Herb Focaccia

I have long had a fear of making yeast breads - something about making sure the water is the right temperature combined with letting the dough rise just freaks me out - it's too exact. But I can say with certainty that this bread helped me to get over that fear. It is the perfect "introduction to yeast"; with an end result of a delicious, herb-topped bread.

The original recipe says to divide into 6 equal portions, but since I needed 8, it was really no problem to just make the individual loaves a little smaller. Just make sure that if you divide this into smaller portions, that you start off with a shorter baking time. I always leave out the olives since Chuck doesn't like them; but I could imagine that they would add a nice, salty flavor to the already delicious bread.

Herb Focaccia
from The Sisters' Cafe
Makes 6 individual loaves

2 packages active dry yeast (or 2 Tb)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
3 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped olives
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 teaspoon salt

Herb Glaze
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Mix yeast, sugar and water in small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.

Blend remaining ingredients except herb glaze in large bowl of electric mixer; stir in yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes (this is easiest with the Kitchen Aid with dough hook but you can also knead by hand) until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in greased bowl; cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour. Grease baking sheet.

Punch dough down and divide evenly into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into 5-inch circle; place on baking sheet. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush tops of each bread with herb glaze and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

Sauteed Green Beans with Diced Tomatoes

Before I start these next few posts I have to give a big "Thank You" to my friend Courtney for taking these pictures. Between getting dinner on the table for the eight of us at our party and my camera taking less-than-desirable photos, Courtney was there to save the day with her nice, new camera. Then she had to deal with me stalking her for a week to get the photos from her - so thanks, Court!

These beans are one of my favorite side dishes to serve for company, because they are very tasty but don't take a lot of prep (other than trimming the beans, which you would do beforehand) OR the use of the oven, which is always nice when you are cooking a big dinner. Adjust the garlic and seasonings to your own taste - you can't go wrong!

Sauteed Green Beans with Diced Tomatoes
from Colleen's Kitchen
Makes about 8 servings

2 pounds (more or less) green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, fill bottom with water until just covering the bottom of the basket. Place washed green beans into saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until beans are a vibrant green.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add steamed green beans directly to saute pan; add drained tomatoes. Cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Cheesy Bacon Artichoke Party Dip

Ok, so I have no pictures of this and made it quite awhile ago but it was really too good not to share. This was made right at the beginning of the downfall of my camera so the actual pictures made it look like just a big bowl of orange-tinted dip.

Wait, scratch that. That description is NOT going to make you want to eat this. If you want to see pics of the real thing head over to Our Sweet Life, where this is originally from. This dip was REALLY good and fairly easy to prepare. It has the creaminess of the cheeses, the saltiness of the bacon, and the extra added flavor of the artichokes.

I did not top my dip with the Ritz crackers as directed below; and instead served them alongside. There was so much going on with the dip already that I felt it didn't need the crushed crackers on top. Make this for your Super Bowl party!

Cheesy Bacon Artichoke Party Dip
from Our Sweet Life
Makes a 1 1/2 quart dish

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese or Monterey Jack
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 finely chopped green onions
10 pieces of bacon
1 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, dried with paper towels
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper, to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper
Ritz Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread a piece of foil over a cookie sheet, place the bacon on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp but not burnt. Remove cooked bacon to a plate covered in paper towel and cover with more paper towel to remove as much grease as possible. Let cool then crumble/ chop into bits for use in the dip.

Using a hand mixer blend the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Add the shredded cheeses, onions, bacon, artichoke, garlic, cayenne and pepper. Stir all with a spatula or the hand mixer until well combined.

Spread in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and top generously with crushed Ritz crackers, if using.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or bread.

Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars

These bars always get a fantastic review when I make them - and they are incredibly easy. There aren't even any eggs in here because you just make the crumb layer, then top with the chocolate, raspberry jam, and chips! It really couldn't be easier and you get a delicious result.

If you read my blog regularly, you know I love white chocolate, so I always sub in 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips in the topping to mix it up a little. And get ready for a buttery, chocolately, fruity bar that will knock your socks off!

Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars

from verybestbaking.com

Makes 36 bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I sub in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips)

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish (cooking spray or butter).

Beat butter in large mixing bowl with electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, salt, and sugar and mix until crumbly. Press 1 3/4 cups of the mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish, reserving remaining mixture.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are just turning golden brown.

Mix sweetened condensed milk and one cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, uncovered. Stir until completely blended. If necessary, microwave at 15-second increments until combined.Spread over hot crust.

Stir nuts (if using) unto reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate layer. Drop the jam by the teaspoonful over the crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. (Be careful with the white chocolate chips, as they will start to brown.) Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

Oh Giada, how I love thee. The flavor combinations that she comes up with are always a bit surprising but (almost) always outstanding. I don't have a lot of stuffed shells recipes in my repertoire, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to try it.

Giada writes how she originally came up with this recipe when she had a lot of dark meat left over from a roast turkey, and she shredded it and came up with this concoction. The recipe calls for ground turkey, but next time I may actually try chicken thighs or dark turkey meat because I can see where it could use a smidge extra flavor. I didn't have time to make the Arrabbiata Sauce at the end of the recipe but I really do want to try it. I used regular jarred marinara - just make sure to liberally season both the filling and the sauce and you will be all set!

I ended up with WAY more than 24 shells, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to freeze half a portion. It originally called for a 13 x 9 pan so I took two 8 x 8's and lined one with foil (the one going into the freezer). Make sure to spray both the baking dish AND the foil with cooking spray so that it doesn't stick when you defrost it. Cover the baking dish when you are done assembling the shells and stick in the freezer to leave overnight. Then, the next day, the whole frozen portion should slide right out of the dish. Cover it again with foil, stick in a freezer bag, and voila! you have a whole other meal waiting for you! Oh, and make sure that you stick the frozen shells back INTO the baking dish as soon as you take it out of the freezer!

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce
from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 6-8 servings



1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey (I used 1.25 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped (I used a 14-ounce can)
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta chese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows (or 2 26-ounce jars of marinara)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)



Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. Follow freezing directions here.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.


Arrabbiata Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Sweet and Sour Pork

On Sunday nights I am usually too tired from all the weekend festivities to make a huge meal. So that's where the slow cooker comes in. This recipe was so simple, and I am really excited to try it again because I am going to switch up the sauce and also some of the add-ins. I'm thinking maybe Teryaki with some carrots and pea shoots.

I used pork tenderloin (as usual), and the pork came out tender and falling apart on the fork. If you have 10 minutes to prep this, I recommend making it soon!


Sweet and Sour Pork
from kraftfoods.com
Makes 6 servings

1-1/2 lb. pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 bottle (10-12 oz.) sweet and sour Sauce
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained (I used water chestnuts)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked


Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork in slow cooker and top with onion. Pour broth and sweet and sour sauce over pork and onions. Set cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.


Add pineapple and green pepper and white rice to mixture, mix thoroughly. Cook on low for 20 minutes more or until rice is tender.

Enchilada Casserole

Well this is certainly one mother of a casserole, or actually a lasagna if you think about all the layers. As I was loading all of the layers into the baking dish I thought to myself, this is a TON of food. But, like any good lasagna, it was a filling, comforting dish AND complete with Mexican flavors that Chuck and I both love!

I am normally not a fan of corn tortillas (I find them to be a little dry) so next time I may try this with flour tortillas instead. Other modifications I may try next time are to add a can of corn and/or some diced green chiles to the turkey and refried bean mixture. Now, I know some of you out there cannot stand refried beans, but you really can't taste them mixed in with the turkey and the sauce. They just add some bulk (and protein!) to the dish.




*Blog Note* Again, I apologize for the quality of the pictures. Between redoing both upstairs bathrooms, painting a few rooms, and replacing some windows; my new camera is taking a backseat in terms of funding. Hopefully soon though...maybe...Valentine's Day?!

I mean, really, how can I work under these conditions?!

Enchilada Casserole
from Culinary Infatuation via Lauren's Kitchen
Makes 6-8 servings

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (the standard 1.25-1.33 lb. package works fine)
1 can refried beans
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 26-ounce jar tomato sauce (I used Prego Traditional)
2 tablespoons chili powder divided
2 tablespoons cumin Divided (I used 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika divided (regular paprika is fine)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Pinch of sugar
a few shakes of cayenne powder
salt and pepper to taste
18 corn tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
salsa and sour cream, optional for serving


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.


Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano and salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon into medium mixing bowl.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels and add canola oil. Keep skillet over medium heat and saute onions. When onion becomes translucent add garlic and parsley. Cook another minute. Add tomato sauce and the rest of the spices and sugar. Let simmer about 5 minutes.

Add refried beans to the bowl containing the turkey and about 1/4-1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.

Layer 6 tortillas on the bottom of prepared baking dish, cover with 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the meat-bean mixture, then 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the process two more times, ending with tortillas, sauce and more cheese.


Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

First layer of tortillas, covered by the sauce...

Complete first layer of tortillas, sauce, meat-bean mixture, and cheese. Ready for two more layers!

Mmmm, sloppy, sloppy comfort food.