Okay, so I love the Olive Garden and sadly there isn't one anywhere near me. I actually have to drive about 4 hours just to get the delicious unlimited breadsticks and delicious pasta. I have tried for years to find a recipe that would hail in comparison to their Parmesean Crusted Chicken, and luckily I was able to find a quick recipe on a website that had similar-to-restaurant recipes. I found this gem and doctored it a bit to my tastes.
Do you have any Olive Garden recipes?!
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
1 C. Plain Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/4 C. Kraft Parmesan Cheese
1 C. Milk
6 (1/2″) Thick Pieces of Chicken Breast Strips
Vegetable Oil ( frying )
2 C. dry Bowtie Pasta
2 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Crushed Garlic
1/2 C. White Table Wine (Chablis)
1/4 C. Water
2 Tbsp. Flour
3/4 C. Half and Half
1/4 C. Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Basil Leaves
3/4 C. Mild Asiago Cheese ( finely grated)
Directions
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Wash and drain chicken strips. Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping. Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs. Place in fry pan that the oil has bee heated and fry at medium to medium low temperature until golden. Remove and drain chicken. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter, add olive oil. Whisk in flour until mixture is blended. Quickly add garlic, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt stir well. Add wine and blend. Immediately add half and half and sour cream stir. When mixture is smooth add grated cheese stir until melted. Finally sprinkle fresh basil in the sauce and stir lightly and remove from heat.
*Tip: I make my own mixture of breadcrumbs for this, and other recipes. I use an almost stale bagette and break it up into small sizes and toss it into the Magic Bullet. Along with the breadcrumbs, I throw some grated parm, garlic powder, a sprinkle of paprika, and a sprinkle of parsley.
Garnish
4 Broccoli Florets (lightly steamed)
2 White Mushrooms (quartered lightly steamed)
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
Ta Da!
Place 2 cups pasta in individual a pasta dish. Spoon about 1/2 – 3/4 cup sauce over pasta, add broccoli and mushrooms. Place Parmesan Chicken on pasta and sprinkle red crushed pepper and add grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Granola Bars
I have made this bars several times, each time varying what I put in it. I also like to free pour the maple syrup and brown sugar. You can make these bars to your specific tastes, and include or exclude anything you don't like.
•1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
•1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup
•1/4 cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
•2 1/2 cups (625 mL) rolled oats (not quick, instant or one-minute)
•1/3 cup (75 mL) wheat germ or bran
•2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
•1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated orange rind
•1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
•1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
•1/3 cup (75 mL) dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, or finely chopped apricots, figs and/or pitted dates)
1.Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9-inch (2.5-L) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang on two sides so you can easily lift the baked bars out of the pan.
2.In a large saucepan, heat butter, maple syrup and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in oats, wheat germ, vanilla, orange rind, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Stir in dried fruit until well combined.
3.Spread mixture evenly in pan, pressing down firmly using base of a measuring cup. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a deep golden colour. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Once cooled, use parchment to lift to a cutting board; cut into bars with a large serrated knife. (Save any crumbs; they’re delicious sprinkled over yogurt or fruit.) Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20 bars, and takes approximately 40 minutes from start to finish.
DELICIOUS!
•1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
•1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup
•1/4 cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
•2 1/2 cups (625 mL) rolled oats (not quick, instant or one-minute)
•1/3 cup (75 mL) wheat germ or bran
•2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
•1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated orange rind
•1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
•1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
•1/3 cup (75 mL) dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, or finely chopped apricots, figs and/or pitted dates)
1.Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9-inch (2.5-L) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang on two sides so you can easily lift the baked bars out of the pan.
2.In a large saucepan, heat butter, maple syrup and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in oats, wheat germ, vanilla, orange rind, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Stir in dried fruit until well combined.
