Guest Blogger: Pizza

Impromptu Pizza:
Medium crust
Cheese
Pepperoni
Cilantro
Red Bell Peppers


Chop the peppers


Chop Cilantro


Spread cheese


Pepperoni


Form the base


Add cilantro and peppers


The finished product!

If you use a quality cooking sheet or pizza stone you won't have the crust adhere to the pizza stone and would mostly likely be able to eat Pizza with Crust... we mostly ate toppings with a thin layer of crust that didn't stick to the stone.

Dough by MadreBob
Photos by eric.dacus

carrot cake cupcakes

makes 1 dozen

2 c flour (i substituted 1/2 c whole wheat)
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
2 c shredded carrot
1 ripe banana, mashed


preheat oven to 350

in large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. in another bowl combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. add carrot and banana and stir until smooth. mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. stirring just until moistened and combined. fill lined muffin cups about 3/4 full using all the batter. bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. cool before frosting.

frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
6 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c powdered sugar

in electric mixer whip cream cheese and butter together until combimed. add vanilla. add sugar 1/2 cup at a time scrapping down the sides of the bowl. use frosting immediately.

Cinnamon Nut Buns

So i've never made cinnamon rolls myself. weird. i guess i always felt like they were just so much effort. but, obviously, i've been in an kitchen effort mood recently and rolled these suckers out. i like everything about them except the icing. it is just too buttery, if that's possible. i'd go with a simpler powdered sugar icing next time.

bread:

1/4 c warm water
2 packets yeast
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
1/4 c sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
6-7 c flour, plus more for work surface (i substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour)

1. place water in small bowl, sprinkle with yeast. let stand until foamy about 5 minutes. in large bowl shisk together milk, butter, sugar, salt and 2 eggs. (i just realized i added 3 eggs to my recipe. whoops. maybe that's why i had to add at least another cup and half of flour..hmm...)

2. using a wooden spoon, stir in 6 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time until you have a soft shaggy6 dough (if necessary add up to 1/2 cup more flour. unless you feel like using 3 eggs in which case you will add at least another 1-2 cups during your kneading process. ha. ) turn dough out onto floured work surface, knead until smooth and elastic 5-10 minutes. butter inside of a large bowl, place dough in bowl turning to coat. cover bowl with plastic wrap. let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size about 2 hours.


filling:
1/2 c butter, room temp ( i used less b/c this recipe has an extravagant amt of butter in it. i used maybe 5 tablespoons of room temp butter b/c it's just for spready on the rolled dough and you can control the amt nicely)
1 c packed brown sugar
2/3 c walnuts or pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
salt

for the glaze:
1 c brown sugar
6 tbspn butter (again, i thought too much. maybe 4 but then you might need to add more water)
2 tbspn water


1. butter two 9x13 baking pans. in food processor combine brown sugar, nuts, cinamon and pinch of salt. pulse unitl coarsely ground. set aside.

2. divide dough in half. working with one half at a time, roll dough out to a 16x10 inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. spread some butter over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border all around. sprinkle half the nut mixture over the butter. starting at a long end roll up dough like a jelly roll. with a sharp knife but crosswise into 12 equal pices.

3. place buns, cut sided down, in prepared pans. cover pans loosely with plastic. let stand in warm spot until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours.

4. preheat oven to 375. bake buns until golden brown about 25-30 minutes. let cool 15 minutes.




5. prepare glaze: in small saucepan heat brown sugar, butter and water over medium stirring until simmering. cook 1 minute. drizzle glaze over buns. let stand 10 minutes before serving.

makes 2 pans so you can freeze the other before the baking process. before you let the rolls rise just wrap the pan and freeze. when you pull it out of the freezer months later let stand for 2 hours to thaw and rise. then bake the same. i baked both pans and put the baked pan into the freezer.

