Lindsey's Yummy Rolls

Lindsey wrote this recipe down for me back when we were seniors in high school and I was collecting recipes for one of my personal progress goals.  This recipe is, hands down, the best roll recipe I have ever made, and I have tried quite a few different recipes.  Not because I was looking for something better but because I kept misplacing this recipe card and I would search futilely for a suitable replacement.  The last time I lost this recipe was a few months ago.  I searched through every one of my cookbooks, of which I have several, to see if I had slipped it in one of them.  I couldn't find it.  I tried not to panic until we had moved to our house thinking that I would certainly find it when we had moved everything and cleaned.  I still didn't find it.  So I searched through all of my cookbooks again.  Still nothing.  I gave up, heart broken,  not just because my favorite roll recipe was gone but because one of the last things I have of my dear friend was gone. It has been about a month since I gave up hope on ever seeing this recipe again when I suddenly found it.  I opened up my cookie and candy cookbook to get ready to bake cookies for Eric's work for Christmas.  The first page opened and out fell this recipe card.  I had searched through every page of that cookbook at least twice, probably more and never seen it and it had been in the first page all along.  I was over joyed.  And I decided immediately that I needed to post this online so that I will always have a copy of it somewhere.  I have also decided that I should probably laminate the thing, as she wrote the recipe in pencil and parts of it are already smudged and getting hard to read. 

So, without further ado:

Lindsey's Yummy Rolls

2 cakes (I don't know what cakes are) or Tablespoons yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. warm water. 
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 heaping teaspoon salt

Combine yeast and sugar in water.  Melt butter with milk in a small sauce pan.  Cool.  Combine flour, salt, and 1/4 c. sugar.  When butter and milk are cooled combine with the beaten eggs and yeast.  Stir, then gradually sift the flour mixture into the liquid.  The dough is very sticky but do not add more flour.  Let this rise for 1 hour then roll out.  You will need flour on every surface.  Cut the rolls into circles and fold in half.  I always put butter on each circle before folding in half.  Place on a baking sheet with the sides touching.  Let rise 20 minutes and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Enjoy these AMAZING rolls!

Back and with a recipe

There has been big news all around for Eric and me the last few months.  We are having a baby boy in the middle of April and we just bought our first home and moved in about two weeks ago.  Life has come and swept us away after things remaining the same for so long.  Its been exhilarating and exciting and a little stressful and scary.  We are very happy about all of these changes and can't wait to see what else life brings.  I would like to blog just a bit more as well.  Which, as long as there aren't six months between posts, should be pretty easy.  I'm going to try to post pictures of our house next week, as things come slowly together. But today I am going to post a recipe that I tried this week.  It was really good and Eric has said it's a keeper.  I found the recipe on Pinterest.  I made a few little alterations so here is my version:

Picture from original recipe

Lime Coconut Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice


2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tbsp oil
zest of 2 lime
 2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
 4 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs. kosher salt
4 Tbs. sugar
 4 tsp curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
 1 tsp. cayenne
 2 small fresh hot chilies, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Trim fat from chicken breasts. I like to slice my chicken breasts in half lengthwise to have thinner pieces of meat.  It seems to make the chicken go farther, cook faster, and have more flavor throughout.  The original recipe has you nearly slice through the chicken and then pound each breast to an even thickness.  I did not do this, I was too lazy. 
In a bowl or zip lock bag mix all ingredients except the cilantro and limes.
Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
This chicken would be great grilled but I just cooked it in a skillet with a bit of oil.  Place the breasts in the pan and cook, saving the marinade.  Flip the chicken over when the chicken is golden and cook on the other side. 
With the remaining marinade, (I made extra marinade than the original recipe because I just love adding sauce and we served this with rice and saucy rice is one of the best things.) pour into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the chicken was cooking I made some cilantro lime rice.

1 1/2 cups rice
3 cups water
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Cook rice in a rice cooker with water and butter.  When the rice is done stir in the lime juice, zest, and cilantro.  Add salt to taste. 

When the chicken and rice were done I served the chicken on a bed of rice with the sauce poured over and cilantro and lime juice added.  It was so good and I am excited to make it again.

Granola

This is the first blog post I've written in a LONG time.  I haven't felt like blogging at all.  I've just been enjoying reading blogs and I probably wouldn't have written another post for another long time but my mom and I made some granola this morning and we loved it and didn't want to forget the modifications we made to Alton Brown's granola recipe.  Here is the recipe for the deliciousness:

5 cups oats
2 Tbs. ground flax seed
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix together all ingredients but the raisins and cranberries.  Pour out onto two lined baking sheets.  Bake at 250 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every twenty minutes or so.  When removed from the oven, pour into a bowl or bag and add the raisins and cranberries.  Enjoy!

The original recipe calls for almonds and cashews with variations with pecans and other nuts.  We decided not to add the nuts because my mom gets sick from them. 

Berry Frozen Yogurt

I love to watch cooking shows.  One of my favorite TV chefs is Giada de Laurentiis.  She's just so fun to watch and her food always looks amazing.  I saw this frozen yogurt recipe that I really wanted to try so we whipped up a batch and a half this last week.  I made a few revisions to the half batch and it turned out better than the original recipe, in my opinion.  It was more flavorful and had a better texture.

Berry Frozen Yogurt:

1 pound berries (we did blackberries)
2 Tbs. plus 1/3 cup honey
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 cups plain greek yogurt (my favorite brand is Greek Gods)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Combine 1/2 c. berries with 2 Tbs. honey, 4 Tbs. water, and sprig of thyme in a small saucepan.  Coarsely mash the berries with a fork.  Place over medium high and bring to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.  Uncover and let cool slightly, removing the thyme.  In a blender add the yogurt, honey, agave, lemon juice, remaining berries, and cooled syrup.  Blend until nearly smooth.  Pour into a glass bowl or container (the glass helps the frozen yogurt freeze smoothly) and cover.  Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or over night.


  The things I changed: I doubled the amount of syrup I made and I did not use 2% yogurt, whole fat all the way here.  I think those two factors had a lot to do with the consistency of my doctored up batch of frozen yogurt versus the more healthy original version.  I loved this frozen yogurt and can't wait to make it again.  I think I'll try it with raspberries next time around.  If you want the original recipe click here!

Pasta Making Fiends

For Christmas this year Eric got me a Pasta Maker.  I was really excited about it but I think he was even more excited than I was.  We've made so much pasta since Christmas and we're pulling it out again tonight to make some cannelloni. 
Two weeks ago we were feeling up for a challenge so we decided to make ravioli.  It was very delicious but a lot of work.  We worked on that ravioli for over two hours.  Now I understand why my mom only made it about once a year when I was growing up. 

Rolling out the dough, stuffing, and making those cute little crimped squares.

ready to be separated

all laid out

boiling

Ready to eat.  

I know it doesn't look the most appetizing all clumped in a bowl where it all is about the same color, but I tell you, it was delicious! And well worth the time making it.