What's For DINNER Tonight?

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Ok, but remember you asked for it lol.

This is an excellent soft textured bun

2 Large eggs

1/4cup granulated sugar

1tsp salt

1/2 cup cooking oil (I use hard margarine here rather than oil)

1cup warm water

1cup warm milk (the water and milk should be comfortably warm -helps yeast grow - but not hot which will cook it)

1tsp sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1 x 1/4 oz (1 tbsp or 1 packet) dry yeast

8 1/4 (about) all purpose flour

I mix the yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water together to let the yeast dissolve and begin to grow (use a bowl a bit bigger than you think you need or you might find yeast all over your counter)

beat eggs in large bowl, add in 1/4 cup sugar and salt . Add into that the warm milk and water as well as the oil (or margarine if you are using that) I will warm the water/milk in the microwave with the margarine to melt the margarine (you could replace the oil with butter too if you wanted)

Mix well then stir in dissolved yeast.

Work in flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl then turn onto a floured surface and knead 8 - 10 minutes (or more or less -until you are satisfied) Until dough is smooth and elastic (not sticky) Place in a greased bowl turning once to grease the top. Cover with a tea towel and set in a cold oven with the light on and door closed for about 1.5 hours until doubled in size. Punch down, divide into egg sized pieces, shape into buns and place about 1.5" (4cm) apart on greased baking sheet (instead of grease I use parchment paper for easier clean up) Let stand in oven again for about 45 minutes until doubled in size. Bake at 375degrees F (190C) for about 20 minutes. For a soft crust wipe/brush tops with butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
Makes about 3 dozen buns

Egg Bread

1cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup sugar

2tsp salt

1cup warm water

2tsp sugar

2x 1/4oz (2 tbsp - 2 pkgs - or 2 x 8g) dry yeast

2 large eggs (beaten well)

6.25 cups all purpose flour

The method is pretty much identical to the first recipe, warm milk. melt butter etc.

When first doubling is complete divide dough into 2 portions. Cut each portion into 3 equal pieces and roll pieces into ropes about 20 inches(50 cm) long. Then braid 33 ropes together and pinch ends under. Makes 2 braids. Cover and let rise again until doubled (about 45 minutes) then bake at 375F (190C) for about 30 minutes. Butter tops and cool on racks.

You can judge if bread loaves are done by tipping them into your hand and tapping the bottom, if they sound slightly hollow they are cooked thro.

 

[Performancemini]

Reignmaker: I would love to have your egg bread and one of your batter bread recipes.

Tonight I have round steak out and forgot to put it in the crockpot. H will be here in about 10 minutes. You know how round steak can be kind of tough or chewy! I think I will try cutting it in strips and "sauce" it somehow. H isn't big on stir fries (and I can't have soy or teriyaki and such sauces)-so I will have to think of something? Maybe philly steak sandwiches sort of? I have mozzerella cheese. And fat hot dog buns. Let ya' know what I come up with. Oops-here he comes-gotta' go cook!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Thankyou it will go lovely with the lamb shank soup im going to make on the weekend. Nothing better than "Homemade Bread"

 

[Jill]

That sounds so good, Ryan! If I could only eat a few favourite foods the rest of my life, yeast bread would make the list. Back when bread machines were popular, I'd make it from "scratch", but the machine did all the work.

This is cheating more than using a bread machine and no one may think it's true (but it is)... The Walmart (yes, Walmart!) in-store bakeries in our area and probably others, too, has amazing dinner rolls. The oval and round ones that look braided on top are to die for. My sister clued me into them and I could eat them every day and still want more. They keep quite awhile, too.

I got a wok yesterday. I'd been using a regular skillet for stir fry. I think I'll make more again tonight but with different veggies and maybe those rolls vs pasta or rice.

 

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

I've been trying to eat less grains, so cauliflower is a new friend. I have made cauliflower "rice" before, but haven't tried it in a stir-fry. I'm sure it would be good though. Just grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater and saute.

 

[Performancemini]

I bought a box of white quinoa and still haven't tried it. I think I am going to start up my bread machine again. I love making it by hand too. I used to do it a lot. My Dad taught me. When he was alive he did it often. It was his one "cooking" skill. With my IBS I can't handle whole wheat and multi grain breads real well, but I want to try to eat better. The IBS symptoms have been flaring up some this past week. There is so much I can't have and veggies usually have to be cooked not raw. I can eat some. Balance! Going to have to start watching the meat selection (for me) too.

Last night I sliced the round steak in thin strips and kind of saute'd it in olive oil, shallots, garlic salt and pepper. We had pasta with butter, parmesan and parsley. Mix veg.

Tonight is ham steaks with yams (canned-oops) and a veg.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I was so slack last night - I ordered Chinese from the local takeaway. Currently suffering from a head cold so was a good excuse not to cook.

Tonight will be Indonesian chicken curry, I made some recently and froze the rest. I make it from scratch. I make the paste and freeze it in little containers. Its a wonderful base for Curries, stirfrys & its also great to cover a roast chicken in and cook. I also stuff the chicken in baby spinach and the paste before cooking. your house will smell lovely.

Ill head to the market tomorrow and get some fresh fruit and vegies. don't think the weather is going to be too impressive here this weekend , so maybe a cooking weekend

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Ryan, I hope your head cold clears up quickly. Hate that stuffed up feeling! It may be wet and cool (talk to me about cold when you have tried a northern winter lol) there but at least the fire risk is down , right? We often hear on our TV news how large stretches of Australia are ablaze, I find fires so scary. We had one here one year, only about 500yds from our house.

Last night I parboiled some small potatoes and then chopped them and pan fried them with onion, garlic and farmers sausage. We had Motts Garden Cocktail with it. Tonight I'm just making some egg salad sandwiches since we went out for lunch.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Thanks Reignmaker Miniatures Im sure I will be fine in a couple of days.

