Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

There's something so comforting about freshly baked, soft and fluffy bread hot out of the oven. This recipe is adapted from a copycat recipe for Texas Roadhouse Rolls. They are less dense and more soft than the actual Texas Roadhouse version, so they're even more delicious! The down side for me (being as impatient as I am) is waiting for the bread to rise every time...but once they're in the oven, they're ready in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 cup of warm water
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup of sugar
4 cups of flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt

Stir the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar together in the warm water. Set aside to bloom until it has doubled in volume. Scald the milk in a small saucepan (heat slowly until small bubbles just begin to show on the side...do not boil!), remove from the heat and add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Stir and let it cool.

Once the milk is lukewarm, add it to the yeast mixture, and stir in the 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 cups (about half) of the flour. Mix well (it will look like a batter, not a dough), and let it sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the egg, salt, and enough flour to form a soft dough (you may not end up using the full 4 cups). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

After this second 10 minute rest, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Grease a large bowl and add the kneaded dough to it, turning it over to let the top also be greased. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a warm place to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place it back onto a floured surface. Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Fold it in half to make it 1 inch thick, and roll over it lightly to make the two halves stick together. Let this rest for 10 minutes.

After those 10 minutes have passed, cut the dough into 2-inch squares and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover the squares with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise for another hour.

Once they have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F. Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top. Once they are removed from the oven, you may brush the tops with some melted butter. Enjoy while warm!

One way I enjoyed these rolls was with some delicious salmon! Click here for that recipe!

Sauteed Salmon

This recipe is a quick and easy way to turn leftover or canned salmon into something special.  It is a basic recipe with things that I always have in my kitchen, and it goes well in a sandwich on my soft and fluffy dinner rolls!

Ingredients:
1 6oz. can of boneless, skinless salmon (or the same amount of cooked salmon)
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 scallion (green onion) stalk, chopped
1 wiri wiri pepper (or any seasoning pepper), seeds removed and finely chopped, optional
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a small frying pan, and add the chopped onion and tomato paste. Let that fry for about 2 minutes, then add the pepper and the salmon. Use the back of your cooking utensil to break up the salmon and allow it to mix with the tomato paste and onions. Add the garlic powder, salt, and chopped scallion. Fry for about 5-6 minutes, or until the salmon is heated through and has picked up all of the wonderful flavors of the seasonings. Enjoy with bread or Guyanese bakes.

Baked Crab Cakes

I have decided that my favorite food in the entire world is crab cakes. I love crab, and having just the meat in a delicately fried cake makes what would be a meal of cracking and digging up shells a whole different experience. In this recipe, I tried a healthier way of cooking them...instead of frying the cakes, I baked them! The secret to this recipe is the quality of the crab meat. You can find canned, frozen, or refrigerated crab meat in the supermarket. My favorite is Phillip's brand lump crab meat, which is usually found in plastic containers in the refrigerated section. It is pricey, but for this one in a while treat, it is so worth it!

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package of lump crab meat

1 egg

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs (you may use panko breadcrumbs instead)

1/2 teaspoon of old bay seasoning

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped finely

1/2 celery stalk, chopped finely

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, the old bay seasoning, and the lemon juice. Mix well, and then add the bell pepper and celery. Once combined, gently fold in the crab meat. 

Seasoning before the crab and veggies are added

Crab meat, bell peppers, and celery

Pour the rest of the breadcrumbs in a small plate. Take handfuls of the crab mixture, form balls, and then press gently onto the breadcrumbs on the plate. Turn the cake over to flatten and coat the other side. Continue until all of the cakes are formed. (This recipe makes about 8 small cakes, but can easily be doubled to make more.) Coat the bottom of a baking pan with the olive oil, and place the cakes on the pan. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cakes are browned and crispy. Gently flip the cakes over and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until they are crispy on the other side. Enjoy!

(For anyone who would like to make crab cakes the traditional way: Make the cakes as directed above, then add 3-4 tablespoons of oil to a frying pan and fry the cakes over medium heat on each side until golden brown and crispy.)