Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza

I recently purchased Wolfgang Puck's cookbook, Pizza Pasta and More. I purchased the book more so for the fresh pasta recipes, however the pizzas looked great too. On a whim I decided to make this pepperoni and mushroom pizza this weekend. I made a few adaptions to the original recipe, my version appears below. I also used a store bought crust to save time. I used a crust I picked up in the freezer section of Central Market by Pizza Romana. It is a product from Italy and one of my favorite things beside the taste is that it only had four ingredients, no artificial ingredients or preservatives. This crust was every bit as good as homemade. I love making my own pizza crust but this one is definitely great to have on hand in a pinch. My husband enjoyed eating this pizza while watching football and we were blown away by how amazing it tasted. The layers of flavors created the best pizza we have ever had. I can't see ever ordering pizza again after having this one at home.

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza
As Adapted from Pizza, Pasta and More by Wolfgang Puck

2 tablespoons pesto
6 oz grated Italian cheese mix
1 Roma tomato, ends trimmed and cut into 7 slices
2 tablespoons Roasted Whole Garlic (recipe follows)
thin sliced-nitrate free pepperoni
1/4 cup Sauteed Wild Mushrooms (recipe follows)
1 Pizza Romana Pizza Crust

Roasted Garlic

4 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 365. Arrange garlic heads in small roasting pan and toss with olive oil, coating them well. Roast until garlic is tender 50-60 minutes. When cool, cut the head in half, crosswise, with a serrated knife and remove the softened garlic pulp. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate. Use as needed.

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound baby bellas, cut into bite size pieces
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the mushrooms until crisp tender. Stir int he shallot, garlic and parsley and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Brush the inner circle of the pizza dough with the Pesto. Scatter the cheeses over the inner circle and arrange the slices of tomato over the cheese. Sprinkle the roasted garlic over the tomatoes and layer with the pepperoni and mushrooms. Bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned 10-15 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

Just when I had some leftover zucchini I needed to use up, this recipe for zucchini bread appeared on Cooking This and That. I knew this recipe would be great since Colleen and I seem to like the same recipes. Several times we have made or commented about liking the same recipe. It was a random but funny coincidence. This recipe lived up to my expectations. I made one large loaf instead of the two, cooking mine about fifteen minutes longer. This bread was moist, had just the right amount of sweetness and I like to think was healthy because of the zucchini! My husband commented that he couldn't stop eating it.! Definitely a keeper recipe at our house. Also, as recommended by Colleen, you must serve this warm with cream cheese!

Zucchini Bread
from Jo's Kitchen
Makes 2 loaves


3 eggs
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups raw, peeled, grated zucchini (2 small zucchini)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 loaf pans. (9 x 5 pans are fine too, your loaves will just be a little shorter.)


Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until foamy. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in zucchini.


Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add into zucchini mixture and beat on low until combined.


Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Run a butter knife around the edge of the loaves, cool for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Cooking This and That.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Seems every week I see a new blog post for another home cook making bagels. Deb's post on Smitten Kitchen was my original inspiration for this project. I have made a couple of recipes from her blog and all have been stellar. Honestly, before seeing these posts I never really considered making bagels at home or even thought that was really possible. I took on this task with some trepidation. After all, the recipe was 2 pages long! I worked step by step methodically through the recipe with a few challenges along the way. I actually started this recipe a few weeks ago and had to scrap it and start over. See my tips in red below to avoid such catastrophes! In the end, however, I am proud to say I ended up with 14 beautiful and delicious bagels. My fresh baked bagels straight out of the oven were far better in taste and texture than any I have purchased. I also love knowing exactly what went into them. I look forward to trying this again and perhaps with some other flavors like jalapeno cheddar or sesame seed. I'm also considering investing in an electronic scale to help perfect the measurements in this and other bread baking projects. I'm really excited about having completed this project. It marks off another project on a list of cooking/baking challenges that I would like to complete in the coming year. I definitely recommend this project. It takes some time and patience and possibly some trouble shooting but the end result is definitely worth it.

