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Butter Braid Bread
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup scalded milk
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 5-8 cups all-purpose soft-wheat or bread flour
Glaze:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup poppy or sesame seeds
1 egg white mixed with
1 tablespoon water

- Stir the yeast and water together in a bowl and set aside to dissolve.  Put the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and add the hot scalded milk.  Let cook to 115 degrees.  Don't worry if the butter isn't melted.  Add the eggs, yeast, and 3 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth by hand or portable mixer or in a food processor.  Stir in more flour, 1 cup at a time, enough to make a soft dough that holds its shape and is not sticky.
Knead, adding more flour as necessary, on a lightly floured board for 8-10 minutes, or in a mixer or food processor until the dough is soft but not sticky and springs back when touched.  Place in a greased bowl, and turn the dough to grease all over.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk or until the indentations made by two fingers pushed into the edge of the dough remain.

To shape, punch down and divide the dough in thirds.  Cut each third into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a strand about 18 inches long.  Place 3 strands together on a board and pinch or press them together well at one end, tucking the pinched dough under, so the strands won't come apart.  Braid the strands tightly, pinching and tucking the finished end under the loaf.  Repeat for each loaf.
Place on greased baking sheets.  Brush the loaves with the melted butter and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.  Brush the loaves with the melted butter and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.  Let rise until doubled then brush with the egg-white-and-water mixture to glaze.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the loaves in the oven and bake 20 minutes, checking occasionally.  When browned, remove one loaf and test for doneness by thumping the bottom to see if it sounds hollow, or running a trussing needle or skewer into the loaf to see if it comes out clean.  Return to the oven until done if necessary, checking every 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the pans and place on a rack to cool.-

From: New Southern Cooking by: Nathalie Dupree
ISBN: 0-8203-2630-5
University of Georgia Press

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Minestrone Soup

-1 meduim onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, peeled and cut
- 2 cans beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni
- 2 small zucchinis, drained
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook onion, celery, and carrot in margarine, stirring constantly until onion is soft, but not browned. Add potato, tomatoes, broth, and basil.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add macaroni and zucchini.  Cook another 10 minutes.  Add kidney beans and cook another 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

 Yield: 6 servings
Note: This soup is delicious and is a meal in itself.

From: 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat
by: Sheila Ellison & Judith Gray
ISBN: 1-4022-0585-6
Sourcebooks, Inc.

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Napoleon Grillin' Bread

- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 pizza dough crusts, store bought or homemade

Combine the olive oil, onion powder, white pepper, curry powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a sauce pan, and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat, stirring often.  Let the sauce cool on the stove for 1 hour.  Brush both sides of the pizza crust with sauce, and place on the grill.
Cook each side for about 3 minutes, flip crust, and apply more sauce.
Top cooked bread with cheese, onions, basil, and tomatoes.  Serve hot.

From:  Grillin' Like a Villain by Rick Black
ISBN: 978-0-8117-3325-0
Publisher: Stackpole Books

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Roast Chicken with Herb Stuffing- Serves 4

- 3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken
- 4 slices whole-wheat (wholemeal) bread
- 4 scallions (shallots/spring onions), chopped
- 1 cup (1 1/2 oz/45 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C/ Gas 4). Rince chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels
2. Remove crusts from bread and cut bread into small cubes
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine bread cubes, scallions, parsley, thyme, rosemary, lemon and orange zests, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add egg and mix until well combined.
4. Using your fingertips, loosen skin from around chicken breast and insert a lemon slice on each side between skin and breast meat.
5. Spoon herb seasoning into chicken cavity.  Truss chicken with string, securing wings and legs (see Basic Roast Chicken, page 60)
6. Brush base and sides of a roasting pan with oil.  Place chicken in pan then brush chicken with oil.
7. Bake until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (see page 59).  Transfer chicken to a warmed plate, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes (see page 59).
8. Serve hot with Crispy Roast Potatoes (see page 126) and Roast Chicken Gravy (see page 61).

From: The Very Basic Cookbook by: Vicki Liley
ISBN: 978-0-8117-3280-2
Stackpole Books

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Zucchini Bread
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup raw cane sugar (Turbinado)
- 3/4 cup prune puree or unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C).  Lightly coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with flour; set aside.
 In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
 In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, and prune puree.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg white mixture, stirring until well combined, but do not overmix.  Fold in the zucchini.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.  Cut into 14 slices to serve.

From: Conscious Cuising: A New Style of Cooking from the Kitches of Chef Cary Neff
by: Cary Neff
ISBN: 1-57071-926-8
Sourcebooks, Inc.