Scones

Blueberry Scones and Chocolate  Chip Scones

The kids like chocolate chips in their scones. I prefer blueberries or cranberries, so I usually split the dough and make half and half. If I'm making them for the little guy, I use lard or Crisco for dairy free, but butter is better.

Scones
2/3 cup milk (regular, soy or almond)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup shortening (butter is best)
1 cup cranberries or blueberries
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Raw sugar

• Preheat oven to 415*.
• Add the lemon juice to the milk, set aside.
• Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Cut in the shortening.
• Add the milk and mix until a ball forms.
• Divide the ball into two pieces.
• On a silicone baking mat, knead each piece about 8-10 times, adding berries to one half and chocolate chips to the other. A little more flour and a bench scraper are helpful here.
• Press each dough half into a 7 inch circle about 3/4 inch high.
• Cut into 2 inch squares or triangles. Separate pieces so they are not touching.
• Move the silicone mat with the scones to a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle scones with raw sugar.
• Bake 15-18 minutes.

Notes: If you don't have a silicone baking mat, work with the dough on a floured board and transfer individual pieces to a baking sheet.

Banana Jus Alpukat

Banana Jus Alpukat

I started looking for milkshake alternatives about a year ago when I was on a no dairy diet because my little guy couldn't have it. I tried lots of different smoothie variations and came across some recipes for Jus Alpukat, an Indonesian dessert smoothie with avocados. It sounded intriguing, but most of the recipes called for sweetened condensed milk, ice cream, or simple syrup. I subbed in bananas, which thickened and sweetened the drink without adding dairy or extra sugar.

I made one of these for my brother when the recipe was still in the developmental phase. When he asked for tortilla chips, I knew the banana/avocado ratio was off. Maybe he'll give it another try now??? Although my kids are smoothie and milkshake fans, there are only two of us who give this a something good rating; the others prefer their smoothies with just fruit.

Banana Jus Alpukat
2 bananas, frozen and sliced
1/2 avocado, removed from peel
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup milk (regular, soy or almond)
chocolate syrup

• In a blender, combine bananas, avocado, ice cubes, and milk. Blend until smooth.
• Drizzle chocolate syrup down the insides of your serving glasses.
• Spoon smoothie into glasses.
• Top with additional chocolate syrup if desired.

Notes: Bananas seem to have a small window of perfect ripeness. If your bananas get beyond the peak of ripeness, don't throw them away; peel, bag, and freeze them. Frozen bananas are great for smoothies and can be thawed for baking.

Radish Dip

Radish Dip with Crackers

My friend makes a radish dip served with Bugles. I've had it a couple times, and it's always a big hit. When I "googled" radish dip with Bugles, a bunch of different recipes came up. So I decided try my hand at it too; here's my take on radish dip. For some reason it is really good with Bugles, but it's also good with crackers.

Radish Dip
1/2 lb. radishes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons mayo
3 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chives or green onions, sliced

• Chop or food process the radishes and add salt. 
• Move to a strainer to drain off the juice. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, occasionally stirring and pressing out the juice.
• In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. 
• Stir in radishes and chives or onion. Season with salt if necessary.
• Serve with crackers or Bugles.

Notes: If you feel the peppery, radishy taste is too strong, add more cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream to tone down the flavor.

Crispy Noodles

Crispy Noodles

Butter noodles or crispy noodles? We are a house divided. However, seeing as crispy noodles are just fried butter noodles, it's not too difficult to please everyone.

Crispy Noodles
1/2 lb pasta
oil or butter
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Herbs, chopped (optional)

• Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
• Toss drained pasta with oil or butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
• Fry noodles for 5-6 minutes or until desired level of crispiness is reached.
• Top individual servings with Parmesan cheese and chopped herbs.

Notes: To make butter noodles, skip the frying and serve with Parmesan cheese and herbs.

Question: Which do you prefer, crispy or buttered?

Honey Lemonade

Honey Lemonade

When life gives you honey and lemons, make honey lemonade.

Honey Lemonade
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
lemon peel
1 cup lemon juice
3 cups ice water

• Combine 1 cup water, sugar, and honey in a medium pot.
• Use a vegetable peeler to peel off 5-6 strips of lemon peel.
• Add strips of lemon peel to the pot and warm over medium heat until sugar and honey are dissolved.
• Turn off the heat and remove strips of lemon peel.
• Add lemon juice and ice water. Stir to combine.
• Pour into a pitcher or directly into glasses to serve.

Notes: Fresh squeezed lemon juice makes this recipe way better.

Deep Dish Pizza

Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza

It's hard to find the perfect pizza recipe. Cook's Country has a good thin crust recipe that we like, but the favorite in our house is deep dish. My recipe for deep dish crust is a cross between Mark Bittman's pizza crust using a food processor and the notes I took watching an America's Test Kitchen video on deep dish pizza. This pizza may not be the perfect recipe, but it's my current favorite and "something good."

Deep Dish Pizza
Dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
7 oz milk or water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons oil

Toppings:
4 Tablespoons oil
2/3 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
40 slices pepperoni

• Mix flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor.
• In a separate bowl, warm the milk or water to 110-115 degrees and add the sugar and oil, stirring to combine.
• With the food processor running, add the liquid mixture using the feed tube. Process until combined.
• If it forms into a ball, you are ready to continue. If the mixture is too sticky or too dry, add flour or water one tablespoon at a time until a ball forms.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and let it raise 1-2 hours.

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• Move rack to the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 400*.
• Pour 2 Tablespoons oil in each of the bottoms of 2 round 9 inch pans.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Roll out the dough in a circular shape on a floured surface. Use your knuckles to stretch the dough into a 9 inch circle. Place in one pan and repeat with the second half of the dough.
• Spread 1/3 cup sauce on each pizza.
• Sprinkle each pizza with 3/4 cup mozzarella.
• Spread out 20 pepperoni slices in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Place slices on one pizza and repeat with the remaining slices for the other pizza.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Notes: If you are in a time crunch, force the dough to raise by preheating your oven to 150, turning off the oven, and placing the plastic covered dough bowl in the warm oven for 30 minutes.

Mom's Marinade

Grilled Chicken with Mom's Marinade

I don't think my mom even measures when she makes her marinade, but I forced her to write down the recipe a few years ago because we all like it so much. This marinade is great for chicken, pork, or beef.

Mom's Marinade
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown or Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper to taste

• Combine ingredients in a bowl.
• Set aside 1/4-1/2 cup of the marinade for a dipping sauce if desired.
• Place 4 pounds of meat in a zip bag.
• Pour remaining marinade over meat.
• Let sit, refrigerated, for at least an hour.
• Grill or broil the meat; discard the marinade that was on the meat.
• Serve meat with reserved marinade.

Notes: The chicken tenderloins in the above picture were on a hot grill for about 7 minutes.