Past Smitten Kitchen Recipes:
Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread
Blueberry Pancakes

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen as adapted from the Bread Baker's Apprentice

Yield: 12 super large, 16 regularly large or 24 miniature bagels

Sponge
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 1/2 cups water, room temperature

Dough
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour (I used King Arthur's Bread Flour)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I highly recommend Vietnamese Cinnamon)
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder or 1 tablespoon dark or light malt syrup, honey, or brown sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 cups loosely packed raisins, rinsed with warm water to remove surfact sugar, acid, and natural wild yeast (I used organic raisins)

To Finish
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting (I used organic cornmeal)
Melted butter for brushing (optional)
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1. Day one: To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like pancake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop. I had some issues with this part of the process. My dough did not double in size even after two hours. In an effort to assist the dough, I turned my oven on to 200 degrees and then immediately turned it off. I put the bread in the warm oven and the dough did become foamy and bubbly and double in size as the recipe describes.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), (I suggest covering the bowl of the mixer with a towel to prevent flour from flying everywhere) add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt salt and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients for a ball, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to stiffen the dough. In the last two minutes of mixing, add the raisins. (I ended up adding a bit of flour with them, as mine were still wet and made the dough a little sticky.) Also, if doing this step in the stand mixer, keep close tabs on your mixer. This dough is very stiff and I did smell some burning of the motor so I immediately stopped the mixer. I also had some issues with getting the raisins to stick to the dough. I'm not sure if the flour helped or hurt the process. I did eventually get them to stick by pressing them and hand kneading them into the dough.

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than French bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour - all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should 77 to 71°F. If the dough seems to dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

4. Immediately divide the dough into 12 (4 1/2 ounce) pieces for super sized bagels, 16 (3.375 ounce) regular-sized bagels, or 24 (2.25 ounce) perfectly smaller bagels. Form the pieces into rolls. At this step, it would be particularly helpful to have an electronic kitchen scale. I tried to divide the dough as evenly as possible. I ended up with 14 bagels and they were the perfect size for us.

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter for a supersized bagel, two inches for a large one or just slightly more than one inch for a miniature. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible (try to avoid thick and thin spots.)

7. Place each of the shaped pieces two inches apart on the pans. Mist the bagels very lightly with the spray oil and slip each pan into a food-grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the “float test”. Fill a small bowl with cool or room-temperature water. The bagels are ready to be retarded when they float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float. Return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

9. The following day (or when you are ready to bake the bagels, see head notes), preheat the oven to 500°F with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the pot the better), and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer nearby.

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute, flip them over rand boil for another minute. If you like very chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment-lined sheet pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you decide to replace the paper, be sure to spray the new paper lightly with spray oil to prevent the bagels from sticking to the surface.)

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on two middle shelves in the oven. Bake for approximately five minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180-degree rotation. (If you are baking only one pan, keep it on the center shelf but still rotate 180 degrees.) After the rotation, lower the oven setting to 450°F and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer. (I found I needed to cook these about 5 minutes longer to get the desired brownness).

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving. Optionally, when they come out of the oven and are still hot, you can brush the tops with the melted butter and dip them in cinnamon sugar to create a cinnamon-sugar crust, if desired. I didn't try the cinnamon sugar step but I definitely want to try it next time I make them.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

One of my favorite new food blogs of this year is Branny Boils Over. Branny's posts are creative, witty and fun to read and I'm inspired by her unique creations and the healthy meals she prepares. I saw these hamburger buns on Branny's site and was inspired to make them. I've never made my own hamburger buns before so I was excited to give this recipe a try. I cut my dough into 12 pieces instead of 9 so mine were a little smaller. These were easy to make and both my husband and I really enjoyed them. I need to work on getting mine rounder next time and to brown them a little more, but overall a great start.

Hamburger Buns Branny Style

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 packet or 1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 cup warm milk (105°F to 115°F)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 cups bread flour
1 cups AP flour
2 tsp vital wheat gluten

egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
sesame, poppy or caraway seeds or coarse salt (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and then the yeast in the warm water. Add the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.

Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Because this dough is so slack, you may find that a bowl scraper or bench knife can be helpful in scooping up the dough and folding it over on itself.

Put the dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide into 9 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, then those thirds into halves, then the halves into thirds.

For soft-sided buns, place them on a well-seasoned baking sheet a half inch apart so they’ll grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them three inches apart.

Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Fifteen minutes before you want to bake your buns, preheat your oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with whatever seeds strike your fancy.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190°F.

Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Branny Boils Over

Let the Good Times Roll!

I have several blog updates I'm trying to catch up on! February is racing by me at warp speed! Yesterday in honor of Fat Tuesday, I made a king cake and red beans and rice. I was originally going to buy a king cake at Whole Foods. They make a really good and surprisingly authentic one. However, I was inspired by Jessica at My Baking Heart to try this recipe from scratch. This was much easier to make than I anticipated. My toddler helped me with this project and I think this will probably become an annual tradition for us. I highly recommend this recipe. I made a couple of changes from Jessica's recipe. I used bread flour instead of white flour. Per the note on Southern Living's site, the bread flour produces a lighter and airy cake.,whereas the white flour produces a great cake but it will be a little denser. I used the original creamy glaze that accompanies the Southern Living recipe. Jessica has a recipe for a fantastic looking bourbon glaze on her site, but I didn't think it was toddler friendly! Mom friendly-definitely! I'm posting the half recipe here. The original recipe makes two cakes.

King Cake

Brioche
2 tbsp butter
1/2 of a 16 oz. container sour cream
2 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 envelope Active Dry Yeast
1-1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 c warm water
1 egg
3-1/4 c all purpose flour, divided (I used bread flour)
1/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp + 2 tsp butter, softened
Creamy Glaze (recipe follows)

Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100° to 110°. Dissolve yeast and 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, egg, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half of softened butter on dough, then sprinkle half of cinnamon mixture on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Repeat all steps with second piece of dough, then twist with first piece. Place dough twist, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of Creamy Glaze, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.

Creamy Glaze (I used the whole recipe for one cake)

Makes 1 1/2 cups

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Stir in 2 tablespoons milk, adding additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreading consistency.

Adapted from Southern Living Feb. 2006 as featured on My Baking Heart

Whole Wheat Bread with Wheat Germ and Rye

I really love baking bread. I think its fun to watch the whole process of the bread rising and to work with the dough and in the end have a wonderful finished product that I created. I found this recipe over at Annie's Eats and was inspired to make it from her beautiful picture. I also needed to start using up the rye flour that is accumulating in my pantry. Somehow I have two bags and I'm not sure why! The great thing about making your own bread at home is you can really control all of the ingredients and it just tastes better! We loved this recipe. This one is a keeper and one I know I will make again many times. The outside of this bread has a perfect crust and the inside has a nice hearty taste. I can't wait to enjoy a sandwich on this bread! An added bonus, this recipe makes two loaves so you can use one and freeze one for later. I got so excited about this idea, that I sliced up the second loaf and put it in the freezer before it was photographed! Toddlers will influence your brain that way! The picture above is from the loaf we ate with dinner last night. This loaf didn't quite get the rise that the other one did. It was made in my Calphalon loaf pan which is pretty deep. The other made in a regular sized glass loaf pan got a great rise. So be sure to use a smaller pan if you want a taller, sandwich sized loaf. Now, what am I going to make with the rest of the two bags of rye flour, since this recipe only took 1/4 cup? Decisions, Decisions!

Whole-Wheat Bread with Wheat Germ and Rye

Yield: two 9-inch loaves

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups warm water (about 100°)

1 ½ tbsp. instant yeast

¼ cup honey

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 ½ tsp. salt

¼ cup rye flour

½ cup toasted wheat germ

3 cups whole-wheat flour

2 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the water, yeast, honey, butter and salt with a rubber spatula. Mix in the rye flour, wheat germ, and 1 cup of each of the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours.

