Everyday Bread

This recipe comes from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter, a really interesting book that I would seriously recommend--so I don't have to summarize it, here's what I said about it on my reading blog. Mom, I think you'd really like this. Camille, it's even easier than the no-knead artisan bread I showed you guys. I really liked it--it's different from the artisan bread, but great in another way.

Everyday Bread
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3 1/2 cups water, at room temperature
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/3 cups flaxseed (optional)--we added it because we had some but I wouldn't have bought it if we didn't already have it
4 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Oil the inside of two 9x5 metal loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix the yeast, water, flours, seeds, and salt. Scrape the dough into the pans. Drape with a clean, damp dish towel or lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let the bread rise for about 2 hours until level with the tops of the pans.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
4. Bake loaves for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the bread from the pans, return to the oven, and bake directly on the rack for 15 minutes more. The bread is done when it is richly colored and sounds hollow when it is tapped.
6. Cool before slicing. Store in a paper bag for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze.

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 lemon, quartered 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 (8 ounce) package rotelle pasta 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken in a lightly greased baking dish. Squeeze lemon over both sides of the chicken breasts and season both sides using 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink inside.
2.	Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
3.	Cut cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into cooked pasta, along with the cream and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Troy made us this pasta and chicken while we were in Utah and it was delicious! We really liked it. The recipe's just off of allrecipes.com.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture

*Note: Reduce the chipotle chiles to one teaspoon if you want to eliminate some of the spiciness. In a pinch, you could sub 1-2 teaspoons chili powder for the chipotle chiles but the flavor won’t be quite the same.

*Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (you can find these in the Mexican Foods aisle at most grocery stores)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 12-13 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture left in the skillet until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the yellow mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro to the skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with tortillas topped with lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and avocado.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

*Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

*Makes 6 wraps

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

French bread pizza

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (split in half horizontally)
1 ½ cups pizza sauce
4 ounces fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1 ounce pepperoni (sliced)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)

Again, just so I don't forget about it!

guacamole

Ingredients:
3 avocados (halved, seeded, and peeled)
1 lime (juiced)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ medium onion (diced)
2 Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)

Just for my own info!