Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Last week we were taking dinner over to two different friend's houses. We made a delicious pasta dish and needed a great bread to pair it with. After a little search on Pinterest I found this great recipe inspired by Macaroni Grill. It was a no brainer, I had to try out this recipe and I'm really glad I did. It was so delicious and the aroma made our house smell divine. I took a picture with my phone when the bread came out of the oven and then wished I did a tutorial. So apologies for my iPhone pic but well...who cares really this bread is incredible!

Recipe: (adapted from ahintofhoney.com)
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp.  sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried rosemary (or 2 TBL chopped, if fresh)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let the ingredients sit for a few minutes to proof.

Add in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and flour.  Slowly add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. If you don't use the entire cup of bread flour that's okay just set aside for when you knead the bread. Knead on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in size.

Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Drap a towel over the dough again and let rise for another 30- 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, lightly brush the top with egg wash and dried rosemary.

Bake or 18-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

This recipe makes 1 loaf but you can easily double it,

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

It's been forever. I know! I'm sorry! We have been baking and cooking so much but haven't seemed to find the time to document out eats. I haven't forgotten about you and I love hearing your comments on past recipes. Thank you for your support on our little food site. We just love you all!!

Since I'm in a fall-time mood, here's a fun recipe brought to you by Sweet Pea's Kitchen (slightly modified). I made this bread for a family who just welcomed a new baby. I thought it was a perfect fall treat that can be enjoyed by everyone in the household. I just have the final picture but it's pretty simple I think we can survive without the step-by-step;-)

Bread Recipe:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter 

melted

2/3 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9X5 loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the puree, eggs, oil, butter, water, sugars, and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Slowly add to the puree mixture and fully incorporate into the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Spiced Glaze Recipe:

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Mix together ingredients and add to a pastry bag. I didn't have one so I put it into a sandwich plastic bag and cut a small hole into the corner. When the bread is cooled, I drizzled the glaze on top in cross-cross motions. Let the glaze harden and serve.

Enjoy!

Taco Pizza

Quick- you have 8 very hungry 19 year olds coming over in 30 minutes for dinner. What on earth do you make that will feed the masses in a short amount of time? Taco pizza of course! Thanks to Real Mom Kitchen I found a great recipe that is very simple to make and quite delicious. Our guests were happy to eat 2-3 large pieces each. They told me to put this new recipe on the blog, so here it is:

Recipe:
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef if you prefer)
1 envelope low- sodium taco seasoning mix
2 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury reduced-fat crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
2-3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 chopped roma tomato
4 green onions, chopped


Brown ground turkey meat and drain. Add in the taco seasoning mix. Follow the directions on the packet and then let simmer on very low heat.

Pre-heat the oven to 375
Roll out the crescent rolls into rectangles and place in a slightly greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
Chop the tomato and green onions.

Microwave the refried beans in a microwave safe container. Stir and spread on top of the warm crust creating a small layer. Add the meat to create a layer on top. Top the meat with the cheese. Now add the tomatoes and green onions. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Chopped Salad

I'm so excited Summer is here and one of the best parts of summer is eating of course!! I love summer food- grilled chicken, steaks, salads, fruit, lemonade. It's all so refreshing and so very delicious. For Sunday dinner I decided to try this recipe out I modified from Greens and Chocolate recipe website. The dressing includes greek yogurt and the salad itself is full of fresh vegetables...you really can't go wrong.

Dressing:

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

2/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp ranch seasoning

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a small bowl. Keep in the fridge while you start chopping for your salad.

Salad:

1 Green bell pepper, diced

1 can Black beans, rinsed

1 can Sweet yellow corn, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

4 Green onions, sliced

1 head Ice berg lettuce, washed and chopped

1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

2 ripe Avocados, diced

Optional:

2 C Shredded chicken

1 C Crushed tortilla chips

 Prep all the ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Toss. Add the dressing until everything is coated. You can add as much or as little per your preference.

 I loved how the flavors come together in this salad. It's perfect for a big event or a quiet Sunday dinner. You know the salad is good when people go back for seconds and thirds.:-)

Enjoy!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

If you haven't noticed, we eat a lot of chicken in our household. Don't get me wrong, we love our red meat but chicken is always a better on your budget and easy to have in your freezer. While perusing Pinterest I found yet another great chicken recipe originally posted by Homemade by Holman. Though they used fresh thyme and fresh oregano, I used dry from my pantry and the taste was still delish.

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless chicken breast, thawed and cubed

1 tsp dry mustard

1 T thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 T olive oil

Start by pouring your olive oil into a large skillet, coating the bottom well. Heat the pan on medium-high. Sprinkle your herb mixture on top on the chicken and add to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. You can sprinkle more of your herb mixture while the chicken is cooking just to make sure it absorbs all that flavor. Remove chicken from heat and place in a separate container.