3.Spread mixture evenly in pan, pressing down firmly using base of a measuring cup. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a deep golden colour. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Once cooled, use parchment to lift to a cutting board; cut into bars with a large serrated knife. (Save any crumbs; they’re delicious sprinkled over yogurt or fruit.) Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20 bars, and takes approximately 40 minutes from start to finish.
DELICIOUS!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Meal Planning: The Planner
I was able to find a template for meal planning (yay!) and have been digging around for recipes. I have decided to start my plan on Sunday, August 14, so I'll have the remainder of this week to plan. Hopefully on Saturday and Sunday I can start to prepare some things for the week. If anyone would like a copy of the meal planner, send me an email and I'll forward it along to you.
Any recipe suggestions? What quick and easy things do you make for the work week? I find trying to come up with things to make for lunch, other than sandwiches, is one of the hardest things ever. I am so picky so it makes it that much harder for me. By the time I get home from work, I am starving because I threw my sandwich out/didn't bother to make one. I eat whatever is lying around (chips, crackers, etc), or I go through a drive-thru.
I need help!! Suggestions welcome.
Any recipe suggestions? What quick and easy things do you make for the work week? I find trying to come up with things to make for lunch, other than sandwiches, is one of the hardest things ever. I am so picky so it makes it that much harder for me. By the time I get home from work, I am starving because I threw my sandwich out/didn't bother to make one. I eat whatever is lying around (chips, crackers, etc), or I go through a drive-thru.
I need help!! Suggestions welcome.
Whole Wheat Crackers
WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS
3 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c flaxseed
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1 c water
1/3 c olive oil
salt or other spice to sprinkle
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix first 6 ingredients together (I like to use my kitchen aid mixer). Do not overmix. Divide dough into 4 sections. Take each section and roll it as thin as you can get and to roughly the size of a cookie sheet - when you think it's thin enough, roll it some more to get it even thinner. Try to get it roughly as thick as Wheat Thins would be. It's helpful to roll the dough on parchment paper and then place the dough and paper together onto a cookie sheet to bake. Prick dough randomly with a fork. Using a knife, lightly score the dough into squares or rectangles. Sprinkle with salt or your preferred spice and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they're browned and crispy. When they're cooled break them apart along the scored lines and enjoy!
Other spices I like to use:
Paprika, Garlic, Thyme, Savory. Also, it's fun to use parm (not fresh), or the Kraft Cheddar (think Kraft Dinner cheese).
*Tip: Tap the crackers with a fork to make sure they're crispy. If they're not, bake them for another few minutes and check again.
3 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c flaxseed
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1 c water
1/3 c olive oil
salt or other spice to sprinkle
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix first 6 ingredients together (I like to use my kitchen aid mixer). Do not overmix. Divide dough into 4 sections. Take each section and roll it as thin as you can get and to roughly the size of a cookie sheet - when you think it's thin enough, roll it some more to get it even thinner. Try to get it roughly as thick as Wheat Thins would be. It's helpful to roll the dough on parchment paper and then place the dough and paper together onto a cookie sheet to bake. Prick dough randomly with a fork. Using a knife, lightly score the dough into squares or rectangles. Sprinkle with salt or your preferred spice and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they're browned and crispy. When they're cooled break them apart along the scored lines and enjoy!
Other spices I like to use:
Paprika, Garlic, Thyme, Savory. Also, it's fun to use parm (not fresh), or the Kraft Cheddar (think Kraft Dinner cheese).
*Tip: Tap the crackers with a fork to make sure they're crispy. If they're not, bake them for another few minutes and check again.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Meal Planning
I work 50+ hours a week, so coming home at the end of a busy day at work and after battling the ridiculous traffic, cooking is the last thing I really want to do. I'd like to develop a weekly meal plan and try to stick with it. I'm also extremely frugal and would like to do a budget friendly meal plan.
Does anyone meal plan? Do you have any great tips or tricks to meal planning? Any links you would like to share? There are lots of great ideas out there, I'm just having a hard time finding anything!
