No-Knead Overnight Parmesan and Thyme Rolls

 

This was my latest attempt at bread making and it was fun! Anything that involves bread and cheese is good by me. Thing 1 helped me make these and was very interested in the process which was fun. There are a lot of strong flavors especially the thyme so make sure you like thyme before you make this recipe. I liked this a lot the night I first had it but it was even better the next day when I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and paired it with our yummy potato soup leftovers. That made it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¹⁄₃ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese divided
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 1 ¹⁄₁₀ ounces whole-wheat white flour (about 1/4 cup)
• 5 ³⁄₅ ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups) divided
• Cooking spray
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add thyme to pan; cook 1 minute or until bubbly and fragrant. Add thyme mixture and milk to yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk; add 1/4 cup cheese, sugar, salt, and egg, stirring well.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon whole-wheat white flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Using a wooden spoon, stir whole-wheat white flour into yeast mixture. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add all-purpose flour to yeast mixture, stirring well. Add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a smooth but very sticky dough. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Dough will not double in size.)
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Do not punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough into a 12 x 7–inch rectangle. Brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over dough; sprinkle with pepper. Beginning with a long side, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 8 (1 1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until rolls have risen slightly.
5. Preheat oven to 400°.
6. Place pan in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 375°. Bake rolls at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 161

Fat: 6.3g

Cholesterol: 32mg

Sodium: 246mg

Fiber: 1.3g

Protein: 6.3g

 

Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole

Another slow cooker masterpiece. I had no idea you could do so many different things with a crock pot. This was one of those "we have a lot of the ingredients and not a lot of money recipes" so I wasn't sure how it would taste. We were pleasantly surprised! We used green enchilada sauce because that is what we had and Husband and I both agreed that we think that actually made it better. Next time we plan to double everything but the cornbread part because the cornbread was pretty overpowering. We would have to play around with the serving size though. I also don't think it needs the sour cream and the cilantro on top. The sour cream distracts from the other flavors (Husband disagrees) and there is already cilantro in the dish so the flavor becomes a little too strong if it is also on top. With these minor adjustments it would be a 5 but for now it gets a 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons diced green chiles divided
• ¹⁄₂ cup salsa
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped green onions
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 (11-ounce) can corn with red and green peppers drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• ¹⁄₂ cup egg substitute
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) package corn muffin mix
• 2 tablespoons chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons thinly sliced fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place 2 tablespoons green chiles and next 6 ingredients (through enchilada sauce) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting 4 hours.
2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon green chiles, egg substitute, muffin mix, and roasted bell peppers in a bowl. Spoon batter evenly over bean mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook 1 hour or until corn bread is done.
3. Sprinkle cheese over corn bread. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top each serving with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 385

Fat: 13g

Cholesterol: 23mg

Sodium: 1129mg

Fiber: 5.1g

Protein: 16.6g

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup

Husband is such a big fan of potato soup that I knew we had to have this when we split a 40 lb bag of potatoes with my sister in laws. I normally don't love soup but this had more the consistency of a stew with the potatoes being more chunky than in a normal potato soup. We immediately separated the pot of soup into 5 tupperwares and 2 bowls to make sure we got the correct serving size. Just FYI a serving size is 2 ladles full. It was perfectly filling and actually was one of those meals for me that left me happier after eating it. We paired it with half a piece of home made bread which was great dipped in the soup. Husband gave it a 4 out of 5 and actually added salt to his bowl of soup which at our house is pretty much a slap in the face to a recipe since we don't EVER use our salt and pepper shakers. I found the flavors to mesh perfectly with the best stand out flavors being the bacon and the green onions. Since there was a difference in opinion I will give this recipe 2 different ratings. Husband gives it a 4 out of 5 but I give it 5 stars.

 

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 7

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth divided
• 3 cups peeled cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 cups broccoli florets chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₄ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
• 7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
• 7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces
• 7 teaspoons chopped green onions

Directions

1. Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.
2. Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.
3. Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.
4. Note: We recommend freshly shredded cheese (versus the preshredded variety) for additional creaminess and even melting.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 223

Fat: 7.9g

Cholesterol: 31mg

Sodium: 667mg

Fiber: 2.6g

Protein: 17.3g

Rustic White Bread

Bread attempt number 2 = successful! This recipe was much easier/quicker and turned out much better for sandwiches which is what I was looking for. This one is kneaded by hand which as a non-bread maker I didn't have a clue how to do so once again I took to Google and found this You Tube video which was quite helpful. Thing 1 ate the end piece ( or as we affectionately refer to it in our house, the bread butt) and his response was "That's a yummy bread Mom." I think I am almost ready to tackle a sourdough so be looking for that in the future. For now, enjoy this bread that is a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 cups bread flour divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 large egg white lightly beaten

