We cannot recommend these delicious recipes from April's Recipe Club and Potluck program enough! Enjoy a variety of dishes, from colorful orzo pasta salad to versatile rice and beans. And don't forget dessert-- Recipe Club attendees brought Easter Paska, caramel-glazed apple bread, and Dutch apple slab pie to share. Get all the recipes below, and don't forget to join us for next month's Recipe Club and Potluck!
Mediterranean-Inspired Orzo Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces dry orzo
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
- 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, large stems removed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, large stems removed
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for tossing pasta)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons pasta water
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and toss with a little olive oil. Set aside to cool.
- While the water boils/pasta cooks, prep the pasta salad ingredients and make the dressing.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic powder, maple syrup, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and pasta water (once it’s ready) to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the finely chopped red onion and mix again.
- Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, artichoke hearts, parsley, and cooked orzo to the mixing bowl. Toss well to combine.
- Mix in the basil just before serving. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, lemon juice for brightness, or herbs for freshness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Get the full recipe and details from Minimalist Baker!
Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 onion, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 15 ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook until tender.
- Add beans, tomatoes, and seasonings.
- Bring pot to a boil; stir in rice and water.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until rice is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and let stand five minutes before serving.
This recipe was shared by Gleaners, from the Michigan Fitness Foundation's Harvest of the Month.
Easter Paska
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3/4 cup margarine or butter
- 2 1/2 packages of dry yeast
- 10-11 cups of flour
Directions
- Heat to lukewarm-- 1 1/2 cups water, milk, sugar, salt, and margarine.
- Beat eggs in separate bowl.
- Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
- Have 10 cups flour in a large pan (1 cup for extra mixing).
- Mix all together with large spoon, adding extra four as needed.
- Knead, then let rise for two hours.
- Punch down and let rise 45 minutes.
- Grease pans, make loaves, and let them rise for 45 minutes.
- Brush with beaten egg, then bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
Notes: When making the dough, add more flour if needed until the dough is NOT sticky-- even if the flour amount is more than 10-11 cups.
Knead the dough for 15 minutes.
Rise times are:
- First rise: 1 1/2 to 2 hours
- Second rise: 45 minutes
- Third rise (as loaves): 45 minutes to one hour, or until you see the bread peek above the top of the pan.
- Cover the loaves in the oven with foil if they are getting too brown during baking time.
This recipe is credited to local baker Sue!
Caramel-Glazed Apple Bread
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 1/2 cups shredded peeled baking apples (2 large)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray or shortening.
- In large bowl, stir together apples, 1 cup brown sugar, the buttermilk, oil and eggs. Stir in remaining bread ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into pans.
- Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
- Gradually stir powdered sugar into glaze mixture. Place saucepan of glaze in bowl of cold water. Beat with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. If glaze becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, or heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle glaze over loaves. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.
Get the full recipe and details from Betty Crocker!
Dutch Apple Slab Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Vermont Creamery Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons ice cold water
- 1 egg, for egg wash
For the Apple Filling
- 5 apples, peeled and cored (we used a mixture of granny smith and honeycrisp!)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
For the Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup Vermont Creamery Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Directions
- First, make the pie crust. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter cubes to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large chunks of butter remain.
- Add in the water, one tablespoon at a time. If your dough has come together, don’t add any more water. You want just enough to bind the dough. Mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough out of the food processor and form into a flat oval disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month.
- While the crust is chilling, make the filling. Peel the apples and slice them into ¼” thick slices, cutting the slices in half so you have small pieces instead of large full apple slices. This will sit better and allow you to load it full of apples.
- Add the spices, salt, flour, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar to the filling and stir to combine.
- Next, make the crumb topping. Combine all the ingredients for the crumb topping in a medium bowl and use a fork to stir together until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. Set aside.
- Once the crust is chilled, preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a quarter sheet pan (9 1/2″ x 13″). Turn the dough out on a well floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle, two inches longer on each side than your half sheet pan, to about an 1/8th of inch thickness.
- Roll the dough over your rolling pin, until it’s fully wrapped around. Unroll the dough over the half sheet pan so it hangs evenly on all sides. Roll the excess dough on the edges in and under towards the dish, like a sleeping bag. Use your fingers to press the dough, sealing it to create a thick outer crust.
- Crimp the dough, making a “v” with two fingers one hand on the outside of the pie crust and the index finger of the opposite hand to make an indent in the pie crust. Repeat around the pie until the entire crust is crimped.
- In a small bowl whisk together an egg and a teaspoon of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the pie crust.
- Transfer the apple filling on top of the pie crust and spread into an even layer. Top with the crumb topping over the apple filling, patting it down slightly to get it into the nooks and crannies of the apples.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 to 40 minutes or or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
- Allow to cool before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
See the full recipe and details from Broma Bakery!