Month: February 2021

Mango Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches
February 13, 2021

Mango Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Mango Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches are one of our favorite winter meals. I start these sandwiches by cooking the pork butt in the oven until it is fall apart tender. Then, I mix the pork with my Mango Barbecue Sauce. I serve the pork on …

pulled pork
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by Sharon
Chicken Pot Pies with Biscuit Tops
February 12, 2021

Chicken Pot Pies with Biscuit Tops

Chicken Pot Pies with a Biscuit Top are the perfect cozy winter dinner. I start these pies by making a delicious pie filling. It’s full of roasted chicken, a rich sauce, and vegetables. Then, I top the pies with Bacon and Cheddar Biscuits. All in …

chicken
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by Sharon
White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly
February 9, 2021

White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly

White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly is a terrific meal for a cold, winter night. I serve this soup by filling up big bowls with the white miso broth. Then, I add tender pork belly, crispy bok choy, carrots, ramen noodles and boiled eggs. On top, I sprinkle scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. All these ingredients add up to one delicious bowl of soup! And I especially love all the vegetables in this soup.

The Equipment I Used

  • A Dutch Oven- I like to simmer all my soups in Dutch ovens. I love to use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.
  • Big Bowls- You’ll need big bowls to serve your soup in.
  • A Cast Iron Skillet- Use this to sear your pork belly.

The Ingredients Needed for White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly

  • Pork Belly- You’ll need to remove the skin from the pork belly before baking it.
  • White Miso Paste- The one I used is called Mellow White Miso Paste.
  • Ginger- Fresh ginger adds terrific flavor.
  • Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade chicken stock. The recipe is below.
  • Sesame Oil- You can find this in the Asian section of your market, or sometimes with the oils.
  • Sesame Seeds- My market stores these with the spices.

How I Made my Ramen

  • First, I baked my pork belly. This is very simple. All you need to do is season the pork and put it in the oven.
  • Next, I cooked my eggs. I peeled them under running, cold water.
  • Then, I boiled my ramen noodles.
  • Next, I made the miso broth. It’s important to taste the broth to see if you want to add more miso.
  • Then, I filled the bowls with all the yummy ingredients.

This White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly was so warming on this cold, snowy day. If you love noodles, or soup, you really need to try this fairly easy ramen dinner.

White Ms
White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly
White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly

White Miso Ramen with Pork Belly

White Miso broth filled with ramen noodles, tender pork belly, carrots, and bok choy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Soup
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4
Calories 455 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound pork belly
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp. white miso paste
  • 1 tbsp. peeled and thinly sliced ginger
  • 12 ounces ramen noodles
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 carrots, julienned
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 heads baby bok choy, quartered
  • 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preparing the pork belly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the skin from the pork, and sprinkle it all over with the sugar, salt and pepper. Put it in a ceramic casserole dish and bake for thirty minutes. Turn the heat down to 275 degrees and bake it for forty more minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it chill while you make the rest of the soup.
  • Meanwhile, place four eggs in a three quart saucepan and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil, and then cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for six minutes. Then, drain the eggs and peel them. Cut the eggs in half.
  • Boil the ramen noodles according to the package directions and then drain them.
  • In a Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil and then add the miso and ginger. Cook for one minute and then add the chicken stock.
  • Bring it to a simmer and keep it warm until you're ready to plate the soup.
  • In a cast iron skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil on high heat. Slice the pork into thin slices and cook it on both sides, until it starts to get crispy.
  • Divide the broth between four bowls. Add the noodles, pork belly, bok choy, and carrots. Then, sprinkle on the sesame seeds, scallions, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal
Keyword ramen soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 peeled onions
  • 2 peeled carrots
  • 3 peeled parsley roots
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 4 stalks celery
  • 1 peeled parsnip
  • 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
  • 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill

Instructions
 

  • Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
  • Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
Keyword chicken soup, chicken stock, stock
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
soup
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by Sharon
Apple Pie Cookie Bars with Cinnamon and Walnuts
February 8, 2021

