World's Best Broccoli

shared by Billi M.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Take 4 to 5 pounds of broccoli (I just got two large bunches), cut into florets but relatively big ones. Dry them THOROUGHLY. That is, if you wash them.
3. Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Put the broccoli on the foil. 
4. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. ( 5 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, but I just eyeballed it.) Add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too.
5. Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until “crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
6. When it’s done, take it out of the oven–and here’s where it gets really good–zest a lemon over the broccoli,( I just used lemon juice) squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1 ½  Tablespoons more olive oil, and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: I had to put this back in the oven to get it out of reach after I had taste tested it...and I don't typically like veggies!  Amazing!

Black Bean Soup

shared by Patty H. (This soup has a delightfully different taste and is hearty and filling. We really enjoyed it.)

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 T. butter to sauté onions in
6 garlic cloves, pressed (I used ½ tsp. minced garlic flakes)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro (I used ½ tsp. of dried cilantro)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Optional:  (I didn’t “garnish” mine)
thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish
grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and stir in the onions and cook until they start to turn translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic (or garlic flakes) and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes.
5. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes if desired.

Note:  The original recipe called for finely chopped cooked bacon which I didn’t use but I would imagine that it would be a tasty addition. However, we thought the soup was excellent as it was.

Golden Cheese Yeast Bread

shared by Patty H.  (I tried this recipe to go with the Black Bean Soup. It was great! It's hard to beat hot homemade bread right out of the oven.)

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tsp. dill (or to taste or leave it out if you don't like dill but I LOVE it.)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm milk
1 egg

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, cheese, sugar, yeast and salt.
2. Add milk and egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
3. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
4. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into two loaves.
5. Place in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.

Note:  It makes two loaves but I halved the recipe to make only one.  I put the entire egg in and then just added a little more flour so it wasn't so sticky.  It turned out fine.)

Cinnamon Roll Cake

shared by Dara P. and also shared by Debi J.

Cake:

3 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter, melted

Topping:
1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans, (optional) (always measure the nuts first then chop them)

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla.
2. Once combined well, slowly stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Make sure it is done.
5. Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. To let the glaze soak in even better, you can also poke holes in the warm cake before pouring glaze over it. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Sheet Cake

shared by Patty H. (I went to a meeting last night and this cake was the dessert. It was absolutely wonderful and of course, we all asked for the recipe which the hostess graciously shared. This would be a great dessert to make for a crowd and hope that not many came so you could cut it into really large squares! )
Ingredients:

Bring to boil:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup water

In separate bowl, mix together:

2 cups unsifted flour
2 cups sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1. Pour the hot butter/water mixture over the above mixture and stir. 
2. Bake in greased and floured jelly roll pan at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. 
3. Cool at least 20 minutes.  Then frost with the following:

Boil together:

1/4 c milk
1/2 c butter or margarine

Pour hot liquids over the following and beat:
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (loosely packed)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
optional: mix in 1 cup chopped pecans (the cake I tasted did not have them and it was still delicious)

Crispy and Creamy Donuts

shared by Dara P. (These cook really fast and the donut holes flip themselves over, very easy to do and you can make the dough in a bread machine!! I used peanut oil to fry them in.  They're so soft and delicious, just like the donut shop:)

Ingredients:

2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Icing:

1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2.  In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

Dara's Quick Stroganoff

shared by Dara P.  (needed something quick on a cold day and came up with this)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of uncooked elbow noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger with onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper.
2. Add the cream of mushroom soup, milk and elbow noodles.
3. Put in a greased 9 in square baking dish and cook 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven
4. Top with cheese and cook an additional 30 minutes or until noodles are cooked.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

shared by Patty H. (I had a previous recipe for hamburger buns that I thought couldn't be beat - that is until I came across this one. I made it and they were wonderful. In fact, John ate a couple as if they were dinner rolls.  And best of all, as you will notice, you just plop everything in together!)

Makes 8 but could do 10 if smaller

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active-dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 oz.) warm water
1/2 cup (4 oz.) milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (15 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead at low speed, or by hand for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked.
3. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
4. Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and flatten gently with your hand to form a 3” disc.  Let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
6. Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes.
7. Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Finished buns

Additional Notes:

• For Whole Wheat Buns - Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the buns will be a bit more dense.
• Doubling the Recipe - Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast.
• Freeze Buns for Later - Wrap the buns in aluminum foil and then store in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in their packaging overnight on the counter. Foil-wrapped buns can also be thawed more quickly or re-warmed in a 300°F oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Bean Soup 2

shared by Patty H. (I was hungry for a ham and bean type soup and I found the last of the leftover Thanksgiving ham in the freezer so when I found this recipe, it hit the spot. This is Bean Soup 2 because the other bean soup recipe I have involves having to soak and cook the beans. For this one, just open the cans! This was very, very tasty.)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped medium
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 T. dried parsley
3 - 15 oz. cans navy beans, drained & rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups diced ham
2 T. olive oil
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
pinch of sage

Directions:

1. In a large soup kettle, over medium-high heat, saute onion, carrots and celery in hot olive oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chicken broth, navy beans, bay leaves, sage and diced ham; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove bay leaves and serve.