Pull Apart Garlic Bread

 

We love the taste of garlic at our house.  And that is a good thing because garlic is healthy for you.  This is an easy recipe so you can make your own garlic pull apart bread.  This fluffy bread is rich with the flavors of garlic, and butter.  

Garlic has been around for thousands of years. It can help protect you for a cold, It contains allicin, which acts as an antibiotic. It is good for your heart, it can help protect the liver from damage, improve bone health and protect against cancer.  

Dough

1/2 c. warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 Tbs. honey or sugar
1/2 c. warm milk
3 c.  flour
2 Tbs. butter, softened
1 tsp. salt

Garlic Butter Topping

5 Tbs. butter
2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Set oven temperature to 350° when ready to bake. One 8 x 4 inch loaf pan, greased or buttered.

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, and honey.  Place in a warm location for 8 to 10 minutes until foamy.  

Add in milk, 1 cup flour, butter, and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the remaining flour until the dough becomes too stiff to stir.  

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  

Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Add more flour as needed. 

Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl. I use the same bowl that I mixed the dough in. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place the bowl in a warm location until doubled in size.  This can take about an hour or a little longer depending on how warm the location is.

Make the garlic butter:

In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. 

Stir in the garlic, parsley, and Italian seasoning. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, so the garlic and butter do not burn.  Remove from heat and set aside while you shape the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into small 1 inch pieces.  Dip the bread into the warm, but not hot, garlic butter. Coat all sides of the dough pieces in the garlic butter, then, place them into the prepared loaf pan. Continue until every piece of dough is coated with the garlic butter and piled into the loaf pan.

Cover the pan with a tea towel and place it in a warm location for about an hour. Let rise until doubled in bulk.  Remove the tea towel.

Place the loaf pan in the oven and turn the oven on to 350°.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.   

Baste the remaining butter mixture over the pull apart bread after you remove it from the oven.  You can also dip the pieces of bread in the butter mixture as well. Let rest for about 10 minutes before removing the pull apart bread from the pan.

Serve and enjoy.  They are always the best while warm from the oven.  

Spicy Mustard Chicken

This chicken recipe is quick and easy to prepare. You can prepare the dish in the morning and allow the chicken to marinate until supper time, or you can prepare the dish when you are ready to start supper.  The baked chicken meat turns out tender, juicy and flavorful from the tangy mustard marinade.

Ingredients

6 to 8 chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped or cut into half rings or 3/4 c. sliced shallots
2 Tbs. spicy mustard *See notes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp.  pepper
1/2 tsp. red chili pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Put the chicken in the baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine mustard, tomato paste, olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and red chili pepper flake. Mix well.

Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the chicken over to coat both sides. Place chicken skin side up in the baking dish.

Scatter the onions over the top, allowing them to go between the chicken thighs.

Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes until chicken is fully cooked, and the internal temperature is 175°F on a meat thermometer.

Serve warm. 

Notes:

I use spicy mustard, but you can use Dijon, or the mustard of your choice.

Onion Dip

 

We love making our own dip and this Onion Dip is no exception.  The ones you buy at the store pale in comparison with this homemade recipe of caramelized onions, cream cheese and sour cream. Years ago, we would take cream cheese and just add a packet of dry onion soup mix. This was good, but this recipe takes it over the top. 

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
2 c. onions, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 oz.  cream cheese
1/4 c.  mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream

Instructions

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions.  Season the onions with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown, then add the minced garlic.  Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the onions are caramelized. Remove from heat and allow the onions to cool.
 In a medium bow, combine cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise.  Mix thoroughly.  The mixture should be smooth. Add the cooled caramelized onions to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until just combined.  Place in the refrigerator and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or longer.  This gives the onion dip a chance for the flavors to mix and mingle. Serve at room temperature with some chips.

Honey Cornbread

Cornbread is one of those foods that you either like or you don't.  However, this cornbread recipe gives you a sweet and delicious cornbread that your whole family will love. It is just as quick as the boxed cornbread mixes, and it tastes so much better. 

