Corn Tortilla Step-by-Step

homemade corn tortillas

Homemade corn tortillas are one item on my quest to learn to make as many things as possible from scratch. Ana, a friend of my mom’s, agreed to show me how her mom taught her. The ingredients list is simple: masa, a pinch of salt, and water. Scoop some masa in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and then add water, mixing with your hands as you do, until a dough ball forms. The trick involves getting the right consistency—you want it to feel a bit like Play-Doh and not stick to your hands. After shaping into a small disk and then flattening, the tortillas cook on a hot ungreased griddle. Ana has a tortilla press. I improvised on the batch I made at home with my cast-iron skillet, which worked pretty well. My tortillas weren't quite as good as Ana's, but practice makes perfect.

You can buy masa at the grocery store.

This is the right consistency for the dough.

A split zip-top bag keeps the dough
from sticking to the tortilla press.

Cook tortillas at 400° on an ungreased griddle,
about 3 minutes per side.

Recipe Rewind: Peach-and-Blackberry Crostata

This simple, seasonal dessert is definitely worth re-posting. Fresh peaches and blackberries are abundant this time of year, and this rustic pie showcases them beautifully. Don’t be intimidated by the homemade pie crust—the food processor takes out the guess work. Enjoy!

Peach-and-Blackberry Crostata
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, diced
6 Tbsp. ice water
1 1/2 lb. peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 pint blackberries
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. orange zest
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (1/2 orange)

1. Place flour and next 2 ingredients in food processor; pulse to combine. Gradually add in diced butter, pulsing until mixture resembles wet sand. Stream in ice water until a dough forms. Remove to a floured board, and divide into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap, and freeze for 1 hour.
2.  Remove one disk from freezer, and roll out. Place dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
3. Combine peaches, blackberries, 1 Tbsp. flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and next 2 ingredients. Spoon fruit mixture over dough, leaving a border. Fold border over top of fruit, leaving the center open.
5. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Cool and then cut into wedges.

Chocolate Chip-Zucchini Bread

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs
3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 zucchini)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Zest from 1 orange
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Beat oil and sugars with mixer until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended after each addition. Beat in zucchini and vanilla.

2. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Gradually add to oil mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into 2 lightly greased loaf pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Lime Curd Tart

This curd is lip-puckering tart!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
Zest and juice from 4 limes
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
Fresh blackberries

1. Beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar with an electric mixer just combined. Beat in vanilla, flour, and pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Spoon dough into a lightly greased 10-inch tart pan. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick dough with a fork.
2. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and lime zest with mixer until creamy. Stir in the lime juice. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in pinch of salt.
4. Pour lime mixture into a saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
5. Pour lime curd into tart shell. Top curd with blackberries. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Peach-and-Goat Cheese Crostini

This delicious appetizer was inspired by a dish at a local restaurant, which features toasted baguette slices topped with goat cheese and thinly sliced watermelon. The tangy-sweet combination is absolutely delicious. The beautiful peaches I picked up at the farmers market inspired my version. Don’t be afraid of peaches paired with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil—it’s delicious! We will definitely have this again and again this summer.

Peach-and-Goat Cheese Crostini
6 slices ciabatta or baguette, cut into thin slices
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Goat cheese (I prefer Belle Chevre, which is made in Elkmont, Alabama.)
1 peach, peeled and thinly sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh basil

1. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread goat cheese on toasted bread slices. Top with sliced peaches, and lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Return to oven, and bake for 2 more minutes, just to warm up the goat cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Oven Pancake With Fresh Berries

This is based on a recipe from Ina Garten. I’ve always shied away from oven pancakes because the recipes usually have a low flour-to-egg ratio, and I have feared this would yield a spongy texture. (One of my food dislikes.) This one sounded so good, that I decided to try it. The texture was light but not spongy. Andy really loved it and requested to have it again soon. (The original says to bake the batter in individual baking dishes, which I don't have. A pie plate worked perfectly.) Enjoy!

Oven Pancake With Fresh Berries
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and chopped strawberries

1. Beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until beaten. Add the milk, and combine. Slowly add flour and next 5 ingredients; beat until smooth. Butter 9-inch pie plate, and pour mixture into pan.

2. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and top with berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with warm maple syrup.

