Recipe: Easy Dinner Rolls

Gimme ALL the carbs! These fluffy, buttery dinner rolls are what you need to make today! Don’t wait for the holidays to enjoy these little balls of dough will bring to your day :)

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EASY DINNER ROLLS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Rise Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (105° F. to 115° F)
2 packages active dry yeast 4 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
additional melted butter to brush overtop, optional

Instructions

1. Combine the warm water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. With the dough attachment , stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Add in flour, 1 cup at a time. The dough should no longer be sticky. You may need a little extra flour. Lightly oil a clean bowl and place the dough in the Centre. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 4 days.

3. Using butter, coat the inside of a 9×13 inch rimmed baking dish. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using a kitchen scale take the total weight of the dough in ounces and divide by 24 ( should equal to 1.8 ounces per ball. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows (4 rows by 6 rows) in the prepared pan. Cover with a dish towel and let dough balls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. You can leave them to rise longer if you need to.

4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake until rolls are golden brown and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. If they are browning too quickly on top, tent foil over the rolls until finished baking. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve.

Notes:

• *Before adding the yeast, use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the water (it's important that it's in the temperature range indicated)

• *These rolls may be baked early in the day and re-warmed when ready to serve.

Recipe: Sour Dough Bread Crouton

Just four magical ingredients bring these little bites of crunchy heaven to life. Okay maybe not really magical but they sure do taste out of this world! Okay, i’ll stop now :)

Eat these on their own, top a soup or salad with them or gift them to friends and family. Anyway you choose to enjoy these one thing is for certain, they will a new staple in your recipe rotation.

Happy Munching!

Sourdough Croutons

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8
Author: Mary Mammoliti / Kitchen Confession

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups bread (approx. 1 large baguette cut into ¾ inch cubes)

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Black pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Pile bread cubes onto a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic power, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3. Spread the bread cubes out in a single layer and bake until golden, about 15-20 minutes, mixing halfway through.

4. Remove from oven, and allow croutons to cool.

Notes

• Allow croutons cool completely and store in a sealed container or resealable bag.

• Homemade croutons will keep for up to two weeks.

Recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash

Just when I thought I had finished cooking for the day this little beauty caught my eye and I just had to bake it up. Perfect addition to any meal and it’s the easiest recipe around.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

INGREDIENTS

• 1 acorn squash, washed

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F * Cut the squash in half, using a spoon scrape out the insides, and slice into 1/2" half moons.

2. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. * Lay the squash out on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until fork tender and golden in colour.

Recipe: Your Complete Thanksgiving Guide

Thanksgiving dinner menus will help you plan a fabulous meal. Build your menu around your traditional favourites or try a new Thanksgiving recipe, having a plan will make your meal prepping run smoothly. 

Question: Where do I begin?

Create Your Menu

Hosting Thanksgiving means you need a plan, and that means a menu. I want you to start planning now, go through your recipes, do a quick head count of how many people are going to attend. Next, start building a list of dishes you plan to make and then eliminate 1/2 of the list. You don’t need hassle back potatoes and mashed potatoes - pick one.

As the host you will always think you don’t have enough food. I’ve always said I would rather have more than not enough, I don’t want my guests to leave hungry. 

I guarantee your guests will only take a bit of each dish so no need for 2 pounds of peas and mushrooms. 

ONE WEEK Prior To The Event

Gather all your serving dishes; or make a list of all the dishes you need for that day and where to find them in your home. If you are missing something it gives you enough time to borrow or pick it up. You don’t want to be scrambling the day of when you have guests over.

Create your checklist; of tasks to be accomplished prior to your event and input them as events in your calendar.

Grocery Shopping; Create 2 grocery lists: 5 days before the meal buy Turkey (if buying frozen) and non-non-perishables, and 3 days before the meal for perishable items and any last minute things you need.

Question: How long does it take to defrost a Turkey? 

For every 5 pounds the turkey will take 24 hours to defrost in the refrigerator.

Example: A 20 pound frozen turkey will need 4 days of thawing in the refrigerator

Question: When should I buy a fresh Turkey?

