Girl's Book Club and Recipe Exchange - vol. 1

O tempo passa, o tempo voa... Time flies. And so it did last week. After an excruciatingly busy week, only now am I updating my e-Book of Recipes with some delicious recipes my girlfriends brought to our book club meeting last Saturday.

Luciana's Pasta Salad

Ingredients: 1 package cooked pasta - spinach - strawberries - oranges or tangerines - almonds - bacon bits - cranberry vinagrette.
Let the pasta cool and add all the ingredients above. Easy and sassy!

Janiece's 1-hour bread
Ingrdients: 5 1/4 cup bread flour - 1/4 cup sugar - 1/2 tsp salt - 1 1/2 rounded T Saf-Instant Yeast - 1 1/2 tsp liquid lecithin/oil - 2 to 2 1/2 cups hot tap water
Mix dry ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook or flat beater (or mix by hand). Add lecithin/oil and 2 cups of hot water. Mix for about 1 minute. Add more water if dough is too dry. Mix for 5 minutes - don't add anything. Spray counter and pans with cooking spray. Shape loaves and cover with towel. Let raise for 25 minutes then bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.
For pizza roll out dough, don't let rise. Add toppings and bake at 400-425 for 15 minutes.
Janiece's loaves of bread looked awesome and tasted delicious! My home smelled like a bakery when she walked in!!!!!!

Randa's Moroccan-Style Lentil Soup
Ingredients: 1 package of dried lentils - 1 can garbanzo beans - 1 can pinto beans - 1 onion (chopped) - 1 garlic cloves (smashed and chopped) - 1/2 cup chopped celery - 1/2 cup chopped carrots - 1 large bell papper (chopped) - 4 cups vegetable broth - 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp cummin - 1/4 tsp nutmeg - 1/4 tsp cinnamon - salt to taste.
Add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Serve with sour cream and paprika. Life doesn't get any better than this!

Paula's Basic Dough
Ingredients: 1 tbsp active dry yeast or 1oz (25gr) brewe's yeast - 1 1/2 cup (375 ml) warm water - 3 1/2 cup (500 gr) flour - 1 tbsp olive oil - Pinch of salt.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on thw arm water, and stir to dissolve it. Set aside until the yeast starts forming bubbles in about 5 minutes. In another bowl, sift the flour. Mold the flour in a mound shape with a hole in the center. Pour in the center the yeats mix, olive oil and salt. Mix with your hands to form a dough. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface. Knead the dough until it takes in all the flour. Spread some olive oil inside the bowl and transfer the dough into it. Coverthe bowl with a kitchen cloth and set aside for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the dough soubles volume. Use it as you wish.
Paula used the dough to make little pizza rolls with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and oregano. Delectable!

Mellanie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g (4oz) butter - 1 1/2 (280g/9oz) brown sugar - 2 tsp vanilla essence - 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda - 2 1/2 cups (310g/ 3/4oz) plain flour - 150g (4 3/4oz) dark choc bits - optional: 150g white choc bits, chopped almond, cranberries.
Preheat oven to 180 C/350F/gas 4. Brush two oven trays with melted butter or oil. Line with baking paper. Using an electric beater and a small bowl, beat butter, suggar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs gradually and transfer to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold soda, sufted flour and choc bits into creamed mixture. Mix until smooth. Drop level tbsp of mixture onto trays, allowing for spreading. Flatten mixture slightly. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Transferto wire rack to cool.
These cookies looked puffed and tasted light and delicious!A great treat to gather the kids together or to offer to guests!

Good books, good friends and good food! What a wonderful combination!

Thanks to Suelen, Lorena, Paula, Darlei, Janiece, Mellanie and Luciana - Happy Bday, Lu!