Homemade Hamburger Buns

Want to be a big hit at your next picnic or barbeque? An easy way to do this is to make your own hamburger, hotdog, or sandwich buns. It’s easy to do and taste SO MUCH better than those you buy at the store.
The Prepared Pantry’s Salted Water Roll Mix  makes incredible burger and hotdog buns. To add an extra special touch the packet comes complete with the black and white sesame seeds plus the healthier Pink Himalayan Salt.

Here are the directions right from the Prepared Pantry’s web site.
1. Mix the bread according to the package directions or recipe. If you are using your bread machine, set the machine on the “dough” setting so that the machine will mix your bread for you, let it rise and then beep when it is time to bake.

If you are making bread the old-fashioned way, follow the directions and let the bread rise in an oiled bowl as you would for other bread mixes or recipes.
If you are using the Salted Water Roll Mix, you can skip the first rise step and immediately form your rolls and place them on the pan.

2. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. If you are using a two-loaf mix or recipe, divide the dough into 16 pieces.

3. Form a round or oval roll with each piece. Place them on a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with room to expand. With the flat of your hand, flatten each roll. The elasticity in the dough will tend to make the rolls spring back. Let the dough relax for a few minutes and press a second time.

 
4. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a proofing bag and let rise until doubled—45 minutes to an hour or so depending on the mix and the room temperature. Salted Water Rolls will not get as puffy as most mixes or recipes.

5. If you put seeds or seeds and salt on your rolls, whisk with a fork one egg with one tablespoon of water. Just before baking, brush the tops and sides with the wash and then sprinkle with seeds. The wash will keep the seeds in place.

6. Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes or until done. Immediately remove them to a wire rack to cool. Serve them fresh. Day old rolls are not nearly as good.

Get a free copy of How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking. It’s a great reference book with great recipes and 318 pages. Choose PDF, Kindle, Nook, or I-Pad.

Free Book

Free Recipe Card

Free Printable Recipe Card

I had full intentions of making this pistachio macaroon cookie to go with this card.  And I was going to have an inviting picture of the cookie that I made.   However,  the cookie looked so uneatable that I couldn’t force myself to even attempt to take a picture of it.

With that said, they tasted pretty darn good.  But they sure didn’t look like any picture I have ever seen of it.

Really, tho, it’s a cookie.  We eat cookies.  Is the cookie really a failure because it didn’t look like the picture?

In any case, here is the FREE RECIPE CARD

It is in a PDF format.

Fine Food Sauces Fast

A grilled chop, stir-fried chicken, poached fish or a scoop of ice-cream become, with very little extra trouble, something rather grand once they have a sauce to cheer them up. We’re not talking about that family of sauces that takes an age to prepare; demi-glace, hollandaise, sabayon and many others all hold an important place in classical cooking, but they’re strictly for no-hurry days. The kind of sauces we’re thinking about can be put together from your store cupboard ingredients plus the occasional exotic item that is easily obtained from any good delicatessen or supermarket, so many of which now carry excellent ranges of imported and locally produced Asian and Middle Eastern foodstuffs.

Sauces have come a long way since the days when they were used to disguise a multitude of sins. For centuries the world over, sauces or savoury relishes made up for what the shortcomings of transit and storage had done to meat, fish and other highly perishable items. Today, refrigeration and rapid transport have taken care of those problems, and sauces have become a way to enhance food without masking its natural flavour, and most importantly in these health-conscious times, to make it more nutritious.

A food processor or blender comes into its own where today’s simple sauces are concerned, making light work of what was once a laborious task.  If you have neither, it’s a good idea to buy a moulilegume, a sieve with varying-sized discs through which food can be pureed to the required consistency. They are inexpensive and hard-wearing.

A couple of the recipes featured require chicken stock;  this can be made from a stock cube, but if you do have some spare time one evening or during a weekend, it’s worth taking the trouble to make a batch of the real thing, freezing it in small quantities for use in soups and sauces when time is definitely not on your side. See the recipe for home-made chicken stock after the Garlic Ginger Sauce.

Similarly, there’s nothing quite like home-made mayonnaise. The easy recipe following the Creamy Curry Sauce is delicious and will keep for about 10 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

All the recipes given here are very versatile and the suggestions given for their use are just a guide. No doubt you’ll find they solve your cooking problems on many occasions.
If sauces are something you’ve always relegated to the too-hard basket, think again. Kay Francis has devised some simple yet stunning recipes that tum the ordinary into a special treat. And they’ll team with an array of entrees, main courses and desserts .

