Baked Olives and Grilled Bread

It has been a long time since I posted anything on my blog.  Thanks to one of my blog followers that was at a “Gail’s Pizza Parties” last week who told me she really liked my blog posts and misses them, I am now dedicated to returning to blogging and adding new recipes weekly!

I thought I would share my recipes from “Cookin’ For A Livin'”, a cookbook developed by myself, my boss at the time, Pete Friedman, and an amazing photographer, Jon Hunter.

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Baked Olives & Grilled Bread is one of my favorite recipes that I developed in the lab/kitchen.  Not only is it an easy dish to prepare, it is also very colorful and healthy!

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Buon Appetito!


WREG “Live at 9” – Making Fresh Mozzarella & Grilled Caprese Sandwiches

Fresh Mozzarella

1 pound fresh mozzarella curd*
6 cups water
3 tablespoons kosher salt

Slice the curd into thin slivers and place in a large mixing bowl.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat, add the salt and bring back to the boil.

Gently pour enough boiling water over the curd to cover, let it sit for a few minutes to temper the curd. Use 2 wooden spoons to gently gather the curd together in the center of the bowl. Use the spoons to scoop the mass out of the water and hold it above the bowl, allowing the weight of the cheese to cause it to stretch back down to the water. Repeat lifting the cheese and letting it stretch until it looks smooth and shiny.

To shape the cheese, lift the cheese out of the water and roll it into a tight ball. Pinch the bottom of the ball to seal the seam. The surface of the ball should be smooth and shiny.

Place the form balls into an ice-water bath to cool. If more flavor is desired, salt can be added to the water bath.

Wrap finished mozzarella balls highly in plastic wrap. Serve within 24 hours for optimum flavor and texture.

*Mozzarella curd is available at specialty cheese shops, or on the web at www.goldenagecheese.com.

Grilled Caprese Sandwiches

Yield: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Grill time: 4 minutes

8 slices Italian Bread
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
¼ cup Mazola® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

 

Combine the basil and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.

Brush pesto mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Layer tomatoes on 4 slices and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with mozzarella slices and remaining bread slices; firmly press sandwiches together.

On a preheated grill over medium high heat, place sandwiches on an angle and cover (close grill cover if grilling outside or use either a pan lid or a metal bowl, inverted, if grilling inside). Cook 2 minutes, rotate 90° and continue cooking an additional 2 minutes, covered. Flip sandwiches over and repeat process as above. Serve on a bed of leafy greens, if desired.

Grilled Caprese Sandwiches

Buon Appetito!

 


What a great way to begin 2015, bananas and chocolate, perhaps a little Mimosa or a Bloody Mary to go along with this New Year’s Breakfast?  This quick and easy dish is certainly to be a favorite amongst any household members.

Banana French Toast

Banana Chocolate French Toast

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes
12 slices of your favorite bread
1¼ cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
1 banana, sliced thinly
1-2 teaspoons Canola Oil
Powdered sugar, maple syrup & butter, for garnish, if desired
Combine milk and eggs in a shallow dish.

Top 6 slices of bread with one tablespoon chocolate spread; arrange banana slices on top of chocolate. Top sandwiches with remaining 6 bread slices.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one sandwich at a time, place sandwich into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides. Place coated sandwiches into pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Buon Appetito and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! What’s for breakfast? How about Banana Chocolate French Toast!


Thank you all for supporting my blog…2014 in review. 2015 will be even bigger and better!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.


Quick & Easy Taco Chili

This is for my new friends in St. Louis that attended the “Cooking with the Experts” at Schnucks Headquarters last week.  What a GREAT group you were and a joy to instruct and present to.  I look forward to doing it again next year!  Enjoy!

Taco Chili

Taco Chili

Yield: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
1 lb. ground chuck or ground turkey
2 tablespoons corn oil
½ medium size onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup Spice Islands® Taco Seasoning Mix
2 (14.5 ounce) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 to 1 ½ cups beef stock
1 (15.5 ounce) can red kidney beans

Garnish:
Chopped Scallions
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
In a medium sized stock pot, over high heat, brown ground beef or turkey in small batches, removing cooked meat with a slotted spoon (do not overcrowd the pan).

Add corn oil to pan and let heat through. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Serve in a warm bread bowl (if desired) and garnish with chopped scallions, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Buon Appetito!


2015 Galena’s Cucina Calendars

Just in time for the holidays, the perfect gift for that “foodie” in your life.  Monthly recipes along with beautiful photos.  Now available for ordering, first 25 orders will receive a free recipe collection. Special price of $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

Deliveries will be available after November 20, 2014.  Click on the “Order Form” to place your order.

Order Form

Galena's Cucina 2015 Calendars

Galena’s Cucina 2015 Calendars


Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Okay, so I didn’t come up with this idea, but that’s the POWER of the internet…I did, however, made it my own….so easy with a few little tricks.

