Focaccia Bread with Tomatos

This is one of our favorites! The bread is great alone served with a soup or pasta dish, but with this tomato topping it is just heavenly!!

I stole the tomato topping idea from California Pizza Kitchen. I am not sure of the exact ingredients, but I think I have it pretty darn close! Served with a salad this is a perfect summer main meal idea!

The Focaccia Bread recipe I got from a very old Taste of Home Magazine years ago.

Focaccia Bread

1 cup water

3 tbls butter or margarine softened

2 tbls dry milk powder

3 tbls sugar

1-1/2 tsp salt

3 cups bread flour

2-1/4 tsp yeast

combine all ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Select "dough" setting. Check and see if you need to add more water or flour while mixing. When cycle is done punch down dough and let rest for 15 minutes or so. Knead for one minute and roll out into a 15"x10" triangle. Move to greased baking pan and cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes. With a wooden spoon handle make indentations at 1-inch intervals. Brush with oil and sprinkle with desired toppings. I like to use garlic granules, fresh Parmesan cheese and rosemary.

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minute or until lightly browned. Then top with tomato topping!

Tomato Topping

This like many of my own recipes is a little of this and a little of that, nothing is ever exact, but it always turns out yummy!

3 large tomato's or 5 medium

1 tsp salt

2-3 garlic cloves minced or crushed

1-2 tbls fresh basil(I have used 1 tsp dried in a pinch and as long as it soaks for several hours in the fridge it turns out fine!)

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

I chop the tomato's and sprinkle salt on them and combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and refridgerate covered several hours in the fridge. Top your Focaccia Bread (juices and all!) and enjoy!

Great Books and Some Links

Well, it's been a while again....but if you frequent my OTHER blog you know why. I've been sick for over a week now, and my little guy had a horrible accident that left him badly burned, details are posted on the other blog.



So, I haven't given much thought to which if any recipes to post here, but I did find some great books I had my library order for me. The first, I've been wanting for a while and finally got it and can't wait to feel better and get busy baking!

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World...all I can say is YUM!! I am literally drooling over the photos and descriptions in this one! There are some pretty creative ideas in here like Green Tea Cupcakes, Smores, and Banana Split. There is a Sexy Vanilla with Berries that I probably am going to try first.

The other cookbook is Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. Now I have to admit here that I had one of her other cookbooks and honestly there wasn't much in there I wanted to try. NOT the case with this one. Both my husband and I were drooling over several of the recipes including the Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas, and Avocado & Pinto Bean Enchiladas.

My library was able to get both of these for me. Check your library's online data base and see if you can get them too! Meanwhile if you are looking for some good recipes to try now, visit these blogs:

The Cooking Lady

Veggie Tables

Iyengar's Kitchen

The Vegetarian Epicure

Hopefully I will be back by mid-week with some new recipes and ideas. We have to go to the burn clinic Tuesday for my son, so I doubt I will return before then, but when I do I promise to have some yummy recipes to try!!

Potato Tacos

It's been awhile....again...but we've been busy getting ready for out of town company and at the same time suffering from a little flu bug or something, UGH!!

When I used to work at my last job, one of the young girls mothers used to bring her and me lunch. One of my favorites were potato tacos. Usually I can taste a dish and know what is in it and mimic it almost perfectly at home. For some reason I couldn't this. For years I have craved it.

Recently I found a similar dish in my favorite cookbook. I am not going to copy the original recipe here, but just give simple, easy to follow directions. Again, this is one my meat eating older guys love around here!

First I boil some potato's. Sometimes right before I prepare this, sometimes if I know I will be making it later in the week and am boiling potatoes for another recipe I will make extras and keep them in the fridge until needed. For about 12 tacos I use 6 regular sized potatoes.

I also usually have on hand some of my homemade "refried" beans, if not I make them in the crock the same day(search "beans" for my recipe!)

I peel and dice the potatoes and cook in a little oil with some sliced onions. I add seasoning salt and garlic powder. I cook until slightly browned.

I warm some corn tortillas in the microwave then add a tablespoon or so of bean and a 1/4 cup or so of potatoes and fold over and fry in a little oil until just crisp. Then I add cheese and eat! You can add lettuce, avocado, or any other desired topping, but the flavor of these is so tasty, you really just want to enjoy it alone.

Recent "Yummy" Finds

I LOVE Green Tea and drink lots of it!! I am quite picky though and normally will drink ONLY Tazo's "Zen" Green Tea:


Recently though I discovered "Yogi Tea". All I can say is YUM!! But what is so neat about this tea, is the tag on each bag has a little meditation or thought. It is kind of like a fortune cookie! Silly as it sounds, like a kid with a fortune cookie, I get all excited to read my thought for the day as my tea is seeping!
They also have a great variety of black teas as well, my favorite being the Indian Spice. You gotta try these!

An even bigger recent discovery for me was Agave Nectar. I had some in my cupboard I forgot all about until one of my sons friends asked if we had some when we last made pancakes.

I LOVE pancakes, but don't get to eat them as I can't eat the cheap fake syrup because of my corn allergy(just another thing that the main ingredient is "corn syrup") and honestly I don't like the pure maple stuff and my kids wont eat it anyway.

Well, I decided to try some and again; YUM!! It tastes so good! It HAS to be better for you than the cheap fake stuff at the stores. My kids love it too, so no more of the high fructose junk for them either!! Give it a try, you'll like it!

I Got Weird Kids!!

Last night we had Spaghetti for dinner. As a side I made some yummy squash. We as usual had left-overs of all. So, this morning my 11 year old is trying to decide what to eat for breakfast, and I go down the now routine list; Cream of Wheat, Scottish Oats, Pancakes.... and he decides he wants the left-over squash. Just the squash, no spaghetti, just squash!

I LOVE squash, but it is usually not a kids favorite. While the others didn't want it for breakfast, they did enjoy it last night, and again tonite. It is pretty easy to make, and this time of year it is cheap and easy to come by.

So here's my recipe, as usual no exact measurements, these are just estimates as I just kind of throw a little of this and a lot of that when I cook.

Sauteed Squash

about 1/4-1/2 cup butter(real is best, but margarine will do!)

2-3 large zucchini

2-3 yellow squash

1 large onion

about 2 tsp seasoning salt

about 1/2- 1 tsp black pepper

about 1 tsp dried garlic granules

First melt butter in large frying style pan. Add sliced onion and saute until soft. Add sliced squash and cover with seasoning, continue to cook until all is tender. Serve and enjoy!!

More Tasty Quesidilla Ideas!

After posting the last recipe I started thinking about how often my family eats quesidilla's and all the different varieties of them. Quesidilla's are very quick and easy, and kids love them(I think most adults do too!) But let's face it, the same old, same old can get quite boring after a while. The good news is there are so many different variations when it comes to quesidillas that this never needs to be a problem!

The most basic for my family is just plain cheddar cheese on a flour tortilla. I like mine browned crispy on the stove top while kids don't seem to mind them soft from the microwave. For a more adult version I often will put tomato slices and either green or red onion in mine. Sometimes I will add some canned diced green chili's.

Another favorite variety here is to use Jack Cheese between two corn tortillas again cooking on the stove top, then slice with a pizza slicer into four individual slices, yum! I will add the canned green chilies to these often as well.

You can use just about any cheese and either corn or flour tortillas and make up your own! I occasionally use mozzarella when I run out of the others. I have used black beans, red beans, and pintos. The possibilities are endless!!

If you happen to be a meat eater, you can add chicken(I used to like the fajita style!)

Cheese is the only thing that keeps me from being Vegan rather than Vegetarian. I don't drink milk, very rarely use eggs(and when I do, they're from my own chickens), and have found suitable replacements for most other dairy products. But Vegan cheese in my opinion, leaves ALOT to be desired! So for now I do eat regular cheese, and LOTS of it!!

If you have any favorite quesidilla recipes or ideas, or happen to know of a suitable vegan cheese, share here!

Easy, Cheesy, Black Bean Quesidilla's

This is another quick and easy but totally easy to make recipe! I like to use Monteray Jack Cheese and Flour Tortillas(preferably whole wheat)

Black Bean Quesidilla's

Black Beans(canned or preferably homemade from dried)

Salsa

Shredded Cheese

Tortillas

Mix your black beans with the salsa and cook together in pan to heat through. Put about 1/4 cup beans&salsa mixture onto a warmed tortilla and about 1/4 cup cheese, fold tortilla in half. Spray a fry pan with cooking spray and cook folded tortilla until crispy brown. Flip over and cook other side the same. Serve with sour cream and guacamole!

Seems too easy and simple to be as good they are, but these are good! These are also good for lunch!

Man Pleasing Vegetarian Casserole

I got the original recipe for this one from the very first vegetarian cookbook I ever purchased. It is still my favorite today:

I made a few changes to the original recipe though, to suit my families preferences. Even my meat eating husband and older two boys love this one!

Casserole

About 6 medium potatoes or 3 large

6 tbs butter

salt

4-6 tomatoes

dried basil

tomato paste(sm. can)

1 lb mozzarella cheese

6 boiled eggs

1/2 cup fresh parsley(I have used dried (about 1/4 cup) and it's turned out ok, better fresh though!

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese(again, fresh is better, but I've used dried in a pinch and it was fine!

I like to slice my taters thick then boil until just tender(don't overcook or you will have a "mush" rather than a casserole layer!) Meanwhile, melt butter and put 2 tbs on bottom of casserole dish. Put potatoes on top and spread with a small can of tomato paste. Sprinkle a little dried basil over the paste and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with a little salt to your taste.

Shred/grate your mozzarella cheese and cover tomatoes.

Peel and dice eggs, mix with remaining butter and parsley. Spread this mixture over your cheese.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in oven for about 30 minutes at 350-400.

My grandson who otherwise refuses to eat eggs cooked in any matter, LOVES the egg mixture in this casserole! Give this one a try if you're new to going veggie, and have resistant family members, this one usually wins them over!

The YUMMIEST Macaroni Salad Ever!!

Forgive the blurry photo, but my camera lens seems to be shot...but you'll just have to trust me that this is the absolute yummiest macaroni salad ever!

I think the "secret" ingredient must be the sour cream, but I may be wrong. No matter what it is just plain good, and it is a potluck pleaser for sure. It just so happens I whipped this up for our church potluck tomorrow.

The other secret is to make it plenty early, preferably the night before, so it has time to soak in all the flavor.

Macaroni Salad

This is for a large crowd, so feel free to cut in half or even thirds is it's just for your family!

24 ounces macaroni noodles

1 cup sweet pickle relish

4 oz jar pimientos

3 tablespoons grated onion

1-1/2 cups mayo

1-1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup milk

3 teaspoons or so salt depending on your preference.

Cook noodles according to package. Drain, mix all ingredients together and let refrigerate overnight if possible, but at least for several hours for best flavor!