Garlic Herb Braid

I have been baking bread for about five years now. In that time many different sizes and shapes of bread have graced my dinner table, yet I have never experimented with a braided loaf. The concept is easy, three ropes of dough are carefully maneuvered back and forth until the end of the ropes are reached and a beautiful braid is achieved. Lets just say there is a reason you do not see a picture of my loaf before it was cut. Let's just say that I am going to have to practice this technique. :)


This was one of the quickest yeast bread recipes that I have ever made. The whole process from raw ingredients to baked loaf could not have taken much more than an hour and a half. The end result was quite delicious and went well with the chicken manicotti and salad that was served at my monthly scrapbooking night. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again.


Garlic-Herb Braid
as seen on Christy's Kitchen Creations from Taste of Home

Ingredients
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 packages (1/4 oz each) quick-rise yeast
2 teaspoons dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons dill weed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-in. rope. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

Restaurant Style Salsa

I have made salsa a few other times but the results were never anything to write home about. I came across this recipe on Pioneer Woman's site and thought that it sounded right up my ally. Since I prefer my salsa with no large chunks in it, the food processor was definitely my best friend when making this. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it as chunky or smooth as you like it. Heck you can make half of the batch chunky and half of it smooth. Really, it is so easy and foolproof.


I typically hate cilantro but thought that a teeny bit would be ok in the recipe. I was right, it was fine. Actually this recipe was quite delicious. Even my husband, the condiment hater, was scooping it up all night long. I took my leftovers into work the following day and the entire batch of salsa was polished off in a matter of a few hours.By the way, this recipes makes enough salsa for a small army. I think I had about 4 1/2 cups of it when all was said and done. Another thing to think about is draining the Rotel. The recipe does not mention it, but I did it. It seemed like the salsa would have been to watery if I had not. Enjoy!


Restaurant Style Salsa
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 can (28 Ounce) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel
¼ cups chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
¼ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons ground cumin
½ cups cilantro (or more to taste!)
½ whole lime juice

Preparation Instructions
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Cucumber Finger Sandwiches

This was yet another appetizer that was served at my friends birthday party a few weekends ago. I was not the one that originally made them but I decided that they were so good that I wanted to make them soon. I went out and bought all the ingredients and then made a few little sandwiches here and there throughout the week for my husband and I.


These are super quick and easy to prepare but are best if assembled shortly before serving. They were definitely a hit at the party and with my husband and would be the perfect addition to any get together where something light and fresh tasting was needed. In case you were wondering, I was able to get this cute shaped bread by baking some bread dough in my scalloped bread tube.


Cucumber Finger Sandwiches
adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix
2 loaves French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
2 medium cucumbers, sliced
1 pinch dried dill weed

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Italian dressing mix. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the slices of French bread. Top with a piece of cucumber and sprinkle with dill.
Note - The cream cheese mixture keeps for a week in the fridge so you can make as many or few as you need at a time.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I have always been a fan of the concept of stuffed mushrooms. Big meaty mushrooms stuffed with all kinds of delicious filling and baked until warm. Seriously what is not to love about that idea. The only problem was that up until last weekend I had never actually eaten a stuffed mushroom. Why do you ask, well I happen to hate (with a passion) onion and seafood and I was just sure that every stuffed mushroom I had ever been offered had one or both of those ingredients in it. So to be safe I waited until I could make them myself to truly indulge in their deliciousness. I helped a friend from work prepare some dishes for a birthday party this past weekend and these stuffed mushrooms were one of the first things that I suggested to make.

These mushrooms were an absolute hit! There were about 50 pieces made and they were the first dish to totally disappear at the party. I had a few requests for the recipe and many people telling me how delicious they were. The prep work of cleaning all the mushrooms is a little time consuming but is definitely worth it. I will definitely be making these again and again.

Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms
from Annie's Eats originally adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients
24 whole fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later. Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic to the food processor as well, and pulse in brief bursts until them mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy; remove from the heat. Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. Top with bread crumbs, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh herbs if using and serve immediately.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago when my most recent Food Network magazine came in the mail. Since I have yet to find the absolute perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe I figured that I might as well give this one a try. After spilling (and cleaning up) almost 2 cups of milk on the kitchen floor I should have just left the kitchen and tried again another night but I was determined to have this soup for dinner.


I did not have enough time to make bread bowls to go along with this soup so instead I served it with a few slices of garlic toast. The Food Network magazine compared this soup to Panera's broccoli-cheese soup. Although I am not sure how this compares to theirs I do know that this soup was warm, creamy, and delicious. I will definitely make this soup again.

Almost-Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 7-inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.
Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

Soft Pretzels

I have always been a fan of soft pretzels. They are crisp and browned on the outside and light and moist on the inside. I think that they really are the perfect treat. I have a old stand-by recipe for them that I make often but decided to change it up and try out a new recipe. I used a recipe I found in Peter Reinhart's new book, Artisan Breads Every Day. I was so fond of his first book, The Bread Bakers Apprentice that I signed up to be a recipe tester for this new book. I had an awesome time testing recipes and was excited for the release of the book. The first thing I did when I bought the book was flip to the acknowledgement section and try to find my name. :) Enough about me, back to the pretzels...


These pretzels do require a bit of planning since the dough needs to be made a day (or up to 4 days) in advance but the wait is well worth it. Although this will not become my new favorite pretzel recipe it is definitely something I will make again. This recipe just did not represent to me what soft pretzels are all about. Maybe it was not quite sweet enough on the inside, maybe it was not as light and airy as what I expected either. I don't know, it just seemed like something was off. Next time I make this recipe I think that I would shape the dough into a large loaf and make a loaf of pretzel bread. For now I will stick to my other soft pretzel recipe.

Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day(pgs 128-131)

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups (20oz) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons (.4oz) salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons (.75oz) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (.11oz) instant yeast
1 1/2 cups (12oz) lukewarm water (about 95 degrees)
2 tablespoons (1oz) vegetable oil or melted butter
8 teaspoons (2oz) baking soda, for dipping
2 cups (16oz) warm water (about 100 degrees), for dipping
1 egg white, for dipping (optional)

Pretzel salt or coarse kosher salt, for garnish

Do Ahead
-Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the yeast into the lukewarm water until dissolved, then let it sit for 1 minute to hydrate.
-Pour the yeast mixture and the oil into the dry ingredients. If using a mixer, use the paddle and mix on lowest speed for 30 to 60 seconds. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 1 minute. A course ball of dough should form.
-Switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed, or continue mixing by hand, for 2 minutes. The dough will become slightly smoother. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
-Continue to mix with the dough hook on medium-low speed, or mix by hand for 3 minutes, adjusting the water or flour as needed to form a smooth, firm, but slightly tacky ball of dough. If the dough is very tacky or sticky, add more flour.
-Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute to make any final adjustments. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean , lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)

On Baking day
-To make the dipping solution, stir the baking soda into the warm water. Whisk in the optional egg white (this will add a little shine, but it's optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the baking soda solution into a shallow bowl or small pan. -Remove the dough from the refrigerator and immediately divide it into 2 ounce pieces, or 3 ounce pieces if you prefer larger pretzels. Roll each piece into a rope about 17 inches long, tapered at the last 3 inches of each end (if the rope shrinks back after rolling, proceed to the next piece and return a few minutes later, after the gluten has relaxed, and roll the rope again to the full length). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If the parchment , mist it with spray oil to prevent sticking. Form a piece of dough into a pretzel shape, then place it on the sheet pan.
-As soon as the pan is filled, carefully dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution to thoroughly coat it, then put it back on the pan. Sprinkle on salt to taste, but be aware that a little goes a long way. (See the variations below for other garnish suggestions.) Dip and pan all of the pretzels./

-Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another to 10 minutes, until the pretzels are a rich brown.
-Transfer the pretzels to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Variations
You can substitute whole grain flour for some of the bread flour. If you do so, add 1 tablespoon of water to the final dough for every 7 tablespoons of whole grain flour you use.
You can top these pretzels with many garnishes other than salt. Sesame seeds are very popular, or try a savory or spicy seasoning salts or a sweet streusel topping. Another option is to scatter a good melting cheese on the surface for the last 3 minutes of baking. Or, for a decadent delight, drizzle them with chocolate glaze after they come out of the oven and have cooled a bit.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Wow, I am so ashamed. The last time I posted a dinner item on this blog was way back in July when I posted Cashew Chicken. Seriously, I am just sooo ashamed by this. You all probably think that I about 900 pounds and unable to walk with all the sweets and breads that I have been posting for the past few months. I assure you that I am not 900 pounds and I have been eating more than cookies and bread for dinner. I have just been in a funk and have not been very adventurous in the kitchen. Hopefully this will change with the new year and I will get back to posting more often and with a better variety.


I had some turkey leftover from a Christmas Eve dinner and thought that tetrazzini would be the perfect way to use it up. I decided to try a recipe that I found on Elise's site, Simply Recipes, due to the simplicity of it. I was also intrigued by the use of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Although I managed to dirty way more dishes than I should have, the recipe was very easy to make and came together perfectly. Although the top layer of my dish became dried out and extra crispy (due to a guest that would not stop talking long enough to leave my house) this meal came out delicious. The flavors in the sauce were a perfect match for mushrooms and peas and the pasta was nice and creamy. This was a delicious meal that I would definitely make again.


Turkey Tetrazzini
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguine or other pasta
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry (or vermouth or dry white wine)
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1 cup peas
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (divided into 1/3 and 1/3 cups)
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
Ground nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (or panko)
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Method
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Start heating 2 to 3 quarts of water for the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water.
2 Cook the mushrooms in 3 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat, stirring, until all of the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated, 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
3 In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4 About now, put the pasta into the boiling water you've heated. Follow the package directions and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking continue on with the recipe.
5 Into the saucepan with the butter and flour, slowly whisk in the milk, cream, broth, and the sherry. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 to 8 minutes.
6 When the pasta is ready, drain it. In a large bowl combine the pasta, the sauce, the mushrooms, the turkey, and the peas. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and the 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese. Stir in the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note that if you have been using unsalted butter, and/or unsalted or low sodium stock, you will need to add more salt than you might expect. Just keep sprinkling it in until it is seasoned to your taste. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg if using, again to taste. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-quart casserole.
7 In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits.
8 Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.
Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley.

Serves 4 to 6