Lion House Rolls - Excellent

Lion House dinner rolls

2 Cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

*1/4 Cup instant potatoes (soften in 1/4 cup warm water before you add to mix) You don't need this if you don't have the potatoes

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup butter - softened to room temperature

1 egg

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl of an electric mixer,(I use the bosch with the dough hooks) combine water and dry milk, stirring until milk dissolves. Add potatoes and yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff, and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand) *When I use the bosch you don't need to mix by hand, just keep adding flour until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on high using the dough hooks all the time and knead the dough for 5 min. on high speed.

Spray a good sized bowl with pam or vegetable oil and put the dough in the bowl and then turn it over so the top is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to doubled in size.

Roll out on a well floured counter to about a 1/4 inch thick and cut into circles about 3' in diameter. Then you dip the middle of the circle in butter and pinch the edge together and put in a pan to raise. You want to let raise about 45 min to 1 hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter while hot. Serve with Honey Butter or Raspberry Honey Butter. Makes 1 1/2 to 3 dozen rolls, depending on shape and size of rolls.

note: this recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled if you have a large enough bowl.

You can also freeze shaped rolls for later use: Simply double the amount of yeast used when making dough. After the first rise, shape the rolls but do not rise again. Instead, place rolls on a baking sheet and immediately place in freezer. When dough is frozen solid, remove rolls from pan and place in a plastic bag, Squeeze excess air out of bag and seal. Rolls can be frozen for 3 weeks.

Baking instructions for Frozen Roll Dough

Suggested Method: Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with spray. Place rolls evenly apart in four rows, three rolls in each row with the edge down and facing the same direction. Cover lightly with plastic wrap.

Let rolls rise for 3 to 5 hours, until double in size. Actual time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Bake rolls 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove rolls from oven and brush with melted butter.

Speed Method:

Place rolls in pan same as suggested method. Do not cover. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Boil 1 quart of water and place in a shallow pan on bottom rack of oven. Place pan of frozen rolls on the top rack.

Let dough rise about 1 hour, or until double in size. Do not allow dough to rise too high. Rolls will raise more as they bake. Remove rolls from oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove rolls from the oven and brush with melted butter.

After baking and cooling the rolls, place in plastic bags. Rolls may be frozen or stored int eh refrigerator for 4 days.

Reheating suggestions: Allow frozen baked rolls to thaw. Remove rolls from plastic bag, place in a brown paper bag and roll the opening closed. Sprinkle the outside of the paper bag with water. Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. erve immediately. Reheating in the microwave is not recommended.

HONEY BUTTER

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat butter until it is broken up. Add the honey and the vanilla. Beat for 10 minutes, scraping mixture to the bottom twice during the mixing. (It is very important that this mix for the entire 10 minutes or it will separate.) Store, refrigerated, in a plastic container.

RASPBERRY HONEY BUTTER

1/2 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED

1/4 CUP HONEY

1/4 CUP RED RASPBERRY PRESERVES

1/4 TEASPOON VANILLA

Beat butter until it is broken up. Add the honey and preserves while mixer is running. Add vanilla and beat for 10 minutes. Store, refrigerated, in a plastic container.

Bread stuffing - Excellent

BREAD STUFFING WITH FRESH HERBS

Serves 10 to 12. Published November 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

Two pounds of chicken wings can be substituted for the turkey wings. If using chicken wings, separate them into 2 sections (it’s not necessary to separate the tips) and poke each segment 4 or 5 times. Also, increase the amount of broth to 3 cups, reduce the amount of butter to 2 tablespoons, and cook the stuffing for only 60 minutes (the wings should register over 175 degrees at the end of cooking). Use the meat from the cooked wings to make salad or soup.

*I didn't put on the turkey wings and it was still delicious (From MOM)

2	pounds hearty white sandwich bread (20 to 22 slices), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 16 cups)
3	pounds turkey wings , divided at joints (see photo) (see note)
2	teaspoons vegetable oil
6	tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , plus extra for baking dish
1	large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
3	celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
2	teaspoons table salt
2	tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2	tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
1	teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
3	large eggs
3	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in even layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), 45 to 60 minutes, stirring several times during baking. (Bread can be toasted up to 1 day in advance.) Transfer to large bowl and increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2. 2. Use tip of paring knife to poke 10 to 15 holes in each wing segment. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add wings in single layer and cook until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip wings and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Transfer wings to medium bowl and set aside.

3. 3. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onion, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Add thyme, sage, and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup broth and bring to simmer, using wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with dried bread and toss to combine.

4. 4. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, remaining 1½ cups broth, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, and any accumulated juices from wings until combined. Add egg/broth mixture and parsley to bread mixture and gently toss to combine; transfer to greased baking dish. Arrange wings on top of stuffing, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and place baking dish on rimmed baking sheet.

5. 5. Bake on lower-middle rack until thickest part of wings registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove foil and transfer wings to dinner plate to reserve for another use. Using fork, gently fluff stuffing. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Turkey Wings to the Rescue Baking stuffing with browned turkey wings on top creates the same rich savoriness of stuffing cooked inside the bird. Here is the basic formula; see the recipes above for instructions on adding meat and fruit.

