No Knead Tomato Focaccia

To say that I love bread would be an understatement.  This focaccia was wonderful!  You mix up the dough the night before you bake the bread and let it rise over night.  No kneading required.  VERY simple and easy.  I would say it's quick too but that is just because the actual 'hands-on' time is minimal.  You do need to at least 14 hours with this recipe.

No Knead Tomato Focaccia  Source: Anna's Table

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons light virgin oil

Tomato topping:
 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half  and juice squeezed out
1 garlic clove finely minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 -3/4 cup smoked mozzarella,diced (I used regular mozzarella with a drop of liquid smoke added in)

Directions:

The night before:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, the yeast and the salt.

2. Pour in 1 1/2 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of light virgin oil, and mix. 3. Pull together the dough using your hands or a wooden spoon. 

4. Scrape any excess flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well incorporated and form into a ball.  The dough will have a stringy texture.

5. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the bowl to avoid the dough from drying out. Allow to rise in a warm dry, and draft free place for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

The next day:
1.Transfer the dough to a greased and floured 12 " pizza tray. Dust the dough  lightly with flour, and with your hands spread out to the edges of your pizza pan, forming a disk. Drizzle with small amount of oil and season with salt.  Place in a draft free place to allow to rise a second time for 1-2 hours
2. Preheat oven to 500 F and prepare the tomato topping while the dough is rising. Place the squeezed tomatoes in a bowl with  the olive oil, parmesan, smoked  mozzarella, minced garlic, oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Once the dough has risen the second time spread  the tomato cheese topping gently on the focaccia dough.
4. Bake in a pre-heated 500º F oven for 15-20 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of those dishes with hundreds of variations.  When my parents got married Beef Stroganoff was the first meal my mom made for my dad.  You may have guessed how this story goes, but my mom’s version of Beef Stroganoff is made with red wine and no sour cream.  My dad had only had the sour cream kind and was shocked at my mom’s recipe.

Until last night I had only made the red wine Beef Stroganoff recipe I got from my mother.  I wanted to try a sour cream based Beef Stroganoff.  I wanted it to be creamy and made in a crock pot, so did a combination of two other recipes I’d seen online.   The result was wonderful!  We loved the flavor and had the convenience the crock pot!  Try this one out!

Beef Stroganoff  Source: Combined from Stephanie Cooks & About.com

Ingredients:

2 lb beef stew meat cut into 1” chunks

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbsp butter

1 C sour cream

8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced

egg noodles

Directions:

1.     In a crock pot combine soup, worcestershire sauce, pepper and butter.  Stir in stew meat.

2.     Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

3.     Add sour cream and sliced mushrooms.  Turn heat to high and cook for 1 additional hour

4.     Serve over egg noodles.



Italian Meat Loaf with Basil, Provolone and Sun Dried Tomato

I used to never make meat loaf because when we got married Matt told me he didn't like it.  But after several years of marriage I started making it.  He either likes my meat loaf or loves me to much to complain :)  Today's recipe was a new version of meat loaf and he did actually compliment this one!  Made with sun dried tomatoes and basil this was not your typical meat loaf and had a lot of flavor!  The only thing I didn't love about it was that the meatloaf fell apart easily when you cut it so the presentation wasn't great, but I doubled the recipe and can't remember if I double the egg whites, which act as a binder...hmm...well at least I doubled everything else and the taste was great!

Italian Meat Loaf with Basil, Provolone and Sun Dried Tomato  Source: My Recipes.com

Ingredients:

1  cup  boiling water
1/2  cup  sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2  cup  ketchup
1  cup  seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4  cup  finely chopped onion

3/4  cup  chopped fresh basil
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese (I used mozzarella)
2  large egg whites
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  pound  ground round
Cooking spray
1/3  cup  ketchup

Directions:

1. Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, onion, basil, cheese, egg whites, garlic and beef in a large bowl.
4. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf.
6. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160 F.
7. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I loved loved this cake!  So simple and so moist!  The flavor was even better the second day.  A dusting of powdered sugar looks great on this, let your cake sit for a day and then dust it with the powdered sugar just before you serve it.
 

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake  Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix, butter recipe preferred

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs, beaten

powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray & set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Stir with a large spatula 50 times. Do not over beat*.

3. Pour batter into bundt pan (lumps may remain in batter*). Bake for 50 minutes.

4. Cool in pan on wire rack. Once cool, turn out onto serving dish and store in airtight container.

5. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Will keep moist for several days.

*Stephanie at Macaroni and Cheesecake suggested that you only stir this for 50 strokes and not to over beat it.  I did this but my cake had lots and lots of lumps in it.  They did not bake out.  The flavor was still wonderful but I would have preferred a more consistent color in the cake itself.  I recommend stirring more until most of the lumps have been beat out.



See the spots of vanilla pudding?  I would rather those be beaten out :)

This post linked to Sweets for a Saturday #7 at Sweet as Sugar Cookies