Baked Brown Rice

Did you know you could bake brown rice in the oven? I didn't! Since I discovered this method of making brown rice, I have been making it every week. At this stage of my life I love dinners that I can prepare earlier in the day and not have to think about too much. Also, this method makes fluffy and flavorful rice every time. I like using brown rice for the health benefits, but always disliked how long it takes to make on the stovetop (I don't like tending it) and really disliked the way it turns out in the microwave. I bought the large, inexpensive bagged long grain rice, a nice container with wide mouth to store it in and just scoop out the amount I need. I also add lemon juice to mine but that is optional. This is one of my new favorite things thanks to Mels Kitchen Cafe!

{Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice}

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water 

juice of one large lemon, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. Enjoy!

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomato and Basil

I am not a fan of pasta salads with a mayonnaise dressing, so the fact that I'm sharing this one means it is REALLY good. When I saw this recipe at Tasty Kitchen, I had a few doubts about the combination of ingredients but decided not to change anything major and I am so glad I didn't because it is so delicious! This is a refreshing twist on the regular summer bbq salads. The colors make it really pretty and I love that you could use fresh basil and tomatoes from a home garden. This comes just in time for the 4th of July holiday or other summer events for you to bring along. Just be sure to keep it cold since it does have mayonnaise. Trust me, you will love this! I cut the following recipe in half since I would be the only one eating it at my house. I am very glad to have this in my fridge for lunch all week! YUM!

Photo Used from Tasty Kitchen

*Printable Version*

What You Need:12 ounces mastaccioli pasta {I used whole wheat penne}
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk {or enough to make the dressing the consistency you want}
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers {found canned in any grocery}
10 oz grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound smoked gouda cheese cut into cubes
24 basil leaves cut chiffonade {my leaves were huge so I didn't use anywhere near 24- do it to taste}
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
To make the dressing, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, adobo sauce, and enough milk to thin to the consistency you like. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients and taste to determine if you need to add more salt and pepper. Next time, I would increase the adobo sauce for a little more spice. Let chill for a couple of hours before serving. Enjoy!

Citrus Poppyseed Scones with Glaze

So it is safe to say with a brand new baby at our house, posting here probably won't be happening too often but I did want to quickly share this recipe because its great for spring. I have about two seconds to tell you that these are delicious & pretty simple. Give them a try!

The citrus flavor is up to you. You can make these with orange, lemon or grapefruit.

Recipe source: Slighly adapted from Good Life Eats


What You Need: {Scones}
2 tablespoons zest {grapefruit, lemon, or orange}

2/3 cup sugar

4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 cup cold butter
2 large eggs, plus an extra for the egg wash
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup citrus juice (grapefruit, lemon, or orange)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

{Glaze}:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons citrus juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and zest. Rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers to release the oils.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, zest, and poppy seeds. Cut the butter into the flour mixture. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, combine the 2 eggs, buttermilk, citrus juice, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the egg mixture and stir until it comes together. Whisk the additional egg in a small bowl combined with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.

Turn out on a lightly floured counter and knead a few times until it holds it's shape. Divide into two equal portions (a kitchen scale helps with this) and roll into an 8 or 9 inch circle. Dust the bottom of the circles with flour.

Cut each circle into 6 or 8 triangles. Place the triangles on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with the egg wash, then bake for 15-25 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden and cooked through.

Cool on a wire rack.

Make glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of citrus juice at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle over the scones & serve. Enjoy!

Pretzel Bites

If you have been to purchase a big pretzel lately, you might have seen they are making little pretzel bites now that come in a cup. My son loves these little bite size snacks when we go to the mall. I made these  for Superbowl Sunday after coming across the recipe at My Kitchen Cafe. Yeast breads are my weakness in cooking, but these are really easy. We had them with an incredible hot chorizo dip that I will share the recipe for later. These turn out chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, warm and buttery. Very good and a fun and different snack, especially for kids!

*Note: if using active dry yeast, increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon. Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (let it bubble and foam  about 5 minutes) before adding it to the flour and salt.

*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

*Printable Version*

Dough:
2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. The high heat is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved.  You may not get the baking soda to dissolve. Just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. 

Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all.  Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat. Enjoy!