Carrabba’s Bread Dip

I wonder how many loaves of bread I could eat at Carrabba’s, if I had their bread dip in front of me? I could make a meal out of that! I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it’s pretty good! It’s a little spicier than the dip at Carrabba’s, but it tastes pretty darn close to what they serve. It’s weird, Liam said his wasn’t spicy at all. I looked on Pinterest and there are several different recipes for this out there, so I might try another one and see how it compares. But in the meantime, “welcome to Carrabba’s!”

rating: 9

Carrabba’s Bread Dip
adapted from Chef 2 Chef

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

In a to-go container, combine all the ingredients together. Store mixture in the refrigerator until needed.

Put 1 Tbsp of mixture per person in a small saucer with raised edges. Pour extra-virgin olive oil over the mixture, and dip warm sourdough or French bread into the mixture.

 

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

Here’s another recipe I found on Pinterest. The picture looked so good, I knew I had to try it! These are easy to assemble and don’t take very long to make. They were good, but they weren’t as good as I thought they would be. Liam liked how he could pull of bites of the bread, and actually ate two. They are cute, though.

rating: 7.5

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/)

adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen
2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
6 Tbl. butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbl. dried parsley flakes
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
plus 2 Tbl. to sprinkle on top

Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over biscuit pieces. Gently toss to evenly coat. Use a greased 12-cup muffin tin and place 6-7 pieces in each cup. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tablespoons of cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12.

 

Pumpkin Muffins

I am always afraid I won’t be able to find canned pumpkin when I need it (a pumpkin emergency?), so I always stock up on it. I was in a grocery store a month or so ago and they didn’t have any pumpkin! They weren’t carrying it yet!! I happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this recipe (well, all except the pumpkin pie spice, which I had to make myself), and I am glad I did. These muffins were really good, and you know what makes them so good? I think it’s the raisins and the molasses. This does make about 18 muffins, so get ready to share with your friends and family. These muffins taste and smell like fall.

rating: 9

Pumpkin Muffins
(Cooking Light, Cooking Through the Seasons)

makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in raisins; make a well in center of mixture. Combine brown sugar, canned pumpkin, buttermilk, canola oil, molasses, vanilla extract, and eggs, stirring well with a whisk. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

per serving: 202 calories

 

Product Review: Morningstar Farms Biscuits

I had heard about these in internet-land, and was really excited when I saw them at a local grocery store. I bought the bacon-egg-cheese flavor and the sausage-egg-cheese. Directions say to just microwave them. I made myself the bacon biscuit, and my husband the sausage one. I thought it was way too much biscuit, and the biscuit was really dry. Hubby said the same thing. I ate half of mine, and gave the rest to him. He said that mine was WAY better than his. I didn’t really like the filling too much, either. I guess he will be eating the rest of the biscuits. I give these a 3, and hubby gives them a 7.

http://www.morningstarfarms.com/products_sausage-egg-cheese-biscuits.aspx

 

Meatless Biscuits and Gravy

This recipe comes from the blog Healthy Food Lazy People, which I have just discovered. HFLP just made a comment on one of my posts, and that led me to his blog and well, here we are! This recipe caught my eye right away. I love biscuits and gravy and don’t get the opportunity to have it much. I did not make my own biscuits (I used frozen ones, Pillsbury, I think). Also, I used Silk soy milk instead of milk. I used Morningstar Farms sausage patties for the sausage. I microwaved them, then browned them in a pan (I cut them into smaller pieces). This gravy thickened up really fast, and it looked so good. To me, it tasted like flour. That’s all I could taste. Toby said it wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t  ”exciting”. It really just didn’t have much of a flavor at all. I wonder what it needs? I will keep working on this one.

rating: 7

Meatless Biscuits and Gravy

http://healthyfoodlazypeople.com/)

(for the biscuits):

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

A few shakes of salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

(for the gravy):

1/2 pound ground vegetarian sausage (I used Morningstar Farms Sausage Patties)

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup milk (I used Silk soy milk)

A few shakes of salt

A few shakes of pepper

Step 1) To make the biscuits, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together and then add in the melted butter and milk. Stir and it will magically turn into a dough. Scoop the dough into 6 small blobs on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Step 2) While the biscuits are baking, place a half pound of ground vegetarian sausage into a pan and begin to cook. When the sausage has browned to your liking, add in 2 tablespoons of butter and stir.

Step 3) Sprinkle half of your flour onto the sausage and immediately add in half of your milk. Stir. Then, add in the rest of your flour and the rest of your milk. Stir.

Step 4) Don’t panic if your gravy looks really soupy, just keep stirring. After a few minutes, it will begin to thicken up. I usually let the gravy simmer, with an occasional stir, until my biscuits are done.

Step 5) Place a few biscuits on a plate and top with gravy.

Step 6) Eat.

