I was all set to make a pizza recipe for my cast iron skillet, but I didn't realize that the particular recipe took so long to rise. I really wanted pizza, so I decided to use this recipe for focaccia and make it into a pizza. It turned out delicious! It was so soft and fluffy. I also liked the addition of herbs into the bread, yum! It also only took 1 hour to rise, which wasn't too bad for a weeknight meal!
Source:http://delish-blog.com
originally from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 tsp onion powder
4 tsp Italian seasoning
Directions:
Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray then drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the bottom of the pan. ( I used cooking spray)
Place the water, olive oil, salt, flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. The dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. With oil or water on the tip of your fingers (don’t use more flour, you want the dough to remain sticky), press the dough into the bottom of the pan, nudging to get it all the way into the corners. Cover the pan and let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, or until it is puffy.
While the dough rises, preheat oven to 375°F.
Once risen, uncover the pan and use your fingers to make dimples all over the dough (you may need a bit of oil on your fingers if the dough is too sticky). Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with the Italian seasoning.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then turn the focaccia out of the pan (otherwise the bottom crust will get soggy). Serve warm or at room temperature. ( I took it out after 30 minutes to add pizza toppings, then I popped it back into the oven for 10 more minutes for the cheese to melt.)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Peanut Butter Snack Bars
I saw this recipe and knew that I had to try it! They are healthier cookies, not healthy, but healthier than you average cookie! They were outstanding! I loved the addition of whole wheat four and oats, it almost made them kind of filling! I will definitely make these again!
Source: http://jennalaughs.com
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 cup whole oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy, 4-5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until combined. Add cocoa powder and beat on low speed to prevent cocoa powder flying in your face!In a separate bowl, combined flour, wheat flour, flax seed, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until moistened. You may need to use your hands to get it all combined. Add chocolate chips and combine. Pour mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until gooey and delicious. Serve immediately, or cut into bars and store in the pantry
Source: http://jennalaughs.com
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 cup whole oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy, 4-5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until combined. Add cocoa powder and beat on low speed to prevent cocoa powder flying in your face!In a separate bowl, combined flour, wheat flour, flax seed, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until moistened. You may need to use your hands to get it all combined. Add chocolate chips and combine. Pour mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until gooey and delicious. Serve immediately, or cut into bars and store in the pantry
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hearty Tomato Soup
I have had a seriously bad week and soup always makes me feel better. I found this one on one of my favorite blogs. It was adapted from a Giada recipe. I love almost all Giada recipes so I knew this would be good. It was fantastic! I loved how the white beans added a creaminess to it and still kept it low fat. I would eat this every week, if I could. There was an optional rosemary cream included in the recipe, but I completely omitted it. I thought the soup to be creamy enough with the beans, but you can go to the source, if you want to use it.
Source:http://penniesonaplatter.wordpress.com
Originally adapted from Giada's Kitchen by Giada De Laurentiis
Serves: 6-8
For the soup:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15 oz can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf ( I omitted)
1/2- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced ( I used dried)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
In a large pot, melt butter and saute onion, carrots and garlic for about 3 minutes until soft. Add bay leaf, beans, tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil then turn the heat down to simmer with lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. In batches, ladle the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return to pot and serve warm.
Source:http://penniesonaplatter.wordpress.com
Originally adapted from Giada's Kitchen by Giada De Laurentiis
Serves: 6-8
For the soup:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15 oz can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf ( I omitted)
1/2- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced ( I used dried)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
In a large pot, melt butter and saute onion, carrots and garlic for about 3 minutes until soft. Add bay leaf, beans, tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil then turn the heat down to simmer with lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. In batches, ladle the soup into a blender and process until smooth. Return to pot and serve warm.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Easy Pumpkin Muffins
I had some leftover pumpkin and since I have been craving muffins, I went looking for a pumpkin muffin recipe. This recipe is reminiscent of some cookies that I used to make when I was in Weight Watchers, but in muffin form. They really are super easy and really good. My only complaint is that the batter is so thick it is hard to place in muffin cups and the batter does not spread, therefore the muffins were not very aesthetically pretty, but who cares? They tasted yummy, that's the only thing that matters!
Source: http://allrecipes.com
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 18 oz yellow cake mix ( I used carrot)
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
(I omitted the cloves and nutmeg and used 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. ( mixture will be very thick)
Fill muffin tins with mix, about 2/3 full.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Source: http://allrecipes.com
Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 18 oz yellow cake mix ( I used carrot)
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
(I omitted the cloves and nutmeg and used 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. ( mixture will be very thick)
Fill muffin tins with mix, about 2/3 full.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Becky's Famous Football Party Stromboli
I thought this looked very interesting and something my family would like. It turned out preety good. Next time I will use pizza dough instead of bread dough because mine turned out too much like a loaf instead of flat like the pictures show. This recipe is NOT figure friendly, so eat in moderation!
