Bread Bread and more bread

I feel like I am making up for lost time with this weekends multiple posts. Woohoo, go me for keeping up with this project!

My friend Kim emailed me this recipe last week and it did not take me very long before I went ahead and tried it. I mean I already had all of the ingredients stocked in the pantry and an entire afternoon ahead of me what was a girl to do?? The fact that it was a Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread recipe had nothing to do with...at all. Right, anyways so the recipe came from this blog Joy the Baker. Another food blog I must add to my favorites list. I love the recipes she includes and her narrative keeps me entertained. Whilst I was perusing different blogs, I happened upon this recipe for Pumpkin Doughnuts, which I just might have to try for doughnut pan round 2. Also,  I found this interesting tutorial on how to do a Side French Braid. I totally tried it out on myself for church this morning and it worked!! It was really easy and came out so pretty. The picture was taken at the end of the day, it wasn't quite so frizzy this morning ha.

This is going to be my go to hair style when I feel like dressing it up a bit. 

Onto the good stuff, the bread. The real reason I wanted to try this recipe was because it is a yeast based bread. I tend to stay away from recipes that include the dreaded yeast. Besides my easter babka, I don't believe I have tried a single yeasted recipe. Needless to say it is something that I would usually put aside and say maybe later. But since 2011 is the year to try things that scare me I went for it. And boy am I glad that a) I have a friend who knows me well enough to know I love a good sweet and b) that I actually went through and made this tasty treat.

Check out the recipe here: Cinnamon Pull Apart 

 Making the dough was actually very easy. The only thing that I changed from the original recipe is that I added an extra pinch of yeast, don't ask me why I did this but I did. Annnnnd, I'm pretty sure I should have stuck to the original. More about that later. The recipe just takes some time and patience. I made sure I had plenty of cleaning to do to fill up the time while the dough sat to rise then rise again. Make sure you keep the dough in a warm place while it doubles in size or else you will be waiting even longer. I kept it near my sink while I did the dishes so the steam from the hot water kept the kitchen nice and warm. It also helped that the outside temperature was 95 degrees. 

Once I got to this point, it was ready to be put in the oven. 

Before

This is where the more about that comes in. So the extra yeast allowed for the bread to rise just a little to high and the sugary, cinnamony goodness dripped over the sides and into the oven leaving me with a smoke filled kitchen/entire apartment since I do live in a studio. Ughhh, nothing worse than an apartment that will not clear out the smoke. Opening the windows is the last thing I wanted to do on such a hot day. But not to worry the bread was not effected by this little mishap.  

After
Can anyone pick out where I snuck a quick taste? 

This was absolutely the best Saturday project I have done in a while. The recipe includes two of my favorite spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Seriously, any dessert is just ten times better when it includes the dynamic duo of cinnamon and nutmeg. I mean really have you met a dessert that wasn't better because it had hints of spice? Apple pie? Pumpkin Pie? Any pie for that matter? Cinnamon rolls? Coffee Cake? This recipe did not disappoint on that note.  

I couldn't stop taking pictures.

It was still just as delicious the next day with a cup of strong early grey tea. I think it was even better, if that is possible, with the tea because of the contrasting flavors of the strong tea and the sweet bread. Let's just say there isn't much bread left. But Mom, don't worry I racked up 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday and got in my yoga today :) So if any of you out there have any more suggestions I'm open to trying just about anything! And if you're lucky you might just get to try the results :) 

Heat Wave...

So down here in the lovely metro DC area, temperatures reached 110 degrees with a heat index of 120 today. I don't know about you but I was not made for this heat. Growing up, as the temperatures began to climb, we always had a nice breeze of the water for reprieve. And let's not even talk about the humidity, my hair is in a constant state of frizzy curl, and not the cute "just came from the beach" kind of hair. So I decided to hunker down in my nicely chilled air conditioned studio and cook up a delicious summer inspired dish. And aren't you lucky, I'm going to share :)

This was made with fresh veggies from my farmer's market that I had stowed away in my fridge that needed to be cooked up and fast. This is a super easy vegetarian dish that I used as my dinner but for those of you who don't swing that way it would be a great side to bring to a cookout. You would amaze your friends with your knowledge of an ancient grain super food and show them your mastery at making it taste delicious.

Grilled Zucchini over a Quinoa, Corn and Tomato Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette 


1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch-1 inch thick
1 large heirloom tomato, diced
3 ears fresh corn on the cob
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cooked quinoa (usually you can find this in the organic section or near the rice in your grocery store)
1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, split
Salt and Pepper

Cook quinoa as directed on box. In a small bowl, toss the zucchini with 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper.   On a grill pan (or if your lucky enough out on an actual grill), grill the zucchini until slightly softened. The zucchini should still have a little firmness for texture. In a large pot filled with water and a pinch of salt, put the corn and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until corn is done. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper set aside. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, tomato, parsley, and the corn cut off the cob. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the quinoa salad and toss. To serve top with the grilled zucchini and enjoy!

I enjoyed the salad warm but if I was a gambler I would bet it would be equally delicious as a cold salad!

Vacation Feast

So as promised I'm getting back on the bloggin' wagon. Vacation was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I could not have asked for a better week to spend at home on the beach. Being with family and friends reminded me how blessed I am to have such wonderful, loving people in my life. I can assure you it was hard to leave that behind. Being home on the island I gorged on all of the best seafood that could be had. Clams, mussels, shrimp, lobsters, I didn't leave anything out.  But I will give credit where credit is due, my mother was the one spoiling me with these feasts night after night. I would be lucky to have just a bit of the talent she has in the kitchen. But I did lend a hand in the kitchen a few times. This fish taco feast was made on the last night of my vacation. It was enjoyed with some of the best people I know!

These super easy sides were used to create a make your own taco buffet! Any of these would be great sides for grilled fish or chicken if you didn't want to go the taco route.

 Cabbage Slaw with a Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce
1/2 a head of red cabbage shredded
1/2 medium green bell pepper sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper sliced
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
juice of two limes
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper
Whisk together yogurt, lime, juice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables, serve.

Mango Salsa
2 large mangos, peeled and diced
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced (if you like it spicy leave the seeds and ribs; for a milder salsa remove)
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 cup sliced red onion
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and serve!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 box frozen corn kernels (feel free to use fresh if you have it available)
2 tsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 cup red bell pepper sliced
Drizzle olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and Pepper
Combine all ingredients and serve!

Grilled Swordfish, Flounder, Shrimp with Chili-Lime Marinade

3/4 cup Olive Oil

2 Tsp. Chili Powder

Juice of 1 Lime

Salt and Pepper

Simply brush the seafood on both sides and continue to brush the marinade on as you grill. I placed the shrimp in a grill top wok with the shells still on to keep the flavor. The flounder I placed in foil "boats" to prevent sticking. The swordfish cubes went straight on the grill. 

Serve all of the above with warm tortillas, shredded lettuce, guacamole and chips (my sister made her famous recipe), and of course some Skinnygirl Margaritas®. A great summer feast with great friends and family!