TO STORE ON PANTRY SHELVES

Almonds: Raw, flaked

Anchovies: Canned, flat

Apricot conserve: For glazing fruits  and desserts

Artichokes: Canned hearts and bottoms

Asparagus: Canned, whole green spears

Bean sprouts:  Canned

Bouillon, beef: Canned

Bran: Unprocessed

Capers: Refrigerate after opening

Cashews: Raw, unsalted

Caviar: Refrigerate after opening

Chestnut puree: Canned, unsweetened

Chillies: Bottled whole; sauce

Chocolate: Dark cooking; white

Chutneys

Condensed milk: Canned, unsweetened

Corn: Canned, whole baby spears

Crab meat: Canned

Dried fruits: Apples, apricots, peaches, plums, raisins, sultanas

Evaporated milk

Flours: White, plain and self-raising;  tobolemeal; plain and self-raising

Gelatine: Powdered and leaf

Gherkins: Refrigerate after opening

Glace fruits: Apricots, pineapple, ginger

Honey: Clear or creamed

Mushrooms: Canned, small button; dried

Mustards: Dijon, English, French, lemon Mustard seeds and mustard powder

Oils: Grapeseed, olive, peanut, safflower,  sesame, walnut

Olives: Bottled, black and green.  Refrigerate after opening

Oyster sauce: Bottled

Pasta: A selection of dried and frozen

Peanut butter

Peppercorns: Green, white and black

Pinenuts: Replace regularly

Polenta

Potatoes: Canned

Prawns: Canned

Redcurrant jelly: For glazing, bottled

Rice: Brown, long grain; white, long  grain; wild, for special occasions

Salmon: Canned

Salt: Rock, celery

Sesame seeds: Unhulled

Soups: Canned asparagus, oyster, chicken,  consomme

Soy sauce: Bottled

Stock cubes: Chicken, beef, onion, bacon

Sugar: Caster, soft brown, raw, icing

Sunflower seeds: For decoration

Tabasco: Bottled

Tahina: Store in fridge after opening

Tomatoes, canned, and tomato paste

Treacle and golden syrup

Tuna: Canned

Vinegars: Malt, white wine, red wine, cider; Balsamic, raspberry

Walnuts: Halves and pieces

Wheatgerm: For coating and baking

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Celery: Store in fridge

Chives: Store in a sealed container  in fridge

Garlic: Keep at room temperature

Lemons and limes

Lettuce: Wash and drain, store in plastic bag in fridge

Mushrooms: Store in porous wrapping in fridge. Use up quickly

Onions: Store at room temperature in well-ventilated position

Parsley: Store in a sealed container in fridge

Potatoes: Store in well-ventilated dark position

Shallots: Green and brown. Store in fridge

Tomatoes: Store at room temperature

Zucchini: Store in fridge

TO STORE IN FREEZER

Bacon: Rewrap into packs of 4 slices

Berry fruits: A variety

Bread and rolls: An assortment

Butter: Unsalted

Ice-cream

Pizza bases: Sold in packets of 3

Salmon: Smoked

Sheet pastry: Puff, short and fillo

Spinach: Chopped

Stocks: Beef, chicken, fish

TO STORE IN REFRIGERATOR

Butter: Salted, unsalted, ghee

Cheeses: Parmesan, grated cheddar,  ricotta, brie or camembert. Leave at room temperature before serving

Cream: Thickened

Eggs: Always keep a few at room  temperature for baking Mayonnaise

Sour cream

Yoghurt: Natural

HERBS AND SPICES

Keep an assortment of small quantities (flavor  fades with time) of dried herbs and spices. Collect these with the weekly shop and your range will soon broaden. Basil, bayleaves, cinnamon, chilli powder, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, tarragon, thyme, turmeric and whole fenugreek are just a few to start with. Grow your own favourites such as parsley, mint, chives, basil, dill and coriander.

ALCOHOL

This is often the secret ingredient that transforms the dull into the delicious. Brandy, dry sherry, dry white wine, red wine, Grand Marnier, Kirsch, Kahlua or Tia Maria, Marsala and rum are useful .

About the author: Frank Caye is a food expert and writer on Restaurants of Sydney – find his recommended restaurants in The City Web Guide Australia

Aprons

Easy Dinner Ideas
Guest Post by Dennis Miller
The Prepared Pantry

Easy Dinner Meals

Dinner is a challenge.  It’s not that we don’t know how to cook but after a long day at work and with a dozen things to do at home, it just takes time and energy.

What do we fix for dinner?

We could put something in the crock-put before we leave for work.  We’re not that organized (I’m not that organized) and the crock pot is utilized for Sunday duty.  I love stir-fries but Merri Ann doesn’t like them.  There are other choices like casseroles (they usually take too long), tacos, and soups, but what to fix for dinner usually centers on four basic decisions.

