Penne Portabella...for Nay

Ingredients:      1 large portabella mushroom, sliced
3-4 good sized white mushrooms sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 lb mild italian sausage
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
¾ cup dry white wine
1 cup half & half (originally heavy cream)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb cooked penne or bow tie pasta
¾ ounce porcini mushroom, dried
¾ cup hot water, only as needed (or more)
2 cups baby spinach leaves (or arugula)

Optional

▪ 2-3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded

▪ salt and pepper (optional)

Directions

1.   Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the hot water (about 10 minutes), then squeeze the liquid out of the mushrooms and chop up. Be sure to reserve the tasty soaking water for the sauce!

2.   Brown the sausage and drain.

3.   Cook the pasta according to package directions as well, less 1-2 minutes to finish "cooking" in the sauce. Meanwhile start the sauce:.

4.   Heat up a large pan add olive oil, saute garlic just until fragrant, add in cooked sausage, & all mushrooms, and the porcini soaking water as well as the wine. Let this cook for a few minutes. Cook until the portabella is browned and tender.

5.   Add cream and heat through, stirring to incorporate the flavors together. Next add the cooked pasta & spinach leaves, cook for a minute or two to let the pasta soak up the sauce and wilt the arugula or spinach.

6.   Taste and adjust seasoning, adding romano cheese then salt and pepper if desired. 

Dinner Rolls..or Filled-Buns

Large size Dinner Roll

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup white sugar (or 1/8 cup Splenda Sugar Blend)

2 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast (I use 2 packets rapid rise yeast to shorten time)

1 ½ cups cold water from tap

1 tbsp oil (I use olive oil)

1 egg (beaten in a sep bowl for basting)

PREHEAT oven to 400˚.

If using a stand mixer, use your dough hook for this from the start.  If mixing by hand you will have to knead dough for 20 minutes.

•    Mix together flour, sugar, salt, & instant yeast.  Then mix in shortening.  Then mix in water slowly while mixer is going.

•    Once dough begins to form wait for it to begin to pull away from mixing bowl (a min or so) then let it knead in the mixer on low for about 15 minutes. Then turn mixer off and remove hook.

•    Use oil to coat the dough. Move it around in the bowl to coat the whole ball.  Cover with kitchen towel and proof for one hour. (if rapid rise yeast this is only 10 minutes)

•    Roll dough by hand into a log about 12” long. Cut in half, then half again and keep going until you have 16 pieces for rolls/ 8 pieces for filled-buns.

•    If making rolls: form rolls with pieces and set on greased baking sheet.  Allow to proof for 45 minutes more (if rapid rise: 10 minutes), then baste with egg & bake for 12-14 minutes.

•    If making filled buns: Roll each piece out to about ¼” thick (I kinda rolled into an oval shape) Put your filling near the center but closer to you.  Fold over once, fold in sides, then fold over again.  Us a bit of the egg to seal the edge together & place on greased baking sheet.  Allow to proof for 45 minutes more (10 minutes for rapid rise yeast). Baste with egg & bake for 12-14 minutes.

**The quantity/size is approximate.  You may find that you want your rolls or filled-buns larger or smaller.

If you are filling with cheese…I suggest you use chunks that are the length you plan to roll.  Shredded tends to disappear into the dough while cooking**

RJ's Flavored Sugar Cookies (low sugar)

¾ cup splenda sugar blend

1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 cups flour
Flavored sugar-free jello mix

PREHEAT oven to 400˚.

•    Heat oven to 400°. 

•    In a large bowl cream the sugar, oil, baking powder, vanilla, salt & eggs.  Mix in flour one cup at a time.

•    Put your jello flavors onto a plate or flat bowl.

•    Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2” apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Press bottom of glass onto dough in bowl once to grease, then press into jello, then onto cookie ball & flatten to about ¼” thickness. (I use one flavor per cookie)

•    Bake 6-8 minutes until light golden brown at bottom edges.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. =3 grams of sugar per cookie

RJ's Chocolate Chip Cookies (low sugar)

1 ½ cups butter or margarine, softened
1 ¼ cups splenda (not the blend)½ cup + 2 tbsps Splenda brown sugar blend
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups no sugar added chocolate chips (Frozo's sells them, and most chocolate candy shops)

PREHEAT oven to 350˚.

•   Cream butter, sugars, vanilla & eggs in large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking soda &  salt.  Stir in chocolate chips.

•   Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie  sheet.

When using regular splenda, you must press cookies a little flatter before baking with the back of a spoon.

 •  Bake 9-11 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool slightly.  Move to wire     rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. =2.5 grams of sugar per cookie

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (lower sugar)

Ingredients:
1 cup chunky peanut butter (or smooth)
1 cup margarine (or butter)
¾ cup splenda baking sugar (white) (u can also use reg splenda here)
¾ cup splenda brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 cups oatmeal
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda


PREHEAT oven to 350⁰


Use either a hand or stand mixer.
In a separate bowl mix baking soda, flour, & oatmeal.

Mix peanut butter, margarine, sugars, eggs, vanilla, & salt until well blended (will be a bit fluffy)
Slowly add flour/oatmeal mixture.
Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet
Using a fork, press cookies down slightly (especially if you used regular splenda instead of baking white)
Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes, or until just golden for soft chewy cookies

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

For those not used to Buttermilk...it can look and smell bad straight out of the carton. It's not...

      

Ingredients:

4 cups Flour

2 2/3 tbsps Baking Powder (or 8 tsps)

½ tsp Baking Soda

1½ tsps Salt

4 tbsps Butter

4 tbsps Shortening (u can use only butter if you must)

2 cups Low Fat Buttermilk, chilled (u can use half & half if u want, but I don't)

Directions         (preheat oven to 450⁰)

1.   In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixure is crumbly. (the faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt)

2.   Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

3.   Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times.

4.   Press into a 1-inch thick round.  Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter (or just use a glass) Be sure to push straight down through the dough. (I do a bit less thick than 1")

5.   Place biscuits on a baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working as little as possible and continue cutting.

6.   Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top.  Approx 10-15 minutes.

**Makes about 16 biscuits depending on the size you cut**