Home Made French Bread

Home Made French Bread

Preparation: 90 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

* 5 cups bread flour
* 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon cornmeal
* 1 egg white
* 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, melted butter, warm water and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups flour, and beat until well blended. Gradually add the rest of the flour.
2. On a lightly floured surface, knead to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place (the microwave) until doubled.
3. Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. *Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.*
4. Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
5. With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Adapted from this recipe.

I made this bread to go with our dinner tonight and we loved it! It's definitely a keeper! I had never made french bread before, and thought it was going to be difficult. I was surprised at how easy it was! It turned out wonderfully and tasted (almost) better than Albertson's, which says a lot!

I served it with whole grain pasta, garlic pasta sauce and grilled romaine hearts. Let me know what you think if you try it! :)


*P.S. Don't be afraid to roll the dough up. I was thinking of just skipping that and placing a big blob of dough shaped like a loaf of french bread and I am so glad I didn't. When you roll it up, it allows air to flow through the pockets and it creates a fluffy texture to the bread. So roll away!*

3 Cheese Monte Cristo

As a result of my Disney blog posts, David and I daydreamed and reminisced about our favorite parts of our time together at Disneyland. One of them was discovering the 3 Cheese Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans. You see, David and I ate at Blue Bayou the last two times we had been to Disneyland, and we both ordered the original Monte Cristo (made with swiss cheese and ham). David and I at Blue Bayou in September 2008:
Being vegetarian, we were depressed at the thought of missing out on such a yummy tradition over a piece of ham. While we were perusing various menus looking for something to equally satisfy, we stopped at Cafe Orleans and discovered that not only did they carry the original Monte Cristo (for $10 less than Blue Bayou, no less!), but they also carried a vegetarian friendly 3 Cheese Monte Cristo! We jubilantly put our name in for a table and waited as patiently as we could. For pictures and details of our meal, go to our family blog and scroll down.

When we returned home to Louisiana after our trip to Disneyland in 2008, we made the traditional version (with ham) based on the recipe here, which is what I have saved in my recipe binder, and was the foundation for our recipe below. David and I made our own version of the 3 Cheese Monte Cristo last night and we were quite happy with the way it turned out! Even if you are not a vegetarian, if you love cheese (like we do!) try the 3 Cheese version- you won't be disappointed!


3 Cheese Monte Cristo

For the Batter:::

In separate bowls,

whisk together:
1 egg
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk (we did a 1/4 cup of each)

combine:
2/3 cup flour
1 3/4 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Then whisk flour combination slowly into the egg mixture and set aside.

Bread:::
I used Earth Grains Potato, but any white sandwich bread will do. (I left the crust on).

Cheese Filling:::

Swiss
Brie
Mozzarella


This is tricky to describe. Basically, you want to make a grilled cheese sandwich with all 3 cheeses. Use as much or as little of each as you wish. My only advice is to lay the brie in between the mozzarella and the swiss, since it's the softest cheese, it will hold it all together.

Make your sandwiches*, and cut into quarters. Secure with a toothpick in the middle of each quarter. Cover with batter liberally and gently lift with fingers and carefully drop into the oil. It should be golden brown within 45 seconds. Allow the oil to drip off (I left it on the slotted metal spoon over a bowl) until the next one is ready to come out, then place on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow to cool slightly before sprinkling for better presentation, otherwise the sugar will melt.


*About halfway through your sandwich prep, heat 2-4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan (unless you have a deep fryer) over medium heat. Test the temperature by dropping a teaspoon of batter into the oil- it should turn golden brown within 10 seconds and not burn within 20 seconds.


Remove toothpicks and serve with fruit, warm blackberry sauce (or your favorite fruit compote) and Disney music! Let me know how you like it!




James ate half of a sandwich dipped in blackberry sauce!

He loves berries!

David, thoroughly enjoying himself!


P.S.
I enjoyed this guy's review of the Monte Cristo sandwich and whole-heartedly agree with his analysis concluding that this is a very dessert like dinner. It reminds me very much of typical Southern cuisine (fried) and closely resembles beignets, but that's for another post!

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

I made this for dinner tonight and both David and I loved it. Definitely comfort food!

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

What you'll need:

Mashed Potatoes

6 large russet potatoes; peeled, cubed and boiled
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together to make mashed potatoes.

Lentil Filling

1 can of lentils or 1 lb faux ground beef (I used lentils)
2 cups assorted vegetables such as peas, carrots, corn and green beans (I used frozen but would recommend fresh or canned)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
vegetable bouillon (1 cube)

Mix the cream of mushroom soup, water, and vegetable bouillon together in a pot. Add vegetables and lentils and heat through.

Shred 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese.

Spoon vegetable mixture into an 8x8 pan, cover with mashed potatoes and top with cheddar cheese.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

(picture next time!)

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna

Vegetable Moussaka and a little love story...

David and I were Greek for our anniversary this year. I made Vegetable Moussaka and Greek Salad and we enjoyed our dinner after James was tucked snugly into bed. We had planned to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but we sipped wine, talked about everything and did other important things instead. :]

There is a story behind the Greekiness so let me explain...

September 13th, 2002 fell on a Friday (Friday the 13th!) and I was 16 (about to turn 17 in January). My dad and I were planning to meet with our good friends Richard and Cathy and their young daughter, Lauren, for dinner and a movie that night. This was sort of a bi-monthly tradition, and we always had a lot of fun!

This particular Friday afternoon held a phone call from Cathy asking if we minded if they brought along a young (male) family friend of theirs since he would be finishing piano lessons with Lauren close to dinner time. She also mentioned that he was very cute and good enough of a pianist to get into Julliard. I said of course we didn't mind if he came along, the more the merrier!

Fast forward to that evening when they arrived at our house and it was love at first sight for both of us. I ran to the bathroom to (squeal like a girl) and to make sure I had deodorant on and fixed my hair and then we were off to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bonsall, CA, where I proceeded to eat more than I should have. (true love knows no shame)

{{Disclaimer: Okay, so obviously the whole love at first sight thing is debatable, especially among Christians, but I truly felt drawn to him like a bee is to honey and time told that it was not just the initial attraction stage, (ie, lust). Thankfully, the Lord has guided our relationship ever since that moment, through almost hell and back and for that we are thankful!}}

Then we hopped over to the Bonsall theatre to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which was hilarious and surprisingly fitting. I do believe we ended with ice cream from Baskin Robbins, but that part is a blur. That was the night I met David, and believe it or not, the first "real" conversation we held in the car was exchanged in the form of an argument about music. We got married 17 long months later and the rest is history!

So on to the recipe for Vegetable Moussaka (since we don't eat no meat)!

1/2 cup +/- olive oil, for frying
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
11 ounces canned green lentils
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used dried)
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1 inch slices
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese


Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the celery and garlic.

Then add the tomatoes and lentils (add the can juices from the lentils).

Season with parsley and salt and pepper, to taste.

Reduce the heat, cover loosely and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a little of the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant slices in batches, sprinkle lightly with salt and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on paper towels.

Layer an oven-safe baking dish with the lentil mixture and the eggplant slices.

Ending with a layer of eggplant.


Now, to make the sauce, put the butter, flour, and milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. (this is why there are no pictures of this part... I was whisking, constantly.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg. Pour the sauce over the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes,



or until golden brown and bubbling.

Serve immediately, and enjoy!

To make this Greek salad, simply chop large tomatoes and cucumber, add some feta cheese and kalamata olives and sliced white onions. Mix together (to taste) red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, a teensy bit of olive juice and some pepper. Shake it up and pour over the salad mix and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.


Oh, and if you haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, grab a glass of wine and go watch it!

recipes from: The Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Nicola Graimes.

Caramel Layer Bars

I got this recipe from a sweet friend a very long time ago. I found it typed out in pink and blue in my recipe notebook. Note to self: If I asked for the recipe and actually followed through to get the recipe, it had to be a good one. I made this delightful layered bar tonight for our 6th Wedding Anniversary, AKA, Valentine's Day! This is my first time making these since having them so long ago, and boy am I glad I asked for the recipe!




This is probably one of the most decadent desserts I have ever tasted in my life. That is probably the reason why the original copy says that this yields 3 dozen servings, which is good because this is certainly not the most healthful dessert out there... Cut yourself a small serving and enjoy!

Caramel Layer Bars

What you need:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups butter, softened

1/2 cup whipping cream
11 oz caramels
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts




In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in butter with fork.



Set aside 1 cup for topping.


Press remaining mixture into a greased 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat.

Stir frequently,

until melted and smooth.

Here is the cookie base, it looks good enough to eat by itself!

Sprinkle chocolate chips (and watch them melt)

and walnuts...

then top with caramel mixture.

Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture (hopefully you resisted the urge to eat this with a spoon)

and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

This little cookie will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

Blueberries are on sale in my area right now. Not sure if it's a regional thing or what, because I thought Summer was the season for blueberries... but maybe it was Fall? Anyways. We love blueberries! James eats them fresh by the pound, but he also likes them (just like his Daddy) in his pancakes and pretty much any other baked good I make.

I was thumbing through my old recipe book looking for a yummy muffin recipe the other night when I stumbled across this one. It is dated 3/26/2005 and rated a 9 1/2 (out of 10 stars). I don't remember making these in 2005, but boy oh boy am I glad I made them the other night! I made them again the next day because we ate them all up between breakfast and tea time. Sadly, even though I made these twice, I managed to forget to take a picture both times... maybe next time!

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

Makes 6 jumbo or 12 regular muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
3/4 cup rolled oats (quick cooking)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh or thawed blueberries

Directions:

Grease your pan or use baking cups and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, stir flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla and mix with fork until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Gently fold blueberries into the batter and spoon into muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!


this recipe is from Better Home and Gardens.