Fresh Bread and Breadcrumbs, by Jenifer

It all starts with the bread. I bake our own breads and will use the ends or last slices of any loaf. I really like the recipes from this website:

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/category.php?cid=1

I have tried MANy of them...but this is my favorite:

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipe/detail.php?rid=511

That said, for this recipe we had crumbs from this loaf:

( got this from some website, I think called mealmaster)


Multi Grain Bread:
1/4 oz (2 1/4 tsps) yeast
1 tlb sugar
2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c rye flour
3/4 c wheat germ
3/4 c unprocessed bran
1/2 c dry milk
1/2 c sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 3/4 c boiling water
1/2 c bulgur
1/2 c 7 grain mix (I get this from whole foods- you could use millet or even a 7 grain cereal)
1 tb molasses
1 1/2 tbl oil (original calls for safflower but I have used olive, grape seed, etc)

~Combine boiling water with cracked wheat, 7-grain mixture, molasses and oil. Cool to room temperature.
~Add first 10 ingredients in the order listed to the pan, pour in cooled grain mixture, select white bread and press "Start".
~For a milder taste, use honey instead of molasses.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted all ingredients should be at room temperature. This can be mixed on manual of the bread machine. After Second kneading, remove dough from machine, divide into to equal portions and place in small loaf pans.
~Cover and let rise to double, about 45 min to 1 hour.
~Bake at 350 f. for 35-40 min.

I do the whole thing in my bread machine.


Once I have the bread (not stale bread- just not FRESH- you want it when it is dry, not stale) if it is not dry I dry it in the oven. You can do this by laying the slices on a baking sheet in a SINGLE layer (leave a bit of room between the pieces) and baking at 300 for 10- 15 minutes. Be sure to flip them over about halfway through for even drying. Be sure to let them cool before you make the crumbs. here is the easy part- tear into small pieces and whir in your food processor (I leave mine in a coarse state- that way if I need them more fine- as I did for this recipe I can regrind at that time- but if I need them coarse (as when I stuff peppers) they are all set ) I do not season them so that they can be seasoned at the time of use. If you do not have a food processor, you can always use a hand grater (or my frriend tells me she put the tasted slices in a ziploc and rolled glass over them until they were crumbs). These can be stored in a jar, a ziploc in the fridge or even frozen....

Homemade Italian Seasoning, by Jenifer

Italian seasoning "recipe"

I have two recipes I use so I will include both- we dry our fresh herbs and usually make this blend after that:

3 tlbs dried basil
3 tlbs dried oregano
3 tsps dried parsley
1 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

I grind all these in my food processor- though i have been told by my neighbor it would taste better if I would invest in a mortar & pestle setup (maybe I will)- in order to measure the amounts. Once I have the measurements, I shake them all together (with the powdered items) in a small jar or ziploc.


Another one:

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
Again- for my fresh dried herbs I use my food processor to get the measurements- then I mix in a jar or ziploc.

I wonder if I could just use the herbs fresh?

Suggested by Heather - Giada's Roman Summer Salad

My friend had us over yesterday and made this really nice salad she saw on Giada deLaurentiis' show called Roman Summer Salad. It was really nice - she sent me the recipe:

Roman Summer Salad

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup pitted green and black olives or calamatta olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (optional)
2 tbsp. capers drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove minced
8 fresh basil leaves shredded
1/2 tsp. black pepper
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound vine ripe tomatoes (about 3) sliced 1/4 inch thick

Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring a 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. set aside to cool.Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.To serve, layer the tomatoes slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the balsamic sauce over the salad and serve.

Kris's Famous Blackened Fish Tacos, by Kris

Tonight I made my famous Blackened Fish Tacos. My family (well, not my children, but me and my wife) love the fish tacos. I used fresh cilantro from my garden... I call them Blackened, although they are not truly blackened - but I use a cajun spice rub and put them on the grill.

Blackened Fish Tacos:

spice rub:
- 1 tsp course salt (I use sea salt)
- 1 TBSP smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp course ground black pepper
- 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 TBSP onion powder
- 1/2 TBSP ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil

Mix together in small tupperware (I throw it into a small tupperware with a lid and shake the hell out of it until it's mixed well).

For the tacos:
- Mahi Mahi fillets (I use 1 fillet for 2 tacos)
- 1 fresh lime
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- cajun spice rub (see above)

Cilantro-Lime sour cream
- 1 container sour cream
- juice of 1 fresh lime
- handful of cilantro
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Putting it together:
I used Mahi Mahi for my tacos, but any firm white flesh fish will work (cod, halibut, tilapia, blue marlin). Heat the grill on high while preparing the fillets. I put a small amount of olive oil on the fish, then squeeze a lime over them. Rub the oil and lime juice into the fish, then sprinkle liberally with the spice rub (every bit of fish is covered in the spice rub). Turn the grill down to low and cook fish until done (our grill has 3 heating elements, I usually cook the fish in the middle element on low while the 2 side elements are on medium-high heat). Combine all the ingredients for the cilantro-lime sour cream in a blender and mix until it looks like a green cream sauce. Take the fish off the grill when it is done and squeeze more fresh lime juice over them while they are hot.

To assemble the tacos, I put corn torillas on the hot grill for a few seconds each side. Add a small sprinkling of cheese, place 1/2 fish fillet (cut lengthwise) on the tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, cilantro-lime cour cream, some pico de gallo, fresh cilantro sprigs and a fresh lime wedge. Of course, it goes best served with a tall, cold Mexican beer with lime wedges as well.... I hope that you all try it!

Granny's Tuna and Shells, from Betsy

It's already so bloody hot I couldn't stand the thought of cooking tonight, so I whipped up a batch of one of my summertime staples. This is my grandmother's recipe. I don't actually measure anything, so play it by ear. Also qualifies for cheap meal status:

Granny's Tuna and Shells

Ingredients:
1 pound box medium shell pasta
2 cans tuna, drained
3 ribs celery, diced
1/2 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup Italian dressing
cider vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water

2. In a large bowl, mix pasta with vegetables and tuna.

3. Add the mayo, starting with 1/2 cup, and go until it's as moist as you like. Stir in the Italian dressing. Add a splash of cider vinegar (a couple teaspoons). Season with s & p to taste.

4. Cover and chill for several hours. I like to make this in the morning, so I don't have to turn the stove on when it's hot out.Serve with any snack cracker like Ritz or saltines.

Suggested by Rachael - Crockpot Baked Beans

This is the first time I am trying baked beans in the crockpot; I got the recipe from The Crockery Cook.

1 lb Small White Beans
4 1/2 cups H2O
1/3 cup Molasses
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 Onion, chopped
1/4 lb Salt Pork, cubed
1 tablespoon Dijon-style Mustard
1/? teaspoon salt (ed: 1/4 tsp sounds good!)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 13 hours, stirring occasionally.

I got up at 6am when my husband left for work to put them on. I'm hoping 12 hours ends up being enough cooking time. I added a little BBQ sauce.

Onion Rings, from Alison

I had a bunch of sweet onions from the CSA, so I made...

Onion Rings

ingredients

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large sweet onion
oil for frying

method

In a large bowl, beat egg and add milk. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut onion into thick slices.Dip the onion into the milk mixture and then coat with the flour mixture. Repeat (this is important.) Heat the oil to 350 in deep fryer.Fry onion rings, a few at a time...I forget the exact time. It will take a few mins.

**Note-- I doubled the recipe, and it was just enough batter for 3 large onions