Any recipes you would like to share?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tomato Sauce
You can, without a doubt, use pureed or crushed tomatoes as I did in this recipe. Reduce the cook time to 35 minutes and don’t worry about crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot.
Ingredients
28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste
Directions
Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste. I actually chopped up some of the onions and left them in the sauce.
Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
28 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste
Directions
Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste. I actually chopped up some of the onions and left them in the sauce.
Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated Parmesan cheese.
Stuffed Potatoes
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
6 medium potatoes
1 big red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 chicken breast, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (I left this out this time)
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 tsp fresh lovage, chopped (I used dill this time)
80-100g grated cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). Scrub potatoes, pierce them with a fork and put them in the oven rack for 30-40 minutes until soft.
2. Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large frying pan heat oil or butter over medium high heat. Saute the onion with garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Add red pepper and chicken small pieces and cook until meat has lost it's raw color. Stir in fresh lovage, salt and pepper an remove from heat.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop the interior out of each leaving about 1/4 inch shell of potato flesh and skin. Add the scooped-out potato flesh to filling mixture, and stir.
4. Turn the oven to 250°C (480°F). Grease a baking sheet with oil. Fill the potato shells with the filling mixture and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until potatoes turn golden brown.
Ingredients
6 medium potatoes
1 big red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 chicken breast, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (I left this out this time)
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 tsp fresh lovage, chopped (I used dill this time)
80-100g grated cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). Scrub potatoes, pierce them with a fork and put them in the oven rack for 30-40 minutes until soft.
2. Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large frying pan heat oil or butter over medium high heat. Saute the onion with garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Add red pepper and chicken small pieces and cook until meat has lost it's raw color. Stir in fresh lovage, salt and pepper an remove from heat.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop the interior out of each leaving about 1/4 inch shell of potato flesh and skin. Add the scooped-out potato flesh to filling mixture, and stir.
4. Turn the oven to 250°C (480°F). Grease a baking sheet with oil. Fill the potato shells with the filling mixture and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until potatoes turn golden brown.
Cheddar & Scallion Scones
Ingredients
2 Cups Flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Directions
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add eggs, melted butter adn cheddar. beat until combined. Add sour cream and scallions and mix until combined. Mixture will be light and fluffy. Drop by spoonful into greased small muffin pan. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
2 Cups Flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Directions
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add eggs, melted butter adn cheddar. beat until combined. Add sour cream and scallions and mix until combined. Mixture will be light and fluffy. Drop by spoonful into greased small muffin pan. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Carmelized Onion Bread
Carmelized Onion Bread
(This will make two small loaves)
Caramelized Onion
1 large onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1 bunch green onion bulbs, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Dough
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
25 g fresh yeast
1 bunch green onion leaves, finely chopped
250-300 ml warm water
Directions
1. In a frying pan heat oil over medium high heat. Cook onion for about 5 minutes until soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until golden brown. Season with salt. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour with salt. Dissolve the fresh yeast in water and add to the flour mixture. Mix everything togheter then add caramelized onion and green onion leaves and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover it and let it sit for about 1 hour at room temperature, to let the dough rise until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven to 240C (470F) 30 minutes before baking. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into a small baking tray, put the dough in the tray and let sit until the oven is hot. Optional sprinkle salt and few green onion chopped leaves on top.
4. Put an empty baking pot in the oven ten minutes before baking. As you put the baking tray in the oven, add a cup of hot water in the empty pot, in this way it will instantly boil and create steam. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the bread from the baking tray and cool on a wire rack.
(This will make two small loaves)
Caramelized Onion
1 large onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1 bunch green onion bulbs, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Dough
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
25 g fresh yeast
1 bunch green onion leaves, finely chopped
250-300 ml warm water
Directions
1. In a frying pan heat oil over medium high heat. Cook onion for about 5 minutes until soft. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until golden brown. Season with salt. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour with salt. Dissolve the fresh yeast in water and add to the flour mixture. Mix everything togheter then add caramelized onion and green onion leaves and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Cover it and let it sit for about 1 hour at room temperature, to let the dough rise until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven to 240C (470F) 30 minutes before baking. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into a small baking tray, put the dough in the tray and let sit until the oven is hot. Optional sprinkle salt and few green onion chopped leaves on top.
