mmmmm: homemade dill bread

snow is in the forecast again for us here in the south. for some reason, i always want to get my baking on when it's cold outside. this recipe is from one of my great friends and is so good i have to struggle to share with my family. it also ends in a butter bath, as all good things should. make it today. you won't be sorry.

dill bread

1 cup cottage cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter (then more for the butter bath at the end)

1 tablespoon minced onion

2 teaspoons dill

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 unbeaten egg

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour

in a saucepan, heat the cottage cheese to warm. add the sugar, butter, onion dill and salt. mix well. remove from heat. add yeast to the warm water. measure flour and baking soda into a bowl. add the water and yeast mixture to the flour. add the egg and the cottage cheese mixture to the bowl. mix well and knead until smooth. grease the bowl and replace the dough to the bowl. cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. punch down and turn into an 8-inch greased round casserole dish. let rise another 20 minutes. bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. remove from oven and brush with butter (butter bath time!). enjoy!

mmmmm: pesto chicken quinoa

a doctor recently told me i am gluten intolerant. i'm not sure what exactly that means except that i have been told to stop eating gluten. this is really, i mean really hard for me. bread and i have had a long standing love relationship. give me some bread and pasta and i could be pretty happy on a deserted island. so, now with my new news, i am learning to love new grains and foods that make me feel better. one of those great foods is quinoa. i've just started experimenting with this fun little grain. here is one of my new favorite lunchtime (or anytime) treats for myself. i cook a ton of this and then it is lunch for a couple of days. love it!


pesto chicken quinoa

3 grilled chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces (i like to grill up several chicken breasts at the beginning of the week. i use them in recipes like this one, throw them on a salad, or just eat them alone. if i have them on hand, i'm less likely to grab something unhealthy to eat. i season them with a little salt and lemon pepper.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 red or green bell peppers, chopped

1-2 cups chopped white onions (i like onions so i used closer to 2 cups)

1 cup uncooked rainbow quinoa

1 cup water

3/4 cup chicken broth (i use the no-fat, low sodium broth)

1 cup basil pesto (for a great recipe to make your own, click here. store bought pesto works great too!)

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese to garnish


if the chicken breasts are not already cooked, do this first and set aside. place the water and chicken broth in a pot with the quinoa to boil. once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. turn off heat and let sit for five minutes more. 

while quinoa is cooking, put the chopped bell peppers and onions in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until soft and the onions are semi-translucent. set aside. roast the pine nuts. you can either do this by putting them in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 6 minutes or by putting them in a skillet on high heat and letting them roast.

once everything is ready, put all the ingredients except the cheese in a large mixing bowl and mix well. if you prefer the quinoa as a side, leave the chicken breasts uncut and serve the chicken along side the quinoa. either way tastes great. garnish with some cheese. enjoy!

mmmmm: homemade cinnamon applesauce

my mom used to make this recipe when i was a little girl. it still brings back memories and fills me with nostalgia. it makes me think of fall and winter and is just sweet enough to be a dessert on the coldest of days. 

cinnamon applesauce

4 medium apples, cored, peeled and sliced

1 cup of water 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg


heat apples and water in a pot until water is boiling. boil down apples and water for 10 minutes until apples are tender. 

add brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes until water is reduced and   mixture has thickened. serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold. if you like a pureed consistency, put the finished mixture in a food processor and pulse a few beats until smooth.

mmmmm: lemon chicken quinoa soup

it's fall and, to me, that means comfort food. today's comfort food came in the form of soup. i am trying to incorporate quinoa into as much as possible--i love that it feels like i am eating a carb but am getting loads of added protein in my diet. this soup turned out stew-like and amazing. it makes for wonderful left-overs and freezes really well too. enjoy! 

lemon chicken quinoa soup

ingredients
4 chicken breasts (or 2 rotisserie chickens)
2 cups lemon juice (usually 6-8 lemons)
3 tablespoons lemon herb seasoning (the trade winds brand from smart & final is amazing)
3 qt chicken broth
3 eggs (beaten)
3 cups of cooked quinoa (i used the tri-color quinoa)

directions
boil the chicken in 2 quarts of water for approximately 15 minutes.

shred the chicken with a fork into bite sized strips.
(or you can buy 2 rotisserie chickens and simply remove the meat and cut into bite sized strips)

add chicken to a large pot (either the shredded chicken you cooked or the rotisserie you didn't).

add lemon juice, chicken broth and lemon herb seasoning. bring to a boil.

take some of the hot broth from the pot and SLOWLY add to the beaten eggs, stirring constantly. (this brings the eggs closer to the temp of the soup).

add the eggs VERY SLOWLY to the hot soup mixture, stirring constantly so that the eggs don't clump.

add the cooked rice and return the soup to a boil.

serve and enjoy!

mmmmm, mondays: bacon and swiss quiche

i love special breakfasts on christmas morning...or christmas eve morning. i love having an extra moment to spend with my family in the midst of the holiday chaos. this year i threw together a new quiche and it turned out amazing. it is just as good reheated the next day and my kids devoured it both the first and second time around. need a new special meal for your family? try quiche for breakfast.

bacon and swiss quiche

one pastry single pie crust (i either buy one frozen or refrigerated. there is no   
      need to make something that is just as good purchased.)

5 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups half & half (or whole milk)

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

8 slices bacon, cooked until crunchy and crumbled into pieces

1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour


prepare the pastry for a single-crust pie and place in a pie tin. crimp the edges as desired. line the pastry with aluminum foil and bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. remove from oven. 

heat oven to 325 degrees. in a medium bowl, mix all remaining ingredients well with a wire whisk. pour egg mixture into prepared pastry shell. bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. let stand ten minutes before serving.