moms wheat bread.

this is the bread i grew up eating.

unfortunately i can never get it to taste like my moms bread because she always used freshly grinded wheat flour. there is just no beating that.

i know i'm not the only one who grew up with buckets of wheat in the basement, right? do people still do this?

this bread recipe is simple, straight-forward, and is fairly accepting of additions/tweaks. i dialed the sugar back a bit last time i made it because i don't want to oversugar my 39 weeks baby baby (i'm sure baby gets enough sugar from the halloween candy i've been eating this week), and it tasted great. next time i might to try to replace some of the sugar with honey.

moms wheat bread

1/2 cup warm water - mix in 1 T. sugar and 1 package yeast. Let rise for about 10 minutes.

Mix together in large bowl:

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup melted butter (margarine)

Add yeast/water mixture from above and 2 cups warm water. Stir together.

Add 4 cups wheat flour and 4 cups white flour (I usually put in about 3 cups flour at first,

then keep adding more until it gets to the right consistency.) Knead for about 5-10 minutes

(OR put it in your Kitchenaid)

Lightly grease with oil the large (clean) bowl you mixed the dough in.

Let rise until doubled.

Punch down and divide into 2 loaves. Put into greased bread pans.

Let rise to size of loaves you'll want. it will only rise a little bit more while cooking.

Bake 350-375 for 30-40 minutes.

After I take the loaves out of the pans, I put them on a wire rack to cool and butter the tops of the loaves so the crust isn't tough. Plus, butter.

Lentil Tacos

tonight for dinner, i was craving tacos. like taco bell, yellow cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce old school tacos. since i don't eat red meat, i was super excited to find this recipe for spiced lentil tacos.

amazing! delicious! and lentils are so good for you!

satisfied the craving and even my meat eating husband had great things to say about the dinner.

Preparing the lentils:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed

1 package (2.25 ounce) taco seasoning (or if you prefer less sodium, 2 TB chili powder, 2 Tsp cumin, 1 Tsp coriander, dash of oregano

3 cups vegetable broth

Toppings:

sour cream

8 taco shells

shredded lettuce

chopped tomato

shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and salt until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and seasonings. Cook until spices are fragrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover lentils and cook until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Mash with a rubber spatula (i didn't mash - i prefer a little texture). Spoon 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and whatever else you can dream up.

pavlova.

after 3 years of having my first bite of pavlova, and endless searches for pavlova at restaurants (we tried Balthazar in NYC and an Australian restaurant in London), i finally worked up the courage to make my own PAVLOVA.

and gosh, for all the babying i did to that pavlova ("don't slam the oven door!", "get an umbrella out for the pavlova!", "turn the AC down to 68!"), it turned out perfectly crispy on the outside and perfectly marshmallowy in the center.

i used joy the bakers recipe. she has a nice video on how to make a pavlova:
4 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar (i couldn't find it, so i used my food processor to grind down regular granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 T cornstarch

1. whip those eggs whites with a mixer, until soft peaks form (2-3 minutes)
2. add sugar and cornstarch in gradually while mixer is running (a tablespoon at a time). this will take about 2 minutes to finish. your mixture should turn glossy and marshmallowy.
3. add in vinegar and vanilla, beat until stiff peaks form - about 3 minutes.
4. plop the mixture down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, using a spatula to form a 7 inch circle. make sure your edges are higher than the center so you have a nice home for the berries and cream to go.
5. bake for 60-75 minutes at 250 degrees F. don't open the oven ever ever until it is finished, and then turn off the oven, and just crack the oven door open. let the pavlova cool inside the oven. i think this is the key to getting that perfect hard meringue shell and marshmallow inside.

just before serving, top with whipped cream and fruit. i used strawberries and blueberries, but i bet peaches would be lovely.

liguarian pasta with pesto and green beans

one pot, one bowl, no oven required. summer meals don't get much easier than this. this pasta has been a staple in our house for a few years now, since i first made it for mark on his birthday 5 years ago. he likes me to add a little extra garlic to the pesto for a good spicy kick, but i also like it without.

fill a large pot with water. when water is boiling, add 2 cups small red potatoes (whole). boil for 5 minutes. add 8 oz. bowtie pasta, continue cooking potatoes and pasta together, stirring occasionally. when the pasta has 2-3 minutes left, add the green beans. pour everything into colander when beans are finished.

while your big pot is boiling with all the good roughage, it's time to make your pesto.

i like to make my own pesto to get the rough consistency i prefer. a few handfuls of basil, a handful of pinenuts, a quarter cup of parmesean cheese, and a couple glugs of olive oil. throw it all in a food processor and pulse until you have your desired consistency. i like mine with less olive oil and more rough pebbles.

toss the cooked potatoes, beans, and pasta together with pesto. grate some fresh parmesan on top if you can never have too much cheese. oh, you can't either? well we are good friends, then.

