Recipe Wednesday: Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe comes from my friend Meredith. She made homemade wheat bread all through college. I never really got into the whole homemade bread thing until I got married a few months ago. This is an easy recipe, and so delish. I could eat a whole loaf with butter and honey in one sitting...

Jessie Evans Smith's 90 Minute Bread

1 Cup warm water
4 Tbs. yeast

Dissolve yeast in above water.

4 C. warm water
4 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. sugar
4 Tbs. oil
4 Tbs. dough enhancer (only if you have it--this is not necessary)
9 C. or more flour (enough to keep dough from being too sticky)

Mix all ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook. Allow to rise for 15 minutes. Beat dough down and break into 5 balls for white flour or 4 balls for wheat flour. Form into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown (with my oven, I always check it at 20 minutes and it' s usually done). Lightly grease top crust of baked loaves and let cool on their sides on a cooling rack.

Recipe Wednesday: Hummus

This is an easy recipe that makes quite a bit of hummus. I've never frozen it before, but I'm told it stays good for a few months that way.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Serve with toasted, warm pita breads and you'll be GTG.

Recipe Wednesday: Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella

This is an all time favorite for something really fresh, healthy, and tasty. {everyday food}

Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Vegetable oil, for grates
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
• 8 ounces medium pasta shells
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I like flat-leaf best)
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, and cut into thin strips, halving if long.
2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a sauce that coats shells (you may not need all the water). Serve with more Parmesan.

Mmmmm, so delicious! Fresh mozzarella is definitely a must.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

Don't want to spend $7.00 on grocery store pesto? Make your own! Here's an easy, tasty recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• a dash of chili powder

Directions:

1. Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.
2. This makes a lot of pesto, so if you're not going to use it all now, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then pop out and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Each ice cube is about an 1/4 cup.

Recipe Wednesday: Cheesy Pesto Chicken

This is a winner, and very easy!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 1 cup prepared basil pesto
• 4 thick slices mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto sauce onto each flattened chicken breast. Place one slice of cheese over the pesto. Place in a lightly greased baking dish.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
4. Remove foil and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Voila!

Recipe Wednesday: Crispy Oven Fries

The perfect addition to Blue Cheese Burgers! So easy, so tasty! {via Martha}

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 3/4 cup cornflake crumbs (store-bought or crushed from 2 cups cornflakes)
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and/or paprika
  
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (about 3), well scrubbed and cut lengthwise 3/4 inch thick

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with oil; set aside.
2. In a pie plate or shallow bowl, combine cornflake crumbs, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon salt. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil to coat. One or two at a time, dip potatoes in crumbs, turning to coat all sides; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake potatoes, turning once, until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and season with more salt.

Recipe Wednesday: Blue Cheese Burgers

I've decided that I need a good place to store my favorite recipes. This blog is the place! I made these two weeks ago and they were fantastic! This recipe makes about 8 burgers.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2-1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup minced fresh chives
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I actually like to substitute a little "liquid smoke" for this)
  
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 8 French rolls or hamburger buns

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, blue cheese, chives, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and mustard. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill for high heat. Gently form the burger mixture into about 12 patties.
3. Oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on rolls.

Delish!