Garlic French Bread

I've always been intimidated by bread recipes. They seemed to have all this complicated kneading and rising and special ingredients... and patience. I know my skill set, and I just didn't think I had what it took for bread.

But perhaps it was the stress piling up at school, the desire to prove myself wrong or the simple fact that I am just a bit of a glutton for punishment... I tried bread.

And you know what? I can do it. Without a bread machine (especially since mine met an untimely demise in my move).

And so can you. So easy.

And freaking delicious. So freaking delicious.

Try. Immediately.

Garlic French Bread

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons margarine

 photo by Jessica Y.

Deliciousness swirls through the inside of this amazing (and easy) bread.

1. In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. 
2. In a sauce pan combine the milk, water and 1/4 cup of the butter or margarine until 110 degrees F (38 degrees C). Add milk mixture and vinegar to the flour mixture and blend at low speed of the mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in 1 1/2 cups additional flour to form a sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead adding 1/2 to 1 cup more of flour until dough is smooth and pliable. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
4. Punch down dough and roll into a rectangle shape about 16x8 inches.
5. In a saucepan heat the onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, parsley and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine until butter or margarine is melted. Spread over the dough rectangle and starting from the 16 inch side roll the dough up tightly like a jelly roll.
6. Place the bread seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet and let rise until doubled in sized.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
8. Bake bread until golden brown about 20 to 30 minutes. Brush hot bread with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Grape and Quinoa Salad

I've always been a little bit of a control freak. I'm sure that there are psychologists out there would have a hay-day analyzing me, my ways and figured out where along the road in my development my fragile psyche was shattered in such a way that I grapple with controlling everything around me. But I suppose that's another story for another time.

I've slowly learned (and this has taken a LONG time) not to stress over things that I simply cannot control. I can't control the choices that other people make. I can't control diseases, famine, war, really bad traffic accidents... All of these things are out of my hands. And not being able to fix the world around me used to be something that really effected me. Perhaps it's maturity, or reality, setting in, but I'm learning to let go.

My students have doing an amazing job teaching me that it is ok--and that other people are capable, too. Perhaps this lesson is owed, in large part, to my amazing newspaper staff and all the things they have taught me over the past four years. I know that I wouldn't be where I am, both personally and professionally, without them, the things they have taught me, the experiences we have had and the challenges we have over come.

Also as I have gotten older, I think I have become more self aware. I've learned how to hone in on what I am feeling, understand it and reflect on it. One thing that I have realized is that my love for cooking and baking comes from this need for control that I harbor. I CAN control a recipe. I CAN impact the way someone feels with food that I give them (for better or for worse, right?). But the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that I think I am enamored with my kitchen because of the power it gets me. I can add a tablespoon or a teaspoon, a cup or a quart and make something delicious. I have the power to do that.

Recipes have also taught me to trust. Sometimes, you read something and think, "There is no way in hell that that is going to taste good..." But I usually make myself try it. I would rage that about 90% of the time, my instincts are right. But last week, I had my ego handed to me. I stumbled across a recipe in Ralph's and decided to throw caution (and control) into the wind and give it a try. It sounded like the flavor combinations could be JUST quirky enough to be delicious. But it also promised the possibility that things could go horribly, horribly wrong.

But they did not.

And it was good.

Soooooo good.

Grape and Quinoa Salad

adapted from a Ralph's Recipe Card

1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
2 cups seedless grapes, halved (I used red and green)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
4 oz. feta cheese crumbles (I got the sun dried tomato kind)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 slivered almonds, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

photo by Jessica Y.

You wouldn't expect these things to be so harmonious... but OMG, SO GOOD!

1. Cook the quinoa in the broth. I used my rice cooker that I've had since my freshman year of college. That thing is both a trooper and a live saver. Thanks Dad, for insisting on that one!

2. Preheat oven to 375. Place grapes in a large bowl and drizzle with one teaspoon of the oil and one tablespoon of the balsamic. Toss to coat. Spread the grapes into a single layer on a cookie sheet (with edges). Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, grapes, feta, cranberries, almonds and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil and vinegar. Drizzle over mixture and toss to coat.

4. Enjoy! Delicious served both hot and cold. Yum!

Farmer's Market Chowder

On Thursday, all the power in all of San Diego County went out. For about 12 hours. It wasn't a disaster. It wasn't scary. It was a heavy-handed reminder that we're lucky. And a little too reliant on our technology.

We read on the porch until it got dark. We melted. We lit candles. We layed in our hammock and looked at the stars. We tried to listen to the radio on our iPhones. We realized we didn't have anything to eat that didn't require cooking.

People had blackout parties. People got to know their neighbors. People were able to assess their disaster preparedness in a fairly low-risk situation. Only a few people looted.

When the power came back on at 3 am on Friday morning, a few things happened.
1) I almost fell off the couch because the fan whirring back to life scared me to death.
2) I thanked the gods in teacher heaven that school had already been cancelled, county-wide.
3) I pledged to make the most of my surprise three day weekend. And then I passed back out.

And now, three days later, the Starbucks down the street is still closed and I have to boil my water before I drink it. BUT I was still able to enjoy my long weekend and make something delicious to share with you!