quinoa black bean salad

it's hard for me to find a meal that has my 3 favorite things:

1. tastes good

2. quick and easy

3. nutritious!

consider this recipe the trifecta of recipes. i had some red quinoa on hand, and a quick trip to the farmers market rewarded me with everything else.

i don't have a real recipe for this, i just throw in whatever quantities of the farmers market ingredients i have. i know, real helpful, right? just go with your gut with this one. it's hard to screw up.

ingredients:

quinoa (i like to use red - i think it's a little heartier and robust)

red bell pepper

sweet corn

black beans

cilantro

green onions (if i have them)

dressing:

olive oil

lime juice

salt

pepper

recipe:

1. cook the quinoa with a ratio of 1:1.5 quinoa to water. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. leave covered with heat off for 5 minutes to allow to fluff.

2. chop up all your veggies and put them in a bowl, along with black beans and cooked quinoa.

3. whisk together olive oil and lime juice - i used about 1/8 cup olive oil, juice from a lime - and salt and pepper to taste.

4. pour dressing over salad and toss.

chana masala.

today i made this chana masala from orangette. i won't retype the recipe here, because molly is a genius and i trust her every move.
the only thing i would add is that i've never cooked with cardamom pods before, so i learned that the pods can stay in the food while you're cooking and they will impart extra flavor to the dish. just don't eat the pods. or maybe you can. i was a little scared to eat them.

it was SO delicious and hearty! i served it with roasted broccoli and a handful of grapes. perfect dinner for a cold night.

apple breakfast muffins.

in the grand scale of muffins, this a relatively healthy recipe. lots of fiber, little fat, and some fruit! grab a muffin in the morning and a banana, and you'll start the day off right.

heat the oven to 450 F.

in medium bowl, mix together:
1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 TB cinnamon

in large bowl, mix together:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1/4 white sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
mix all ingredients together until fluffy, then mix in one egg.
add 1 cup of plain yogurt, and about 1/4 cup of applesauce. i used chobani fat free yogurt (yum!)

slowly mix the dry ingredients into wet.
peel, core, and coarsely chop 2 apples and add into mixture.

grease muffin tin or use papers. load up your muffin tin with the dough. sprinkle a little dark brown sugar on top if you like a little extra added sweetness (i do!).

bake for 10 minutes at 450 F, lower to 400 F, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
this recipe should yield about 18 muffins.

beets and goat cheese.

beets are a polarizing food. i know that, after years of responding "beets!" to the question - what's your favorite vegetable? it's a tough road, not made much easier by the fact that my second favorite vegetable is the brussel sprout. but i make no apologies for my loves.

if you have never had cooked beets in your life (read: if you've only ever had pickled beets from the salad bar), how about giving them a try?

trader joe's sells a vacuum packed bag of cooked beets. guess what else? trader joe's also sells little goat cheese medallions that are perfect for lunches. oh yeah, and hey TJ's also sells SALAD. are you with me yet?

Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

ingredients:
greens
cooked beets
goat cheese
roasted nuts
dressing

directions:
1. if you can shop at trader joe's, this is the easiest lunch (or dinner) you'll ever make. put the greens in a bowl, top with sliced beets, a smattering of crumbled goat cheese, and a sprinkle of nuts.
2. toss with dressing.
3. Eat!

*I like to eat this with a slice of hearty multigrain bread, or if i have it handy - pita and hummus.

egg-in-a-hole

ok! yes! i love eggs!
now that i'm found out, it will be a much easier relationship between you (my 3 readers) and me. and i should probably start taking cholesterol medicine because can you even imagine?

my new "easy dinner" trick + a picture resulted in this for dinner last night:

(via grapevine twine)

i don't know if there is anything i love more than scooping up runny egg with bread. until i added an avocado. omigosh, run to your stove and make this NOW.

EGG in a HOLE + avocado!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 piece of bread
butter
avocado
s&p

Directions:
1. cut out a 3" circular hole in bread. i used the top of an empty salsa jar.
2. butter one side (or both sides if you love butter)
3. put bread, butter side down on skillet - let it grill for a minute to make the bread a little toasty
4. crack the egg and put it in the hole! now we're having fun!
5. when the egg white is almost cooked through (about 3 minutes), flip it. let it cook for another 2 minutes. nudge the yolk with your spatula and remove the bread when the yolk is gummy, and has lost that flimsy feeling. this gets easier with practice, but its better to have more runny than hard fried egg!
6. remove the bread and add sliced avocado to the top. sprinkle with salt and other seasonings you prefer.

enjoy. add a salad if you're feeling fancy.

salad + marv n joe

I'm learning to make dinners that are filling, but also healthy and light. You see, we usually don't eat dinner until after 9:30, so I need something that won't stick to my ribs that late at night. My stomach can't hack it. Thus the entry of the salad with slice of bread into my dinner rotation.

