Sweet & Savory Sunday -- Wild Rice Hot Dish, Asparagus & Whole Wheat Rolls
I've always loved to bake but when I was younger, that mostly meant chocolate chip cookies. Well the last few years, I've really taken to broadening my horizons & its started to include other delicious desserts as well as breads, rolls & yummy meals. I'm no chef & I'm not original. Truth be told, for the past year, at least 90% of the new recipes I've tried have been from here.
As I've gotten better at baking/cooking & playing around with flavors, I've started to experiment and adapt the recipes I try. I love to share recipes so I decided that [for now] I'm going to post a recipe I want to share each Sunday evening. Like I said, most of them are thieved from Mel so I'm not claiming them as my own but I'll always give credit where credit is due!
Right now I'm 3 weeks into an 8-week challenge that forbids sugar, white flour, etc... so needless to say I'm eating healthy. But other than desserts, my main course meals are usually very healthy anyway, its just how we eat. So the recipes I'll be sharing right now will be ones you can feel good about in this New Year!
Today I'm posting 3 recipes because its what we had for dinner and it was SO DELICIOUS! I would post a picture but we ate it all! All 3 recipes originate from Mel's Kitchen Cafe but have been adapted by yours truly.
Wild Rice Hot Dish -- don't be afraid of a casserole with ground beef. This is one of the most delicious meals I've ever made. I love it!
*Serves 4-6
1 1/2 cups wild rice mix
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour (can use any type)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup sliced almonds
In a small bowl, cover the wild rice with cold water and let it soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large non-stick skillet (12-inch) over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper until no longer pink. Drain the grease from the meat. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Return the skillet to the stovetop and heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, until the onions are translucent and the most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about 1 minute over medium heat until it is cooked and golden.
Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk to incorporate. Add the seasoning salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and paprika and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
Drain the wild rice. Stir all ingredients together in a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking dish.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered until the almonds are golden and toasted and the rice is tender. Serve immediately.
Perfect Roasted Asparagus -- you will never eat Asparagus a different way again. I promise.
asparagus spears
olive oil
Kosher/Coarse salt
Black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating, gently break off the lower ends of the asparagus. This is the tough part that isn’t so great for eating. The asparagus should break naturally when you bend the asparagus about 1-2 inches up the stalk. Discard the lower, tough portion.
Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a silicon pastry brush to lightly coat with the olive oil. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper.
Bake until Asparagus is tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.
100% Whole Wheat Rolls -- this is adapted from Mel's French Bread Rolls which I make often. They're simple rolls to make & I've discovered the secret to making 100% whole wheat rolls that wouldn't put a hole in your wall if you throw it. It takes some planning ahead but its worth it.
*Makes about 12-15 rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp active dry yeast)
3 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 - 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour (if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour). Cover with a clean towel or paper towel & let sit for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally as it rises. "Priming" the dough this way is what will make a lighter sponge.
When ready, move the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer add the rest of the flour 1/4 c. at a time. Because you're using whole wheat, the dough will ball together quickly. The dough will be dense. Don't be alarmed.
Knead the dough in the stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Lightly spray a large glass bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour).
Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide the dough into 12-15 equal pieces (I weigh mine and use about 2 oz. per roll) and form the dough into round balls. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet about an inch or two apart. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap taking care not to pin the plastic wrap under the baking sheet or else the rolls will flatten while rising. Let the plastic wrap gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Brush with butter immediately.
TIP: These rolls (with white or wheat flour) are GREAT for using as buns for hamburgers, BBQ sandwiches, etc... Just divide into 8 rolls (about 4 oz each) and flatten them a little with the palm of your hand before rising. You'll never want to buy buns again!
I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Sweet & Savory Sunday. Come back next week!
As I've gotten better at baking/cooking & playing around with flavors, I've started to experiment and adapt the recipes I try. I love to share recipes so I decided that [for now] I'm going to post a recipe I want to share each Sunday evening. Like I said, most of them are thieved from Mel so I'm not claiming them as my own but I'll always give credit where credit is due!
Right now I'm 3 weeks into an 8-week challenge that forbids sugar, white flour, etc... so needless to say I'm eating healthy. But other than desserts, my main course meals are usually very healthy anyway, its just how we eat. So the recipes I'll be sharing right now will be ones you can feel good about in this New Year!
Today I'm posting 3 recipes because its what we had for dinner and it was SO DELICIOUS! I would post a picture but we ate it all! All 3 recipes originate from Mel's Kitchen Cafe but have been adapted by yours truly.
Wild Rice Hot Dish -- don't be afraid of a casserole with ground beef. This is one of the most delicious meals I've ever made. I love it!
*Serves 4-6
1 1/2 cups wild rice mix
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour (can use any type)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup sliced almonds
In a small bowl, cover the wild rice with cold water and let it soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large non-stick skillet (12-inch) over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper until no longer pink. Drain the grease from the meat. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Return the skillet to the stovetop and heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, until the onions are translucent and the most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about 1 minute over medium heat until it is cooked and golden.
Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk to incorporate. Add the seasoning salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and paprika and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
Drain the wild rice. Stir all ingredients together in a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking dish.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered until the almonds are golden and toasted and the rice is tender. Serve immediately.
Perfect Roasted Asparagus -- you will never eat Asparagus a different way again. I promise.
asparagus spears
olive oil
Kosher/Coarse salt
Black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating, gently break off the lower ends of the asparagus. This is the tough part that isn’t so great for eating. The asparagus should break naturally when you bend the asparagus about 1-2 inches up the stalk. Discard the lower, tough portion.
Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a silicon pastry brush to lightly coat with the olive oil. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper.
Bake until Asparagus is tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.
100% Whole Wheat Rolls -- this is adapted from Mel's French Bread Rolls which I make often. They're simple rolls to make & I've discovered the secret to making 100% whole wheat rolls that wouldn't put a hole in your wall if you throw it. It takes some planning ahead but its worth it.
*Makes about 12-15 rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp active dry yeast)
3 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 - 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour (if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour). Cover with a clean towel or paper towel & let sit for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally as it rises. "Priming" the dough this way is what will make a lighter sponge.
When ready, move the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer add the rest of the flour 1/4 c. at a time. Because you're using whole wheat, the dough will ball together quickly. The dough will be dense. Don't be alarmed.
Knead the dough in the stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Lightly spray a large glass bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour).
Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide the dough into 12-15 equal pieces (I weigh mine and use about 2 oz. per roll) and form the dough into round balls. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet about an inch or two apart. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap taking care not to pin the plastic wrap under the baking sheet or else the rolls will flatten while rising. Let the plastic wrap gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Brush with butter immediately.
TIP: These rolls (with white or wheat flour) are GREAT for using as buns for hamburgers, BBQ sandwiches, etc... Just divide into 8 rolls (about 4 oz each) and flatten them a little with the palm of your hand before rising. You'll never want to buy buns again!
I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Sweet & Savory Sunday. Come back next week!
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