Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Ingredients:

3 Cups lukewarm water

2 Tablespoons yeast

1 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt

6 ½ Cups bread flour

In kitchen-aid mixer put the water, yeast, salt and carefully measured flour. Turn on mixer and mix for 5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Remove from the bowl and place in plastic tub and let raise at room temperature for 2 hours. Place in fridge and use as needed.

When ready to use divide off one third; place on a lightly floured counter roll into shape of a baguette or boule. This should take only 5 minutes. Place on pizza peel that had been dusted with corn meal. Let bread raise for 40 minutes. While bread is rising preheat oven to 450’ and as it is preheating place baking stone in the oven so it too is hot.

After the 40 minute rising time carefully slice top of bread and brush with olive oil and top with a bread topping; Next slide the dough off of the pizza peel onto the hot stone which has been in the oven. Place a broiler pan or cookie sheet with sides on bottom shelf of oven and pour in a glass of water, this creates steam while the bread is baking. Bake bread for 30 minutes.

Breaded Ranch Chicken

This is by far my families favorite breaded chicken recipe.   I found the recipe here but will post my alternative next time I make it again. :)

Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, halved, OR 8-12 chicken breast tenders
• 1 packet dry ranch OR 1 packet dry Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes OR crushed crackers OR breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine OR olive oil for a healthier alternative

I told you this recipe is really flexible!

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked.   I cubed my chicken last time and served it with my families favorite cheesy potatoes with the same bread crumbs on top.   It is by far the easiest recipe and yummiest chicken recipe I've made.   Hope you enjoy it like we do! Again I'll post this recipe again with my own little twist next time I make it and can take pictures.   

BBQ Chicken Salad (Zupas Copy Cat)

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time15 minutes

Yield4 servings

This healthy, flavorful salad comes together so quickly and easily, and it is guaranteed to be a hit with your entire family!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup tortilla strips
• 
  

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
• To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

• Optional: 
• 1 avocado (optional)
• 1 can of olives (optional)
• 1 small bunch of cilantro

Notes: we also buy breaded chicken in the deli to make it a quick meal

I found the recipe to the link below 

http://damndelicious.net/2014/01/03/bbq-chicken-salad/

Italian Nachos

Here's the link to a yummy recipe I've tried :)  http://eatathomecooks.com/2015/01/15-minute-italian-nachos.html We love all kinds of nachos.  These Italian Nachos are one of our favorites! Italian sausage, tomatoes, red pepper, black olives, banana peppers and creamy Alfredo sauce come together in each crunchy bite.  They’re impossible to resist. And it only takes 15 minutes to put them together.  That includes the time spent browning out the sausage.  You can’t beat that. Here’s what you’ll need:   You can make these even faster by using a bag of shredded cheese instead of shredding your own. The recipe makes enough for a very large platter (or two smaller platters) that will serve about 6-8 as a meal.  Yes, we ate this for dinner with a simple wedge salad to go with it.  If you’re serving it at a party or as an appetizer, it makes plenty for a crowd.  And get ready for people to ask for the recipe.  This one’s a keeper! Print 15 Minute Italian Nachos Serves: 6-8 servings Ingredients • 1 lb. Bulk Italian Sausage • 1⁄2 Red pepper, diced • 15-oz Diced tomatoes, drained well • 1 bag Tortilla chips (whole grain or corn) • Banana pepper slices,optional • Black olives, sliced, optional • 1 jar Alfredo sauce • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded Instructions Brown the sausage in a skillet. Add the red pepper when the sausage is nearly done and cook it along with the sausage. Drain and rinse the meat under very hot water to remove extra grease. Return to the skillet and stir in the tomatoes. On a large baking stone or cookie sheet, layer tortilla chips. Spoon the sausage, red pepper and tomatoes onto the chips. Add banana peppers and olives, if desired. Drizzle with Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Broil for a couple of minutes, till the cheese melts and nachos begin to brown. Watch it close so it doesn’t burn.

Projects

This week I was very crafty and got all my decorations for the 4th. We had a girls week with my mom and all the sisters.  Hudson of course came ;) we got lots of projects done :) Hudson's birthday party will be very patriotic

Chicken Artichoke Pasta

I apologize if this doesn't make sense and if there are some typos haha.. I have a little boy thats getting into everything as we speak :)

This recipe doesn't have to be exact so put as much and little veggies as you want. 

1- small- medium zucchini

1- onion

1/2 package of mushrooms (i like to buy the whole ones and cut them thinner than the pre-cut ones)

1- jar artichoke hearts (marinated and chopped up) 

2- large chicken breasts (I but the pre grilled sliced ones from Costco and saves me lots of time, foster farms)

Parmesan cheese

Penne Pasta (I use the mini ones) and about 1/2- 3/4 of the box 

Johnny Golds Garlic Spread Seasoning (can get at Costco)

olive oil

step one:  thinly slice up mushrooms and zucchini, dice up onion. and cut up the artichokes (i use my meat scissors to cut up). save half of the marinade to add when you add the chicken.

step 2: saute veggies and season with salt and pepper to taste. while those are sauteing cook and dice up your chicken. Once cooked add to sauteed veggies, add in the rest of the artichoke marinade. 