For the pasta:

1 pound bowtie or your favorite short cut pasta

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 T Dijon mustard

8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups milk

1 T thyme

1 T oregano

Parmesan cheese to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add flour and whisk over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and mustard and cook until onions are translucent.

Add the milk slowly and stir. Let stew for 5 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.

Add cheese and stir until melted. Add the chicken.

Mix with your already prepared noodles, sprinkle on the oregano, thyme & parmesan cheese and serve. Seriously...sooo good! You're going to love this dish, serve with garlic bread and you're set to go.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesian

Hello everyone! Hope all is well in the food blogging world. We've been cooking up a storm here finding new food favorites and some not so great recipes. No worries, we don't post anything but the best so enjoy this new recipe I found on Pinterest (originally posted by Chef In Training). I have fallen deeply in love with our crock pot. It has become my go-to for dinners. With K working late at the hospital his schedule changes day to day which doesn't give me a good timeframe when he will be home for dinner. But not everything we eat can be soups or chili which is why I really loved this recipe. Very simple to put together with a rich Italian taste. If you're a fan of a crispier chicken parmesan then this recipe probably won't be your favorite but if you are a fan of big Italian flavor then give this recipe a try.

Recipe:

4 frozen boneless chicken tenderloins, defrosted

1/2 C Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp Black pepper

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 TBSP Olive oil

1 egg, beaten

1 C flour

1-2 C mozzarella cheese

1 Jar of your favorite marana sauce

Ready, set, cook! In a medium bowl mix the Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Grab three dishes, as you noticed I just grabbed anything I can dip the chicken in. Dish 1: Flour, Dish 2: egg and Dish 3: Italian bread seasoning mixture.

 Pour olive oil onto the bottom of your crock pot dish. Dust your chicken in the flour, shake off excess flour.  Now dip chicken into the egg and cover. Last step, place chicken in the breadcrumbs mixture and cover well.

 Place in your crockpot dish.

 Cover the chicken with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Cover cheese with the jar of marana sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

 So guess what!! We we were so hungry we failed to take a finished photo! I know, I'm so sorry!! This is how we ate it though. We didn't go traditional with the noodles (which also would be great). Instead, we ate it with slices of freshly made (and still hot) french bread and it was amazing. I hope you all try the recipe out, it's a definite keeper.

Enjoy!

French Bread

Whenever I'm in a need of a new recipe, I go straight to the Pinterest search bar. Why not? I find the recipe I want with pictures! What could be better? Last week we made an Italian feast and I needed a great french bread recipe. I found this great pin with a recipe posted by justgetoffyourbuttandbake{dot}com. It looked fabulous and I had to try it out. The ingredients are fairly simple and most likely you have any everything you need in your pantry. I like to buy a jar of yeast instead of packets. It's a little more expensive to buy upfront but it last a lot longer and you're able to get the exact amount of yeast you need. The bread came out very soft, chewy and delicious. I like a soft outer crust on my french bread but there's also a neat trick to get a crispier crust. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

2 1/4 C warm water

3 Tbls sugar

2 Tbls yeast

1 Tbls salt

2 Tbls oil

6 C flour

Place the warm water, sugar in a  large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and let dissolve. You really want to get the yeast activated so really let it dissolve until it starts "bubbling".

Add the salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and mix. At this point change your mixer attachment to your kneader. Slowly add the remaining 3 cups of flour. Add additional flour if the dough is still pretty sticky.

Let the dough sit in the mixing bowl for ten minutes with a kitchen towel on top. After ten minutes turn the mixer on for ten seconds. Repeat this 5 times.

Take dough out and knead a few times on a well-floured surface. Split the dough in half and roll out into a 9x13 rectangle. Roll the dough and tuck the ends in. Cute three gashed on top of the dough. Place seam down on a baking sheet and let rise for another 15-20 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Preheat over to 375.

Using a pastry brush add an egg wash (1 egg+ 1 Tbls water) on top of the bread. Place bread in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes. If you feel like the top of your bread is getting dark to fast, add a piece of aluminum foil on top 15 minutes into cooking.

When your bread is golden brown and done take out of the over and let rest. You can't tell in the picture but we were already devouring the first loaf out of the oven as we took the second one out. It's really hard to resist which is why this recipe is perfect in making to loaves:-) It is so delicious and perfect with soups and pasta. In fact, we let this loaf cool cut it in half (lengthwise) added butter and garlic and put it under the broler for a few minutes. It was by far the best garlic bread I've ever had!

Enjoy!