Golden Beer Bread

This is one of the best bread recipes I have ever made.  

It was nutty, sweet, and chewy.  Perfect for a jam and cheese sandwich.  

I got it from a healthy living blog I read, click here to check it out.

Here is the recipe:

• 3 cups bread flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp wheat gluten
• 1 12 oz beer at room temperature (I used Budweiser because that is what I had.  Use your favorite beer to get the flavor you want.)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 cup chia seeds (optional)

1. If your beer is not at room temp, pour it into a microwave safe dish and microwave for 45 seconds.
2. Toast the wheat germ by tossing it in a skillet over medium high heat for about 1.5 minutes
3. Combine all of your dry ingredients and whisk together.
4. Add the honey and beer.  Mix for 3 minutes on level one speed, then another 3 minutes on level two speed.  Then knead the dough for another two minutes.  ( I mixed with my hand held beater with dough hooks for about two minutes, and then I kneaded the dough another two minutes.)  Here is the link to the actual recipe, READ IT.  He shared a great kneading technique for this bread.
5. Shape dough into a ball.  In a warm spot cover and rise for two hours.  Fold over over after the first hour.
6. Then shape into a loaf and placed in a greased loaf pan.  Rise again for another hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 430 degrees at the 30 minute mark during your rise.
8. Slash the top of your dough;
9. Throw 1 oz of water into the oven to make some stream.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes.

I LOVED this bread, and was very simple.  I should have baked it a little longer maybe 35 minutes in my oven.  Use your best judgement.  

Here is a fresh slice covered in butter.

 I couldn't resist...

Enjoy!!

Pesto Chicken Pizza

We eat semi-homemade pizza at our at least once week.  For three reasons it is cheaper than delivery, it is an easy meatless meal because we usually just eat cheese (that is Josh's favorite kind), and I love pizza.  I buy a pizza dough ball from Trader Joes every time I go because they are so cheap, just a little over a dollar, and stick it in the freezer so I always have one on hand.  I also buy their mozzarella, and fresh pizza sauce.  Since the sauce is fresh I freeze that, too.  This week I decided to change things up.  I made homemade pesto and chicken pizza.  Making pesto is so easy, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already.  

Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups fresh basil
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)    

1. Toast your nuts in a skillet.  Then set aside to let cool.
2. Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a blender or food processor and puree.
3. Stream the olive oil in while you blend.  You may have to scrape down the sides to make sure it all gets blended.

I have actually have some step by step photos this time.

toasted walnuts

fresh basil

grated parmesan

minced garlic

kosher salt

ground flaxseed

chicken stock

When I measured this I thought I only needed 1/4 cup, but I took a second look at the recipe and it said 1/2 cup.  I had already taken the photo and dumped the chicken stock into the blender.  

So remember 1/2 cup chicken stock.

All the ingredients in the blender.  I thought they looked pretty all together.

then comes the olive oil

After I blended it all together, I thought it looked and tasted runny. 

 I looked around and thought about what I could add to thicken it up.  Then I saw the walnuts sitting to the side.  I forgot to add them in the first place.  Whoops, problem solved.

We had roasted chicken the other night for dinner and I had one breast leftover.  I shredded it and scattered on top of the pizza.  I also toasted some more walnuts and scattered those on top of the pizza, too.  Other great items you could add to this pizza are sun dried tomatoes, whole roasted garlic, red pepper flakes, caramelized onions, chile oil, or capers.  You could also dip it in pizza sauce. 
Here it is pre-cheese

post cheese

I like to sprinkle cornmeal on the pan when I make pizza for a little extra texture and flavor.  I also like to sprinkle a little paprika and Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle on top of the cheese.  I like things salty.  I am my mother's daughter.
Here is the finished product

Whenever we eat homemade pizza I put raw veggies on the table and whatever fruit we have.
Here is my plate
Apple slices, yellow bell peppers, carrots, and pizza.  Don't let me deceive you, I definitely had more than one slice of pizza.

Oh, and how much do you love my new plate?  I got new plates for the kids in blue, hot pink, and orange with this confetti pattern.  
Sonya was just OK with this kind of pizza, but Teddy loved it of course.  I will make it again and have Sonya keep trying it.  
Simple and tasty dinner.
Enjoy!!  

Their Favorite

I have been writing a lot about food on here lately, sorry!!  Like I have said before I feel like so much of my life revolves around food.  So, with that being said, here is another food post :).  I thought I would share my kids favorite lunch that we eat two to three times a week.  It all started when Sonya watched Kung Fu Panda, and Po was eating dumplings.  I decided to make her some dumplings like Po, and at the time it was a perfect food for Teddy to learn how to pick up and eat.

Here are the "dumpwheens," that is how Soso pronounces it.

Heat up a non-stick skillet, and then drizzle it with a little olive oil.

Brown the potstickers for about five minutes, until it looks like this.

Then add liquid, cover, and simmer another five to eight minutes until cooked.  

The package says water, but I always add a more flavorful liquid.  Today I added chicken stock and red wine.

One thing I always have in my house in frozen peas.  This is something my kids eat probably four to five days a week, and they eat them frozen.  Such an easy vegetable to throw on the side of any lunch.

My kids are blueberry addicts.  I buy them at least once a week, and they always get devoured.

Here is the final plate.

Let the eating begin.

Here is what is left on Sonya's plate.

Very simple, tasty, and nutritious lunch.

Enjoy!!

First Taste

Today baby T ate like a King.  

Can you tell what he got to eat...

Need a closer look...

Josh had a little bit of Straubs Chicken Salad leftover and let Teddy have a taste.  Needless to say Teddy LOVED it.  I HATE chicken salad, really anything covered in mayonnaise makes me gag just thinking about it.  Luckily my kids have not inherited my pickiness, but I might have ruined Teddy for life by giving him the gold standard in chicken salad for his first taste.  If that is the case he would definitely be his father's son in not just looks and stature but his expensive palate.

And yes that is an AC/DC t-shirt he is wearing.  Again he is his father's son.

Jam and Cheese

What do whole grain bread

and

all have in common?

The perfect combination of sweet, salty, and chewy deliciousness.

I know I am not some culinary genius or even original coming up with this sandwich, but I thought I would share it because it so tasty.  I read this one blog where the writer was eating jam and cheese sandwiches and they looked so good.  I did feel kind of fancy and European eating it for lunch.  I had the kids try it.  I thought Sonya was going to spit it out, it was too tasty for her, but she did good and tried two bites.  Teddy on the other hand loved it, we'll see if he will eat it again.

The Monday Manifest

Restaurants I Wish Were Still Open

1. Casa Grille at the Galleria
2. Mary's
3. First Federal Frank and Crust Pizza Company
4. Pantera's (Old Orchard)
5. Hot Diggity Dog
6. Hogobooms
7. Velvet Freeze
8. Two Nice Guys Deli
9. The Tea Room at Dillards in Crestwood Mall
10. The old school Ground Round with peanuts, popcorn, Heckel and Jeckel movies, and where kids ate for their weight in pennies.
11. Schnucks Station Restaurant
12. Taco Bell (Watson)
13. Shoney's
14. Augustus Moody's
15. The Ice House
16. Tippin's
17. New York Burrito (Kirkwood)
18. Something Elsah
19. Lox, Stock, and Bagel
20. The Lotus Room

Strawberry (Blueberry) Muffins

I have had this muffin recipe sitting in food file forever, and I finally decided to make it.  This recipe is courtesy of Cary.  She usually makes these muffins with strawberries, but I had some blueberries on hand so that is what we used.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)

2 tbsp wheat germ (optional)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup of the berry of your choice (I used frozen mini blueberries)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl mix eggs, yogurt, butter, and vanilla.
4. Toss berries into dry mixture.
5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, and fold ingredients together.
6. Spoon THICK batter into paper lined muffin tin.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes or until done with toothpick test.

Check this scrumptiousness out.

Everything is better with a little butter on it.

The Monday Manifest

Items I buy regularly from Trader Joe's

1. Pizza dough balls
2. Pizza sauce
3. Mozzarella cheese
4. Parmesan Cheese
5. Frozen berries (Very Berry Cherry)
6. Oatmeal
7. Chicken potstickers (Sonya's FAVORITE!!)
8. Chicken fried rice
9. Frozen Corn
10. Frozen green beans
11. Valencia butter with toasted flaxseed

Breakfast

This morning for breakfast Teddy had

yogurt with

blueberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries,

ground flaxseed and

Trader Joes Valencia Butter.

And as you can tell,

 he wanted to feed himself.

What did you have for breakfast?

Almost No Knead Bread

Do you want to eat this bread?

I know you do.

Well, you can.

Just follow this simple recipe.

You won't be sorry.

I promise.

Almost No-Knead Bread

(Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS

3	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4	teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1	1/2 teaspoons table salt
3/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4	cup plus 2 tablespoons Budweiser (3 ounces)
1	tablespoon white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours. 
2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. 
4. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  Or eat right away...like I do.