Basil & Feta Bruschetta

This is definitely one of my all-time favorite appetizers, from one of my all-time favorite people.  I raved about this bruschetta so much that Debbie made it just for me after I had my fourth baby.  Book club blessings, I tell you.

Toast your bread slices for about 6 min @ 350,
then spread with mixed cream cheese & feta

Saute the tomatoes (I used Romas), basil, & garlic for about 5 min

Spoon warm tomato mixture on each slice, then top each
with a small amount of torn, fresh mozzarella

Oh, my.  Yes, please.

Everything Debbie makes is divine.  She loves to cook and she is so good at it.  But really, can anything be betta than bruschetta?

Satiny Whole Wheat Bread

This is my very favorite 100% whole wheat recipe, from my dear friend Juli, and I'm pretty sure she came up with this recipe on her own.  It makes three large loaves, but I usually make two large loaves and four mini loaves with it.

Mollie always asks, "Can I paint it when it comes out?"
Each loaf gets a thin coating of butter brushed on the top

If you are interested in health news and research, you can't avoid the current hype about sugar versus high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the links between fructose intake and obesity, and the difference between how your body breaks down down fructose, sucrose, and glucose.  I'm certainly not an expert, and I am inclined to think that much of the hype is just that . . . hype.  Health trends seem to come in waves and often the science changes.  

Buuu-uuuut . . . there's a really easy, effective, and yummy way to lower the glycemic load (how quickly your food breaks down into sugar in the body) of your breads: add a handful of whole grains.  

It's pretty easy to understand how this works: a grain that's already "broken down" (like flour) takes your body less time to break down on it's own, so it converts to energy (sugar in the bloodstream) more quickly.  But if you want foods that take longer to break down (releasing a steady trickle of energy instead of a spike), you want to eat them in as close to their original form as you can.  

That's why an apple is better for you than applesauce is better for you than apple juice.

"But, Becca," you say, "People are not horses!  I don't want to munch on a nosebag of oats."  Me neither, peeps.  Ew.  Remember how I said this is yummy?  Yummy is the kind of healthy I like.  That's why, even though this is a very healthy recipe, there is a bit of butter painted on the top of each loaf.  It keeps the top from getting hard, but it's also the best flavor there is.

Add one scant cup five-grain cereal (or rolled oats)
when you add the flour and salt after the first rise.

The bread already has a perfect crumb and delicious texture, and a few chewy bites of whole grains puts it over the top.  My seven-year-old son is a pretty picky eater, but it's in his favor in the case of breads, because he likes only this bread.  

I make a batch every week, and we all love it much more than the sawdusty store-bought bread (okay, with the exception of Granny Sycamore's white loaf--I am sure it has a sky-high glycemic load, but it makes the best French Toast you've ever had).

After the second rise

After Mollie "painted" the top

Comes out perfect every time--my husband loves
this bread to make himself a thick PB&J sandwich

"Mom, are you shamelessly exploiting my cuteness
and blue-eyed-ness for you recipe blog again?"

You might have to go to a specialty store to buy lecithin (breaks up fat & cholesterol, byproduct of soybeans) and dough enhancer (usually made of whey, citric acids, and vitamin C--adds flavor) and wheat gluten (protein derived from wheat) . . . but it is worth it.  I get mine pretty cheap at Walton Feed.

Cantonese Light Sauce

I love sesame oil!  This sauce uses just a little bit,
but the warm nutty flavor goes a long way.

I got those cute little salt and pepper shakers at the D.I.--
my kids love it when they each have their own!
Oh, and the sauce over brown rice & stir fried veggies is yummy.

I like this sauce with a pork stir fry, but it's just as good with chicken. If you don't have fresh ginger, use a tablespoon of ground ginger. Also, I usually use green onions instead of scallions, because I always have them on hand.

Asparagus, Chicken, & Pecan Pasta

This is a fairly recent find from one of my favorite cooking websites: Allrecipes, {introduced to me three years ago by my dear friend Emily--you can't go wrong with Spaghemily and Meatballs}.  I used their cool ingredient search tool and entered "asparagus" and "chicken".  When this recipe came up, I was so excited, because I also happened to have some pecan halves . . . which doesn't happen as often as I would like it to.

Oh my, it is delicious.  And fairly healthy--especially if you are using wheat pasta.  I have made it too many times since I discovered it . . . not because we are sick of it, but because pecans are so pricey and I am stretching my grocery budget.  A little bit does go a long way, thank goodness.  I actually prefer it with pecan pieces (though pecan halves look prettier), which are a little less expensive.

