Whole Grain Cinnamon Rolls

Originally posted on: http://goodcheapeats.com/2009/10/whole-grain-cinnamon-rolls/

Preparation Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
12 rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup All-Bran cereal or quick rolled oats
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 teaspoon yeast
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1. Combine dough ingredients in the bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Use 4 cups of flour to start. Add more flour in case the dough is too wet. Program for Dough and allow the machine to do its magic.
2. If you don’t have a bread machine, you can still make this recipe. Warm the milk slightly and melt the 4 1/2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. As long as the temperature is not above 115 degrees, add the granulated sugar, vanilla, and yeast. Let that rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, then add the flours and salt. Stir until you have a sticky dough but all the flour is incorporated. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic. Set into a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
3. When the dough is ready, roll out on a lightly floured surface until you have a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. Spread the 3 1/2 tablespoons softened butter over surface. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting from the long edge and pinching the seam to seal.
4. Slice into 12 equal portions and arrange evenly in a greased, 9 x 13-inch pan. You can use unflavored dental floss to neatly cut the rolls.
5. Allow the rolls to rise another 30 minutes before baking. Or you can cover the with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or wrap well with foil and freeze. Check this post for more tips on freezing cinnamon rolls. In the morning, remove from refrigerator and allow to rest 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake rolls until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
7. Combine the powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk in a small mixing bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. Glaze baked rolls with icing.

Leek, Fennel, and Goat Cheese Frittata

This came from: http://nosh-nosh.blogspot.com/search/label/eggs

This is just a copy of the original post from the link above.

Note: Jeanne writes, "Here's a frittata that's fit for a special occasion. The creamy pockets of goat cheese along with this triumphant blending of flavors make this egg dish ideal for a no-fuss, yet memorable meal."

Ingredients:
2 T unsalted butter
3 c thinly sliced fennel (about 1 large bulb)
2 leeks, halved lengthwise, washed thoroughly, and thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 large eggs (used half the yolks)
1/2 t salt
generous seasoning freshly ground black pepper
4 oz soft mild goat cheese, crumbled

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet, and roll it around so the butter coats the sides. Add the fennel and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the leek and tomato and cook, stirring often, until the leek is soft, about 10 minutes. At first the vegetables will crowd the pan, but they will shrink once cooked. You can prepare the vegetables in advance to this point, then reheat before beginning the next step.

Meanwhile beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the salt, pepper, and crumbled goat cheese and stir very gently to keep the goat cheese in separate pieces rather than completely blended into the egg mixture.

**Note: Here the recipe splits. There is the traditional way of cooking frittatas, over low or medium-low heat, using a non-stick skillet greased with butter or oil, and then finishing with the broiler. However, Jeanne also described an alternative method of baking the frittata, which sounded much more appealing to me. So here's how to bake a frittata:

Frittatas can be successfully baked rather than cooked on the stove top. This method can be a lifesaver if you are preparing a brunch, for example, where a number of dishes will be cooked on the burners. To bake this frittata, butter a 9-inch pie dish and pour in the egg mixture. Bake it in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it is no longer runny on top. (The temperature of the added vegetable mixture affects the cooking time. If the vegetables are quite warm rather than at room temperature, the frittata won't take as long to cook.) Keep an eye on it to prevent overcooking. You don't need to broil the top of the frittata when you use the baking method.

Cut the frittata into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 4. Note: You can reheat the frittata with 1-2 minutes in the microwave, letting it rest every 30 seconds.


Recipe modified from Jeanne Lemlin (2000), Simple Vegetarian Pleasures.

Potato Latkes (Potato pancakes)

1 lb potatoes (about 4 small ones... but not tiny ones)
2 T. minced onion

1 egg
3/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
pinch of nutmeg

1. Grate the potatoes and immediately immerse them in a bowl of cold water (otherwise they'll turn brown). Rinse the potatoes a few times to get all the oxidized juice out of them (aka brown liquid), and combine immediately with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat a skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom just until it bubbles when a drop of water hits it. You don't want the oil to be splattering everywhere, so don't get it much hotter than this point.
3. Shape pancakes in your hand. Place them in the pan and press them down to 1/4 inch thickness. Cook until the top starts to look a little dry, then flip. This will take a while (3-5 min for the first side) if you want it to cook the potato throughout.

This is a good quick meal. I eat them with ketchup and a side of applesauce. Enjoy!

Raisin French Toast with Rum Banana Sauce

From: Inn on the Ocean, Ocean City, Maryland

French toast:

Raisin cinnamon swirl bread

4 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. cinnamon

butter to grease a skillet

1. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a pie plate.
2. Dip bread in the mixture on both sides.
3. Transfer to a skillet grease with melted butter over medium heat.
4. Cook until bread is golden brown on both sides.

Rum Banana Sauce:

2 T. rum

2 T. orange juice

2 T. sugar

2 T. butter

2 sliced bananas

1. Simmer rum, orange juice, sugar, and butter together for about 5 min.
2. Arrange bananas on top of french toast.
3. Pour sauce over toast, and add another small splash of rum on top.