1. Prep wings
Cut through the joint with a sharp chef’s knife. If the turkey wing comes with a tip, cut through this joint as well.

2. Brown Wings
Sear the turkey wings to trigger the flavor-producing Maillard reaction. Remove them from the skillet.

3. Sauté Aromatics
Cook the chopped onions and celery in rendered fat and butter to develop a savory flavor base.

4. Deglaze with Broth
Deglaze the pan with broth to release the fond and capture every last bit of flavor. Add mixture to dried bread cubes.

5. Top, Cover, Bake
Top the stuffing with the browned wings, cover with aluminum foil to trap moisture, and bake.

Pumpkin Pie - Excellent

PUMPKIN PIE

Makes one 9-inch pie. Published November 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

If candied yams are unavailable, regular canned yams can be substituted. The best way to judge doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. The center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly. The pie finishes cooking with residual heat; to ensure that the filling sets, cool it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator. To ensure accurate cooking times and a crisp crust, the filling should be added to the prebaked crust when both the crust and filling are warm. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream. Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor; do not substitute.

Crust
1 1/4	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	tablespoon sugar
6	tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4	cup vegetable shortening , cold, cut into two pieces
2	tablespoons vodka , cold (see note)
2	tablespoons cold water
Filling
1	cup heavy cream
1	cup whole milk
3	large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	(15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1	cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can (see note)
3/4	cup sugar
1/4	cup maple syrup
2	teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1	teaspoon table salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. For the Crust: Process 3/4 cup flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. 2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. 3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

4. 4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. 5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

6. 6. For the Filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. 7. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

TECHNIQUE

Cooking the Filling

Simmering the filling for pumpkin pie is an unusual step, but its benefits are threefold. First, cooking the pumpkin and sweet potatoes drives off moisture and concentrates their taste. Second, cooking the spices along with the pumpkin allows their flavors to bloom. Third, heating the filling allows it to firm up quickly in the oven, rather than soaking into the pastry and causing the crust to become soggy.

RECIPE TESTING

Keeping the Custard from Curdling

OVERCOOKED
A pie cooked at 425 degrees the whole time curdles and becomes watery and grainy.

SILKY SMOOTH
Starting the pie at 400 degrees and finishing it at 300 degrees allows it to bake without curdling.

SHOPPING

Premade Pie Dough

TIME-SAVER
Pillsbury Pie Crusts is the best of the convenience products sold in supermarkets.

RECIPE TESTING

Key Flavoring Ingredients

SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes intensify pumpkin flavor.

FRESH GINGER
Grated ginger packs more punch than dried ginger.

MAPLE SYRUP
Maple syrup boosts pumpkin's natural sweetness.

Green Bean Casserole - Excellent

CLASSIC GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Serves 10 to 12. Published November 1, 2006.

The components of the casserole can be prepared ahead of time. Store the bread-crumb topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator and combine with the onions just before cooking. Combine the beans and cooled sauce in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and heat the casserole in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, then add the topping and bake as directed. This recipe can be halved and baked in a 2-quart (or 8-inch-square) baking dish. If making a half batch, reduce the cooking time of the sauce in step 3 to about 6 minutes (1 3/4 cups) and the baking time in step 4 to 10 minutes.

Topping
4	slices white sandwich bread , each slice torn into quarters
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1/4	teaspoon table salt
1/8	teaspoon ground black pepper
3	cups canned fried onions (about 6 ounces)
Beans and Sauce
	Table salt
2	pounds green beans , ends trimmed, and halved
3	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	pound white button mushrooms , stems trimmed, wiped clean, and broken into 1/2-inch pieces (see illustrations below)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
	Ground black pepper
3	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2	cups heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE TOPPING: Pulse bread, butter, salt, and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.

2. 2. FOR THE BEANS AND SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Fill large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add 2 tablespoons salt and beans. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Spread beans on paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

3. 3. Add butter to now-empty Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. 4. Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in even layer in 3-quart (or 13 by 9-inch) baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

TECHNIQUE

Quicker Vegetable Prep For Green Bean Casserole

Breaking Mushrooms: 1. Using your thumb, pop the caps off their stems.

2. Squeeze both the stem and the cap between your thumb and forefinger to break each into pieces.

Trimming Green Beans: Line up about 8 beans in a row on a cutting board. Trim about 1/2 inch from each end, then cut the beans in half.

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wrap recipe-

this doesn't really taste like PF chang's but they are SOOO good!!!

2 cups chicken- cubed (2 chicken breasts) or more if you're a serious carnivore

1 cup craisens (chopped)

1 cup cashews (chopped)

2 bags broccoli slaw-found in refrigerated produce aisle

1 bottle general tsao sauce- in asian food aisle

lettuce for wrapping- romaine leaves or iceburg

chow mien noodles for topping

(makes enough for 6 people)

Cook chicken, toss in pan with remaining ingredients. Use as much sauce as you want to coat everything - we used a little over 1/2 a bottle.

banana bread

Banana Bread Recipe

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

2 cups mashed banana

3 cups flour

tsp baking powder

tsp baking soda

tsp cinnamon- heaping

tsp salt

2/3 cup water

nuts

bake @ 350 one hour