Fresh Produce

Our neighborhood farmers market, which is held at East Lake United Methodist Church, opened the first Saturday in May. I love picking out fresh produce and planning meals around what’s available. Today, the variety was terrific! As you can see, I had little self-restraint in my purchases. But all of this produce cost about $25, and we will enjoy numerous meals from it. Our market offers a basket subscription for 12 weeks; this begins June 9 and goes through October 6. The basket contains a representation of what each farmer brings to market that week.  If you live in Birmingham and would like to know more about this market, click here.

Pan-fried Chicken With Tomatoes and Artichokes

This is my version of a recipe from Giada on the Food Network. It is similar to this. The main difference is that the chicken is dredged in flour and then cooked in the pan first, so that it develops a crust. I added artichoke hearts because there were some in the freezer. This is the perfect chicken dish—fast, flavorful, and adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Enjoy!

Pan-fried Chicken With Tomatoes and Artichokes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 chicken tenderloins, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/3 cup white wine
Zest of half a lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Melt butter in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour mixture. Cook the chicken 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden and done. Remove to a serving platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.
2. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients to skillet. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken on platter. Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

A friend asked me to try my hand at Mexican rice. We were joining her family for their weekly Mexican Monday dinner, and this was to be my contribution. After reading several recipes, I arrived at this method. In my efforts to make sure we had enough, I way over-prepared. (Note to self: 4 cups of rice is way too much to feed 10 people!) The recipe that follows makes half as much. I froze the leftovers in small batches. Once thawed, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the rice, and reheat in the microwave. Enjoy!

Mexican Rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, Minced
2 cups long-grain rice
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (plus more, if needed)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

1/2 to 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder (adjust amount to taste)

1 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro (If you have it on hand, use 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro instead.)

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Reduce heat to low; stir in garlic and rice. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 3 minutes. Add in green chiles and tomatoes, and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is done. If needed, add in additional chicken broth if rice begins to dry out. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Chicken and Waffles

Andy was very skeptical about this meal. However, in the end, it won him over. Salty, crispy chicken paired with buttery waffles and sweet maple syrup—delicious! I used leftover chicken from the Publix deli and made this basic waffle recipe. If you want to make homemade fried chicken, that would be even better. This is a great dinner in a pinch—enjoy!

Cherry-Almond Scones

I’ve really been on a scone kick lately—once I figured out how easy they can be to make, it’s been fun to try new combinations. (FYI, if you don’t have a food processor, a stand mixer will also work.) This batter is also great because it can be stored in the fridge for up to a week; you can just scoop out how many you need and bake them fresh each morning. Andy and his dad really liked this batch. Enjoy!

Cherry-Almond Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Zest from half an orange
3/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 (3-oz.) package dried cherries

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1. Place flour and next 4 ingredients in food processor bowl; add in butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Place flour mixture in a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, buttermilk, and almond extract until combined; add in cherries and almonds. Scoop batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Baked Ziti With Spinach

I’m always looking for ways to get more veggies into our diet, and this dish is deceptively packed with them. The trick I use with most Italian-style recipes is to finely chop vegetables with my food processor and then sauté them with the meat. An almost effortless way to get in your five a day! To boost the nutritional value even more, I added fresh spinach. This dish isn’t low fat by any means, but it really is a good balance. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti With Spinach
1 onion, cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
1 zucchini, cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 lb. fresh Italian sausage, casings removed
2 (15-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 (6-oz.) bag baby spinach
12 oz. ziti, cooked
1 (15-oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

1. Sauté onion and next 4 ingredients in hot oil 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in ground beef and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked and crumbled. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in spinach, and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ziti.
2. Pour half of meat mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spread ricotta and 1/2 cup cheese over top of meat mixture. Pour the remaining meat mixture over ricotta mixture. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cover with foil.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Pantry Chicken

 I make many variations of this dish and have an equal number of names for it. Tonight I finally decided what to call it. “Pantry Chicken” is the perfect descriptor because I basically use whatever ingredients are on hand. Recently I have been pounding chicken tenderloins between sheets of plastic wrap so they will cook more evenly. This only takes a couple of extra minutes but is worth the time. If you have capers, substitute 1 Tbsp. for the olives. However you make it, the results will be tasty. Enjoy!

