Thursday, June 30, 2011

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I like using this homemade taco seasoning mix instead of the store-bought stuff.  In fact, I don't think I've ever bought the stuff from the store.  It's full of stuff we don't need, like a ton of salt, maybe MSG and other questionable items, and this is just way cheaper, too.  I add only a tiny bit of salt to mine; figuring that I can add more salt to recipes I make if I want to. 

I double this recipe when I make it, so I have more and it lasts longer.  I store it in an empty spice jar labeled "Taco".  Lol.  The great thing about making your own spice mixes (or anything!) is that you can add or take away anything you want to.  You can add chipotle powder or smoked paprika in here for that smokey flavor.  Add whatever you want!

Use this seasoning whenever you need taco seasoning.  I use this taco seasoning to make the following recipes:  this Avocado-Corn salad, Spoon Tacos, Beef & Bean Burritos, Shredded Beef Tacos, and this Layered Dip (can be used instead of the chili and cumin powders). 

Homemade Taco Seasoning
adapted from Allrecipes

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, optional
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Combine ingredients in an empty, clean spice jar with a lid.  Put the lid on, and shake until combined.  2-3 Tablespoons equals one storebought packet of taco seasoning. 
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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Wheat Germ Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

With my husband still being out of town, we had pancakes for dinner a few nights ago (although we have them for dinner when he is here, too).  This recipe is one of the 1st 100% whole-wheat pancake recipes that I tried and liked.  It uses buttermilk and whole wheat pastry flour, which make the pancakes light and fluffy.  They are very good!  To change it up, you could use part oat flour, and add some ground flax seeds, or blueberries!  Wheat germ is very heatlhy for you- it contains B Vitamins, Vit A & E, iron, calcium, zinc, protein, and Omega-3's, to name just a few. 

I made the whole batch for just me and the kids, and thought I'd have leftover batter... but we ate them ALL!  The kids all love these pancakes.  Serve with real maple syrup, or homemade strawberry freezer jam.  :)

Wheat Germ Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
from Allrecipes

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1.In a medium bowl, mix eggs with oil and buttermilk. Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, salt and flour; mix until blended.

2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides, turning once.

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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Roasted Potatoes with Pesto

The other day, we grilled some meat, and a stand-by side for grilled meats around here is good ol' oven-roasted potatoes.  A lot of times, roasted potatoes don't need much more than olive oil, salt, and pepper, but it's always fun to change them up and add different herbs or spices, or in this case, fresh basil pesto! 

These potatoes were on their last leg(s?), but they were still wonderful roasted with olive oil and then tossed in pesto.  I roasted first with just olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper, and then I thew on a few big spoonfuls of pesto.  I stirred it around, and retuned to the oven for a few minutes to melt the pesto down and make it easier to distribute.  One last stir with a big spatula, and these potatoes were ready to eat.  The family loved these, except for my one Mr. Picky child.  But everyone else devoured them and wished for more.  They were really, really good.  The crisp-ness from the roasting, mixed with the flavorful pesto.... this is one I will make often!  (Whenever pesto is around, that is!)  I left the skins on- I love crispy roasted tater skins. 

I cleaned out more meat from the freezer for this meal- we had citrus grilled chicken and steak, these potatoes, fresh pineapple, and corn (was feeling lazy after a day at the pool alone with the kids).  I had the meat marinating overnight, I had cut up the pineapple the night before, made the pesto the night before, and these potatoes were so fast to throw together. 

Tomorrow I'll be 32 weeks pregnant, and with kids' swimming lessons, my husband working on his master's degree and being out of town, and just random summer activities, etc, I haven't been cooking creatively very much anymore.  This meal was one of the first ones I've made in a while that wasn't one of my easy, go-to dinner meals.  (Those include homemade mac and cheese, tomato basil soup, pastas, pancakes or waffles, broccoli cheese soup, etc).  Hopefully things will start to improve soon! 

This recipe is just an estimate.  Use the quantities you want.  I never use a pesto recipe anymore; I just make it using estimates of everything, but if you want a basic one, there is one on this post.  I find a metal baking dish works better than a glass one for roasting potatoes; it seems to come clean WAY easier than glass. 
Roasted Potatoes with Pesto
by What a Dish!

4-6 Yukon Gold or similar potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces (leave the skin on!)
olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
sea salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
prepared basil pesto, 1/4-1/3 cup, to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, and add potatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

2.  Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy and slightly browned on the outside but tender on the inside.  Plop a few spoonfuls of pesto onto the potatoes, and gently stir.  Return to the hot oven for about 5 minutes; remove from the oven and stir again to incorporate pesto onto potatoes.  Serve. 
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Friday, June 17, 2011

Dulce de Leche Brownies

I've been wanting to make David Lebovitz's Dulce de Leche brownies forever, and finally did last Sunday!  My choice to make them was speeded up by needing to use up some Dulce de Leche in my pantry that needed using.  These were as good as the Dulce de Leche blondies I made recently, just in a different way.  These were so delicious and gooey warm out of the oven, and after being in the fridge overnight, turned all fudgy and the Dulce de Leche solidified.  I loved how you can still see big pockets of Dulce de Leche in the baked product.  The kids all loved these too- and for some reason, they weren't crazy about the Blondies.  Oh well!  You never know with those crazy kids.

I did add walnuts and would not leave them out- I think having nuts helps cut the sweetness in a brownie like this.  I also used semisweet instead of bittersweet chocolate.
Warm from the oven.
Dulce de Leche Brownies
from David Lebovitz

8 tablespoons (115g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) flour
optional: 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup Dulce de Leche

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C).

2.  Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn’t reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.

3.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.

4.  Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part.

5.  Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.

6.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Storage:These brownies actually become better the second day, and will keep well for up to 3 days.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Pork Stroganoff!

Yes, it's a real thing!  It's good, too.  I'm trying to use up things from my freezer that have been in there a while.  I had some packages of pork that were supposed to be used for Schnitzel.  I did make schnitzel with some, but the meat was so tough that it was hard to eat.  Maybe it was my fault; I don't know, but it did not make me want to try again.  I wanted to get rid of that meat, though, and I figured the best way would be slow-cooking it, to make it tender.  I thought of the recent Beef Stroganoff I had made, and decided I would try Pork Stroganoff.  I used the same recipe, with one modification- I added a dash of Worcester sauce, to add a more "beefy" flavor to the dish.  BTW, I also googled "Pork Stroganoff" and there are lots of recipes out there!  So this isn't really a new thing, and I'm not the only one!  Lol!  We served this over Spaetzle noodles. 

Pork Stroganoff
recipe modified from here
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork, trimmed and cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth (consomme)
1/2 teaspoon mustard
3 tablespoons tomato chili sauce
dash of Worcester sauce
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1-2 cups sour cream (8-16 ounces) (add to taste)
Cooked noodles
Chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a plastic bag. Shake pork strips in bag until well coated. (I just combined in a bowl).

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Brown half the pork at a time. Dump into slow cooker . Add onion and garlic; cook until tender (I cooked onion & garlic with the second batch of pork). To the slow cooker, add broth, mustard, chili sauce, Worcester sauce, and mushrooms, if using*; cover and cook until the pork is tender-4-5 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low. (I did about 4 hours on High, and then 1 hour on low.) Stir occasionally. Just before serving, stir in sour cream. Serve immediately over noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 6-8 servings

*May want to wait to add the mushrooms- since I don't cook with them, I'm not sure of a good time to add them to the slow cooker.  Maybe one hour before serving? 

