Lemon Cranberry Bread

A favorite Christmastime bread recipe, it is soft, sweet, and delicious.
This recipe makes two regular-size loaves or four mini-loaves.

Lemon Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice
4 eggs
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 cups dried cranberries

Glaze:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, and lemon juice.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and milk.
4. Add cranberries.
5. Pour into greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes, then with a toothpick, poke holes in each loaf.
7. For glaze, combine sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved.  Spoon glaze over loaves.
8. Cool completely before serving.

Roasted Vegetables

A favorite veggie side dish!

1. Gather together some of your favorite fresh vegetables.  My go-to favorites are red or russet potatoes, carrots, sliced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and broccoli.
2.   Wash, then chop vegetables into bite-size pieces, and place in baking dish.
3.  Drizzle 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil over veggies (depends on amount of vegetables).
4.  Toss with oil to coat.
5.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6.  Place baking dish in a 400 degree oven for about one hour, stirring once, halfway through cooking.

Note: Some veggies, such as broccoli and mushrooms, don't take long to cook, so I add those when I stir the veggies, halfway through cooking.

Halibut Enchiladas

One of my favorite family birthday traditions is making that special birthday person's favorite home-cooked dinner, and this recipe for Halibut Enchiladas always seemed to be the most requested birthday dinner.
 Serve with guacamole, and enjoy.

Halibut Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. halibut
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chiles, drained
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (10 oz.) green enchilada sauce
8-10 flour tortillas

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, cook halibut in oil.  Drain.
2. Add onions and garlic, and cook additional minute, until softened.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, green chiles, and cheese.  Cook until cheese is melted.
4. Before filling tortillas, spray dish with cooking spray and spread a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish, to prevent sticking.
5. Spoon halibut filling down center of each tortilla.  Roll up, and place seam down in baking dish.
6. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas to cover.
7. Cover dish with foil.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Note:  My family prefers local halibut in this enchilada recipe; but the same amount of ground beef or chicken can be substituted for the halibut.  I would also use red enchilada sauce instead too.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Don't forget to save your pumpkin seeds after you carve your jack-o-lantern!  They're delicious toasted, and make a great little snack.
Happy Halloween!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

~ After carving your pumpkin, lay the seeds in a skillet to dry. Don't worry about washing the pumpkin off the seeds, leave it on to dry for more pumpkin flavor.

~ Let seeds dry for several hours, or overnight.

~ Place 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet with dried seeds, and toast over medium heat until nicely browned, stirring frequently.  This does not take long, about 5 - 10 minutes.

~ Season to taste with sea salt.  And if you like your pumpkin seeds spicy hot, add a little cayenne pepper.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This is another dairy and egg-free recipe. The chocolate chips add a little extra sweetness to this dense, and packed with fall flavor pumpkin bread.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Serves 9

Ingredients:

1 1/2 flax eggs (1 1/2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal mixed with 4 Tbsp. water)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or substitute 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, prepare the flax eggs by mixing water and flaxseed meal, letting it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Add pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, and stir.
4. Then add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, stir again.
5. Add coconut milk, stir again.
6. Add whole wheat pastry flour and oat bran, stir until just combined.
7. Stir in chocolate chips.
8. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake until a knife or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean - about 50-60 minutes.
9. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to plate or wire rack to cool before slicing.

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Pumpkin Crumble Cake is a delicious fall dessert recipe; and a great alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumble Cake
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, softened

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8"x8" pan.
2. Reserve 1 cup of cake mix.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry cake mix with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup melted butter.  Mix well, then pat into prepared pan to form crust.
4. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
5. Pour over crust.
6. Combine reserved 1 cup cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar, and 4 Tbsp. softened butter.
7. Crumble over pumpkin filling.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until firm.

Note:  The topping mixture at Step 6 will not seem very crumbly after mixing it together, but it will transform into a soft, but crumbly topping after it's cooked.

Sourdough Bread

  If you started your sourdough, and have it bubbling and brewing on your kitchen countertop, then you're ready to make sourdough bread.
This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour website, and makes perfect sourdough bread every time.

Sourdough Bread
Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup fed sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.
2. Allow the dough to rise in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
3. Gently divide the dough in half, it will deflate somewhat.
4. Shape dough into two oval loaves.  Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour.  Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.
6. Make two fairly deep diagonal slashes in each loaf with a serrated knife.
7. Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown.  Remove from oven, and cool on a rack.

***

Kitchen Note: This is not an essential tool for making bread, but I mix and knead my sourdough bread in my KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer - it makes breadmaking a little easier and quicker.  But use the ceramic attachment, instead of metal, for sourdough recipes.
 The plastic cover on the mixing bowl is also handy to have for covering yeast-rising dough - and for keeping a recipe covered in the fridge for later use, or for covering and storing mixer attachments.