Homemade Graham Crackers

 
I got this recipe from an employee magazine in the break room at work.   I decided to try it, and thought they were delicious!  So I figured I would share it here with everyone, since Graham Crackers are a timeless classic. 

Homemade Graham Crackers

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons honey (corn syrup will also do)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, or a stand mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, honey and vanilla on low speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add flour mixture and blend well.  

Transfer dough to plastic wrap, press into a square and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until firm. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or wax paper, set aside.  

Remove dough from fridge.  On a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough into 1/8-inch thickness.   Cut out 2 ½ x 5 ½ inch crackers.  Roll additional scraps into 1/8-inch thickness and cut out as many additional crackers as you can.  

Place crackers on lined baking sheets and use a tooth pick to poke uniformed holes in crackers about ¼ inch apart.  Bake 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until crackers are brown and slightly firm.  Let cool on baking sheet for about 3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.  

TIP:  Before baking, you can also sprinkle the crackers with a cinnamon-sugar mix. 

Sole Meunière Recipe ( Fish Fillet With Butter And Lemon )

This is a rich, buttery French sole fish recipe.  But you can also use whatever fish fillet you have.  Its also quite special, because upon her first visit to France, the world-famous chef Julia Child had this dish in a French restaurant, and it inspired her to take an interest in French cooking.  In the film “Julie And Julia” there is actually a shot of this dish being served to Julia, right at her table!  

 This recipe is great when you end up with some fish in your home and aren’t sure how you want to cook it (maybe you have some catch from a recent fishing trip?).  Its quick, simple, classic and delicious!

This is for ONE fish, but you can double, triple, etc. the recipe as needed.  

 

Ingredients:

14oz. sole filet (or any fish filet you have)

¼ cup plain flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons oil

3 ½ tablespoons butter

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Season the flour with ½ tsp salt and ten shakes (or turns0 of pepper).  Or to taste.  Mix together.

Place the fish in the flour and coat each side with it.  Gently tap to remove any excess flour.  

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle pan with a pinch of flour.  If the flour sizzles, the pan is hot enough.  

Add HALF of the butter to the pan and place the fish in the pan.  NOTE:  If cooking more than one piece of fish, DO NOT crowd the pan, or else fish will steam, rather than turning brown.   2 fillets maximum in the pan. 

Reduce heat to medium.   Cook fish on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, only moving gently, until golden in color on one side.  

While fish cooks, in a separate pan, melt the remaining butter on medium heat.  When butter starts to turn slightly brown, add the lemon juice and parsley.  Remove from heat and place butter-lemon “sauce” in a small bowl.  

Carefully turn the fish over, and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, until other side is also golden in color.  

Remove from pan and place on a serving plate.  Pour butter-lemon sauce over fish and serve.    

**TIP:   If you prefer breaded fish, you can simply coat the fish in a beaten egg, then roll in some bread crumbs before frying, and simply add all the butter, lemon juice and parsley to the pan while cooking the fish.  

Also, a great side to serve this fish with would be steamed asparagus and halved new potatoes, seasoned and cooked however you like.

Pizza Dough / Pizza Recipe (Homemade)

 I recently discovered that many professional pizza places (and Italians) use a ciabatta bread dough for pizza crust!   So since I had a great ciabatta bread recipe on hand, I decided to try it.  But of course, I did have to make a couple of adjustments to the process for pizza….    And the result was a GREAT pizza crust!   Best homemade pizza I had ever made, really.  And now I feel like I’m never gonna have to pay the high price of delivery pizza ever again!  So I would like to share it with you all—mainly the pizza dough, but I also added some quick instruction on actually making it into a complete pizza.  Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 ½ tsp active dry yeast

1 ½ cups warm water (same temperature for a newborn baby bath) 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ¼ cups bread flour (or regular flour)

Directions:

1.        In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and sugar in lukewarm water.  Add oil and blend well.

  

2.        Gradually mix in flour, adding flour one cup at a time.  Don’t add too much flour, but just enough to make the dough “kneadable” but still soft. 

3.      Knead dough about 1 minute, using a light dusting of flour, if needed.  

3.        Lightly coat a clean bowl with cooing oil, and place dough in the bowl, turning it over to coat in the oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, 1 hour. 

4.        Punch dough down and lightly dust with flour.   Knead 30 seconds.   Place dough on your pizza ban and form into a pizza dough of your desired shape.   Rub olive oil around the edges of the crust. 

To Make Into A Pizza:

1.       Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.      Top pizza crust with your favorite pizza sauce (usually ¼ to ½ cup, most jarred or canned spaghetti sauces work perfectly),  your favorite shredded/grated cheeses (2 to 3 cups, depending how much you like)-- and toppings, such as meat or sliced vegetables (meat should be pre-cooked). 