Just make four decisions!

(1) Choose a meat for the main dish.

I’m looking for a meat to fry.  The oven takes too long, I rarely deep fry, and the grill is a good choice but a summer choice.  So I choose:

• Burger (either patties or crumbled).
• Steak (either whole or sliced—lesser cuts lend to slicing)
• Pork chops or other thin cuts of pork
• Chicken (Usually, it’s chicken breasts)

Choose one of these four, and you’re well on your way to dinner.

(2) Choose a seasoning or sauce.

Once you’ve done it couple times, gravy is easy.  I keep a bulk gravy mix on hand so that I can mix up as much as I want even if I’m cooking on the grill.  I keep a half dozen sauces in the refrigerator: a barbecue sauce or two, an Asian sauce or two, marinara (spaghetti sauce), and salsa.  Thai Sweet Chili is an essential.

Fried meat lends itself to seasoning blends.  Several nights ago, a fried a pork chop seasoned with Ras el Hanout.  I used two tablespoons of bulk gravy mix to make the gravy in the frying pan.  The spices left in the pan after frying the pork chop were perfect to make the gravy special.

Do yourself and your family a favor and invest in a half dozen blends.  You’ll create a whole new vista of possibilities for dinner.

These are my cupboard, my basics:

• A steak and burger seasoning.  My favorite is Colorado Cattle Company Original.
• A taco and Mexican seasoning.
• An Italian seasoning blend, one with basil and oregano that I can use on pizzas and pasta.
• A barbecue rub.  I use it mostly on chicken.  My favorite is no longer available.  We’re looking for a replacement to carry in our store.
• Vindaloo.  This is my first choice for beef though it’s really more versatile than that.
• Ras el Hanout, my first choice for pork.
• Persian Adwiya.  This is my first choice for chicken and fish.
• A lemon pepper blend.
• A poultry seasoning blend.  I use this for soups and dressings (stuffing).  I recently discovered Zaatar which reminds me of poultry seasoning but has no sage.

There are other seasonings in my cupboard.  I’m getting to know the marvelous choices of our Teeny Tiny Spice Company spice blends.

(3) Choose a starch.

For us, that means choosing one of these:

• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Rice

We live in potato country, Eastern Idaho.  Most nights, I’m not going to take the time to peel potatoes.  I’ll boil red potatoes; that doesn’t take long and they are better not peeled.  You can eat them as a vegetable with butter and seasoning or add a gravy.  You can make garlic mashed potatoes with the skins on.  You can also oven roast them.  (See Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes.)

Increasingly, I choose seasoned and flavored dried potatoes.  This is the quickest starch.  They’re incredible, much better than I remember growing up.  I love the flavors like garlic mashed and four cheese.  I stick them in the microwave for just a few minutes.

Pasta and rice do not have to be boring.  We have a great selection:  14 different kinds of rice and rice blends and 12 choices of orzo and couscous.

You can use a microwave rice steamer but I don’t bother.  I set the rice to going in my Krona Multi Pot while I cook the meat and side dish.  Here’s how:

1. Measure two cups of hot water, one cup of rice, and half teaspoon of salt into a saucepan for which you have a lid.
2. Bring the water to a boil.  I set the heat to medium high and set the timer for five minutes.  (I wear an Everywhere Timer around my neck while I’m cooking or baking.)  The timer keeps me from forgetting my rice and burning it.  There is nothing magic about five minutes; it just works on my stove with my pan.
3. After the rice comes to a boil, turn the heat to very low and set the timer for 15 minutes.  Do not lift the lid.
4. After fifteen minutes, fluff the rice with fork and set the lid back on the rice until you are ready to serve.

(4) Choose a side dish or two.

Typically, this is where I invest the least time.  Frozen vegetables work well in my house.  So do bagged salads.  But it doesn’t take long to steam fresh vegetables and I like them.

Putting it All Together

• For the meat, keep a stock in the freezer.  We prefer to choose the meat the night before and put it in the refrigerator to defrost.  When we forget, we have to thaw it in the microwave.
• For the seasoning, keep a selection in the cupboard.  Keep several sauces on hand.  Consider a bulk gravy mix.
• For the starches, keep a selection of pastas and rice on hand.  If you like baked potatoes, invest in a set of potato nails.  Buy some red potatoes from time to time.  Keep a stock of seasoned and flavored dried potatoes on hand.
• For side dishes, pick up a bag of pre-made salad once a week and a couple fresh vegetables from the produce aisle.  Stock the freezer with a selection of frozen vegetables.

