Vegetable/Brown Rice Bread

I have been juicing for a year now, and there is always a lot of vegetable pulp left behind after juicing. All of the pulp have fibers and some nutrition. I have created many recipes with this pulp, and this recipe is one of my favorite choices for bread.

Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable pulp
1 cup warm skim milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs coconut oil
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 cups Korean wheat flour
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
All ingredients must be at room temperature. Add ingredients in the order listed above into a bread machines pan. Select dough setting and press start. At the end of the first kneading cycle, let the dough rise until double in size. Remove dough from the bread machine pan and place onto a lightly floured surface. Let dough rest 5 minutes before hand-shaping.
Lightly dust a 13” x 9” baking pan with flour. Cut dough into 6 equal pieces.

Using both hands, stretch ball of dough out and down. Gather the ends to the bottom center of each piece and pinch together to form a plump, round ball. Repeat this process until all the dough forms into smooth, tight round small loaves.

 

Place the loaves on the prepared baking pan. With a very sharp paring knife or single-edge razor blade, cut the top of each small loaf with an X (approximately 1/4 inch deep). Cover loaves with a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Preheat oven to 425°. When dough has doubled in size, sprinkle generously with flour and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown in color.

Remove from oven and cool on the wire rack.

Apple/Pear Cake

I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. I cut the recipe portions in half, reduced the butter, and he used the cake mix which I always have on hand. It turned out so moist and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded peeled tart apples
1 cup shredded peeled pears
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups cake mix
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice

Store-bought cream cheese frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8” x 8” cake pan

Combine cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a bowl and set aside

In a mixer bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and melted coconut-butter until light and fluffy.

Gradually stir in flour mixture.

Fold in the shredded apple-pear, raisins, and chopped nuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Turkey Fried Rice

Here is another recipe using the roasted turkey left over from the Christmas or Thanksgiving holidays.

Ingredients;
4 cups day old cooked brown rice
2 cups roasted turkey, diced
1 cup imitation crab meat, diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Chinese sausages, diced (optional)
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
Sauce:
3 tbs ketchup
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs oyster sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbs vegetable oil

Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro

Directions:
Blanch the corn, carrots, and peas in hot boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain.
In a wok, heat 2 tbs oil.  Sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant.  Add turkey and eggs and stir-fry until solidified.  Remove.  Add 1 tbs oil to wok.  Stir-fry Chinese sausages (about 2 minutes).  Add brown rice and return stir-fried turkey-eggs, and blanched vegetables back into the wok.  Add sauce ingredients and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro. Serve.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

My friend asked me to make some cookies for her with which she could participate during a Christmas cookie exchange at her work. She also mentioned to me about the Mexican wedding cookies. These are basically sugar cookies with finely chopped nuts in the dough that makes them a little different from the usual sugar cookies. The confectioner's sugar that is added after the cookies cool off definitely contributes to the special way of finishing these cookies. No wonder these cookies are always served at a wedding or some special occasion. Enjoy these simple Mexican wedding cookies.

Ingredients:
2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered confectioner’s sugar, divided
1 cup almonds or walnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Cream the butter with half of the powdered sugar and all the vanilla extract in a large bowl. Sift the flour and salt together into the bowl and fold into the butter mixture. Stir in the nuts. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for an hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 375°. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on a large baking sheet.

 Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until set but not browned and rotating the baking sheet so that the cookies bake evenly. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Place the remaining half of the powdered sugar on a shallow dish.

 Roll the warm cookies in the sugar, and then let cool on wire racks for 30 minutes. When cool, roll again in the sugar. Store in airtight containers.

Turkey Fricassee

I created this recipe by modifying a chicken fricassee recipe. After Thanksgiving or Christmas, the turkey left over from those days is a good way to make this recipe. Since the turkey is already roasted with all the herbs, it is more flavorful and cuts the cooking time in half.

Ingredients:
1/2 roasted turkey breast with bone

2 quarts of water
1 cup white wine
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup capers
1/3 cup olives, sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
5 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbs butter
2 tbs oil

Directions:
In a soup stock pot, place the turkey and water and bring to a simmer. Let turkey cook for one hour. Remove the turkey. Let it cool and then shred it. Drain the broth (yields about 4 cups)
In a deep sauté pan, add oil. Stir in garlic and onions and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms, capers, olives, and yellow pepper. Stir and cook until the vegetables are wilted. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the sauté pan.
In the same pan, add butter. When the butter starts foaming, add flour to make a roux. Add the white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add  2 cups broth and bring to boil. Return the shredded turkey and the cooked vegetables to the simmering broth. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add the green onions and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Ladle turkey onto the serving dish and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Roasted Turkey Breast

Whether it is for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or an everyday meal, turkey is the healthiest choice of meat. The secret to making a moist, flavorful turkey is to brine the meat and season it very well before baking. The combination of herbs and butter do play an important part in flavoring the turkey, as well. I like to make a simple turkey dinner by placing the vegetables underneath the turkey sitting on top of them while baking. This will also contribute to the moisture of the meat. When the whole thing is done, serve the roasted vegetables alongside with the turkey as a one pot meal go to underline

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey breast with bone
Assorted vegetables, and fruit such as:
Carrots, celery, turnips, onions, oranges, potatoes, and lemons
Herbs: rosemary, garlic, sage, and parsley
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
Seasonings: garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper

Directions:
Brine the turkey breast overnight. Remove, wash, and pat dry (the brine solution posted on Nov, 24, 2011)
Rough chop all the vegetables and herbs and place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oil. Pour 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup white wine over the vegetables.

 

Slice lemons and place under the turkey skin. Place soft butter under and on top of the turkey. Sprinkle turkey with seasonings and place turkey on top of the vegetables.

Cover with tight foil.

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake turkey for 1 hour. Remove the foil and let turkey bake for another 30 minutes or until the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast registers at
160 degrees.

 The juice from the baking process makes very good gravy to serve alongside with the turkey.

 

Cinnamon Carrot Coffee Cake

I love carrots, and a little spin from the classic carrot cake will transfer this cake into a breakfast coffee cake favorite. Feel free to decorate with cream cheese frosting or powder icing, but it good as is.

Ingredients:
2 cups cake mix
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup butter melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
Cinnamon streusel topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

 

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs walnuts, chopped
3 tbs butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
Combine the streusel topping ingredients in a bowl. Use fork to mix the butter until well combined.

Combine cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice in a bowl

Butter a 9” x 9” cake pan and set aside
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a stand mixer bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil until smooth.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture and sour cream. Beat on slow speed until well mixed.

Stir in carrots and mix until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Top with the streusel. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.