In a large mixing bowl add 1 box bread mix, yeast package, ½ cup canned pumpkin, 2 tablespoons melted butter and ½ cup warm water.  Mix until well combined.  Knead dough 4-5 minutes.  Place bread back into the mixing bowl and cover with a cloth towel.   Place in a warm spot for 45-60 minutes (or longer if you have time).

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet.

12 rolls

12 equal pieces rolled into a ball

Using a pair of scissors, make 6-8 cuts along sides, leaving the center intact.  Poke your finger into the center of the roll.

6-8 Cuts

6-8 Cuts

Whisk 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water, brush over rolls.

Egg wash rolls

Egg wash rolls

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, 20 minutes.  Remove rolls from oven and place on a wire rack.  Mix 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1 tablespoon of honey and brush over hot rolls.  Place ½ pecan piece in center of roll.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

1 Package Fleishmann’s® Simply Homemade® Country White Bread Mix
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup water, 115-120°F
1 egg

Honey Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine bread mix, yeast (included with the mix), pumpkin, and butter. Add water, mix until well combined. Knead dough 4-5 minutes. Place bread back into the mixing bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.  Place bowl in a warm spot for 45 minutes, or longer if time permits  (dough will not double in size).

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Using a scissors, give 6 cuts on the edge to mimic flower petals but leave the center uncut. Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation, and repeat the same procedure to the 11 remaining pieces.

Place prepared mini pumpkins on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or spray with pan spray. Let the rolls rise another 10 minutes.

Mix egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush over rolls. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Remove rolls from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Brush rolls with honey butter and insert a pecan piece on top to mimic a pumpkin stem.

Buon Appetito!!!



Rob’s Favorite Stuffed Bread

Stuffed breads are such a BIG hit in the east coast!  After moving to the mid south, I started baking my own.  My son Rob’s favorite is broccoli and pepperoni stuffed bread.  So easy to make, below is the “quick” version made with Simply Homemade® County White Bread Mix (found in the baking aisle of your favorite grocery store).

Simply Homemade® Country White Bread

Simply Homemade® Country White Bread Mix

Follow the direction on the back of the box for making this yummy bread, cover bread with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled (if you have time), about 1 hour.

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Now comes the really fun part, creating your bread…one of my favorite sayings is “you are only limited by your creativity”….this is especially true when stuffing a bread, because you can stuff it with just about anything.  But, today I am making “Rob’s favorite”, so I am stuffing my bread with broccoli, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and a little sun-dried tomato pesto sauce, just to “kick it up a notch”….oh yeah, and of course, red pepper flakes.

For the broccoli, chopped two bunches of broccoli crowns, place in a micro-wave bowl, add 2 tablespoons water, salt & pepper, I LOVE Tones® Roasted Garlic Sea Salt…

2 crowns chopped broccoli

2 crowns chopped broccoli

Micro-wave for 5 minutes.  Drain and put aside until needed.

On a clean work surface or a silicon roll pad, lightly dusted with flour, place bread dough and pat down or roll dough out to a  14″x8″rectangle.   Top dough with pesto sauce (if desired) leaving a 1-inch edge.  Top pesto sauce with 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, cooked broccoli and ¼ cup chopped pepperoni.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese over pepperoni.  IMG_2766

Brush egg wash along outer edge (this helps prevent ingredients from bursting out).  Starting with the side closest to you, roll up jelly-roll style; about ½ way,  fold in edges and continue rolling to end.

Stuffed Bread

Stuffed Bread

Place bread on a sheet pan or pizza peel dusted with polenta (or corn meal), this will add a wonderful crunch to the bottom of the bread.  If time permits, cover and let rise an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  For optimal flavor use a pizza stone, preheated for 45 minutes.  Brush bread with egg wash and top with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.  Make several ¼-inch slices diagonally on top.  Slide bread onto pizza stone, or place baking sheet in preheated oven.  Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Baked Bread

Baked Bread

This is a GREAT appetizer to bring to any party….Buon Appetito!

Rob's Favorite Stuffed Bread

Rob’s Favorite Stuffed Bread

 

1 Package Simply Homemade® Country White Bread Mix

Prepare bread mix according to package directions. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

On a clean work surface or a silicon roll pad, lightly floured with flour, place bread and pat down or roll out to a 14 x 8 inch rectangle.

Add bread stuffing (see below). Egg wash edges of bread and roll tightly, tucking in the ends before you finish rolling up. Egg wash outside of bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Bake in a preheated 400°F oven on a pizza stone for 20-25 minutes. Remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Broccoli Filling

2 crowns chopped broccoli (microwave for 5 minutes or until soft) drained
1/4 lb. wafer sliced pepperoni)
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes to taste
Optional: ¼ cup tomato pesto sauce

Ham & Tomato Filling

1/2 lb. sliced ham
1/4 to 1/2 lb. Provolone or Italian Cheese Blend
Red pepper flakes to taste
Sun-Dried tomatoes or fresh tomatoes