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Mar 16, 2017

My Spicy Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

Easy Mexican Food RecipeI love this simple vegetarian casserole. It’s a healthier  way to enjoy Mexican food because it uses fresh tomatoes, whole wheat tortillas. I use my own homemade tortillas, the whole wheat version, and they turn nice and soft in this dish. I wanted to try it with store-bought tortillas but could not bring myself to buy them after reading the ingredients. If you make the tortillas ahead of time this meal can be made in about 45 minutes.

If you like things super spicy, you can switch from jalapeño pepper to a spicier one like serrano or the super hot habanero. For me, the jalapeño version is perfect – not too spicy at all. And I always say it: don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It will never melt like fresh cheese because they add some type of stabilizer to the pre-shredded kind. It takes less than a minute to shred six ounces of cheese. I always serve this dish with a little sour cream on the side. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Main Dishes, Vegetarian
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Mar 15, 2017

Gluten Free No Knead Bread – Does it Work?

No Knead Gluten Free BreadDoes gluten-free no knead bread work? In my opinion… no. I’ve been asked so many times about it I decided to try it. I bought some gluten-free flour and followed my recipe for Faster No Knead Bread. The dough was stickier than my regular recipe and I did not think it would bake up well at all. But to my surprise, it did bake into a round “boule.” So it looked pretty good but how did it taste?

The loaf was smaller and heavier than my original, and when I sliced into it, the inside was dense and chewy, without the traditional big holes and it didn’t taste anything like the original recipe. The texture and taste were disappointing to me and nobody else wanted to eat it either. So I hope my little experiment helps answer this common question: Can you make gluten free Dutch oven bread? I say you can make it but you won’t like it. There are plenty of gluten-free bread recipes out there but I do not recommend this one. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins
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Mar 8, 2017

Bran Muffins for Breakfast

Homemade Bran Muffins

I made bran muffins today and was going to have one for breakfast. I had two. I’ve never been able to eat just one even thought they have a lot of fiber. There’s something so tasty about the combination of molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla, especially with a glass of cold milk. There are a lot of reasons to eat fiber. It can reduce blood pressure and inflammation, as well as the risk of type 2 diabetes. Fiber protects your heart, prevents constipation, and it keeps you feeling full so it helps with weight loss too.

But the best reason to eat these muffins is they are really delicious and easy to make. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins, What I Cooked Today
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Mar 3, 2017

Make Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread FASTER!

Easy Whole Wheat Bread No KneadIt pays to experiment. Today I decided to try making whole wheat no knead bread faster to avoid the overnight wait. I increased the amount of yeast and it worked! Most no knead breads use 1/4 teaspoon of yeast so I tried 1 teaspoon and let the dough rest for just three hours instead of overnight. I was so happy with the result. It’s a nice hearty loaf with a soft interior. This is not 100% whole wheat because that is a heavier, dense loaf. This is 2/3 whole wheat to 1/3 bread flour but it’s still a good source of fiber.

So now I have NINE different variations of no knead bread from Fruit & Nut Bread to Multi-Grain to No Dutch Oven at all. And I’m working on number ten! Keep in mind that any whole wheat bread will never be as soft and crispy as the white version but this is still a delicious, hearty, healthier whole wheat bread and it takes almost no work at all. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins
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Mar 1, 2017

Potato Pancakes and Eggs

Potato Pancakes and EggsMy mother used to slice up leftover potato pancakes and scramble them with eggs for breakfast. It’s still one of my favorite things to eat so I made it today. I had made the potato pancakes (placki in Polish) on Monday and had plenty left over so I treated myself to this delicious breakfast. I have actually made the pancakes just to use for this breakfast – that’s how much I love this dish.

So here’s my recipe:

1. Make potato pancakes.

2. Slice them into strips and place in a non-stick pan.

3. Start heating up the pan and while it heats up, beat the eggs with a little milk, salt & pepper.

4. When the pancake strips are not hot, add the egg mixture and cook until set.

Have a happy day. 🙂 – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breakfast, What I Cooked Today
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Feb 23, 2017

No Dutch Oven? This No Knead Bread is for You.

No Knead No Dutch Oven BreadIn response to the many people who either do not have a Dutch oven or find it difficult to lift such a heavy pot, I decided to try making my no knead bread on a baking pan. Well guess what? It works. It makes a great loaf that’s soft inside with a beautiful golden crust. It’s not quite as crispy of a crust as the Dutch oven method but it’s close. It’s important to find a way to create steam in the oven because steam is what makes a crispy crust. But even without steam, it still bakes up nicely but with a softer crust.

