Poppyseed Filling and Prune Filling for Kolache

Use fillings with Sweet dough recipe: https://ritasrecipesblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/sweet-roll-recipe.html

Poppy Seed Filling
Jessie Jarvis recipe by Ann Nystrom

1 1/4 cup milk
3 cups ground poppy seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup

Put altogether and stir well. Cook until thick. Keep stirring while cooking. Cool
(Mom also says she usually makes 1/2 the recipe

 --use a little more sugar if you want. She tastes it and mom always adds more sugar, watch so you don't get it too dry. If so, add some milk.)

Prune Filling for Fruit Buns (Kolache and Buchty)

Jessie Jarvis recipe by Ann Nystrom

Stew 1 pound prunes. Pit prunes. Chop prunes. Add
1/2 cup sugar or more
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Mix well and add a little prune juice if too stiff. Taste to see if sweet enough. Roll dough about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 2 inch squares. Take into hand and stretch dough a little. Put 1 tablespoon filling in center. Bring corners together in center. Pinch together. Place into a well greased pan, side by side, but grease each roll on the sides so they can be pulled apart easily when baked. When raised, bake 350 degrees for 45 or 50 minutes. Next day, take apart--reheat them and dip in melted butter, then roll in sugar. Now eat!

Sweet Roll recipe

 Jessie Vondra Jarvis Sweet Rolls

(Usually doubles recipe)

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
Cream together, then add 2 cps hot water (so you can keep you finger in a second, not too hot.)
Then add: 1 bakers yeast that has been softened in 1/2 cp water and 1 teaspoon sugar.

Beat well and then add 2 cups flour. Beat real well, as for cake. Keep adding flour and beating until it gets too stiff for the spoon and then add more flour and knead until quite stiff. Cover well and put to raise in a warm place. When double in bulk, knead down and when double in bulk a second time, make into rolls, cinnamon rolls, fruit buns (kolache), etc. It takes about 1/2 hour to mix the bread 1 1/2 for it to raise the first time and about an hour the second time. My mother also add to be sure and keep the dough nice and warm.

Buttermilk and Brown Sugar Cake

 Emma Vondra's Buttermilk and Brown Sugar Cake

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins

1 cup nuts

Cream butter and add brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add buttermilk and soda, but do not stir them. Add the flour, vanilla, nuts and raisins. Mix well and place in large bread pan. Bake in moderate oven more than 1/2 hour.

Moderate oven 350 degrees.

Tomato Pineapple Jam

Tomato Pineapple Jam

Jessie Jarvis
Makes 2 1/2 quarts

2 lemons
1 cup water
2 cups diced apples, peeled
4 cups tomato pulp peeled
1 cup shredded pineapple
Cut lemon into thin slices. Place lemons in large

heavy saucepan. Cover with water. Cook until tender. Add apples, tomato pulp, and pineapple. Mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat. Boil, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Continue boiling until mixture is thick and clear. Pour into hot jars and seal with hot paraffin at once.

White Bread, Emma Vondra

 Aunt Emma Vondra's White Bread

3 loaves

Takes about 5 lb. of flour
2 Tablespoons yeast, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 quart luke warm water--use part potato water
2 tablespoons sugar
Add some flour and beat until smooth, then add yeast

1/4 cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
flour to make a stiff dough
Knead until smooth
Let rise until double
Knead down and rise again
Make into loaves
Let rise again
Bake

Makes 6 = 1 pound loaves or
Makes 3 large loaves

French Toast, Jessie Jarvis

Grandma Jessie Jarvis, French Toast

To each beaten egg add:

1/4 cup milk

1/4 flour

a pinch of salt

Will or should be lumpy

Cut slices of bread in half. Let dry overnite. Fry in deep fat until golden brown--375 degrees.

Kolache Recipe from Mayme Bouzek Kopecky

Hand written cards written by Mayme Kopecky.

Kolache

In bowl add:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages yeast

Mix with electric beater.

In pan, add:
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
Heat until very warm, 130 degrees. Add this to the flour mixture and beat for two minutes, very fast, until smooth.

Add:
2 eggs plus
1/2 cup flour
Beat on fast (high).
Add flour to make a soft dough:
2 to 3 cups flour.
Knead until smooth.

Let sit for 20 minutes. Make into balls. Let rise 1 hour. To make into kolache, fill and let rise 1/2 hour. Bake at 325 degrees. (Not sure how long)

Notes on the card: Verna O (I wonder if this is the source of this recipe?) I let the dough raise longer and work it down twice before making it into rolls. I used lard also.

