Allrecipes: Unbelievable Rolls

I don't make bread that often, because let's be honest - it's a pain.  You have to keep waiting for the yeast to do its thing, and poking the dough and punching the dough and kneading the dough.  It's a whole thing (and why I invested in an electric breadmaker).  But when I saw how easy this recipe was, I had to try it.  No way it worked.  Guess what?  It works.  And the rolls are super tender and delicious.  Recommended for bread atheists.

Note: I actually used half-and-half instead of milk, so that additional fat may also have helped make these super tender.

Unbelievable Rolls

Adapted from Allrecipes

¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons, melted, divided use

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk, water, and sugar to 110°F to 115°F.  Remove from heat, and mix in the eggs and yeast.  Measure flour into a large bowl and stir in salt.  Make a well in the flour, and pour milk mixture into it.  Do not stir.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.

Pour ½ cup melted butter into flour mixture, and mix well. Add more flour if too sticky. Knead lightly. Cover again, and let rise for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Punch down the dough and shape the dough into rolls, approximately 3 ounces each, and place on a baking sheet on in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Bake rolls for 15 minutes, or until done.  Brush rolls with remaining melted butter.  Serve hot.

Makes 16 rolls

The Defined Dish: Blackened Red Snapper

My favorite grocery store is having a Texas-themed shopping week, and as part of that effort, they've sourced some fresh red snapper from the Gulf of Mexico.  I was, of course, all in on this situation, but once you have a delicious piece of fish, you have to actually DO something with it.  I decided that if I was going to eat some gulf seafood, I needed to do something gulf-y to it, which immediately means doing some good ol' Cajun blackening.  This recipe turns out a pretty fantastic rub, and it's really not that hard to get the blackened crust, but maybe unplug your smoke detector before you try it.  Talking from experience.

Blackened Red Snapper

Adapted from The Defined Dish blog

For the seasoning mixture:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder

For the fish:
1 pound red snapper filets
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
fresh parsley (optional for garnish)

In a small bowl, combine all of the seasoning mixture ingredients and stir until well combined.

Generously coat the flesh side with the seasoning mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering swirl the pan so that the oil evenly coats the bottom of the skillet. When very hot, place fish filets flesh side down, cook, without touching, until a dark brown (or blackened) crust has formed and the fish is almost cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Flip the fish onto the skin side press down with the back of a spatula to flatten the filet and the skin is flush with the skillet (it tries to curl). Continue to cook until the fish is cooked through, or completely opaque and flakes easily, about 3 more minutes. Carefully, using a sturdy spatula, transfer the cooked fish to plates and serve with a wedge of lemon and garnish with fresh parsley (if desired).

Makes 2 servings

Mississippi Pot Roast

There's recipes all over the internet for this particular dinner, which is partially why I avoided making it for so long.  That was dumb of me.  This is a delicious dinner, and it takes almost no effort.  And it doesn't heat the whole kitchen up, which is another win.  I made mine a little spicier than usual because I picked up a packet of spicy ranch by accident, but it was honestly pretty good, so that's also an option if you like the spicier side of life.

Mississippi Pot Roast

1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
8 pepperoncini peppers
1 (1-ounce) packet Ranch seasoning
1 (1-ounce) packet au jus seasoning
½ cup water

½ cup pepper juice from the pepperoncini bottle
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

Place the chuck roast in the crock of a slow cooker.  Scatter the pepperoncini peppers around the meat.  Sprinkle the meat with the packet of ranch seasoning and au jus seasoning, then pour the water and pepper juice over the top.  Place the stick of butter on top of the meat and cover the crock.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  At the end of the cooking time, use two forks to pull the meat until chunks.  Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and drizzled with the cooking liquid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Giada De Laurentiis: Campanelle Pasta Salad

I finally cleaned out my pantry this weekend, and that's when I found that I need to be much better about this sort of thing because I have a decent-size bag of food that's on the verge on the expiration date.  Which means I need to use it as soon as it can be worked into the rotation.  Luckily, two of those items were campanelle pasta and a can of fancy European tuna in oil, so it worked out nicely for my dinner this evening.  If you're tired of the usual tuna pastas, this is a nice change that doesn't take much effort, especially when it's the middle of the hottest part of the summer.

Campanelle Pasta Salad
From Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound campanelle pasta
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1 small or ½ medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6-ounce) can Italian tuna in oil, drained
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a 14-inch skillet, heat ¼ cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the tuna to the skillet and, using a fork, break into chunks. Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pasta, the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and the parsley. Toss until all the ingredients are coated, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Best-Ever Blueberry Bread

This is it.  This is the O.G.  The blueberry bread that my mom made when I was a kid.  It's so simple, and yet I love it more than any other recipe I've tried.  It's golden and crunchy on top and super soft and tender on the inside.  And it has just the right ratio of blueberries to bread.  Yes, that's a thing.  If you're looking for a good breakfast, you've found it.

Best-Ever Blueberry Bread
Adapted from the 1974 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 well-beaten large egg
¾ cup whole milk
⅓ cup salad oil or melted shortening
1 cup fresh blueberries (about 6 ounces) or thawed and well-drained frozen blueberries, saving 8 to 10 for the top

Sift dry ingredients into bowl; make well in center.  Combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add all at once to dry ingredients.  Stir quickly just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Gently stir in blueberries.  Fill greased 8x8-inch baking pan and smooth the top.  Top with remaining berries.  Bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12

Where Cooking Begins: Spice-Drawer Chicken Wings

I've had a really difficult time making chicken wings in the oven.  They just seem to turn out slimey and disappointing.  There's something about that bath in hot oil that makes everything come together.  Until I found this recipe.  The chicken wings actually turn out crispy and well-seasoned, and while not slathered with hot sauce, they have a fantastic flavor.  Highly recommended if you don't want to break the fryer out.

