Yummy Rolls

Our family loves these rolls! I think the butter really makes them scrumptious. Here's the recipe for the Yummy Rolls courtesy of my dear mother-in-law:

Boil 1 cup water
Add: 1/4 c. potato flakes
2/3 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 teas. salt

Mix together: 1 cup cool water
1/3 cup instant milk
2 well-beaten eggs

Dissolve: 1 pkg. yeast in 1/2 c. warm water.

Mix them all together with 3 cups flour

Add 2 to 4 more cups flour

Knead ten minutes

Refrigerate

Shape

Let rise about 1 hour

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 -13 minutes

This is a recipe you can fiddle around with. Can decrease both waters to 3/4 cups for serving a few people. If you have a huge crowd, increase both waters to 1 1/2 cups. The rolls turn out great in both cases without changing any of the rest of the ingredients. Also: My mother-in-law made them one time when she didn't have time to refrigerate the dough and they still turned out good, although the dough is much easier to work with if it is cold.

Our Thanksgiving Feast

It's the day before Thanksgiving and I'm thinking about our menu for tomorrow. Our feast is pretty traditional:

Turkey
Stuffing
Rolls
Cranberry Relish
Festive Tossed Salad
Pumpkin Pie
Baked Potatoes
Homemade Gravy
Sparkling Cider

This year, I'm considering adding green beans. We usually have yams as well but I haven't decided how I'm going to cook them yet.

You know what's really fun about cooking Thanksgiving dinner? My husband is a great help so we get to spend all day together in the kitchen. That makes for one HOT kitchen!! ;-)

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Charlie loves these muffins. I do too! They are yummy and a great way to get kids to eat veggies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 tsp skim milk
3 Tbs oil
2 egg whites
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini (1 small)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray, or line muffin cups with paper baking cups and spray paper cups with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

In small bowl, combine milk, oil and egg whites; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in carrots and zucchini just until blended. Spoon batter evenly into sprayed muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 16 to 21 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Tom Kha Gai)

(from Far East Café: The Best of Casual Asian Dining by Joyce Jue, page 70)

This is our favorite soup and very spicy.

8 kaffir lime leaves or the zest of 1 regular lime
2 cans (13 ½ fl oz each) coconut milk
2 cups (16 fl oz) chicken stock
6 fresh or 4 dried galangal slices, each about 1 inch in diameter
4 lemongrass stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths and crushed
4 small green chili peppers, halved
1 Tbs Thai roasted chili paste (nam prik pao)
1 whole chicken breast, boned, skinned and cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup (2 ½ oz) drained, canned whole straw mushrooms
½ cup (2 ½ oz) drained, canned sliced bamboo shoots
¼ cup (2 fl oz) Thai fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes (about 6 Tbs)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (fresh coriander) leaves

1.Place 4 of the lime leaves or half of the zest in a large saucepan. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, galangal, lemongrass and chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Discard the contents of the sieve.
2.Bring the strained stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium so that it boils gently. Add the remaining 4 kaffir lime leaves or the remaining half of the zest, roasted chili paste, chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and fish sauce. Boil gently until the chicken is cooked throughout, about 3 minutes.
3.Sitr in the lime juice and cilantro leaves. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve hot.

Serves 6 - 8

Pork and Green Beans with Ginger Sauce

(from The Complete Stir-Fry Cookbook, p. 72)

¾ cup (185 ml/6 fl oz.) soy sauce (I recommend low-sodium soy sauce)
4 tablespoons white or rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of dried chili flakes
3 teaspoons cornflour
600 g (1 ¼ lb) pork fillet, trimmed and cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons peanut oil
350 g (11 oz) green beans, cut into short lengths
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1.Place the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, cornflour and 1/3 cup water in a bowl and mix well. Add the pork and toss to coat well.
2.Heat a wok over high heat, add half the oil and swirl to coat the side. Drain the pork (reserving the liquid for later) and add to the wok. Stir-fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until brown. Remove the pork from the wok.
3.Heat the remaining oil, add the beans and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Return the pork and any juices to the pan and add the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Serve with steamed rice.

Jambalaya

(from One-Dish Collection by Publications International, Ltd., p. 58)

This is a favorite whenever we have guests, especially missonaries! It’s a little on the spicy side.

1 tsp vegetable oil
½ lb smoked deli ham, cubed
½ lb smoked sausage, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10.5 oz) chicken broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground red pepper
1 package (12 oz) frozen ready-to-cook shrimp, thawed
Fresh chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add ham and sausage. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned on both sides. Remove from skillet and place in prepared dish. Place onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in same skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add to sausage mixture.

Combine tomatoes iwht juice, broth, and rice, Worcestershire, thyme, salt and black and red peppers in same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Pour over sausage mixture and stir until combined.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Remove from oven; place shrimp on top of rice mixture. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Garnish with chives, if desired.

Festive Tossed Salad

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp poppy seed
 
10 cups torn romaine (I use 1 bag of romaine hearts)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1 apple, cored and cubed
1 pear, cored and cubed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 to 1 cup chopped cashews
 
In a blender combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and salt.  Cover and process until blended.  With blender running gradually add oil.  Add poppy seed and blend. 

In a salad bowl combine other ingredients, except nuts.  Drizzle with dressing, add cashews, toss to coat.  Serve immediately.  8 to 10 servings..