Best Florek Rolls

This recipe is from a friend, Angel Florek, who lived in our ward while we were in podiatry school. Angel made these rolls along with a curried chicken salad for a friend's baby shower and I seriously thought she bought the rolls somewhere from a bakery. I was stunned to find out she had made them from scratch! They are sweet & remind me of hawaiian bread or milk-and-honey rolls. They are great as sandwich rolls (like for pulled pork or curried chicken salad!) or stand alone (like for Thanksgiving!). Love these!

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2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C. warm water

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 shortening
1 C hot milk
4.5 C flour, divided
2 eggs

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water and set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbly. In a stand mixer bowl combine salt, 1/2 C sugar, and shortening. Mix on low with the whisk attachment until combined then add the hot milk, mixing slowly so as not to spill. Once incorporated, add 2 cups of flour. Then add the yeast mixture and mix well. Then add eggs.

Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook and add remaining 2.5 cups of flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Remove the hook and set aside for 15 minutes to allow rising.

Flour the counter and divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a circle and cut it into 8 pieces, like a pie. Place rolls on a cookie sheet.

For quick rise: set oven to 170 then turn off. Place rolls in the off-but-warm oven for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 9 minutes. Watch the first batch CLOSELY so they don't burn. Times can vary by oven anywhere from 7-10 minutes.

PW's Tasty Kitchen Risotto

***Jack came home from his externship in Wisconsin having tasted Risotto at someone's home and was dying for a second taste. This is the recipe I drummed up.***

Recipe: Risotto

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 45 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups Parmesan, Romano, Or Asiago Cheese (or A Mixture Of All Three)
• 3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
• 1/2 whole Large Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 pound Arborio Rice
• 7 cups (to 8 Cups) Chicken Broth
• 1 cup (to 1 1/2 Cups) Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Chives, Chopped
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Grate 2 cups of cheese. Peel and finely dice 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Dice ½ of a large onion.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Throw in the garlic and onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add 1 pound of Arborio rice and stir to coat the rice thoroughly. Adding 1 cup at a time, add 7-8 ounces of chicken broth, stirring constantly after each addition. As soon as it appears that the rice has absorbed each helping of broth, add in the next helping. Do not stop stirring. This process will take at least 20 minutes. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite.

When more of the broth is absorbed pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Next add the grated cheese and stir thoroughly. Add in plenty of fresh cracked pepper and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Add salt to taste.

Make it. Make it now. Eat! Enjoy!

Southwest Pasta Salad

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (taco chicken is fantastic in this recipe)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)

Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

To prepare dressing place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.

First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Mock Trader Joe's BBQ Chicken Salad

5 C Romaine Lettuce
1 C Diced Cooked Chicken
1/2 C Sliced Red Onion
1/2 C Grated Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 C Black Beans
1/2 C Frozen Fresh Corn
1/4 C Diced Red Bell Pepper

Dressing:
3:1 Mixture of Ranch:Hickory BBQ sauce

Thaw the corn in warm water. Mix all the ingredients together and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Print Text Only

About 3 Roma tomatoes

1 smallish jalapeno pepper

1/2 small onion (white onions are traditional, but I love the color and flavor of red onions)

THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE APPROXIMATE:

Freshly squeezed lime juice (use 1/2 lime for a little zing, use the whole thing for distinct lime flavor. In case you were wondering, I use the whole thing)

A very generous pinch of chopped cilantro–I just grab some using all my fingers at once. It probably comes out to about 1/4 c.

Kosher salt to taste; some people leave it on the bland side because a lot of foods pico de gallo is served with tends to be salty. Personally, I like it on the salty side.

Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane that contains the seeds. It’s okay if some seeds get in there, but if you have all of them, it’s going to get a little sloppy. Cut into small chunks. If you look at my pictures, I actually cut my tomatoes a little bigger than I really wanted them. I’m learning to let the little things go…Place in a small serving or mixing bowl or a really large cereal-type bowl.

Finely dice the onion. No one wants giant chunks of raw onion. Well, maybe some people out there do, but I don’t know any of them personally. Toss with the tomato mixture.

Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired (the seeds contain the majority of the heat, although the flesh is still pretty hot). I’m a pansy and absolutely don’t ever add seeds, but some of you are way braver than me, so this is totally up to you. Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. If you want to walk on the limey side, add a little more. I like to go easy on the heat and heavy on the lime, but I’m sure there are others out there who are the opposite.

Add your giant pinch of cilantro. Combine well. Add a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt, taste, and add more if desired. This is best if it stands for a few hours before you serve it, but it also may (okay, will) get a little wet in the bottom of the bowl, so you might want to strain it before serving it. It’s great just straight up on tortilla chips

Pulao Rice

1 C Basmati Rice
1 T Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Whole Red Chili Peppers
1 t Sajeera (fine cumin seed)
1 1/2 C Water
1/2 t Salt
1/2 C Mixed Vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas)
1/4 C Cilantro

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, onion, chili peppers, and sajeera. Cook for 3-4 minutes until onion becomes translucent. Add water and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the raw rice in the rice cooker. When the rice is about halfway cooked, add the vegetables. When the rice is done, add the cilantro. Serve immediately.

Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing

***I made this dish for Thanksgiving with the Harveys (which was actually at the Ferriera's) in 2011 and it was a hit! Tony Ferriera called it the best stuffing he'd ever had! It takes quite a bit of work to make but since it's such a family favorite, it's worth all the time it takes. :) ***


Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing

Recipe by Leslie Jo Parsons via Sunset Magazine

Serves 12, makes approx. 10 cups

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, ends trimmed and sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions (3/4 lb total), chopped
1 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 loaf (1 lb) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 jars (6 oz each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten.

*If desired, first toast chopped bread in a 400 degree oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

In a 12-in. frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan (a few tablespoons) and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.  (If you need to add a little more broth at this point, go for it.  I added a bit more because I wanted my stuffing really moist.)  Add beaten egg and mix into stuffing.

Preheat oven to 325° to 350° (meaning the temperature is flexible if it’s going in the oven at the same time as other things.  If it’s going in alone, bake at 350).  Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole pan. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

And not that I support calorie counting on Thanksgiving at ALL, but I do know many people appreciate nutrition facts, and since they’re available, here you go.  (These are per serving, assuming you’re serving 12 and it makes about 10 cups.)
Calories: 195 Protein: 9  Fat: 6.226  Fiber: 2.7 Carbohydrate: 26