I've made 2 versions of this salad now, and I am in love. For some reason I've always had acute anxiety about making a good salad, since I grew up on iceberg, carrots, and cucumber with ranch salad.

Easy steps to a great salad

1. Have a few mix-in's on hand to make it easier. I like to keep pears, apples, roasted butternut squash, and roasted cauliflower on hand. And I also roasted 2 cups of assorted nuts (chopped almonds, pecans, and peanuts) that I keep in a tupperware for sprinkling on EVERYthing. It's just what I like.

2. Pick your greens: I like a good mesclun or baby lettuce mix.

3. Pick your dressing: We've really been enjoying the champagne vinaigrette from Whole Foods.

Make your salad:
We employ the big bowl method at the Taylor household. Throw your greens in a big huge bowl, add in your mix-ins (idea #1: butternut squash, cauliflower, edamame) (idea #2: pears, apples, roasted nuts), and drizzle with your preference of dressing.

Toss it all together until dressing coats the greens well. And most important rule: make sure your dinner buddy gets an equal amount of mix-in's to you (mix-in's are their own currency in our house).

A good partner to the Salad the Marv N Joe. I used to eat the Marv n Joe in the Food Court at Utah State University. It is so simple and SO delicious.

Marv N Joe

Ingredients:
slices of bread cut thick (1 - 1.5 inches)
slice of cheese - something mild like white cheddar or provolone
tomato
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Put the oven on Broil.
2. Drizzle olive oil on bread and sprinkle a little balsamic on the bread.
3. Put slices of tomato on top so it covers the bread. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomato.
4. Slice of cheese on top.
5. Put it in the oven and keep an eye on it! Your Marv N Joe will be finished just before the cheese starts to bubble. The cheese will look all melty and delicious. And the bread will be nice and crisp.

Ohhh I need another one right now.

6 steps to spinach and cheese strata.

i made my first strata for naomi's shower. yes, a risky move to make - trying out a brand new recipe on a large group of people - and egg dishes can be especially tricky! i had my quiche lady on speed dial in case the strata didn't work out, but thank goodness it did.

frightfully easy for how delicious it is.

warning: this is not a very "healthful" low-fat meal. it's one that will stick around in your gullet for a while. best left for a brunch for a group of friends. trust me on this - after eating it for 2 days, our household is forced to live in sweatpants. awesome and terrifying.

a few notes for this recipe

1. if you don't have stale bread, cut it up in 1" cubes and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, keeping a close eye so the bread is toasted, not burned.

2. this is best if prepared the evening before you serve to let the flavors meld and the eggs do its thing with the bread. wake up in the morning, throw it in the oven for about 50 minutes, and you have breakfast.

3. it may look jiggly when it comes out of the oven, but it will firm up after 15-20 minutes.

4. hannah added BACON and tomatoes to her strata and it was divine.

this is what a brunch looks like with 2 stratas (stratum?) as the main dish.

Gourmet's Spinach and Cheese Strata (adapted from here)

• ingredients
• 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
• 6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
• 2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 9 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

preparation

1, thaw and squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop. (i squoze in paper towels)

2, Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

3, Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).

4, Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).

5, Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

6, Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

monday night migas.

migas.

i've never eaten migas. but i saw a picture, and i was sold. here, look:

i mean, come on. wiping the drool off my desk...

why am i just now, today, hearing about migas? this is the kind of thing i dream about. crispy tortillas, eggs, a little spice, and top it with avocado and cilantro. i can't dream up a more perfect meal for me.

and guess what? it was pretty easy to make! this fits in well with the "brinner" theme we have going over at the taylor household. (other than tomatoes, i don't know if there is anything the husband enjoys more than brinner.)

Monday night Migas (adapted from here)

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil (i used vegetable)
3 corn tortillas cut into strips
1/2 an onion diced (about 1/2 a cup)
1/2 cup of shredded cheese such as Longhorn cheddar or Monterrey Jack
1 cup of salsa
1/2 cup of cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
optional: if you like spice, add some chopped jalapenos in with the onions.

Method:
1. In a bowl, whisk eggs together with milk. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
2. In a large iron skillet, heat up oil on medium-high, and place tortilla strips into skillet, cooking for until light brown and turn once. Remove the tortilla strips to a paper-towel-lined plate. Drain the oil from the skillet leaving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
3. Add onions to the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes
4. Add egg mixture and tortilla strips to the skillet and let eggs sit for about one minute or until set on the bottom and then gently stir. This was the fun part. I liked to crush the crispy tortillas a little to make them more bite size.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs and continue to cook until melted.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and top eggs with salsa and cilantro.
7. Remove from heat, plate, and garnish with avocado, sour cream, more tortilla strips - whatever you fancy.
Serves two.