Apple Pie Cookie Bars with Cinnamon and Walnuts

Apple Pie Cookie Bars with Cinnamon and Walnuts are one of our favorite bar cookies. If you love apple pie, these are the cookies for you. And, with less than an hour of hands on time, these cookies are a timesaver. I start these cookies …

Uncategorized
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by Sharon
Bacon Cheeseburgers with Pickled Peppers
February 6, 2021

Bacon Cheeseburgers with Pickled Peppers

Bacon Cheeseburgers with Pickled Peppers are the perfect burger dinner. For the life of me, I don’t understand why people go to restaurants for burgers. I think burgers are so easy to make at home, and there are so many different variations you can make. …

beef, ground beef
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by Sharon
Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
February 5, 2021

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries is one of our favorite breakfasts. I begin this recipe by baking a challah. But, feel free to use a store bought challah, a brioche, or just regular white bread. While my personal French toast preference is a challah, I think almost any homemade bread would be absolutely delicious in this recipe. Next, I melt bittersweet chocolate which gets sandwiched between two pieces of challah. Then, I fry the challah sandwiches in butter, until they’re golden brown. Finally, I dust the toast with powdered sugar and drizzle them with some more chocolate. And, I serve the toast with sliced strawberries.

The Equipment I Used

  • A Non-Stick Pan- Using a non-stick pan ensures that your toast won’t stick to the pan.
  • A Strawberry Corer- I use this to remove the cores from the strawberries, and it’s a real time saver.

The Ingredients Needed for Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries

  • Challah- I like to use homemade challah. The recipe is attached below.
  • Chocolate- I used Ghirardelli sixty percent cacao bittersweet chocolate. But, you could also use semisweet chocolate.
  • Heavy Cream- Beat your eggs with cream. Or, you could use whole milk.
  • Butter- Use this to fry the French toast. I prefer unsalted butter.

How I Made My French Toast

  • First, I melted my chopped bittersweet chocolate. It’s important to stir it after every twenty seconds of cooking. You could also melt this on the stove over a double boiler of hot, not boiling water.
  • Next, I spread half of the bread with chocolate, and then placed a plain slice of challah on top to form sandwiches.
  • Then, I dipped each sandwich into the egg and cream.
  • Next, I fried the French toast. It’s important to watch the toast closely to make sure it doesn’t burn.
  • Finally, I served the French toast with additional chocolate drizzled on top and sliced strawberries.

We all really loved this Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries. I hope you’ll try it soon!

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
Chocolate Stuffed French Toast

Chocolate Stuffed French Toast

Challah French Toast filled with melted bittersweet chocolate and topped with strawberries.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped in small pieces
  • 8 slices challah, sliced a half inch thick
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions
 

  • First, melt the chocolate: In a microwave safe bowl, cook the chocolate in the microwave for twenty seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir. Repeat this until the chocolate is totally melted and smooth. Spread four slices of challah with the chocolate, and then top each slice with a plain piece of challah, so that you have four challah sandwiches.
  • Next, in a second bowl, mix together the eggs and cream.
  • Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip each challah sandwich briefly in the egg mixture. You don't want to soak the bread in the egg.
  • Fry the sandwiches on both sides until they're golden brown. Add more butter, as needed. Drizzle the finished toast with more chocolate and top with strawberries.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal
Keyword breakfast
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Bread Machine Challah

Bread Machine Challah

An easy and beautiful braided bread machine bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 10

Equipment

  • Bread Machine

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1¼ tsp. salt
  • 3 cups flour (360g)
  • 2 tsp. active dry yeast

For Egg Wash:

  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 tbsp. water

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredients in the order suggested by your bread machine. Set your bread machine for the dough cycle, and let the machine run that full cycle.
  • When the dough is ready, divide it into 3 sections and braid it and place it on a parchment covered baking sheet. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise 20 minutes.
  • Brush it all over with the egg wash and bake it at 375° for 25 minutes.
Keyword bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
breakfast
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by Sharon
Beet and Candied Pecan Salad with Goat Cheese Hearts
February 4, 2021

