Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions…A Great Side for Italian Dishes

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Being Italian and loving Italian food makes me want to know how to cook all types of Italian dishes, not just the ones I grew up eating in our family home. We did have a wide variety of family recipes for everyday meals, as well as holidays and special occasions, but there were a few I had when out to eat at a favorite Italian restaurant or when we toured Italy several years ago. One side to any Italian meal that I enjoy is Focaccia Bread.

It is almost like pizza because you can make it so many different ways. The bread itself is crusty on the outside and like thick crust pizza dough on the inside. I especially love rosemary and olive oil with focaccia or any Italian loaf bread. That’s why I decided to make my own version of focaccia. After trying different recipes, I made my own recipe for focaccia adding on what I thought would be delicious, and it is. I made Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions.

Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions…A Great Side for Italian Dishes

3 and 1/4 cups bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 and 3/4 cups warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for pan preparation and to sprinkle over top prior to baking

1 and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped

1 medium onion thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese to taste

Coarse sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare parchment paper for baking sheet by brushing it lightly with a touch of olive oil.

In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast and a pinch of sugar with 1/2 cup of warm water, that is water that is warm to the touch, about 100 degrees. Stir this and let it rest for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.

Then in a large mixing bowl, gradually blend together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water mixture, 2 tablespoons of olive oil (leave remaining 1 tablespoon for caramelizing onions), and remaining water as you begin to work this with your hands into a dough. At first, you may blend the ingredients with a spoon, but as it thickens you will work it with your hands. Once your dough is all blended, continue to work the dough with your hands and begin to knead the dough for about 8 minutes. Do this on a flat surface, where you will add flour as you go to the surface to keep your dough from sticking.

Once done, place your ball of dough into a bowl, smoothing a touch of olive oil over the dough. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap for about 20 to 30 minutes and let it rest. It should double in size.

While the dough is resting, brown and sauté to taste the onion slices in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to caramelized your onions. Remove fresh rosemary leaves from stems and finely chop, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons.

When the dough is ready, turn it out on to the prepared parchment covered baking sheet. Press into an oval or rectangle, whichever you prefer, to about one inch thick. With oiled fingertips, make indentations all over the top of the bread, each about one inch apart. Using your fingers again, brush the entire surface lightly with olive oil. At this point very lightly sprinkle coarse sea salt across the bread top, if you want. Cover loosely with plastic once again and let rest for an additional 30 minutes.

Now spread caramelized onions over top of bread, and then sprinkle the finely chopped fresh rosemary over the top. Once done, freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese can be sprinkled across the top to taste.

Place the bread in the oven and bake until lightly brown at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

This Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions is a wonderful side to any Italian dish or even just by itself with a nice glass of Chianti or Sangiovese. The crust is just crusty enough with the inner bread much like the good pan pizza we love so much. The onions, rosemary, and freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese sprinkled across the top gives this focaccia bread a rich flavor that enhances your meal and adds just that special touch of flavor we so enjoy. Focaccia bread will always bring back memories of good meals shared in the past. Try it and I feel certain you will enjoy it as much as we do. Enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce Made with Sirloin…A Family Favorite in My Home

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Over the years one of the many ways I express my love for my family is through my cooking, especially when I make my Bolognese Sauce Made with Sirloin…A Family Favorite in My Home!

Raised by a health conscious Italian mother, like her I want my family to live long and enjoy healthy lives. I want their lives filled with fun, laughter, happiness, and love. But I believe eating healthy does not mean giving up great tasting and delicious meals. In fact, quite the opposite is true. My belief has always been that I can cook delicious meals for my family that are both healthy and satisfying, while adding to their fun, laughter, happiness, and love when we share that meal together.

For that reason, I began making my Bolognese sauce with lean ground sirloin years ago. My mother used lean ground round for her meatballs and I followed her lead, but later I chose to go leaner still by using lean ground sirloin when I made both my meatballs and my Bolognese sauce, a choice I have never regretted. When my mom and dad ate Bolognese in my home, they both loved it, so I knew I made the right choice. Knowing my sauce is more heart healthy makes my choice a winner for my family.

