World's Best Lemon Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

Bread:

1 1/2 cup flour 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

3/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1 1/4 cup sugar 

1 egg plus 1/8 cup egg substitute 

3/4 cup 1% milk

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3/4 teaspoon butter extract/flavoring 

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil

1/8 cup poppy seeds

Glaze:

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 cup lemon juice-freshly squeezed 

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease sides of 9 by 5 bread pan with Crisco. Using parchment paper, trace bottom of bread pan and cut out traced shape. Place in bottom of bread pan. 

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Set aside. In a different mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add milk,extracts and oil. Whisk until combined. Add poppy seeds.

3. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine using wooden spoon until just mixed. 

4. Pour bread batter into bread pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Remove bread from the oven and allow to sit in pan for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, make glaze for bread. Squeeze lemon and combine all ingredients, stirring well.  Run knife along sides of pan to release bread. Place on cooling rack with sided cookie pan underneath. 

6. Pour glaze over bread. Allow 10 minutes to soak. 

7. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from  Jamie Cook It Up!

Sesame Chicken

3 boneless chicken breasts

For the Marinade: 

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon baking powder

For the sauce: 
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon chili sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Canola Oil for deep-frying
Salt

1. Wash the chicken under cold running water, pat dry and trim off any excess fat. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and put into a large mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the sauce.

2. To make the sauce: In a saucepan, add the sesame oil and set over low heat. Add the ginger and fry gently until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well to dissolve the cornstarch. Gently pour into the saucepan with the fried ginger. Stir as you pour because the cornstarch will thicken up pretty quickly. Keep warm over low heat.

3. In a heavy-bottomed pot or deep-fryer heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F.Fry the chicken, in small batches, until golden and crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken using a wire mesh strainer and drain on paper towels. Season with a little salt, to taste. 

4. To serve, arrange the fried chicken on a platter and pour drizzle with the sauce.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

Fried Rice

1/4 cup canola oil, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a wok over high heat. Add the beaten eggs and fry until they are fully cooked. Transfer. 

2. Add the remaining oil, ginger, carrot, and celery, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Stir-fry until the rice is hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved eggs and transfer to a serving dish.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

Sauteed Green Beans

1 pound green beans
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 medium jalapeno thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Wash green beans under cold running water. Cut off the root ends and discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the beans and blanch until bright green, about 2 minutes. Shock in ice water then drain in a colander. 

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil, shallots, ginger and jalapeno. Stir the mixture 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the green beans and toss, coating evenly. Saute for a couple of minutes and allow the green beans to caramelize. Add the soy sauce and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes; the beans should still be nice and crisp. 

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

Buttermilk Waffles

On Sunday morning, the husband made me a wonderful breakfast of waffles covered in maple syrup. This wasn't a new recipe for us. It is actually the only one that we have used since we got married two years ago, yesterday.  

Waffle Base Mix (This makes 8 waffles or two batches)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder 

1 tsp. salt 

1/2 cup sugar 

1. Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container until ready to use. 

Chocolate Chip Waffles

1 1/2 cups Classic Waffles Base  

4 tablespoons melted butter 

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk 

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until mixture is smooth and contains no lumps. In a preheated waffle iron, ladle in about 1/3 cup for each waggle and cook until waffles are golden brown, around 3 to 4 minutes. Makes 4 waffles

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

For the Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons  active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk  2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.In a small bowl, whisk together eggs. 

2. In a small saucepan, combine milk and butter and cook until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute. 

3. Combine the milk mixture with the dry ingredients and mix using a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are mixed.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes.  The mixture will be sticky. 

4. Place the dough is a  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. After the dough rises, you may place in the refrigerator and use in the morning. Before using the next day, allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. 

5. While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside.  Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch  loaf pan.  Set aside.

6. Knead in 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  

7. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin. You will want the dough to be rolled out to 12 inches by 20 inches. Once rolled out, use a pastry brush to spread melted butter on the dough.  Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the dough vertically,into six stripes, around equal size.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until very golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the bread from the pan by running the knife along the edges. Place bread on plate, right side up.

10. Enjoy!

Recipe from Joy the Baker

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

Friends of ours decided to have a big Saturday Brunch this past weekend so I decided to try out a new recipe. These baked donuts are delicious although if I was making them again, I would make a few changes to them. I would add some flavoring to the dough (Cinnamon Roll flavoring) and make them so they won't crumble. Aside from that, they were good and I will definitely be making them again.

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup crisp rice cereal, crushed

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease one 9 inch cake pan with shortening. Mix flour, crushed cereal, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. 

2. Cut in shortening with fork until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in milk until combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls (around 24). 

3. Mix cinnamon and the remaining sugar into bowl. Dip rolled balls in melted butter and then cover in cinnamon. Place balls in greased pan. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on rack before removing from pan. 

5. Enjoy! 

Recipe from Oh my! Sugar High