Rosemary and Olive Bread

Yields: 2 loaves, Serves 12 per loaf


Ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup kalamata or green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
About 5 cups bread flour



Method:

1. In small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F); let stand until yeast mixture foams, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, with wooden spoon, mix olives, rosemary, salt, and 4 cups flour. Add yeast mixture and 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F); stir until combined.

3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, working in more flour (1/2 to 1 cup) while kneading.

4. Shape dough into a ball; place in greased large bowl, turning dough over to grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F), until doubled, about 1 hour.

5. Punch down dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and cut in half; cover and let rest 15 minutes for easier shaping. Grease large cookie sheet.

6. Shape each half into a 7 1/2" by 4" oval and place on cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush tops of loaves with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. With sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes across top of each loaf.


Nothing tastes better than home made bread... and the aroma... hmmmm ...

Herbed Chicken with Potatoes ~ JO

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 small chicken per person
750 grams potatoes
12 cloves of garlic
4-6 parsnips
fresh sage
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
fried turkey bacon


Method:

- Peel the potatoes, cut into wedges and boil with whole, unpeeled garlic cloves.

- Remove the water. Cut the parsnips lengthwise, into 6 pieces. Remove the coarse stalks from herbs and put in a bowl together with parsnips.

- Put the potatoes and garlic into a bowl with some salt and pepper. Mix it all together.

- Stuff the chickens with potato mixture. Put rosemary twigs through the chickens, from one thigh to another, to keep the stuffing and the thighs in place.

- Put the chickens in a pan and spread the parsnip pieces between them. Add salt and pepper, and fry in the oven at about 225 °C, approx. 45 min.

- Add a few pieces of fried turkey bacon to the plate before serving.

Enjoy...

Veal Picatta

Serves 4


Ingredients:

1 to 1&1/4 pound thin veal scallops
flour
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
6 to 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, or about 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons water


Method:

- Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper; dust lightly with flour. Sauté veal quickly, turning once. Remove veal from pan when browned.

- Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter; sauté mushrooms until tender and browned. Add the veal back to pan along with garlic, lemon juice and zest, herbs, and wine. Turn to coat; cover skillet and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.

- Arrange veal on a platter; spoon mushrooms and pan drippings over the veal.


Enjoy...

Focaccia Bread with Grilled Ricotta ~ Diet

an excellent dish suitable for whoever wants to lose weight or maintain their's while enjoying delicious healthy food.

Serves 2


Ingredients:

2 squares focaccia bread split and toasted
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
4 mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper


Method:

Spread each piece of focaccia bread with mustard, then top with tomatoes, green pepper and mushrooms.

Place ricotta cheese, rosemary and black pepper to taste in a bowl and mix to combine.

Top vegetables mixture with ricotta mixture and cook under a preheated hot grill for 3 minutes or until heated through and slightly brown.


Tip:

This is a high fibre dish with 355 calories per serving.

As an alternative you can use baguette bread instead of focaccia and cut it into halves horizontally.

You can add several chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes to the vegetables mixture as a tasty addition to this recipe.

Enjoy...
and stay fit...

Wild Mushroom Pasta ~ DB

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz. mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, portobello, oyster, and chanterelle) cleaned, stemmed, and thickly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Method:

- In a large deep skillet, melt butter in heated olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden. Add the mushrooms, fennel seeds, rosemary and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite; drain well. Add the pasta to the mushrooms, adding the basil and cheese. Mound onto two plates and serve immediately, offering additional Parmesan if desired.

Enjoy...

Penne in Rosemary Cream Sauce

it's cold today.. and I was in the mood for pasta, so I tried this simple recipe... loved it.


Ingredients:

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup tomato puree
salt & pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

cook the penne until al dente. meanwhile, suate the rosemary in olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree. Season with salt & pepper.
simmer for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream and parmesan chesse, and keep stirring until heated.
Drain your pasta and toss with the cream sauce.

Enjoy....



Tip:

To warm a large bowl for serving pasta, put the serving bowl in the sink and place the colander in it. When the pasta is done, pour it into the colander, allowing the hot water to drain into the bowl. Pull the colander out of the serving bowl and let the pasta drain.