Rainy day foods

What do you eat on rainy days? In the spring and summer I love to cook on the grill, it's less mess in the kitchen (sometimes) and you can sit on the porch and watch the grass grow, if it makes you happy. So when those rainy days come during grilling season, while I enjoy listening to the soft pelts of rain outside of my window and the calmness that it brings it usually changes my dinner plans too.

Now just about everyone I know loves soups or stews on rainy days and I have to admit that I do too, especially with a homemade bread fresh from the oven and butter melting from the steam. So today let's make some chicken with homemade noodles, fresh bread with vegetables from the garden just for fun.

Soft Butter Rolls

Ingredients

• 17.6 oz. Bread flour
• 8 oz. Water
• 1 egg
• 1.4 oz. Unsalted Butter, soft
• 1.1 oz. Sugar
• 0.9 oz. Powdered Milk
• 0.4 oz. Salt
• .29 oz. Yeast, Instant

1.      Place all the ingredients into the mixing bowl, attach the dough hook and let work at the first speed for about 3 minutes. The dough should still be a little loose, turn the mixer up to the second speed and mix for about 5 minutes. Desired dough temperature is 76°.

2.      Put the dough in a larger bowl and cover with plastic or a clean tea towel. Let sit until it doubles. About an hour.

3.      If you want to make rolls, then divide and shape into the size of roll you want, this can be a braided bread, hamburger buns, and even cloverleaf. Once the bread is divided and shaped. Place the bread in parchment lined sheet pan. If making rolls, place dough in sheet pan so the sides almost touch. Cover and let proof again, until doubled. Preheat your oven to 400°.

4.      Just before putting in the oven brush with melted butter. Bake at 400° for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops are golden. Brush again with butter when rolls are removed from the oven. Let cool.                   

      What I usually do for my chicken and noodles is use leftover chicken to make the stock, add garlic, chopped onion, salt, pepper and sage. Add those ingredients to about a quart of water and let boil. If you don't want to make your own stock you can buy one at your local store. I use Kitchen Basics because it has simple ingredients. While that is cooking down, I make the homemade noodles for the dish. 

Egg Noodles

Ingredients

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         1 – 1 ½ cups of flour

·         Water, as needed

Directions

1.      Sift the flour on the table and make a hole in the center. Add the eggs to the flour and start combining, once rough dough is put together add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together and can be rolled out.

2.      Let rest 10 minutes.

3.      Roll the dough out into 1/8 – ¼ inch thick and use a pizza cutter to make noodles to desired length. Add to boiling liquid and cook to desired texture. 

Once the noodles are added to the chicken stock, it will take about  4 -6 minutes until it is done. 

I hope you enjoy!