Mayme Bouzek Kopecky's Hard Tack Recipe

Bring to a boil in a large pan:
2 cups sugar
2 cups molasses
1/2 cup butter

Add 4 teaspoons baking soda to 2 1/2 tablespoons hot water and mix together. Shut the burner off and add the soda mixture. It will be very foamy.

In a large bowl, mix:
8 cups flour
2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or other nut of your choice)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

The dough is quite warm when I add the flour mixture. Mix together and divide into two equal parts. Dust the table with flour. Roll the dough out as thin as possible. Cut into shapes with a pizza cutter.
Do not grease the cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes at 360 degrees.

Cauliflower Soup

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cauliflower-soup/

Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped celery
2-1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

Directions

In a Dutch oven, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain).
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add hot pepper sauce if desired. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.

Test Kitchen Tips
Feel free to use 2-1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth instead of water and bouillon.
Make this gluten-free by using cornstarch as a thickener. Omit the flour and butter, and make a slurry by whisking 2 tablespoons cornstarch into the milk before adding it to the saucepan.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup: 159 calories, 11g fat (7g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 617mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 7g protein.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

recipe from the Nestle white chip package

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups white morsel chips

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla together in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Gently stir in morsels. Drop by well rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove from baking sheets to cooling racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately 5 dozen.

Rhubarb Slush

https://edieseveryday.blogspot.com/2013/09/one-of-best-frozen-drinks-youll-ever.html?m=1

Rhubarb Slush

Ingredients
8 cups chopped rhubarb
6 cups water
1 can frozen pink lemonade concentrate or your choice of juice
1/2 cup lemon juice (or 2 tbsp Epicure's Lemon Chiffon Dip Mix)
1/2 cup strawberry jello powder
About 1/2 cup sugar, to taste (taste the drink after adding the jello and before adding any sugar)
Additional can of frozen concentrate of your choice such as berry, orange-pineapple, optional

To Make
Bring rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is soft and tender.
Place colander over large bowl.
Pour rhubarb and juice into colander.
Allow 30 minutes to drain.
Discard rhubarb.
Add the rest of the ingredients. (If the juice is cold you might want to reheat it to dissolve the jello powder.
Pour into ice cream pail, freeze and stir every hour until slushy (or just every once in a while if you are too busy).
Let it freeze completely and enjoy a taste of summer in the middle of the winter.

To Serve
Scoop into punch bowl or pitcher until half full and fill the rest with regular or diet lemon-lime soda, or soda water OR
fill glass with half slush and half ginger ale.
I scrape the frozen slush with a large spoon or ice cream scoop without thawing all of it if I'm only making one or two drinks.

Edie's Tips:
-This is one of my many rhubarb slush recipes. It's a drink I never make quite the same from year to year so I'm sharing a fairly basic recipe.
-If you like your drink sweeter, you can substitute half the rhubarb for strawberries- tastes awesome as well.
-Some people cook 8 cups of rhubarb with 3 cups of water and then blend it all together to get more fibre instead of straining and discarding the rhubarb.
-You have to try a few different ways and flavours to see which one you prefer. I find the rhubarb and the strawberry jello one to be the easiest and the brightest looking.
-This slush is often frozen with Vodka or Bacardi so you have to let it thaw and stir a bit if you don't add any alcohol.
-You can also process rhubarb punch in jars (without the soda of course) and serve as a cold drink or add to other juice.

Pasta Machine Recipe

Home-Made Pasta

marcato.it/en/academy/recipes/home-made-pasta

STEP 1 - Preparing the dough by hand

Pour the flour into a bowl, then the eggs and water in the middle.
Mix with a fork to thoroughly blend the ingredients with the flour. Do not add salt!
Knead the dough with your hands until it is completely smooth and consistent. If the dough is too dry, add some water; if it is too sticky, add some flour. Perfect dough should never stick to your fingers.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a table, lightly dusted with flour.
If necessary, continue kneading the dough by hand and break it up into little pieces.

STEP 2 - Preparing pasta sheets

Set the adjustment knob of the machine to number 0, so that the two smooth rollers are fully open. Feed a piece of dough through the rollers while turning the crank clockwise or after turning on the motor.

Lightly dust both sides of the pasta sheet with flour and fold it in half. Feed the pasta sheet through the smooth rollers several times, until it is long and regular in shape.

Cut the pasta sheet in two and dust each piece lightly with flour on both sides.