Source:http://livlifetoo.blogspot.com/
Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
1 – 16 ounce loaf frozen bread dough thawed. ( I made homemade bread)
¼ lb. Thinly sliced ham
¼ lb. Sliced hard salami (pepperoni) (I use Hormel reduced fat pepperoni)
½ teaspoon dried basil – divided
½ teaspoon dried oregano – divided
3 ounces sliced provolone cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine melted
1 teaspoon cornmeal (optional)
Directions:
Place bread dough on lightly greased baking sheet. Pat into a 15 x 10” rectangle. Arrange ham slices lengthwise down center; place pepperoni on top. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon basil and ¼ teaspoon oregano. Arrange provolone cheese over herbs and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with remaining herbs. Moisten all edges of dough with water; bring each long edge of dough to center. Press edges together securely to seal. Seal ends.
Brush dough with 1 Tablespoon butter; sprinkle with cornmeal and carefully invert so that the seam side is down. Brush top with remaining butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until browned. ( Because I used homemade bread dough, I had to bake it for about 35 minutes to ensure doneness!)
Source:http://livlifetoo.blogspot.com/
Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
1 – 16 ounce loaf frozen bread dough thawed. ( I made homemade bread)
¼ lb. Thinly sliced ham
¼ lb. Sliced hard salami (pepperoni) (I use Hormel reduced fat pepperoni)
½ teaspoon dried basil – divided
½ teaspoon dried oregano – divided
3 ounces sliced provolone cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine melted
1 teaspoon cornmeal (optional)
Directions:
Place bread dough on lightly greased baking sheet. Pat into a 15 x 10” rectangle. Arrange ham slices lengthwise down center; place pepperoni on top. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon basil and ¼ teaspoon oregano. Arrange provolone cheese over herbs and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with remaining herbs. Moisten all edges of dough with water; bring each long edge of dough to center. Press edges together securely to seal. Seal ends.
Brush dough with 1 Tablespoon butter; sprinkle with cornmeal and carefully invert so that the seam side is down. Brush top with remaining butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until browned. ( Because I used homemade bread dough, I had to bake it for about 35 minutes to ensure doneness!)
Cassoulet-Style Sausage and White Beans
This is a really tasty and healthy recipe. It was also easy. The only thing that took a bit of time was cutting up the veggies.
Source:http://merrygourmet.com/
Originally from Pam Anderson
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links ( I used turkey Kielbasa)
3 pints cherry tomatoes ( I used 1 pint)
1 medium-large onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
4 large garlic cloves, sliced ( I used 1)
(I added diced zucchini and 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed))
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 bay leaves ( I omitted)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cans (about 16 ounces each) cannellini beans, undrained ( I used 2)
Preparation:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F.
Mix sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large heavy roasting pan or dutch oven. Set pan in oven and roast until sausages are brown and tomatoes have reduced to a thick sauce, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in beans, and continue to roast until casserole has heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves and serve
Source:http://merrygourmet.com/
Originally from Pam Anderson
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links ( I used turkey Kielbasa)
3 pints cherry tomatoes ( I used 1 pint)
1 medium-large onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
4 large garlic cloves, sliced ( I used 1)
(I added diced zucchini and 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed))
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 bay leaves ( I omitted)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cans (about 16 ounces each) cannellini beans, undrained ( I used 2)
Preparation:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425°F.
Mix sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large heavy roasting pan or dutch oven. Set pan in oven and roast until sausages are brown and tomatoes have reduced to a thick sauce, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in beans, and continue to roast until casserole has heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Remove bay leaves and serve
Slow Cooker Enchiladas
I printed out this recipe fully intending to use the slow cooker for it, but due to a busy, hectic weekend, I ended up just baking them in the oven. However, I love that I can make them in the slow cooker in the future. These are so good! I think that they are my second favorite after the honey-lime ones I made awhile back. As usual, I made some adaptations, but the idea was not mine.
Source: http://thekitchn.com
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa ( I used 1 jar salsa)
( I added 1/2 can tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 can of Pato sauce to the salsa.) (I find Pato sauce in the international food aisle at the grocery store along with all of the Mexican salsas, etc.)
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef ( I used shredded chicken)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.
Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Additional Notes:
• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!
• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• We haven’t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.
Source: http://thekitchn.com
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa ( I used 1 jar salsa)
( I added 1/2 can tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 can of Pato sauce to the salsa.) (I find Pato sauce in the international food aisle at the grocery store along with all of the Mexican salsas, etc.)
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef ( I used shredded chicken)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.
Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.
Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.
Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Additional Notes:
• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!
• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• We haven’t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.
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