4. Put an empty baking pot in the oven ten minutes before baking. As you put the baking tray in the oven, add a cup of hot water in the empty pot, in this way it will instantly boil and create steam. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the bread from the baking tray and cool on a wire rack.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Vanilla Cupcakes
This is the easiest and most delicious cupcake/cake recipe!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 for cupcakes, 30 for a cake
Makes about 12 cupcakes
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
What to do:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
3.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.
I made these for my niece's first birthday. When I was mixing them up, I threw in some bright pink food coloring to make hot pink cupcakes!
For the frosting, I stuck with a simple buttercream frosting.
2/3 cup butter, softened
5-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Photos to come!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 for cupcakes, 30 for a cake
Makes about 12 cupcakes
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
What to do:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
3.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.
I made these for my niece's first birthday. When I was mixing them up, I threw in some bright pink food coloring to make hot pink cupcakes!
For the frosting, I stuck with a simple buttercream frosting.
2/3 cup butter, softened
5-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Photos to come!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Smokey BBQ & Cheddar Individual Pizza
Mmmm. I love love love BBQ sauce. I would put it on everything if I could. I love making home made pizzas and using BBQ sauce instead of Pizza Sauce. Here is my dough and sauce recipe, as well as one of my favorite pizzas; Cheesey BBQ Pizza.
Dough
I make my dough days/weeks in advance and either freeze it in little balls in freezer bags, or I divide it up into little pizzas and bake it, then freeze thoughs. I prefer the latter option.
This recipe is delicious, but takes a lot of time (because it has to rise/proof), so make enough to freeze and have later on!
Prep Time: Half hour
Cook Time: Six Minutes
Proof time: 10 hours
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup bread flour, or more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.Pour the warm water into the pan of a bread machine, sprinkle in the salt, and add the flour to the pan so the flour sits on top of the water. Make a hole in the top of the flour, and spoon the yeast into the hole. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to moisten the flour. Set the bread machine to the knead setting, and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in 1/4 cup more flour or as needed, adding the flour about 2 tablespoons at a time, to make a wet, sticky, but elastic dough. The dough should be super soft. Form the dough into a round shape. If you don't have a bread machine, you can also put the warm water into a deep bowl, add the salt and flour, and then add in the yeast. You can knead the dough on your own, but it may take a little longer for it to become the right texture. It will, just keep working it. This mixture is VERY sticky, so it'll be harder to do it with your hands. If you're finding it to be too sticky and you're getting frustrated, add some flour to your fingers.
2.Wipe the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, and place the round ball of dough into the bowl. Turn the dough over a couple of times so the dough picks up a thin coating of oil. Cover with a cloth, and refrigerate the dough for 10 hours or overnight. OR if you're not using a bread machine, do this step in a seperate bowl.
3.The next day, allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling out on a floured surface and adding toppings as desired. Roll the dough out thin with a thicker edge before adding toppings. Usually I don't add any toppings at this stage because I like to make it, seperate it, and then freeze it.
4.Place a pizza stone into oven, dust it with a little flour, and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pizza on the stone in the preheated oven until the bottom of the crust is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. I broke my pizza stone, so now, I just throw it in on the racks.
Sauce
Trust me, it's delicious.
2 cups root beer
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup no-pulp orange juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Stir together the root beer, ketchup, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, and molasses in a saucepan. Season with ginger, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator up to a week.
To make my Smokey BBQ & Cheddar Individual Pizzas, I use 8" pieces of cooked dough and slather on the BBQ sauce. I use Reggiano cheese, Balderson Cheddar (aged 2 years), Mozzarella, Medium Cheddar and Goat Cheese. I also sprinkle a little parm on the top. Once I've got the cheeses mixed up and loaded onto the pizza, I bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes.
