Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I remember going to the shopping mall with all of my brothers and sisters and eating cinnamon rolls cached with vanilla icing at a restaurant chain called Cinnabon. Fortunately for my heart and waistline, I outgrew this habit. Every now and then, however, I have a breakfast craving for cinnamon rolls like the ones from the mall. You can make this dish as decadent as you want depending on how much icing (if any) you decide to use to top the rolls.

Recommended Equipment:
Stand mixer

Ingredients:
For the buns
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tspn instant yeast
1 tspn salt
6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
5 1/2 tbsp shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tspn lemon extract

For the cinnamon-sugar mix
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn ground cinnamon

For the glaze
3 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 tspn lemon extract
1/3 cup warm milk

Preparation:

1. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, salt, and shortening together. Mix in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then mix in the flour, yeast, and milk until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing the dough on medium for about 8 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it is too sticky add a little more flour.
2. Lightly oil a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon to make the cinnamon-sugar mix.
   
4. Dust a flat surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the surface and roll it into a 14 inch x 12 inch rectangle that is about 2/3 inch in thickness. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a 14 inch log. With the seam side down on the counter, cut the log into 8 even pieces.
5. Grease a large baking pan and place the rolls on the pan about ½ inch apart from one another.
   
6. Cover the rolls with a clean towel or cloth and proof the rolls in a warm place for 1 and 1/2 hours.
   
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the rolls in the middle of the oven.
8. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
9. After the rolls have been removed from the oven, whisk together all of the ingredients of the glaze together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the glaze over warm rolls and serve.
   

Germany [ print this recipe for Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls ]

Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

Sometimes bar food can make a simple, great tasting salad. When you combine romaine lettuce and red onions with Buffalo chicken, blue cheese dressing and celery you get a winning combination. You will only need about a cup of the Buffalo chicken to make this salad so you can use all of the ingredients below along with some toasted light rye bread to make chicken salad sandwiches the following day. We usually make this dish the night after making Buffalo Chicken pizzas as it uses up all of the left over Buffalo Chicken.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite wing sauce. I used Kroger brand.

1/2 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder.

1/2 red onion
blue cheese dressing
1 rib of celery, diced
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

Preparation:

1. Place the butter, chicken, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder, and 1/2 bottle of the wing sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
2. Shred the chicken and add a little more of the wing sauce to the chicken, about 2 tbsp.
3. Place the butter, chicken, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder, and 1/2 bottle of the wing sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Shred the chicken and add a little more of the wing sauce to the chicken, about 2 tbsp.
5. Place the chopped romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl.
6. Top the lettuce with the sliced red onion, diced celery, about 1 cup of the Buffalo chicken, and the blue cheese dressing.

United States [ print this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Salad ]

Chicken Katsu Recipe

This is the Japanese version of your grandmother's fried chicken! You won't even miss the skin with the panko crust.

Ingredients:
Katsu Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tspn peeled, finely minced ginger
1 scallion, white part only, finely minced

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and seal. Place the bag on a cutting board and pound with a mallet until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick.
4. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Put the panko crumbs in a third bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip each piece into the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the panko.
5. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1 cup of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and cook until golden, turning once. Transfer pieces to the prepared baking sheet to drain excess oil. Spray another baking sheet with nonstick spray. Transfer chicken to the sprayed sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
6. Continue until all the chicken is cooked. Place the chicken on serving plates and serve with warm sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Japan [ print this recipe for Chicken Katsu ]

Hungarian Bundt Cake Recipe

Here is another cake that uses the yellow dough recipe. It also uses the same glaze as the German Coffee Cake recipe but is denser and slightly sweeter.

Recommended Equipment:
bundt pan

Ingredients:
2 units of yellow dough
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp shortening
1/8 tspn salt
1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tspn cinnamon

glaze
2 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla
1 tbsp milk

Preparation:

1. If you do not have any yellow dough on hand, prepare it now.
2. Grease the bundt pan.
3. Using a mixer, cream together the brown sugar, unsalted butter, shortening, salt, water, and honey. Spread this mixture evenly in the bottom of the bundt pan.
   
4. Divide the yellow dough evenly into eight to ten round balls.
   
5. In one small bowl, mix together the vegetable oil and melted unsalted butter. In another small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking pan.
6. Take each ball of dough, roll it in the butter and oil mixture, and then place it on the cooling rack for 10 seconds to drain. Roll the ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and place it into the pan. Repeat this process for each of the balls of dough.
7. Place the bundt pan in a warm place to proof for about an hour.
8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Bake the cake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
10. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients. When the ingredients are well combined and the glaze has thickened, drizzle over the bundt cake and serve.

Hungary [ print this recipe for Hungarian Bundt Cake ]

Asian Spinach with Peanut Ginger Sauce Recipe

From Clean Start by Terry Walters...

This dish is inspired by the Japanese staple spinach gomae - spinach with sesame. Traditionally served cold in a pool of sauce, it tastes equally delicious warm. Tender baby spinach is one of the first greens to appear in the greenhouses each spring, when my mind and body are still in cooked greens mode. This recipe deliciously bridges the gap to warmer weather and more cooling preparations.


