"Dutch" Oven Crusty Bread

Dutch Oven Crusty Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Adapted from - Simply So Good

Dutch Oven Crusty Bread

3c unbleached all-purpose flour
1t yeast
1t salt
1-1/2c water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Add water and stir until a shaggy mixture forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours (up to 24). Overnight works great.
Preheat oven to 450. Place a cast iron dutch oven with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the risen dough onto a heavily floured surface (mixture will be sticky) and lightly shape into a round loaf.
Remove hot pot from the oven and carefully set in the dough. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove bread from oven and from pot and place on a cooling rack.

*photo by Alaska from Scratch*

BBQ Rib Eye Steaks ~ BBQ pitboys ~ Yum

 ~ The BBQ Pit Boys show you the "tips and tricks" to help you easily serve up the "best steak anywhere", the Rib Eye Steak. What makes the Rib Eye #1 for many? The Rib Eye steak, or ribeye, also known as the Delmonico or Scotch Fillet (Australia), is a beef steak from the small end of the rib roast. When the Rib Eye section of the beef is cut into steaks, it is one of the most popular, tender and juiciest steaks available. This is because the meat from the rib section is tender and fattier or "marbled" more than most other parts of the steer. This extra fat makes Rib Eye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorful. The Rib Eye steak is usually served bone-in, particularly at high quality steakhouses -the extra moisture and fat alongside the bone enhances the flavor. So get yourself some 1 to 11/2 lb and 11/2"-2" thick Rib Eye steaks --and then go "fire up" that BBQ grill of yours -it's time for some real STEAK On The Barbecue.

Cannelloni

It's what's for dinner ~ raining here in Tahiti.....xo

Katrina's Frozen fruit Smoothie

Katrina's Frozen fruit Smoothie

1 banana frozen
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 small papaya, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cup non fat vanilla yogurt ( plain if you prefer)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons Honey or to taste (or use Sugar Substitute of choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients in blender....yum! Enjoy! I've been doing these for breakfast.......;)

Strawberry Shake

Strawberry shake

1 small banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons Honey, to taste (or sugar substitute of choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in blender, mix well and enjoy!

Katrina's Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Chocolate Chip Cookies

These have half the sugar of regular chocolate chip cookie and I made them only bite size. Size is everything when it comes to food!! These are much better than I ever thought they would be. I will make these again with a few more changes perhaps.


1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted well
1 cup whole wheat flour, sifted well
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup Raw Sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar (I make my own)
1/4 cup non fat powdered milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - real is best
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups 70% Cacao chocolate, chopped


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together flours, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, set aside.

Place softened butter, sugar, and vanilla  in a large bowl; beat until creamy. Beat in egg & whites.

Gradually add flour mixture. Don't over beat once you've added your flours, you will make your dough to sticky.

Stir in chopped chocolate and the nuts.

Drop by very small rounded teaspoonful's onto parchment lined cookie sheets lightly sprayed with Pam.

Bakes at 375 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes.

Bon appetit!

Katrina's Mini cheesecake

Katrina's Mini Cheesecakes

Pam cooking spray
20 reduced fat Nilla Wafers
3 packages of  cream cheese
1/3 cup Raw sugar
1 reg. container plain yogurt
3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 lg. eggwhites

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line your muffin tin with your cupcake mini liners. Lightly spray with Pam cooking spray. Place a Nilla wafer into each mini cupcake liner, flat side down preferably. I made mine fit, had to crack them just a little bit.
Mix all ingredients but Nilla wafers in your electric mixer fitted with beaters to beat the cream cheese and sugar...add the rest of your ingredients on low speed and DO NOT OVERMIX!
Put you batter into a small pitcher with a pour spout, this helps a lot when filling up your cupcakes. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, or until they are set. They may puff up on top a bit and they will crack, but don't worry...your fruit filling will cover these cracks up. Top each little mini cheesecake with the topping of your choice..........:)

Cherry Filling

2 cans pitted cherries, drained but reserve 1/2 the juice
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Raw sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Add your cherries to a pot......add splenda to taste (you may like it sweeter)
mix cornstarch with a little cherry juice and allow to come to a boil....once thick, remove from heat and COOL..........

add 1 teaspoon cherry topping to each mini cheesecake....

Bon Appetit!

Homemade Tortillas

Katrina's Homemade Tortillas

2 cups flour (all purpose or ww, your choice)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup HOT water (mine is usually boiled)

I use my Kitchen Aid with the bread dough hook. Mix the shortening and flour to a crumble (like you would biscuits). Add salt. Add hot water and mix to for a sort of ball. Removed bowl and finish mixing by hand. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. You can do your dough balls the size you like. Thinner/Thicker whatever you prefer. Once you have rolled all the dough cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once your dough has rested press in tortilla press or roll out with rolling pin. Preheat a cast-iron skillet - that is the best one I have found to grill my tortillas. If your pan is well seasoned you won't have to add any fat to the pan...leave it dry but hot. Cook your tortilla to brown on each side being careful not to overcook or you will have hard tortillas. Once I'm done with all of the dough I keep these fresh in a ziplock bag in the fridge. :)

Stuffed Tomatoes

Katrina's Stuffed Tomatoes

3 large tomatoes
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons parsley, minced
2 teaspoons cilantro, minced
1 egg white
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut tops off of your tomatoes. Remove the seeds and flesh ~ set aside to make a nice marinara sauce. Sprinkle your tomatoes with salt, turn over and let drain to have as little water in them as possible. 20 minutes is fine.
Mix all your remaining ingredients and stuff tomatoes. put tomato tops back on your stuffed tomatoes, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper and place in hot oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Serve with Rice or couscous and your marinara sauce.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Pioneer Woman’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken
by Ree Drummond

There are a few secrets that I learned from Ree. The first is the buttermilk bath overnight (no, not you, the chicken). Second, mixing the flour with a bit of the buttermilk makes the breading a little shaggy, which is perfect for maximum crispiness volume. Lastly, baking the chicken after frying ensures that the chicken is cooked through without burning the skin.
serves 6-8 hungry ranch hands (halve recipe if you you’re feedin’ normal city folk)

2 cut-up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons seasoned salt (like Lawry’s)
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
canola or vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl (or 2 freezer bags) add the chicken with 1 quart buttermilk. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. In a small bowl combine the 1/4 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps throughout.

3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 365F. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Cover pan and fry 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn, cover and cook additional 3-5 minutes more. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn. Keep in mind chicken will finish cooking in oven.

4. Place chicken on baking sheet and continue frying rest of chicken. When done, bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until chicken cooked through