Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding

My first memories of a pressure cooker are from the 70's. I remember Mom using a stovetop pressure cooker often, usually after work to cook potatoes for mashed. I don't think Mom would have ever thought to use her pressure cooker for bread pudding! You've come a long way, baby! It was very exciting to find that Instant Pot was going to be a sponsor of 37 Cooks! I hadn't used a pressure cooker in so long, to have a cooker that could do so many things in my kitchen is truly exciting! I wanted to try a dessert recipe and had some leftover hot cross buns from Easter, a perfect fit, and I didn't have to worry about buying raisins...they were already in the buns! 

I used my Mom's bread pudding recipe, adapting it slightly for the pressure cooker. Taking into account there would be less moisture loss through pressure cooking than baking, I decreased the amount of milk in the original recipe. I also increased the number of eggs I used, because I love more custard in a bread pudding. It was so easy to make in the Instant Pot. In fact, everything I've made so far in the Instant Pot has turned out pretty amazing! 

Hot Cross Bun Bread Pudding

by Mary P.

2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Mix together in a large bowl.

Add:
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar

Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl mix:
2 cups hot cross buns, cubed - I used 6
1/4 cup melted butter.

Put the bread cubes into the milk/egg mixture, pushing the bread into the milk/eggs until completely submerged. 

Prepare a baking dish small enough to fit into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot. Butter the inside of the baking dish.

Put the steamer rack into the inner pot and pour 2 cups of water in. 

Make a sling of aluminum foil long enough to serve as a lifter for the baking dish.  You can do this by folding a long piece of foil lengthwise into thirds. 

Set timer for 20 minutes using high pressure. Then let sit 10 minutes on natural release. Gently turn the pressure valve to let off any leftover pressure and gently turn the lid. This makes a moister bread pudding that can be put under the broiler for a few minutes to dry out and brown the top if you'd like.  Because it is a moister bread pudding, I don't serve it with a sauce. Enjoy!

Cuban Spiced Chicken

About 6 years ago, I received news that would forever change my life. I went to the doctor after several years of being apart, only to be told our relationship was going to get deeper. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It was shocking, I was emotional. I never felt like I had any symptoms and was/am a pretty healthy eater, despite the extra pounds I carry. My family was pretty shocked, too.

Since being diagnosed, I am even more aware of everything that I eat, good and bad. Coming up with different meals for my fickle palate was going to be a challenge, while staying in my new carb guidelines. It truly has been a challenge, which is why I was very excited to be given the opportunity to check out this new cookbook! I truly love that it's a seasonal cookbook as well, with the chapters divided into seasonal meal plans and recipes. What inspires you this time of year? Just turn to Spring to find out! I guess I must be thinking about Summer with the Cuban Spiced Chicken recipe I chose!

Cuban Spiced Chicken
by Mary
Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble Meal Planner: A Year of Quick, Delicious Meals to Help you Prevent and Manage Diabetes by Aviva Goldfarb

Preheat the oven to 400°F (if you plan on marinating the chicken, wait until you're ready to cook to do this!)

2 teaspoons paprika - I used half sharp paprika, which adds a bit of a kick
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs

In a small bowl, combine first 7 ingredients (paprika through salt).

In a medium bowl, mix 1-2 Tablespoons lime juice and 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then add chicken and mix.

Add spice mixture to chicken and stir to coat chicken thoroughly with spices. (You can marinate for 24 hours or bake immediately. I baked immediately.)

Place chicken on baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes.

The suggestion was to serve with warmed black beans and roasted beets. I'm saving that suggestion for next time, because there will definitely be one! My husband absolutely loved this chicken! (I served it the day after I baked it with Spanish rice.)

I look forward to trying many more recipes from this book!

