Greek Yogurt Biscuits

I found this recipe in our newspaper’s food insert. I kind of love them. The good news is that they only have three ingredients. The bad news is that I usually don’t have 2 out of the three on hand.

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

Whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well and add the yogurt. Stir till just moist. Roll out dough on a floured board and roll to 1/2 inch. Fold over and roll back to 1/2 inch. Cut out biscuits. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

I failed biscuit-making, so I can’t ever get them to split right; I think I over mix them. So mine end up kind of flat. So I eat mine without opening them up. But they taste so good! If you let them get cold, they’re not as appetizing. BUT you can toast them with a square of sharp cheddar on top and it’s AMAZING!

Ukrainian Borscht

Following the political situation in Ukraine is both upsetting and frustrating. I have never been there, but my husband lived there for two years as an LDS missionary and came to love the country. Because of this it is close to my heart too. I read the news articles and feel so helpless – what can I possibly do to make a difference?

So I’m putting up our favorite Ukrainian recipes to raise awareness. Keep the people of Ukraine in your prayers. This recipe comes straight from a lovely Ukrainian woman and it’s delicious!

300 grams of pork (or beef) with the bone in. (This equals a little over half a pound. What I do is by a nice large bone-in roast and cut it in two pieces – one with the bone and one without. The piece without the bone I freeze for later. The piece with the bone, no matter how big it is, goes in the borscht.

3 liters of water (I usually put 4-5 liters in)

2 tsp salt

1-2 medium beets

1-2 large carrots

a large onion

1 6 oz can tomato paste

5-6 medium potatoes, cubed (red or gold work best. and I leave the skin on)

half a medium head of cabbage, cut in strips

1 green pepper, diced

 

1. Boil the meat with the bone in the water with salt till the meat is cooked through. Take the meat out and cut it into bite size hunks (unless you already did this – good for you!)

2. While the meat is cooking, cut up the beets, carrots, and onion. Sauté in oil till soft (10-15 min). Add tomato paste, cook 3-5 minutes more.

3. When the meat is cooked, add the cubed potatoes to the boiling water.

4. When the potatoes are soft enough to be pierced with a fork, add the beet mixture and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add cabbage and green peppers. Cook 5-8 minutes. Add bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and parsley to taste. (I’ve never done it this way, but you could add the seasoning with the meat and let it cook the whole time).

5. Let cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a dollop of sour cream to each serving.

This soup is great fresh and better the next day – that’s why I always make so much. yum!

The Best pizza dough ever!

I found this bread book that I liked and decided to buy it. I have not tried many of the recipes, but of the ones I have tried, this is certainly the best. It comes out delicious every time and it’s pretty easy to do. The hardest part is planning ahead to make it. But if you want a really great pizza, make this one.

My Favorite Pizza Dough from Bread Making by Lauren Chattman

1 cup room temperature water

¾ tsp instant yeast

2 cups plus 2 Tbl unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together with a large spoon. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Then knead by hand or with a stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic. (I always test this by holding a small portion and trying to make a thin film that light can pass through, but the dough does not rip. If it rips, keep kneading! If the dough is too sticky, add more, 2 Tbls at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky. In my stand mixer this takes 5 - 10 minutes and I check it several times along the way. )

Spray a mixing bowl with non-stick spray and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 3-4 hours. (I start this dough around 2pm and end up eating around 7pm).

When your dough is done rising, preheat your oven to 500 degrees (yes, 500 degrees). Prepare your pizza pan (or a baking sheet will work fine too) with non stick spray. Roll your dough onto a floured surface into the desired shape (depending on the shape of your pan). Then transfer gently to your prepared pan. Top with your desired toppings including but not limited to: red sauce, white sauce, Bbq sauce, pepperoni, onions, peppers, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, and cheeses of all varieties.

Bake for 15-18 minutes (but you may want to start checking at 13 or so minutes).

Green Risotto

I found this recipe on a local cooking show and just barely was able to try it. You may remember my mishap with the peas: this was that day.

The cook is British, so the measurements are by weight. I’ve included my notes, as always.

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp olive oil
250g (9oz) peas, fresh or frozen
100g (4 oz) spinach (destalk if the leaves are large)
950ml (1 pt 12 fl oz) vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350g (12 oz) risotto rice
150ml (5 fl. oz) white wine (I omitted the wine and used extra stock)
100g (4 oz) Parmesan cheese to serve

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180'C/gas 4. (I cooked mine entirely on the stove top, so you can bake if you like, or not).
Heat half the olive oil in an oven-proof saucepan.
Add the peas and spinach and cook, stirring all the time, for 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.