Bolognese Sauce Made with Sirloin

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium to large onion sliced or chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 to 2 cups fresh mushrooms slice or one 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms

1 pound lean ground sirloin

1 teaspoon basil or use 1 tablespoon fresh basil cut up

1/2 teaspoon dried or ground oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar (some people prefer to use 2 carrots finely shredded and chopped for sweetness)

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree

6 ounce can tomato paste

Water (1/2 cup red wine is optional)

Freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Pasta of your choice

Sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil. Brown slightly breaking apart the ground sirloin, and then add the meat to the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Add the seasonings to this and stir together. Then add tomato puree or crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water as needed, usually about I/2 cup of water, depending on desired consistency. Add in the sugar if you do not use carrots. If using carrots, sauté the carrots with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Let the sauce begin to bubble and then cover the pot lowering the heat to simmer for one hour or longer, stirring every so often.

Be ready to boil the pasta of your choice once the sauce is ready or nearly ready. By the way, if you lay a wooden spoon across the top of your pot of boiling water for the pasta, so it will not boil over. I was surprised myself, but this works well. When the pasta is ready, drain your pasta and add you sauce, gently mix the two together. Then serve with freshly grated imported Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Pasta with Bolognese sauce is a wonderful meal to share with your family. At our house, we share this meal with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of good Chianti. Growing up, we always added a fresh salad to this meal as well. Whether you decide on pasta with bread and salad or just pasta, you won’t be disappointed. One thing for sure, this delicious meal always leaves everyone feeling satisfied and usually is accompanied by great conversations, shared laughter, and feelings of love. Bringing a family together for a great meal is so important in making shared memories. I hope you have an opportunity to try this meal and make some memories of good times with your own families! Enjoy!

Lemon Butter Tilapia Fillets…Tastes Delicious and Easy to Make

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Jodee

By Jodee Weiland

Whenever you are short on time and need a quick but healthy meal to make, this meal is what you need, Lemon Butter Tilapia Fillets.

My husband and I try to be health conscious in our food selections for meals. One way to do this is to prepare fish for meals. Everyone knows that fish is healthy, but with busy schedules and the daily insanity that most families run into trying to coordinate schedules and meals, sometimes you need that quick go to meal that is easy to prepare, delicious, and fast. That’s why I call Lemon Butter Tilapia Fillets one of my delicious, healthy, and easy back-up meals when things get hectic in our house. If you try it, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is to prepare and even more surprised at how good it tastes.

Lemon Butter Tilapia Fillets

3 to 4 frozen tilapia fillets (approximately 4 ounces each)
3 to 4 teaspoons or more whipped unsalted butter
Durkee Grill Creations Citrus Grill seasoning
1 lemon freshly squeezed juice or more to taste
Butter spray to prepare baking dish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use butter spray on rectangular baking dish. Rinse frozen fillets, but it is not necessary to thaw them. Then arrange fillets in baking dish. Put about 1 teaspoon of whipped unsalted butter, more or less, in pieces on top of each filet. Then sprinkle each filet with the Citrus Grill seasoning to taste. Place baking dish in oven and cook for 15 to 17 minutes. Halfway through cooking, about 8 to 9 minutes, drizzle fillets with the desired amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Continue to bake for the remaining 9 to 10 minutes.

When finished cooking, serve fillets with a vegetable of your choice. I use steamed green beans or broccoli because they blend well with the lemon butter flavors of the tilapia. This dish is excellent served with a nice Riesling wine. We love this dish because it is easy to prepare and cook, allowing you to serve dinner in less than a half hour. When you add the lemon juice, have your vegetables ready to be steamed. The steamable vegetables for the microwave make this meal the almost work free. It is a delicious meal to prepare when time is short and you want something easy but healthy to serve for dinner. We love it. Hopefully, you will, too. Enjoy!

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Life experiences are what make us who we are today. Come share what I have learned from my experiences about cooking, traveling, and more, and enjoy!

Category Archives: Family Recipes and More

Rosemary Olive Oil Focaccia with Caramelized Onions…A Great Side for Italian Dishes

Bolognese Sauce Made with Sirloin…A Family Favorite in My Home

Lemon Butter Tilapia Fillets…Tastes Delicious and Easy to Make