Note: I only made 2 pounds of wings, but I still used the full amount of spices.  And they were delicious.

Spice-Drawer Chicken Wings
From Where Cooking Begins as seen on Bon Appetit

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for serving
½ teaspoon MSG, plus additional for serving
4 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup mint and/or basil leaves
Limes and small Persian cucumbers, cut into wedges (for serving)

Mix oregano, granulated garlic, paprika, sugar, 4 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon MSG in a small bowl. Arrange chicken wings on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with spice mix. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes, or cover and chill up to 2 days.

Place racks in center and upper third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Drizzle wings with oil and toss to coat. Bake on center rack, turning with tongs halfway through, until cooked through and skin is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Broil wings on upper rack, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until skin is deeply browned and starting to char at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes (watch them closely).

Transfer wings to a platter, season with salt and a little more MSG. Top with herbs and lime and cucumber wedges.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Campbell's Soup: Creamy Seafood Medley with Pasta

I've been trying to clear out the bits and pieces of leftover ingredients that are cluttering my freezer and pantry, and somehow I came across this perfect opportunity to use a bunch of them.  The remaining frozen scallops and shrimp were all taken care of, and the remaining pasta (I used linguine) that I had used half of earlier in the year finally got finished.  If you need to clear the food stores, I recommend this as a quick, delicious option.  I even got to try out some of my salt-cured egg yolks on top!

Creamy Seafood Medley with Pasta

From Campbell's Soup

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
½ cup sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces fresh sea scallops, cut into quarters
8 ounces frozen cooked peeled large shrimp, thawed
1 (10½-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook and drain the spaghetti according to the package directions. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the broccoli, celery, onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season the scallops and shrimp with salt and pepper, if desired. Add the scallops and shrimp to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the soup and parsley and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the scallops are cooked through. Season to taste. Serve the seafood mixture over the spaghetti.

Makes 4 servings

Dinner at the Zoo: Steak Bites with Garlic Butter

I feel like steak and potatoes in the quintessential comfort dinner.  It's definitely high on the list with just about every guy I've ever known.  So when I found a nice piece of sirloin, I decided the best thing to do was to cook it simply, and just let the meaty goodness shine.  This is a perfect application if it's hot and late and you don't want to get the grill cranking.

Note: If you don't have sirloin, I'm sure you could use some ribeye or just about any other steak you can think of.

Steak Bites with Garlic Butter
From Dinner at the Zoo blog

1¼ pounds sirloin steak, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the steak in the pan in a single layer; you may have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining meat, if needed.

Add the butter and garlic to the pan; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to coat the meat in the sauce.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Living a Life in Color: Agretti/Barba di Frate con Acciughe e Aglio (Oppositeleaf Russian Thistle with Anchovy and Garlic)

When I saw this strange little plant for sale at my grocery store, I briefly considered walking on past.  But then I came to my senses and bought some, without any plan on what to actually do with it.  Luckily this plant lasts for quite a while in the refrigerator, so it gave me some time to get my ducks in a row.  This recipe is actually pretty simple, and that simplicity allows the beauty of the ingredients to shine.  The agretti is very slightly salty, a little chewy, but overall delicious, and it just feels healthy.  Even coated in olive oil.

Agretti/Barba di Frate con Acciughe e Aglio (Oppositeleaf Russian Thistle with Anchovy and Garlic)
Adapted from Living a Life in Color blog

1 bunch agretti, rinsed, large branches removed and discarded
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets

1 small pinch red chili flakes

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons lemon juice
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 15 grams of salt per 2 litres of water. Add the agretti and boil for 5 minutes. While the agretti are boiling, warm a frying pan over medium heat and add 45 mls of the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, then add the anchovies.  Once the anchovies have melted, 1 to 2 minutes, add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook until the garlic slightly begins to color, about 1 minute.  Drain the agretti and add to the anchovy/garlic mixture, stirring. If your garlic is ready before your agretti, you can add a bit of the water the agretti are cooking in to stop the garlic from burning.  Taste the agretti and see if you need more salt and add to taste. Add the lemon rind and juice.  Drizzle the final 15 mls of olive oil over the top and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Katie at the Kitchen Door: Red Currant Crumb Bars

I don't know how it happened, but I somehow lucked into running across some beautiful red currants at the grocery store.  I figure maybe I should also have bought a lottery ticket.  I briefly considered making some jam with those beauties, but when it came down to it, I just couldn't bring myself to pull out the canning kit when the temperatures are so high.  So I turned on the oven instead.  Hey, it's about an hour less heat time.  And I got these gorgeous bars in the bargain.

Red Currant Crumb Bars

Adapted from Katie at the Kitchen Door blog

1⅔ cups granulated sugar, divided use
4 cups fresh red currants, washed and removed from their stems
1½ tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1⅓ sticks (5.3 ounces) salted butter, cut into cubes and chilled

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8x8-inch cake pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, gently stir together 1 cup of the sugar, the currants, cornstarch, and the almond extract, until currants are coated with the sugar mixture.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the remaining ⅔ cup of sugar, the flour, the baking powder, and the salt until evenly combined. Add the chilled butter cubes and the egg, and use a pastry cutter or a fork to blend the butter and egg into the flour. When finished, dough will be crumbly with pea-sized chunks of butter.

Press ⅔ of the dough into the prepared pan. Top with the currants. Clump the remaining dough together into a loose ball, then crumble it over the top of the currant mixture. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until currants are bubbly and top of crust is golden brown.

Makes 16 servings