(Hamburger) Buns

Another homemade recipe. It's getting easier and easier to avoid buying pre-packaged products from the grocery store!!!

Tonight's dinner was BBQ hamburgers on fresh baked buns. Yum! Here's the recipe for 12 buns. (I want to quickly mention that lately when I have been making bread or buns, I rarely follow a recipe and just throw things together (whatever is on hand). Now that I have a good feel for bread, it works most of the time. I will post the recipes that I feel are worth sharing! With that said - yes....these are originals!!! Also, if you look back at my original step-by-step bread recipe, I mentioned that you should leave your preferment over night. If you ever forget the night before, just start it in the morning. The longer you leave it the better (12-16 hours ideal), but even if you can get it started an hour or two before you start the bread process, it really helps. On the contrary, if you make the preferment and then don't end up baking, you can pop it in the fridge (covered) and use the next day. Good luck and happy baking!).

Hamburger Buns

• Preferment:
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2-2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 3/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Make your preferment 1-16 hours before starting bread process (*keep covered).
2. Remove cover from preferment and carefully add 2 cups flour and all other ingredients to same bowl. Begin to knead with mixer or hands. Add more flour if needed (dough should be slightly sticky. If you need more liquid, add a bit of milk).
3. After kneading for 5-7 minutes, form dough into ball, lightly oil and place back in bowl and then in microwave to proof (see tips/instructions on step-by-step recipe). Proof for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until double in bulk.
4. Remove dough (in bowl) from microwave and carefully pour onto counter. Divide and lightly shape into 12 balls. Place dough balls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle w/ sesame seeds, if desired.
5. Place cookie sheet back in microwave to proof, uncovered, for 30-60 minutes, or until doubled. After first 20 minutes, turn oven on to 450 degrees.
6. When dough has doubled, place directly in preheated oven and immediately turn temp down to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned.
7. Immediately after removing buns from oven, lightly brush with butter (this will soften them). Let cool (slightly or completely) and serve. Enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Today's recipe was Darwin's choice. The idea for it came from Better Homes and Gardens Smart Diet cookbook (on loan from the wonderful library!). The recipe calls for raspberries, but Darwin chose blueberries instead. We also changed a few things, but nothing major. Nutrition facts (as per the book) are 211 cal and 7 g fat per serving.....

Blueberry Coffee Cake

• 1 1/4 cups ap flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 beaten egg
• 2/3 cup buttermilk (*remember you can make buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp of lemon juice to regular milk)
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping:

• 2 tbsp ap flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp butter

1. Lightly grease (fluted) tube pan (or 9" round baking pan). Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups flour, white sugar, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Pour into dry mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into greased pan. Sprinkle blueberries on top.
5. In a small bowl, crumble together topping ingredients. Sprinkle over batter and blueberries.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove coffee cake from pan, cool slightly and serve (can sprinkle w/ powder sugar if desired). Enjoy!!!

See Pancake Recipe :)

One day this month (actually I think on 2 days), you got an extra recipe. I never said that my 365 recipes would be one per day, but rather all in 365 days.

I've been painting all day......just had an easy dinner of leftover pasta and sauce, with homemade chocolate mint cupcakes for dessert. The cupcakes are NOT healthy, so probably not a good recipe to post.

Instead, I'm taking my extra recipe this month and using it for TODAY. Still on track for 365 in 365.....

I'll be back again tomorrow with something new. Promise!

Garlic Breadsticks

These little tasties pair well with pasta (which is what we ate them with tonight!). Enjoy!

Garlic Breadsticks

• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2-2 1/3 cup ap flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tsp garlic salt (yikes, I know.....but it was worth it this one time!)
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil

1. In a large bowl, whisk together warm water (bath temp warm), yeast and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes (if yeast is active, the mixture will be creamy/foamy).
2. Carefully add 1 cup flour and begin to mix. Stir/knead in the rest of the ingredients. Knead with hands or dough hook for 5-7 minutes, until smooth, but slightly tacky.
3. Form dough into a ball and lightly oil. Place in microwave for proofing (see tip from bread recipe) for 1 hour, or until double in size.
4. Pour dough onto floured surface and gently form into a rectangle. Cut rectangle into 12 "sticks". Place sticks on lightly greased cookie sheet and proof uncovered in microwave for 30-45 minutes. With 20 minutes left, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Bake in pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes (until just starting to brown).
6. Brush with butter immediately after removing from oven. Sprinkle with parm cheese if you'd like. Serve warm and Enjoy!

Roasted Lemon Rosemary Quail

I recently picked up some quail, as I thought it would make for a fun and interesting dinner with the boys. Boy was I was right; it was a hit. And very tasty, too. I am sure there are many quail recipes out there, but this is how I cooked ours off the top of my head (and will definitely do it again this way). They were great!

Roasted Lemon Rosemary Quail

• 4 large quail
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• s & p
• few squeezes lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet on med-high. While heating, sprinkle quail w/ s&p.
3. Brown quail (in skillet) on 4 sides for about 2 minutes each.
4. When quail are nicely browned (*will still be red/pink inside cavity), squeeze lemon over all of them (it will steam in the skillet) and sprinkle with rosemary. Immediately pop entire skillet in oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until quail is cooked to desired temp.
5. Remove from skillet, serve with lemon slice and enjoy!

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Another tomato sauce recipe for all of you. This one uses fresh tomatoes. I can't wait to make it using our own garden tomatoes this summer (hopefully)! It tastes great served over pasta, either hot or cold! It also makes a wonderful bruschetta topping. Enjoy!

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• drizzle EVOO
• s&p
• splash balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp each dried oregano, rosemary, thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2-3 cloves smashed (not chopped) garlic

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees (convection roast if you have it).
2. Place washed tomatoes in a oven-proof, shallow pan. Drizzle with oil, s&p, and vinegar. Stir to evenly coat.
3. Sprikle herbs on top of tomatoes. Toss in smashed garlic cloves (to smash them - use the side of your knife. Also a good way to remove the skin!).
4. Roast in oven for 22 minutes, then remove.
5. Using the back of a spoon, pop tomatoes gently, while stirring sauce. Also try to mix the garlic in (it should be very soft).
6. Serve over pasta, or on bread. Enjoy!

*note - if you have fresh herbs in your kitchen, use those over the dried ones!!!*

BBQ Potatoes

Another delicious BBQ sidedish. This one is pretty easy and oh so yummy. Seems like a simple recipe to post, but I've been asked for it before, so here goes!

BBQ Roasted Potatoes

• 3 large potatoes
• 1/4 onion
• 3 drizzles extra virgin olive oil
• few shakes montreal steak spice

1. Fire up the grill (BBQ).
2. Thinly slice washed (but not peeled) potatoes and onions.
3. In a lightly greased tin foil "pouch", place a layer of potatoes (1 whole potato). Top w/ a little onion, drizzle of olive oil and a shake of montreal steak spice. Repeat 2 more times and completely wrap up in foil.
4. Place on BBQ over med heat for 35 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and ENJOY!