 

Pumpkin Bread

I know, I know, another recipe for pumpkin bread. It seems like all I make lately is pumpkin bread and squash soup! So I have discovered something pretty neat in my town. It’s called a l-i-b-r-a-r-y. They have tons of books that you can read for, get this, FREE! I took Liam a couple of days ago to get a movie (Stuart Little), and they had a little display of cookbooks calling to me. I saw this one, “Baking Artisan Pastries & Breads”, and I brought it home. It’s very technical, and it tells you everything you ever wanted to know about baking. I think I have decided to let go of my dreams of opening up a cupcake shop. 1. I don’t really bake that much and 2. the hours would kill me. I think I will just satisfy my love of cupcakes by eating them occasionally. So this bread- it’s actually a recipe for pumpkin muffins, but he says you can also use 2 loaf pans to make bread, and that’s what I did. The crumb topping…I don’t know about that. It was very messy and would just fall off while I was eating my bread. I don’t think it’s necessary. The bread, though, was excellent! Mine had to bake a few more minutes than it called for, but it was worth it. I had my couple of pieces and then wrapped up the rest of that loaf for a neighbor, and wrapped up loaf #2 for Toby to take to work. PS: this makes your house smell great!

rating: 9

Pumpkin Bread
(Baking Artisan Pastries & Breads, Ciril Hitz)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 batch crumb topping

Crumb topping:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 tsp baking powder

Combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl of a 5-qt. stand mixer, and use a paddle attachment to blend together until the desired texture is achieved. Take care not to overmix. This can also be done by hand using a pastry cutter or by using two sharp knives, finishing with your hands.

Bread:

1. Prepare a batch of Crumb Topping and refrigerate (can be made up to a week in advance).
2. Prepare muffin tins (or load pans) with nonstick baking spray. Preheat a convection oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract using a paddle attachment.
5. Slowly add the eggs one at a time, blending well between each egg, then add the pumpkin puree and mix. Add the dry ingredients mixture and blend, being careful not to overmix. The bather will be rather wet.
6. Scoop the batter into the muffin tins, filling two-thirds full, and sprinkle with the Crumb Topping. An ice-cream scoop works well for portioning the batter.
7. Bake in the preheated convection oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the pans and allowing to cool on a wire rack.

 

Garlic Bread

Instead of using the pre-made frozen garlic bread I normally rely on, I decided to make my own. It couldn’t get much easier than this! I opted not to add the cheese, though. This was ok. It wasn’t very garlicky at all. But it went well with the pasta dish I made. Liam really liked it and requested to have more the next day.

rating: 8.5

Garlic Bread
(Rachael Ray)

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf crusty bread, split
• 3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano, optional
• Chopped fresh parsley (I omitted)

Combine garlic, butter, and oil in a microwave safe dish or in a small saucepan. Heat garlic and butter and oil in microwave for 1 minute or in a small pot over moderate-low heat for 3 minutes.

Toast split bread under broiler. Remove bread when it is toasted golden brown in color. Brush bread liberally with garlic oil. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and parsley. If you added cheese, return to broiler and brown 30 seconds. Cut into chunks and serve.

 

Skillet Corn Bread

Here’s the corn bread recipe I promised you last week. We ate this with the Smokin’ Hoppin’ John.  This was super easy, and turned out really well. At first bite, I thought it was really bland. But then I got a piece of the bottom crust. That’s where all the goodness is! I found out that I am the only one in my family that likes corn bread, so, alas, most of this went in the trash. But it was good!

rating: 9

Skillet Corn Bread
(“The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook”, Kim O’Donnel)

1 1/2 cups cornmeal, preferable stone ground, which yields more character
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tbsp butter
1 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/2-2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar (if using).

Place the butter in a skillet and heat in the oven until the butter just begins to bubble, 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the egg to the dry ingredients and then pour in 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk. With a fork, whisk together, then switch to using a wooden spoon to combine. If the batter seems dry, add more buttermilk (which lends a custardy result).

Remove the skillet from the oven and immediately pour the batter on top of the sizzling butter. Return to the oven. Bake until golden on top, 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, slice the corn bread into wedges, and dig in, with or without butter or honey (or if you live in the South, sorghum syrup!).

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

We went to my aunt’s 50th birthday party this past weekend, and I took several appetizers (Ugly Dip, Mushroom Canapes, Cream Cheese + Pepper Jelly), and then this bread. I wanted to take something sweet, but not cookies. I had never made this bread before, and I hate making new dishes for a crowd, but I did it anyway. This recipe makes two loaves, so keep that in mind. I only had one loaf pan (I bought another one at Target this weekend!), so I poured half the batter into it and baked it, and kept my fingers crossed that the remaining batter would be ok an hour later to bake another loaf. Anywho. This recipe comes from Paula Deen’s magazine (Cooking with Paula Deen). She gives you the basic recipe and then gives you options for changing it up, like adding ginger, or chocolate, or nuts, etc. I chose the chocolate route. I thought this bread was good, but it isn’t the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever had. And I don’t know if I’m sold on the chocolate addition, either. I think I would have been happier if I had added pecans instead of chocolate. ***And you will notice in the pic that a piece is missing. I had to sample it!

rating: 8

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
(Cooking With Paula Deen, Sept./Oct. 2010)

makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (9×5-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water. In another large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in the chocolate. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire rack.

 

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

We are still recovering from jet lag over here. We are staying up until 9 or 10ish, but still waking up incredibly early (5am). I thought that baking something would keep me awake (it didn’t help), and here is what I made. This bread isn’t very sweet, but it’s still good in my book. I used pecans instead of walnuts (what, I am going to go to the grocery store in my pj’s?). I am trying to limit myself to only one slice of this a day.

rating: 9

Pumpkin Walnut Bread
(Pumpkin Lovers Cookbook, Golden West Publishers)

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk (I used Silk plain almond milk)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream together brown sugar and shortening till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and milk. Stir thoroughly the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, baking soda and cloves; stir into pumpkin mixture. Beat 1 minute with electric or rotary beater. Stir in nuts. Turn into greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool. Wrap and store overnight. Serve with butter.