Brittany's PantryGarlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread
Brittany wrote this on 29 January 2013
garlic, parmesan cheese
So, I am told there is some kind of big deal football game coming up. Did you hear about this?
I actually had to google it to find out when it was happening! My husband and I don’t really follow sports, unless you count the Olympics. I do, of course, love the food that is associated with the Super Bowl. I can put away my share of chicken wings, let me tell you! But in the interest of serving something different, I love this bread.
Think of this as a savory monkey bread, if you will. Just when everyone is expecting heavy, salty, gooey food, you can plunk this down on the table. It is light and airy with just the right amount of garlic. No, this isn’t health food (note: there is butter in the recipe below 🙂 but it doesn’t weigh you down like a lot of other snack bread. And is it just me or is there something decidedly satisfying in ripping off hunks of bread? Of course, you can serve this with marinara sauce for dipping, but I have also made it to go alongside a big pot of tomato soup. Dare I say it was better than croutons? Its neutrality lends itself to just about anything you can think of to pair it with so be creative. Or heck! Just stick with plain marinara. Because in the end, warm garlic bread is just plain great.
One Year Ago: Banana Snack Cake, Black Bean Salsa
Two Years Ago: Vegetable Couscous, 5-Minute Meatloaf, Enchilada Pie
Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread
Adapted from The Pastry Affair
If you are short on time, or the thought of making bread from scratch makes your knees weak (and not in a ‘Oh my gosh, I just saw Tom Selleck!’ sort of way) just use a purchased 1-1 1/2 pound loaf of bread or pizza dough.
1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 1/3 c warm water
2 T olive oil
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 c bread flour or all purpose flour
1/4 c butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 T dried parsley
grated parmesan
In the bowl of a mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the warm water and the yeast. Let bloom for 5 minutes, or until a few bubbles appear. Add the olive oil and salt and with the mixer on low, add the flour, 1/2 c at a time until all the flour is mixed in. Turn the mixer up to medium and let the hook knead the dough until elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough should bounce back when pressed with a finger. Alternatively, just mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Knead by hand on the counter with a bit of flour to keep from sticking, about 8 minutes. Drizzle the dough with a bit of oil, turn to coat and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise on the counter for an hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, and parsley. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of an un-cracked walnut. Dip the dough in the butter mixture and line the bottom of a bundt pan with a single layer of dough pieces. Sprinkle generously with parmesan. Use the second half of the dough to make another layer, drizzling any leftover butter over top. Sprinkle again with parmesan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time on the counter until puffed, about 1 hour more.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Let the bread sit for a few minutes and then invert onto a serving plate. Serve plain, or with marinara for dipping.
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes & Hotel Room Service
Brittany wrote this on 23 January 2013 bananas, honey, maple syrup, sour cream, walnuts, whole wheat flour
Quite often, food reminds us of special times in our lives. Culinary memories, if you will.
My Mother-In-Law was telling me over the weekend that the smell of cinnamon rolls makes her think of her Mother. She used to bake them in the afternoons so that they were fresh and warm for an after school snack. Nice, huh? I think I should adopt that tradition too…:) I have talked about all of this before, I know! So I won’t ramble on about it, except to say that this recipe represents one of my own food memories. Just looking at the picture above makes me smile (and it makes my stomach growl)! Years ago, before we had children, my husband and I were staying at a hotel in St. Paul while enjoying a few days in the city. In the morning, while I slept in, he got up early and ordered room service for us. Not knowing what I would be hungry for he asked for one of everything! Did I mention my husband is the best ever? He knows the way to my heart is through my stomach! Well, and Barnes & Noble.
Anyway, I opened my eyes to our very own personal breakfast buffet! A pile of fresh fruit and yogurt, scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, granola, hot chocolate (my FAV), coffee, juice, everything! And we…erm…ate it all. And it was really, really, good. But something that stood out was the banana maple topping for the pancakes. With the exception of using them in baked oatmeal, I am not a huge fan of warm bananas. They get mushy and squishy and uhg! Ishy. But that day, our beautiful pancakes arrived with a little ramekin of sliced bananas that were literally swimming in warm maple syrup and pecans. So we just kind of shrugged, and then dumped the whole thing over the lake of melted butter that had formed on the top of our stack.