If buying fresh, purchase your Turkey the day prior to the event.

TWO DAYS Prior To The Event Date

Prepare as much as you can before the big day.

Make your cranberry sauce and cut veggies. wash trim and halve Brussels sprouts, peel and slice carrots, snap green beans, celery, etc. Make salad dressings and wash and dry lettuce/greens for salad.

ONE DAY Prior To The Event

Peel, wash and cut potatoes into cubes. Soak in cold water, cover and place in the refrigerator over night. This eliminates some of the starch in the potatoes and crisp up nicely in the oven or place them in a slow cooker the day of and make mashed potatoes.

Prep your Turkey (step by step instructions below)

Set your table, take out your serving dishes, prepare your stuffing. You can also make your mashed potatoes and reheat them in the slow cooker/crock pot the day of. If you are roasting veggies you can cook them the night before and heat through just before you are serving the meal.

Question: Can I make dessert in advance?

Bake your pies the night before and refrigerate overnight. On the day of, remove the pie from the refrigerator, place on the counter to bring the pie to room temperature. Place the room temperature pie in the oven on low and heat through while you are enjoying your meal.

• Frozen - ready in an hour, bake while you are having lunch or dinner. hot fresh out of the oven. top with ice cream

• If you prefer homemade. Make the pie dough and roll out into pie plates 1 week before and freeze them.

• A few cheats: Williams Sonoma has pre-made stuffing, add your liquid and it’s done. They also have pecan pie filling in a jar. Buy the ready made small tartlet crust from the grocery store and scoop the filing into each one and bake.

How long does it take to cook a Turkey?

Cooking times can vary

Calculate 13 minutes cooking time per pound would be a good estimate. Let me break it down a bit more, It should take a 14 lb. turkey 2 1/2 to 3 hours to cook.

Question: How do I cook a Turkey?

 Prep your turkey the night before

There is always an ongoing debate “do you wash raw meat” and when preparing your Turkey i’ll leave that up to you. I don’t and this is why; washing the turkey can contaminate your kitchen, the water can spray on your back splash, all over your sink. Cooking the Turkey to the right temperature will kill any bacteria that may be lingering in your turkey - you can’t wash that away.

To brine or not to brine? There are people who stand strongly on both sides of this question. So if you brine your turkey go ahead, but for me I don’t bother with the extra step. I get great tasting and moist turkey without.

Stuffing or no Stuffing? I can take it or leave it, I’m not big on stuffing but I do make it in a separate dish. I find the Turkey cooks faster without the stuffing but the stuffing is not as moist as it would be if it were in the turkey. So for this I say do as you want.

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Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Mash

Comment below if you love mashed potatoes!

What if I told you this wasn’t mashed potatoes. What if I said this warm plate of creamy garlic mash was actually made of cauliflower. Would you try it? Before you rethink your decision, give this recipe a try. Have a heaping spoon with some braised short ribs, or add it as a side with your Thanksgiving feast and lighten things up.

WARNING: Following the consumption of this Cauliflower Garlic Mash there may be sudden outbursts of joy, excessive smiling, and out of control requests for more.

Photo Description: Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Mash in a square serving dish on top of a white fringe cloth and 2 sunflowers in the bottom left corner.

Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Mash

 PREP TIME: 15 minutes
Cook TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 4
AUTHOR: Mary Mammoliti / Kitchen Confession

INGREDIENTS

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water (more if needed to cover florets)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup 2% milk
salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the cauliflower florets in to a large stock pot and cover with the chicken broth and water. Cook for 8-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and keep the in the colander and move onto next steps. You want to get as much water as possible out of the cauliflower.

2. Pour the olive oil into the stock pot and sauté the garlic until fragrant. Remove from heat and return the cooked cauliflower back into the stock pot, add milk and butter. Using an emersion blender purée until smooth and creamy. Taste for salt and pepper.

3. Garnish with chopped parsley, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over top and serve warm.

NOTES

Refrain from adding additional butter and/or milk to the mash, it will thin out too much.