Homemade Granola

Now i'm seriously a hippy! or maybe just 'granola'. anyway, at first i thought this was going to be much more expensive than just buying a bag of granola b/c the individual ingredients seems to be costing a lot. but after i realized i could make several batches out of just buying the ingredients one time i felt better about the cost. and nothing tastes as good as home made, fresh granola with yogurt and fruit! (and a latte of course)

dry ingredients:
5 c rolled oats
2-3 c raw almonds or pecan halves, or a mixture
1 c hulled raw sunflower seeds
3/4 c flax seeds
3/4 c light brown sugar4
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 c coconut (if you like it. i do)

wet ingredients:
3/4 c apple sauce, unsweetened
1/3 brown karo corn syrup
1/4 c honey
2 tbpsn vegetable oil

preheat oven to 300

in large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. stir to mix well, in small bowl combine all of the wet ingredients, stir to mix well. pour the wet over the dry ingredients, and stir well.

spread the mixture evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. bake for 35-40 minutes or until evenly golden brown. set a timer to go off every 10-15 minutes while the granola bakes, so you can rotate the pans and give them a good stir. this helps it to cook evenly. when it's ready remove the pans from the oven, stir well- this will keep it from cooking in a hard solid sheet and set aside to cool. the finished granola may still feel slightly soft when it comes out of the oven. but it will crisp as it cools.

store in airtight container or zip top bag.

**after the baking process i also added about 1 cup of dried blueberries to half the mixture and put that in one bag. the other bag i left plain so i can add fresh fruit to that.

Glazed Lemon cookies

This is like a citrus party in your mouth.


2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tbspns fresh lemon juice (you need 2 lemons for this recipe)
1/2 c butter, room temp
1 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
lemon glaze (recipe follows)

1. preheat ove to 350. in bowl whisk together flour, b soda, salt and lemon zest. in large bow with mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until combined. beat in flour mixture.

**side note. i've never seen my butter/sugar mixture 'light and fluffy'. it's always grainy and weird. so i just beat it until i feel like not beating it anymore. ha.


2. drop dough by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart onto 2 baking sheets. bake until edges are golden 15-20 minutes rotating sheets halfway through. let cool 2 minutes on sheeets, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. spread cookies with lemon glaze and let set, about 1 hour.


**another side note: Mom failed to introduce us to the cookie scoop. i just bought one the other day and it has changed my cookie-dropping-by-heaping-tablespoon-life. Mom always used a spoon, which in one regard is nice b/c you get to lick your fingers and absorb a bunch of the cookie dough, which is always a positive. but then your fingers are always kinda sticky. with the cookie scoop the art of dropping cookies by heaping tablespoons and having exactly the same sized cookies is made completely easy. i'm a big fan.


Lemon Glaze:

in medium bowl whisk together 2 c confectioners sugar, 2 tbspn finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 c fresh lemon juice until smooth.


** i had to keep adding powdered sugar b/c i think i had too much lemon juice. oh well, my cookies are just very glazed and less iced.

I have left over tomatillos from the last recipe, what do i do?

I followed a recipe very loosely by emeril lagasse for his shredded pork taquitos. i made tacos though and just softened up the corn tortillas with a little time in some hot oil before serving.

chicken:
olive oil
some chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomatoe, cut up
4 cups chicken stock
some cilantro leaves

heat oil in large saute pan. add chicken and season with s/p. sear the chicken until browned on both sides. add onions and saute until soft. add garlic and tomatoes and saute until fragrant about 1 minute. season with s/p. add chicken stock and cilantro leaves and bring to boil. cover and reduce to simmer. let simmer about 2 hours, until chicken is very tender.

salsa:
1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed and washed
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
parts of other pepper i had in fridge
1/2 c minced onion
juice of 1 lime
some cilantro leaves

place tomatillos, garlic cloves (unpeeled) and peppers on baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil. season with s/p. place in oven heated to 400 for about 15 minutes, until roasted and browned and softened. remove veggies from oven and place tomatillos in food processor (yay!). squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the food processor. add the peppers to the processor along with the onion, lime juice, and cilantro. pulse until mixture is fully incorporated but not pureed. season with s/p.



Before.


What would i do without my food processor?!



After. This is what the food processor can do for you!


for the chicken again:

after the 2 hours remove the chicken from the pan and cool. once the meat has cooled enough to handle shred the meat. place the cooking liquid back on the stove and cook over high heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. remove from the heat and add the shredded meat.




to serve:
soften corn tortillas up in some veg oil. place line of chicken meat down the center. cover with home made salsa. dab on some sour cream. yummy! serve the salsa with chips or i put the salsa on top of my mexican rice and my salad b/c it was so good.

Grilled cumin chicken with fresh tomatillo sauce

well, these were almost grilled but eric almost lit the house on fire with a fire from the grill. he ran out of lighter fluid so he got some camping fuel from the basement and tried to pour it on the already sorta lit charcoal. i look out the window from the kitchen and see these huge flames coming from our back porch. one of the posts for the back porch roof was lit, and the lighter fluid was on fire in the grass and on the concrete....scary! and then we have the hose hooked up to a timer for the gardens and couldn't get the timer to turn on so we were both a little shook afterwards. luckily the weather also kicked up right then and it started raining huge drops, we finally got the hose on, and everything was okay. at least it made us have the talk about where the fire extinguisher is located in our house and what we might save first in case of fire. i told eric he should never work in an emergency room b/c he doesn't handle emergencies very well. :) so, i sauteed the chicken instead, and it was still delicious!


2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin (that's a pansy amount. i added at least 1 tsp)
1/8 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c cilantro leaves
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 tbspn lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlice clove, chopped
1 jalapano, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp salt
cooking spray

1. prepare grill ( don't burn house down) check. ha.
2. combine first 4 ingredients in zip top bag. add chicken. seal and stand for 15 minutes (or do this at the beginning of the day b/c i like to think it will add more flavor. i'm sassy like that :) )

3. discard husks and stems from tomatillos. combine tomatillos and broth in a small saucepan over medium high heat. cover and cook 8 minutes. drain and cool slightly. combine tomatillos, cilantro and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeno) in food processor (yay!). process until smooth.

4. remove chicken from bag. sprinkle evenly with 1/4 tsp salt. place on grill rack coated with cooking spray. grill 6 minutes on each side until done. serve with tomatillo sauce.








some fresh dessert for afterwards!

spanish oranges for dessert

did you ever have these while in spain? maybe it was just a valencia thing but this is one of my most favorite sweet, healthy desserts. it is so light and tastes so delicious, you almost feel like a healthy mediterranean euro after eating it.

simply peel the orange. slice horizontally into 1/4 inch slices. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. yum!!!

Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Chicken Sandwiches with cilantro-lime mayo


mayo:
1/4 c mayo
2 tbspn chopped cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 garlice clove, minced

chicken:
1/4 cup egg substitute (this is from cooking light and they always suggest this stuff and i never use it. i just use the amt of eggs i think equals their amt of substitute. in this case i think it was 2.
3 tbspn hot sauce (such as tabasco)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/4 oz tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tbspn olive oil

remaining ingredients:
4 kaiser rolls
12 red onion slices
lettuce leaves


1. to prepare mayo: combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. to prepare chicken: combine egg substitue, hot sauce, oreganoe and salt in a large zip top plastic bag. cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. add chicken to bag and seal. marinate in fridge for 2 hours or up to 8, turning occasionally.

3. place tortilla chips in food processor (yay!) process 1 minute until ground. place ground chips in shallow dish.

4. working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip off. coat chicken completely in chips. set aside. repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add olive oil to pan swirling to coat. add chickne to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf and 1 chicken cutlet, top with halves of rolls.


i made some sauteed potato slices to go with this. simply thinly slice a potato, and add them to a pan with some hot olive oil, sprinkle with s/p. let them get good and browned on one side, then flip the whole thing over and let that side get browned. you can layer them with onions if you like, as in layer of potatoes down, s/p, layer of onions, layer of potatoes, s/p, layer of onions. and them flip them that way. sever with ketchup.

Resurrected Lentil Burger

This was just so good when I made it again I had to post to bring it to the surface.

Mediterranean Veggie Burger with mint-yogurt sauce and carrot salad

4 medium carrots
3 tbspn fresh lemon juice
3 tabspn olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
s/p
5 whole wheat ham buns
1 can 915 oz) lentils, rinsed and drained
1 large egg
1/4 c thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/2 c plain yogurt
lettuce

1. in a food processor fittd with shredding disk shred carrots. transfer to medium bowl. toss with 2 tbspn lemon juice, 1 tbspn oil, and half the scallions. season with s/p. set aside

2. wipe food processor clean. fit with chopping blade. process 1 bun until finely ground. add lentils, egg, half the mint, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper and remaining scallions. pulse just until combined.

3. dividing evenly shape the mixture into four 3 1/2 inch patties. in large skillet heat remaining 2 tsbpn oil ove medium. cook burgers until browned and firm 4-5 minutes per side.

4. in small bowl combine yogurt, remaining mint, and remaining tbspn lemon juice. season with s/p. place burgers on buns and top with yogurt sauce and lettuce. sever with carrot salad.


** i bought a food processor off of KSL for $25! and my goodness, i don't know what i did without it before! i've used it almost every day. it's a wonderful gadget,a nd it isn't that hard to clean so having to wash another machine hasn't bothered me. i put the carrot salad on top of lettuce and served it that way. it was delicious!

Black Bean N Spinach Enchiladas

2 cans black beans rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp Creole seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 recipe Spinach Madeleine (2 cups)

1 container sour cream (8 oz)

8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 (12 oz) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided

combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside.  You can also substitute some chicken in place of the 2 can of black beans if you'd like.  I think I preferred the ones without the chicken (I made a couple of both)

Stir together the spinach madeleine and sour cream until blended.  I think I forgot to do this part!!  It was still good even without the sour cream.  I'll try it the right way  next time.

spoon 1/2 cup black bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top with 1/3 cup spinach madeleine and sprinkle with 3 Tbsp cheese.  Roll up, place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13. sprinkle remaining cheese over top.  cover and bake 350 for 25 minutes. uncover and bake 5-10 min more.  

Spinach Madeleine

20 oz frozen chopped spinach

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

1 tsp hot sauce (I didn't use)

1/2 tsp creole seasoning

cook spinach according to package, drain and set aside

melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  add garlic, saute 1 min. whisk in flour until smooth, whisk constantly 1 minute.  gradually add in milk and cook, whisking constantly 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Add cheese ,hot sauce, and creole seasoning.  whisk until cheese is melted.  stir in spinach, cook until thoroughly heated.  

YUMMMY

Smoky Chicken Chili

2 poblano chili peppers, chopped (Winco didn't have these, so I bought 1 Pasilla chili; it was plenty hot)

1 large red bell pepper, chopped ($.58, eat it up baby!! gotta love Winco!)

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cans rotel

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (I used 2/3 of it and am using the other 1/3 for some black bean and spinach enchiladas that I'm making soon)

1 can (16 oz) navy beans

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can beer

1 (1.25 oz) package white chicken chili seasoning mix (I used regular chili mix bc I couldn't find the other-it was fine)

Saute first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven (I am lovin the dutch oven you gave me, thanks!!) over medium high heat 8 minutes or until veggies are tender.

stir in rotel and next 5 ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.  Serve with desired toppings (cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, baby corn, sliced black olives, chopped red onion, tortilla chips, etc)

This was Fab!  we ate it in 2 days, yum.  I just love rotisserie chicken in things!  I'll post the enchiladas tomorrow.

tex mex calzones

no picture :( we must have been hungry :)

8 oz ground turkey breast
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 c chopped red pepper
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c fire roasted salsa verde (i just used whatever they had at the store)
1 pizza crust dough
3/4 c mexican preshredded cheese blend
1/4 c sour cream

1. preheat oven 425.

2. heat large non stick skillet over medium high heat. add ground trueky to pan, cook 3 minutes stirring to crumble. add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan. cook 4 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender, stirring occasionally. remove from heat. stir in salsa..

3. unroll pizza dough. divide into 4 equal portions. roll each portion into 6x4 inch rectangle. working with one rectangle at a time spoon about 1/2 c turkey mixture on one side of dough. top with 3 tbspns cheese, fold dough over turkey mixture and press edges together with a fork to seal. place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. repeat procedure with remaning dough and turkey mixture. bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until browned. serve with sour cream.

as a side:
toss together a black bean salad: combine 1 15 oz can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomtoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tbspn fresh lime juice, 2 tbspn chopped cilantro, and 1 tbspn olive oil in a medium bowl. toss to coat.


this was super yummy!

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Don't let the lame name mislead you. This was delicious! Buttered orzo made a good partner for the dish.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
s/p
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (i just used 3 fresh roma tomatoes chopped)
4 artichoke hearts, quartered (i got a few from the olive bar at the store)
12 kalamata olives, halved and pitted (again from the olive bar)
4 tsp capers (i omitted this b/c they are dumb) :)
1/2 c crumbled feta
1/2 tsp italian seasoning (i made my own out of a few herbs from the cupboard)
1 tbspn olive oil

1. preheat oven to 375. place 4 12 inch squares of parchment paper of heavy duty foil on a work surface. place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2 inch boarder. season with s/p.

2. dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes. olives, capers and feta. sprinkle with italian seasoning and oil. fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal. * i just put the chicken directly on some tin foil and folded it tightly to create a packet.

3. place packets on rimmed baking sheet. bake chicken until opaque through out, 20-22 minutes.



yum!!!!!

Strawberry Pound Cake

Paula Deen's Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe #297692

From Paula Deen's Quick & Easy Meals, Special Collector's Issue. Cook time does not include the 1 hour and 10 minutes you have to allow for letting the cakes sit.

by Anita Harris

1¼ hours | 10 min prep

SERVES 2 , 2 Cakes

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

sweet pink glaze (recipe follows)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 drop red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2") loaf pans.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in sour cream and strawberries. Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Spoon Sweet Pink Glaze over warm cake, let stand 1 hour; remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Sweet Pink Glaze:.
5. 1 c powdered sugar.
6. 2 tbsps milk.
7. 1 drop red food coloring.
8. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.
9. Need I say more?!!
10. I didn't have any strawberry flavoring.  It was good without it, but would be a stronger strawberry flavor definitely with it.  We cut up some strawberries and let them marinade in sugar for a couple hours and made a strawberry shortcake out of it.  YUM!!

more spring time flowers

i think these are crocuses?



i don't know what these are but they smell great!


i also planted poppies (from seed) and two clematises last week. now it's snowing!

Rice Noodles in soup with roast chicken and crispy garlic

1/2 lb dried ric enoodles
1/4 c veg oil
3 heaping tbspns coarsely chopped garlicf
5 c chicken broth
about 2 cups very coarsley chopped roast chicken (i used rotisserie)
1/4 c fish sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
3 green onions
handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1. bring large pot of water to lively boil and remove from heat. drop in dried rice noodles and let stand 8-10 minutes stirring now and then to separate the noodles as they cook. when noodles are tender enough to eat but stir firm, drain, rinse with cold water, drain well and set aside.

2. meanwhile place a small heatproof bowl by the stove and heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat for one minute. add the garlic and cook, stirring now and then until it becomes fragrant and godlen but not brown, about 2 minutes. pour garlic and oil into the bowl and set aside.

3. bring the chicken broth to a gentle boil in large saucepan over medium heat, then add the chicken, fish sauce, and pepper. simmer 1 -2 minutes until meat is heated through. remove from heat.

4. to serve: set out four big soup bowls and dive the noodles among them. top each severing of noodles with an equal portion of the garlic, oil and all. ladle hot broth and chicken over the noodles in each bowl, sprinkle each serving with green onions and cilantro. serve hot.


simple, but oh so good!

Pork and Beans Stuffed peppers

4 bell peppers
3 tbspn olive ok
s/p
1/4 lb canadian bacon (except i couldn't find this so i used regular bacon)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
one 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 oz mozz cheese, shredded
1/2 c bread crumbs

1. preheat oven to 350. rub the peppers with 2 tbspn olive oil, season with s/p. stand in baking dish cover with the tops and roast for 30 minutes

2. meanwhile, in medium skillet, heat 1/2 tbspn olive oil over med heat. add bacon and cook until browned. (since i used regular bacon i just chopped it while raw and cooked it up until browned). transfer bacon to bowl. heat remaining 1/2 tbspn olive oil (i didin't do this since i had bacon grease already in the pan, i just poured all but about a tbspn off) cook garlic and oregano in oil until fragrant. stir in the bacon along with the beans, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and mozz cheese. season with s/p if needed.

3. fill peppers with bean mixture. return to oven and heat through about 15 minutes.

Basil Beer Bread

Hands-On Time

0h10m

Total Time

1h05m

Ingredients

 olive oil for the baking sheet

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
• flour for the work surface
• 1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

Directions

 Heat oven to 400° F. Oil a baking sheet. In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan.

• 2Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet.
• 3Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.This is way yummy!!  It tastes like those breads you get at Macaroni Grill or some other italian place that gives you free bread to dip in olive oil and toasted garlic.  YUM!
  
  

Banana Apricot Bread

This was awesome!  You HAVE to make it!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 large, very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

 

• 1Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. 
• 2Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the pecans and apricots. Stir in the bananas, buttermilk, and eggs until well blended.
• 3Pour into pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack.
  
   
  Variations: Substitute 1/2 cup flaked coconut or any dried fruit (such as golden or brown raisins or dates) for the dried apricots.
   
  This recipe makes 1 loaf.