Recipes of the Week

I was looking at my calendar for the next week and found that Sept. 13th is “Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day”; Sept. 14th is “Filled Donut Day”; Sept. 16th is “Guacamole Day”; and Sept. 18th is “Cheeseburger Day.” Now that’s a full week!
I think the kids could help with all those things. In fact when my kids were growing up they were always helping to plan the menus, buy the groceries, prepare the meals and helped with the dishes - how else are they going to learn how to survive when they get out into the “real world?”
Depending on how old your child is will of course depend on what part of the meal he/she can help with. Let’s start with the Filled Doughnuts: they could help with measuring the ingredients; you might even have them double the recipe, even if you aren’t going to really make a double batch as it helps them with their math skills. They could also help roll the dough and cut the circles but I would advise that they are not close to the stove when you start to fry the doughnuts.

Filled Doughnuts

1 pkg active dry yeast - OR
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast - bulk
1/4 cup warm water - (110-115 F)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or regular margarine
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup milk - scalded
unbleached flour - *
2 large eggs, well beaten
fat for deep frying - **
jam or jelly
* Use up to 4 cups of Unbleached Flour in this recipe.
** Heat the fat to 375 degrees F. for frying the doughnuts.
Soften the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes or until it “blooms” or proofs.
Put a half cup of sugar, the salt, butter, orange juice and rum extract in a large bowl. Pour the scalded milk over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir until the butter is melted.
Cool to lukewarm. When cool, blend in 1 cup of the unbleached flour and beat until smooth. Stir in the yeast and add about half of the remaining flour, beating until smooth.
Beat in the eggs. Then beat in enough of the remaining flour to make a SOFT (should be slightly sticky and light in weight) dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). Form into a ball and put into a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the ball of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled in bulk.
Punch the dough down, kneading lightly to remove all of the air pockets, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rounds using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Cover with waxed paper and let rise on the rolling surface away from drafts and direct heat, until double in bulk, (30 to 45 minutes).
About 20 minutes before frying, heat the fat. Fry the doughnuts in the heated fat. Put only as many doughnuts at one time as will float uncrowded in a single layer deep in the fat.
Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned; turn the doughnuts with a fork or tongs, being careful not to pierce the doughnut, when they rise to the surface. Do this several times during the cooking. Lift from the fat, draining for a few seconds over the fat before removing to absorbent paper toweling. Cool.
Cut a slit through the center in the side of each doughnut. Force about 1/2 teaspoon of jam or jelly into the center and press lightly to close the slit. (A pastry bag and tube may be used to force the jelly or jam into the slit.) Shake 2 or 3 doughnuts at one time in a bag containing granulated or powdered sugar. (Your choice.) Shake lightly to remove the excess sugar.

Guacamole

1 avocado, peeled and seeded
1 T lime juice
2 T chopped canned green chiles
1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 T mayonnaise or 2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
4 drops hot pepper sauce
Puree avocado with lime juice in blender. In small bowl, combine avocado mixture, green chiles, tomato, mayonnaise (or E.V.O.O.), salt, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce. Cover and chill 1 hour. (Store one of the avocado pits in the bowl to prevent the avocado from browning.)

When I had a Japanese exchange student stay with me she came home from volley ball practice one day to find me out on the porch barbecuing hamburgers and she couldn’t believe that I could do that! I asked why she was surprised and she said the only time they had hamburgers in Japan was when they went to a restaurant!
One of my favorite ways to barbecue is to pat the ground meat out fairly thin and put cheese between two patties of beef or bison and then grill it.
Another favorite recipe for grilling burgers follows. When I make this recipe I put the cheese on top after they have cooked.

Beef Burger Mignon

1 1/2 lb ground round steak, ground twice
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoon minced scallions
2 tablespoon minced parsley
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup beef bouillon
6 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Combine all filet ingredients except butter and seasoned salt. Shape into six patties 1 1/2 inches thick. Press 1 teaspoon of the butter into center of each enclosing well. Wrap a strip of foil, 1 1/2 inches wide, around,folding over ends to secure. Sprinkle both sides with seasoned salt. Chill while preparing mushrooms.

The following recipe comes from the cookbook put out by the “Pool People” last year about this time. The recipe was submitted by Carol Gamble and is my favorite accompaniment to grilled burgers.

Oriental Mushrooms

Source: Carol Gamble - Hysham Cookbook 2013
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
In a large skillet, cook and stir onion in butter until tender.
2 (4 1/2 oz.) jars sliced mushrooms - drained
Stir in mushrooms
2 t. flour
Sprinkle flour over mixture; stir until mushrooms are coated.
1/2 c. water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 T. soy sauce
Add water, bouillon cube and soy sauce stirring until cube is dissolved. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Print this post