Guacamole

Just in time for Superbowl Sunday my local store had a sale on avocado and I had a Favorite Cookbook Challenge to complete. Initially I didn't have the two connected. When I decided to participate in the cookbook challenge, I knew Joy of Cooking was the book I was going to pick. It is the first cookbook I ever owned. I was barely a teenager when I found it at a library book sale. This book was as useful a tool in my cooking education as my mother, father and PBS cooking shows...all equally played a part! As I pored through the pages, my issue is copyright 1964...coincidentally the year of my birth, I pored over recipes for croquettes, chiffon cakes, yeasty doughnuts. I couldn't quite decide. In the meantime, I decided to grab a couple of the avocados on sale, lured by the guacamole display. I had the rest of the ingredients already on my table at home...why not try making guac?  I picked up the Joy when I got home...half not expecting to find a recipe for guacamole in the book. I should have known better...I should have remembered why it is one of my favorite books! Of course there was a recipe...written in the format I tend to favor for myself....stages, with ingredients staged throughout the recipe. It was a hit at the Super Bowl party I attended, and I think I've become a fan of avocados...and guacamole!

Guacamole
by Mary
Adapted from Joy of Cooking

In a medium size bowl mix together:
1 peeled, seeded and chopped ripe tomato - I used a Roma
1 finely chopped green onion,
1/2 seeded, chopped green pepper - I used a jalapeno
1/2 teaspoon chili power
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice - I used lemon, I had it on hand
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Add 2 mashed, ripe avocados just before serving.  Garnish with a sprinkling of green onion tops.

Papa’s New World Giambotta

One of my father's favorites, made healthier by Bilinski's Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage. This was often a breakfast treat on Sunday morning.

Papa’s New World Giambotta
by Mary

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 red or green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 small potatoes, boiled and diced

1 package Bilinsk's Kale Balsamic Chicken Sausage

8 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add diced peppers and onions to olive oil and saute for 10 minutes, until slightly soft. You want them to retain some texture. Set aside in a separate bowl. Add diced potatoes to skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Saute over medium heat until golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Mix into peppers and onions in bowl. Cut sausage into slices and brown in skillet over medium heat in 1 teaspoon olive oil for about 5 minutes.
Add peppers, onions and potatoes back into the skillet. Stir to blend and add salt and black pepper to taste. 

 
Scramble eggs and slowly add to the sausage and veggie mixture. Reduce heat to low, stirring continuously to break up curds while the eggs are cooking. Remove from the heat when the eggs are nearly set, they will continue to cook off of the heat. Serve with thick toast for breakfast or a mixed greens salad for lunch or supper.  

Meatball Stuffed Honey Potato Buns

Meatball Stuffed Honey Potato Buns
by Mary
Adapted from Make Ahead Bread: 100 Recipes for Melt in Your Mouth Fresh Bread Every Day by Donna Currie

1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (omit if using butter potatoes)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup non fat dry milk
1/4 cup instant potato flakes (I used a single serve cup of instant mashed potatoes then omitted the butter, since they already had butter in them)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, plus extra for the top of the buns

1 teaspoon instant yeast
8 ounces tomato sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
12 fully cooked meatballs, diced

On prep day:

I made the dough in a bread maker, first adding all of the liquid ingredients (water and honey, along with butter if using it.) Then add the dry ingredients (flour, dry milk, potato flakes, salt and Italian seasoning. Make a well and add the yeast. Set bread maker to the dough setting and allow the machine to mix and knead the dough. I also let it do a first rise in the bread machine. 

 
Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface, knead lightly then divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place onto a parchment-covered sheet pan. Dust lightly with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least overnight, you can refrigerate for 24 hours if needed. 

 
The next day take the pan out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This makes the dough easier to work with. 

 
While the dough is warming up, mix the tomato sauce, cheese and meatballs. 

 
Flatten each dough ball into a circle. Add a spoonful of the meatball mixture to the top of the dough and close the dough around the meatball mixture. Sprinkle a bit of Italian seasoning on each bun. Place back on the sheet pan. When all of the buns are finished, let rest for 10 minutes. 