For my ciabatta bread, which needs steam, I used a disposable foil 6-cup muffin pan, which you can place beside or just below the bread.

But I also found a small 9 by 5-inch baking pan for $3.50 and a restaurant supply store and it works well too. It’s what I used for this loaf.

It’s important to add the hot water right when you put in the bread and close the oven door right away. The steam is most effective right at the beginning. I use a metal measuring cup with a handle to pour the hot water. I hope my photos are helpful and that now, anyone without a Dutch oven can make this super easy, delicious, artisan bread. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins
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Feb 18, 2017

Easy Angel Hair Casserole

Easy Angel Hair CasseroleThis easy casserole just might become your new family favorite. I’ve been making it for years and everyone loves it. And I love it for two reasons. One: it’s delicious. Two: it’s easy to make. It takes just a few simple ingredients and less than an hour for some good homemade comfort food. By using lean ground beef and reduced fat cheese, I never feel stuffed after my second and third helping.

Much of the flavor comes from the sauce and you can use a homemade marinara but I use store-bought sauce. Two that I like, but can’t always find, are Silver Palate Low Sodium Marinara but this time I couldn’t find it so I used Terlato Kitchen Pomodoro, also lower in sodium and it was fantastic. Not all jarred sauces are the same so I encourage everyone to read the label for the least number of ingredients as well as sodium. Even with a low sodium sauce, this recipe doesn’t even need salt or pepper.

And don’t be tempted to use more pasta. It will seem like it’s not enough when you put it together but it’s just the right amount for this easy family casserole. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Easy Recipes For Beginners, Main Dishes
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Feb 6, 2017

Easy Homemade Ciabatta Bread

No Knead Ciabatta Bread RecipeLook what I made! It was just an experiment but it turned out to be amazing! Anyone can make no knead bread without a Dutch oven. It helps to create steam inside the oven just like it’s created inside a Dutch oven. Steam is what makes a crispy crust and it’s really easy. What you do is put a small pan in the oven before you preheat it and then when the oven is hot and you put in the bread to bake, you also pour some hot water into the small pan and it creates steam. Then you quickly close the oven door to keep the steam inside and after 30 minutes, you will have an fantastic loaf of ciabatta bread with a soft interior and a beautiful golden crispy crust.

No Knead Ciabatta Bread

You can use a variety of pans to create the steam (do a google search for ideas if you like) but that process is not easy on the pan. I have used a small flat pan as pictures as well as a small 6-cup  disposable foil pan. But if it does not fit on the same rack as your baking pan, just place it on a rack below. You may have to remove a rack to make room but whether beside the bread or on a rack below, keep it off to the side and don’t put it directly under the bread. And be sure to keep it close to the front for easy access. Here is how I place mine and how you can place it below if your oven is smaller.

I pour about 3/4 cup of hot or boiling water into 3 or 4 of the muffin cups or into the small pan. It’s good to use an oven glove when you pour the hot water because it creates steam right away and be sure to close the oven door immediately so the steam can’t escape. You can re-use the muffin pan, although it will turn dark. So there it is. I hope my photos help and now everyone who does not have a Dutch oven will be able to make this fabulous no knead, easy, homemade ciabatta bread. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Breads/Muffins
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Jan 27, 2017

Veggie Fried Rice

Best Recipe Veggie Fried RiceThere are three reasons why I love this recipe:

  1. It’s vegetarian.
  2. It has lots of superfood veggies.
  3. It takes less than 20 minutes to make.

This is a light, easy supper that I love to make, depending what I have on hand. My favorite combo is this one with broccoli, baby spinach, bell peppers, and peas. But I have also made it with other vegetables, sometimes broccollini instead of broccoli, Swiss chard instead of spinach, or other subs like asparagus, shredded carrots, bok choy, or Chinese snow peas, so you see it’s just a great way to get a variety of cooked vegetables in one meal. But I always use at least four different veggies.

Cold cooked rice works best so I usually cook the rice the day before, and refrigerate it overnight. Mostly I use Uncle Ben’s converted rice but I have also made it with brown rice. Either way, if your rice is cooked in advance, this is a super-quick meal. Be sure to have everything ready before you start because a stir-fry means you don’t leave the pan once you start and it cooks in less than 10 minutes! So chop everything first and have everything in place before starting. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

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Filed Under: Main Dishes, Quick & Easy
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