Set the adjustment knob to 1 and pass the pasta sheet through just once; then, set the adjustment knob to 2 and pass the pasta sheet through once more; then, set the adjustment knob to 3, and so on until you reach the desired thickness (the recommended thickness setting is no. 6 for fettuccine and no. 7 for tagliolini).

Cut the pasta sheet crosswise, into pieces about 25cm long (10 inches) and dust them with flour.

STEP 3 - Cutting the pasta

Insert the crank or the motor in the cutting accessory and feed the pasta sheet through the rollers to cut it. Pick up the dough with the stick and transfer it to the Tacapasta.

The pasta dries in about 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity and can then be stored in suitable kitchen containers.

Tips

Do not use cold eggs straight out of the refrigerator;
Do not add salt to the dough;
clean the rollers of the machine by feeding a little dough between them;
preserve home-made dried pasta for no more than 1 month;
you can freeze freshly cut pasta, but always consume it within 1 month;
cook the pasta in a large amount of hot water (4 litres for every ½ kg of pasta).

Pizza

I used to make pizza frequently, and seem to have lost my recipe. I found this when looking for pizza crust and pizza sauce recipes. I haven't tried it yet, but this looks like a good option. I omitted copying the personal stuff at the beginning of the post.

http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2010/12/using-your-food-storage-my-favorite.html

This recipe calls for instant yeast, but if you're like me and buy yeast in bulk, you might only store active dry yeast. No worries! It is simple to switch in between types of yeast.

If your recipe calls for 1 t. instant yeast --> substitute with 1-1/2 t. of active dry yeast

If your recipe calls for 1 t. active dry yeast --> substitute with 3/4 t. of instant yeast 

People generally say that active dry yeast should be dissolved in warm water before being incorporated into a dough.  The warm water does jump start your yeast. If you let your yeast/warm water mixture set for 5 minutes and make sure it gets bubbly, you'll insure that you only use lively yeast.  Here's a secret: you don't really have to do that. I keep my yeast in the freezer and it stays perfectly fresh. I may have to add a little rising time to my dough if I don't dissolve my active dry yeast first, but it otherwise works fine. 

Sheet Pan Pizza, originally published in Cook's Country Magazine

DOUGH:
Cooking Spray
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1-3/4 cups water , heated to 110 degrees 
1 tablespoon sugar 
5 cups all-purpose flour 
2 envelopes instant or rapid-rise yeast (4-1/2 teaspoons)  OR about 5-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt 

SAUCE AND TOPPINGS:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
3 garlic cloves , minced 
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or use 2 t. dry or freeze-dried basil)
Salt 
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese 
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
Whatever meat or other toppings you like. How about a jar of home-canned ground beef, seasoned to taste? 

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven. Grease large bowl. Evenly coat rimmed baking sheet with 1/4 cup oil. 

2. Combine water, sugar, and remaining oil in measuring cup. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-low and slowly add water mixture until dough is uniform in texture, about 3 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (If you substituted active dry yeast for the instant yeast, it may take another 5-10 minutes to double.)

3. For the sauce and toppings: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt.

4. On lightly floured work surface, use rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and stretch dough to cover pan, pressing dough into corners. (I am lazy and usually just press the dough into the pan.) Brush dough with remaining oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set in warm spot (not oven) until slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

5. Remove plastic wrap and, using fingers, make indentations all over dough. Sprinkle dough with 1 cup Parmesan and bake until cheese begins to melt, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and spoon sauce over pizza, leaving 1-inch border. Bake until sauce is deep red and steaming, 7 to 10 minutes. 

6. Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over sauce your choice of meat/toppings and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Rhubarb Custard Bars

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/rhubarb-custard-bars?trkid=FBPAGE_TOH_20170327_Buzzy_Video

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 50 min. + chilling

YIELD:36 servings

Ingredients

CRUST2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter

FILLING:
2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs, beaten
5 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained

TOPPING:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Directions
1. In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° until custard is set, 40-45 minutes. Cool.
3. For topping, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spread over top. Cover and chill. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.

Test Kitchen Tips
Heavy whipping cream gives custard fillings a luscious, decadent texture, but half-and-half cream or whole milk can be substituted with nice results.
This is a potluck hero: It makes a mountain of bars. If you're cooking for a smaller crew, however, just halve the recipe and use a 9- or 8-inch-square baking dish.
If you prefer your bars on the tart side, bump up the rhubarb to 6 or 6-1/2 cups or reduce the sugar in the filling to 1-1/2 cups.
Go full garden party for your friends and family by adding the seeds of one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of rosewater to the filling. Both flavors pair beautifully with rhubarb and take these already fab bars to another level.

