Vegetarian Sloppy Joes with Honey Wheat Buns

Substituting mushrooms for ground beef keeps this dish meaty, and the ton of vegetables will make you full!

• 1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms
• 1 Onion
• 1/2 Green Pepper
• 1/2 Red Pepper
• 1 Can Tomato Paste
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 Juice from Lime
• 1 Packet Sloppy Joe Seasoning

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Roughly chop vegetables and add to oil until lightly browned.  Stir in seasonings and the remaining ingredients.  Simmer until mixture thickens.  Fill buns (see honey wheat bun recipe below) with sloppy joe mix, top with cheese, garnish with pickles, and serve with your favorite salad.

Honey Wheat Buns

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 1/4 Cups Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 1/2 Cups White Flour
• 2 Cups Wheat Flour
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons Yeast

Warm milk in microwave, then add honey and stir well.  Place one tablespoon of white flour in the mixture, then add yeast.  Let the sponge sit for 10-15 minutes until foamy.  Add the remaining ingredients except for one egg.  Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.  Roll out dough and punch with round cookie cutter or top of glass.  Place on greased baking sheet and let rise for another 20 minutes.  Set oven to 375.  Separate egg and brush the tops of the buns with only the white.  Bake for about 13-15 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese Waffles with Ham

What a melty, fun breakfast treat!  Well, I suppose it's good anytime...especially those breakfast for dinner nights.

• 1 Cup Small Pasta Shells or Elbow Macaroni
• 1 Cup Cheese (Any kind is fine, I used Cheddar)
• 1 Slice of Ham
• 1 Egg
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Parmesan
• 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
• Chives to Garnish, If Desired

Boil water to cook your pasta as directed, or using leftover mac n' cheese works too.  Once pasta is tender, drain water and add the cheese.  Slice the ham into small cubes and add to mixture.  Stir until the mixture is well combined.  Let the pasta cool for at least 15 minutes in fridge.  

Make 4 small balls of pasta, rolling each by hand.  In another bowl combine Parmesan, Italian seasoning to taste, and breadcrumbs.  Dip each pasta ball into the beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumb mixture.  Heat waffle iron and coat with non-stick spray.  Place one pasta ball in each quadrant, then press and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

Make English Muffins at Home!

Once you taste these english muffins hot off the grill, you'll never buy them again!  Simple ingredients and no special tools required.  It's the perfect combination of crispy and melty.  For a healthier multi-grain version, just substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat!

I usually have King Arthur flour on hand, so this recipe is similar to the one on their website:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/english-muffins-recipe

However, I made these without a bread machine, added a little more flour, and some buttermilk for a sourdough type of flavor.

• 3/4 Cups Warm Milk
• 3/4 Cups Warm Buttermilk
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Beaten Large Egg
• 4 3/4 Cups Flour
• 2 Teaspoons Yeast
• Semolina to Prevent Pan Sticking

Add butter and milk into a glass or plastic container and microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time until butter is almost completely melted.  *Do not overheat the milk as this will cause the yeast to die.  Place the rest of the ingredients (Except Semolina) into a large glass bowl.  Make a hole in the center of the flour and pour the milk mixture inside.  Stir with a spatula until the dough becomes very smooth and sticky.  Knead the rest by hand about five minutes, then cover and let sit for 90 minutes or dough has doubled.  

Once the dough has doubled, punch down and separate into small balls.  If preferred, you can roll the dough out and use a muffin ring or glass to press the dough into a perfect circle.  I like them all a bit different, so I roll them into a ball and press them flat.  Heat a cast iron pan or griddle to a medium to low temperature.  Sprinkle each side lightly with the semolina and place on the grill, they should puff up while cooking.  Turn once, and let rest for a few minutes.  

Chef's Tip: To retain all the beautiful texture on the inside, do not cut with a knife.  Rather, split them with a fork and return them to the pan to toast the inside.

Slow Pokes -Escargot Wrapped in Puff Pastry

If you enjoy escargot, try this unique fusion by wrapping the snails in puff pastry and serving with garlic pesto.  They look elegant, melt in your mouth, and are very easy to assemble.  Even if you are not a fan of snails, try a variation mentioned below.

• 1 Package Escargot (I buy my snails on Amazon.com in the can...classy, I know!)
• 2 Sheets of Frozen Puff Pastry
• 3 Tablespoons of Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley
• 3 Crushed Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Tsp Cracked Pepper

While your puff pastry defrosts for 30 minutes, heat butter in a skillet.   Prepare your chopped herbs and garlic, then add to the butter and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add the drained can of snails, lower the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the flavor has infused with the snails.  Once the pastry has defrosted, use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into small squares.  Place a snail and a bit of the garlic butter sauce in the center of each square.  Then pinch the both ends into a wrapped candy shape.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Garnish with leftover butter sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan. 

You will usually have a little puff pastry leftover.  Almost anything is delicious in pastry...I love to stuff the extra with spinach, cheese, and sausage!  Try your hand at leftover fridge items, or something creative and zesty like smoked salmon and dilled cream cheese.  Cheddar and broccoli bits are a favorite of almost anyone, or stuff some mozzarella and bacon in the center.  There are endless possibilities, have fun!

Cheesy Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins

My Dad sent me this recipe a few days ago and I just had to try it!  King Arthur makes the original version, although I like mine a bit more spicy and cheesy.  Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1/2 Cup Light Sour Cream
• 1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella 
• 2 Serrano Peppers
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers
• 1 Poblano Pepper
• 2 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Fried Onions

Set oven to 400 degrees.  Finely chop serrano, jalapeno, and poblano peppers.  Mix dry ingredients first, then fold in cheese and peppers until well blended.  Spray muffin cups with non-stick spray and fill with batter until the rim is reached.  Bake for 23 minutes.  Once finished baking, remove from cups gently using a fork or small spatula and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Buttermilk Bread

Not only does this bread smell fantastic when baking, but it is very simple to make and requires few ingredients.  Do not try to make this in a hurry!  It has plenty of rising time, so be sure you have a few hours to spend with your dough.

• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 tbls sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk
• .5 stick butter
• 1 tbls active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 egg white

Combine yeast, warm water, sugar, and 1 tbls of flour in a glass dish.  Take care not to overheat water or use metal as this can kill yeast easily.  Let activate for 15-20 minutes until foamy.

While yeast is activating, put buttermilk and butter in a saucepan on low heat until combined.  Curdling of the milk is normal.  Combine the buttermilk and butter mixture with the proofed yeast and knead until dough is soft.  Add small amounts of flour if necessary until the consistency is perfect.  Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp warm cloth, and let rise for 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.

After the first rising, punch the dough down and let rise for another 1.5 hours.  Once rising is finished, place in an oiled loaf pan, making a few diagonal slits across the top for expansion.  Mix egg white and a tsp of water together, and brush over the top of the loaf.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.