It was a great weekend in Jackson. Friday night a bunch of my friends and I went camping at Shadow Mountain, and had a great time! The sheriff came by and let us know that a grizzly had been spotted just a couple hundred yards from our campsite, but we just carried some bear spray and continued on with our fun. The food was ridiculous - Jackson peeps know how to do camp food! We cooked brats, s'mores and cinnamon rolls over the fire (if you don't know what a pie iron is check them out, SO many possibilities)! There was also some birthday pie that may have made a second appearance at breakfast...but anyway, after all that sugary food I was ready for some healthier food on Sunday. So, this was dinner!
Spinach Salad with Strawberries
Salad:
2 bags of spinach
1 and 1/2 pints of strawberries
1 can mandarin oranges
Sliced Onions
(I also added some bacon and hard boiled eggs since we were eating this for our main dish)
Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1 and 1/2 t. minced dry onion
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. paprika
Topping:
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
1/4 c. slivered almonds
Directions:
Mix salad ingredients together.
Mix dressing ingredients together, be sure the sugar dissolves and everything is well mixed.
(I like to put the dressing in something with a tight fitting lid that you can shake to mix thoroughly. Coffee creamer containers work perfectly!)
Pour dressing over salad
(or just let people add the dressing individually if you don't expect to eat the whole salad - it wilts badly after it sits overnight in the dressing).
Add toppings before serving.
Adapted from: My dad's co-workers Janice and Joan
Honey Wheat Bread
2 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast (2 and 1/8 at high altitude)
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 whole milk
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon melted butter or oil
1 teaspoon (add another 1/4 t. in high altitude)
1 cup unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
EITHER 2 T. milk or 1 egg + 1 t. water to brush over top
Directions:
In a cup, combine yeast warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar. Stir and set aside 3-4 minutes till mixture bubbles up. Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, combine milk, 1/2 cup water, butter, salt and honey and set over low heat till mixture feels quite warm — about 120 degrees and bubbles form around the edge of the liquid. Pour mixture into a large bowl and let cool till you can touch it comfortably — to about 110 degrees. Stir in 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white bread flour. Then add yeast mixture and beat hard for several minutes by hand, or be smart and use the paddle attachment on your electric mixer. Gradually stir in the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cups of wheat flour. Continue mixing till dough comes together and looks stretchy. To knead with mixer switch to dough hook and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Or put dough on table and mix by hand. Add more flour if necessary. Now you are ready for the first rise. Place dough in a oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place till almost double, about 45 minutes. Once dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto floured surface and knead it once or twice. Return dough to oiled bowl and let rise again 40-45 minutes.
While dough is doing its second rise, prepare a loaf pan with a little bit of oil or non stick spray. Preheat oven to 375 (or 425 at high altitude). Now make the loaf. Punch down the dough and and knead it a few times on the floured counter. Pat and press the dough into a 8x11 rectangle. Roll the dough into a log about 3 1/2 by 11 and pinch the ends to seal, Set the seam side down in the prepared loaf pan cover lightly with oiled plastic wrap and set to rise for the last time. This time the dough only needs to get 1/3 larger. Brush the top of the loaf with milk or some egg wash for color. Bake loaf for 30 minutes at 357 (or 15 minutes at 425, then lower oven to 375 and bake for 30 minutes more for high altitude). If you want to test doneness by thermometer, it should register 190-195 when fully cooked. You could also do the sound check by tapping on the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles. It should sound hollow. Cool the bread on a wire rack and slice with a serrated knife. Eat it warm, with butter smeared on top. :)