Nutritional Facts

1 each: 198 calories, 11g fat (7g saturated fat), 52mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.

Ice Box Cheesecake

http://1krecipes.com/the-famous-woolworth-ice-box-cheesecake/2/

Aunt Irene Wondra made this cheesecake when we went to see them in Ohio. I didn't realize it was a Woolworth's cheesecake. It is easy and delicious.

Woolworth Ice Box Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:
1 (3 ounce) package lemon Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 12 oz can Carnation Evaporated milk, well chilled
Graham crackers, crushed

Directions:
Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Cool until slightly thickened.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice with mixer until smooth. Add thickened Jell-O and beat well.
In a separate bowl, beat the Carnation milk until fluffy. Add cream cheese/Jell-O mixture and beat well with mixer.
Line bottom of 9 x 13-pan with crushed Graham crackers.
Spread filling over and top with more crushed Graham crackers. Chill.

Source : geniuskitchen.com/recipe

Keto Cheesecake

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a58711/keto-cheesecake-recipe/

ingredients
YIELDS: 8 - 10 SERVINGS

Cooking spray, for pan
1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/4 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
3 (8-oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
16 oz. sour cream, at room temperature
1 tbsp. Stevia
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
sliced strawberries, for serving
Directions
PREP TIME: 0:15
TOTAL TIME: 8:00

Preheat oven to 300°. Grease an 8 or 9-inch spring-form pan, and cover the bottom and edges with foil. In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, coconut, and butter. Press the crust into the bottom and a little up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan in the fridge while you make the filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sour cream together, then beat in the stevia and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Spread the filling evenly over the crust.
Place pan in a water bath, then bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, until it only slightly jiggles in the center. Turn oven off, but leave the cake in the oven with the door slightly ajar to cool slowly for an hour.
Remove pan from water bath and take off foil then let chill in the fridge for at least five hours or overnight. Slice and garnish with strawberries.

Oven Dill Pickles

I have had oven dill pickles and they were delicious. The one thing that I have noticed is that none of them call for dill. I know that I will be adding dill to mine.

Another recipe: http://ritasrecipesblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/loretta-lynns-dill-pickles-in-oven.html

Homemade Light Corn Syrup Alternative

I have no real idea if this is good, if it will work or not, but it is an interesting idea.

Homemade Light Corn Syrup

This DIY corn syrup substitute is made without corn starch. It's basically a sugar syrup that you can use in recipes in place of corn syrup.

servings:  2 cups

ingredients

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 dash salt

directions

Combine all ingredients in a heavy, large pan. Stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and put cover on it for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off the sides of the pan.

Uncover and cook until it reaches soft ball stage (235 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Stir often.

Cool syrup and store in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for about 2 months. 

Lemon Icebox Pie

Recipe from JoAnn T.'s recipe collection

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, about 40 wafers
1/4 cup melted butter
1 envelop unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups water divided
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated)
1 3 ounce package or 6 tablespoons pre-sweetened lemonade-flavor drink crystals

Combine crumbs and butter; press firmly on bottom and up the side of the 9 inch pie plate. Chill.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water, and let stand 1 minute. Over low heat, stir until gelatin dissolves and set aside.
I medium mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, remaining 1 1/2 cups water and lemonade crystals; mix well. Stir in gelatin mixture. Pour into prepared crust.
Chill at least 3 hours or until set. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Toffee Bars

from JoAnn T.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all together thoroughly. Pres into a large cookie sheet thinly, with the heel of the hand to press down hard. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle 1 package of chocolate chips over the top as soon as the bars come from the oven. The chips will melt, then spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Cut into bars immediately.

BEST BREAD MACHINE BREAD
http://donna-justme.blogspot.com

"This recipe is easy and foolproof. It makes a very soft and tasty loaf of bread with a flaky crust."

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package bread machine yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

First of all, I wondered why the yeast had to sit for 10 minutes in the water. That's how I used to do it making bread the old-fashioned way, but all the machine breads I've experimented with have risen nicely without doing this. I read through the reviews and ratings and found some advice from someone who obviously knows her bread:

"The basic recipe is good but has some issues: 1) "Bread Machine Yeast" is just another name (purely for marketing) for "Instant Dry Yeast" (IDY) which is INSTANT and therefore does not require pre-proofing in water. Simply add it to your dry ingredients and continue without the "dissolve and foam" step noted. There, you've save 10 minutes! 2) Active Dry Yeast is not Bread Machine/Instant Dry Yeast and it *does* like to be pre proofed as noted in the original recipe. Active Dry yeast is in little round beads about the size of a pin head. Instant yeast is very small and more like little threads of yeast, much smaller than Active. You would need about 25% more Active yeast than Instant. 3) Salt: Salt is normally 2% of a recipe's flour amount. Here we have 410g of flour (check the metric version) so we want 8 grams of salt, or about 1 1/2 teaspoon. The recipe as given is therefore missing 33% of the required salt which is more than just a "taste" problem. Salt will not only improve the taste of your bread (this or any other) but is needed to help the gluten's strength by tightening the gluten strands a little. Bread with too little salt will not only taste bland, it will also be too soft."

