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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

This is a nice quick bread.  It's not too sweet and not too lemony.  It freezes well too.  The lemon syrup makes the bread moist.  I baked the bread in 3 mini loaf pans instead of a standard size loaf pan.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 large egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest from one lemon

For the syrup:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Stir in the cooking oil, water, and lemon juice.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. With a spatula, mix the two together until moistened. Do not
over mix—over mixing will develop the gluten in the flour and make for a tougher bread.

Scrape the batter into a well-greased 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until done. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a crack in the center of
the loaf. The toothpick will come out clean when done.

While the bread is baking, mix the granulated sugar and the three tablespoons of lemon juice in a cup.
Heat the syrup in the microwave until warm. Stir the syrup until the sugar is dissolved.

Use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the loaf to the bottom of the loaf. Place the holes about one inch
apart. Pour the syrup over the top of the loaf while it is still hot and in the pan. Let the loaf rest for
20 minutes and then remove it from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

posted by: artichoke72 at 14:31 | link | comments |
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Cream of Celery Soup

Celery is pretty cheap at the grocery stores right now.  I got a couple of heads of celery at the grocery store this week for 49 cents each.  Yesterday, I made this soup for lunch and it was yummy. I have never made cream of celery soup before and I was a tad bit apprehensive to make it.  I like celery as part of a whole recipe, but it has a strong flavor and I wasn't sure how it would be on it's own.  I made a cooked celery side dish in the past and didn't like it at all.  Luckily, this soup was nowhere like that old dish.  This is another soup recipes that I'll add to my favorites list.  This recipe makes about 2 servings.

Cream of Celery Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1/2 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, diced (including leaves)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream (or half & half)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan, over a medium heat. As the butter begins to melt, add the
sliced onion and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the diced celery, and continue cooking for 1-2
minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, then lower the heat to a simmer, for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour in the cream. Season with salt and pepper.  Blend with a hand (stick) blender until smooth (or pour in a blender and blend until smooth).

posted by: artichoke72 at 13:52 | link | comments (1) |
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Chicken  Mole Gone Simple

This recipe is revised from one in Mex-Tex: Traditional Tex-Mex Taste by Matt Martinez.  Martinez and his family are well known in Texas.  He has a restaurtant, Rancho Martinez in Dallas and his dad's restaurant is Matt's El Rancho in Austin.  This recipes is soooo quick to make and it's delicious. There wasn't much reserved broth, so I added a little more water to thin the sauce.  The next time I make this I may add a bit of unsweetened chocolate to the sauce.  This time, I sprinkled the chicken mole with a little bit of extra sesame seeds and served it with spanish rice made with brown rice, tossed salad and fresh cantaloupe.

Chicken Mole Gone Simple

4 cups of water
2 pounds bone-in chicken breast halves
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons oil of your choice
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon paprika 
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar

In a large saucepan, place the water, chicken, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove chicken from the broth and let it cool. Reserve the broth. Skin, bone and shred the chicken.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Mix the flour into the oil to form a paste; in a few
minutes, it will turn light brown. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Add the chili powder, peanut butter,
sesame seeds, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and sugar.  Mix in the reserved broth and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Place in a large serving bowl, and serve family style.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

posted by: artichoke72 at 22:04 | link | comments |
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Apple Bread

This is the last apple recipe for awhile.  I have finally gotten down to the last of my apples and I don't want to see another one for a very long time. :)  This bread turn out very sweet.  I assume that you can reduce the amount of sugar by 1/2 a cup without problems. 

Apple Bread

1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups apples, diced
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside Sift flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Add dry
ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Add apples and nuts. Bake in 2 regular loaf pans 70 minutes at 325°F.
Cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing.

posted by: artichoke72 at 20:16 | link | comments |
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