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Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Bread

April 27, 2009 By Kate 28 Comments

I call this breakfast bread, but really it can be eaten at any time of day. Personally, I think it makes a great late night snack.

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That being said, we do love to have this bread for breakfast. It’s delicious toasted or just warmed in the microwave. Add some butter on top and you’ve got a complete breakfast in your hand. If you want a full breakfast, serve it alongside some scrambled eggs or topped with a fried egg.

Bacon, cheese and bread. How can you go wrong?

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Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Bread

  • 3 – 4 c. flour, divided
  • 2 t. sugar
  • 1 T. yeast
  • 1 1/2 c. hot water
  • 6 – 8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled, reserve drippings
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. flour, sugar, yeast and hot water. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer for one minute. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

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2. Add 2 T. reserved bacon grease and salt. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until dough is smooth and springy. Let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Knead dough for about 5 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, until no longer sticky. Working with a few handfuls at a time, knead in the cheese and bacon. Place dough and a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 30 – 45 minutes.

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4. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into desired loaf shape. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise another hour or so, until doubled in size. You can add a decorative cut into the bread if you want, but it’s not necessary.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when you tap on the crust. If desired, sprinkle a little extra shredded cheese on top halfway through the baking process.

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Cornmeal Dusted Tilapia with Tomato Basil Sauce

April 26, 2009 By Kate 3 Comments

Fish is not something I prepare very often and I’ve really been working to change that. Now that summer is just around the corner (hopefully), I’ve been starting to think of ways to incorporate fish on at least a weekly basis. This dish will be perfect for that, especially since it uses two fantastic summertime items.

The kids loved this too. I think it helped that the fish looked like a chicken dish. In fact, they didn’t even realize it was fish until we told them.

I used tilapia since that is what we had on hand. (Those big bags of frozen tilapia from Sam’s Club are a great deal!) However, I’m sure you could replace that with any other delicate white fish and get equally fantastic flavor.

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Cornmeal Dusted Tilapia with Tomato Basil Sauce

For the sauce:

  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • Handful fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade or torn into small strips
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 2 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

For Fish

  • 6 tilapia fillets, about 1 pound
  • 1 c. cornmeal seasoned to taste with salt & pepper
  • 4 T. butter
  • 1/2 lemon or 2 T. lemon juice

1. Lightly cover both sides of tilapia fillets with seasoned cornmeal.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter. Cook tilapia in melted butter, 3 minutes per side.

3. Place fish on plates and squeeze lemon over the top. Add tomato basil sauce on top to that. Enjoy!

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Oven Roasted Green Beans

April 24, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

This super simple side dish just screams Spring. (And it’s alliterative too.) I love fresh green beans and I always make sure we get our fill throughout spring and summer. When prepared this way, they make as tasty a snack as they do a side dish. I should know; I snack on them a lot! According to my oldest, these taste like green bean french fries.

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Oven Roasted Green Beans

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
  • 1 1/2 T. olive oil, divided
  • 2 t. salt, preferably coarse sea salt
  • 1 t. black pepper
  • 1 t. Italian seasoning

1. Place the green beans in large mixing bowl and toss with 1 T. olive oil and seasonings. Set aside.

2. Heat oven and cookie sheet to 375 degrees. Remove cookie sheet from oven and drizzle with remaining 1/2 T. olive oil. Pour green beans onto cookie sheet and spread out so that they are in an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip green beans and return to oven for about 10 more minutes.

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