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy treats with Chocolate topping

Makes a 9 x 13 pan.

Ingredients:

5 cups rice krispies
1/4 cup butter
10.5 ounce bag of marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare the pan, either line it with parchment paper or butter it.
Measure out the rice krispies.
Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the marshmallows and stir while they melt on low heat, not allowing them to burn. When the marshmallows have melted, add the peanut butter and incorporate.
Turn off the heat and add the rice krispies, stirring until they are blended with the marshmallow mixture.
Dump into the prepared pan, preparing an even layer.
Melt the chocolate chips, either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove. Spread over the rice krispies.  Cool until the chocolate is hard.

Chocolate Rice Krispy Balls

1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rice krispys
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Mix together and put into the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Remove and form into balls. Return to the fridge and let chill for at least an hour.

In a double boiler, melt 1 package chocolate chips and 1 square sweet chocolate.
Keep on low so that the chocolate stays soft.
Drop balls into chocolate mixture one at a time, using fork to roll them so that chocolate will coat them. Put on parchment paper and keep in the fridge.

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream

From UncleJoe, homesteading

2 c. vanilla sugar (or add a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract if you don't have V. sugar)
1/2 c. Hershey's Cocoa
1/3 c. water

Combine in a saucepan and bring that mixture to a boil. Boil at least 2 minutes. That takes the grittiness out of the sugar. Do Not skip this step.
Remove from heat and stir in about 2/3 c. of PB. Here I'm just guessing. I take a regular tablespoon and plop 3 big spoonsful in the hot mix. 
Add the vanilla if it's not in the sugar.

While the Choc/PB mixture is heating up, Put 1 qt of half and half and 1 pint of heavy whipping cream in the freezer can. 
Whip 4 eggs and and add them to the cream. Mix well.

Add the hot mixture and mix it very well.

Plug in the freezer or start cranking by hand if that's what you use. 20-30 minutes later, enjoy. 

Keto Cauliflower Parmesan Soup

https://ketogasm.com/cauliflower-parmesan-soup-recipe/

Cauliflower Parmesan Soup 
A decadent, creamy cauliflower soup without any cream at all!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 240 cal

Author Tasha Metcalf

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 1/2 leek sliced
• 1 head cauliflower chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth (1 bouillon cube per 2 cups)
• 2-3 cups water depending on consistency
• 2 tablespoons thyme chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese fresh

Instructions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pot.
2. Add salt, onion, and leek. Cook until onion becomes soft and translucent.
3. Add half of cauliflower, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 cups broth and 2 cups water to pot. Bring to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower is tender and falling apart.
4. Add 3/4 of remaining cauliflower to pot and continue to simmer.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with thyme and remaining cauliflower florets. Stir as the butter begins to bubble and brown.
6. Once the cauliflower in the pot is tender, remove from heat and place in blender. Add parmesan cheese.
   
7. Being careful to cover blender vent with towel, blend simmered cauliflower mixture until smooth. Add additional water to adjust consistency of soup if needed. Blend some more.
8. Transfer blended soup to bowl.
9. Garnish with golden florets and drizzled brown butter.

Recipe Notes
For a dairy-free version, omit Parmesan and replace butter with ghee.

5 g net carbs per serving.

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Parmesan Soup

Amount Per Serving
Calories 240 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 12g60%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 785mg33%
Potassium 342mg10%
Total Carbohydrates 7g2%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A16.6%
Vitamin C62.4%
Calcium24.1%
Iron6.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is the recipe I made yesterday. It is delicious. I also blended it. I left out the xantham gum.

https://www.heyketomama.com/keto-broccoli-cheddar-soup/

ingredients
2 tablespoons Butter
1/ 8 Cup White Onion
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, finely minced
2 Cups Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese; shredded
2 Slices Bacon; Cooked and Crumbled (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, for thickening)

instructions
In large pot, saute onion and garlic with butter over medium heat until onions are softened and translucent.
Add broth and broccoli to pot. Cook broccoli until tender. Add salt, pepper and desired seasoning.
Place cream cheese in small bowl and heat in microwave for ~30 seconds until soft and easily stirred.
Stir heavy whipping cream and cream cheese into soup; bring to a boil.
Turn off heat and quickly stir in cheddar cheese.
Stir in xantham gum, if desired. Allow to thicken.
Serve hot with bacon crumbles (optional)

notes
This soup has a thinner, more broth-like consistency because it does not have a roux or any thickening agents. If you don’t add something like xanthan gum, it won’t be the thick soup you might be used to.

Please note that I am not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information that is discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates based on NET carbs. If nutrition is important to you, I highly encourage you to verify any data you see here with your favorite nutrition calculator. 

nutrition

• Calories: 285
• Sugar: 1g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 3g Total, 2g NET
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 12

Super Detox Soup

from Natural Grocers Health Hotline Magazine, Jan 2018 #01

Prep 25 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 medium red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, caps only (or substitute cremini or white button mushrooms, include the stems and thinly slice)
1 cup chopped purple or green cabbage
1/2 cup chopped broccoli or cauliflower florets
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cooked chicken (breast or thigh meat), cubed or shredded
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are becoming soft.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Watch carefully and stir frequently so the garlic doe not brown.

3. Add the chicken stock, red bell pepper, mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, and salt. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the chicken, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, honey and the red chili pepper flakes. Stir and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crusts, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desire size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats or vegetables.

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness, in the preheated oven until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and the cheese is melted on the top.

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

6 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 pounds cherries, stems and pits removed

Cream softened butter with sugars. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger together. Blend into creamed butter. Stir in oats and walnuts. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced (I will consider omitting this!)
zest of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, butter, vanilla, ginger, and lemon zest to a simmer. Add cherries and cook, stirring constantly for two minutes. our into buttered cobbler dish. Cover cherries with crumbled mix from refrigerator.

Chicken Chile

from Julie R.

8 cups cut up chicken (2 roasted chickens)
4 cups chicken stock
1 30 ounce can tomato sauce
2 packages Lawry chile seasoning
2 cans southwest black beans
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans dark kidney beans
2 cans chile beans in chile sauce
3 or 4 cans corn
1 cup shredded cheese

Combine everything in a large pot, except the cheese. Heat and serve with shredded cheese on top of individual servings.

Chocolate Molasses Cake

from Betty Sporrer, wife of Dean "Buck" Sporrer

1 package chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
1 package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup water

Combine ingredients and mix well. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or 300 strokes by hand. Pour into greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Persian Rice Dessert, Sholeh-Zard

from Parvin Bragg

This is a large recipe. I would consider cutting it in half of fourths.

Basmati rice is a recommended rice to use in this recipe.

3 cups rice (1 1/2 or 3/4 cup) , washed well and rinsed three times. Drain the rice and put in a larger sauce pan. Add 16 cups (8, 4) water and 1/2 (1/4, 1/8) teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, skimming the foam off as it forms. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is soft.

Stir in 6 cups (3, 1 1/20 sugar. Cook for 20 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 (1/4, 1/8) teaspoon powdered saffron and 4 (2, 1) tablespoons hot water.

After the rice has cooked, add the saffron and
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1/4, 1/8)
4 tablespoons slivered almonds (2, 1)
2 teaspoons ground cardomom (1, 1/2)
1/2 cup rose water (1/4, 1/8)

Cover and simmer 45 minutes stirring constantly (!) until mixture has thickened to a pudding consistency. Pour pudding into a shallow serving dish, or into individual serving dishes.

Garnish with
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground (1/2 t, 1/4 t)
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, optional (1 tablespoon, 1/2 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons pistachios, optional (1 tablespoon, 1/2 tablespoon)

Chill in refrigerator until set, about 2 hours.
Serve cold.

Pita Bread

1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 package active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups wheat or rye flour
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt

Combine sugar and water in bowl, sprinkle yeast over the top and let set for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Stir in the oil and salt. Add remaining flour and blend thoroughly until dough is stiff. Knead 5 minutes. Return to bowl, brush lightly with oil, cover and let stand 1 hour. Punch down or divide into 8 equal portions. Shape into balls, set each on a clay tile of heavy foil squares. Cover with a towel and let stand 15 to 20 minutes. With a rolling pin, flatten each ball to a thin round (5 1/2 diameter). Let stand 15 more minutes. Heat oven to 500 degrees (if tiles aren't ready). Place baking sheet on the lowest level and preheat. Slide foil sheet with its bread onto the baking sheet. Bake about 5 - 8 minutes, until brown and puffed up. Remove and repeat with remaining breads.

Cool on a wire rack about 5 minutes, loosen from foil, slide into plastic bag to keep soft. Breads may be wrapped in foil and frozen if desired. Let thaw at room temperature or reheat on 300 degrees for 15 minutes.

Foot Soak

from Margaret

1/4 cup listerine
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup warm or hot water, as you like it

Soak feet for 10 to 15 minutes. When finished, wipe with a clean cloth or towel. The dead skin will practically fall off.

Easy Cashew Chicken

https://www.ketoconnect.net/recipe/easy-cashew-chicken/

Servings 3 people

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 raw chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
2 tbsp canola oil(for cooking)
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 medium Green Bell Pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tbsp green onions
1/4 medium white onion
Salt + Pepper

Instructions

Heat a pan over low heat and toast the cashews for 8 minutes or until they start to lightly brown and become fragrant. Remove and set aside.
Dice chicken thighs into 1 inch chunks. Cut onion and pepper into equally large chunks.
Increase heat to high and add canola oil to pan.
Once oil is up to temperature, add in the chicken thighs and allow them to cook through(about 5 minutes).
Once the chicken is fully cooked. Add in the pepper, onions, garlic, chili garlic sauce and seasonings(ginger, salt, pepper). Allow to cook on high for 2-3 minutes.
Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and cashews. Cook on high and allow the liquid to reduce down until it is a sticky consistency, There should not be excess liquid in the pan upon completing cooking.
Serve in a bowl, top with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil. Enjoy!

Low Carb Pizza Crust recipes and a few pizza sauce recipes

http://ketorecipes.com/2015/cauliflower-pizza-crust/

THIN CRUST CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

Prep time5 mins
Cook time15 mins
Total time20 mins

Yields: 2 serving
Net carbs: 5.9 grams
INGREDIENTS
2 cup cauliflower (grated)
1 large egg, raw
1 cup, shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp parmesan cheese - grated
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 400° F.
2 Grate cauliflower and microwave for 3 minutes or until warm.
3 Mix in egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4 Lay parchment paper on a pizza pan, spray with cooking spray.
5 Spread cauliflower on paper and cook for 15 minutes, or until brown.

CALORIE BREAKDOWN

This thin crust cauliflower pizza crust recipe has an estimated 257 calories per serving, with 2 servings overall.
Recipe Calories Fats (g) Carbs (g) Net carbs (g) Protein (g)2 cup cauliflower 50 1 10 6 4
1 large egg, raw 72 5 0 0 6
1 cup, shredded mozzarella cheese 321 21 4 4 28
3 tbsp parmesan cheese - grated 65 4 1 1 6
1 pinch salt 0 0 0 0 0
1 pinch black pepper 3 0 1 0 0

Recipe Overall 515 31 16 12 44
Per serving 257 16 8 6 thead Pizza Crust Recipe (Low Carb Keto Pizza) – 4 Ingredients

Fathead pizza crust recipe

This low carb keto Fathead pizza crust recipe with coconut flour is so easy with only 4 ingredients! See why it’s the ultimate keto pizza.

Servings 8 slices

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2cup Mozzarella cheese(shredded)
2tbsp Cream cheese(cut into cubes)
2large Eggs(beaten)
1/3cup Coconut flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.

Combine the shredded mozzarella and cubed cream cheese in a large bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring halfway through. Stir again at the end until well incorporated. (**See notes for alternative to the microwave.)

Stir in the beaten eggs and coconut flour. Knead with your hands until a dough forms. If the dough becomes hard before fully mixed, you can microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it.

Spread the dough onto the lined baking pan to 1/4″ or 1/3″ thickness, using your hands or a rolling pin over a piece of parchment (the rolling pin works better if you have one). Use a toothpick or fork to poke lots of holes throughout the crust to prevent bubbling.

Bake for 6 minutes. Poke more holes in any places where you see bubbles forming. Bake for 3-7 more minutes, until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts Calories 110 Calories from Fat 63

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Total Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 1g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin A 5%
Calcium17%
Iron 3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Net carbs per slice (1/8 of the whole pizza): 2 g

*To make keto pizza, top with sauce and toppings after cooking the crust and return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through.