Add the remaining whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, attach the dough hook and knead at low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead just long enough to make sure that the dough is soft and smooth, about 30 seconds.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375°. Gently press down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Gently press each piece into a rectangle about 1-inch thick and no longer than 9 inches. With a long side of the dough facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing down to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place each cylinder of dough into a greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, seam-side down, pressing the dough gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover the shaped dough; let rise until almost doubled in volume, 20 to 30 minutes.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted at an angle from the short end just above the pan rim reads 205°, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the bread immediately from the baking pans to a wire rack; cool to room temperature.

Source: Annie's Eats, as adapted from Baking Illustrated.

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping

Yesterday I got a craving for banana bread. I think my mind has decided fall is here, since temperatures have dropped into the 80s! I wanted a banana bread that was more cake like and had lots of flavor. This one featured in the September issue of Bon Appetit is a recipe from the Bake Sale Betty Bakery in Oakland, California. This banana bread really hit the spot. This cake was moist and delicious. The description that accompanies the recipe is perfect, a cross between a banana bread and a coffee cake. The honey and cinnamon flavor were quite prominent. I don't even know where to begin with the cinnamon crumble topping, it was truly the icing on the cake! Everyone in our family, toddler included, loved this banana bread. Its the perfect compliment to a cup of apple cider tea (my new favorite) and a breezy fall afternoon! If your family likes it as much as mine, you should probably make two loaves, because it will go fast! Sorry, the picture doesn't do it justice, but we were hungry!

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping
Source: Bon Appetit, September 2008

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch metal baking pan. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk next 5 ingredients in large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients; stir to blend. Transfer batter to pan. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and brown sugar; sprinkle over batter.
• Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool bread in pan 30 minutes. Turn pan on its side; slide out bread, being careful not to dislodge topping. Turn bread right side up and cool completely.

Carrot Ginger Bread

This was my favorite recipe of the two carrot recipes. I was expecting this recipe to be denser like a banana bread. I was pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be light and fluffy like a cake and had a delicious ginger flavor. The cake is also a gorgeous color inside when sliced. This recipe works well for breakfast, a snack or can even hold its own for dessert. If you don't want to juice your own carrots, you can buy carrot juice at your local grocery store.

Carrot Ginger Bread
Source: Everyday Food

nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup carrot juice (approx. 1 lb carrots juiced)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (I omitted, but I think they would be a great addition)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8 by 4 inch (1 quart) loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and carrot juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking just to combine. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert loaf onto rack to cool completely. Slice just before serving.

Banana Flaxseed Bread

I was reading the newspaper yesterday and came across this banana bread recipe in the healthy living section of the paper. I had not planned on baking, but realized I had some bananas that needed to be used so I decided to give this recipe a shot. I've made several banana bread recipes over the years and thought they all pretty much tasted the same. No real stand outs among the bunch. I wasn't sure what to expect with this recipe but was very pleasantly surprised. The flax seed and whole wheat flour add a nice nutty flavor to the bread. This is not an overly sweet banana bread but we really liked it that way. I was really craving a chocolate dessert when I made this so I threw in a 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. The chocolate balanced the dish nicely. This is great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert. The best part about this recipe is its whole grain and packs a nice punch of flax seed which is naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of fiber. I only had ground flax seed so I didn't add the additional whole flax seeds to the top but I think they would be a nice addition if you have them. When buying flaxseed be sure to take care in storing it. It will go rancid rather quickly. Ground seeds can be refrigerated for up to 90 days or kept in the freezer. I like to keep mine in the freezer since it takes me a while to use a whole package. Another tip, whenever I have bananas that are past the point of eating, I mash them and freeze in a ziplock bag so I always have some ready for baking.

Banana Flaxseed Bread
Recipe as Adapted from the Dallas Morning News

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk (I used whole milk)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I omitted)
4 tsp flaxseed (divided use) (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all purpose-flour, milled flaxseed, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg whites, egg and vanilla. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until blended. Stir in bananas, walnuts and 3 tsp flaxseed, blending until moistened.

