New England Style Hot Dog Buns

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New England Style Hot Dog Buns

There’s nothing quite like a homemade roll to put a hamburger or a hot dog on. I’d been making my own for quite some time now, and haven’t looked back since. A basic dough, rise, then shape and re-rise before baking. But, after receiving this New England Style Hot Dog Pan for Christmas from my mom, I have to admit I have a new favorite way of preparing my hot dog buns.

You make the dough, let it rise, then press it into the bun mold and let it rise. It’s then baked in the oven with a sheet pan on top, once browned is allowed to cool, then the individual buns are sliced – leaving you with an awesome bread-to-toasting ratio on  the sides of the bun.

Not only are they great with hot dogs, but also lobster rolls.  Or a fun Maryland twist, crab rolls – which are next on my hit-list to try once I get my hands on some good crab meat (as in, I pick it myself). These buns would definitely add a really nice touch to any 4th of July celebrations you may have going on.

To celebrate the 4th, and festive get togethers – my favorite linen company, Hen House, has graciously sponsoring a giveaway for a set of napkins perfect for you summer celebrations! 2 Bargello Navy (pictured above), 2 Devine Scarlet, and 2 Gracious Persimmon. I can’t say rave enough about their linens – I use them everyday, they wash beautifully, and the colors hold up so well. To enter, just leave a comment letting us know how your favorite ways to spend your time outside in the summer.

Hen House Linens

Want a couple of extra entries?:

Like Tide & Thyme on Facebook – leave a separate comment letting us know you did so.
Like Hen House Linens of Facebook – leave a separate comment letting us know you did so.

Contest will end Wednesday, June 26th @ 11:59 PM ET. Winner will be selected using a random number generator and contacted via email.

In addition, they’ve been kind enough to offer our readers a 10% discount now through July 19th. It’s a great opportunity to treat yourself to some new kitchen linens that will really brighten up your house for summer. Just use the code “TIDEANDTHYME” when checking out. Thanks so much Hen House!

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Congrats to Sarah, who had comment #21 – I love going out on the boat with the family. I think that’s one of my favorite things to do in the summer too. Take a picnic dinner and enjoy these linens!

New England-Style Hot Dog Buns

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. instant yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter , softened
1 egg
1 cup warm water

Mix all of the ingredients together and knead until dough is smooth and shiny. Add additional water a little at a time if dough is not smooth. Allow dough to rise in greased bowl until nearly doubled in size.

Gently punch dough down and place into a lightly greased New England Hotdog Bun pan, stretching the dough to the corners. If dough does not easily stretch, let it rest a few minutes then continue stretching.

Place a greased baking sheet on top of the pan and weigh it down. Let the dough rise again until the dough comes to within 1/2 inch below the rim of the pan.

With the cover still in place, bake 18 minutes at 375º F. Remove the cover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.

Allow buns to cool in pan then turn out onto cutting board. With rounded side up, slice the individual buns then slice the top of the buns almost to the bottom to serve.

Source: slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry

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Mongolian Beef

Another take-out fake out favorite for you guys today! Mongolian beef is one of my favorite things on a Chinese menu, but I usually don’t order it because the beef is so tough and fatty. By making it at home you can choose the cut of beef that you want, ensuring a lean and tender bite.

In this case I used a sirloin that I cut down into thin strips. A quick stir fry with some garlic, ginger, and a quick sauce made up from things in the pantry. 10 minutes from start to finish! I served on a bed of white rice with some steamed broccoli on the side.

I really don’t think you could order out as quickly as you can have this on the table. And, it’s much better for your family, obviously. We love our fake-out take out nights around here!

Mongolian Beef

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound steak (sirloin or flank), sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 cup green onion, sliced (for garnish)

For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tsp sesame oil

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the beef and saute until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.

In a liquid measuring cup mix the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, cornstarch, beef broth, and sesame oil. Pour into the pan with the beef and cook until it thickens , about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions before serving.

Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010

 

Buttermilk Pancakes

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Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes

I love making breakfast for my guys. Usually during the week it’s something quick – like oatmeal, or Nutella toast and yogurt. But on the weekends I like to do something special like biscuits and gravy, waffles , or these pancakes.

They’re absolutely perfect – basic ingredients (if you don’t consider buttermilk a basic ingredient – you should) that come together quickly in one bowl. The batter pours well and cooks up beautifully. It makes quite a few pancakes, but leftover pancakes can be frozen and reheated in a warm oven or the toaster for a quick, homemade breakfast.

Deliciously light, moist, and fluffy. Blueberries or bananas can easily be tossed into the batter for a fruity twist. Or, two words: chocolate chips. It’s easily one of our favorite breakfasts, and something that I think we all look forward to on the weekends. I know your family will too!

Buttermilk Pancakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
5 Tbsp butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and make a well in the center of the ingredients. Set aside.

In a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!

Pour the wet mixture into the well of the dry mixture, and use a rubber spatula to combine. Stir until it’s just blended together. Do not over stir – batter should be slightly lumpy.

Pour or scoop 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle, I’ll usually do three at a time. Cook until bubbles become visible, then flip. Brown on other side.

Cooked pancakes can be stored on a baking sheet in a warm oven while you finish cooking the others.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Hush Puppies

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Hush Puppies

Now that summer is here seafood season is in full swing here on the Eastern Shore. We had our first taste of crabs Memorial Day weekend. People have been catching black drum, rockfish, and flounder right and left. And, thanks to new breeding practices our salty Chincoteague oysters are available all year round now.

Naturally, there’s nothing that we love more than a good old-fashioned seafood boil or fish fry. And, no seafood feast is complete without a good hush puppies. The little seafood spot (Ray’s Shanty if you’re curious – great food too!) where I go to buy my seafood makes the best in the world. They have a ton of flavor with the addition of onion, yet are dense and light at the same time. I always end up eating too many of those, and then never any room for my meal…

This was my first attempt at making them at home, and they turned out great. I used a recipe from Saveur that looked promising. They were super easy to make, and quickly fried up to perfection once the “rise” was complete. It’s almost a proofing process – you mix up the batter, then let it sit for an hour to leaven. This made a light and airy hush puppies that had a wonderful texture on the inside, and a perfectly golden crunchy exterior.

It makes a lot of hush puppies though – like around thirty. I think next time I’ll probably cut the recipe in half for our family.

Hush Puppies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 tbsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking soda
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 large yellow onion, grated
Canola oil, for frying
Tartar sauce, for serving

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Stir together buttermilk, eggs, and grated onion with their juice in a medium bowl. Pour over dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Pour oil to a depth of 2″ in a 6-qt. Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Using a tablespoon, drop small rounds of batter into the oil, making sure to not crowd the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally and flipping halfway through, until golden on the outside and crisp, about 3–4 minutes.

Remove hush puppies from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve with tartar sauce on the side for dipping.

Source: Saveur