Monti's la Casa Vieja “Roman Bread”

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 ½ tsp dry yeast (or 1 package)

1 ½ cups lukewarm water

¼ cup vegetable oil, plus additional for brushing

4 cups all-purpose flour (plus a bit more for kneading)

1 ½ tsp salt

½ cup finely chopped onion (or rehydrate some dried onion to make ½ cup)

2+ tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed

2 tsp onion salt

Combine sugar, yeast and lukewarm water, stirring to dissolve yeast. Add oil. Stir in the flour, a cup at a time, then add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the onion. Mix well, then knead on a lightly floured board until smooth. 

Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (around 1 hour), covered with a clean linen towel. When doubled, punch down again.

Brush oil on rimmed (12x16) cookie/baking sheet. Flatten out dough on cookie sheet with fingers. Brush the dough with additional vegetable oil. Sprinkle with onion salt and the rosemary. Preslice with pizza cutter, if desired. Let dough rise again until just about doubled.

Bake in oven, preheated to 400 degrees F, for about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve hot.

Shelly’s notes:

Can be made in a mixer, if desired. Mix until smooth. Then move to bowl and let rise.

Crushing the rosemary with your fingers as you sprinkle it really brings out the flavor.

Stuffed Meatloaf

1.5 lbs ground beef

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or bread crumbled)

1/2 cup bacon chopped (or real bits)

1/4 cup beef broth (or milk)

1 egg

2 T. Worcestershire sauce 

2 T. dried onion

2 t. Italian seasoning 

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. garlic powder

4 oz. Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup 

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

3 T. brown sugar

Mix all loaf ingredients. Put half of mix into baking dish. Lay mozzarella slices in middle. Cover with rest of meat mixture sealing edges well. Pour sauce on top.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. 

Notes: Made double batch into 2 loaves. Just barely enough to feed 11. Only put sauce on one loaf but everyone liked the sauce. Served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup sweet corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
½ red onion, finely chopped

½ - 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional for heat)

1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)

Dressing:
⅓ cup olive oil

2 T. cup fresh lime juice
2 T. red (or white) wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 T. sugar or honey

Drain and rinse the black beans. Dice the tomatoes, red onion, and optional bell pepper and jalapeño. Chop the cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and spices until well combined. In a large bowl, toss together the beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss to coat everything evenly. Cover and chill for an hour or more. Serve with tortilla chips, as a taco topping, or as a fresh side salad.

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Breasts

4 chicken breasts, halved into 8 pieces

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 T. Frank's Seasoning

2 T. melted butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream

Brush one side of chicken with sour cream. Mix bread crumbs, Frank's, and butter in a shallow dish. Coat the sour cream side of chicken breast with crumb mixture. Place chicken coated side up on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Jasper Fries (Potato Wedges)

6 medium potatoes

2 T. butter, melted

2 T. oil

1 t. seasoned salt

Cut potatoes into wedges. Place butter, oil, and salt in plastic zip bag. Add potatoes and shake to coat. Place in single layer on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 30-45 minutes or until tender and golden.

Note: I balance the wedges with the skin side down and pointed edge up so I don't have to turn them over half way through cooking.

West Virginia Chili Dog Sauce

 

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 2–3 cups water
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1. Brown ground beef, breaking it into fine crumbles. Stir in spices. Add water, making sure the beef is submerged. Bring to a simmer. (You can use a crockpot with the lid off for simmering.) Cook uncovered on for 1- 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour until thickened. Serve over grilled hot dogs with mustard, chopped onions, and coleslaw. 

Homemade Croutons

bread, rolls, or buns - of any kind, chopped into 1 inch cubes (stale works best)

2 - 4 T. butter, melted

2 - 4 T. olive oil 

1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place on large baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Stir once or twice while baking. 

Chopped Sub Sandwich (aka Sloppy Subs)

Chop the following and mix in a big bowl:

8 slices provolone

6-8 oz. salami

6-8 oz. pepperoni

8 oz. ham

2 cups shredded lettuce

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped banana peppers

Mix for dressing:

4 T. olive oil

4 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. dijon mustard

1 t. Italian seasoning

1 t. sugar

Serve on:

6 hoagie rolls with dressing and mayo.

This amount serves 6.

Elderberry Syrup Immune Booster

4 cups water

2 cups fresh or frozen elderberries (2/3 cup dried)

2 T. grated fresh ginger (or ground to taste)

2 cinnamon sticks (or ground to taste)

1/2 t. whole cloves

2 cups raw honey

Mix water, berries, and spices into a crockpot. Cook on high/simmer for 3-4 hours. Stir and mash the berries a couple times while cooking. Allow to cool. Pour into glass bowl through fine strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the elderberries. Add honey and mix well. Store in mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks*. 

Notes:

Take 1 teaspoon daily for immune boosting. Take every hour if you feel like you are getting sick.

Can cook on the stove top, if desired. My family doesn't like the smell so I cook it in the crockpot in the garage. 

I get my raw, local honey from the farmer's market. Don't give honey to babies under 1 year.

*If storing longer or canning, add 4 T. lemon juice. Can process in water bath for 10 minutes to make shelf stable.