NO FAIL FRENCH BREAD

Prep time, 45 minutes.  Bake time 15 minutes.  6 servings.

2 1/2 cups hot water

2 TBS SAF instant yeast

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp salt

5 1/2 cups white BREAD flour OR freshly ground hard white wheat.

Egg whites lightly beaten

Sesame or poppy seeds (Optional)

Mix everything in the order given, except egg whites and optional seeds.

Knead for about five minutes in bread mixer.  

let rest 15 minutes, covered.

shape dough into 2 loaves and place on a greased cookie sheet.

slather tops of loaves with beaten egg whites and cut 4 - 5 shallow cuts on top of loaves.

Sprinkle with seeds if desired.

Let rise again for about 15 minutes.

preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE NOODLES for CHICKEN SOUP

 1 cup of flour

2 eggs

A dash of salt 

A splash of water

Mix all together and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky or moist.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out to desired thickness.

Slice strips with a pizza cutter and toss into boiling water or broth for 5-7 minutes.

OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS

 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

pat chicken dry.

drizzle with oil.

Sprinkle with desired seasonings.

Place on parchment covered baking pan or a 9 X 13 baking dish, uncovered.

Bake at 400 degrees 30 - 40 minutes.

Turn oven to broil and broil skins, with rack at regular oven level, for approximately 3 minutes or until desired crispness is reached.

CHICKEN PICATA

 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup AP flour

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS butter

1 cup chicken broth

Juice of 1 lemon

2 TBS capers

2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until they are about 1/4 inch thick.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken breasts in the flour, shaking off excess.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the cooked chicken bits.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce has reduced and thickened.

Return chicken to pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve chicken with the sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.

May serve over cooked, buttered spaghetti.

BAKED BACON

 Preheat oven to 450

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out bacon.

Bake bacon about 20 minutes or until at desired doneness, and depending on thickness.

FRUIT COBBLER

 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 square)

2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1-1/2 cups milk

1 or 2 quarts fruit

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2.  Place butter in cake pan and melt in oven - don't let turn brown

3.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and milk.

4.  Stir dry ingredients into pan with melted butter; Spread in cake pan.

5.  Put fruit over batter

6.  Bake for 1 hour* and serve to hungry, starved, ugly husband.

*See bake time in recipe below for more info... start checking for doneness after 30 minutes!!!

**The above recipe was hand-written on a legal-sized sheet of yellow lined paper by my dad, Arvel Hatch Hunter... year unknown.  It has faded almost to the point of non existence now, so I wanted to write it down as written.  It was found by me, Marsha Hunter Paletsas, on June 7, 2022 while we were packing up our bookshelves in preparation to move from our house in Rialto, CA to our new house in Beaumont, CA.  (We have been in the Rialto house for 33 years!) 

It must have fallen out of one of my dad's books that we had on our shelves!

Not sure how accurate his recipe is (I'll have to try it soon!!), but I found a recipe very similar to his that I'm including here called Never-fail Fruit Cobbler, that I'll use if the original doesn't turn out quite right!

The directions in step 6 are pure ARVEL H. HUNTER, and I love it!!  

I miss my dad who passed away on June 29, 2014 at the age of 92.  He always made everyone smile!

EASY FRUIT COBBLER (Similar to the above)

Ingredients

• ▢1/2 cup butter (one stick)
• ▢1 cup self-rising flour
• ▢1 cup sugar
• ▢3/4 cup milk
• ▢15 oz can fruit in light syrup or juice (approximately 12 oz of any other fruit, do not drain.)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place butter into 9 X 9 pan and place pan into oven as it preheats. This melts the butter and lubes up the pan to prevent the cobbler from sticking.
• Mix together the flour, sugar, and milk.
• Once the butter is melted, and the oven preheated, pour the flour/sugar/milk mixture into the pan.
• Add the can of undrained fruit, pie filling, or other fruit on top of the mixture.
• Add extra sugar or cinnamon-sugar to the top if desired and place into oven.
• Bake approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the biscuit part is cook through. *Baking time will depend on the fruit used and if it is frozen or not. Start checking after 30 minutes.

Notes

If using frozen fruit, it does not need to be thawed first.

Double the ingredients if using a 9 X 13 pan.

Spreading the fruit out over the top will provide more fruit in the edge pieces than the middle, especially when doubling the recipe.

If you do not have self-rising flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Ham, Potato, and Cheddar Soup

 Ingredients:

▢2 cups potatoes peeled and diced

▢2 cups chicken broth

▢1/2 cup carrot sliced

▢1/4 cup onion chopped

▢1/4 cup butter cubed

▢1/4 cup all-purpose flour

▢2 cups 2% milk

▢¼ to 1/2 teaspoon salt

▢1/4 teaspoon pepper

▢2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese 8 ounces

▢1-1/2 cups ham cubed cooked

▢1 cup corn

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, chicken broth, carrot, and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir the mixture into the potatoes and chicken broth. Stir in cheese until melted. Add ham and corn. Heat through