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

My Banana Bread

This is a recipe I made up by combining and changing a few different recipes.  I came up with this recipe about 8 or 9 years ago, when I first started getting into cooking and trying to eat mostly whole grains.  As I've discovered new and different food items, like whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt, I've incorporated them into this recipe.  After a long hiatus from making this, I decided to return to it the other day when I had 3 black bananas and some Greek yogurt in the fridge.  I was glad I did- I really enjoyed this both fresh out of the oven and on the followind days, lightly toasted with butter.  It's tasty, filling, not too sweet, and pretty good for you, too.  I store this in the fridge because of the moistness. 

The recipe is supposed to be made in a 9x5 pan, but I wanted to use my fave 8 inch bread pan, so with the leftover batter, I made a mini-loaf of banana bread.  I'm not sure on the size- it was one of those mini disposable aluminum pans.  It was perfect for giving away!  ;)

Note:  The recipe below calls for whole wheat pastry flour- regular whole wheat is fine.  It will just be a bit heavier.  It also calls for Greek yogurt- but regular plain yogurt is fine, too.  Don't even bother draining it or anything.  I used to make this with regular ww flour and regular plain yogurt, and it was still good.  I also have made this with ALL whole wheat flour and it's still good. 
My Banana Bread
by What a Dish!

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 large eggs
3-4 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (can use regular whole wheat)
1 cup white flour (can use all whole-wheat flour)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsley chopped walnuts or pecans

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2.  Mix sugar, butter and applesauce in a large bowl (can use a mixer). Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flours, wheat germ, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts.

3.  Pour into pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
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Friday, June 10, 2011

Crabmeat and Corn Soup

How about a break from the constant carb bombardment?!  This soup is delicious.  I'm not sure if it's actually a chowder or bisque or what; the recipe title is just "soup".  So, soup it is.  It's thick and rich, and I even modified the recipe and do not use any half and half.  I first tried this recipe back when we lived in Washington State and bought whole, fresh Dungeness crabs.  I think we just bought two, but our kids were very young back then and our fam couldn't finish off all the crab meat in one sitting.  Plus, I think the kids got bored and wandered off after a while... it took FOREVER to crack those crabs and get all the meat out!  So we ate our fill, and the next day, I had enough crab meat leftover to make this soup. 

I loved the soup so much that I bought crab again recently just to make it.  I got Phillips Refrigerated Crab though.... I'm not into cracking crabs right now, and I've only seen tiny ones here that are probably only sold as fishing bait.  Sadly, now that my kids are older, they don't want to eat crab anymore.  :(  So they weren't excited about this soup, but they still did eat it.  I think they liked it too, but just didn't want to admit it. 

The first time I made this, I had no whole milk or half and half on hand.  The original recipe calls for 2 cups of each.  So, I used one can of evaporated milk and 1% for the rest.  There's plenty of flour in this to thicken it enough... it probably would have been almost solid with the higher fat products!  However, if you don't want to use evap. milk, check out the original recipe

My flour ended up sticking the pan as this cooked... just stir very often and it probably won't happen to you.

Crabmeat and Corn Soup
adapted from Allrecipes

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, plus enough 1% milk to equal 4 cups of liquid
1 3/4 cups whole kernel corn
1 cup chopped green onions or 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 pound crab meat
1/2 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 dash soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1.In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter, add flour, and stir gently until blended; do not burn or let it darken. Add evaporated milk and 1% milk gradually, stirring all the while, stirring gently while blending. Add corn and green onions, and cook for a few minutes until tender.

2.Add crabmeat, pepper, salt, and soy sauce and simmer (and stir!) until very hot and small bubbles form around the edge; do not let boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with sprinkles of chopped fresh parsley when serving and serve hot.

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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Crocodile Cake!

Actually, we're not quite sure if this is a crocodile cake.... this was my middle son's birthday cake about 2 weeks ago, and it started out as a crododile.  Then, he started referring to it as a dinosaur, and then finally a dragon.  So I guess this cake is good for all of your crocodile/dinosaur/dragon cake needs.  Thanks to the Family Fun website, yet again, for another great cake inspiration!  My husband cut up the pound cake and put it together (see above link for instructions); I frosted it, and my son decorated it with M&M's, whoppers, and orange slice candies.  Um, I did the teeth, but there was mocking going on about that.  It's a crocodile, for goodness sake!  It's supposed to have gnarly teeth!  Oh, my husband did the eyes.  He may want credit for that! 

My son wanted a chocolate cake, so I modified my favorite pound cake recipe into a chocolate one by subbing in some cocoa powder for part of the flour.  This recipe always makes a bit too much for my bundt pan, so I always bake some batter in my tiny, 4-inch springform pan- that cake becomes the birthday person's personal cake.  If you don't have a tiny pan, making 2 or 3 cupcakes should do the trick.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake
adapted from Allrecipes- recipe here

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

2.In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.

3.Add eggs two at a time, beating well with each addition. Add vanilla.  Add the cocoa flour all at once and mix in.

4.Pour into a 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of cake will come out clean.
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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Scotcheroos

Darn these things.  Rice Krispies were on sale a little bit ago, so I bought a box, and on the side was this recipe.  The kids spotted it and begged me to make it, so I thought, "Why not?"  They seemed easy enough.  Well, they are SO good and addictive; I can probably attribute 1 or 2 pounds of my pregnancy weight gain to these babies.  (Cry). 

I wasn't excited about the use of corn syrup, which is why I've never made this recipe before, even though I've seen it around.  The kids wanted them so much, though!  When I made them, I couldn't bear to add that whole cup of corn syrup, so I used 1/2 cup of light, mild honey, and 1/2 cup corn syrup.  The honey's flavor was so mild that you could not taste it in the finished product.  Yay!  The recipe also calls for butterscotch chips, which I stay away from because they contain hydrogenated oils.  I bit the bullet though, and used them anyway, and I realize I miss the flavor of good ol' butterscotch chips!  (Darn them!!!)  I did use natural, unsweetened peanut butter in these.  At least I have that....

These things were so, SO good!  I could not stop eating them.  I was relieved when they were gone so I couldn't eat any more.  My middle son liked them so much he requested them for his birthday school class treat.  I put sprinkles on top of that batch- sprinkles make everything festive.

I will never make these again unless I can bring them somewhere!  Or something.  :)

Scotcheroos
adapted from Kellogg's

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light colored honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used natural)
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

1. Place corn syrup, honey, and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.
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Monday, June 6, 2011

Grilled Naan Bread Pizzas

These were some of the most fun and best-tasting pizzas I've ever had.  :)  I used one of my all-time favorite recipes, Grilled Naan Bread, to create the base of these pizzas- an idea I've had floating around forever, but for some reason, did not try until last week for our pizza Friday.  I divided the dough into 10 pieces instead of 12, so we each had two little pizzas.  I thought the kids would be filled up on only one, but they each ate their two and wanted more!  We also had fresh watermelon and cherries..... I love summertime!  (Although I did pay $5/lb for the cherries and a small, half-watermelon cost over $5, but oh well!  It was worth it!). 

I used the simple pizza sauce from this recipe (scroll down a little), 8 oz. of shredded mozzarella, and on the adult pizzas, I used halved cherry tomatoes and chopped orange bell peppers.  I put (turkey) pepperoni on the kids' pizzas, since that is what they wanted. 

When grilling any kind of pizza, it's important to use a light hand with the toppings.  The toppings will only really get warmed through and the cheese melted.  You won't get browned, crispy cheese using the grill- if you do- the bottom of your crust will probably be in flames by that point.  :)  So, don't pile on the cheese or other toppings.  Eight ounces of mozzarella cheese was more than enough for these 10 little pizzas- we ended up putting extra on some of them to use up the cheese.

Another thing you'll want to do is get all of your toppings ready and placed right by the grill so you can work fast when applying them.  Working fast ensures everything is warmed through on top, and the bottom crust cooked to perfection.  I put my oil in a small bowl with a silicone brush it in, the pizza sauce in a small bowl with a spoon handy, and the toppings in other small bowls. 

