Homemade Hot Dog Buns

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I went and did it – I finally made hot dog buns. Yes, it is easier to just spend the couple of dollars to buy hot dog buns, but why do that when I know how much better homemade tastes? Not to mention, the fact that I know what went into these…have you read ingredient lists on store bought breads? I know these aren’t as smooth and uniform-looking as the packaged kind, but I do know that these taste and smell a whole lot better. And yes, I am a food snob – and I’m totally fine with that! 😉

These make a nice, hearty bun for your hot dog and toppings. M had his with lots of chili and cheese and the bun held up really nice and didn’t get soggy at all. The kids enjoyed these too, and my pickiest eater ate hers faster than her big brother. This recipe made 18 hot dog buns, so I was able to freeze half of these. Next time I use this recipe, I might try to use half the dough for hamburger buns so I can have plenty on homemade buns on hand. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Hot Dog Buns – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 packets or 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 cups warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 to 7 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Directions –

Mixing: In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Kneading: Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Because this dough is so slack, you may find that a bowl scraper or bench knife can be helpful in scooping up the dough and folding it over on itself.

Rising: Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Shaping: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 18 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds.

Shape each piece into a ball. For hot-dog buns, roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly; dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top.

For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they’ll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.

Second Rising: Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Baking: Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with whatever seeds strike your fancy.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F. (A dough thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.)

When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

My Go-To Pizza Sauce

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Quick Post: This is my favorite, and more importantly – my kids’ favorite pizza sauce. I always double this so I can freeze the leftovers for future pizza nights. We like saucy pizzas, but once I portioned it out, I can probably get 8 pizzas worth of sauce, if that makes sense. It is zesty, rich and thick thanks to all that tomato paste. This is so convenient because I always have these ingredients on hand and it is so freezer friendly. I love that I can have this dough and this sauce on hand at all times in case I have no idea what to make for dinner; and who doesn’t like pizza night? I know my kids always appreciate it! Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Zesty Old School Style Pizza Sauce – adapted from The Cooking Photographer
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (without sugar)
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir together.

Makes 1 1/2 cups of pizza sauce.

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado Salsa Verde

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I bookmarked this recipe a long time ago but M didn’t get the whole “shrimp on a taco” thing. Woo – he was wrong because this was so good. I was a little worried about what the salsa verde would taste like because I’ve never had raw tomatillos. Normally, salsa verde’s are cooked down but this didn’t have any weird, raw taste to it. The salsa was an excellent compliment to this meal, and had the right amount of spice from the jalapeno. My family loves shrimp, so I bought one and a half pounds for this, which was more than what we needed. The shrimp is simply seasoned with the chipotle powder and some kosher salt; but I added a little chili powder, coated them in olive oil, and squeezed fresh lime juice over top all of them. Also, I didn’t grill these, but I sautéed them in a little olive oil and butter. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde – adapted from Food Network

Avocado Salsa:

  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • the juice of one lime
  • 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
  • 8 fajita size tortillas
  • 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions –

Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a large skillet to med-high heat, then add butter and olive oil. Mix the olive oil, chipotle, chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp, and lime juice then toss to coat.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.

Creamy Orzo

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This was a great side dish for the tilapia we had last night. I bet it would be a great compliment to chicken or even a beef main course. It is an easy recipe to throw together, and there are no specialty or uncommon ingredients in it. Hopefully the leftovers are nearly as tasty because this makes a lot!

Creamy Orzo – adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 1 pound orzo
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
  • 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions –

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Quick Post: I was at a loss as to what I should make for dinner…again. Last night I used my get out of jail free card, and we ordered Chinese. Tonight that wasn’t an option. Yet again, Publix was selling tilapia for $5.99 so that was what I went with. It’s seasoned simply and paired with a fantastic vinaigrette. The family enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and the speed at which it came together; and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette – heavily adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds tilapia
  • Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions –
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons and butter of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.
Lemon Vinaigrette –
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 TBSP dried parsley flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper. (* I used my stick blender and it worked great*)

Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread

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Quick Post: I haven’t posted a yeast  bread recipe in a long time. Anyway, I owe someone a loaf of this, and I’m glad because I haven’t had an excuse to make this one since December. It’s so good and it is the perfect bread for toasting. I like that it makes two loaves so I still get to keep one 😉 The cinnamon and brown sugar are such a warm and comforting combination. While the oats soak in the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture – try to stop yourself from licking the bowl. I kind of wish that maple sugar wasn’t so darn expensive and that it was easier to find because I would love to try it. I have only seen it available online, and I can’t justify the cost, especially the 8 dollar shipping! Blah… Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread – adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients –
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup rolled oats (*aka “old fashioned”)
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar (*I don’t have any of this but brown sugar is the best substitute)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Saigon-type cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions –

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple sugar, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pans. Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise till they’ve crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.

