Recipe Review from 4/22/13

We started the week with 8-12" of snow - not kidding!  Barnes and Nobles shut at 8p which messed up bookgroup plans!  And ended with temperatures hitting 60*F (15*C).   Once the grill is free of it's winter blanket and we can evict the mice, grilling will feature in my recipe reviews.

This post actually wraps up April's new recipes. Overall a pretty good month recipe wise - lots of good dishes that I hope to have again.  


Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls (Ckng Lght 2007)       vegetarian
Sunday is traditionally Pancake Day in our household, but lately I've been craving something a bit different.  With temps still hovering around 20*F (-5*C), I thought this would be a good time to explore homemade cinnamon rolls.  After a quick bit of research, I found this recipe.

It actually comes together fairly quickly, and, as with most homemade breads, the wait is in the rise-time.  Where I deviated from the recipe was in the second rise, because who really wants to wait three hours for homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning?  I made the recipe as directed below, but when it came time for the second rise, I popped the whole pan, covered, into the fridge.  There it would slowly rise over night (about 15 hours).  I pulled the rolls out in the morning, let sit for about an hour to warm a bit, then baked. 

photo from Cookinglight.com

• 1 1/2 packages dry yeast (about 3 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3/4 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
• 1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 large egg 
• 1 large egg white 
• 11.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups), divided
• 7 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Cooking spray
• Filling:
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup raisins (bleh...)
• Glaze:
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons fat-free milk

1. To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm milk and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Add butter and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir well. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
2. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; roll into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Coat surface of dough with cooking spray.
3. To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle raisins over dough, pressing gently into dough. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal. Cut the dough into 16 rolls. Place the rolls, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size. 
4. NOTE - this is where I covered and put into the fridge.  I made these at 3pm in the afternoon, let sit overnight, brought to room temp (about 1 hour), and then proceeded.
5. Preheat oven to 375°.
6. Uncover rolls. Bake at 375° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
7. To prepare glaze, place powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Add 5 teaspoons milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring to form a thick glaze. Drizzle glaze evenly over rolls.  I skipped the glaze.

Jeff Gremillion, Cooking Light
JUNE 2007


Lentil Rogan Josh (Penzey's Spices, Spring 2013)
I love getting the Penzey's spice catalog - so many interesting things to peruse!  In the Spring 2013 edition this recipe caught my attention - lentils and rice!  Now I did have some modifications to the recipe (which should surprise no one who reads my reviews) - instead of minced dried onion and garlic, I used fresh.  I didn't have any Rogan Josh seasoning but a quick internet search led me to Clothes Make the Girl and a great make-it-yourself recipe.  I should have read the quantities a bit closer and had the husband half the amounts because it made a lot.  Oh well...it is a great mixture and I can see using it on fish, chicken, and pork once we start grilling. 

This does come together very quickly and is excellent over brown rice. 

• 1 Cup green or brown lentils

  

  photo from Penzeys.com

  
  
• 1 WHOLE BAY LEAF
  
• 4 Cups water
  
• 4 TB. PENZEYS MINCED WHITE ONION  1 cup diced yellow onion
  
• 1/2 tsp. PENZEYS MINCED GARLIC  1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 1 Cup warm water
  
• 1/2-1 TB. fresh ginger, finely minced (1 tsp. GINGER POWDER)
  
• 1-2 TB. vegetable oil
  
• 1-2 TB. ROGAN JOSH, to taste
  
• 1-2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, drained)
  
• 1 Cup frozen peas (optional)
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1-2 tsp. amchoor powder (dried mango powder, available in Indian grocery stores) or 1-2 TB. fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro or 1/4 tsp. dried CILANTRO (optional)
  

In a 2-quart pot, combine the lentils, BAY LEAF and water. Boil the lentils until tender. Regular lentils take about 30-40 minutes, but small ones like French green lentils can be soft in 10. If you are planning to serve the lentils with brown rice, start the rice around the same time. Soak the ONION and GARLIC in the warm water, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until rehydrated. Stir in the minced ginger or GINGER POWDER. When the lentils are soft, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, stir in the ROGAN JOSH and let cook until fragrant (15-20 seconds). Add the tomatoes and the rehydrated onion mixture. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils. Add the peas, if using, salt and amchoor powder or lemon juice. Add cilantro, if using. Stir and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove the BAY LEAF and serve with rice and some plain yogurt on the side.

Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-50 minutes total
Serves: 4-6



Soba Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables (Ckng Lght May 2013)   vegetarian
What attracted me to this dish was the simplicity of the Asian ingredients - with the exception of white miso and soba noodles, I have everything in my pantry.  I knew I wasn't going to find white miso, so I skipped it.  The dish is plenty flavorful and I certainly didn't miss it.  

This does come together very quickly, and I made a few cooking adjustments.  Soba noodles only take about 5 minutes to cook, so I tossed the asparagus in for the last two minutes to blanch, then drained, rinsed, and set aside.  The tofu took longer to cook than I anticipated, but once done, I tossed the mushrooms in the pan with the tofu for a quick saute, then drizzled with the "glaze".   Once nicely seasoned, I put the mushrooms with the noodles, tossed, and served with a piece of tofu.  It looked just like the picture!  Definitely serves four.  Recommended.
  

• 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

  

  photo from cookinglight.com

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 4 ounces uncooked organic soba noodles
• 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
• 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
• 1 pound [1/2 pound] asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1. Combine 1 tablespoon canola oil and next 7 ingredients (through sesame oil) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse. Combine noodles and 1/4 cup miso mixture in a bowl; toss to coat.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Cut tofu crosswise into 4 (1-inch-thick) slices. Add tofu to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1 tablespoon miso mixture to pan; toss to coat. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and asparagus to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add remaining 2 tablespoons miso mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions. Arrange 1/2 cup noodle mixture in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1/2 cup vege­table mixture and 1 tofu steak.