No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls

26 February, 201425 February, 2014Marissa

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it’s the only cinnamon roll recipe I make now. It’s originally from a blog called pReCiouS MoMentS. I’ve changed measurements that were in grams to cups or tablespoons, to make it easier to American cooks to follow. I also changed the scalding instructions — I wanted an exact temperature to aim for so I didn’t scorch the milk or kill the yeast, and it takes much less than an hour for my milk to cool to the right temperature. My rolls also have less filling, and I’ve added a glaze.

No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls

No-Knead Cinnamon Roll recipe, marissabaker.wordpress.com — first round of ingredients ready

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Dough

1 cup milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon yeast

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

4 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon milk

Mix milk, sugar and vegetable oil in a pan. Scald by heating to 150°F. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes, or until the temperatures is between 105°F and 115°F. Sprinkle yeast over the scaled mixture and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add scalded mixture. Stir with a spatula until it comes together to form a thick batter. Cover and let the batter sit for at least 1 hour.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until the mixture comes together. Rolls can be made now, or covered and chilled until needed. Dough will be easier to work with if chilled.

When ready to make the rolls, mix ground cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Dust the work surface and the top and bottom of dough freely with flour. Roll out the dough into a thin, rectangular shape. Dust the dough and work surface with flour when necessary.

Brush the rolled out dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the surface. Roll the dough neatly in a line towards you, rolling as tightly as possible. Pinch the seams to seal.

Cut into 1-inch thick slices and arrange in a baking pan greased with butter. Use one 9×13-inch baking pan, or two 8×8-inch baking pans. Place the rolls close together so that they are almost touching.

Cover and leave to rise for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the rolls double in size. Rolls can be left to chill in the fridge over night and baked the next morning. If rolls have doubled in size in the refrigerator, bake right away. Otherwise leave to sit on counter until they double. Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 12-16 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let rolls cool on the counter. Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled rolls.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Bars

19 February, 2014Marissa

There are few foods I like better than warm oatmeal walnut bars fresh from the oven, oozing chocolate when you cut into them. The only problem is that they are so tasty — and just as addictive as my blond brownies — that is is hard to save enough to take to whatever event I decided to bake them for.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Walnut Bars

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1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Dash salt

1 (12-oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Combine oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Spoon and spread dough in greased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to counter and let cool.

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Chicken Divan

12 February, 201412 February, 2014Marissa

I wish I could tell you the name of the recipe book I found this in, but it’s old and the front and back covers have long since been lost. Regardless, it is an easy dish that has become a popular choice in our house. Evey time I say I’m not sure what to make for lunch, my brother tells me to bake chicken divan. There’s rarely left overs here, but it does heat up well the next day.

In other news, there’s a Scarlet Pimpernel Quotation Challenge and Giveaway running now until Feb. 14 on Musings of an Introvert for the Anthony Andrew’s blog hop. If you’re interested, make your way over there and see how many quotations you can complete.

Chicken Divan

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1 teaspoon olive oil

4 cups chicken, cut into small pieces

4 cups chopped carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until done.

Meanwhile, place vegetables with water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cook for a couple minutes. Drain vegetables.

Place vegetables on the bottom of a 9×13-in. baking pan . Top with cooked chicken. Mix cream of chicken soup, curry powder, and mayonnaise. Spread over chicken mixture. Top with cheddar cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes at 350°F. Remove foil and book another 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting brown and sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve with rice.

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Chicken Fried Rice

29 January, 201428 January, 2014Marissa

I have a confession to make: for many years I made chicken fried rice using a boxed dinner because I was intimidated by this dish. It seemed like it would be so simple, but when I tried one recipe I found online it was a soggy mess that tasted like licorice because of the Chinese five-spice. Just recently, I finally found another recipe to try (this one a simple side-dish), and I expanded it into this chicken fried rice. The secret to avoiding sogginess is to use rice that has been sitting in the refrigerator for a day or so, which gives it a chance to cool and dry-out a little. I still don’t feel I’ve quite mastered the art of keeping the egg on only one side of the skillet while scrambling it, but at least when we want fried rice we’re not eating dinner out of a box any more.

Chicken Fried Rice

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1 pound chicken, cut into chunks

1 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 teaspoon canola oil

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 cup peas

1 cup diced carrots

1-2 green onions, thinly sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten.

4 cups cooked white or brown rice (day old or leftover rice works best)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon rice wine

3/4 teaspoons ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon canola oil in wok or large skillet. Fry chicken in hot oil until cooked through. Remove when done.

Add 3 Tablespoons sesame oil to the wok and heat over medium heat. Add the peas, carrots, onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until tender. Push the mixture off to one side, then pour eggs on the other side of the skillet and stir-fry until scrambled.

Add rice and stir. Add soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, and pepper. Stir to blend. Continue stir-frying until thoroughly heated, then serve.

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Snickerdoodles

22 January, 201421 January, 2014Marissa

This is my favorite cookie. You need to plan ahead a little, since they will not bake right if the dough isn’t chilled first, but otherwise they are very easy to make. The recipe is from a close family friend, who was kind enough to bake them for me on a frequent basis when I was a child, and then gave me the recipe when I started baking in my own kitchen.

Snicker Doodles

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1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1-3/4 cups white, unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and beat to incorporate eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Chill dough thoroughly, at least 1 hour.

Remove from refrigerator and roll into balls the size of a walnut. Roll each cookie in mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown but still soft, 7-9 minutes at 375°F. Do no over-bake.

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Brown Rice Pilaf

15 January, 201415 January, 2014Marissa

When served with a few pieces of chicken, this brown rice pilaf is one of my favorite meals. The original recipe (the origin of which I have lost track of) called for long grain or basmati rice — I’ve always used the brown rice that we keep on hand to serve with stir-fries. It has to cook longer than the original 15-20 minutes, but it’s healthy and it tastes good. There are several variations you could try on this recipe, though I like the one with basil and carrots so much that I haven’t played around with it too much. I have kept substitutions suggested by the original recipe in parenthesis if you want to experiment with some of them.

Brown Rice Pilaf

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1 cup brown rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup shredded carrots (can substitute mushrooms, sweet peppers, or zucchini)

¼ cup rice wine (can substitute apple juice, dry white wine, or water)

¼ teaspoon dried basil (can substitute oregano or thyme)

½ cup slivered almonds (can substitute green onions, chopped walnuts, or pine nuts)

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add garlic and uncooked rice. Stir in hot butter for 3 minutes. Slowly add chicken broth, then stir in carrots, wine and dried herb.

Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Add slivered almonds and serve.

"Brown Rice Pilaf" by marissabaker.wordpress.com. For the chicken, I pour some rice wine in a baking dish, add garlic and basil, then add the chicken. Shake some basil and garlic over the chicken and top with mozzarella cheese or crushed garlic and cheese croutons — For the chicken, I pour some rice wine in a baking dish, add garlic and basil, then add the chicken. Shake some basil and garlic over the chicken and top with mozzarella cheese or crushed garlic and cheese croutons