Bake the loaves in a preheated 360°F oven for 33 minutes.* Remove them from the oven when they’re golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Yield: 2 sandwich loaves.

*If your oven can’t be set at 360°F, set it at 350°F and bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

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Quick Post: After any party there are leftovers, right? There was just under 2 cups of blueberries left and I felt the need to bake them into something. After a little searching on King Arthur Flour’s website, I found this. It worked out well because I had just enough all-purpose flour left for this recipe, it only required one egg and a little over one stick of butter.

Verdict: Yum! It is a perfect complement to your morning coffee! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake – adapted from King Arthur Flour

Topping

  • 1/3 cup (2 ounces) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

Batter

  • 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter or margarine
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, well drained

Directions –

First: Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Making the Topping: Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut or rub in the butter or margarine with the side of a fork, two knives or your finger tips until it reaches a crumbly state. Set aside.

Making the Batter: Blend the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, butter or margarine, egg and vanilla. Alternately add the milk and the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, ending with flour. Stir only enough to blend. Fold in the blueberries.

Assembling & Baking: Pour the batter into a well-greased and floured, 9-inch cake pan. Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester or knife comes out clean.

Let the buckle cool for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a knife or spatula. Holding the cake pan in your left hand, gently tip the cake out onto your right hand, remove the pan, and gently right the cake onto a serving dish.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Quick Post: This is always welcome at any get together – seriously! Everyone always loves this stuff and asks me for the recipe. I found this at least six years ago on Allrecipes.com. I don’t change a thing either – you can’t mess with perfection, after all! It’s not the cheapest appetizer, but thankfully I have over half of these ingredients on hand at any time. Be sure to leave your cream cheese out for a few hours before you make this and roast your garlic ahead of time too so it’s cool enough to handle. I usually serve this with sliced baguette or Tostitos Scoops, it’s also nice to keep this warm in a small crock pot so it stays nice and melty. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Artichoke & Spinach Dip Restaurant Style – adapted from Allrecipes.com

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.

3. In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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Oreos are very addicting. Thankfully a good amount of the package went into the making of this crust! The crust was definitely the best part of this in my opinion. M liked it, but he loves super rich desserts. This pie was super peanut-buttery…almost too much. It may have been because I fiddled with the amounts of ingredients because I don’t have a standard pie dish (mine are deep dish). Some people loved this, some just could not take the peanut butter overload. If you’re not a huge fan of it, steer clear of this one. It’s not a total flop of a recipe, but it’s not going to be in our dessert rotation…*sad face*

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures via Martha Stewart’s Pies and Tart

Crust –

  • 1 3/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • pinch salt
Filling –
  • 6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 cups peanut butter (smooth, not natural or chunky)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups heavy cream
Garnish –
  • 1 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Directions –
To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the butter and toss with a fork until all of the crumbs are moistened (the mixture will be quite wet).  Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes so the crust is firm, then bake until set, about 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.   Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla.  (If you don’t have a second bowl for your stand mixer either transfer the cream cheese mixture to another bowl and wash the first, or do the next step with a hand mixer.)  Switch to the whisk attachment on your mixer and beat the heavy cream until you have soft peaks.  Take about 1/3 of the whipped cream and stir it into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it.  Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the remaining 2/3 of the whipped cream.  Transfer the filling to the cooled crust and spread in an even layer.  Freeze uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day covered with plastic wrap.To garnish the pie: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between each burst.  Continue until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny bit off the corner.  Hold the bag over the pie and drizzle the melted chocolate in a zig-zag pattern.  Put the peanut butter in a small saucepan set over low heat and melt it, stirring frequently.  Add the melted peanut butter to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and drizzle over the pie.  Let stand for about 10 minutes to set.Remove the pie from the freezer about 10-15 minutes before you are ready to serve.  If you have trouble cutting it, running your knife under warm water will help.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

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Yes, there are only three ingredients in this tomato sauce. I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe at Smitten Kitchen, but this site had yet to steer me wrong and so I trusted the author’s judgment. The butter creates a velvety, rich sauce and the onion flavors this perfectly.Once the sauce was finished, I buzzed it with my stick blender to create a smoother texture. There is no need for herbs or garlic and try to resist “doctoring” this up.  What is even better about this is that you probably have all the ingredients needed in your pantry. It’s great for busy moms who want to try out new but not intimidating, made-from-scratch recipes. And who doesn’t like this sort of simple comfort food? I used Linguine fini for this and served Italian style chicken sausage and everyone really loved it, even my picky husband who doesn’t like tomato sauce. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter – adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

  • 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
  • Salt to taste

Directions –

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese.