Basil and Garlic Italian Bread

We had Italian Food again the other night,  it's a toss up whether we like Italian or Mexican better.  There are so many good recipes out there so you really have an endless supply of things to try.  Of course with putting your own twist on them makes it even better.

This is the bread I  made.  It's my simple go to recipe that can be changed to suit your likings.  This time I did basil and garlic.  I have fresh basil in my herb pot so what better to make than BREAD.   The family love it too.

This recipe only has 1 rise so you can have bread within 1 1/2 hours or less.  Fresh hot and tasty right out of your own oven.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs instant yeast
2 TBL sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/4 - 4 1/2 cups ap flour  (you could use 1/2 whole wheat)
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 TBL veg. oil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 - 3 TBL fresh chopped basil
egg for wash on top

Directions:
In large bowl of mixer add the yeast, sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.  Mix with paddle attachment until combined.  Add the water and oil and on medium speed beat the mixture for 3 minutes.  Change to the dough hook and 1/2 cup at a time add the remaining flour.  You may need more or less depending on the weather.  Mix for 6 minutes until you have a soft dough, it should not be sticky.  Remove from bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes.  It will rise a little, punch down then form you loaves.  This makes 3 large loaves so this recipe would be perfect for making and then freezing 2 loaves for your next Italian meal.  (I always wrap mine in aluminum foil then in freezer wrap, fresh bread every time.  Just pop in the oven for 5 minutes, be sure the bread is defrosted.
Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the Things YOU Love.
Donna

Orange Honey Chicken

Here's an easy recipe that goes together quickly and has just a few ingredients that you should already have on hand.  And another good thing about this dish is that you only dirty one pan.  I would guess you could use chicken breast with the skin on if you don't like thighs.

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs (bone in and shin on)
1/2 cup of all purpose flour (more if you need it)
1 large orange
1 tsp paprika
1/2 - 3/4 cup orange juice (I just squeezed the orange and put in some of the insides too)
3 TBL honey
2 gloves garlic minced
1 chicken bullion cube
1/4 cup red wine
2 TBL olive oil  plus 1 large pat of butter (for frying)
salt and pepper

Rinse and pat dry the chicken,  add salt and pepper and then dredge the chicken in the flour shaking off the excess.  As you can see I just use a plastic walmart bag, easy cleanup.

Sauce:
Squeeze the orange into a bowl, add honey, garlic, paprika,  salt/pepper and segments (mushed). 

In a large fry pan add oil and butter, when pan in hot add the chicken skin side down and brown on each side until they look like this.  It should take about 6 or so minutes on each side.

When both sides are browned to your liking, add the wine and chicken bullion and cook for about 5 minutes, add the orange sauce and bring to boil, turn down, cover and let cook for about 10-12 minutes.  Baste once  during cooking.  Turn chicken and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, baste once and cook until chicken is done.

In the very top picture you can see I added a potato I had made the night before, thought it would be an easy was to warm it to go with the chicken and would add some different flavors to the potato.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you try this easy recipe.
Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to DO all the things YOU love.
Donna

Red Sauce (Marinara Sauce)

 I love Italian food and when I was growing up I had two friends, they were sisters and they were Italian.  I looked forward to Sundays because I was always invited to their house for the usual Italian Sunday Family dinner...and boy could their mom make wonderful Italian food.  Having red sauce for your pasta didn't come ready from the can.  You used whole canned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and of course all the good seasonings.  The other main ingredients where the meats.  I remember their mom always had pork, sausage, chicken and at times beef.  Cooking the sauce for most of the day with the meats in the sause is what made it so tasty.  Well last summer we had a some tomato plants so what better to do with them then to make red sauce.  I had never had roasted tomatoes until I ate at a place here in town called Milton's.  Excellent food, so if you ever get to KS you must try it.  It's just a little place in downtown and they are only open for breakfast and lunch, think they close at 2.  So with my tomatoes I roasted them in the oven for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees, these pictures also have some black cherry tomatoes that I bought from a local farmer. 
I roast my tomatoes and peppers on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  It is easy for cleanup and also you can get all the good dripping that are created and put it in the processor.


This is the tomatoes with the salt, pepper, evoo, garlic salt and Italian seasoning.








In the following pictures you will also see red sweet peppers which I bought at Sam's.  I use these in the sauce to give it an added delicious flavor, you can also use these peppers (before you puree them) on top of homemade pizza or a sandwich.

I cut the peppers in rounds instead of strips, just a personal preference.   You can cut them anyway you like.

These are the peppers after 15 or so minutes, see how the onions are starting to become translucent? 

These are the tomatoes done.  You now put them in your food processor and puree them, be sure to get all the good stuff that's on the parchment paper. 

Making the puree

I add this to the sauce to give it body.  This is also the can that I used to cut my English Muffins.  It's a great size, I also think it would make a great cookie size and a good size doughnut.  Yet another thing on the list to make.  :-)

Now here is the sauce before the can has been added.  As you can see it's fairly thick.










And the final product.  With all the flavors from roasting the tomatoes, onions and peppers it makes a great flavorful sauce.  I also toss in about 5 or 6 gloves of garlic during the roasting.  I have also roasted garlic (the whole head) in foil for future recipes.  It makes the garlic very sweet and when you squeeze it from the casing you have almost a paste.



This sauce is great for pasta, pizza and calzones.  Really any Italian dish that calls for a red sauce.  Try it I'm sure you won't be disappointed.  You can buy your tomatoes and peppers from your local grower or even the grocery store (if you had to)  If you do choose the later be sure they are the vine or Roma's  type for the flavor.
I'd love to know if you try this.  Thanks for stopping by, and Remember to Always find the time to Do the All the Things you Love.
Donna