By freezing the doughs, you can have pizza in under 10 minutes once thawed. It's delicious NY style dough, and freezes really well!
Pictures to come soon!
Dough
I make my dough days/weeks in advance and either freeze it in little balls in freezer bags, or I divide it up into little pizzas and bake it, then freeze thoughs. I prefer the latter option.
This recipe is delicious, but takes a lot of time (because it has to rise/proof), so make enough to freeze and have later on!
Prep Time: Half hour
Cook Time: Six Minutes
Proof time: 10 hours
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup bread flour, or more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.Pour the warm water into the pan of a bread machine, sprinkle in the salt, and add the flour to the pan so the flour sits on top of the water. Make a hole in the top of the flour, and spoon the yeast into the hole. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to moisten the flour. Set the bread machine to the knead setting, and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in 1/4 cup more flour or as needed, adding the flour about 2 tablespoons at a time, to make a wet, sticky, but elastic dough. The dough should be super soft. Form the dough into a round shape. If you don't have a bread machine, you can also put the warm water into a deep bowl, add the salt and flour, and then add in the yeast. You can knead the dough on your own, but it may take a little longer for it to become the right texture. It will, just keep working it. This mixture is VERY sticky, so it'll be harder to do it with your hands. If you're finding it to be too sticky and you're getting frustrated, add some flour to your fingers.
2.Wipe the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, and place the round ball of dough into the bowl. Turn the dough over a couple of times so the dough picks up a thin coating of oil. Cover with a cloth, and refrigerate the dough for 10 hours or overnight. OR if you're not using a bread machine, do this step in a seperate bowl.
3.The next day, allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling out on a floured surface and adding toppings as desired. Roll the dough out thin with a thicker edge before adding toppings. Usually I don't add any toppings at this stage because I like to make it, seperate it, and then freeze it.
4.Place a pizza stone into oven, dust it with a little flour, and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pizza on the stone in the preheated oven until the bottom of the crust is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. I broke my pizza stone, so now, I just throw it in on the racks.
Sauce
Trust me, it's delicious.
2 cups root beer
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup no-pulp orange juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Stir together the root beer, ketchup, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, and molasses in a saucepan. Season with ginger, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator up to a week.
To make my Smokey BBQ & Cheddar Individual Pizzas, I use 8" pieces of cooked dough and slather on the BBQ sauce. I use Reggiano cheese, Balderson Cheddar (aged 2 years), Mozzarella, Medium Cheddar and Goat Cheese. I also sprinkle a little parm on the top. Once I've got the cheeses mixed up and loaded onto the pizza, I bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes.
By freezing the doughs, you can have pizza in under 10 minutes once thawed. It's delicious NY style dough, and freezes really well!
Pictures to come soon!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Cheesy, Garlic Savory Cupcakes
*I didn't take pictures, but envision the savory cupcakes below, but a little darker, a lot cheesier and no chives.
2 Cups Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 stick melted butter (1/2 stick = 1/2 cup)
1 Cup sour cream (I prefer restaurant style)
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar
1/2 Cup Shredded Reggiano
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesean
Parsley to taste (I probably used about 2 tablespoons)
Paprika to taste (I probably used 3 tablespoons)
Garlic to taste (I probably used.... way too much lol. Use as much as you're comfortable usuing. I love Garlic so I over load everything with it).
Pepper to taste (Probably a tablespoon)
Sea Salt to taste (probably a tablespoon)
Oregano to taste (Probably a tablespoon).
Mix all of your dry ingredients together in one bowl. Add the melted butter and mix, then add the sour cream, eggs and cheeses and mix together. Beat the mixture on medium speed, until everything is combined. Sometimes, it's easier to beat for a little while, then use your hands to kind of knead the mixture. It blends easier when you do it with your own hands, I find. Once mixed together, (it'll be a sticky, clumpy mixture), put into a greased muffin tin. At this point, I used my sea salt grinder, and put a little fresh sea salt on top. I did the same with a bit of pepper. Cook on a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
I duplicated this recipe, and cooked it in a bread pan and sliced it up into a small loaf.