Pantry Chicken
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
Salt
2 tsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lb. chicken tenders, pounded flat
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped olives
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. Sauté bell pepper and garlic in hot oil 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and place chicken in pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Add in basil and next 6 ingredients, and cook for 20 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Our super-cute date—he didn’t like the chicken though!

Bruschetta Pizza

The inspiration came from a dish I saw on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  Bruschetta is a traditional tomato-based topping for toasted bread slices. Using pizza crust, rolled very thin in cornmeal, makes it even better. The combination of tomatoes, garlic, red onion, feta, and fresh herbs works beautifully. This makes a lovely appetizer or main dish when served with a salad. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Pizza
1 pizza dough round
Cornmeal
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
10 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. finely minced red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1. Roll out dough on a surface dusted with cornmeal, and place on baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle crust with tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.
2. Bake at 425° for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. Cut into triangles or squares.

Fruit Tart

This dessert from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is very versatile. Once you get the technique for the crust (it’s super simple) and the pastry cream (it’s more complex but still very doable) down, the fruit can be adapted to whatever is in season or, in this case, in the freezer. If you use fresh fruit, simply slice the fruit and arrange on top of the cream. Definitely give this a try!

Fruit Tart
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 cups milk

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups frozen berries

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 cup orange juice

1. Beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar with an electric mixer just combined. Beat in vanilla, flour, and pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Spoon dough into a lightly greased 10-inch tart pan. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick dough with a fork.
2. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow. Beat in cornstarch.

4. Bring milk almost to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually beat milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Then pour mixture back into saucepan.

5. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap placed on the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Place berries and next 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened.

7. Fill tart shell with pastry cream. Use a slotted spoon to place fruit over top of cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dill Potato Salad

Potato salad is a good choice for experimenting—it’s tasty with mayo or lightly dressed with oil and vinegar. Tonight I made a more traditional style potato salad that has a combination of mayo and sour cream. There is no bacon in this dish (shocking!), but it would be a great addition, if you have some on hand. Enjoy!

Dill Potato Salad
1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
Salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. coarse-ground mustard

1. Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil; add in some salt. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Add in shallot and dill. Stir together mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, and mustard. Toss with potato mixture, adding more sour cream, if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salmon Burgers

During spring break, we visited my brother and his family in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jeremy is a great cook and feed us some really delicious food. One night for dinner he made some excellent salmon cakes. The flavor profile was complex but not overpowering. When planning my menu for this month, I decided to try my hand at them. To be different, I served them as burgers. This recipe comes together in a snap with a food processor. You can also do the chopping by hand—it will take a little longer. Jeremy’s cakes had a more pronounced Asian flavor; mine are more reminiscent of crab cakes. Enjoy!

Salmon Burgers
1 lb. salmon, cut into chunks
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. coarse-grained mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Combine salmon and next 3 ingredients in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Spoon into a bowl, and stir in lemon zest and juice and remaining ingredients. Shape into patties, and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
2. Cook salmon patties in a lightly greased grill pan for 4 minutes per side or until done. Serve on toasted buns with rémoulade sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tart

Our neighborhood farmers market opened today—hooray! Strawberries were the featured item for the day and the farmers had beautiful specimens for sale. I had already planned to make Ina Garten’s lemon curd tart this afternoon and knew sliced strawberries would be the perfect flavor accompaniment. (I made a few adjustments to the original recipe.) This dessert looks impressive, but it is pretty simple to pull off. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tart
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
Zest and juice from 4 lemons
4 eggs
Pinch of salt

Sliced strawberries

1. Beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar with an electric mixer just combined. Beat in vanilla, flour, and pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Spoon dough into a lightly greased 10-inch tart pan. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick dough with a fork.

2. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and lemon zest with mixer until creamy. Stir in the lemon juice. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in pinch of salt.
4. Pour lemon mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
5. Pour lemon curd into tart shell. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Top with sliced strawberries just before serving. (If you add the berries too far in advance, your curd will become runny.)

Berry Cobbler With Pound Cake Streusel

While cleaning out the freezer, I found a chunk of pound cake and thought that it would make a great topping for a cobbler. This one uses frozen berries, but if you have fresh, use them. I used the food processor to make pound cake crumbs; almonds mixed in add great texture. Of course we topped our cobbler with ice cream. Enjoy!

