Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This was pretty easy to make which is saying a lot since yeast and I are not usually friends. It was delicious dipped in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.
2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.
6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Makes 1 round loaf.


Original recipe here

Salsa Roja

Ingredients

• 3 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped (or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes)
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ to ¾ cup water

Instructions

1. Add everything except the water to a blender. (I didn't add any water) Add ½ cup of water and blend until smooth. You want the salsa to be pretty thin so add more water as needed.
2. Transfer the salsa to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the salsa has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Transfer to a jar and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Found here: Nosh.on.it

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Yield: 4-6 servings   Prep Time: 15 minutes  Total Time: 15 minutes

Note: When I made this it was enough for 7 cups but I did feel like I could have used a little more crust. If you don't want to use whipped topping in the filling, you cannot substitute it with fresh whipping cream unless you "stabilize" it. Original recipe found here: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

For the Crust

• 12 Oreo Cookies, crushed into crumbs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup Nutella
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the Garnish

• whipped topping, optional
• chocolate shavings, optional
• toasted, chopped hazelnuts, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended and no streaks remain.
3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
4. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Mexican Quinoa

Easy comfort food.

MEXICAN QUINOA
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (1 1/2 cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1 quarter of a lime, juiced
To serve (optional): salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guacamole

1. Add a little oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute).
3. Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Spiced Roasted Califlower

I HATE cauliflower.  But with this recipe, Eric and I can eat an entire head in one sitting.


What You Need
One head cauliflower
One lemon
4 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do

1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Mince the four garlic cloves. Zest the lemon. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

2  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower onto the sheet. Mix with lemon zest, garlic, and spice mix. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Stir to coat evenly.

3  Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally.

To serve, squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and add a bit more kosher salt to taste. Serve warm.

Grilled Cheese

This is one of the best grilled cheeses that I have ever eaten, and that is saying a lot!  It takes a fair amount of work to make only a few sandwiches, but it is worth it!

2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 basil leaves
8 slices of good bakery bread (No wonder bread)
Butter
Kosher salt

What To Do
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tomatoes on the sheet. Roast for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are starting to burst.
P
lace the tomatoes in a bowl and carefully mash with a potato masher to extract the juice. Strain the tomatoes completely and reserve the juice in a small bowl.

Mix 1 tablespoon of the juice into ¼ cup mayonnaise until it has the consistency of a sauce (double the tomato juice and mayonnaise for extra sauce). Reserve the strained tomatoes and sprinkle them with kosher salt.

Spread each slice of bread with tomato mayo. Top with ¼ of the strained tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, and some torn pieces of basil. Sprinkle the toppings with a pinch of kosher salt and top with another slice of bread.

Heat a grill pan to medium high and brush it with butter. Cook the sandwiches until toasty and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Barley Salad

This is a delicious, hearty, and nutty salad.  Eric prefers it cold, I prefer it warm.  Makes great left overs!  You can find quick cook barley at trader joes.


2 cups of uncooked barley
5 cups of veggie stock
16 oz of fresh mozzarella
2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
8 – 10 basil leaves
Fresh cracked black pepper

Start by cooking the barley, using veggie stock instead of water to prepare. Veggie stock adds boatloads of flavor so I definitely prefer it, but if you’re without you can substitute water in a pinch. Add the veggie stock and barley to a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. When it’s mostly absorbed, turn off the heat and cover, allowing the barley to sit for another ten minutes or so before removing the lid.

While the barley is cooking, cut your mozzarella into bite-size chunks and cut your tomatoes in half. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and stirring just until combined so that the tomatoes and cheese marinade. Add more vinegar if you’d like as some will absorb into the barley as it cools.


When the barley is all set to go, combine everything in a large mixing bowl. Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste and chop up your basil to add right at the end. And that’s it! Easy as easy gets.