Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Much-Awaited Rosemary Peasant Bread

This is the best bread ever. Most of the time when I ask my husband what he wants for dinner he says, "Anything with Rosemary Bread." I'm pretty sure my friend Becca drew my attention to the recipe several years ago, and it was probably the first real bread I ever made on my own--before this the prospect always scared me to death! It's so easy because it's no-knead; you just mix and let it rise a few times and you're done. Usually I mix everything initially using the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid, but you can do it just as well by hand if you need to.

I've tried really hard to find out who came up with this recipe originally, but to no avail. It's been copied and pasted like wildfire across the internet. This is how I like to make it. Using just a quarter wheat flour doubles the fiber content of this bread. This recipe is vegan and has only trace amounts of fat. One recipe makes two bread rounds that can fit together on a cookie sheet. I've made the serving size a fourth of a round because it's so good you can't eat any less than that! If you wanted to get creative, you could use whatever herbs you wanted inside and on top.

Just a few more tips: Don't feel too bad about greasing your hands and the tops of the loaves as otherwise this bread has no fat in it. You want to grease your hands rather than flouring them so that the dough remains sticky and moist (it doesn't need more flour). You need to grease the tops of the loaves for the second rising so it doesn't stick to the plastic wrap and remains moist.

Rosemary Peasant Bread

Dissolve together until foamy (about ten minutes):
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
2 c. very warm water
1 T sugar

Add and stir until blended, but do not knead:
2 tsp salt
1 c whole wheat flour
3 c white flour
1 1/2 tsp rosemary

Dough will be sticky. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hr. Grease your hands well and remove dough from bowl. Divide into two rounds and place on a prepared cookie sheet (grease the cookie sheet and sprinkle with corn meal). Spray the tops of the loaves with cooking spray (so they won't stick when covered) and sprinkle with coarse salt and more rosemary. Cover loaves lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for another hour.

After the second rising, bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees (without removing bread) and bake for 15 minutes more. Delicious served warm with fresh soup (like Golden Chowder--yum!) or dipped in olive oil and herbs.

Friday, June 3, 2011

HealthiFood Seven-Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is my most favorite dinner dish, which I guess I have in common with Garfield, and it was meant to be when my birthday is National Lasagna Day! This recipe is the result of a lot of different tries to come up with my favorite lasagna. Stoffer's scoot over!


HealthiFood Seven-Vegetable Lasagna

2 ½ c HealthiFood basic red pasta sauce (divided)
¼ c cauliflower puree
¾ c cooked and drained ground sausage
2 c nonfat cottage cheese
3 c chopped fresh baby spinach (divided)
4 c grated mozzarella cheese (divided)
10 dry, uncooked lasagna noodles

Mix together 1 ½ cups of the sauce (reserving 1 cup), the cauliflower puree, the sausage, and the cottage cheese in a bowl.

Spray a square glass pan (8x8 or 9x9) and spread half a cup of the sauce you reserved (not mixed in the cottage cheese mixture) on the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of noodles on top of the sauce.

Spread one-third of the cottage cheese mixture (about 1 ½ cups) over the noodles. Sprinkle on 1 cup of spinach followed by 1 cup of cheese. Add a layer of noodles on top of the cheese, then another third of the cottage cheese mixture (another 1 ½ cups), and another cup each of spinach and cheese. Start with noodles again for one more layer (noodles, cottage cheese sauce, spinach, and cheese), using the rest of the ingredients you have left except the last half cup of reserved red sauce, one cup of cheese, and enough noodles for the top layer. Place your final noodles and spread the reserved sauce on top. Sprinkle on the cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour (until nice and bubbly), removing the aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. (Hint: this makes a nice and full casserole that will most likely drip. You will want to either bake it on a foil-lined cooking sheet or place foil on the bottom of your oven.)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Whole Wheat Breakfast Biscuit

My husband is a breakfast man. Personally, I'd rather not eat until ten or eleven, so finding enough recipes so I didn't get sick from having pancakes every morning has been a must in our family. This is a simple breakfast recipe that we like that seriously takes about ten minutes to prepare. The original recipe, "Bannock" (apparently it's Scottish), is from Marie Ricks, but my alterations increase the fiber per serving by 69%.

Whole Wheat Breakfast Biscuit

Mix together:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1 1/2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Add:
3/4 c water

Mix together and form into a sticky dough, spread onto a hot nonstick griddle until as flat as you can get it (about 1/2"). Fry like a pancake (a really thick one) until lightly brown. Flip and cook on the other side. Serve warm with butter or jam.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet

This is one of my favorite treats. Love it! It tastes so fresh it will blow you away. This recipe works well with strawberries that are fully ripe, and may be a great way to finish off a box that is starting to get a little mushy. Make it today--please!

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet

Boil/dissolve together:
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c water

Place in a blender:
1 lb strawberries (washed, de-stemmed, and halved)

Pour sugar syrup over strawberries and add:
1 T lime juice

Blend together until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Enjoy!