Berry Cobbler With Pound Cake Streusel
1 bag frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups pound cake crumbs
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. almond extract

1. Combine berries and next 2 ingredients. Let stand for 30 minutes or until berries begin to thaw. Pour into a baking dish. Combine pound cake crumbs and remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over berries.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Peanut Sauce

I love peanut sauce because it’s salty, savory, and delicious on so many things. Over the years, I’cvve tried many variations to get just the right combination of flavors. The recipe I had been using was good, but I wanted it to be better. My new go-to features the best of several recipes—it has a decadent flavor, complements of lite coconut milk. You may need to adjust the seasonings to get your perfect taste, but this is mine. Enjoy!

Peanut Sauce
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
4 garlic gloves, minced
2 tsp. srirachi
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened lite coconut milk
2 tsp. red curry paste
Juice from 2 limes

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan (an immersion blender is helpful for this). Cook, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes. Add more water, if needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Dinner tonight had an Asian spin: pork dumplings, noodles with peanut sauce, and this recipe. (Note: To cook the dumplings, I steamed them for 20 minutes; then tossed them with a small amount of oil, and baked them at 400° until crispy, about 10 minutes.) The meat mixture for the lettuce wraps has a lot of ingredients, but the flavor makes it worth the effort. I tossed the leftovers with noodles and peanut sauce for a great next-day meal. Enjoy!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
1 lb. ground chicken (I used my food processor for this.)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. sriracha

2 tsp. chile-garlic sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup unsweetened lite coconut milk

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Boston lettuce leaves

1. Sauté carrots, bell pepper, and jalapeño in hot oil for 10 minutes or until carrots begin to soften. Add garlic and soy sauce, and sauté 1 minute. Add in chicken, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add in ginger and next 2 ingredients. Stir together cornstarch and broth; add to pan with coconut milk, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Honey White Bread

Until recently, I had no interest in baking my own bread. But good bread at the grocery store is expensive, so I decided to try my hand at it. My stand mixer has a dough hook, so kneading the dough is a breeze. This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa at Home and makes two loaves. The first time I made the bread, my loaves had a free-form French bread look because I didn’t have loaf pans. That situation has been rectified. Next month, I plan to substitute whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Honey White Bread
2 packages active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups milk (warmed in the microwave, about 2 minutes)
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
2 eggs, separated
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. salt

1. Add yeast and sugar to water. Pour into bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add the milk and next 2 ingredients. Beat on medium speed until blended. Add in 2 egg yolks, 3 cups flour, and salt; beat on low for 5 minutes. With the mixer running, beat in 2 more cups of flour. Beat at medium speed for 8 minutes, slowly adding enough of the remaining 1 cup flour so the dough forms a ball and doesn’t stick to the bowl.
3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead 1 minute. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, turning dough to coat the top. Cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
4. Divide dough in half, and roll into a loaf shape. Place in 2 lightly greased (9- x 5-inch) loaf pans, and cover with damp towels. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Brush tops of dough with reserved egg whites.
5. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool in pans 10 minutes; cool on wire rack completely.

Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Mac and Cheese

This recipe was inspired by the Barefoot Contessa. I mean, how could you go wrong with this flavor combination? Not at our house! The original recipe supposedly serves two, but four is a more accurate number. Instead of expensive Gruyere cheese, I used mild, creamy Havarti. The bacon and blue cheese worked beautifully together. A simple tomato salad was the perfect partner. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Mac and Cheese
4 bacon slices, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. havarti, shredded
2 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper

6 oz. cooked pasta

Fresh breadcrumbs

1. Cook bacon until crisp; drain. Wipe pan clean, and melt butter. Sprinkle in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking often, until mixture is thickened. Stir in cheeses and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta and bacon. Pour mixture into a baking dish. Spread breadcrumbs on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil or melted butter.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tomato Salad

Our dinner tonight was kind of heavy, so the side dish needed to be the opposite. Yesterday at Costco, they had yellow cherry tomatoes. Paired with grape tomatoes on hand, I created a simple, colorful dish that tastes like summer. The fresh basil came from the mini herb garden that's growing in a pot on top of our grill. This will definitely become a go-to side for summer. Enjoy!

Tomato Salad
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
6 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

1. Combine tomatoes and garlic. Stir in olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.