The Baked Brownie

{The following is what I wrote back in October 2011 . . . I just wanted to add some recent pictures I took}

I'm back.  I've taken an almost five-month break from devoting any time to this blog, because I had a bun of my own baking.  Two months ago, we welcomed our fourth child to our family!  His name is Calvin and he is just perfect.  In honor of his perfection, I decided that my first new recipe card after my maternity leave should also be perfect.  So here you go.

I took this picture of my most recent batch of the baked brownie.
Trust me, people, they really are that good.  I actually prefer them
after  they've cooled because they are too rich for me when warm.

I have a confession to make: whenever a recipe calls for eggs at room temperature, I get a smuggitty little smile of smugness on my face.  Because I keep chickens and ducks.  And I always have room temperature eggs.  Either I can go out and collect some right when I need them, or I already collected them and they're on the counter waiting to be cleaned, or I already collected them, cleaned them, and put them in the fridge . . . but they're not quite as fridge-cold as the eggs that I collected, cleaned, and cold-ed the day before.

Almost too pretty to eat . . .

But, darling egg-layers notwithstanding, I am smug every time I make these brownies anyway, because they. are. THE. BEST.  No, I'm serious.  I never thought I would invoke Oprah's name on this blog, but I found this recipe  because the picture of the brownies looked amazing, and when I clicked a link to find out more, I read an article about how this recipe is from Baked, a fancy bakeshop in Brooklyn, is one of Oprah's favorite things, and is also America's Test Kitchen's favorite brownie recipe.  Hell-o.  With an endorsement from A'sTK, how can you go wrong? (For other delicious recipes from A'sTK on this blog, you might want to try Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken, Ultimate Cinnamon Buns, and Asian Lettuce Wraps).

They are super rich, which I love, because I'd rather taste more chocolate and less sugar in my brownies.  And they have that gooey, perfect crust that only the best brownies have.  I have adapted this recipe slightly to mine and my husband's tastes: adding another 1/4 tsp of salt and another tablespoon of cocoa, leaving the brown sugar unpacked, and cutting out the teaspoon of instant espresso powder (I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints {Mormons}, so I don't drink coffee or tea and try to avoid other caffeinated beverages).

You can google "The Baked Brownie" and get all kinds of amazing pictures, but this is one of my own actual photographs taken on my own actual mommy camera.

It's as difficult to get a picture of this brownie as it is to get one of the elusive Bigfoot--they vanish before your eyes into the dense undergrowth . . . er, into the dense husband's mouth . . . er, they just vanish quickly.

You're very welcome.

Chicken Parmesan Magnifico

This is my new favorite food.  Ever.

I had some leftovers at Cori's (how did you have leftovers, anyway?)  two weeks ago, and have wanted to make it ever since. The best part is that it is so easy!  And flavorful.  And satisfying.  And makes you want to lick your plate, as Cori so aptly put it . . .

Cover the bottom of your pan with the olive oil, red pepper flakes,
and minced garlic, then top with the sliced chicken breasts

Top the chicken with fresh basil (yummy)

DelMonte is the best, people.  Make the
switch from Hunt's and you won't be sorry!
(I am not even getting paid for this endorsement--
It really is the best.  It's thicker and tastier
and I don't think Wal-Mart carries it anymore.
I buy mine at Winco)

Top chicken with spaghetti sauce and then bread
crumbs.  {Bread crumb tip: put the heels of your
loaves in your spice cupboard; they will go dry and
hard super fast without getting moldy.  Then blend
'em up with some herbs when you need them}

Top with torn, fresh mozzarella
and bop it in the oven for 30-35 minutes

Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving,
this is fabulous with spaghetti or angel hair, but
I bet it'd be good with penne or linguine, too.

The fresher you go, the tastier this dish will be: fresh garlic, mozzarella, and basil are gonna push it over the top.  But I have made it more than once, and it was amazing even with minced garlic from a jar, frozen/shredded mozzarella, and dried basil.

I am confident you will love it, too.

Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

My best friend, Cori, gave me this recipe when I first got married (twelve years ago, thank you very much) but I recently made them for the first time in a while and couldn't believe I didn't have the recipe card on this blog.  Cori always has delectable dishes.  See for yourself.

These are pretty quick and easy, and the oatmeal makes it "healthy" . . . right?  If you want the same kind of dessert with a peanut butter flavor, you can't go wrong with Presumption Bars.

another ooey-gooey view

Lemon Bars

You can't go wrong with cream cheese and pecans!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

One of my favorite summer desserts.  This recipe beats any I've had before.

Watermelon Juice

Sweet summer nectar!