 
Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until the buns are golden brown. Serve with additional tomato sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

Baked Onion Popper Dip

This recipe is a marriage of two of the most popular dips I make. I have a friend, Mark, who requests Baked Onion Dip whenever we have a gathering. I can't leave home without it.  Many other friends request Popper Dip. Both are yummy mixtures of cheesy goodness, with just a touch of tasty veggies for good measure. You can't go wrong with either dip...and together they are pure heaven! 

If you're having a large gathering, this recipe is the perfect party recipe for you! Once everything is mixed together and bubbling away in the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, you can relax until party time.  You can mix everything ahead of time and set the timer to begin cooking whenever you're ready. Just a quick topping of browned bread crumbs and you're set to entertain! That's the joy of this particular slow cooker. It allows you to get everything prepared and then you can set the timer to begin cooking a couple of hours before the party. The slow cooker does all of the cooking while you get yourself ready or while you enjoy a pre-party cocktail. If you're taking it to go, there are handy clips to keep everything in place! Enjoy!

Baked Onion Popper Dip
by Mary

3 large onions, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon Mexican green chile powder
12 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 6-ounce cans green chiles
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute diced onions in butter over low to medium heat until lightly golden.  Set aside to cool.

Mix the cheeses with the mayonnaise and seasonings in a large bowl.  Add fresh and canned peppers and onions.
Mix until well blended.

Spray crock with cooking spray and put cheese mixture into your Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 2 hours, until hot and bubbling. You could also set for low and cook for 3-4 hours.

Before serving, top with browned breadcrumb topping (recipe below.) Serve with tortilla chips.

Breadcrumb Topping:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in small skillet. Add breadcrumbs and slowly toast until lightly browned. Add grated cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over dip and serve.

County Fair Cinnamon Fried Dough

When my husband Ed and I were first dating, we enjoyed going to carnivals. In typical fashion, he enjoyed winning stuffed animals for me and we always shared a fried dough while we were there. He has always asked if I would make some for him at home. He finally got his wish. Growing up, fried dough was a welcome treat when making pizza at home. My dad would save a bit of the dough to fry up for us and dust with powdered sugar. It was so popular in our Italian American household, that he would often buy extra dough from the local bakery to make fried dough for us. When Bob's Red Mill generously sent us bags of their organic flours, I knew it was the perfect time to fulfill my husband's wish. The recipe is fairly simple, I used my bread machine on the dough cycle to mix up a batch of my favorite pizza dough recipe. The recipe is courtesy of a fellow 37 Cook and foodie, Diana. I added an extra teaspoon of honey to the dough, along with some cinnamon to sweeten things up. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend for my husband and I. It took us back to the early days of dating. I think I'll make it again!

County Fair Cinnamon Fried Dough
by Mary

1 cup cool water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons honey

Mix & let sit for 5 minutes in mixing bowl. 

(I use the bread machine to mix the dough and skip this step. If you're using a bread machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions for adding ingredients and yeast. In my case, I add wet ingredients, then dry ingredients, then yeast.)

3 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Add flour, cinnamon and salt to yeast mixture, mix for 3 or 4 minutes on low. Gradually add olive oil. Increase speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight in a greased plastic bag, punch down if dough begins to rise too much (I did refrigerate after mixing in bread machine.)

Melted Butter
Cinnamon
Powdered Sugar

The dough should have risen to double-size in the refrigerator. Remove dough from refrigerator, punch down and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in saucepan on stove or deep fryer to 370°F.

