Cinnamon Rolls with Strawberry Glaze

I've made these cinnamon rolls four times now and it always comes out perfect.They were very soft and moist, and the bottom glaze cooked perfectly; drizzled over the rolls is freshly made strawberry glaze. YUMMY!


Ingredients

Dough

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons powdered milk

1 tablespoon xylitol or sugar

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons highly active dry yeast

Filling

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (divided into 4tbsp and 2 tbsp)

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup raisins


Strawberry glaze
1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/8 teaspoon guar gum powder

Glaze

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons dry milk

Direction

1. Mix together lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. To make the filling, combine together the agave nectar, 4 tablespoons butter,  cinnamon, chopped walnuts and raisins until well blended.

3. To make the glaze, mix together butter, agave nectar and dry milk. 

4. To make the strawberry sauce, place strawberries and agave nectar in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into the strainer to strain, then pour the sauce back into the  blender; add guar gum and blend until thickened. 

5. To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour and wheat flour; powdered milk and salt.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, canola oil, and agave nectar together. 


7. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until absorbed, about 30 seconds. The dough will look shaggy. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured counter and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap to rise for an hour. Punch the dough down and knead a couple times. 

8. Press the dough out into a 14 by 12 inch rectangle using your hands. Brush the dough with 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Loosen the dough from the counter using a bench scraper or a metal spatula. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 12 even pieces.

9. Brush the pan with butter, then pour the glaze on the bottom of the pan. Place the slices of cinnamon rolls in the glazed pan. Let the rolls rise overnight at a warm temperature.

10. Brush the top with the remaining 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Bake in a 350F degrees preheated oven  until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

11. Use a knife to loosen the buns from the pan. Flip the buns out onto the prepared wire rack, then turn buns upright and let cool for 10 minutes.

Easy Minestrone Soup

I made this soup tonight for dinner. We (my husband and I) just wanted something simple, quick, and something that will keep us warm for a cold, rainy night like it is now. This soup was perfect. It was light, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients

2 (15 oz) cans of cannellini beans (mash up one of the canned beans in the can with a fork, this will thicken the soup and will give it a meaty flavor)

1  (14.5 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup cooked small shell pasta

1 zucchini, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red bell pepper

1 cube vegetable bouillon (vegan)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Bragg's amino or 1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt to taste

Direction

Saute garlic in olive oil over a medium high heat. Stir in bell pepper, both whole and mashed up cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini, vegetable bouillon, bragg's amino and salt. Let it come to boil, then add the cooked pasta. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Serve.

Roasted Vegetable Fajita

I made this roasted vegetable fajita for a mexican theme dinner last week and it was a huge hit! I served it with tomato salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. 

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper, sliced

1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 large orange bell pepper, sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced, sliced

2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

olive oil

whole wheat tortillas

lettuce, chopped 

tomato salsa 

guacamole

sour cream 

shredded veggie cheese 

Fajita seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon red crushed pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 cube vegetable bouillon (vegan), crushed

Direction

1. Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Take a cookie sheet and cover with aluminum foil. 

2. Seasoning. Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, Toss the bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), zucchini, mushroom, and onion with olive and 3 tablespoons of the fajita seasoning.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cookie sheet. Roast, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

5. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. One at a time, heat the tortillas in the hot pan on each side until softened, about 20 seconds per side. 

6. To serve, divide the tortillas among individual plates, spread an equal amount of the vegetable mixture, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce.  Fold in both sides of each tortilla over the filling and roll to close.

Vegetarian Tostadas

The crispy and crunchy tostada shells is topped with refried pinto beans, fresh lettuce leaves, freshly made salsa and guacamole, sour cream, and veggie cheese. This recipe is low in fat and calories, and quiet delicious!


Ingredients

1 (4.8 oz) pkg tostada shells

1 can vegetarian refried pinto beans "salsa style " (Trader Joe's brand)
1 pasilla pepper, roasted, seeded, peeled and sliced 

2 tablespoons hot water

Tomato Salsa

Guacamole

4 pcs romaine lettuce leaves, chopped

vegan sour cream 

Shredded cheddar veggie cheese 

Direction

1. Place the refried pinto beans and hot water in a sauce pan and simmer until heated through.

2. To assemble tostada, layer the tostada shells with refried pinto beans, roasted pasilla pepper,  guacamole, salsa, lettuce, and top with veggie cheddar cheese. Serve immediately.

Guacamole

This simple guacamole recipe is delicious and super easy to make and can be enjoyed in many different ways.


Ingredients

4 ripe avocados

3 tablespoons minced red onion

1 serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Direction

Combine all ingredients together. Serve.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Here's a fresh tomato salsa recipe that is very forgiving and adaptable. I made this salsa not spicy so my mother-in-law could enjoy it. But if you want it hot, feel free to adjust the serrano peppers to your taste or you can leave the seeds in (the seeds and veins in peppers contains most of the capsaicin, the compound that lend peppers their mouth-searing qualities).


Ingredients

2 serrano peppers, seeded, minced 

6 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/3 cup minced onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (add more if needed)

3 large jalapeno peppers, seeded, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic

juice of one lime

salt and pepper to taste

Direction

Combine all ingredients together. Serve.

El Torito's Cilantro and Pepita Salad Dressing

This is a copy cat recipe of El torito's mexican ceasar salad dressing. This cilantro and pepita seed dressing is creamy and so delicious.

Ingredients

Salad

4 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped

2 medium size tomatoes, diced

1 large roasted red bell pepper, peeled, chopped and seeded

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1 piece wheat tortilla, cut into thin strips,  slow baked until crisp

spinach

Salad dressing

1 large anaheim chili, roasted, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 teaspoon salt (add more if needed)

7 ounces salad oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese (you can also use Parmesan cheese if you cannot find Cotija)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed

3/4 cups mayonnaise

1/8 cup water


Direction

1. Salad dressing. Place all dressing ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in a blender of food processor.

2. Blend approximately 10 seconds, and then add cilantro little by little until blended smooth.

3. Blend in mayonnaise and water until well blended.

4. Salad. Combine all salad ingredients together, then spread some salad dressing over the greens.