Beet and Candied Pecan Salad with Goat Cheese Hearts

Beet and Candied Pecan Salad with Goat Cheese Hearts is the perfect salad to serve on Valentine’s Day. As much as I like Christmas and Hanukah, I think Valentine’s Day might be my favorite holiday. I really love that it is such a romantic day, …

Uncategorized
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by Sharon
Tex-Mex Salsa Pizza with Bread Machine Dough
February 3, 2021

Tex-Mex Salsa Pizza with Bread Machine Dough

Tex-Mex Salsa Pizza with Bread Machine Dough is a nice change from traditional Italian pizza. The crust is extra crispy because it contains cornmeal. And, instead of tomato sauce, this pizza is topped with Adobo sauce. In addition, the pizza is topped with a Monterey …

Uncategorized
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by Sharon
S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough
February 2, 2021

S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough

S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough are our new favorite morning treat. I make the dough for these buns in my bread machine, so the hands on time is less than thirty minutes. When the dough comes out of the machine, it is so soft and pliable. So, it’s a cinch to roll out. Then, the dough gets covered in softened butter, dark chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs. After a second rise, the buns bake in the oven for twenty five minutes. And, that’s it. The s’mores filling is so rich and delicious, that no topping is needed.

The Equipment I Used

  • A Bread Machine- You will need a bread machine for this recipe.
  • A Food Processor- It’s not essential, but I used my food processor to crush up the graham cracker crumbs.
  • A Food Scale- For fool proof baking, I recommend weighing your flour and sugar for this recipe.

The Ingredients Needed for S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough

  • Bread Flour- This recipe calls for bread flour.
  • Milk- Use whole milk.
  • Yeast- Make sure you use active dry yeast.
  • Chocolate- I used Ghiradelli 60 percent dark baking bars. But, if you want sweeter filling, try using milk chocolate, or semisweet chocolate.
  • Graham Crackers- You’ll need to crush them until they’re finely ground.

How I Made my Sticky Buns

  • First, I carefully weighed and measured all of my ingredients. I was very careful, because I knew any mistakes could ruin my dough.
  • Next, I let the bread machine do all the work of heating my ingredients, kneading the dough, and rising the dough.
  • Then, I rolled out the dough and spread it with the fillings.
  • Next, I let the buns rise again and then baked them.
  • Finally, I let them cool for just a few minutes, and then served them up.

If you like cinnamon buns, you simply must try these S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough.

S'mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough
S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough
S'mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough

S’mores Sticky Buns with Bread Machine Dough

Sticky Buns filled with dark chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 12 buns

Equipment

  • Bread Machine

Ingredients
  

For the S'mores Sticky Buns

  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, sliced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup white sugar (100g)
  • 4 cups bread flour (480g)
  • 2½ tsp. active dry yeast

For the S'mores filling:

  • 8 tbsp. softened butter
  • 6 ounces 60 percent dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1½ cups mini marshmallows
  • ¾ cup finely ground graham crackers

For the Egg Wash:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp. water

Instructions
 

  • In a bread machine add all the dough ingredients, in the dough suggested by your manufacturer. Process on the dough cycle.
  • When the dough cycle is done, roll the dough into a 20 by 12 inch rectangle on a large floured board. Spread the dough with the butter and then sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs. Gently press the crumbs into the butter, and then sprinkle on the marshmallows and chocolate.
  • Roll up the twenty inch side into a log, and then cut it into 12 equal slices. Grease a 13 by 9 non stick metal baking dish with softened butter, and place the dough slices into the pan. Cover the pan and let the buns rise in a warm place for thirty minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the buns are done rising, beat the egg wash together and brush it all over the bun tops and sides. Bake them for 25 minutes or until they're golden brown. Serve warm.
Keyword bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
bread machine, breads
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by Sharon