Divide dough into four even pieces. Stretch out into round, flat spheres, like you would to make a pizza. Fry in hot oil until floating and golden brown. Turn over and fry the other side until golden. Remove from fryer, drain on paper towels. Brush with melted butter and dust with more cinnamon and powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Cheese Straws

Laminate dough...when I mentioned it to my husband, he gave me the funniest look. To him, laminating something means something completely different...he couldn't understand what I was talking about! In baking terms, laminating is basically layering butter with the dough, which creates flaky pockets and puffs when the butter melts during the baking process. It is the science behind puff pastry and the science behind cheese straws. It's a process much harder than I anticipated when using whole wheat flour. I discovered early on that I would need more liquid than the recipe called for...the whole wheat flour sucked up the initial 1/4 of milk so quickly it felt like I hadn't even put it in there, so I added more. The whole wheat flour added a nice nutty flavor to the cheese straws. I'll definitely keep practicing my lamination skills!

Whole Wheat Cheese Straws
by Mary
Adapted from New York Times Cheese Wafers or Straws

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut in 1/4-inch pieces
4 ounces coarsely grated cheddar cheese - you could use any flavorful hard cheese
1/2 cup cold milk
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Flaky salt, for sprinkling 

Mix flour and salt in bowl, using your fingers, mix half the butter into the flour until it becomes like crumbly sand. Add the rest of the butter chunks and cheese and stir with a fork. Mix in milk and form dough into a ball with floured hands. Pat dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. 

Dust dough with flour and roll into a long rectangle, about 8 x 14 inches and about 1/2-inch thick. Fold dough into thirds, like folding a letter, one side over the middle, then the next. Dust again with flour and roll out to make same size rectangle, then fold it again. Dust and repeat again. Wrap well in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day in advance. 

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut dough in half. Refrigerate half the dough and roll the other piece out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Cut dough into strips approximately 1/2-inch wide and 5 inches long. Twist 2 or 3 times and press ends down. 

 
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush lightly with egg wash. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until well browned and crisp. Let cool before serving. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

When I saw the title of this latest challenge - Good Cook Potluck Pantry Panic Challenge - and I knew which product I was going to receive from Good Cook, I just knew I had to break out the Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe that's been all the rage online this past winter. It's a great quick recipe when you need to whip up something last minute. It serves equally well as a breakfast/brunch dish or a simple dessert. It can be dressed up with additions of nuts...or dressed down with some candied bacon mixed in.

Slap Ya Mama Jambalaya Arancini

I have a thing for arancini. It hasn't quite reached obsession yet...it is a dish I want to perfect & dream about creating versions of it. Perhaps I am obsessed. When we were tasked with creating a recipe 'out of the box' for the folks at Slap Ya Mama, arancini were my first thought. Enjoy!

Basil Focaccia Bread

I wanted a light basil taste in this focaccia to go with my garlic soup. I used four cubes of Dorot's Chopped Basil in this recipe. If you want to bump up the flavor, add a couple more. The basil mixed beautifully in the dough! I used my bread machine set at the dough cycle for the initial mixing and kneading.

Roasted Garlic Soup

The wind and snow continue to make their presence known here in Western New York, making this Roasted Garlic Soup recipe perfect for this time of year. Garlic soup might sound odd to some. I had it for the first time many years ago and was amazed at how mellow it was. Dorot's Garlic Cubes are perfect for whipping this soup up quickly after a long work day. The addition of both roasted garlic and fresh garlic create both a mellow and bright garlic flavor at the same time.

Mom's Peanut Butter Squares

Vacations in our family were always more like "staycations".  We camped and we went to the beach, but it was always fairly close to home. We have made a couple of road trips to Florida and Tennessee to visit my sister. One common thread through our lives, through any trips, parties and celebrations has always been Mom's Peanut Butter Squares. This is the legacy Mom left for us...we will never, ever eat these without thinking about her. It just seemed fitting to me to make these for the Vacation Destination Challenge. Mom passed in November, and a day hasn't passed that I haven't thought of her. While going through her things I came across the original recipe...I was shocked to see that the recipe card was written in my own handwriting! I was completely unaware all these years that I was the one who had given her the recipe. I'm sure I found it in a magazine or cook book sometime back in the 1980's. For over 30 years no event in our lives was complete without those peanut butter squares. She made them for birthdays, weddings, picnics, graduations, illness and death. One of her neighbors told me she 'healed the neighborhood' with her pb squares. They are so simple to make, yet not so simple to perfect. Through trial and error, she learned how important it was to make sure the graham cracker crumbs were ground fine enough. Rather than buying already ground crumbs, she would grind them herself in the food processor until they met her standards.