For us, it’s easier to plan meals if we break them down to these four basic choices and if we have the ingredients on hand to make what we choose.

We hope this helps.

California Eggroll

California Roll

This easy sushi recipe is a favorite for all ages. Crabmeat, mayonnaise and avocados make this roll a sure hit! Quick and yummy you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients:

1 cup sushi rice

8 nori seawood sheets

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup imitation crabmeat, finely chopped

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 avocado, peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into long, thin matchsticks

Directions:

1. Lay the nori sheets out on a flat rolling surface. We used the SushiQuik kit. Spread the sushi rice evenly over the sheets or seawood, and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the surface.

2. Place the crabmeat and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

3. Spread the crabmeat mixture evenly down the center of each nori roll and top with the avocado and cucumber slices.

4. Roll the sushi into a log (again, we used the SushiQuik kit to roll into a log). Slice into a 3/4″ pieces and serve immediately.

Article complements of Jessica Gorman.

Valentine Gift Ideas

Valentine Gift Ideas

Finding the right Valentine Day gift can be a tricky task. If not done properly, you could end up in the doghouse. This infograhic gives you some good ideas to help you through the holiday this year.

You can find more great gift ideas at eviedarling

This eye catching infographic was produced by webrevolve.com  for eviedarling.com

Banana Bread Muffin

Banana Bread Muffin

By Dennis Weaver
Our Vanilla Bean Baby Cakes Mix makes great banana bread.  It’s baked at a lower temperature and in a loaf pan with mashed bananas and comes out denser and moister than a cake—just like a quick bread.  (See the recipe below.)

We wondered if we could make banana muffins the same way.  Alas, they came out like cupcakes, not muffins.  The crew loved them but I thought that cupcakes needed frosting.

We had a pound of leftover caramel in the refrigerator and that was the inspiration for the frosting–caramel frosting.   We heated the caramel until it was warm and soft and scraped it into the mixing bowl of a stand-type mixer, added butter and powdered sugar with a little whipping cream and had frosting.

We sprinkled these cupcakes with Himalayan Pink Salt.  That was a nice contrasting touch.  We served these banana nut cupcakes with caramel frosting in the store and they were a big hit.

Banana Nut Cupcakes

1 Vanilla Bean Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon banana flavor
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, banana, and flavor in stand-type mixer, per package instructions.
Add the nuts and cinnamon chips  to the cake batter. Mix just until combined.
Spoon the batter into 16 to 18 regular muffin pan cavities.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.

“Accidental” Caramel Frosting

You can make homemade caramel or unwrap a pound of caramel candies such as Kraft for this recipe.

1 pound caramel heated until soft and warm
1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon caramel flavor
3 cups powdered sugar
several tablespoons whipping cream

Scrape the soft caramel into the bowl of your stand-type mixer.

Making sure that the caramel is not too warm to melt the butter, add one cup (two sticks) of cold butter to the caramel.

Beat the butter into the caramel.

Add the powdered sugar and flavor and beat in.

Add enough milk or whipping cream to reach the right consistency.
The frosting can be spread with a knife or piped with a pastry bag.

Banana Nut Bread

1 Vanilla Bean Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon banana flavor
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, banana, and flavor in stand-type mixer, per package instructions.
Add the nuts and cinnamon chips to the cake batter. Mix just until combined.
Spread batter in a greased or parchment  lined 9”x5” loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or  until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

If you are using parchment paper, grab the edges of the paper and lift to transfer it to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling

Frugal Eating Out

In the light of the recent economic events in the United States, many journalists have started to point out the fact that we Americans are still throwing money out the window despite their sensitive financial status. From bottled water and energy drinks to coffee and eating out on lunch breaks all the time, it appears that some people don’t want to give up on the little pleasures.

The good news is that they don’t have to. If you enjoy having lunch, brunch or dinner at the restaurant rather than settle for that notorious frozen meal in front of the TV at home, here are 10 tricks you can employ to shave a great percentage off your bill and even eat for free, in no particular order.

• Purchase gift certificates from your favorite restaurants

Even though it is true that you have to meet a minimum purchase requirement and most of the gift certificates are dine-in only, these setback are minor compared to the advantages. To put it simply, by acquiring a few gift certificates to your favorite restaurants and carrying them in your pocket with you all the time, you will be paying approximately 1/5 of your normal bill on average.

• Use check-ins

By checking into an eating place via various online applications you could benefit from huge discounts and even free meals. All you have to do is check in, mention it to the staff and enjoy your delicious or possibly free meal.

• If you like it, then why don’t you become a regular?