DELICIOUS! You can add flavors you like and take out the ones you want. I love the garlic, but some of my family didn't, so make it without (or less) if you're not a garlic fan. Want to spice it up a bit? Add more paprika! You can switch it up by varying the cheeses and spices.
2 Cups Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 stick melted butter (1/2 stick = 1/2 cup)
1 Cup sour cream (I prefer restaurant style)
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar
1/2 Cup Shredded Reggiano
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesean
Parsley to taste (I probably used about 2 tablespoons)
Paprika to taste (I probably used 3 tablespoons)
Garlic to taste (I probably used.... way too much lol. Use as much as you're comfortable usuing. I love Garlic so I over load everything with it).
Pepper to taste (Probably a tablespoon)
Sea Salt to taste (probably a tablespoon)
Oregano to taste (Probably a tablespoon).
Mix all of your dry ingredients together in one bowl. Add the melted butter and mix, then add the sour cream, eggs and cheeses and mix together. Beat the mixture on medium speed, until everything is combined. Sometimes, it's easier to beat for a little while, then use your hands to kind of knead the mixture. It blends easier when you do it with your own hands, I find. Once mixed together, (it'll be a sticky, clumpy mixture), put into a greased muffin tin. At this point, I used my sea salt grinder, and put a little fresh sea salt on top. I did the same with a bit of pepper. Cook on a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
I duplicated this recipe, and cooked it in a bread pan and sliced it up into a small loaf.
DELICIOUS! You can add flavors you like and take out the ones you want. I love the garlic, but some of my family didn't, so make it without (or less) if you're not a garlic fan. Want to spice it up a bit? Add more paprika! You can switch it up by varying the cheeses and spices.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Cheddar & Chive Cupcakes
2 Cups Flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp salt
2 Eggs
1/2 Stick butter, melted
1 Cup shredded cheddar
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup chopped Chives
Pepper to taste
Parsley to taste
Directions
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, melted butter, and cheddar, and beat until combined. It'll look like a crumbly, flakey mess. Add sour cream and chives and mix until combined. Mixture will be light and fluffy. Drop by spoonful into greased small muffin pan. I used a regular sized muffin tin and got 12 decent sized cupcakes. I added some parsley and pepper to the top of each once they were in the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Best served warm or reheated in the oven.Once cooled, I put a little bit of whipped cream cheese and some fresh chives. They were delicious. For those who didn't eat them with cream cheese, they were just as delicious with butter.
Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Icing
Cake
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 T red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. While mixing at medium speed, gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into a spring form pan (I used a 8"). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until an insterted toothpick comes out clean.
Icing
1 stick room temp. butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract
Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until spreadable consistency. Add additional sugar if needed. I also free pour vanilla, generally. Use fresh and not extract, it'll make a difference.
One the cake cools down, ice with a small spatula. I find that it's best to make the icing once the cake is completely cool, as the icing only takes a few minutes to make and generally hardens up a bit just as quickly, which makes it harder to spread. If you do notice that it has thickened up, just take the beaters to it and that should do the trick. If it's still kind of hard, add a teaspoon of milk and beat until soft. If you find that you've added too much milk, just free pour icing/confectioner's sugar, and that'll thicken it up!
Ignore the sloppy icing job. It was after mid-night and I just wanted it done!
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 T red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. While mixing at medium speed, gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into a spring form pan (I used a 8"). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until an insterted toothpick comes out clean.
1 stick room temp. butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract
Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until spreadable consistency. Add additional sugar if needed. I also free pour vanilla, generally. Use fresh and not extract, it'll make a difference.
