Cranberry Muffins

From Allrecipes.com
Makes 18 muffins

2 C all-purpose flour
1 C white sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 t orange zest
1 1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 C shortening
3/4 C orange juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C chopped cranberries
1 1/2 C chopped walnuts

1 (8 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
2 T brown sugar, packed
1/4 C margarine

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or grease a 12 cup and a 6 cup muffin tin.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

Cut in shortening; stir in juice, vanilla, eggs, cranberries and nuts. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until brown.

Prepare the topping in a saucepan over low heat by whisking together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar and margarine. Cook until heated and smooth. Reomve from heat and serve as a spread for the muffins.

**Notes from Em**
-Honestly I didn't even bother with the sauce. It sounds like it would be good though.
-I added about 1/4 t of salt. It didn't feel right to be baking without any salt.
-I found it a little heavy on the nutmeg. I'll cut back a little on it next time.

French Toast

From Williams-Sonoma
Makes 3-4 servings

6 slices sturdy French or sourdough bread, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 C whole milk
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 T Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 t grated orange zest
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t fine sea salt
2 T unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving

In a large baking dish, place the bread slices in a single layer.

In a large glass measuring pitcher, thoroughly whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, Grand Marnier (if using), granulated sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, and salt. Pour evenly over the bread and let stand for 1 minute, then turn the bread over. cover the dish with plastic wrap and let stand for at least 10 minutes or for up to 30 minutes.

Place an ovenproof platter in the oven and preheat to 200F. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1T of the butter. When the butter has foamed and the foam begins t o subside, add as many slices of bread as will fit in the pan without overlapping. When the slices are golden brown on the bottom, after about 3 minutes, carefully turn them over and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes longer for custardy French toast, or about 3 minutes longer for drier French toast. Transfer the finished slices to the platter in the oven. Melt the remaining 1T butter and repeat with the remaining bread slices. Transfer the French toast to individual plates, dust the tops with confections' sugar, and serve at once, with warm maple syrup.

Ruth's Sourdough Bread

You'll probably want to be at least somewhat familiar with sourdough and bread making before you tackle this one. I'm reasonably good with both, but I still found myself calling my mom on pretty much every step to make sure I was doing things correctly. After having done it the first time, this is a very EASY recipe.


24 Hours Ahead:
-1 C sourdough mixed with 1 C water and 1 C flour
-Leave at room temperature

12 Hours Ahead:
-Add2 1/2 C flour and 2 1/2 C water to above mixture
-Leave out at room temperature

Next Day:
-Beat sourdough mixture 1-2 minutes
-Add 2-3 C flour and beat 4-5 minutes
-Let stand for 30 minutes
-Add 1 T salt
-Change mixer to a dough hook
-Add 2-3 C flour and knead until no longer sticky - add additional flour if needed
-Raise until doubled
-Turn out onto counter. Let rest 10 minutes
-Form into two loaves, raise until doubled
-Slash loaves and brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 T water
-Bake 425 F in steamy oven for 10 minutes (place pan of boiling water on rack below bread plus spray sides of oven every 3 minutes for the 10 minutes)
-Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 25 minutes longer

**Don't be afraid to turn up the speed on your mixer when you're beating the dough for 4-5 minutes. It'll be lumpy and gross when you put it in, and beating it like this will make it nice and smooth, and create lots of wonderful strings of gluten.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

From familyfun.go.com
Makes 14 Cups

Because it's made with just a handful of basic ingredients, this soup is easy and inexpensive to prepare.  The mild flavor of the soup is pleasing on its own, but traditional add-ins like rice, egg, and onion make it even more appealing and hearty.

1 lb dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
4 C cold water
6 C chicken brother
1/2 t black pepper
2 T olive or canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press
1/2 t cumin
1 bay leaf
2 t kosher salt
1 t sugar
2 T white vinegar

In a large pot, bring the beans and water to a full boil.  Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let stand for 1 hour.

Return the pot to the stove and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add 1/2C cold water to stop the rapid boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Stir in the chicken brother and black pepper, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

While the beans cook, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, green peppers, and celery, and saute them until they are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin, bay leaf, salt, and sugar, and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir the mixture, along with the vinegar, into the beans, cover the pot, and continue cooking for 1 more hour or until the beans are soft.  More water can be added if the soup becomes too thick.

Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf and puree the soup, two cups at a time, in a blender or food processor.  (You can skip the cooling period if you use a hand blender for this step)

Return the soup to the pot to reheat it.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve the soup with side bowls of chopped eggs, minced onions, sour cream, rice, and cilantro for add-ins.

Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake

Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Bake
Serves 4

8 chicken legs

1 lemon
1 pound potatoes
10 garlic cloves
4 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
Fresh, coarse ground black pepper
1 1/2 t Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 F

Put chicken legs into a roasting dish. Cut potatoes and lemon into wedges. Add in the wedges and peeled garlic cloves.

Add in olive oil, coarsely chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes until tender, fragrant, and beautifully browned.

**Notes from Em**
This recipe was AMAZING and so super easy. Next time I make it I think I'll throw in some cubed butternut squash, and maybe some green beans. I served it with a super simple side salad that had a Tuscan herb vinaigrette on it.

Grilled Herbed Pork Tenderloin

From Cooking Light
Serves 8

1/4 C fresh oregano leaves
1/4 C fresh sage leaves
1/4 C fresh orange juice
1/4 C honey
1 T coarsely ground black pepper
2 T grated lemon rind
2 T grapeseed oil
1/4 t salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1/4 t salt

Combine first 9 ingredients in blender or food processor; process until almost smooth. Pour mixture into a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove pork from marinade. Discard marinade. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160F (slightly pink), turning pork after 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

**Notes from Em**
My grill has been less than reliable lately, so I did this in the oven. Cook on 375 for about 30 minutes.
I didn't bother going to the effort or expense of getting fresh herbs, so I used about 1T of each dried. I'd probably do just a little bit less next time. I also added some extra salt.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes

My first adventure into the wonderful world of sourdough.

1/2 C sourdough starter
1/2 C wheat flour
1/2 C milk
1 egg, beaten
1 T oil
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda

The night before you want the pancakes, combine the starter, wheat flour, and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined, cover with a towel, and leave on the counter for 8-12 hours. The longer you leave it, the more 'sour' your pancakes will be.

In a separate bowl mix together the egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add the baking soda and mix well. Immediately add the egg mixture to your sourdough sponge. Mix gently until just combined, and then let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the batter is resting, heat your pan to medium. Pour about 1/4 C of batter onto the pan. When the edges start to dry out, and you have bubbles coming to the top, flip the pancake. Cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.