Muffins & Pancakes: Belgian Waffles

My kids are not big on breakfast foods. They kind of like them, but not really. The only breakfast food they'll eat each and every time is my Belgian Waffles. They love them. This method is streamlined to make whipping them up in the morning simple and easy. You can even make the batter the night before and put it in the fridge overnight.


We've used a Star Wars waffle maker for the waffles in the picture. My kids love Star Wars. This recipe can be used in any waffle maker. Simply pour as much batter into the waffle maker as your appliance can handle.


Ingredients


¼ cup melted butter
2½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
2½ cups milk
5 eggs


Preparation


Preheat your waffle maker. I like to use the darkest setting for a crispier waffle, but you can use any setting you like. Whisk together all ingredients until batter is fairly smooth. Don't over mix or your waffles will be tough.


Pour the batter into your heated waffle maker. My waffle maker calls for ½ cup of batter. Yours may need a different amount. Add whatever is needed to fill your waffle maker. Close the lid and leave for approximately 5 minutes. Maybe a little longer if you like your waffles darker.


Remove the waffle from the waffle maker with a fork. Serve immediately with butter, jam, or syrup.


This recipe makes approximately 6 cups of batter. For me, this makes about 12 waffles.

Yeast Breads: Challah Bread

This rich egg bread is a Jewish recipe that is soft and delicious. There is a traditional way to braid Challah Bread, but I'm not very good at it. I've used a simpler braiding method here, but if you know the traditional braid for Challah Bread, you should absolutely use it.


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup water
3 eggs
1 egg white
1 tbsp water
poppy seeds


Preparation


Because we're not using traditional yeast, it won't have to be dissolved. Place all ingredients except the egg white, the single tablespoon of water, and the poppy seeds in a large bowl. Mix with either your hands or the dough hooks on your electric mixer until the dough clings together in a ball.


Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth and elastic ball. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely. Let rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about an hour.


Prepare a large cookie sheet either by lining it with a nonstick liner or spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Punch down the dough to remove air bubbles. Divide the dough into 9 equal parts. Roll out each part into a single 12-inch rope. Take 3 of these ropes and braid them together, pinching the ends to seal. Repeat with the other ropes until you have 3 braids. Now braid all three braids together, creating one large braided loaf. Place this on the cookie sheet and cover loosely. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Combine egg white and the tablespoon of water, beating lightly. Use a pastry brush to brush this egg wash over the braided loaf. Sprinkle generously with poppy seeds. Bake loaf for 22 to 25 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.


Allow loaf to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Easy Side Dishes: Spanish Risotto

The yellows and greens of this tasty rice dish are vibrant and fun. This version is made with chicken, but you can make it with Italian sausage, pork, or even shrimp if you like. Tofu also works, or you can leave out the protein altogether. Just change the broth you use to match the protein you've chosen.


To keep your water and chicken broth warm while you're making the risotto, consider using a small saucepan set on simmer on the stove. Very low heat is best. You can put the chicken broth and water in the same saucepan if you like. They'll both be used at the same time anyway.


Ingredients


2 tbsp olive oil
2 small chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup Arborio rice, uncooked
1 tsp turmeric or saffron
2 cups chicken broth, warm
1 cup water, warm
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ cup green peas, frozen
2 tbsp butter


Preparation


Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for several minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through and well seared on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and place on paper towels to drain. Do not wipe pan or remove the pan from the heat.


Add garlic and onion to the pan. Sauté lightly for 2 or 3 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add rice to the pan and toss to coat in oil mixture. Add turmeric. Add ½ cup broth and ¼ cup water, increasing heat to medium-high. Allow the liquid to be absorbed by the rice, stirring almost constantly, before adding another ½ cup broth and ¼ cup water. Continue adding broth and water in these proportions until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is fluffy and soft.


While you're adding liquid, chop the cooked chicken. Stir in the chicken, pepper flakes, cilantro, and salt. Add green peas and stir gently. All of these ingredients should be added to the risotto before you've added the last of the liquid. The flavors will combine better.


Right before you remove the risotto from the heat, stir in butter. Serve immediately.


This recipe makes enough risotto for 4 when used as a side dish. If you're using it as an entire meal, this recipe only serves 2.

Yeast Breads: Braided French Bread

This bread may look complicated, but it's really not. If you can braid hair, you can braid a loaf of bread. Just remember to tuck the ends under for a neater look. And be prepared for children to run in and just rip hunks off the loaf before you have a chance to cut it. That's what happens to me...


Ingredients


1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 egg
1 tbsp cool water


Preparation


Because we're using a yeast that doesn't need to dissolve before you use it, you can throw everything in a large bowl except for the egg and the final tablespoon of water. You'll need those two ingredients for the egg wash. Everything else goes in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon (or mix using the bread attachment on your electric mixer) until you have a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth.


Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm location until doubled in size. This will take about an hour, so be patient. Once the dough has doubled, punch down until you've removed all the air from the dough. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll out each part into a long rope, about 14 inches long. If you want a longer, skinnier loaf, roll out the pieces into longer ropes. I like a loaf that is about 10 to 12 inches, so 14-inch ropes are about right.


Line up all three ropes beside each other and pinch them together at one end. Braid the three pieces together. Try to keep the loaf nice and even. When you're done braiding the ropes, pinch the end together so they stay braided. Turn the very ends, the parts you pinched, under the loaf.


Gently lift your braided loaf onto a prepared cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm location until it has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.


Heat oven to 375°F. Combine the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and beat gently. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire loaf in this egg wash. Don't miss any spots.


Bake for 22 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Crust will be fairly soft when the loaf cools. If you want a crispier crust, take 3 or 4 ice cubes and toss them into the bottom of the oven when you first put the loaf in the oven. Close the oven door and do not open again until the loaf is baked. The added moisture will crisp up the crust nicely. Don't worry about harming the oven. The ice cubes will sizzle when they hit the heat, but there won't be any damage of any kind.


This loaf is excellent with jam or as a base for French toast. Or you can just eat it as is. That's what my kids do.

Sandwiches & Burgers: Handmade Turkey Burgers

Premade burgers are great, but there's nothing quite like a burger you've made yourself, one you've truly made yourself. A patty that you've created, adding ingredients you love, will almost always taste better than something you bought quickly at the store. This burger takes a little more work than a premade, obviously, but the results are worth it.


When shaping your burgers, you might want to make some smaller sliders. They're great for kids and make a wonderful appetizer for a larger gathering. You can use toothpicks to hold them together if you're serving them as appetizers.


A note on the protein: You can, if you like, use something other than turkey. Try using ground chicken, beef, or even pork. They'll all be delicious. This recipe makes about 6 burgers.


Ingredients


1 pound (approximately) ground turkey
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 green onion, finely chopped (or 1 tsp onion powder, if desired)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
¼ anise seed
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
Vegetable oil
Barbeque sauce, if desired
6 Hamburger Buns
Burger toppings of your choice

Preparation


These burgers are not really as hard to make as you might think. Place turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic powder, oregano, anise seed, milk, and egg in a large bowl. Mix well, typically with your hands, until everything is well combined and uniform. If you don't want to get raw turkey on your hands, consider using Ziploc bags to protect your hands as you work. It will keep your hands much cleaner and they can just be thrown out when you're finished.


Divide the turkey mixture into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a single patty. Turkey won't shrink too much, but some meats will, so keep this in mind when deciding on how large they should be. If you're going to make sliders, you'll be making much smaller patties, so you'll have many more of them. Remember if you're making sliders, you'll want to make sure you've made slider-sized buns.


Once you've shaped your burgers, heat a little vegetable oil in a large skilled over medium heat. How long you cook your burgers will depend on how large they are. Very thick burgers may need as much as 20 minutes. A slider will only need about 10 minutes. Cook burgers for 5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for a further 5 minutes. After this, check for doneness. If they're not cooked, flip and cook for another 5 minutes. You do not want an undercooked burger, so a little more is always better than a little less.


If you want a barbequed burger, coat the burgers with barbeque sauce 2 minutes before you remove them from the skillet. Let the barbeque sauce caramelize a little to add flavor.


When the burgers are fully cooked, remove from heat and place on buns. Top with mustard, pickles, tomatoes, or any other toppings you like. Enjoy warm.

Easy Side Dishes: Minted New Potatoes

For a slightly Mediterranean flair, try potatoes made with mint leaves. Fresh mint is best for this recipe, but if you can't find fresh or you have dried mint in your pantry, it will work almost as well.


This recipe is designed for new potatoes, but you can make it with any potato. If you opt to use larger potatoes, just cube them and cook as directed. They'll taste just as good.


Ingredients


1½ pounds new potatoes
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped, or 1 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil


Preparation


Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut new potatoes into quarters. If using very small new potatoes, consider only cutting them in half. Place cut potatoes in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients to the bowl. Toss until potatoes are well coated in herbs and oil. If you think you need a little more herb, add a little extra mint or oregano.


Spread potatoes in a shallow pan. Try to keep them in a single layer so they bake evenly. Bake potatoes for 20 minutes, then stir them gently. Return potatoes to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Drop Cookies: Peanut Candy Clusters

Who doesn't love the delicious combination of peanuts and chocolate? People allergic to peanuts, I suppose. But for everyone else, this is one of the most delectable cookies on the planet. You'll need ingredients found in your pantry, plus peanuts and M&Ms. You can, of course, use other candy coated chocolate, but I like M&Ms.


A note on peanut butter: if you don't have smooth peanut butter, you can easily use crunchy. Just decrease the peanuts by a little, or omit them entirely. It's up to you.


Make an extra large batch of these if there are kids around. They will eat them up in moments.


Ingredients


1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ salted peanuts, whole
¾ M&Ms or other candy coated chocolate pieces


Preparation


Heat oven to 375°F. Cream together sugar, butter, and peanut butter. Add vanilla and egg and blend until smooth. Mix in flour and baking soda until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Gently fold in peanuts and M&Ms. Dough should be just slightly crumbly, but still a soft cookie dough.


Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Do not flatten, but do smooth out any bit of dough that stick out so they don't burn. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.