One the cake cools down, ice with a small spatula. I find that it's best to make the icing once the cake is completely cool, as the icing only takes a few minutes to make and generally hardens up a bit just as quickly, which makes it harder to spread. If you do notice that it has thickened up, just take the beaters to it and that should do the trick. If it's still kind of hard, add a teaspoon of milk and beat until soft. If you find that you've added too much milk, just free pour icing/confectioner's sugar, and that'll thicken it up!
Ignore the sloppy icing job. It was after mid-night and I just wanted it done!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Worms in Dirt Cupcakes (2 versions)
Tomorrow is my nephew's graduation from pre-school to kindergarten. We're having a little party for him tomorrow so I thought I would make some cupcakes for the boy!
I made Worms in Dirt. Of course 1 kind wouldn't be enough for a crazy four year old, so I made two!
Worms in Dirt (1.0)
Cupcakes
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup muddy cocoa
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup milk
8-10 Gummy Worms (you're call on this one, as they will melt when you cook)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. After you have broken up the worms, you can add them to the mix by folding them into the batter. FYI: they will melt when you make them so there really is no point to this, other than the taste of the gummy worms being in the cupcakes. Personally, I don't like the taste, but all the kids do.
Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost.
Chocolate Frosting w/Oreo Bits
1 Cup Butter (room temperature)
1/3 Cup Cocoa
3 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup crushed Oreo's
12 Gummy Worms
Beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add in remaining ingredients except for Oreo's.
Once cupcakes are cooled, spread the frosting on them, and then roll the tops of them in the crusher Oreos (I put the Oreos on a piece of wax paper). Garnish with remaining worms.
Version 2.0
Cupcakes
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt¼ cup milk
3 Drops Green Food Dye (neon)
1 Drop Blue Food Dye (neon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
3 Cups Confections Sugar
1 Cup Butter (1 cup=1 stick)
1/4 Cup Milk
2-3 Dashes of Vanilla
3/4 Cup Crushed Oreos
12 Gummy Worms
Beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat together until combined. Add milk & vanilla and beat until combined. Fold in Oreos. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, ice them (I didn`t have any Wilton bags so I used a Freezer bag and cut a small hole in the tip). Once iced, add a few pieces of the Gummy Worms
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Butter Frosting
Here are some of my pictures from tonight!
I used about 3/4 of a pint of blue berries in the cupcakes!
After it's beaten, gently fold in your blueberries (roll them in flour beforehand and they won't bleed or break as easily).
They made 12 small cupcakes. If you want bigger ones, I'd suggest only making six.
When you make the frosting, make sure you wait until the cupcakes are cooled down because this gets hard fairly quick. You don't want to put frosting or icing on a hot cupcake because it'll melt and drip everywhere (and it can make the cupcakes kind of gooey).
Mmmm. NB maple syrup. The recipe calls for three tablespoons. I free poured. I probably put about 1/4 of a cup or more. I'm a maple syrup whore.
Here's a tip for putting your frosting/icing in a Wilton bag: Get a milk jug (the jug you put the bags of milk in), and stand your wilton bag in it (with the wilton tip in it already, not cut). You can bend the top of the Wilton bag over the side of the jug (one side will go down, but it's not wide enough to totally fold it over). Then use a spatula to scoop your icing/frosting in). You can use a tall glass or vase too! Once you have all the frosting/icing in, push down on it all and get it as close to the tip as you can. Folding down the top of the Wilton bag before you push will make sure nothing spills out of the bag from the pressure. Once it's down as far as it will go, you can cut the tip of the bag and push down a bit more and the Wilton tip will slide into place.
You'll see that the tip of the bag is still on and that there is an air space between the frosting and the wilton tip. Once you cut the tip of the bag and push down a bit, that'll go away. By folding down the top of the bag, I limited how much frosting would spill out of the top when I was pushing the frosting down into the bag.
They weren't as big as I had hoped, but they came out a beautiful white & purple/blue.