Recipe: 2 Pasta Salads You Should Make Now

It’s scorching hot in Toronto and I’m not complaining BUT the thought of spending time in front of a hot stove is making me sweat. SOOOOO, bring on the cool, bright, pasta salad! I’ve got 2 recipes for ya. Can’t decide which one to make? Try both, and leave them in the refrigerator for the week. Going to a summer potluck? Bring the Greek Pasta Salad with feta and fresh tomatoes or an Asian inspired bow tie pasta salad may be your dish of choice.

Greek Pasta Salad

This recipe makes a huge batch of Greek Pasta Salad. Share this recipe with friends and bring it to your next potluck This would be great for a potluck.  I usually half the recipe when I make it. We ate this for several days with lunch and dinner. This will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. The simple mediterranean flavours of the dressing with the creaminess of the crumbled feta and fresh cherry tomatoes is exactly what is missing on your dinner table! Have is as a side or enjoy it as the main dish. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: -
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 10 - 12
Author: Mary Mammoliti / Kitchen Confession

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-oz) box penne pasta
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp greek seasoning
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into halves
1-1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool.

2. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise and greek seasoning in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, feta cheese and basil. Toss to coat.

3. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Asian Pasta Salad

This simple and light pasta salad has quickly found it's place on my summer salad list. This dish will quickly become a family favourite, and a great one to share at any potluck. It can be served as a side dish or eat on it’s own as a light lunch. This Asian Pasta Salad is completely addictive and the sesame-soy dressing will have everyone coming back for seconds!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: -
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8
Author: Mary Mammoliti / Kitchen Confession

INGREDIENTS

SESAME-SOY DRESSING:

1/4 cup grape seed oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce, or tamari sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

PASTA SALAD:

12 ounces bow tie pasta (about 4 cups)
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds or peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl with tight fitting lid. Shake well and set aside.

2. Boil bow tie pasta for 10 minutes or about one minute shy of the package directions. Pour cooked pasta into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool down the pasta. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Mix in remaining salad ingredients. Give dressing a good shake and pour over the salad. Mix well.

RECIPE NOTES
If you'd like to get some of the prep out of the way you can boil the pasta the day before. Rinse it well with cold water, drain it, and then toss it with a teaspoon or two of grape seed oil to prevent it from sticking. Transfer the cooked pasta storage container, cover and refrigerate overnight. Assemble the salad no more than an hour or two before serving for the best result and reserve nuts to add just before serving.

Recipe: Watermelon Berry Salad

Yesterday, I ran an Instagram poll (one of many I like to do on instagram) and the poll results are in! I posted a photo of this Watermelon Berry Salad and asked “would you like the recipe for this summer salad?” and the “Hells Ya!” have won.

Thank You all for taking part and keep scrolling down for the full recipe. These polls help me decide what recipes to post. and which I should keep to myself, locked away, deep in my archives. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as Frank and I do.

PSA: The dressing is what makes this combination shine BUT if it’s not your thing simply pour the juice of two limes over the cut fruit and toss.

If you've been following along for a while or just joined the KC foodie gang, nothing makes me happier than food. From cooking, to eating to talking about food. So, feel free to comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts. Don’t be shy, let’s chat ~ (((hugs)))

Watermelon Berry Salad

Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Author: Mary Mammoliti | Kitchen Confession

INGREDIENTS

For the Salad

1/2 seedless watermelon cubed (approx. 8 cups)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I used goat/sheep milk feta)
8+ mint leaves, chiffonade (cut mint leaves into slender ribbons)

For the Dressing

1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the fruit, mint and cheese in a bowl.

2. Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine. Pour over salad, toss and serve .

Recipe: Sautéed Asparagus & Peas

Spring has sprung and so have these veggies. Straight from the fridge right into this pan.

Sautéed Asparagus and Peas
Servings: 4
Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1-½-inch pieces on a diagonal
• 1 cup thawed frozen peas
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a medium to large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
Add the asparagus, ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently trying not to burn the shallots, for about 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the peas and cook about one minute more until the peas are warmed through. Add a little more salt and pepper if needed and serve.