Weekend Cooking: Rosemary Bread

This simple and delicious bread recipe is one that I have make a lot, especially during the summer months when my rosemary plant is flourishing. Surprisingly, the plant is still surviving the winter thus far so I decided to harvest some of it up and bake more bread. This recipe is a version from Romano's Macaroni Grill that I found on food.com. It is really good and super easy but you do have to plan ahead because it takes a while for the bread to rise.

This version makes two small loaves.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons rosemary

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.

2. Mix in 1 Tablespoon butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour

3. Add 1 Tablespoon of fresh rosemary

4. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about five minutes until smooth and elastic

5. Add more flour if necessary

6. Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel

7. Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled

8. Punch down dough and divide in half

9. Let dough rest about five minutes

10. Spray baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray

11. Shape dough into two small rounded loaves

12. Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly in the surface

13. Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes

14. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

15. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned

16. Carefully remove from oven, brush with remaining butter and add salt if desired.

You could also substitute dried rosemary, Italian seasoning, or Herbs de Provence seasoning if you did not have fresh rosemary on hand.

Enjoy!

This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

Happy Cooking!
Rebecca

Weekend Cooking: Tortellini Soup

I have been seeing several recipes for Tortellini Soup as of late and wanted to give it a try. I was going to make a healthier version that consisted only of tortellini, tomatoes, spinach, and a chicken broth base but then I came across this version in the 2012 Mixing Bowl magazine, a special interest publication from Better Homes and Gardens.

 

This version incorporates Alfredo sauce, chicken and cheese in addition to the tomatoes, fresh spinach and chicken broth. I used a jar of sun-dried tomato alfredo instead of the regular version for a little extra flavor but you could make your own alfredo sauce if you prefer your version to store bought. The amount of sauce you make will be dependent on how many servings you want.

First, boil your tortellini according to the package directions. Next, heat the alfredo sauce and broth on the stove. Adding the broth to make the soup the consistency you prefer. Bring to a boil, then toss in some pre-cooked shredded chicken and tomatoes. Finally, toss in your fresh spinach for a few minutes. Finally, combine the tortellini with the sauce mixture and sprinkle on some extra cheese if you so desire.

This was a great way to serve tortellini in a different fashion and it was a perfect cold weather, comfort food dish.

Enjoy!

 

This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

Happy Cooking!
Rebecca

Weekend Cooking: Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Puree

I came across Campbell's Butternut Squash soup at the grocery store and was excited to try it because I love butternut squash. I wanted to make it more hearty to serve as a meal so I tossed in some extra ingredients that took this soup from simple to gourmet with little effort.

Into the pot went the soup, a can on cannellini beans, some pre-cooked and shredded chicken, a little bit of chicken stock and some dried thyme. After heating in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour, I removed the soup and stirred in some white cheddar cheese.

Finally, I topped it off with a roasted red pepper puree recipe that I found online. I used jarred roasted red peppers for ease. Just toss some peppers, a little olive oil, some minced garlic and some crushed red pepper flakes in to the food processor and blend. Then, just stir into your soup.

This soup turned out as one of my favorites. I was very pleased with how it all came together and definitely want to make it again. It was the perfect comfort dish to for a cold, winter day.

Happy Cooking!

Rebecca

This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.

Weekend Cooking: Deep Dish Mexican Pizza





These short winter days do not cooperate for much weekday cooking so on the weekend, I like to experiment. I had an extra pie crust in the refrigerator and was inspired by one of my favorite dishes of a ham, tomato and cheese dinner pie, which led to the creation of a deep dish Mexican pizza. I pre-baked the crust first according to the box directions so that the it would crisp up on the bottom, covering the edges in aluminum foil so that they would not burn. After baking, I spread re-fried beans into the shell, topped with cooked ground turkey mixed with a can of green chilies and enchilada sauce. Then, I topped that layer with chopped tomatoes and jalapenos, followed by a top layer of Monterey Jack cheese. Back into the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until the cheese is all melted.



Then slice and enjoy with a nice margarita or your favorite beverage. The best part about this dish is that it can easily be customized. You could substitute black beans, rice, salsa, corn or other veggies for any of these ingredients.

Buen provecho!

Rebecca



This post is linked up to Weekend Cooking, a weekly meme hosted by Beth at Beth Fish Reads.