The rule that regulars will surely enjoy perks and freebies is applicable in every industry, not just the restaurants. Without denying the fact that it’s exciting to try out new places, building a relationship with the manager of your favorite restaurant will bring you a lot of benefits in the long run.

• Become friends on Facebook or follow the restaurants on Twitter

With most of the business going online, chances are that the majority of the eating places you enjoy can also be found on popular social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Once you like their page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter, you will discover a whole new and amazing world of discounts, freebies and deals you cannot find somewhere else.

• Take advantage of the online coupons

If you truly enjoy eating out and trying a different type of dish each night, then the online coupons sites are an excellent cash saver. In addition to allowing you to pursue your hobby, online coupon sites will bring you the hottest deals and the largest discounts and freebies without having to lift a finger. Furthermore, they also save you time since you only have to register to their newsletter instead of the hundreds of email club restaurants from your town. In general, if you sign up with a professional online coupon site you can be certain about the accuracy of the information you find there.

• Ask for special event deals

What happens if your favorite restaurants in town do not have a mailing list? In this situation you have two alternatives, namely to ask the online coupon site to help you out or to ask the manager or staff if they have special occasion deals. Rest assured, most of them have great deals and freebies ready for special events.

• Don’t fall for the most famous restaurant in town trick

If you are traveling to a new city, then dining at the most renowned restaurant in town is not a good idea. In case you want authenticity, a nice dining experience and a better price, then try the smaller eating places in the city.

• Consider splitting your meal in half

Here is a nice trick that does not only save you cash, but it is also great on your silhouette: consider splitting your meal in half. Considering that the meals in most restaurants across the US are over-sized, you could have half of your meal at the restaurant and take the other half in a doggie bag.

• If possible, visit the restaurants in the off-time

In case you enjoy eating out or you are accustomed to having a cup of coffee during your lunch break regularly, then you are probably familiar with the notion “happy hour”. Simply put, during the off-time the restaurant, bistro or café has lower prices, sometimes even at 50% less. While it is rather difficult to visit these places during your brief lunch break, you can still take advantage of the great deals by having dinner early for instance.

• You could always have the after-dinner drink somewhere else

Granted, after a nice and delicious dinner you might feel kind of sleepy and will most likely be in the mood for a drink. Since most of the restaurants overcharge for alcohol, you could end up paying just as much for a couple of drinks as for the entire dinner. Or perhaps, you should have those drinks somewhere else where the prices are more reasonable.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Art enjoys blogging about frugal yet stylish ways to celebrate birthdays and he has taken this a step further through his FavoriteCandle website where readers can get free birthday meals.

Valentines On A Budget

Sometimes a person can be low on money when a special day comes around.  Valentine’s Day is a day that is for two people who are in love and the tradition is that gifts be exchanged.  However, what is one to do when the bank account is low and Valentine’s Day is only a few days away?    Believe it or not, two people can have a wonderful day even if they do not have a lot of money to spend on one another.  Here is more information on how to do Valentine’s Day on a budget.

Cheap Flowers

There is no day better for overindulgence then Valentine’s Day, and people really tend to blow big bucks on a lot of gifts. However, the idea is quality over quantity when you do not have a lot of money to spend.  Roses are a wonderful and beautiful gift, but some florists sell a dozen of them for at least one hundred dollars.   A great place for a low cost bouquet of flowers is a grocery store.  Many famous grocery chains have an on-site flower shop, and you can get a nice bundle of flowers for less than twenty dollars, and these flowers are just as beautiful as ones from a florist.

Romantic Dinner at Home

Another popular way to have a great Valentine’s Day is to go out for that special dinner.  However, that can turn into a big bill that can run as high as one hundred dollars.  A man or woman can take half of that, which is fifty dollars, and go to the grocery store to get that exact same meal.  With the money saved in preparing that delicious dinner at home, you can even get a nice bottle of wine and include a wonderful dessert!  Light a few candles, put on some soft music, and enjoy a meal at home with the one you love that cost a lot less, but will mean so much more.

Love

Making love is the way most couples end their special romantic day.  However, this is a great way to make it even more beautiful and special.  With the use of candles, massage oil, and a romantic fire, a couple can have a wonderful night that no one can put a price tag on.

Valentine’s Day can be expensive, but this does not have to be the case if you and your spouse are low on money.   Anyone can figure out how to do Valentine’s Day on a budget if they sit down and plan things out very carefully.  Love has no price tag, and anything done on this day can be priceless if someone puts their heart and soul into it.

Citations:

• Image of Thai Flowers

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Image author owned

John is an experienced florist who has been designing and delivering flowers for www.gogoflorist.com for 22 years in Thailand.