Final Result. Add a few blueberries for garnish on top!
Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Brown Butter Frosting
UPCAKES
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix butter and egg lightly. Add buttermilk and milk. Add milk mixture to flour and mix until just blended. Toss blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and fold into batter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
ICING
1 stick butter
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 T maple syrup
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix butter and egg lightly. Add buttermilk and milk. Add milk mixture to flour and mix until just blended. Toss blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and fold into batter. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
ICING
1 stick butter
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 T maple syrup
In a saucepan, melt butter at medium temperature until golden brown. In a bowl, add butter to sugar, then add milk and syrup. Beat until smooth.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Coffee Cupcakes with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting
I cheated with this one and used a boxed cake & added to it because I was feeling lazy.
Cupcakes:
Betty Crocker White Cake Mix
3 Eggs
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cups oil
1/3 cup cocoa
3 tbsp coffee
1 tbsp nutella
Frosting:
1 C butter (room temperature)
2 1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 C butterscotch
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Dash Almond extract
Cupcakes
First thing I did was mix the coffee & water together until it was blended. Add cake mix, water mix, oil & eggs to bowl & mix with beater. Add in cocoa & nutella and mix on high until well blended. Once mixed together, put into lined muffin tin. Bake for 16-21 minutes st 325. These took about 20 minutes to cook.
Frosting
Mix butter on high for a few minutes until it looks soft & whipped. Add in butterscotch and let that soften, while beating on high. Add icing sugar, milk, vanilla, almond extract and butterscotch into bowl and mix on high. Once it is blended and soft (it should be fluffy), load into a pastry bag.
Once cupcakes are cooled, you can add it to the top & voila!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Leek Soup
1 Package of Knorr Cream of Leek
3 Cups of Water
250ml of Cream (we use Cereal Cream)
2 tbsp Garlic
1 Leek stock (I buy bagged leeks, so we just free poured about two hand fuls)
1/2 cup mozarella
1/4 cup romano
1/4 cup parmesean
1tbsp butter
In a large saucepan, mix eeks, butter & garlic. Saute for a few minutes until leeks get a bit soft. Add Knorr Cream of Leek mix and three cups of water. Stir for a few minutes, then gradually mix in the cream and a little bit of parmesean. Boil until it thickens. Once thickened, place in french onion soup bowls, and cover in cheese. Put under broiler until browned!
If you want (what we did) before you put the cheese on, place a sliced piece of sourdough bread on top of the soup, then coat with cheese.
Cheese FYI: We do not measure cheese. We free pour and put as much as we want. We both love cheese so we tend to end up with a super cheesey dish!!
3 Cups of Water
250ml of Cream (we use Cereal Cream)
2 tbsp Garlic
1 Leek stock (I buy bagged leeks, so we just free poured about two hand fuls)
1/2 cup mozarella
1/4 cup romano
1/4 cup parmesean
1tbsp butter
In a large saucepan, mix eeks, butter & garlic. Saute for a few minutes until leeks get a bit soft. Add Knorr Cream of Leek mix and three cups of water. Stir for a few minutes, then gradually mix in the cream and a little bit of parmesean. Boil until it thickens. Once thickened, place in french onion soup bowls, and cover in cheese. Put under broiler until browned!
If you want (what we did) before you put the cheese on, place a sliced piece of sourdough bread on top of the soup, then coat with cheese.
Cheese FYI: We do not measure cheese. We free pour and put as much as we want. We both love cheese so we tend to end up with a super cheesey dish!!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
CUPCAKES
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 T red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. While mixing at medium speed, gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until just combined. Fill cupcake liners. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until an insterted toothpick comes out clean.
ICING
1 stick room temp. butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract
Maple Syrup (I just dump it in)
Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until spreadable consistency. Add additional sugar if needed.
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 T red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
ICING
1 stick room temp. butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract
Maple Syrup (I just dump it in)
Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until spreadable consistency. Add additional sugar if needed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)