Michael's Dinner Rolls

INGREDIENTS

6-7 cups white flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, crushed up
2 cups water
2 yeast packs

butter for brushing bread once almost done
sesame seeds to sprinkle on bread once almost done

DIRECTIONS

1.) Measure two cups of warm water (warm enough to dissolve the yeast, but not so hot it kills it - you should be able to stick your finger in the water without it burning you) and pour in the yeast packets. Allow them to bubble up for a couple of minutes.
2.) Mix dry ingredients in large bowl (don't use all of the flour yet).
3.) Add the yeast and water to the dry ingredients. Mix sufficiently into unified lump and be sure to put flour on your hands while doing so!
4.) Put the dough on the counter and knead it for 8-10 minutes. Add flour as needed but try to keep the dough wet. When kneading, pound the dough with the butt of your palm and fold over constantly.
5.) Once the dough is kneaded and smooth, form into sphere. Place in large bowl (I use a giant pot) and coat sphere of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and allow to rise (about an hour and a half in winter months, about an hour in the summer).
6.) Once the dough has risen to twice its size, punch it. Move back to counter and add a little more flour, then beat out the oil and air a bit.
7.) At this point, you can preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8.) For rolls, separate into several separate but equal sized parts. Roll into balls, place on baking sheets and let rise for about 20 minutes. (For a loaf, let rise one hour.)
9.) Brush with butter and bake for 15 minutes.
10.) Remove from oven, brush with butter again and sprinkle with seeds.
11.) Bake for about 5 more minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
12.) Remove bread from oven. Knock on it do make sure it sounds hollow. Eat it!

Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb linguine (can use wheat to make it healthier)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2.5-4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2-3 lemons (half 1 lemon zest grated, 1/4 lemon sliced into thin rounds, juice of 2 whole lemons)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (approx.)
2.5 tsp salt (approx.)
1/4 tsp pepper (approx.)

DIRECTIONS

Drizzle some oil into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Add linguine. Cook 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, melt butter and 2.5 tbsp olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic, saute for one minute. Add the shrimp (which I rinse in a colander in the sink first), 1.5 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and saute about five minutes until just pink, stirring often. Remove from heat, add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

Drain pasta. Combine well with shrimp mixture. Serve!

NOTES

I've made this countless times. It's delicious every time without fail (except for maybe the first time when John and I split up at the grocery store and I put him in charge of the shrimp --- he bought COOKED shrimp. It was probably not that good that time.) It also takes me under a half an hour and I am a slooooow cook. :-)

Bakon Vodka Bloody Marys

Source: my co-worker Ann (original source unknown)

INGREDIENTS

32oz bottle of Clamato
1.5 cups Bakon Vodka or plain-jane vodka if you must!
2 tbsp ketchup
juice of 1 whole lemon or 4 tbsp lemon juice
juice of 1/2 large orange or 4 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp celery salt
horseradish to taste
hot sauce/tabasco to taste

lime for glass rimming
Old Bay seasoning for glass rimming

DIRECTIONS

Mix everything except Clamato, lime and Old Bay seasoning in blender.
Stir mixture with Clamato in large pitcher.
Rim glasses, add ice and pour in Bloodies.
Enjoy!

NOTES

I highly recommend using real orange and lemon juice, and of course, finding Bakon Vodka (order online if you have to!)

Silver Spoon Basil Pesto

I made this for the first time earlier this week. All you need is a food processor (mine's a handheld one).

For a few seconds, process together:
250 g basil leaves (stalks removed)
100ml extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt
40 g pine nuts (optional)

Combine with 25g grated parmesan and 25g grated pecorino cheese and process again for a few seconds. (I only used parmesan though.)

Stir into warm pasta, and eat!

Vegetarian Chorizo Breakfast

This is not really a recipe, per se, but I just recently discovered how yummy this is.

1. Heat up 1 Field Roast Vegetarian Mexican Chipotle Sausage in the microwave for 1 min. 30 sec.
2. Fry two eggs.
3. Mash up heated sausage with fork, sprinkle with Queso Blanco or any other crumbly Mexican white cheese.
4. Place eggs on top.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Soooooo good! Beware of the kick in the sausage, if you don't like spicy dishes.