Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

These are really yummy rolls and you get the added bonus of healthy sweet potato inside.  They are really soft and just the right amount of moist.  I got this recipe from http://janessweets.blogspot.com/2012/10/sweet-potato-pull-apart-dinner-rolls.html and then I took out about 90% of the steps since they were entirely unnecessary and time consuming...

Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

Yield: 15 rolls (One 9"x13" pan)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons milk, no colder than room temperature

1/4 canola oil

1 cup of baked sweet potato (no skin), pureed, and cooled to room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

all purpose or bread flour, approximately four cups (have more on hand, just in case)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (or use 1 tablespoon active dry yeast)

In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the salt, brown sugar, and yeast.

Add to mixing bowl water, milk, oil, and sweet potato.  Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, and continue beating for about 3 minutes. On lowest speed, slowly add in 1 and 1/2 cups more of the flour.  Add more flour as needed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is not sticky to the touch.  Allow mixer to knead dough for several minutes.

Spray a 9" by 13" pan with cooking spray.

On cutting board, roll dough into rectangle and use a pizza cutter to slice it into fifteen-sixteen pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and place in pan.  Cover with clean towel and let rise until doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes.  If the rolls appear to be browning too quickly, cover the pan loosely with foil.

Rub a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls right after they come out of the oven (not the whole stick, but, ya know…).

Greek Salad Dressing & Marinade

We really liked this salad dressing.  I served it on a "Greek" salad with Greek Grilled Chicken (it wasn't that flavorful so I won't post the recipe), olives, tomatoes and Feta.  Delish.



Greek Salad Dressing & Marinade
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (this will not make the dressing spicy, just flavorful)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 c. canola oil (or other salad oil)
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. dry oregano
In the jar of a blender, combine all the ingredients through the garlic. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and add the feta and pulse the blender a few times. Whisk in the herbs. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Use as a marinade for chicken, lamb, or flank steak or drizzle over a Greek salad.

Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

I've developed a really bad habit while doing homework... I have to be snacking on something.  In the afternoons I stared reaching for the kids' candy from Halloween because it was quick and I usually want something sweet after a meal.  Seriously, not a good habit.  I've been on the hunt for some healthy (or at least, healthIER) recipes and I like this one a lot.

Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

Ingredients

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons melted dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups whole almonds
Handful of coconut shavings (thick and unsweetened, not the super thin from the baking isle)

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Start melting dark chocolate pieces in a pan on low heat; it won't take long to melt.  Drop spoonfuls of chocolate on paper then top with about 3-4 almonds.  Drizzle with a bit more chocolate and top with coconut.  Cool down and refrigerate before serving.  Store in refrigerator.

Skillet Maple Pear Pie

I was hesitant to try a pie with pears because I was worried that the texture would be grainy. (You know how canned pears can be sometimes? Bleh!) I'm so glad I tried this though! It is sooo good! It's very sweet too so a little can go a long way. It's rustic and easy, cooked in an oven-proof skillet.

Skillet Maple Pear Pie

3 T.butter
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large ripe pears, cut into quarters lengthwise and cored
Pie dough for a 9-inch pie, chilled

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter, maple syrup, sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Working with 1 quarter at a time, slice each pear quarter into 3 or 4 sections, leaving one end in tact. Fan out the sections and place in pan, skin side up. (Don't worry if they break apart.) Fill in any gaps with individual sections of pears to corm a compact layer.

Roll pie dough on lightly floured surface until slightly larger than your pan. Drape over fruit, tucking edges down along the inside of the pan. cut 3 or 4 steam vents in the crust.

Bake 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 and continue baking 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a spoon.

Serves 8


Recipe from Ken Haedrich on relish.com

Hot Cocoa Mix

I was wanting to make a cocoa mix without using nondairy creamer and I was pleased to find a recipe in The Friend this month! It's really good when you make it with milk. I found 1/4 c. of mix to be plenty (1/3 c. was too much). We added the mini chocolate chips too, so maybe that makes it richer than if you don't add them.

Hot Cocoa Mix
slightly adapted from The Friend

2 1/2 cups instant dry milk powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or 1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips or marshmallows last. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To make hot cocoa, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix to 1 cup of hot water or milk. Mix well with a whisk or fork.

Lentil, Sausage and Pasta Stew

This soup is deeelish!  I've been pretty into soups lately - they're usually cheap, quick and yummy.  This was one that Jeremy really liked too.  And it's hearty enough that you don't need a bread to go with it.  This is slightly altered from Simple and Delicious.

Lentil, Sausage and Pasta Stew

• 1/2 pound Polish Kielbasa Sausage or Polish sausage, chopped or sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cubed peeled potatoes (or unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes)
• 1 cup sliced fresh carrots
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 5 cups beef broth
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked ditalini or other small pasta
• Shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the

potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook and stir for 3 minutes

over medium heat. Transfer to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the

broth, lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, pepper and salt.

Cover and cook on low for 7-10 hours or until lentils are tender.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir pasta into

slow cooker. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle servings with cheese.