While waiting for my friend Kerri and I to get ready to hit the town Friday night, Nick came across a soup recipe in one of her Vegetarian Times magazines. We've made a habit of visiting local farmer's markets on the weekends over the past couple months, so Kerri and I decided to use the recipe as an impetus for a Sunday trip to the Hillcrest market. It's always fun to people watch, sample the fresh fruit and buy a few things to get through the week. San Diego has a wealth of market options, which you can check out, but Hillcrest is one of the best ones I've been to.

So we set out on a run to the market and came home weighted down with all kinds of fresh deliciousness to make amazing things with. And Nick got his soup--chowder to be exact. Mission(s) accomplished.

Photo by Jessica Y.

The two miles seemed a lot longer on the way home...

Farmer's Market Chowder

adapted from Vegetarian Times; Recipe by Susie Middleton

4 large ears for corn, kernals removed (save the cobs!)

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T butter

3 T olive oil, divided

3 cups sliced leeks

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

3 cups chicken sausage, sliced

2 T fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/3 cup dry sherry

1. I am warning you now... This gets messy. This process took the better part of an afternoon and my kitchen looked like a produce bomb went off.

2. Combine corn kernels, milk and crushed garlic in a saucepan. Run the back of the knife down the cobs to release the milk and pulp into the pan. Then add the cobs to the pan. Bring this mixture to a bowl, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let it steep.

Photo by Jessica Y.

It tastes delicious from step one, I promise.

3. Heat the butter and 1 T of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic, onions and carrots and the paprika and let simmer for about a minute. Stir in the sherry and cook for another minute or so. Then add your stock and remove the pot from the heat.

 

4. Heat 1 T of oil in a skillet. Add the sweet potatoes and saute until they are brown (this took about 10 minutes). Transfer the potatoes to the big pot. Add the last T of oil to the same skillet. Add the green beans and saute for about three minutes. Transfer the finished beans to a plate.

5. Bring the big pot back to the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the green beans and chicken sausage. Let cook for another five minutes.

6. Strain the milk and corn mixture. Discard the solid stuff. Stir the milk mixture and cilantro into the big pot of deliciousness. Season with salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil.

7. Serve with warm french bread and enjoy!

Photo by Jessica Y.

Don't worry if your army isn't ready to eat when this is done... 

This soup simmered for about an hour while it waited for the Chargers to finish winning.

Life After...

I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that, ten years ago today, the world that we live in changed forever. There are a number of reasons that this puts me in a quandary...

Really, I don't feel old enough to have a ten-year-long perspective on anything. Sure, I have memories that go back much longer than that, but to have been old enough to really understand something so significant, and to see how it changed the world around me... It's just weird.

Also, I am in such a different place now than I was then. Not only am I physically not living in my parent's house, in a small southern Oregon town, but who I am, what I believe in, what I support, where my life has taken me... It's all so different than what the very naive 16 year old had planned for me.

Finally, I feel guilty. Guilty that I haven't done enough to demonstrate my appreciation for the sacrifices that people made that fateful day. Guilty that I don't take the time to thank our military, our law enforcement, our fire fighters, as much as I should.

I definitely haven't forgotten what happened on September 11, 2001. I remember waking up to my mom watching TV and seeing what was happening on the news. We weren't really sure what to think at that point, didn't know the magnitude of what was happening. I went school, and as the day progressed, things became more and more surreal. I remember sitting in debate class, listening to our policy debators talking about how these events would change the world forever. I remember thinking that these events were going to change the whole world forever. I remember going to journalism and watching the newscasts, marveling at how the reporters were able to keep their composure, even with such chaos unfurling around them.

I DO remember. I was the same age as many of my current students are when this happened. It is insane to me that many of them were barely starting kindergarten and they don't remember the events that took place. They have spent the majority of their lives living in a post-9/11 world. They have spent most of their lives with their country at war overseas and at home because of what happened 10 years ago today. Our world is a different place. Thousands of people in NYC, Washington and abroad have given their lives so that the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms that we have.

I'm thankful. And I won't forget.

Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Parm

School is back in full swing.

I am in denial.

Where did my summer go?

Oh wait... I spent it in the UCSD library and holed up in my sauna of a home office... and at yearbook camp. That's right. Hmph!

With school comes a lot of things... Both good and bad, of course. Early mornings. Fun days with kids. Polka dot dresses. Grown up shoes that pinch my toes.

As I get busier at school, I have less time/energy/motivation to take on complicated (but always delicious) dinner recipes. What does this mean? It means quick and easy meals that still stack up to my standards.

Try this. Immediately. You won't be sorry.

Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

adapted from Baking Serendipity

So good you might cry a little when you devour it. 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 egg white
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
olive oil, to coat the pan
1 jar pasta sauce

1. Get out a little aggression. Pound out the chicken breasts until they are flat and thin. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup mozzarella, parmesan, milk, onion, garlic, basil, italian seasoning and salt. 

3. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the middle of the flattened breast. Fold up the sides and secure with toothpicks. Three picks does the trick nicely. 

4. Put the egg white in a shallow bowl. Spread the bread crumbs onto a plate.

5. Dip each breast first in the white, then roll in the bread crumbs to coat. 

6. Coat the bottom of a frying pan with oil. 

7. Cook each side of the breast in the pan over medium heat until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.

8. Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place each browned breast in the dish.

9. Spoon pasta sauce over each of the breasts (you won't need the whole jar). Sprinkle with cheese. Spoon any remaining ricotta ontop of the breasts and sauce.

10. Bake in 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. 

So easy. So delicious. Go ahead, thank me.