Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

Tags

bread, crust, Dinner, food, Italian, pizza, Supper

I used to make pizza crust with the pre-packaged crust mix. It was a little too hard and dry. This version is very nice. The best part is that it is so quick to make. No time spent rising. I am so glad that AllRecipes posted this recipe. I plan on this being my go-to crust from now on.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker’s peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes one 12 inch pizza crust.

A Most Impressive Bagel

Tags

bagel, breakfast, cream cheese, salmon, smoked salmon

Ok, so I am a little late to this scene I know. Despite that fact, I still think that this little breakfast has a place in this blog. I am afraid I have found a new addiction in this bagel (and another way to damage my waistline).

• 1 everything bagel, toasted
• Cream cheese,
• 1 sweet onion slice
• Smoked salmon

Spread the cream cheese onto the bagel. Top with onion and salmon. Enjoy!

Rosemary Olive Oil Buns

Tags

bread, buns, Dinner, herbs, homemade, quick, rosemary, Supper

This recipe is originally from the driven cook, who sadly has taken a brief break from blogging because some jerk broke into her home and stole her computer, etc. She published this gorgeous recipe a couple of months ago but I have had it in my recipe file ever since. I am so pleased by how they turned out and by the ease in which they were made.

I am pairing them with Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loins, a nice salad, and hasselback potatoes (my new addiction).

Rosemary Olive Oil Buns

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 egg, whisked with a little water

In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit and work for 10 minutes or so. Add the flour, salt, rosemary, italian seasoning, pepper, and olive oil. Mix in gently until the rough dough forms. Remove from the bowl and kneed on a floured surface until smooth. Do not overwork, as it will lead to tough bread. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise for an hour, until doubled in size. Separate into even balls (I had enough for 6) and set on a greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise for 45 minutes. Coat the buns with the egg wash for a nice surface color. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing

Tags

cake, chocolate, dessert, frosting, gifts, icing, peanut butter, sweets, Valentine's Day

This is another great recipe from Confections of a Foodie Bride. I made them for my hubby for Valentine’s Day (as well as getting him a new bottle of his favorite cologne). I rarely love icing but this stuff is addicting. There was some left over that my co-workers and I enjoyed with graham crackers… MMMM! Your valentine will love this!

I love the Elvis curl on this cupcake!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing 

The Cake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup dutch process cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 egg

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 4 Tbsp butter, at room temp
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter

Line 15 cups of a muffin pan with cupcake papers. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer. Turn on low and add sour cream and oil. When completely mixed, add water in 1/4-cup increments until the batter is uniform. Add vanilla, vinegar, and the egg, mixing on medium until combined. The batter will be very runny. Ladle batter into the cupcake liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake for ~25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in a center cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes and then cool on wire rack completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter on high, until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Mix in salt and powdered sugar on low speed until just combined and then beat on high for 2-3 minutes, until the frosting is fluffy. Add peanut butter and mix on high until completely combined. Ice and enjoy!

Olive and Onion Focaccia

Tags

baking, bread, Dinner, focaccia, Italian, olives, Supper, yeast

I love focaccia! You don’t have to use this exact recipe for the base but at least add the olives and onions to your favorite bread.

Olive and Onion Focaccia

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup olives (I used black and purple)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Combine the warm water and the yeast. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes so the yeast can work. In a mixer bowl, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed with paddle attachment not the bread hook, drizzle in the 1/3 cup olive oil until combined with flour. Add the yeast water slowly while the mixer mixes. The combination will become sticky. In a greased bowl, place the bread ball and allow to sit for an hour or two, allowing the bread to rise.

Prepare the olives and onions. On a lightly floured surface, placed the dough and kneed in the olives and onions (blot them dry).

To make focaccia, blot olives with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Kneed into the dough but be careful not to overwork. Place on a cookie sheet and gently spread out like you would a pizza crust, though not as thin.  Allow to rise for another hour in a warm, draft free location.  Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake on 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Italian Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Tags

breakfast, cheese, egg, Panera Bread, sandwich, vegetarian

When I went to Texas about a month ago, I had a sandwich similar to this at Panera Bread. One morning when I was back in KY, I went to Panera and was so disappointed to find it was not on the menu. I had been so looking forward to it. Thankfully, it is an easy sandwich to recreate and I have all the ingredients on hand. Not only is it tasty, it’s also healthy!

Italian Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

• 1 egg, fried
• 3 inch piece of Italian bread, sliced horizontally
• 1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese
• Handful of spinach
• 2 tablespoons of basil pesto
• 1 large piece of roasted red pepper

On each side of the bread, spread the pesto. Layer in this order-bread bottom, cheese, egg, red pepper, spinach, bread top. Enjoy! (Be warned that this is a messy sandwich.)

