Homemade bread is healthy, right?

So I have a couple of recipes to discuss and share with y'all.

First up is Basil Beer Bread. This was a really simple recipe that I actually made while talking on Skype with my sister for 35 minutes. I used half whole wheat and half regular white flour to make it "healthy". I didn't measure the parmesan, and therefore must have been short, because I could not taste it. The recipe is a great basic recipe, and would be good the next time with different add ins like cranberries, walnuts, etc.

Makes 1 loaf| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 1hr 05m

Ingredients
olive oil for the baking sheet
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
flour for the work surface
1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Oil a baking sheet. In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan.
Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet.
Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Great bread for a soup or salad. I will definitely make this again!

Recipe Time: Turkey Sloppy Janes

DH and I are like kids in a candy store when we find a Whole Foods. It is so nice to walk into the store and be confident that the items they carry are local, and the products are as close to nature as possible. In there ad flyer, they had this recipe which we made last night.

Turkey Sloppy Janes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup grated carrots (from 1 large carrot)
3/4 pound ground turkey breast
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (about 5 dates)
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
5 teaspoons yellow mustard

Method
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until starting to stick and lightly brown, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, carrots and 2 tablespoons water and cook 2 minutes longer or until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the surface of the pan. Add turkey and cook 3 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break it up as it cooks. Stir in tomato sauce, dates, vinegar, mustard and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors.

We served this over quinoa, and also had a big salad and some nice crusty bread. Yummy!

Monday Question and a Recipe

Question: Does the baby kick a lot?
Answer: Right now, I am getting less kicks and more stretching, rolling and "pushes". I believe that the bigger he gets, the less room he has, and therefore can't karate chop me. I do have a game I play with him, where he will push out, and I will push back in. Then he does it again! I could look and stare at my belly for hours. SO entertaining.

Recipe Time:
DH and I went to the farmers market on Saturday. We picked up some peppers, apples, sweet potatoes, a seed/nut mix to put on our morning yogurt, AND.......halibut!

We love fresh fish, but are kind of boring when we cook it. We have some spice rubs we use on chicken, beef, pork, and fish. They are wonderful and make every meal quick and easy, but I wanted to do something different.

I emailed Mama Myers and this was how she told me to cook it (copied directly from the email):

"Just don't over cook it. Pan sear in a very hot oven safe skillet and then place in a hot oven for about 5 minute more or less. Remove fish and cover with foil to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce. Then swirl in a couple Tbs of cold butter cut into pieces and pour over the fish. Yum-O."

Yes, mom was alright. (Aren't they usually?) This was a great way to cook the halibut and still keep it light and fresh without losing the flavor of the fish.

Happy Monday!

Question from a reader and a recipe!

Since I only had one question submitted from a reader, and it was Crystal that wanted to know what the baby's name will be, I feel it is only fair that I answer it.

Since we have decided to keep the baby name as a surprise until his arrival, I will tell you everything we decided NOT to name him. These were close contenders, but unfortunately did not make the cut:

McWeeks
Carmelo
Squirt
Junior
Mini-me
Giuseppe
Ricky Bobby

Don't forget to send any questions to amber[dot)weeks@gmail[dot].com. Questions will remain anonymous (oops, except for yours, Crystal). The subject can be about anything, (I think)!

DH and I had a very productive weekend getting ready for the baby's arrival. We know have the crib setup, a changing table, a car seat, and I washed all of the cute clothes. Last night for dinner, we decided to try a recipe from DH's Triathlete magazine:

Vegetable Chili with bulgur Wheat
served 6

1/2 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 cup diced zuchinni
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced red bell peppers
2- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2- 15 oz can red kidney beans
2 cloves garlic ,minced
3 Tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
salt
pepper

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil and add the bulgur to the pan, stir, then cover. Continue to cook for approximately twenty minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the excess water after twenty minutes or when the bulgur has plumped up like a rice or a pasta. Set aside

In a large heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil. Saute the onion until translucent and then stir in the garlic. Add the carrots, zuchinni, bell peppers and squash. Stir until coated with the onion and garlic. Continue sauteeing the vegetables until softened. Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano and toss to coat. Stir in the tomatoes and kidney beans. Lower the heat to low and cover. cook for about 20-30 minutes. Add the bulgur wheat and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Amber and DH's comments and "modifications":

We could not find yellow squash, so added about 1.5 cups of green, red, and yellow peppers. We also has a jalapeño in the fridge, so threw that in. We didn't add any salt or pepper because we thought it was seasoned just fine! Do not worry if it is really really thick. There was hardly in liquid at all in the chili. I added some shredded cheddar to it, but keep in mind chopped green onions, and sour cream would also be nice. The bulgur is a nice touch, because it was filling enough without having to make cornbread to go with it. It says "serves 6" which in our house only serves 3. We decided it was a "keeper" and will definitly make it again.

Enjoy!