I have taken the recipe one step further and begun to melt the peanut butter with the butter, ensuring a smooth, almost fudge-like texture. I think Mom would approve. Here's to you, mom...I promise to carry on your legacy and ensure the peanut butter squares continue to heal and love our extended family and friends.

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

I was very excited to try The Spice House products when I heard about the challenge. I love products like the chorizo sausage seasoning. It gives me a chance to make delicious sausage from scratch, controlling the amount of seasoning in the meat. It also worked wonderfully as an additional seasoning to the stuffing mixture.

Maple Waffles with Venison Breakfast Sausage

This recipe is dedicated to both my mother and my husband. Mom passed away right in the midst of this challenge. The waffles are something she would have really enjoyed. Breakfast was one of her favorite meals of the day and my brother, who lived with her, made her breakfast every Sunday. The venison sausage is one of my husband's favorites.

Roasted Garlic & Leek Dressing

This is a great, light dressing for the holidays. Vegetarian as it stands, could easily be made vegan with the omission of cheese. I used Monk's Wholegrain Bread this time around and it added a nice nuttiness to the dressing. It's a great way to use up all sorts of stale bread odds and ends!

Savory Turkey Cheese Egg Muffins

As our challenges come and go, I can often track what's going on in my life by the recipes I'm doing for the various challenges. Right now I'm getting back on track with carbs and trying to watch my diet. The egg challenge came along at the perfect time because eggs are such a huge part of a low carb plan. 

Country Fried Steak with Kary's Dry Roux Milk Gravy

I am roux challenged...there...I said it. Sure, I've made a roux before...every white sauce starts with one. I can make homemade macaroni & cheese with my eyes closed. I usually make a roux when I make my gravy, slowly mixing flour into whatever fat is in my pan, then slowly stirring in stock or juices. This roux is different...it's nutty...it's creamy brown color comes from its long cooking time, and gives way to a richness plain flour can't match. It's a flavor I would be hard-pressed to recreate at home. You can tell by the color and texture that a lot of time and care has gone into this roux. My husband loved the rich flavor in this recipe. I simply floured cube steaks in Kary's Dry Roux and then fried them in canola oil. Sometimes simple is best. Enjoy!

German Potato Salad Roux Style

I get fixated on different dishes sometimes, then I'll spend an entire season trying to perfect the exact perfect peach cobbler or, in this case, German potato salad. One summer, I tried so many different recipes and made so much of it, my family started speaking in German! The recipe I loved the best came from Betty Crocker's American Country Cooking, a thin magazine-sized hard cover cookbook. This recipe nearly had the best balance of sweet and sour. I increased the vinegar a bit and the sugar, as well. Sometimes I use brown sugar instead of white if I want a richer flavor. I also include parsley and fresh herbs that are in season. This time around, I cut back on the bacon fat and used Kary's "Original" Roux in its place. I also omitted the flour in the original recipe because the roux already has flour in it. I found the roux added so much richness that the bacon fat wasn't missed. It also added a smoky undertone. I used white sugar since I knew the roux would add its rich color...it did. I think I still love my tried and true recipe...I'll keep this in my collection in case I need a change-up from time to time.

Coconut Shrimp Arancini with Pineapple Jalapeno Sauce

True confession...I think I might have made something with coconut once in my life. When I found out one of our sponsors was going to be Tropical Traditions, I was very excited to expand my horizons! I did learn through this challenge that Tropical Traditions is America's source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil looked very intriguing!  I decided on another product though...read on.