Ingredients

1 c. flour
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c.melted butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil
1/4 c. honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Greased 9 inch square pan. Or, we use a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom.  Slide the cast iron skillet into the oven while the oven is preheating, and you're mixing the batter together. Then carefully remove the skillet when the batter is ready to pour.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, until they are light, fluffy and a pale yellow color. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, melted butter and honey.  Mix thoroughly with a whisk.  

Pour the egg mixture in the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir only until the flour is moistened. 

Pour into prepared pan or skillet,

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Ground Beef Pasta Soup

Ground Beef Pasta Soup with Garlic Parmesan Toast

This is a simple meal that is so easy to prepare. Ground beef, tomatoes, beans, Italian seasoning and pasta cooked in one pot and served with Garlic Parmesan toast.  It's a hearty soup that my mother used to prepare often during the cold and dreary winter months. 

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 hot peppers, chopped (Optional)
2 c. water
1 (14 to 14-1/2 oz.) can beef broth
1 (15-1/2 oz.) can Great Northern beans, undrained
1 (14-1/2 z.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 c. uncooked pasta
2 c. small broccoli florets
Salt and pepper

Garlic Parmesan Toast

6 slices whole wheat bread
butter
garlic powder
4 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Directions

Heat oven to 350° for the Garlic Parmesan Cheese Toast and 1 baking sheet

In a cast iron Dutch 0ven, over medium heat, add ground beef, onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, and hot peppers.  Cook, for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking the ground beef into crumbles, Cook until the beef is fully cooked, stirring occasionally.

Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour in water, beef broth, beans, tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, and pasta.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.  

Add the broccoli and turn the heat up to medium high until the mixture comes to a boil.  Then, reduce heat, cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.  Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.   

Meanwhile, prepare Parmesan Toast. 

Butter one side of each bread slice.  Place the bread on a baking sheet.  

Sprinkle garlic powder evenly over each slice of bread.  Then, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over each slice.  

Bake in 350°F oven 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Serve with the soup. 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies are soft and chewy with a cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside.  This recipe has been a family favorite for over 60 years.  It is an easy recipe and one of our most requested recipes when we have guests, or give them to family and friends as gifts.

Ingredients

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour (375g)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cinnamon 

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cinnamon

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar.  Cream well with an electric mixer. 

Mix in vanilla.  

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. 

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture.  Do this in tow to three increments. 

Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  

Scoop out the dough with a tablespoon, then roll the dough between the palms of your hands to make a ball.  

Roll the balls in the sugar cinnamon mixture until coated.  Place the cookie on cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.  Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Notes

If you don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar for each 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter.

You can also substitute some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar.

Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce

Tender cubed pork cooked in a flavorful, spicy sauce and served over rice. This is an easy dish to prepare, that doesn't take a lot of time or ingredients. Our family enjoys this meal, and we serve it often.

Ingredients

2 lb. pork loin cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can carrots, undrained
1 (15 oz.) can peas, undrained
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. Worcestershire
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic  powder
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 c. water or chicken stock
1 to 2 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 heaping tsp. cornstarch (Optional)
1/4 c. water (Optional)
cooked rice or noodles

Directions

In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oi over medium-high heat.  Add the cubed pork.  Cook the pork for about 3 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink, and it starts to brown.  

Add onion and cook until the onion is translucent. 

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, ginger, chicken stock and chili garlic sauce. 

Stir in the carrots, peas, then pour the soy sauce mixture over the pork and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally.  

If you want a thicker sauce, make a slurry of the cornstarch and water.  In a cup, mix cornstarch and water until smooth.  Pour into the simmering liquid, stirring constantly. Cook until the sauce is thickened.  

Serve over the top of cooked rice or noodles.

Notes

If you like your food more spicy, you can use 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce instead of the red pepper flakes. 

Use 1 Tablespoon garlic and ginger paste instead of the powdered garlic and ginger.  

You can also omit the Worcestershire sauce if you don't like the flavor.  Just increase the soy sauce to a half a cup in total.