No knead whole wheat rolls

I also tried this roll recipe from the same taste of home Healthy cooking magazine.  They were also well liked by the family.  (Although DH only gives them a 3.) They were a wheat white dough with some Italian seasoning mixed in.  I thought it was interesting tehat they were sweetened by both honey and molasses.  The best thing about these rolls was that they were really quick for rolls.  Only 30 minutes on the first rise and 10-12 on the second rise.  (I accidentally left mine a little longer on the second rise and they ended up pretty large, but still good.)  This recipe had you save some dough and then add it on top.  No idea what the purpose of that was.  In their picture it made for a strange shaped roll.  I can't imagine wanting to do that with a dough as sticky as this was, and I didn't like the shape of those rolls that way.  Here is what I did.

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast (I used 1 Tablespoon -or just shy of it.)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon sale
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
2. Grease a muffin tin.  Stir dough down.  Divide amoung the 12 cups in the muffin tin.  Cover and let rise until double.  (10 minutes)
3. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. (took closer to 15 for me.)   Cool for 1 minute before moving to a wire rack.

Crunchy Onion barbecue chicken

This recipe if from taste of home's Healthy cooking magazine. I changed proportions a bit, but what else is new. It is so super simple, and quick. The other great thing about meal was that everyone loved it from the baby on up. Even Benjamin who gripes about dinner regularly ate his chicken. I was surprised Tavio liked it with the fried onions, but he did.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I didn't measure this, I just squirted some on a plate and then added some more.)
• 2 cups french-fried onions (that's the whole can)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved.

Directions

1. Starting with a note here - I actually pounded my chicken breasts a bit because #1 they were still a bit frozen, and #2 they were pretty thick in the middle and I wanted more even thickness so they would cook more evenly.
2. Place BBQ sauce on one plate. Place onions, parmesan and pepper on another plate. Dip both sides of chicken breast in bbq sauce. Then dip one side in the onion mix. Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400 for 22-27 minutes.

Barbecue salmon with bacon

This salmon recipe came from the Saving Dinner recipe book.  It was super simple.  I thought it was so pretty that I took a picture before it went into the oven.  I won't post the exact recipe, but it was so simple I'll just write what I did.  I did veer only slightly from the original using honey barbecue sauce rather than making my own by mixing honey and bbq sauce.  Honestly, I didn't bother measuring.    Here is how it is made:                                                                                 Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and garlic powder on salmon fillets.  Top with 1/2 a slice of turkey bacon, some sliced onion, a slice of lemon, and some honey barbecue sauce.   Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Yum!  Some of the best salmon I've eaten.

I served this with an interesting roll which I will post next. 

vegetable pitas

I'm surprised that I didn't post this one when I made it because it was something I made up.  The idea came from a sparkpeople or firm meal that I had listed for a veggie pita, but with other veggies, and not sauteed.  I kind of did my own thing.  Served it with pasta sauce and it was delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium zuchinni sliced into 1/3-1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 sweet pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 tablespoons onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pita
• 1/3 cup pasta sauce

Directions
Saute onions in butter, add the rest of the veggies and sautee for until zuchinni is crisp tender.  (I think I actually added the zuchinni and garlic to the onions and sauteed for a while then added the peppers because I like my peppers more raw and crunchy.)  Put in pita and serve with pasta sauce.

French toast bowl

This is another recipe from my Hungry girl book.  Pretty sure I followed the directions most of the way.  This was similar to the chocolate bread pudding I posted earlier, but this used cream cheese, non-dairy creamer, cinnamon, etc.  I didn't like this as well.  I think I'd like to try one of these using milk or evaporated skim milk rather than the creamer.  It only added a little flavor and not much else.  My thought it why not add protein and calcium?  I don't think the cream cheese added much or anything either.  Anyway, I'm not posting the recipe becasue I actually followed it straight from the book, and I probably wouldn't make it like that again, but it did give me ideas to try something other than the chocolate one. 

I'd love to try

1/2 cup milk with vanilla rather than water, non-dairy creamer and cream cheese.  Basically, I think I'd make it more like a french toast recipe.   

Italian-style bacon alfredo bowl

This original recipe comes from Hungry Girl's new book.  I changed it up because I didn't want mushrooms, I didn't have enough jarred roasted red peppers, and I didn't want as much parmesan as it called for.  Next time I would also some sauteed onion to the bowl, and possibly some garlic.  Oh yea, we also didn't have tofu noodles, and I used real bacon rather than precooked crumbled.   DH made the same thing, but he added mushrooms and sauteed his yellow pepper.   Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

• 1/3-1/2 cup cooked noodles (we used bow tie)
• 1 Tablespoon fat free sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon grated Parmesan (DH used 2 teaspoons)
• 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light original swiss cheese
• 3 oz. precooked chicken
• 1 Tablespoon jarred roasted red peppers (I wouldn't need this next time, but we had it this time)
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper (yellow, orange or red)
• (For next time definitely add 2 Tablespoons chopped onion and 1 clove garlic, minced)
• salt and pepper to taste - I didn't think it needed much salt because of the bacon, I did like it with a few grinds of pepper.  DH liked it with more of both salt and pepper
• 1/2 slice bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled.

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients except bacon in a bowl.  When noodles finish cooking, drain, and add them to the bowl while still warm.  Stir to combine.  (Warm noodles should help melt the swiss cheese enough to make a nice sauce.  
3. Sprinkle with bacon. 

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

This is my first real experiment changing up a cookie recipe.  I must be getting really brave.  The original is from the Nestle cookie book that I love.  I was going for a lighter recipe, but not so light that I lost the texture of the cookie.  I swapped some peanut butter for regular butter, used egg substitute, and used less mini chips rather than lots of regular sized chips.  I also added some cocoa powder to make up for the missing chips.  They turned out great -- to good really, I've eaten way too many.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (It may have been a Tablespoon. I remember 1 Tablespoon, but wrote 1 teaspoon in the recipe book. Not enough to make them brown, or take over the cinnamon flavor.)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugars in another bowl. Beat in egg substitute and vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by Tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Press down slightly to flatten.
3.  Bake at 375 for 9 minutes.  Let stand for 4 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to cooling racks.

I made 32 cookies.