Quick and Easy Homemade Bread

UPDATE: I've made this recipe about a thousand times now and realized, thanks to a sweet friend, that there were a few tiny errors in the ingredient measurements. Sorry for the inconvenience and happy baking!


I've never been much of a bread-maker, but after going through many recipes and modifying them into one quick and easy recipe, I've found myself baking this bread several times a week. This is probably going to be the easiest bread recipe you'll ever try, and you will be shocked by the results! My husband agrees that this bread tops the bread from our local bakery, and there's nothing like hot, fresh bread right out of the oven! This bread is light and airy with a crispy crust that is deliciously nutty thanks to a healthy drizzle of olive oil. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Yields: One loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

olive oil

cornmeal

Assembly:

Combine water and yeast in a stand mixer and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Using the dough hook, mix in the flour, vinegar and salt until the dough comes together. Form dough into a ball and drizzle with olive oil. Let sit, covered, in a warm place for a minimum of 30 minutes. Punch the dough down and form it into a loaf (keep it on the thin side as you will be letting it rise for a second time). Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet (use a small one so you can fit it into the microwave) and place the loaf on top. Brush with olive oil. Microwave a cup of water for two minutes. Put the baking sheet in the microwave with the hot water and allow the loaf to rise for another 20-30 minutes (don't let it rise for more than about 40 minutes tops or you will have dough that takes over your entire kitchen!). Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Flip the loaf and bake for another 5 minutes. Sometimes I place an oven-proof bowl of boiling water in the oven to help the bread retain its moisture, but it's not necessary. Let the bread cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

Spicy Sesame Chicken Skewers

In my opinion there's nothing better than a versatile chicken recipe! I adapted a recipe for sesame noodles a sweet friend shared with me, turning it into a simple and delicious marinade and sauce for chicken. These yummy chicken skewers are delicious as both an appetizer and as a main course over steamed rice with some crispy peapods or broccoli. Marinating the chicken overnight gives it incredible flavor and the most tender texture. The honey in the marinade caramelizes into a sweet and smoky glaze as the chicken grills, and the red pepper flakes lend a subtle heat to balance out the sweetness of the honey. So delicious!

Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pk. of bamboo skewers (soak them for at least 30 minutes before grilling)

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
6 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp low-Sodium soy sauce
1/4 Cup green onions - sliced/chopped

2 tbsp. cold water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Assembly:

Cut chicken into strips (or use tenderloins). Combine marinade ingredients (everything except the green onion, water and cornstarch). Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for 8-24 hours (save the rest in a container). Weave the chicken onto the skewers. Grill the chicken over medium heat. While chicken is grilling, heat the remaining marinade to a boil. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. water with 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the boiling sauce. Stir for about 30 seconds until the sauce coats the whisk or spoon. Remove from heat and serve warm as a dipping sauce. Sprinkle the chicken skewers with green onions.  

Thin and Crispy Spicy Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

We love a good pizza party in our house! My sweet toddler tried sausage and mushroom pizza the other day and has been asking me to make it ever since. Tonight I gave it a try, and we had a very memorable pizza party with our little family while we watched a Christmas movie. The crust on this pizza is crunchy and stands up well to the hearty toppings. Blanketed in spicy sausage, baby bellas and two kinds of cheese, this pizza will satisfy any pizza lover in your house!

Serves: 3-5

Pizza dough:

2 cups of warm water

2 1/3 cups bread flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

cornmeal and olive oil

Add the water and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and flour and mix until dough forms a ball (if it's too sticky, add a little more flour; if it's too dry, add a tiny bit more water). Cover and allow to rise for at least 2 hours. Rub the entire surface of either a pizza stone, pan or baking sheet (yes, this will do in a pickle; no need to go buy new equipment if you don't need to) with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with cornmeal. Stretch the dough using your hands (or you can cheat and use a rolling pin; I'll never tell on you) so that the dough extends to the edges of the pan.

Sauce:

You can use any sauce you'd like, but I typically freeze a simple marinara to use on pizzas. Here's my recipe:

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

3/4 cup red wine (I typically use cab)

3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 yellow onion, minced

6-8 baby portabella mushrooms, diced

kosher salt, black pepper

1 tbsp. red pepper flake (I like my sauce pretty spicy)

3 tbsp. olive oil

Saute onions and mushrooms over medium high heat in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flake and saute for one additional minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the wine by half, then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Cool completely before adding to the pizza dough.

Toppings:

Go crazy here!

These are my favorites~ browned balls of hot Italian sausage (Johnsonville is actually pretty good. Apologies to my Sicilian Grampa and Great Uncle Joe for this transgression! I buy uncased sausage then pinch off little pieces and saute them in olive oil) & baby bella mushrooms. I add a layer of muenster (yes, you read that correctly...it melts like a dream!) on top of the sauce then a layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan over the toppings (so it goes dough, sauce, muenster, toppings, mozzarella/parm).

Bake at 375 (this might vary based how hot your oven runs) until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is gently browned. Wear a bib and enjoy!

Another Teaser! Coming Soon: Chocolate Toffee Cupcakes with Caramel Icing

My sweet toddler begged me to make cupcakes this morning and, tired of the usual vanilla or chocolate, we decided to experiment with some new, super rich flavors. These are the perfect holiday indulgence: moist, decadent chocolate and toffee cupcakes glazed with melted chocolate and dipped in bits of chocolate covered toffee drizzled with just the right amount of smooth and creamy caramel icing. I promise to have this recipe up very, very soon so please check back in a day or two (or click the "Join this Site" button on the sidebar underneath the advertisement and sign up to receive Happiest Belly updates...you'll be the first to know when a new recipe makes an appearance!).

Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken)

I absolutely adore Indian food and have always wanted to try making a dish or two to add to my at home repertoire. I also have to mention that I have only convinced my husband to go out for Indian once in eleven years, and that was only because we were in the UK and he knew how desperate I was to go to this particular restaurant I'd heard so much about from friends. Throw in the fact that my toddler has shown an affinity for our local Indian restaurant, and it was perfect timing for me to make an Indian dish or two at home. I chose Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken) and garlic naan and am SO happy I did! I read several recipes, adding and omitting ingredients and steps before coming up with the recipe below. My husband ate everything on his plate (not his favorite food still, but I was very pleasantly surprised he liked it at all!) and my daughter had leftovers for lunch for the next two days! I know I will be making this A LOT in the future!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks (brined in a salt water solution)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

8 tbsp. butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 15 oz. can tomato puree

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomato

1/2 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt/black pepper

Assembly:

Stir the garam masala, ginger and cayenne together. Melt the butter then saute the onions for a few minutes, adding the spice mixture once the onions become translucent. Stir frequently for about 45 seconds until spices are very fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste until combined. Add the tomato puree and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or you can carefully pour it into a Cuisinart) to completely puree the sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes over medium low heat. Place the chicken into the sauce and stir until chicken is coated. Cover and cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). Stir in the heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes before serving with basmati rice and naan. 

Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Originally from Chicago, I think I'm required to L-O-V-E Italian beef sandwiches! There's something so satisfying about the combination of slow cooked, juicy beef alongside roasted peppers and provolone cheese on a freshly baked homemade Italian roll. I saw a fabulous recipe for Italian beef on The Food Network's Sandwich King (not only is the Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro, from Chicago, but he is also an alum of my alma mater, Bradley University) that I've adapted to make it my own. I love the idea of shredding the beef instead of having to attempt to slice it as thinly as they do in a restaurant. This is such an easy and delicious recipe (it also freezes VERY well) that I'm sure it'll become a regular on your dinner table as it has on mine!

Yields: eight HUGE sandwiches (this will feed 8-10 hungry people)

*Note: I usually divide the beef and jus into four separate meals (3 of which go into the freezer for later)

Ingredients: 

4 batches of Italian bread shaped into eight small loaves

1- 3 lb. chuck roast

3 cans of reduced sodium beef broth 

2 tsp. red pepper flake

2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)

2 tbsp. canola oil

8 smashed garlic cloves

1 roughly chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cups red wine (I usually use Cabernet)

4 green peppers 

4 red peppers 

2 tbsp. olive oil

For the beef:

In a dutch oven, heat the canola oil on high. Liberally salt and pepper the chuck roast (I usually let the meat rest on the counter for about 15 minutes before I sear it) then carefully place it into the dutch oven (go slowly so the oil doesn't splatter!). Leave it alone for a good five minutes; you'll know it's ready to flip when it comes up easily from the pan. If it sticks, let it cook a little longer. Flip and sear the other side. Remove the roast to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes until translucent stirring in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes in the last minute or so. Add the wine and raise the heat to high, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all of the bits and pieces from the roast incorporated. Once the wine has reduced by about a third, add the broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil (you may want to taste and adjust the salt at this point). Place the roast back into the pan and cover. Cook at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours, turning about every 45 minutes or so. The meat will be falling apart when it's done. Cool then strain the liquid through a sieve. Shred the beef with two forks and place it into the liquid. This is the most important part, in my opinion: refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. It makes a HUGE difference in taste!

For the roasted peppers:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the peppers and put them on a baking sheet with a lip (to avoid spilling) and roast for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the peppers in a brown paper bag and allow to cool (this helps remove the skins). Remove the skins and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. You can make these a day or two ahead!

Assembly:

Slice your freshly baked rolls and top with provolone slices, beef, jus and roasted peppers. Serve with additional warmed jus for dipping (jardiniere is also delicious with this sandwich). You can also dip the sandwich in its entirety into the jus (this recipe yields plenty!) then wrap it in foil, throw on a bib and go to town!

Halloween Candy Bars Revisited!

So every Halloween my husband and I buy WAY too much candy! We are left with mountains of mini everything; usually a variety that includes M&Ms,  Reese's peanut butter cups, Hershey bars, Snickers and Twix. We usually end up taking the leftovers to work or, somewhat unfortunately, eating them all ourselves. Every year, I turn them into what we call in our house a "yum-yum". A "yum-yum" is any kind of dessert cookie, bar or brownie that can be eaten in a brown bag lunch (or better yet, anytime you walk past the kitchen counter!). I make a different "yum-yum" every week. I know, I know...probably not the most healthy thing to do, but it makes my husband and toddler, and anyone who happens to visit, smile. Not only that, it makes the house smell really, really good! Below is the recipe~ it's nice and easy and tastes like a fancy schmancy chocolate chip cookie bar. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 jumbo eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pretzels
8-12 mini candy bars
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Assembly:
Cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix on medium-low speed until combined. Chop between 8-12 small candy bars (leave M&Ms whole) along with 1/2 cup pretzels and stir them into the batter. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 350 for approximately 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into bars.