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

In large pot of boiling water cook pasta.

Bring milk to boil over medium heat and add cream cheese in cubes, stir till melted. Then gradually stir in remaining cheese. Add a little gorgonzola here.

For sweet and spicy: add sriracha and honey and pepper to taste to cheese sauce then mix with pasta.

Mix all together and put in baking dish

Bake at 350 for 10 min then sprinkle with bread crumbs and gorgonzola and bake for 10 more min.