Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

When I say the word "dangerous," what comes to mind?  Jumping over a bonfire in a gasoline-soaked velour jumpsuit?  Riding a bike with flat tires down the side of Hoover Dam into the water below?  Playing a blind-folded game of Slice-the-Watermelon with your grandpa's samurai swords while all of your friends are standing within a two foot radius?  Trying to get a closer look into the center of a geyser in the hopes that the steam will open your pores prior to a facial appointment?  Yes.  All of these things are highly, highly dangerous.  In fact, I don't recommend any of these.  I do however, recommend this dangerously delicious recipe.  Man alive!  I could eat about a million of these.  They were a delight!  I served these alongside a pasta bar with homemade alfredo, marinara, and pesto.  Dipping these golden wonder puffs in alfredo was a life-changing experience.  mmm.  mmm.  mmm.

 Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls
source: Our Best Bites Cookbook or their website

1 1/2 t active dry yeast
3/4 c warm water
3/4 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 T vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
2 - 2 3/4 c flour, divided
1 T cold water

1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/2 T Parmesan Cheese
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese

Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a bowl.  Stir to combine.  Let it rest for ten minutes.  The yeast should be very bubbly, foamy, and blobish looking.

Add the salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk.  Save the white for later.  Add 1 1/2 c flour into a bread maker.  Add the yeast-water-egg-oil mixture.  Set the bread maker to "dough" setting.  Add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and barely sticks to your finger.  If you're mixing by hand, follow the ingredients and mix by hand until the described consistency is reached.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour. 

While that is rising, combine the butter and seasonings. 

Roll the dough out to a 18x6 inch rectangle. 

 Spread the herbed butter on top.

 Sprinkle with lots and lots of cheese.  Have I mentioned that I love cheese?

 Roll the dough up as though you are making cinnamon rolls.  Use dental floss to cut the bread into 8 equal pieces.  If you've never done it before, it doesn't leave a trace of mint flavor, and it slices the rolls perfectly every time.  Slide the dental floss under the dough to the desired thickness.  Mine were about two inches thick.  Bring the floss up and cross them as if you were going to tie a knot.   Instead of making a knot, you just pull the floss in opposite directions.  It will slice it right down the middle.  I put mine in a greased 9 inch round cake pan.

 Place in a warm spot, cover, and let rise for 25-30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes. 

 When you take them out, the cheese on top will be every so slightly browned.  If it gets brown too quickly, place foil over the top of the rolls.  You don't want it to get much darker than the picture here. 

Ready?  Set?  Devour!  These are amazing.  I'm going to have to post that alfredo recipe that I found.  It's amazing, and it went perfectly with these Heavenly rolls.

Peruvian Beef Kabobs (Anticuchos) with Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce

Something tells me that when your husband hugs you after eating dinner and thanks you a million times, the recipe is a keeper.  In fact, he mentioned nothing short of tattooing this recipe on my forearm so we'd never lose it.  The flavor that comes with this recipe is unbelievable.  If this is how Peruvians really eat, I'm fixing to get a green card!  They aren't spicy as much as they are tangy, but this sirloin is dressed to perfection.  Thank goodness I stumbled upon this recipe.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  That's right.  It's so good, I spelled it in all caps with dashes in between.  I think if a wife cooks this for her husband, any spark that has gone away will come back.  It's that good.  Fantastic recipe.  By the way... if the roasted pepper sauce freaks you out, you've got to try it!  It makes the beef flavor that much better.  I wouldn't change a thing about this except invite people over next time.  Any one want to have a kabobbing party? 

 Peruvian Beef Kabobs (Anticuchos) with Roasted yellow Pepper Sauce
source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2002

beef:
1 1/2 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 T red wine vinegar
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t turmeric (I didn't have this, so I omitted it)

rub:
1 t paprika
1 t salt
1/2 freshly ground pepper
1/4 t turmeric
1 T parsley

Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce:
1 large yellow bell pepper
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 T white vinegar (I used cider vinegar since it is a little more mild)
1 T water
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine the chunks of beef with the remaining ingredients under "beef."  Put in a ziplock bag, toss to coat, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat your broiler to high.  Slice the yellow pepper in half and remove the seeds and veins.  Place it skin side up and flatten it with your hand. 

 Broil for about 15 minutes or until the skin is blackened.  Place it in a ziplock bag and close it.  Let it rest for 15 minutes.

While it is resting, combine all of the rub ingredients.  Set aside.

 Peel the blackened skin off of the pepper and dice it.  Add the diced pepper into a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until it's smooth.  Set aside until you're ready to use it.

 Here is an up close picture of my finished product.  mmm...

