Garlic Knot Rolls

You know that delicious bread they serve at Italian restaurants or at pizzerias? This is it. It is so delicious without being overly garlicky or buttery. They are not that difficult to make, at all, they just take some time, as any other bread does. We had these one night that I planned on just making a simple pasta dish, so I had plenty of time to devote to these precious knots. It was my first time trying my hand at these and with the help of my Sous-Chef, Ethan, we had these completed in no time.
Source: White On Rice Couple

Ingredients for Dough:
1 3/4 cup of Warm Water
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 tablespoon of Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon of Active Dry Yeast
5 1/2 cups of Flour

Ingredients for Garlic Coating:
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
4 tablespoons of Butter
8 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 cup of Italian Parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

First, combine the water, olive oil, sea salt , sugar, and yeast in a large bowl, if you are using your KitchenAid Mixer and dough hook, use this bowl. Mix lightly and let the yeast dissolve into the water, about 5 minutes.

Next, add the flour and incorporate well, by hand or by mixer with dough hook. Cover this with a towel and set in a warm spot. Let this rise for 3 hours, or until doubled in size. After this step you can freeze the dough or refrigerate the dough to make it easier to work with. This step is optional.

Now, use a large cutting board for this next part. Coat your cutting board with olive oil, liberally. Get your pans ready, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Now cover your hands in the oil.

Next, divide the dough in half. Slap one half down on the board, and roll it into a rectangle, 5 inches x 16 inches. Slice with a pizza cutter or very sharp knife into 1/2 inch x 5 inch strips. Sprinkle all of the dough strips with flour and roll each strip into a rope. Now tie it into a knot, this knot will not change in size through baking so make them tight knots. Continue until all of your dough is into knots. Putting each pan in a spot to rise while working on the others.

After the knots have doubled in size, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

While these knots are baking, make your garlic coating. In a saucepan combine the olive oil, butter, and garlic. Let this cook until the butter is melted and the garlic has softened and browned, be careful not to burn the garlic. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and stir in the parsley.

Finally, when the knots come out of the oven, brush them with the coating immediately or toss them in the bowl.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Mini Calzones

These calzones were so easy to make and were so delicious. Those are two components that I love in a dish and also you can custom make them. When they are custom made, I get my spinach in mine and Ethan gets extra pepperoni's in his. These calzones are also great reheated for lunches and you can make however many you need. This recipe is for eight calzones and can be easily halved. The best part about these calzones is you don't have to even make a dough, the dough is made from frozen rolls that just have to rise. Perfection, really.
Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
8 whole Dinner Rolls, frozen and unrisen (Rhodes brand is great)
1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes
8 ounces of Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese, grated
2 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Pepper
Marinara Sauce, optional, for dipping
Any additional toppings- Ground Italian Sausage (cooked), Spinach, Olives, Peppers

Directions:

First, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and cover with a towel and let rise for 2-3 hours.

Now, when you are ready to make a calzone, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Next, let's make the filling. Get out a medium bowl and mix the italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, 1 egg, salt, and the pepper. If you are just making one type of calzone stir in the additional ingredients, if not leave just the cheeses in this bowl.

Now, get the rolls out and place them onto a clean, lightly-floured surface. Roll them out until they are paper thin.

Next, it is time to fill the calzone. If you are just making one type, place the mixture, 3-4 tablespoons, in and fold over to seal. If you are making different types, place the toppings on one side of the calzone, place cheese mixture on top, and top with a few more toppings. Example: layer 3 pepperonis, 2 tablespoons ricotta, 3 pepperonis. Be careful not to overfill the calzones. Seal the calzone with the edges of a fork.

Now, beat your last egg and brush it over the top of the calzone. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately and with marinara, if you like that kind of thing.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Chicken Kiev

This is a classic French dish that I fell in love with the first time I made it. I, like the rest of the world, was searching for a new take on a boneless-skinless chicken breast, and this is it. It has such simple ingredients that really let the chicken shine and has butter and fresh herbs stuffed inside. The butter keeps the chicken so moist throughout the cooking process and melts wonderfully and mixes with the herbs.

This chicken needs to be prepped ahead of time, so it can chill before being cooked, from 1 hour- 24 hours. You can make this dish in the morning or the night before and have dinner basically ready for when you get home from a long day. I served this dish with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, which were the perfect side dishes. The key to this dish is to use real butter and fresh herbs.
Source: Recipe.com

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless
1 tablespoon of Green Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of Parsley, chopped
1 clove of Garlic, minced
8 tablespoons of Butter, cut into 4 pieces, + 1 additional tablespoon of Butter
1 Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon of Water
1/4 Cup of Flour
1/2 Cup of Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon of Cooking Oil


Directions:

First, get out four small bowls. In one, combine the onion, parsley, and garlic. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and water. In the next bowl, the flour and in the last bowl, put the breadcrumbs.

Now, on a clean working surface you are going to flatten your chicken. Place a chicken breast in-between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Do this to all of the chicken.

Next, remove the plastic wrap from the chicken and spread the inside of each chicken with 1/4 of the herbs. Place a piece of butter in the center and roll the chicken breast up with the sides tucked in. I secured the chicken with a toothpick. Repeat with all of the chicken.

