ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL BREAD

I have been making this rosemary bread for a few years and I love it. I think it gets better and better every time I eat it. The first time I had it was my freshman year of college, when it was made by my next door neighbor Laura. Laura is an amazing cook and I always loved eating anything she made. I am lucky to have a few recipes from her. Cade and I love to eat this bread with soup or pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm water (100-110 F)

1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

Recipe from: A HINT OF HONEY

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I made these chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago and they were pretty yummy! I hesitate to say they were my favorite cookies ever, but I definitely would make them again. One thing that I really loved about this recipe was that I was able to read a bunch of techniques and and learn all the tips and tricks of what makes these cookies so good. I got this recipe from Jane Anne. Thank you!

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted1
• 3/4 cup (135 grams) light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature2
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (180 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.
3. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
5. Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. Put 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under baked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well - up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well - up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Additional Notes:

1. Salted butter can be used instead. Reduce salt in the cookie dough to 1/4 teaspoon.
2. Room temperature egg + egg yolk are preferred for even disbursement.  Typically, if a recipe calls for room temperature or melted butter, it's a good idea to use room temperature eggs as well.  To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs into a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.

Recipe from: Sally's Baking Addiction

BASIC GRANOLA

I love granola! Or really any breakfast food for that matter. This is my simple go-to recipe for making a quick big back of Granola. It's really easy, too! My favorite way to eat it is with Greek yogurt and berries.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats (not instant)

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or molasses (I usually do a combination)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup small-dice dried fruit

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw or toasted nuts or seeds

Directions:

1.   Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2.   Place the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir to         combine; set aside. 

3.   Place the honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour           over the oat mixture and mix until the oats are thoroughly coated. 

4.   Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for       15 minutes, then stir and continue baking until the granola is very light             golden brown, about 5 to 15 minutes more.

5.   Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool the granola to room                     temperature, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Note: It will harden         as it cools.) 

6.   Add the fruit and nuts or seeds to the baking sheet and toss to combine.

*    Store the granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from: CHOW

SUMMER DINNER: CROCK POT HAWAIIAN CHICKEN TACOS

Tonight, I made some really delicious Hawaiian chicken tacos. They were sweet, tangy and slightly spicy. Perfect for summer! Another plus is that I made them this morning and it took my less than 30 minutes to put everything together and put the chicken in the crock pot. Huge plus in my book. I was also able to use a few ingredients out of the garden another plus! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken:

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

• 1½ cups unsweetened pineapple juice

• ½ cup honey BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ)

• ⅓ cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• ¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon minced ginger

• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha

• 12 flour tortillas

• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
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• For the Pineapple Slaw:

• ½ small purple cabbage, sliced thin

• ¼ medium green cabbage, sliced thin

• ¼ fresh pineapple, cored and diced

• ½ small red onion, diced

• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon sriracha

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
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Directions:

1. 1.   Spray a crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

1. 2.   Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, vinegar, garlic,           ginger, brown sugar, and sriracha in a large bowl and whisk until well         combined.

1. 3.   Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and cover with the                   pineapple juice mixture.

1. 4.   Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

1. 5.   Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl and toss to                   combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

1. 6.   When the chicken is fully cooked, shred with 2 forks in the sauce and         toss. Let it absorb the sauce for another 30 minutes and then serve           with the slaw on the flour tortillas and with a sprinkle of cheddar                 cheese!

Recipe from: Host the Toast

*my picture doesn't look as good as the original site (I didn't use cheese either) but I promise these are delicious!