Shredded Wheat Bread

In the midst of the busyness that comes from having four kids at home, theoretically engaged in "distance learning", it was comforting to make this delicious bread. 

The only weirdish ingredient for this bread is Shredded Wheat-- like, the old-fashioned cereal your grandparents used to eat.

Due to the fact that everyone was shopping for this quarantine like they actually intended to cook, I was short on all-purpose flour, so I substituted bread flour and it worked just fine.

Shredded Wheat Bread

• 6 Shredded Wheat biscuits
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 packages (or 4 1/2 teaspoons) yeast 
• 10 cups all-purpose or bread flour (or more)

Pour 2 cups boiling water over the shredded wheat, oil, sugar, molasses, and salt.  Let set for 5-10 minutes, until it softens. Meanwhile, combine the 1/4 cup warm water, teaspoon of sugar and yeast and let bloom.  Then, add the cold water to the shredded wheat mixture, and test that it is appropriately warm for the yeast (around 110 degrees).  Add yeast mixture.  Add ten cups flour and knead with a bread hook in your mixer (or by hand, if you don't have a mixer) for several minutes.  You can add a little flour if it stays too sticky, but 10 cups usually works for me.  Cover, and let rise in a warm spot till it doubles in size.  Punch it down, and let rise again.  Divide into four equal parts, knead and shape into four loaves.  Place in bread pans, and allow to rise 2-3 inches over the side of the pan.  Preheat oven to 350, and bake for 40 minutes.  Allow to cool on wire racks.

This is a big recipe, but it freezes well.  Defrost on a wire rack for best results.

This bread is especially delicious when paired with honey butter.

Honey Butter

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat together on high for several minutes.  If  you're comfortable with leaving butter at room temperature, I recommend leaving this out so it's soft and spreadable.  Obviously, it lasts longer in the fridge, but it never seems to last around here.

Since everyone needs to stay home to #flattenthecurve, now is an excellent time to make this bread!  Stay safe and healthy!

Roast Chicken

Maybe everyone else is already producing roast chickens with ease, without a recipe, but it took a recipe published in my newspaper to prod me into trying it for the first time.  I tweaked the recipe a bit, using what I've learned about roasting a turkey.  This is more of a technique than a recipe, but I like having it all written down.  I made it for the second time last night, and it was a hit!  The kids eat the meat much better than typical chicken breasts, because it is so much moister.  And I thoroughly enjoy the crispy, garlick-y skin!

Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 lbs.	½ cup mayonnaise
2 gallons water	2 T fresh herbs
1 cup kosher salt	½ onion, peeled
1 cup sugar	Salt and pepper
5T butter, softened	2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cloves garlic, divided

Brining the chicken (6 hours to overnight):  Put 2 gallons water, kosher salt and sugar in a large stockpot or brining bucket.  Swish to dissolve.  Remove giblets from chicken and submerge chicken in the brine.  (1 gallon water, ½ cup salt, ½ cup sugar seems to be enough for my stockpot, but it's easy to adjust).

Two and a quarter hours before dinner:  Remove chicken from the brine and rinse thoroughly.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Place chicken in roasting pan or dish.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix one pressed clove of garlic in with the softened butter.  (I freeze leftover garlic butter from when I make garlic bread-- this is a good way to use this-- just take the butter out of the freezer when you start brining the chicken.)  Chop fresh herbs and mix into the mayo.  Gently loosen the skin over the breast and rub the herbed mayonnaise over the meat underneath the skin.  To reach further back, place a large dollop of the mayonnaise under the skin, then, massage it back by pressing on the skin.  Then, rub the skin with the garlic butter and salt and pepper generously.  Place the half onion and the rest of the garlic cloves, peeled, in the cavity of the chicken.  Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.  Place roasting pan in oven and set timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Then peel potatoes, etc. to get ready for the meal.  When the timer goes off, increase the heat to 400° and roast for another 20-25 minutes, until skin is crispy and a meat thermometer registers 165°.  Remove chicken from the oven and lift out chicken onto a cutting board.  Tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, strain pan juices through a sieve into a saucepan to make gravy.  Heat the juices, whisking in Wondra flour, until thickened.  Taste, then salt if needed.  Carve chicken and serve.

Chile Cheese Egg Casserole

This recipe was in the Sunday Parade magazine a few months ago.  I've made it once, and my mom has made it several times.  She often cooks it Saturday night, and it reheats beautifully for Sunday morning.  Very filling and delicious.

Chile Cheese Egg Casserole

1 stick (½ cup butter)	1 quart (4 cups) cottage cheese
10 eggs	½ cup marscapone cheese
2 egg whites	1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack
½ cup flour	2 (8 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 tsp. baking powder	Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.  Melt butter, and pour half into a 13x9 baking pan, and set the other half aside.  Beat eggs and egg whites lightly in a large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking powder, chiles, all cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Pour egg mixture into baking pan.  Pour reserved butter over the top.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350° and bake 35-40 minutes or until casserole is set.

(That's the way the recipe appeared.  I did make a few alterations-- I just dumped 12 eggs in there, without separating the 2 egg whites.  And my family isn't a huge fan of spicy foods, so I only put one can of chiles in.)

Knox Blocks

I never remember what proportions of Jello and Knox Blocks go in this recipe.  I made them a couple of weeks ago, though, and this recipe turned out just right.  Better write it down before I'm scratching my head and wondering again in a month.  Evan remembers this treat from childhood, and loves it.

Knox Blocks

3 envelopes Knox gelatin	4 cups boiling water
4 pkg. (3 oz. each) Jello

Mix gelatin and Jello in a heat-safe bowl.  Pour in boiling water and stir briskly until completely dissolved.  Pour in a 13x9 pan.  Cool in fridge for 4-5 hours.  These are very firm blocks, easy to eat with your hands!

You can choose any four flavors of Jello.  We like 2 boxes of grape and 2 boxes of cranberry, but it's fun to try new combinations!

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

And, tonight's supper!  For a side, I have some sweet potatoes cooking in the crockpot, a yummy-looking recipe from the new slow cooker recipe book from Cook's Illustrated.  I'm hoping that turns out good.  I've made these pork chops several times since I first saw the recipe in Family Circle magazine, they're super yummy and easy!

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries	½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar	1 T butter
¼ cup raspberry vinegar	Pork chops, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
1/8 tsp. ground ginger	½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg	½ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves	½ tsp. rubbed sage

In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, vinegar, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.  Stir in ½ cup water and bring to a boil, crushing berries with a wooden spoon.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Take off heat, stir in butter.  Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat.  Season the pork chops with the spices.  Lightly grease grill pan and grill chops 5 minutes per side.  Place chops in baking dish and bake for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145°.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Serve with warm sauce on the side.

Fish Tacos

Here's what's for supper tonight, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated The Best Skillet Recipes.  Lots of yummy recipes in this book!  This recipe is one of my favorites, and once I learned the right order to prepare it all in, it's a pretty quick meal.  Eun Hui, the California girl, even pronounced it "authentic".  The recipe calls for cod, but I tend to buy cheaper fish, like tilapia or swai, which has the advantage of frying much faster, too.  The chipotle mayonnaise is excellent on sandwiches as well, so don't worry if you make too much!

Fish Tacos

Chipotle Mayonnaise

¾ cup mayonnaise	1 T lime juice
1-3 tsp. minced chipotle pepper	1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 T minced cilantro leaves	Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and set aside

Cabbage

¼ head green cabbage (12 oz.), shredded (about 4 cups)	1 tsp. vegetable oil
3 T minced onion	½ tsp. salt
2 T cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and set aside

Fish

½ cup flour	1 tsp. salt & ½ tsp. pepper
1 T chili powder	1 ½ lbs. white fish, cut into strips

You will need oil for frying, and tortillas for serving.  The recipe suggests corn tortillas, but I usually have flour on hand, so I use those.

Whisk together the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Dredge fish gently, letting excess flour fall back in bowl.  (Can shake gently in a mesh strainer to remove excess).  Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Oil is ready when a little piece of the chopped cabbage bubbles quickly when placed in the oil.  Add the fish and cook on one side, 1-2 minutes.  Carefully flip, and finish cooking (another minute or two), until fish flakes easily with a fork or paring knife.  Place fish on a paper towel-lined plate.  Heat tortillas, smear on chipotle mayo, place a few pieces of fish on top, and top with cabbage mixture.  Eat while the fish is hot!

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

While it does involve a little more measuring and grating some cheese, this is just as fast as Kraft Dinner.  From the time you first think about having this meal until it is making your mouth happy is less than 15 minutes. 

Alton Brown’s Stove Top Mac & Cheese

½ lb. elbow macaroni	1 tsp. kosher salt
4 T butter (1/2 stick)	Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs	¾ tsp. dry mustard
6 oz. evaporated milk	10 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
½ tsp. hot sauce

Boil salted water and add macaroni.  While the macaroni is cooking, grate the cheese and whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Drain the macaroni when it is al dente and return to pot.  Melt in the butter and toss to coat.  Mix in the milk mixture, then add the cheese.  Stir over low heat for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Notes: You can't buy 6 oz. cans of evaporated milk.  I just use the five ounce can and dollop a little whole milk in.  Evan prefers this with a mixture of monterey jack and cheddar, although I love I with just cheddar.  I use Frank's Red Hot for the hot sauce, but next time I want to try Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.

Doubled recipe:

1 lb. elbow macaroni	2 tsp. kosher salt
8 T butter (1 stick)	Freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs	1 ½ tsp. dry mustard
12 oz. evaporated milk	20 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
1 tsp. hot sauce