Now, for the coating of the chicken. First, coat the chicken in flour, then egg mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, and bread crumbs again.

Place the chicken into a baking dish and cover and place in the refrigerator for one hour and up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, melt the one tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

When the butter has melted, add the oil. Add the chicken rolls and cook each breast for about 5 minutes or until golden brown on all sides.

Return chicken to the baking dish with the butter and oil from the skillet drizzled on top and bake for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the juices run clear. Remove toothpicks from the chicken at this point, if you used them.

Serve immediately with the drippings spooned over the chicken.


Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwich

These sandwiches are so flavorful. The meat is cooked low and slow, so it is fall-apart tender and will have your house smelling amazing all day long. This is a perfect meal for during the week, you can put it in your crockpot in the morning and let it cook on low all day. My husband dislikes peppers, but still loves this sandwich. He just had the meat on his sandwich, sans peppers, and loved the flavors that the meat absorbed from the peppers. This is one of our favorites and you can use the leftovers to make Baked Roast Beef and Cream Cheese Wontons.
Source: So Tasty, So Yummy, via A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
1 Beef Chuck Roast, 2 lbs.
1 jar of Whole Pepperoncini Peppers, 16 ounces
1 teaspoon of Onion Powder
1/4 cup of Red Wine

Directions:
First, place the roast in your crockpot.

Next, in a small bowl mix the red wine and onion powder together. Pour the mixture over the roast.

Now, pour the entire jar of pepperoncini peppers, juices included over the roast.

Finally, cook on low for 8 hours. This should shred easily with two forks when it is ready.

Serve on a bun of your choice, cheese and juices from the pot are optional.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Baked Prosciutto Egg Cups

I did another recipe swap, hosted by a taste of home cooking, and this one was the breakfast swap. I was so excited. I was even more excited when I got this amazing recipe from The Cookaholic Wife. These baked prosciutto egg cups were right up our alley. I have now made them twice, since getting the recipe.

These are so easy to make, literally less than 5 minutes of preparation, and they bake fro 15-20 minutes. It really does not get much easier than this for breakfast. This is great for a large crowd, or even just for one person, you can make however many you want. If you are making them just for you, you can bake them a little less time than you would like your egg done and then microwave them for about 1 minute each morning. This would also work great with turkey slices, for a healthier option. I have a feeling that these will be in the breakfast menu for years to come.
Source: Every Little Thing, via The Cookaholic Wife

Ingredients:
6 slices of Prosciutto
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Italian Seasoning
6 Eggs
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
First, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Next, get out a muffin tin and liberally spray it with cooking spray.

Now, start lining the tins with the prosciutto slices, then a sprinkle of the cheese, and a pinch of the Italian seasoning.

Next, crack an egg into each tin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

15 minutes- for a very runny egg
18 minutes- for a semi-runny egg
20 minutes- for a completely baked egg

Finally, run a knife around the edges to loosen and scoop out with a spoon. Serve warm. If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Skinny Sesame Chicken

I love Chinese food, but I hate making it at home, it just never tastes the same. I also dislike going out to eat it, I feel so guilty, I know it is packed with so many calories. The other at home option, frozen food, yeah, I don't like that option either. I was on the search for a healthy version that tasted great, I thought I would never find one. I tried countless recipes before I found this one, and this is THE one. It is delicious, healthy, quick, and  easy-clean up, what else can you ask for?
Source: Gourmet Day to Day

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Flour
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/8 teaspoon of Pepper
1 package of Chicken Tenderloins,  cut into cubes
1/4 cup of Soy Sauce, reduced sodium
1/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Dark Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons of Sesame Seeds, toasted
1/4 cup of fresh Scallions, chopped

Directions:

First, combine the flour, salt and pepper in a gallon ziplock bag. Now, add the chicken and shake until all of the chicken is well coated.

Next, coat a large non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. When the pan has warmed, add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes until you chicken is cooked throughly and the juices run clear. Move the chicken to a plate.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the soy sauce and sugar. Now, wait until the sugar has dissolved and add the sesame oil and seeds, then, the chicken and scallions. Coat the chicken with the sauce and serve immediately.

I recommend serving this over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife

Roasted Soy Cilantro Red Potatoes

This is my new favorite preparation of roasting potatoes. The soy and cilantro compliment each other so well, it is quite the unique pairing, and one that I cannot get enough of. I have made this recipe twice now and I am just now sharing it, sorry! They are such an easy way to prepare potatoes and they get so crispy. This recipe only calls for 5 red potatoes and it makes so much, you will only eat one potato and be full. It is wonderful, you get your potato fix without going overboard.
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations, via Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:
5 Red Potatoes, sliced into small pieces
2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 tablespoon of Cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Salt

Directions:
First, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and get out an oven-safe dish. Spray the dish with cooking spray.

Now, get out a medium size bowl and place the potatoes in it. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, cilantro, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Pour this mixture over the potatoes.

Place the coated potatoes in the oven-safe dish and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked thoroughly and are crispy.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife