Carmalized Onion and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

My bread machine is SO hot right now. I have yet to use it to bake anything, but its been cranking out the dough all week. I have made 2 of these gorgeously delicious focaccia breads this week. One to use for breakfasts (grab and go hunk of bread for dh) and one for company as an afternoon snack. It's my adaption of this focaccia recipe 

Dough:
3/4 c water (75-85 degrees)
2 T olive oil
2 c bread flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1 1/2 t active dry yeast

Toppings:
1 large sweet onion (sliced)
3 T butter or margarine
1 t dried  rosemary
1 t minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 c cheddar cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1. Add dough ingredients to your bread machine in the order your manufacturer suggests. I add in the order listed above.
2. Choose the dough option. Allow machine to do its magic
3. When dough is finished remove it from machine.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4. Place dough on a greased cookie sheet. Pat dough into a circle (around 12")
5. Allow dough to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 30 minutes)
6. While dough is rising we will prepare our topping :)
7. In a large skillet melt butter.Cook onions until they start to caramelize. (about 15-20 minutes)
8. Add rosemary and garlic to onion mixture. Stir 2-3 minutes. Set aside
9. Back to dough: Once risen make indentations in the dough every inch or so. I use the back of my wooden spoon. You can use your finger if you'd like.
10. Cover dough with onion mixture.
11. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of onions.
12. Cover everything with cheddar cheese.
13. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are brown.
14. Cut into wedges and serve.

 **dough before topped**

Sesame Bagels using the bread machine

The other day while unpacking boxes I found the user manual for my bread machine.I hadnt used the thing in forever so I decided to skim it quickly. I then discovered I could use it to make BAGELS!!!

Im addicted to bagels. When I was pregnant I ate one every morning to keep the morning sickness away. Buying bagels can be pricey. Bagels at the grocery store are 69 cents... and  Panara (maker of my favorite bagels) gets a whopping 89 cents a bagel.

So I decided to try and make a batch. They turned out great! They are smaller than your mammoth store bought bagel but that just means less calories to burn.

1 cup water (75-85 degrees F)
2 t olive oil (or vegetable oil)
3 cups flour
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1 t active dry yeast

1 egg white
1 t water
sesame seeds

1. Using a 1 1/2 - 2lb bread machine Add first 6 accoring to your machines directions. With my machine I add water, oil, flour (to cover liquid) sugar, salt then yeast
2. Set to the dough (or bagel dough) setting. Push start
3. When done remove from machine. Punch down and set in a bowl to rest for 10 minutes. Cover with towel.
4. Divide dough into 9 balls. Form each ball into a ring (you know like a bagel)
5. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise for 20 minutes
6. In a large pan put water (and 1 T sugar) on to boil (do it now so its boiling when you need it)
7. After the 20 minute rise place bagels under the broiler on high. Broil 2 minutes, flip bagels over broil 2 more minutes.
8. Drop bagels into boiling water. Simmer bagels for 7 minutes turning over after 3 minutes. (make sure bagels arent laying on top of each other. simmer in 2 batches if you need to)
9. Remove from water and place on cookie sheet
10. Mix egg white with water. Brush on tops of bagels. Sprinkle with sesame seeds
11. Bake bagels at 375 for 30 minutes

Toast and Enjoy!

Valentine's Day

The plan for Valentine's Day was to stay home and make a fabulous dinner to save some money. Then we remembered we had a gift card for a local steakhouse and decided to find a babysitter and go out. Since my husband had to work on Sunday we decided to go out Saturday night.

So Sunday while he was at work I decided to surprise him when he got home by making some of his favorites. This was our second vanetine's day dinner :)

Menu:
Stuffed Mushrooms
Italian Salad
Pizza Bianco with fresh tomatoes
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes with homemade whipped cream
Chocolate covered strawberries

Decor:

i planned on getting out my wedding china and eating by candlelight, but we ended up in the living room eating on tv trays while playing with the baby. Oh well. 

Photos: Recipes to follow this week

Stuffed Mushrooms

Pizza Bianco with fresh tomatoes

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Recipes will be posted over the next few days and linked back to this post! Hope you had a happy valentine's day!

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

My husband dreams of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Okay... not really but he loves them. Whenever RL is brought up all he can talk about is the biscuits. I dont even know if he can name anything else on the menu.(we rarely eat there) So I decided to surprise him and try to duplicate them at home. I found this recipe and tweeked it a bit by adding a little more cheese (at husbands request)  I think I ate 6 out of the first batch! They rock!

2 cups bisquick
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t old bay seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix bisquick, milk and cheese
3. Drop biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet
4. Bake 8-10 minutes
5. Mix butter, garlic and old bay
6. Melt butter mixture
7. Spoon over top of baked bisuits