That last time I did grilled pizza, I just made two large pizzas, but I really, really prefer this method of making 10 smaller ones- the crust cooks SO much better- crispy and thin on the edges and slightly thicker and chewier in the middle- it was just divine!  However, next time I think I will use the garlic oil from the recipe linked above; I would love some of that flavor on these Naan pizzas- it would have made these even better!! 
Grilled Naan Bread Pizzas

Grilled Naan Bread:
3+ cups plain flour (Can use one cup of whole wheat flour)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons yeast
2/3 cup warm milk
2/3 cup natural (plain, unsweetened) yoghurt (room temp)
Olive or canola oil for greasing grill grates
3 tablespoons oil or butter, melted (I used olive oil since I was making pizza)

Easy Pizza Sauce:
1 8 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Dry Oregano
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Dry Basil
1/4 tsp Garlic salt

Pizza Toppings:
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
chopped veggies of your choice
pepperoni, optional

Preparation
1. In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid) dissolve the yeast in the milk and sugar, and stir in the yoghurt. Add the flour and stir in the salt and baking powder. Mix thoroughly with the flour to form a dough.

2. Using your Kitchenaid or your hands, knead the dough until it is smooth and only slightly sticky (you might need to add more flour, I did), and place in a bowl covered with a clean cloth. Place in a warm place to rise for 2-4 hours.

3.  Make the pizza sauce: Combine tomato sauce, herbs, and garlic salt in a small bowl.  Cover and let sit at room temp while the dough rises. 

4. Divide the risen dough into 10 equal sized portions and roll them into balls. On a lightly floured surface flatten the balls into oblong shapes, using both hands and slapping the naan from one hand to the other. (Or you can just use a rolling pin; I find that easier.)

4. For grilling: Rub your grill grates with oil. Preheat your grill for 5-10 minutes on high (for gas). You want it nice and hot when that dough comes into contact. Place rolled-out naans onto grill and wait for the one side to cook and brown a little. The raw side should bubble up. Using a silicone brush, brush the raw side with oil or melted butter, and flip over to the other side.

5.  On the cooked side- layer pizza sauce, cheese, and chopped veggies or meat.  Remember to use a light hand!  If you have extra oil, you can brush the edges of each pizza with it.  Close the lid and cook until cheese is melted to your liking, and crust is browned.  
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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Savory Italian Pinwheel Rolls


These rolls are so delicious, and not that hard to make, either, if you have ever worked with yeast doughs before.  This is a pretty simple one.  You roll out a small batch of dough, layer on some delicious toppings (butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and herbs, and then roll it up, jelly-roll style, and cut it like cinnamon rolls.  I used one cup of whole wheat flour, and brushed butter on these babies as soon as they came out of the oven.  They were gone very quickly at dinnertime.  The kids were fighting over the last ones. 

I've made these twice now, and the first time, I used fresh garlic like the recipe states, but I've come to find that although I love garlic, I don't love huge chunks of it in my bread products.  I like this recipe both ways, but this time, I went with garlic powder (I was in a major hurry as well- otherwise I might have done one clove of fresh, and also used garlic powder).  Anyway, feel free to make these rolls with either fresh garlic or garlic powder- either way is delicious!  

Savory Italian Pinwheel Rolls 
from Taste of Home, via Allrecipes

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour (I used one cup whole wheat)

FILLING:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3-4 garlic cloves, minced, or liberal sprinkling of garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon (or so) of extra butter, melted, for brushing over baked rolls 

1.  In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let sit for 5 minutes (to activate yeast).  Add the sugar, butter, salt and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth.  Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  

2.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (I just used my stand mixer for this whole process).  Place in a bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  

3.  Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle.  Brush with melted butter; sprinkle Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic and oregano to within 1/2 in. of edges.  Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal.  Cut into 12 rolls (using thread or unwaxed dental floss).  

4.  Place rolls cut side up in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  After rolls have risen, bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush hot rolls with extra butter.  Remove from pan to a wire rack.


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