Ingredients:
8 cups firmly packed chopped fresh spinach
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tspn tamari (soy sauce)
1 tspn maple syrup
1/2 tspn toasted sesame oil or hot sesame oil
3 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

Preparation:

1. Fill large skillet or Dutch oven with 1/4 inch of water and bring to boil. Add spinach and water-sauté until just wilted. Time will vary according to maturity and variety of spinach, but expect 30 seconds to 2 minutes at most. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In bowl, whisk together peanut butter, ginger, tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, and hot water. Drain spinach and squeeze to remove excess water. Place in serving dish, drizzle sauce over top, finish with chopped peanuts and serve.

Serves 4

Variations
If you're allergic to nuts, substitute sunflower butter and toasted sunflower seeds for the peanut butter and peanuts.

Recipe courtesy of Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters

Japan [ print this recipe for Asian Spinach with Peanut Ginger Sauce ]

Book Review: Blood Sugar - Inspiring Recipes For Anyone Facing the Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health

If you have diabetes or if you are just interested in eating good food while watching after your health, then Blood Sugar by Chef Michael Moore is for you. Moore has been a chef for 26 years and has owned and managed restaurants in both London and Sydney including The Bluebird London. He is currently the chef and owner of Summit Restaurant and Bar in Sydney. Despite being extremely active, fit, and otherwise healthy, Michael Moore was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 35. Eight years later he suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain. Although there was no clear link between the stroke and his diabetic condition, this near death experience has caused him to be even more vigilant about what foods he eats. It also helped inspire this book which contains over 100 delicious, healthy recipes for home cooking.

In the opening chapters of Blood Sugar, Chef Moore lays out the framework he uses to categorize all foods. The categories he uses are Fire, Water, and Coal. Fire includes all highly processed, sugary, fatty, low fiber, low protein foods. Some of the foods that fall within this category include rice, white bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, as well as many fruits and fruit juices. The body burns these foods quickly and when these foods are consumed, they immediately elevate blood sugar levels. His Water category includes most vegetables except for pumpkins, potatoes, and parsnips. These foods are high in fiber and have minimal effect on blood sugar levels. The third category is Coal and includes foods that are high in fiber and high in protein. The body burns these foods slowly. Some of the foods in this category include nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Lean meats, fish, lentils, chickpeas, and beans are also included.

Diabetics rate foods according to their Glycemic Index which designates the impact that the particular food has on blood sugar (ie. Glucose) levels. Foods in the Fire category tend to elevate blood sugar levels and should be eaten in moderation. A healthy diet should rely heavily on foods in the water and coal categories as they help maintain sustained energy and promote the stability of blood sugar levels. Proper diet based on this framework combined with at least 20 minutes of exercise daily should lead to better overall health.

In our review, we tested 3 recipes from the book. The first recipe, Banana and Berry Iced Smoothie, was delicious and refreshing. It would be ideal for a spring or summer brunch. Be sure to prepare it two hours before guests arrive as it requires time to freeze to the proper consistency. The second recipe that we tried was the Power Food Salad which we found to be a nice combination of flavors, colors, and textures. It is a great tasting salad that would pair well with grilled meats or vegetables at a cookout. The third recipe in our review was the Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding. This is a great tasting, healthy chocolate dessert with a hint of citrus flavor. It is amazing how good it tastes while having low sugar content. For its sweetness, the recipe relies on agave nectar, a natural sweetener that has a low glycemic index due to its slow rate of absorption into the bloodstream.

We give the book, Blood Sugar by Michael Moore, four stars out of five. The book provides a lot of useful information for diabetics and non-diabetics alike about eating better foods. All of the recipes that we tried were outstanding. The book is filled with delicious, healthy recipes that are accompanied by beautiful photographs of the dishes to match. With the projected growth of diabetes around the world, Michael Moore’s latest book will likely become a valuable resource to many families in the future.

Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding Recipe

This is really quick to make. Everyone loves this one!

Ingredients:
600 ml (20 fl oz) low-fat milk
zest of 1 orange
1 tspn vanilla extract
90 g (3 oz) agave syrup
2 tbsn cocoa powder, sifted
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
3 thick slices seeded brown bread
cocoa and icing sugar, for dusting
sugar-free ice cream, to serve

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Bring milk to the boil in a saucepan with orange zest, vanilla and agave syrup. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. Mix cocoa to a paste in a cup with a spoon of cold milk, then whisk into the hot milk. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the top (ensure the milk is not boiling). Continue to stir.
4. Spread butter onto the slices of bread and arrange in a small baking dish. Pour the chocolate custard mixture evenly over the top. Allow to stand for 15 minutes to allow bread to absorb custard.
5. Bake in oven for 35 minutes. Dust with a little cocoa and icing sugar. Serve warm with some light or sugar-free ice cream.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Blood Sugar: Inspiring Recipes For Anyone Facing The Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health by Michael Moore.

Australia [ print this recipe for Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding ]