Stuffed Grape Leaves

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
• 60 grape leaves, drained and rinsed
• hot water as needed
• 1 cup olive oil

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
2. Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
3. Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/My-Own-Famous-Stuffed-Grape-Leaves/Detail.aspx?src=rss

Deep Fried Musrooms

Ingrediants

1 lb. First Choice mushrooms

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. club soda

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Cooking oil for deep frying

Wash mushrooms and dry thoroughly on towel. Small mushrooms may be left whole; large ones should be cut into 1/4 inch slices. Stir flour, club soda and garlic salt together until smooth. Dip mushrooms in batter and fry in 400 degree oil for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Oil should be deep enough for mushrooms to float freely. Drain on paper towels.

Giada De Laurentiis Mushroom Parmesan

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the grill pan
• 4 to 6 portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on the grill to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place the grilled mushrooms on top of the marinara sauce and top with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle with the cheeses and top with the butter pieces. Bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve.

By Giada De Laurentiis

Sauted Yellow Squash

• 6 medium summer squash , sliced
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 medium onion , sliced thinly or diced
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. 1
   Melt butter in large skillet.
2. 2
   Add onion and cook just till tender.
3. 3
   Add yellow squash and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring until squash begins to soften.
4. 4
   Cover and continue cooking over low heat until nice and tender (usually about 20-25 minutes).
5. 5
   I add lots of salt and pepper.

Apple peanut butter sandwich

Ingredients

Green Apple Sliced

A pinch of cinnamon   

Peanut Butter

Take the apple slice and set on wheat bread, spread peanut butter on the top slice of bread.  Add a pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Jamaican Fried Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Mix in water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the mixture is wet enough to form into a ball. The dough should be a firm consistency. Knead briefly.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Break off pieces of the dough and shape into a patty - kind of like a flat biscuit. Place just enough of the dumplings in the pan so they are not crowded. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels before serving.
3. 
   

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jamaican-fried-dumplings

Bear Buns

Ingredients

• Bread flour: 200g
• Sugar: 10g
• Salt: 3g
• Water: 60g
• Milk: 60g
• Butter: 10g
• Dry yeast: 2 teaspoons

Instructions

sift flour.

Heat milk until almost boiling and let cool (this encourages the gluten in the bread).

1. In a bowl, combine the bread flour and salt. Add the water (heated to about 32° C if you’re making this in winter), cooled milk, sugar, and dry yeast. Mix thoroughly. When it resembles one ball, place on a flat surface and knead until a smooth texture is achieved.
2. When smooth, knead in the butter bit-by-bit. Place the dough into a round bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place. Wait until the dough has risen to approximately twice its initial size. This is the first stage in letting the dough rise.It should look something like this after the first rising.Place the dough on a benchtop or chopping board and prepare the bears’ ears by cutting 20 1g pieces and rolling them into small balls. Cut the remaining dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls. Place all pieces between a pair of damp cloths (e.g. wrung-out teatowels) for 15-20 minutes (use a timer). Squeeze each ball a bit to force out any gas pockets, and then re-roll into spheres. Take each large ball and firmly press two ears onto it. Place a damp cloth over them to prevent any drying-out. Gently placing all 10 assembled bears into damp “bread mats”, then put them in a warm place for the second rising stage. Make sure all the bears are oriented upwards (to not disturb their ears). Place a damp cloth over everything. Wait until the bears have roughly doubled again in size. if you don’t have any “bread mats”, take some oven trays and place them on the benchtop. Placing the bears on the trays, spray with a water atomiser. Take some drinking glasses and fill them with water, then place them in various locations around the tray. Cover the whole lot with plastic wrap, gently dropping the wrap on from above. Wait until the bears have roughly doubled again in size. For lightly browned bread, preheat your oven to 220 degrees, then bake the bears for 15-20 minutes at 190 degrees. For a white finish, preheat to 190 degrees, bake at 160 degrees for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to 130 degrees for a further 5-10 minutes. If they start to brown, immediately place an upside-down enamel bowl over them, or cover with aluminium foil. Keep an eye on the bears while baking, because oven temperatures vary and are not always accurate or comparable. you can decorate your bears with edible seaweed or a chocolate pen to draw the face!