Spoon into greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle top of bread with remaining 1 tsp flaxseed. Bake 55-60 minutes or until browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to stand in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool. Makes 1 loaf. (9-12 servings)

Easy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

As I was putting together my dinner this evening, I really wanted some good rolls to go with it. We have been focusing on eating more whole grains lately so I set out to find a recipe for rolls that used whole wheat flour. I found this one on the Whole Foods website. I have found some great recipes on their website as well as in their monthly fliers. This recipe certainly lived up to its name as it was really easy in that no kneading is required. The rolls are done in a muffin tin so they are more muffin like in appearance . The result was a tender, delicious roll with the bonus of it being whole wheat. We will be having these on our menu again.

Easy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Source: Whole Foods

Serves 6 (12 rolls)

• 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar (I used regular granulated sugar)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 package active dry yeast (.28 ounce)
• 1 cup warm milk (105 to 115°F)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1 cup unbleached white flour

Have all ingredients at room temperature to start. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with the cane sugar, sea salt and yeast. Add the warmed milk, melted butter and lightly beaten egg. Beat until smooth. Add the unbleached white flour, mixing until fully incorporated. The batter should be smooth. Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Meanwhile, lightly spray 12 muffin tins with extra virgin olive oil spray. Set aside.

Once raised, stir the batter down. Spoon even amounts of the dough into prepared muffin tins. Allow this to rise until the dough comes just over the top of the muffin tins, about another 45 minutes to one hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Info

Per Serving (112g-wt.): 280 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 4g dietary fiber, 9g protein, 43g carbohydrate, 50mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium

Rosemary-Citrus Scones

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to make an Irish dinner. I originally intended to make Irish Soda Bread, however, I found this recipe for Rosemary-Citrus Scones and decided to make them instead. These tasted very similar to Irish Soda Bread and were a cinch to make. We will definitely be having them again. I served the scones alongside a pot roast with vegetables. It was a great compliment to the roast and rounded out the meal nicely.

I tried a new pot roast recipe tonight and wasn't quite thrilled with the outcome. It was good but not amazing. I think I probably needed to cook the roast a bit longer to get it as tender as I would have wanted.I also forgot to make the potatoes! So I can't really fault the recipe completely. I have a Martha Stewart recipe that I like a lot but was looking for one that did not use wine so as to be a little more child friendly. I'm going to try another roast again soon and hopefully will be able to post a good tried and true recipe!

Rosemary Citrus Scones
Recipe as Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 15 minutes

Nonstick spray coating

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel

1 ½ tsp dried rosemary crushed

¼ tsp salt

½ cup evaporated fat-free milk (I used whole milk)

3 tbsp cooking oil

3 tbsp refrigerated egg product (I used 3 tbsp beaten egg)

I added ½ cup raisins

1. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick coating; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, orange peel, rosemary, and salt. In another bowl stir together milk, oil and egg. Add milk mixture all at once to flour mixture. Add raisins. Stir until moistened.

2. On a lightly floured surface knead dough 10 times. Lightly roll or pat dough into an 8 inch circle about ¾ inches thick. Cut dough into 12 wedges. Carefully transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, serve warm. Makes 12 scones.

Juila Child's Semolina Bread

After making homemade pizza dough last week, I was really wanting to make more bread. It didn't help that my google reader this week was filled with homemade French Bread recipes from the Daring Baker's Challenge. I had some time on my hands this weekend, so I pulled out my Baking with Julia Cookbook. I found a recipe for Semolina Bread that was perfect. I had all the ingredients on hand and it wasn't overly complicated. The process of making the bread takes 6 hours. The end result was a beautiful artisan style bread that rivals any bread I have had served in an Italian restaurant. I can't wait to make this for my next dinner party or event.

Semolina Bread
Recipe as Adapted from Baking with Julia

The Sponge

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. When the yeast has dissolved and is cream, about 5 minutes, stir in the flour.

Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature until the sponge doubles in volume, about 2 hours.

The Dough

The Sponge (above)
1/2 to 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup semolina flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tbsp olive oil

To Make the Dough in a Mixer Fitted with the Dough Hook, scrape the sponge into the bowl and add 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour and the remaining ingredients. Mix on medium speed until you have a dough that is smooth and elastic but somewhat sticky, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too soft, add up to 1/4 cup more all purpose flour, a tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest at room temperature until it doubles in volume, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and deflate it by flattening int with your palms. Pat the dough into a rough oval and then roll it, from one long side to the other to form a plump loaf. tuck the ends under and transfer the loaf to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover it lightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rest until it doubles in bulk again, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Holding a single-edge razor blade (I used a sharp knife) at a 30 degree angle to the loaf, slash lines on each side of the loaf from top to bottom. The slashes should be at an angle and each should be about 1 inch away from the last. Make sure the lines don't meet in the center of the loaf.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before cutting.

The bread can be kept at room temperature for a day, cover it loosely with plastic wrap. For longer storage, wrap it airtight and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.

Tomato Dill Soup with Chive Biscuits

It seems I have been on a kick making Paula Deen and Ina Garten recipes. I have been flipping through those cookbooks during the holidays and found myself wanting to try many of the recipes. I recently was looking through my Lady and Son's Cookbook and saw this recipe for Tomato Dill Soup. I love tomato basil soup but I wasn't quite certain about this combination of tomato and dill. I did, however, have a large amount of fresh dill to use from making Paula's Savory Salmon earlier in the week. I also managed to have all of the other ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a try. My husband proclaims this is the most delicious soup he has ever had. It was amazing how all of the flavors came together to produce a rich and flavorful soup. To go with the soup, I made Ina's Chive Biscuits, as I also had some fresh chives I needed to use up. The biscuits were surprisingly quick and easy to make. Next time I would probably add some cheddar cheese to give them a little more flavor.

Tomato Dill Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Paula’s Tomato and Dill Soup

1- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or 3 cups of fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used canned)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups of chicken stock
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

In a large pot combine first 7 ingredients. Cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

Chive Biscuits
Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or fresh parsley leaves
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. With the mixer on low, add the half-and-half and beat until just mixed. Add the chives and mix until just combined.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and knead lightly into a rectangle 3/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are firm. Serve warm.

Cranberry Banana Oat Bread

I decided to try this recipe because I loved the idea of combining cranberries in banana bread and I had several bananas I needed to use. The texture of this bread was really nice, it released from the pan perfectly. My only complaint about this recipe is that it was not very sweet. Normally, I am not apt to add sugar to a recipe but this one needed a little more. I'm not sure if the addition of some brown sugar or honey would do the trick.

Cranberry Banana Oat Bread

Source: Whole Foods

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup quick oats 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups ripe mashed banana pulp (about 3 bananas) 2 large eggs 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy margarine, melted, cooled 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice Ingredient Option: replace the margarine with canola oil, if desired. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with a small amount of margarine. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a whisk and set aside. Whisk the bananas, eggs and margarine together in a bowl. Add the sugar, cranberries, and lemon juice; mix until blended. Gently stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until lightly browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Turn the bread out onto a cutting board and, using a serrated bread knife slice the bread into 3/4-inch thick pieces. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Nutrition Info

Per Serving (94g-wt.): 250 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 5g protein, 42g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 20g sugar), 45mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I was in a fall baking mood yesterday, so I decided to make Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls. I used a recipe from the June 2007 issue of Cooking Light. The rolls were good but not a traditional cinnamon roll. I served them with our pot roast dinner since they were more bread like. The whole wheat flour gives them a "healthier taste." The rolls are not a very sweet roll either. If I made them again, I would add more filling and probably do a cream cheese icing.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Source: Cooking Light

Dough:
1 1/2 packages dry yeast (about 3 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 cup warm fat-free milk (100° to 110°)
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided (about 11 1/4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (about 7 ounces)
Cooking spray

Filling:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup raisins

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 teaspoons fat-free milk

To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm milk and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Add butter and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir well. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; roll into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Coat surface of dough with cooking spray.

To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle raisins over dough, pressing gently into dough. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam to seal. Cut the dough into 16 rolls. Place the rolls, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Uncover rolls. Bake at 375° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare glaze, place powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Add 5 teaspoons milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring to form a thick glaze. Drizzle glaze evenly over rolls.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 roll)