Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [16]
3. Stir the dough for 25 strokes. Divide between the prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cover the loaves loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking time if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove from the pans immediately and brush with melted butter. Cool on a wire rack.
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: Serve the bread warm with extra virgin olive oil for dipping to bring out the flavors. Use fresh herbs if desired by tripling the amounts given for dried.
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Soups
Soup is a friend to the busy home cook, since it often can be prepared ahead of time. When company comes to call, the soup is ready to be rewarmed and served with ease. And since there’s nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup on a cold day, soup can bring a family together for a casual meal. It’s also perfect for serving to a houseful of guests or a high-school gym full of revelers.
Kimberly Hammond of Kingwood, Texas, enjoys preparing her tasty No-Soak Black Bean Soup not only because it cooks all day in a slow cooker, but also because the dried beans don’t have to be soaked.
Cheeseburger Soup is as much a part of the Thanksgiving get-together for Beverly Kivett of Madras, Oregon, as the turkey and dressing. Her family looks forward to having a bowl of the filling soup with some yummy bread the night before the big holiday.
Sheryl Crumpton of Lindale, Texas, has a hit on her hands when she fixes Incredible Chicken Tortilla Soup to take to a church potluck dinner or family event. The name says it all—this hearty, flavorful soup filled with chicken, beans, and spices, looks as good as it tastes.
On a frigid day, Sue Brintle headed to her pantry to create a rib-sticking chili that would warm her husband and daughter from the inside out. Brintle, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, didn’t have any ground beef or turkey, but came up with Healthy Vegetable Chili, loaded with beans, corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
Roasted Eggplant Soup with Garlic Cream from Lillian Julow of Gainesville, Florida, and Superb Red Pepper Soup, submitted by Eleanor Greenly of Levittown, Pennsylvania, both take advantage of fresh produce and spices to create gourmet dishes that burst with flavor.
And for Elaine Stieber of Norwalk, Ohio, it’s a matter of great pride that her French Onion Soup is her husband’s favorite. He loves to order the soup in restaurants but says no one makes it better than his wife of fifteen years. She says he’s her biggest fan—and adds, “You can’t beat that!”
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Glazed Apple Bars
Quick Apple Dumplings
Shrimp Basil
Blackberry Cake
Broccoli Elegant
Butterhorns
Champagne Brunch Casserole
Cherry Glazed Pork Roast
Incredible Chicken Tortilla Soup
Fudge Cappuccino Orange Torte
Sweet Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa
Garden Corn and Black Bean Salad
Dish of Fire
Goat Cheese Torte
Homestyle Grits Casserole
Midnight Biscotti
Monkey Bread
No-Soak Black Bean Soup
Kimberly Hammond, Kingwood, Texas
Serves 8
“This recipe is especially easy because you don’t soak the beans. You can put everything in the slow cooker in the morning and forget about it for the rest of the day.”
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
7 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups vegetable broth
Two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
½ cup nondairy soy sour cream or plain sour cream
½ medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
½ medium white onion, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1. Add the olive oil to a 5-quart slow cooker and turn it to the highest setting. Stir in the yellow onion and cook for