Rosemary Bread

This is a copycat recipe for the bread at Macaroni Grill, which happens to be a favorite for this carb loving girl! I would make this and eat it every weekend, if there were no such thing as calories. Source Food Network Magazine April 2011 Ingredients: 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast 2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 2 tablespoons dried rosemary 1 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground pepper Directions: Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, the fine salt and 3/4 cup warm water; stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a mixer) until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or knead with the dough hook on medium-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes.) Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours. Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto the flour and divide into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom portions into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, putting 2 balls on each baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, until more than doubled, about 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the loaves 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

Flaky Pie Crust

I found this in an old Weight Watcher's Magazine. It looked really easy and healthier, so I decided to pair it with some apples and make a galette. It turned out really good, but not as flaky as a full fat pie crust! All in all, it was a good substitute.

Source: WW Magazine Sept/Oct 2005

1 c all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, finely diced
3 Tbsp light sour cream

Directions:
Pulse the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse again, until the mixture begins to hold together. Gather the dough into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times, flatten to form a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 30 days.

Chocolate Mousse

My husband requested this for Valentine's Day, I was happy to oblige him! It was delicious! It was smooth, creamy and rich. Luckily, it didn't make too much because I could have eaten enough to make my belly hurt!

Source: http://jasonandshawnda.com

Individual Dark Chocolate Mousse
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp espresso or strongly brewed coffee (optional)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

(1 oz bittersweet (or your favorite dark) chocolate, finely chopped
3/8 cup heavy cream, chilled
Chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Set a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and espresso until the mixture is very warm and the sugar has completely dissolved (rub a bit between your fingers to check that there are no granules). Add the cocoa and chocolate and whisk until almost melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside. Whisk until completely melted and then let cool to room temperature/slightly warm.

Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add half of the whipped cream to the bowl of chocolate and fold with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold until completely combined.

Divide the mousse among 2 small dessert dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (and up to 1 day). (I cut a paper towel in half and covered the top of the dish, not touching the mousse, before wrapping – this will catch any condensation drips that might form on the plastic wrap before they drip on the top of your pretty mousse). Remove from the fridge 15 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with chocolate shavings or additional whipped cream.

Serves 2 (~1/2 cup servings)
Adapted from Everyday Food

Thai Peanut Noodles

This recipe was pretty good. I added chicken to it, but I still felt like it was missing something. Maybe the addition of more veggies would make it better. My husband really liked it though and that is a plus. Another plus is that it is cheap and easy!

Source:http://ourbestbites.com
Originally adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/2 c. chicken broth (I used water)
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)I substituted red chili flakes)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

Directions:
Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

Vermont Oatmeal Maple Honey Bread

I am forever looking for a bread recipe that I can successfully use for sandwiches, but tastes homemade as well. This one fits the bill. This is everything that I like in bread. It is soft, wheaty and semi-sweet, it's so delicious!

Source: amanda.fakeginger.com
Adapted from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

Ingredients:

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups (18 to 20 ounces) boiling water
1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats, plus more for top of bread
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) maple sugar or brown sugar (4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoons maple flavor ( I used maple syrup)
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) whole wheat flour
4 cups (17 ounces) all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple sugar, maple flavor, honey, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour; it should double in bulk.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in 2 greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch bread pans. Sprinkle with oats if desired. Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap (or a proof cover) and allow the loaves to rise until they’ve crowned about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the loaves for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they’re golden brown and the interior registers 190F on an instant-read thermometer.

Linguini Ham Casserole

This recipe is great and will feed a large family. It was so creamy and satisfying. I think that it would be even better with the addition of more veggies, such as, mushrooms, zucchini and corn. I will try it that way next time.

Source: http://thekitchn.com/

Serves 10 - 12
Ingredients:

4 cups cooked and diced ham
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped ( I used 1/2 package of mixed frozen peppers, thawed)
1 medium onion, chopped
5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (2% or whole), scalded ( I used 2.5 c 1%)
1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided ( I used 1/2 c)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided ( I used 1/4 c)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound linguine noodles, broken into thirds and cooked to al dente ( I used whole wheat)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add a couple tablespoons of canola or olive oil into a large skillet. Over medium heat, sweat onions until softened. Add red and green peppers and cook until they just become tender, about 5 minutes.
In a sauce pan, melt butter on medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth (and flour taste is cooked out), about three minutes. Pour in scalded milk and chicken broth. Cook, constantly stirring, until very thick. Mix in 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup of Parmesan and stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat and add mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
Combine sauce with ham, linguine, and vegetables. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Parmesan on top and cook until warm and bubbling, approximately 35 to 45 minutes.

To reheat, cut the casserole into large squares. Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water into the seams and around the edges. (This allows moisture to steam the casserole instead of drying it out. The slices will "cook" themselves back together and the water will evaporate.) Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly.
If you aren't feeding a crowd, split the casserole between two smaller dishes and freeze one for next week.

Sopa Tarasca

I haven't made this soup, but I wanted to have the recipe so I could make it. My husband is from Michoacan, Mexico and this soup originated there. I want to make it for him, even though he hasn't lived there in 40 years, he probably doesn't remember it, but his parents will! I will post about the taste when I do make it.

Source:http://eatlivetravelwrite.com

adapted from The Spiced Life and MexConnect

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons oil (I used olive)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-sized dried ancho or chipotle chilies, soaked in a little boiling water for about 15 minutes, then drained
28 oz (791 mls) diced, canned tomatoes and their juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 cups (2 cups dry) cooked white beans and about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
salt to taste

To garnish:fried corn tortilla strips (or you can use crushed up plain tortilla chips)fried ancho chilies (again, soaked in boiling water then drained and lightly fried)queso fresco, feta cheese or fresh mozarella
cilantro

Directions:
In a large, heavy saucepan or skillet, heat the oil and dry the onions, garlic and chilies until the onions and garlic are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, beans, stock and paprika and bring to the boil. Turn down heat and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Puree the soup with an immersion or regular blender. It’s a thicker style soup but it’s best if it is smooth, rather than lumpy.

To serve:Ladle the soup into the bowls. Add the cheese, chilies, tortilla and cilantro to taste. If you like, you can sprinkle a touch of smoked paprika before serving.