Un-be-LEIVable! We dubbed them ‘those hotel pancakes’ and never looked back. Who knew that warm maple bananas on pancakes would be so good?! Add the crunch of nuts and the saltiness of a side of bacon and you have one special meal. All of that on top of a banana sour cream pancake? Yes, please!!! I have been making these pancakes for years and they are so good, my daughter prefers them unadorned and in the hand like a snack. And if you decide to throw this combo together, the full breakfast buffet is optional.
One Year Ago: Weeknight Apple Pie, Gringo Chicken Soup, Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Chocolate Pudding Cake
Two Years Ago: Chicken Salad, Midnight Crunchies, Crispy Bars
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Inspired by Ina and that one hotel we stayed at once.
2 bananas, mashed with a fork
In a large bowl, whisk together:
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
In a small bowl, whisk together:
1/2 c sour cream
3/4 c milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 T honey
Gently stir in the mashed bananas. Carefully mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just barely combined. There should be lumps! Fry pancakes in butter on a griddle or large skillet over medium low heat. Top with warm maple syrup, sliced bananas, and chopped walnuts or pecans!
Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
Brittany wrote this on 15 January 2013 balsamic vinegar, carrots, gluten-free, honey, pomegranate, vegetarian
I generally think of carrots as a kind of perfect side dish. Aren’t they a kind of super hero in the culinary world? When they showed up as an ingredient on Iron Chef America, people cheered! Hooray! A familiar food that you can do…ANYTHING with!! With the exception of cooking them until they are mushy, they are pretty hard to screw up. Most people like them, they go well with a wide variety of foods, they are good sweet or savory, and best of all-they are beautiful! They add instant color and pop to any plate, making dinner that much more appealing.
I am always looking for great ways to serve carrots. I roast them with other root vegetables, I toss them with honey and butter, I dice them up and add them to couscous, and I steam them with broccoli. I puree them and stir them into potatoes, snack on them raw or with hummus. and I braise them with roast beef. And now, I glaze them with pomegranate.
Glazing carrots is nothing new, but what struck me about this recipe was the cooking method. Kind of like getting all the benefits of roasting carrots but without the roasting; glazing carrots, but with way more flavor. I made these carrots a lot to make sure that the cooking method was one that could be trusted and, well…honestly…didn’t need to be babysat. I’ve got things to do, you know? But after making these carrots to serve with crock pot roast beef, and then with Sweet and Spicy Salmon, and then with creamed chicken over mashed potatoes, I can say without reservation that they were never a problem to make. They are however, extremely addicting. I munched down about half of the first batch before it even made it to the the table. So, a little attention on the stove with just a few ingredients and you have a spectacular side dish that tastes complex and fancy, but is still as down to earth as a root vegetable should be. It is just carrots after all here people! No soufflés please! Just great food! And this definitely fits the bill.
One Year Ago: How To: Poach Chicken
Two Years Ago: Oatmeal Pancakes, Giada’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
Adapted from The Noble Pig
Cranberry juice is a great, affordable alternative if you can’t fine pure pomegranate juice!
1/4 c pomegranate juice-pomegranate juice cocktail is fine
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T honey
1 T butter
2 T olive oil or grapeseed oil
2 pounds of carrots, trimmed and peeled, cut in half or quarters
salt and pepper
splash of water, about 1/4 c
In a small bowl, whisk together the first three ingredients. Set aside. In a large skillet, not non-stick and with a lid, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, toss a bit to coat, season with salt and pepper, and then leave undisturbed for 2 or three minutes, allowing the carrots to acquire a bit of color. Toss and flip the carrots, and leave again for a few minutes. Turn the heat down slightly if they are starting to scorch. Keep tossing every few minutes until the sides of the carrots are getting browned and lovely. Once they are done browning, splash in your water and quickly cover the pan with a lid. Let veggies steam until most of the water has evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid and pour the pomegranate mixture over top. Toss the carrots with the glaze for a minute until the heat allows the glaze to coat the veggies. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
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