Step 3:  while the rest of the chicken and veggies are about half way cooked, boil your pasta and add to a 9 x 13 pan. coat noodles in olive oil, add parmesan cheese and garlic salt to taste. 

Step 4: add in your sauteed veggies and chicken to pasta, mix in with noodles

Serve and enjoy

Optional is garlic bread and a salad as a side dish :) 

 ** serves about 8 people ** and great for leftovers

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients: 

1 pound ground beef 

1/2 medium white onion (diced)

1-2 cans french sliced green beans (drained) 

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 bag frozen tater tots

cheddar cheese (grated)- you can also use pepper jack

Lowry Season Salt

Salt and Pepper

1. Brown the hamburger with the onion and drain fat 

2. Mix the cream of mushroom, green beans and hamburger in a bowl

3. Place in glass 9x13 casserole dish

 4. top with tater tots, season with Lowry season salt, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with cheese

bake at 350 for 35-40 mins or until tater tots are cooked and the mixture on the bottom is bubbling up

Chicken Azteca (In a Crock-pot)

2-5 chicken breasts
2 cups salsa (I use have of the medium jars of Medium Heat Salsa)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 can sweet corn (drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 onion diced
8 oz cream cheese
1 box Spanish rice (cooked)
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings as desired

1. Place chicken breasts into crock-pot, season with salt and pepper and Cumin
2. Cover chicken with salsa, corn, black beans, onion and cream cheese
3. Cook on high 3-4 hrs. then low or warm till you serve it. (I cook it on high till I leave work and then put it on low before leaving)
4. Shred chicken with two forks (I put it in my food processor and it cuts your time in half) I also season the chicken with salt and pepper before putting it back into the crock-pot
5. While shredding chicken cook your box of Spanish Rice
6. Once chicken and rice are shredded and cooked, put it back into the crock-pot to absorb the juices it cooked in all day.
7. Serve in a tortilla, over tortilla chips, or over rice. (I serve it in a tortilla with all my toppings and the second day its great as a chip dip or served as nachos)

****Great when topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and diced avocados****

Looking at a different view

Well I am finally Mrs. Maples, and now if I get called a "Brat" I guess I deserve it. haha Now that we are starting on our own adventure its time to think of some more recipes to cook. Quick ones in fact. :) I have to admit it is hard to cook for just us two. I am so used to cooking for my family that it is taking an adjustment but I am getting a hang of it. We have been married for 3 months and I have only made one meal twice so that is an accomplishment. The hardest part I have is creating a menu and this month I am trying to plan the whole month to see if I save any money and time. I am putting it to the test and experimenting with my mom to see if doing a month budget is effective.

Other than cooking I have started to put my patience to the test and make some crafts to decorate our house. Its been a challenge but I am starting to learn that making a mistake isn't the end of the world. Being OCD and a perfectionist, challenging my patience hasn't killed me yet. ;)  Though that crooked stop light that I drive past work makes me cringe, don't be surprised if I make the news or something if you hear of some crazy person out there with a ladder.




I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago my husband made the most delicious stake dinner. He sauteed mushrooms, onion and a spicy pepper with the stake that he seared on our grill that we got for our wedding. While it was cooking he saved the juice from the take and cut it into strips and put it in the onions and mushrooms to finish cooking. On the side he made some Mexican style beans. Next time we may serve it in a sandwich or on top of some rice. Sure was worth cooking that rather than the red velvet pancakes I was begging for. Even more he gets brownie points because he may have cooked it better than I could have. ;)


This picture doesn't look very good but it sure tasted good.

Crazie Dazie Boutique

My mother in law is so talented and makes these cute hats and blankets for all ages... I personally love these owl hats. Check out her store Crazie Dazie Boutique  on etsy or here some of her latest projects. :) She does car seat covers as well as blankets and bracelets. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/craziedazie?ref=pr_shop_more

Pizza

This is my husbands favorite pizza. He loves it and makes for great left overs or to feed a big family.


Hamburger
Pepperoni
box of pizza mix or own pizza dough (the box has the sauce included)
Cheese
Mushrooms
Any other pizza toppings you like. I have done peppers, onion, and bacon as well.

This is very quick and simple. I bought a box of pizza mix that included the sauce and dough ingredients, and made it to save a little time. I spread the dough on my cookie sheet and then put on all the toppings. Cook for 15-20 mins until cheese is melted and crust is nice and crispy.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti and breadsticks. mmmm delicious

For my Spaghetti I made it in my crockpot where it could cook all day long.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1/2 lb hamburger
• 1/2 lb sausage (Italian is what I used)
• 1 can mushrooms or 1 cup mushrooms cut to preference
• 1 packet of spaghetti seasoning
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 1 lg family size spaghetti sauce
• 2 bay leaves 
•  garlic salt, salt and pepper, parsley flakes to taste
• 1 can olives (optional) 

I sauteed onion and mushrooms, cooked up the hamburger and sausage, and mixed in the packet of spaghetti seasoning. With the tomatoes I put in a blender to make it not as chunky but its up to you what you like.