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
4. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Shape dough into a 6-inch round; place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 450°.
6. Uncover dough. Combine 1 teaspoon water and egg white, stirring with a whisk; brush over dough. Make 3 (4-inch) cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of dough using a sharp knife.
7. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until bread is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 128

Fat: 0.6g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 201mg

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 4.6g

Pumpkin Waffles

This is how we do Halloween in our house. Actually Halloween in our house usually involves more spook and cuteness but pumpkin has been on my mind lately so I used Halloween as an excuse. I saw pumpkin waffles paired with cranberry butter in one of my (no joke) 7 or 8 halloween cooking magazines. Since the calories were more than I was willing to stomach I took to Google to find a more figure friendly version. I found these. And because I couldn't get over the thought of cranberry butter I threw some dried cranberries in mine. They were great! Even Thing 1 has been eating them and actually asking for them in the mornings. (It helps that there was a movie on called spookley the square pumpkin and I have been calling them Spookley waffles. I swear kids will eat anything if you give it the right build up.) Any left overs can be saved in the fridge or freezer and thrown in the toaster for a quick breakfast the rest of the week. I think this would be a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup Pumpkin Puree
• ¹⁄₄ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (milk through egg) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist.
2. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray; preheat. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading the batter to the edges. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 255

Fat: 5.7g

Cholesterol: 57mg

Sodium: 372mg

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 7.4g

Crusty French Boules

I decided to take on the challenge of bread making since I have been scared of it for so long. Don't ask me why I picked a recipe that takes like 2 days to kick off my bread making practice, temporary insanity maybe, I just did. Surprisingly it wasn't awful. Not wonderful, but not awful. Normally Husband helps me with the cooking and actually does the majority of it but I took such ownership over this recipe about the only things I let him do were rip the plastic wrap and spray the bowl. I'm glad too because once this came out of the oven I had such a sense of accomplishment. I know, normal people make bread all the time but for me this was a triumph and the start of something hopefully fantastic. This was a pretty good recipe but I was expecting something a little different to come out of the oven. The loaves were very thin and flat so they didn't make great sandwich bread like I was hoping. The flavor and texture were good so that was a plus. I left the pâte fermentée in the fridge for just under 3 days (supposedly 48 hours is best) and it was just fine. I think I will attempt another bread and see which one I like better. Ok, maybe a few more. All in all a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 5 ⁶³⁄₁₀₀ ounces all-purpose flour divided (about 1 1/4 cups)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• Cooking spray
• ³⁄₄ cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 4 ounces bread flour (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Directions

1. To prepare the pâte fermentée, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup warm water, and beat at low speed until mixture is thoroughly combined. Add enough of the remaining 4 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes. Place dough in a small bowl coated with cooking spray. Place a piece of plastic wrap coated with cooking spray directly on dough. Refrigerate 48 hours or up to 3 days.
2. Remove pâte fermentée from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
3. To prepare the dough, place 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon yeast. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes or until bubbles form. Add pâte fermentée to yeast mixture; let stand 10 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) and 4 ounces bread flour (about 2/3 cup) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours and 1 teaspoon salt to bowl; beat at low speed until flour is incorporated. Increase mixer to medium speed, and beat for 6 minutes. (Dough should form a ball.)
4. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, dry place, free from drafts, for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down, and divide into 2 equal portions. Knead each portion for 1 minute. Shape each dough portion into a 5-inch round by pulling the sides down, pinching and tucking them under the bottom center of dough, forming a smooth, taut surface on the top. Place dough rounds on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Place a small ovenproof saucepan with 3 inches of water directly on the floor of oven. Preheat oven to 450°.
6. Uncover dough. Spray dough lightly with water. Make 4 (4-inch) cuts 1/4 inch deep in dough to form a grid across top of each loaf using a sharp knife. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove water pan from oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Cut each boule, crosswise, into 12 slices.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 82

Fat: 0.3g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 148mg

Fiber: 0.6g

Protein: 2.5g

View recipe at plantoeat.com

Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

 

Don't be fooled by the picture, I promise this is really good. I have a major soft spot for lasagna as is evident by how many lasagna recipes are on this blog already. What could make lasagna better? How about pesto, mushrooms, spinach, left overs AND the fact that you can do it in the crock pot. The ease of this recipe makes it by far my favorite lasagna so far. I have literally been eating it all week for lunch thanks to the fact that it makes 8 servings. We used just regular plain old mushrooms and they were fine as well as store bought pesto. I am pretty sure you could do any lasagna using the crock pot technique but I would just go ahead and make this one because it's a 5 out of 5 stars!

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups torn spinach
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• ¹⁄₂ cup commercial pesto
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• ³⁄₄ cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese divided
• 1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Directions

1. Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.
2. Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside. Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat the layers, ending with spinach mixture. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 398

Fat: 18.2g

Cholesterol: 56mg

Sodium: 1036mg

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 22.2g