3.      Bake on center rack at 450 for 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly golden.   Remove from oven.  Let stand 3 minutes.   Cut into slices and serve.

Ranch Dressing Recipe (Restaurant-Style)

You know how when you go to a pizza place, or your favorite diner, and they always seem to have the most INCREDIBLE ranch sauce / dressing?  Its amazing on a salad, or to dip veggies in, or even dipping savory foods like pizza crust, fish, or fries!  And of course, no matter how many brands of those thin, "too-miracle-whip-tasing" bottled ranches you try...   You just cannot find that rich, creamy flavor anywhere else.  Well, I got this recipe from someone who used to own a diner, which was rated as having "the best ranch".  I suggest multiplying the recipe putting it in a clean glass jar with a tight-sealing lid and keeping it refrigerated-- because its GOOD and you will probably use it often!

Ranch Dressing Recipe (Restaurant-Style)

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 cup milk (or butter milk)

1 packet hidden valley ranch powder

 

Instructions:   

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl.   Serve as a dip or salad dressing.   Leftovers should be tightly sealed and refrigerated.  

Tropical Storm Smoothie

You have all kinds of “tropical” going on in this smoothie.  Coconut, banana, pineapple, mango… And for those who like an alcohol kick, you can give this refreshing drink a nice “jazzed up pino colata” flavor with 1/4 cup of white rum!  Otherwise, you can just have it as a non-alcoholic chilled drink whenever the mood suits you. Wonderful on a hot day!

Tropical Storm Smoothie

(serves 2 to 3)

Ingredients:

1 banana, cut in ½ inch slices

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup pineapple juice

½ cup diced fresh mango (or mango juice)

½ cup Yogurt

½ cup Milk

6 to 8 Ice cubes (or as many as you like)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together in a blender.  Blend on highest (or liquefy) speed, until smooth.  Pour into glasses (preferably chilled) and serve. 

Homemade Bagels

 These are so delicious-- especially fresh, with some cream cheese!  I got the recipe from Youtube user mahalodotcom .  There are plenty of steps involved in making homemade bagels, but it is well worth the effort for the delicious, soft, chewy bagels that come out of your home oven!  There are lots of pictures here to help walk you through the process.  Also, knowing how to make them is quite a bragging right, because most people don't know how.  Its not complicated at all though, really. The secret to that classic bagel texture and taste is to both broil AND boil them before baking. 

Homemade Bagels

 Ingredients:

4 ¼ cups bread flour

1 ½ cups warm water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ cup cornmeal or semolina

Directions:

1.        In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of the flour.  Add in the yeast.  Toss yeast and flour together with a spoon.  Add in the sugar and salt.  Mix until blended. 

2.       Using a hand mixer on low to medium, gradually mix in the water, for about 30 seconds.  Then put the mixer on high, and beat for 3 minutes.

3.       Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you need to make the dough come together, but you should probably have about ¾ cup to 1 cup of flour left over.  Keep this for kneading.  

4.       On a lightly floured surface, knead in the rest of the flour for about 6 to 8 minutes, until you have a firm and dense but elastic ball of dough.

5.        Divide dough into 12 equal portions.   Roll each portion into a round ball with your hands.  Cover with a very *slightly* dampened cloth and let dough rise for about 10 minutes.

6.       Using your fingers, gently stretch a 2-inch diameter hole in the center of each dough ball.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  

7.       Cover dough rings with a cloth and let them rise for 20 minutes. 

8.       In a large skillet, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.  You won’t be using this right now, but you want the boiling water to be ready the moment your bagels come out of the broiler.

9.       While the water boils, pre-heat your broiler, with the rack about 5 inched from the heated coils.  Place dough rings (on baking sheet) in the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Try not to let the tops get brown. 

10.    Remove bagel rings from broiler and immediately begin lowering them into the boiling water, one at a time, with a slotted spatula.  They should have plenty of space, so don’t boil more than 4 to 6 at a time.  Reduce water to a simmer, and let bagels simmer for 7 minutes total, flipping them over once at 3 1/3 minutes.  Remove bagels from the water and let them drain on double-layered paper towels.  

11.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

12.   Sprinkle 2 large baking sheets with the cornmeal (or semolina), spread out evenly.  Its best to use 2 baking sheets so that the bagels will have plenty of room to get a bit bigger.   

   

13.    Place bagels on baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between them.  Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.  Serve bagels, or store them in a tightly-sealed container.   

TIP:  If you are making them ahead of time for an even, you can also seal them tightly and freeze them for up to 2 weeks, then thaw them at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.