For the Bread Sticks I found this recipe on  Pinterest and LOVE IT!!!! 

Ingredients 

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup butter
• Parmesan cheese
• garlic salt
• parsley flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine water and yeast in small bowl.
2. In larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
3. Add yeast water and mix. ( I just use a wooden spoon).
4. Knead and let rise 20 minutes.
5. Melt one cube of butter, and pour onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle the butter with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle the size of the cookie sheet, and use a pizza cutter to cut into 12 one inch wide strips. Double the long pieces of dough in half, and twist to form the bread stick.
7. Roll each bread stick around in the butter in the pan until completely covered. When all bread sticks are arranged in the pan, sprinkle tops with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Don't be shy, get 'em good! Add parsley if desired.
8. This makes 12 large bread sticks, or 18 or 24 smaller bread sticks.
9. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Watch closely, remove when they start to brown. Yum!

What I found funny was that everything was homemade except the Cesar Salad.

Chicken Nachos

These were so tasty we had them 3 days in a row!

Ingredients:
Chicken
1 box Spanish Rice
1 can Black Beans
1 can black olives
Salsa
Sour Cream
1 Avocado
1 Onion
1 bag Corn Chips
1 bag of cheese



Instructions:

Boil Chicken then shred it up and saute in olive oil with onion (season with salt and pepper). Cook up one box of Spanish Rice (microwave is the easiest). Then once your chicken and rice is cooked, start layering all the ingredients with some cheese in between the layers of chicken and rice. Cook in microwave for 1 min and top with Sour Cream, Salsa, and Avocado. 

This recipe is so simple and tasty that you will find your self making it all the time.

Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

4 cups of steamed broccoli

3 chicken breasts boiled

1 can Cream of Chicken

3-6 tablespoons Lemon Juice (depending on how tart you want the cream sauce to be)

1 cup of Mayonnaise

1 cup Cheese

1/4 cup Corn Flake Crumbs

 To speed up cooking time, steam your broccoli and place in the bottom of your 9x13 pan.

 Chop up chicken breasts and place on top of broccoli.

 To make your cream sauce: mix in Lemon Juice, Cream of Chicken, and Mayo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons, I usually double that to make more of a tart sauce.

 Evenly spread cream sauce over broccoli and chicken.

Top with shredded cheese and corn flake crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

White Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (Costco size) white chicken/ 4 chicken strips boiled and shredded
1 can small of cream of mushroom
1 cup corn
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cups uncooked salad noodles
2 green onion

Cook noodles and mix with other ingredients in casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese, salt & pepper, and green onion. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

Chicken Vegetable Alfredo

Want something that goes a long way and that is healthy and quick to make?  Have you ever had Chicken Alfredo and by the time the sauce came around to you there wasn't even enough to dish up and flavor your noodles, and all you had left were the steamed veggies your mom put on the table in hopes that you eat a few bites? Growing up in a big family I had this happen too many times to count so I decided to try something out. I made up this recipe and it was a hit! It is a family favorite and I make it at least once a month!

 I love this meal because there are many different options to change up just in case you don't have all the ingredients.  Like canned chicken or chicken breasts, as well as with the vegetables the options are endless.

Ingredients:

1 cup of vegetables per person
1 package of Angel Hair Noodles
2 cans of chicken (2 chicken breasts boiled and shredded)
1 bottle of Ragu Sauce
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil
Prep Time: 20 mins

Depending on how much time you have and what you want, you can cut up a variety of vegetables like I did-- broccoli, califlower, carrots, mushroms, and green onioin. You can also buy a pack of veggies to steam or what I have tried before use the microwaved steamed veggies.

Once the noodles are boiled (I used Angel Hair) mix in your alfredo sauce over the noodles and depending on how thick you want it add milk to thin it out and make it go a long way.

Mix in your steamed vegetables. I used carrots, broccoli and cawliflower. You can also use a the microwavable steamed veggies to save on prep time.

Season with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese as desired.

Chicken-Penne Florentine Bake

Total Time: 43 Mins

Prep: 25 Mins

Servings: 6 servings, 1 cup each

what you need

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

make it

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, toss chicken with flour. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 min. or just until evenly browned. Add broth and Neufchatel; cook 3 min. or until Neufchatel is melted, stirring frequently. Stir in spinach.

DRAIN pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon half into 2-qt. casserole; top with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers; sprinkle with Parmesan.

BAKE 16 to 18 min. or until casserole is heated through and mozzarella is melted.

kitchen tips

SUBSTITUTE

Substitute large square Ziploc® VersaGlass™ Container* for the 2-qt. casserole. Cool any leftovers, then cover with lid and store in refrigerator up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat (uncovered) in the microwave in same container until heated through. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before reheating.)

MAKE AHEAD

Pasta can be cooked ahead of time. Cook as directed on package, just until al dente. Rinse pasta, drain well and place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw pasta by running hot tap water over pasta; drain. Then, use as directed.

KEEPING IT SAFE

Cutting raw boneless chicken breasts into pieces is a slippery task. Make it safer and prevent the knife from slipping by cutting the chicken while it is partially frozen.