 Take the beed chunks out of the marinade and toss them in with the rub.  Toss to coat. 

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Come back and thread the beef onto skewers.  Grill for three minutes per side.  Serve with the sauce.  I also made a black bean-corn skillet salad, pasta, and Garlicky Zuchinni. 

Quoting my husband, "If this is 'light,' I never have to go back to eating anything else!"  There are a few steps involved, but you won't be disappointed!  Even my five year old daughter loved the meat.  I smell a trip to Peru in my future!  What else do they have up their sleeves that I don't know about?! 

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs

More fun on a stick! 

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs
source: Our Best Bites

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
pineapple chunks
Bacon, cut into thirds lengthwise then in half
mushrooms
onions
teriyaki glaze

Wrap each chunk of chicken with a small piece of bacon.  Secure it by threading it onto the skewer.  Add a piece of pineapple, onion, and a mushroom.  Continue until everything is used up. 

Grill over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.  After you've grilled both sides, brush with teriyaki sauce. 

So easy.  So tasty.  This one, for obvious reasons, is not in the low-fat category.  It is in the high-taste category though!

Strawberry Spinach Salad #2

When I eat something like this, I feel like a should be at a country club or some fancy-pants place.  This would have been way out of my league a few years ago since I've just recently started to try "different" foods.  Oh, my... this is a wonderful salad though.  I do have another recipe for a Strawberry Spinach Salad on here, but this recipe is a bit better, I think.  I does help that there is feta cheese on this one- a definite added bonus.  If there are people out there raising an eyebrow at the look of this... just try it!  I loved the dressing.  It was spectacular spectaular.  yes... so spectacular that it got a double one.

 Strawberry Spinach salad:
source: Cooking Light Annual Cookbook 2002

2 c whole strawberries
1/3 c white wine vinegar
2 T orange juice
2 t olive oil
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t sugar
1 t dijon mustard
1/4 t salt
1/8 t freshly ground pepper

6 c torn spinach
3/4 c diced fennel bulb (I didn't use this, so I don't even know what fennel looks like- this is probably why I've never been in a country club)
2 c quartered strawberries
1/4 c feta cheese
slivered almonds

Combine the first nine ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.  Your dressing is done!  I did use slightly less vinegar in mine so it wasn't so overpowering.

Place 2 T of the dressing, the spinach, and fennel (if using) in a bowl.  Toss to distribute the dressing.  Divide onto four plates, top with 1/2 c strawberries, 1 T feta cheese, and a little more dressing.  I added some slivered almonds, although the recipe didn't call for them. 

This is a light recipe!  indulge.

I'm off to play Angry Birds.  'night!

Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic

This is a quick side dish that is delicious as well.  My old man usually won't touch zuchinni, but I told him that it had nothing but olive oil, salt, and pepper, and garlic on it.  He ate it and actually liked it!  woohoo!  This is definitely not anything impressive, but sometimes it's nice to have another option for a vegetable side dish.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 zuchinni

1 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt

pepper

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced zuchinni, garlic, and salt and pepper.  Saute for about 8-10 minutes or until tender.  You don't want to overcook the zuchinni.  Soggy zuchinni is probably something like eating soggy toilet paper.  

That's eat!  Piece of cake... or piece of zuchinni with garlic.  :)

Skewered Shrimp on Grilled Pineapple Planks

I'm a teacher, and although the pay is not great, I'll give you three reasons to be a teacher: 1. June 2. July 3. August.  I rest my case.  I'm officially on Summer vacation, and I am loving every second of it.  My summer vacation has been filled with drafting ideas for Children's Books (my dream job), exercising, playing with the kids, cooking healthier, and playing Angry Birds.  As an added bonus, we finally sold the piano that did not belong to us that has been sitting in our front room for a year.  Now, I have a sitting area in my front room with my record collection.  Words cannot describe how awesome it is to listen to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Simon & Garfunkel, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and Led Zeppelin on vinyl.  Ahh... I'm loving life right now. 

Now, to the recipe.  I checked out a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook from the library awhile back and found this recipe.  Since shrimp is now a staple in my freezer, I knew I had to try this.  Grilled pineapple planks and skewered shrimp?  Sounds like a dream come true to me.  When my husband came down for dinner, he looked at the plate and said, "Who are you?  The editor of Better Homes and Gardens?!  This looks amazing!"  I found it quite humorous when I told him that it was really from that magazine.  This is a delicious meal, and I'd imagine that it's pretty healthy.  Relatively speaking... Compare this to my Mexican food or steaks smothered in Mushroom Cream sauce, and it's like eating carrot sticks and asparagus.  I know it seems "weird" since it's not your traditional grilled meal, but I promise it won't disappoint- especially if you like shrimp and pineapple.

Skewered Shrimp on Grilled Pineapple Planks:
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

1 lb shrimp (I used medium)
1 fresh pineapple, crown removed and peeled
3 T butter, melted
1/4 c BBQ sauce
1-2 T canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped cucumbers
1/2 c chopped, peeled jicama (I omitted this)
1 T lime or lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

To prepare the pineapple, cut off the skin and any pokey parts left on the fruit.  Slice it into thin planks.

Brush the pineapple with 1 T melted butter.

Combine the remaining melted butter, BBQ sauce, chipotle peppers in Adobo, and garlic in a bowl. 

Add the shrimp and let it marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.

In another bowl, combine the diced cucumber, Jicama (if you're using it... I couldn't even tell you what it looks like), cilantro, lime or lemon juice, and 1/4 c chopped pineapple from the one you cut up.  Keep in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

Skewer the shrimp and grill over medium heat for about five minutes per side.  If you're using bigger shrimp, they'll need more time.  If you'd like, brush with more BBQ sauce while they are on the grill. 

Place the pineapple planks on the grill as well and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes total.

When it's all said and done, place a pineapple plank on your plate, add some of the cucumber relish, and top with the skewered shrimp. 

I served this with brown rice, steamed vegetables, and some of that frozen Strawberry Daquiri drink- non-alcoholic, of course.  It was wonderful! 

Hopefully, I'll be back again to post more soon, but I'm really enjoying this summer break.  I've been doing pretty good with my diet, too.  I'll find something more to post this week though.  Hang in there!  I haven't completely abandoned you! 

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

Okay. So this is not my best work.  :) 

My sweet daughter, who just turned five, loves to take pictures of food "for my blog."  She took this picture of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and asked if I would post it.  For her, I'll do anything.  So... here you have it!  

PS- Oh, yes I did!

Rosemary Focaccia Bread with (optional) Garden Fresh Bruschetta

Now, I know the picture of this bread looks like no more than bagel ripped in half, but let me tell you... this bread is amazing!  When it was fresh out of the oven and slightly cooled, we ripped into it and dipped it in olive oil sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.  Good golly miss Molly!  I had a second loaf that I didn't think we would eat, and I was taking it to a neighbor.  As I was walking out the door, my husband said, "If they're not home, can I please have it?"  Unfortunately for him, the neighbor was home and gladly accepted a loaf a warm freshly baked bread.  This is one of those recipes that I will make over and over and over again.  I could not get enough of this stuff!  If I wasn't watching what I was eating, I would have devoured this whole thing myself!  This bread would be the perfect companion to any Italian meal.  I honestly think it was just as good or better than any restaurant bread I've had.  Thank the first Star Wars trilogy that I found this recipe!

 Rosemary Focaccia Bread
source: Our Best Bites cookbook- It is also on the "Our Best Bites" Website

1 c warm water
1 T active dry yeast
1 T sugar
2 1/4- 2 1/2 c flour, divided
1 t kosher salt
2 T rosemary, divided
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t garlic powder
2 T olive oil, divided

Garden Fresh Bruschetta
source: my head and my garden

2 roma tomatoes, sliced, seeded, and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
5 basil leaves, sliced thin
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 t minced garlic
salt and pepper

Place the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.  Let it sit for 10 minutes until it gets all bubbly, foamy, and freaky looking. While it is working it magic, combine 2 c flour, salt, 1 1/2 T rosemary, oregano, and garlic powder in a bowl.  Pour the yeast into a bread machine.  If you don't have one, pour it into a large bowl.  Add the flour mixture and 1 T olive oil. 

 Mix well.  Continue to add the remaining flour until you have a soft, sticky dough.  And when I say sticky, I mean sticky!  Let the dough rise for an hour. 

 Place the dough onto a floured surface and break it into two equal parts.  Place them on a greased baking sheet.  I put mine on a half baking sheet, and it was perfect.    Let them rise until they are doubled in size- about 45 minutes. 

 Brush them with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining rosemary and some sea salt.  My sprinkling was pathetic, but it wouldn't stick since it wasn't the ground rosemary. 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.  Serve as soon as possible! 

 To make the bruschetta, just comine all the ingredients and serve atop torn pieces of the bread.  It tasted like Heaven! 

And if anyone out there is wondering how my exercise excursion is going, I've been working out and eating better for two weeks, and I've lost 7 1/2 inches and five pounds!  woohoo!  I'm sorry I'm not able to blog as often as I'd like, but I'm kissing those pounds goodbye and loving every second of it!  :)