**If you don’t want to use the microwave, use a double boiler to melt the cheese and cream cheese together instead. Boil water in a saucepan, then place the cheeses in a metal bowl resting over the edges of the saucepan. The idea is to melt the cheese without burning it, stirring frequently.

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/fathead-pizza-crust-low-carb-keto-gluten-free-nut-free/

Pizza Sauce recipe 1:

1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon rosemary

Mix tomato paste, water & oil. Mix well. Add spices and garlic. Let sit for a couple hours before using.

Pizza Sauce recipe 2:

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground oregano
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary

Mix tomato sauce and paste until smooth. Add everything else. It is better to let set a couple hours so spices blend.

Recipe From Amish Heart: Sauce: About 4 lbs of Roma tomatoes. Peel them and seed them if you can. Put in blender and pulverize. Stick in pot and bring to boil, then cover and simmer 1/2 hour. Add what you like. Some ideas: onions that have been cooked in olive oil, minced garlic, a little red wine, salt, pepper, a little red pepper flakes if you like it spicy, Italian seasoning; and if its too runny, I add some tomato powder made into a paste (or you can use canned pure tomato paste). You can make this in a small crockpot and let it simmer while you're out all day. You can water bath can it or keep in the fridge. You could dump it over pasta, too, and add a little parmesan.

THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/tom-kha-gai/
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
TOM KHA GAI (THAI COCONUT CHICKEN SOUP)

Learn how to make authentic Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup) with this delicious and easy recipe!

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINS
PREP TIME: 10 MINS
COOK TIME: 25 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed (I omit this)
2 tablespoons grated (or finely-chopped) fresh ginger
1/4 cup fresh lime juice or 10 kaffir lime leaves*
6 cups good-quality chicken stock
4 green onions, thinly-sliced with the white and green parts separated
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
8 ounces white, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms (or you could use a combination of your favorites), sliced
2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-3 teaspoons coconut sugar, to taste (or use another favorite sweetener)
toppings: 

fresh cilantro, 

thinly-sliced Thai red chiles**, 

fresh lime wedges, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

Using the back of a knife, lightly smash the lemongrass on a cutting board. Cut the lemongrass into 1-inch pieces, and add to a large stockpot.
Add lemongrass, ginger, fresh lime juice (or kaffir lime leaves), chicken broth, and the white parts of the green onions to the stockpot, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain out the broth and discard the solids, then return the broth to the stockpot.
Add cooked chicken, mushrooms, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar, and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high until it reaches a simmer, then continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and softened, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve immediately, garnished liberally with your desired toppings and the green parts of the green onions.

*Kaffir limes offer a more complex/authentic flavor to this dish, but can be hard to find. So if they’re unavailable at your local store, feel free to just use fresh lime juice.

**If you can’t find fresh chiles, you can sub in some hot chili oil or sriracha, or even some crushed red chile flakes.

***I also add a few vegetables, such as thinly-sliced red bell peppers and split peas, to this soup for extra color and nutrition. If you’d like to add these, just add them along with the chicken/mushrooms/etc., and let the soup continue to simmer until they’re cooked through.

Recipe slightly adapted from Bon Appetit. All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven

Hot and Sour Soup

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS

This classic Chinese hot and sour soup recipe is quick and easy to make, full of delicious flavor, easy to make vegetarian (with tofu!) or with pork, and it totally rivals any soup I’ve tried at a Chinese restaurant!

TOTAL TIME: 20 MINS

 

PREP TIME: 5 MINS

 

COOK TIME: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms (or baby bella mushrooms), thinly-sliced with stems discarded
• optional: 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 8 ounces firm tofu*, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper (or white pepper**)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set aside ¼ cup of the chicken or vegetable stock for later use.
2. Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and stir to combine.  Heat over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer.
3. While the soup is heating, whisk together the ¼ cup of stock (that you had set aside) and cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth.  Once the soup has reached a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir for 1 minute or so until the soup has thickened.
4. Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream (while still stirring the soup) to create egg ribbons.  Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil.  Then season the soup with salt and black pepper (or white pepper) to taste.  If you’d like a more “sour” soup, feel free to add in another tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar as well.  Or if you’d like a spicier soup, add in more chili garlic sauce.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with the extra green onions.

*Or, you’re welcome to make this with pork instead of tofu.  Just add in a half pound of cooked pork — ground pork, or you can thinly-slice pork chops or pork loin — in place of the tofu.

**I actually prefer using a pinch of white pepper in this soup instead of black pepper.  But in case you’ve never used it, be careful — it has a much stronger and different flavor than black pepper!  So start with less, and then you can always add more.  :)