Breads

Peach and Blueberry French Toast Casserole

5 eggs

2 cups milk

1 t. vanilla (although I use 1/4 t. of my favorite super-concentrated Haitian vanilla)

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

12 slices high protein bread (I used Sprouted Wheat Whole Grain), crusts removed

2 ripe peaches

1 c fresh blueberries

4 T butter

sprinkling of cinnamon sugar

Dice the bread and place in a buttered casserole dish with peeled/diced peaches and blueberries. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt together. Pour over bread/fruit mixture. Mix well to be sure bread has absorbed liquid. Melt butter; drizzle over all and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. 


Crusty Dutch Oven Bread
Mix 3 cups of flour with 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 cups water with a wooden spoon in a large bowl (it will be super wet, impossible to knead...don't worry!). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-18 hours. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees; place empty covered Dutch oven in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, to prepare the pot for the baking. Meanwhile, dump dough onto a heavily floured countertop, and sort of mound into a large ball as best you can...it is still pretty wet - I am not shy with the flour at this stage. When the pot is heated, unceremoniously gather up the the dough as best you can and place it into the ungreased, preheated Dutch oven. Place back in the 450 oven for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes. IT WILL BE PERFECT. You will feel like a CHAMP. And you will never be able to pay $4 for an Italian boule ever again. 


Pizza Dough
Mix together in a large bowl 4 cups flour with 2 T. salt. (Reserve another 1 c. flour for kneading later.)
Proof 2 packages of yeast in 2 c. very warm water and 1 t. sugar. ("Proof" means to sprinkle the yeast into water/sugar mixture and let stand for about 10 minutes and there is a foam on top.)
Add 1 T. olive oil to liquid.
Pour liquid mixture into flour/salt mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon, then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead dough for 5 minutes, adding up to 1 c. flour if too sticky. Dough should be pliable and smooth; not too dry, not too sticky. Return to a clean bowl that has been coated with olive oil, turning dough to coat surface of dough. Cover with plastic wrap. You can use it after 30 minutes, but it is better if you let it rise in the frig for a few hours. Divide into individual pizza portions. Roll thin, "dry fry" on a hot skillet, on both sides. Add sauce and toppings and broil for 5 minutes.

To make these lovely Fried Calzone, use the pizza dough recipe above. Roll a circle of dough about 4 inches in diameter, and about 1/8 inch thick. Place a small pile of chopped ham and mozzarella cheese in the center. Fold dough in half over filling; pinch together to seal. Deep fry in hot oil for 3 or 4 minutes turning halfway through cooking time. Serve with pizza sauce if desired. 


Corn Muffins
Cheat and use a Jiffy Cornbread Mix! It costs pennies, only needs an egg and 1/3 c. milk and tastes great with honey or butter! :)

OR...Make it from scratch like this:
1 1/2 c. fine yellow corn meal
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
3 T butter, melted
Line muffin pan with paper cups. Mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add buttermilk, egg, and butter all at once. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed. Pour into cups, bake at 400 for 20-25 min.