Add about 50ml of the stock and puree in a blender or food processor.
Set aside.
In the same saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid and sweat over a gentle heat until soft but not colored.
Add the risotto rice and stir it around in the saucepan for a minute, then add the remaining stock and the wine.
Stir and bring it up to the boil, cover with the lid and place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is just cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed.(Again, I did mine entirely on the stove, like you would normal risotto: adding the stock and stirring until it dissolves, then adding more , repeating until the rice is cooked, then continue with the recipe.)
Stir in the vegetable puree and set aside with the lid on.

To serve
Serve the risotto in warm bowls topped with Parmesan.(I mixed my cheese in with the pureed spinach and peas, but do as you please).

Green Risotto: Not for the faint of heart!

Marry Me Toffee

Yes, this is the actual title of the recipe. It comes from Jane Sharrock’s “Who Wants Candy?” Cookbook. The title of the recipe has no punctuation so I get to imagine it for myself. One option is, “Marry me, toffee!” like in the old joke. “I love this!” “If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?”

Another option (and my personal favorite) is, “Marry Me!” Toffee (a la Arrested Development).

But however you do it, it’s delicious.

 

I’ve had trouble with recipes from this cookbook before, and so I was pleased when this one turned out so well.

Ingredients:

2-2 1/2 cups of chopped, toasted almonds

6, 1.5 oz Hershey’s chocolate bars (I used 9 oz. of Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate bars. I’m sure you could use whatever, just keep it unmelted).

1 pound of good quality butter – margarine doesn’t work.

2 cups granulated sugar

3 Tbls water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

1. Scatter a little over half the almonds (I used dry roasted almonds instead of toasting them myself) over two baking sheets (the book reads, one large and one small to medium. I used two medium ones and it worked fine). Reserve the remaining almonds for the top. Break the chocolate into pieces.

2. In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring butter, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. One it begins to boil, stir constantly and cook to the hard crack stage, 300 degrees.

3. Remove from heat, quickly stir in vanilla. Immediately pour over the almonds on the baking sheets. the candy won’t go all the way to edge of the sheet. Immediately place the chocolate onto the candy roughly evenly spaced. Let the chocolate melt for a few minutes, then use a spatula to spread it evenly over the surface of the candy.

4. Sprinkle the reserved almonds over the chocolate, pressing into the chocolate if desired. Let it all cool to room temperature before cutting (I used a pizza cutter, but you can break it by hand, too). It will keep for a week or two in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

Creamy Lemon Crumble Squares

I love bars. I love to make them, I love to eat them, I love the little lemony crust they get on top when they bake. I thought I would never find anything to replace them.

But I have. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest (yes, I do that now) and I thought we’d try for dessert when the missionaries came for dinner.

 

Crust:

6 Tbl butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

3/4 tsp baking powder

scant 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

zest of 1 (or 2) lemons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix till crumbly.

3. Mix filling well, until consistent.

4. Press about 2/3 of the crust into the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Pour filling in, spreading if necessary. Sprinkle the remainder of crust on the top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Eat warm or cold. I like mine with ice cream on top, but they’re delicious by themselves.

I’d consider this golden brown.

The original recipe comes from here, and she has a larger version to go into an 8x11 pan. I don’t have an 8x11 pan, and since I didn’t want them to be thin in a 9x13 pan, I cut the crust recipe by 1/4 and put it into a 9x9 pan. It still makes a little too much crust, but it’s yummy yummy!

Frog-Eye Salad

So I mentioned on my blog a little while ago a dessert salad: frog-eye salad. An unfortunate name, I know, but I didn’t name it. It’s deceptively delicious and it kind of grows on you. I’m considering changing the name to “white cloud of happiness salad.”

16 oz acini di pepe pasta (This is a small round pasta about the size of a peppercorn. I found some at Wal-Mart made by Da Vinci. I assume this is what gives the salad its name, but if you can’t find it I recommend orzo).

1 small box vanilla pudding

1 1/2+ cups milk

1 pint whipping cream

1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3+ cups mini marshmallows

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 large (28oz?) can of pineapple tidbits, drained

 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, cool pasta under cold water in strainer and set aside.

2. While cooking pasta, make vanilla pudding with 1 1/2 cups milk instead of the recommended 2 cups. Once set, combine with cool pasta. Add fruit and marshmallows.

3. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla till very stiff. Fold into salad. For best results, let rest overnight. (or enjoy right away). This makes A LOT of salad, so you may want to half this recipe on your first try. That way, if you hate it, you have less of it.

Now, the recipe I used to make this calls for a container of cool whip. I did not have success. It made the salad very very gooey, so I went for the real thing, but feel free to give it a try. Just make sure the cool whip is thawed before folding into the rest of salad.

 

For as many times as I’ve made this, this is the only picture I have of it. We just eat it too fast.