Yes the fire risk has subsided thank goodness. We get some terrible fires during summer. The weather can be ruthless at times during summer here. I most often only go into work in the mornings (not that I am complaining ) during the extreme fire danger weather as I like to be home to hose down the horses and be here in case of grass fires.

500 Yards is a little to close to home for my liking. I cant imagine how cold it must be for you all during the northern winters, Im glad that you are seeing some sunshine finally. We don't get snow where I am , Just a lot of Rain and winds.

Have a Gr8 Weekend

 

[Performancemini]

Made a strusel bundt cake yesterday. Tonight I made Italian meatballs on fat hot dog buns with pizza sauce and melted mozzerella over it all. And French fries and salads.

Tomorrow night is chicken, parmesan-parsley'd spaghetti and salads.

 

[chandab]

Well, I ate well tonight, no idea what hubby ate. I was gone at a function, had homemade Italian food: chicken alfredo, pasta marinara, garlic rolls, salad, raw veggie tray, and a tiny piece of both lemon merengue and chocolate cream pie.

 

[Jill]

Sweet & Sour chicken with steamed rice (I've finally mastered perfect steamed rice!), salads, maybe rolls (should resist / likely won't) and Blue Bunny no sugar added ice cream

.

 

[dixie_belle]

Blackened swai (sorta like Asian catfish), green beans, rice pilaf, and cheddar biscuits. I make up a batch of the special blackening coating and it is enough for two meals for the two of us. I'll use half of it and then put the other half in a Ziploc bag. Since it's nothing but spices, it keeps really well in the bag. OMG was it good.

 

[Performancemini]

Made pasta and sauce. Then H asked me to make up a white cake mix he had purchased. So I did-and chocolate buttercream icing. He ate two HUGE pieces. So, being of little will power-so did I. And today my IBS is flaring up. Gosh, will I not learn (and remember). I went through this and much much worse in the past. I really must control myself if I want to stay more comfortable. A small 2 x 2" piece would have been best-but OH NO! sigh.

 

[dixie_belle]

My husband does the same thing with cake so I make something I don't like. That way I'm not tempted. I've got a recipe for a killer carrot cake, which he loves, and which I am not even tempted to eat. (What, me eat a vegetable?? I think not!!) He says each piece is a serving of veggie so it's good for him. Yeah, right. LOL

 

[Jill]

I hope you're feeling better soon! I don't have much will power either. One big weakness for me is ice cream, which I can eat a HUGE amount of. I do like that no sugar added Blue Bunny ice cream as much as the regular (maybe even more) but it is only 1/3 less calories and I basically like to eat a bucket size amount of it at once

The sugar alcohols in it also can give you bad gas if you "over endulge", as if there's any other way to eat ice cream. But if you stick with it, as I have, you will build up a tolerance and not have that problem anymore. I just love it when hard work and commitment to the task at hand (eating more ice cream) pays off

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Jill, I am so like you, I could Live off ice cream. Could easily Polish off a litre without giving it a second thought.

I was sick most of the weekend with the flu & the weather was horrid Sat and Sunday, so I made the most of it and did some cooking.

Made Lamb shank soup Sat , which turned out really well & there was plenty left over that I have frozen for another meal.

Sunday we had Ravioli (brought the pasta already made), made a chunky vegie sauce to go with it, tossed in olive oil, added some fetta and sundried tomatoes at the last minute before serving.

Monday I was really adventures , thought what's something I have never attempted to cook.? Crispy pork belly. Slow cooked for six hours. I cooked it in orange juice, red wine vinegar, cinnamon, soy, honey. Was really nice. I was a little hesitant when making the sauce up as when combined it was a little strong on the nose, but once cooked there was only a hint of most of the flavours. served with some roast vegies.

Going to try and make some fresh bread this weekend.

 

[Performancemini]

Ryan, you sound like a real home chef! Your posts make my mouth water.

Trying to build up eating the "trigger" foods usually doesn't work with my IBS. There are things I just can't eat or eat much of ...

I will have to make Hubby take these desserts to work the next day so I don't overeat. And make sure I only have a small share the day of. And I plan to make more, LOL! Yesterday I bought a Nestles Toll House cookbook-look out! Every recipe has a full page color picture of the finished product-if that doesn't make you want to bake (or 'no bake' as in the case of some)!

Last night I had chicken soup and a half a PBJ sandwich. Gave H a can (he was home from a side job WAY late) of loaded baked potato soup-and I loaded it with some more bacon and cheese besides.

Tonight I am baking chicken and supposed to do a vegetable couscous. Peach cobbler (here we go again-only this doesn't bother me as much).

 

[Riverrose28]

Hi all, just got back from vacation, we went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I ate so many different types of fish couldn't even name them all. Their lobster is different then ours though, most of the meat is in the body, none in the tail, but served the same way, steamed with butter, yum. So many different white fish dishes, and the rice and beans was to die for. Lots of steamed veggies with all type of peppers, made my cooking at home seem drab. Tonight we are having box dinner,(spagetti out of a box topped with sauce from a jar.) Oh well, I'll eat it, been out picking peas for hours this morning in the heat, awful, so tomorrow something with freash peas as a side dish, maybe colliflower as I need to cut more of that, like to wash, cut and place on baking pan coated with olive oil, then sprinkle olive oil on top with melted butter and garlic, roast till brown, yummy! Really need to go grocery shopping as all I have in the freezer for meat is beef. Love beef but can't eat it every day unless I want to have a heart attack. HAHA. Can't wait for egg plant to grow or zuccini, patience.

 

[Performancemini]

Still having some IBS issues. Made chicken and rice bake last night. Not sure what I will make tonight. It will be for H mostly and something 'digestable' for me.