PS I do plan on posting the rest of the vegetarian recipes. I just got busy 🙂

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

Tags

bread, Dinner, jalapeno, Supper

This recipe is courtesy of Fifteen Spatulas. It went well with the previously posted beef stew. I like that this concept could be tailored in many different ways with different cheeses, herbs, and breads.

Ready for the oven-

Warm and bubbly from the oven-

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 green onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
pinch of salt and pepper
Crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the ingredients until smooth. Spread onto the bread and bake until bubbly.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Tags

apple, dessert, fall, muffins, pumpkin

During the fall, a friend and I discovered the recipe for these muffins and thought they sounded fantastic. Very seasonal and easy to make.  They turned out quite pretty. I plan to take these to work tomorrow. Good food makes the day go a little easier, especially considering how busy it has been there lately.

The pumpkin and apple flavors are subtle but work well together!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Muffins:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

 

I made this combination today because I just don’t see the point of buying it premade. It just sits too long and runs the risk of tasting old. I’d rather make it as I need it. Double to below recipe for the tablespoon required by the muffins.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground

Combine together. Store in a cool, dry location.

Simple Cornbread

Tags

bread, cornbread, cracklins, Dinner, Southern, Supper

My mother makes the perfect cornbread that I have never been able to even closely imitate. Until this recipe courtesy of Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide. It wasn’t exactly like I remember Mom’s but it is certainly way better than some of my previous attempts. When my husband saw it, he said “Wow, not flat this time.” It used the majority of the pan for my Thanksgiving stuffing but I just had to have some fresh out of the oven, piping-hot with butter melting all over it.

In the future, I plan to make this with some additions- bacon grease and pork crackings (fried bits of the skin of a pig, not the ones you get from the snack section of the grocery). Ok, maybe not both in the same pan. But at least one is required. Perfect served with soup beans and some onion. A glimpse of home in a bite.

Simple Cornbread

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (substitute bacon grease if desired)
• Cracklings (if desired)

Heat the oil or bacon grease in a 9” cast iron frying pan. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients making sure to beat the eggs well. Add the wet to the dry and mix to a smooth batter. Pour into the cast iron pan and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. A toothpick should pass through cleanly.

Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Onion and Rosemary Focaccia

Tags

bread, butternut squash, carmelized onion, Dinner, fall, foccacia, food, harvest, rain, rosemary, soup, Supper

Some rainy days are cold and miserable. Not today. Today’s rain is seems cozy and is tapping a beautiful music on my metal roof. Today is just the day I need to recover from the stresses of work.

Lately it seems like I am noticing the miserableness and negativity of many people. Food, on the other hand, is always a kind and comforting refuge from the anxieties of the world. The rhythmic slice, slice, slice-ing of onions, the gorgeous smells of yeast and flour, and the beautiful colors of the roasted squash are a balm to my soul. Even though these recipes are time consuming, they are worth it.

Because each of these recipes have multiple steps, there is some coordination required for them to be ready at the same time. I suggest you start your onions, roast the squash, and then start the bread.

The butternut soup I made today is inspired by Buried Carrots’s recipe Roasted Butternut Squash and Chipotle Soup. I really like the contrast of the sweet and spiciness in the original recipe. I tried to reflect those flavors in my spice combination.

For a really good picture tutorial about how to caramelized onions, see Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide article- Caramelized Onions. I was inspired by Rufus’s focaccia recipe using rosemary and the onions, though I prefer to stick to my own recipe for the actual bread. Focaccia is fantastic with so many different toppings; there is no wrong answer.

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 medium butternut squash, roasted
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 russet potato, peeled and largely diced
• 1 small pear, cored and largely diced
• 6 chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Slice the top and bottom off of the squash, then slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Brush the cut sides of the squash with oil and place, cut side down, on a foil covered baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes or until squash is soft. Remove from oven and cool. Once cooled, scoop out the squash from the skin and discard skins.

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for about 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Add the potato, squash, pear and brothand bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft. Using a blender or food processor, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pot over low heat and whisk in the cream and spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with paprika.

Caramelized Onion and Rosemary Focaccia

• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 2 springs of fresh rosemary, chopped
• Caramelized onions
• Sea salt

In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. In a glass measuring cup, measure out 1 1/3 cups of warm water. Carefully pour the sugar and yeast into the water. Allow the yeast to work, over about 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of the oil to the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well. Turn out on a floured surface (I place a large sheet of wax paper on the counter to minimize the mess), and knead just until smooth. Keep the dough soft.

Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes. Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals.

Sprinkle with the rosemary, onion, Parmesan cheese, and sea salt . Drizzle with olive oil, as desired.

Place in a cold area and let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes. Preheat on the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.