Soft Pretzels

All I can say is YUM! My mom used to make soft pretzels all the time when I was younger... and I really wanted to make some that would mimic her recipe as closely as possible. The thing is, she had her stand mixer to make them... I'm not as lucky! My search for a hand-mixable soft pretzel recipe brought up the following... it wasn't as good as hers, but it's pretty close!



Soft Pretzels.
www.allrecipes.com
32 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

-In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
-Add sugar, salt, butter and egg. Stir in 3 cups of flour; mix until smooth.
-Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Cover bowl tightly with foil; refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
-Punch dough down and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, cut each half into 32 equal pieces.
-Roll each piece into a 20-in. rope. Shape into the traditional pretzel shape and place on a greased baking sheet.
-In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and water; brush over the pretzels. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
-Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes.
-Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until brown.

**Modifications: I used Egg Beaters and light stick margarine. Nutritional info is based on those modifications

NUTRITION INFO

Calories 117.3
Total Fat 1.1 g
Cholesterol 6.2 mg
Sodium 573.5 mg
Potassium 39.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.2 g
Protein 3.0

The best Pork Chops

This came from one of my favorite recipe sites, www.sparkrecipes.com, run by sparkpeople.com. It has a ton of healthy meals submitted by users and the staff. We love these pork chops, mainly because they're fast and healthy... and spicy! This was served with some rice on the side.



Baked Pork Chops
www.sparkrecipes.com
6 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 lean center-cut pork chops, 1/2" thick
1 egg white
1 cup evaporated skim milk
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Trim all fat from chops.
2. Beat egg white with evaporated skim milk. Place chops in milk mixture and let stand for 5 minutes, turning chops once.
3. Meanwhile, mix together cornflake crumbs, bread crumbs, spices, and salt.
4. Spray a 9xl3-inch baking pan with nonstick spray coating.
5. Remove chops from milk mixture. Coat all sides evenly with crumb mixture.
6. Place chops in pan and bake in 375º F oven for 20 minutes. Turn chops and bake 15 minutes longer or until no pink remains.

NUTRITION INFO(per 4-ounce serving)
Calories: 195.1
Fat: 7.3 g
Carbohydrates: 7.3 g
Protein: 23.6 g

London Broil!

Mmmmm... yum! I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, and modified it a very slight bit to fit our tastes (after reading reviews). I also sliced some stoplight peppers and put those in the bag to marinate with the steak. Those were then grilled on a bit of foil.



London Broil
www.allrecipes.com
8 Servings (4 oz.)

INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (2 pound) flank steak or round steak
1/2 red, yellow and green pepper (each), sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced

DIRECTIONS
-Mix all ingredients (except steak) in a small bowl.
-Pierce meat with a fork on both sides
-Place meat and marinade in a large plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
-Preheat grill, medium-high heat.
-Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove peppers and onion, place on foil. Place steak and veggies on grill and discard remaining marinade.
-Cook for 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Do not overcook.
-Serve peppers and onions over rice.

NUTRITION INFO (4 oz)
Calories: 260
Fat: 12.1g
Carbs: 7.1g
Protein 24.3g

**Nutrition information does not include rice.

Welcome, Welcome!

I decided to split up my blogs... if you're looking for my adventures in running, go to uncharch7.blogspot.com. If you're looking for the yummy food, you're in the right place!