Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

Today I have for you a deliciously addicting bread. It’s the perfect accompaniment for any pasta dish or soup that you would normally serve with a side of garlic toast/bread. Only these are so much more fun to eat 😉

The original recipe calls for frozen dinner rolls but that just doesn’t cut it for me. I prefer to make as much from scratch as possible and my tried and true dinner roll recipe works beautifully here.

However, if you’re pressed for time, intimidated by the whole bread-baking process, etc., etc., feel free to use frozen rolls. Don’t worry, I won’t judge!

You could put these little tidbits of garlicky goodness over the top by stuffing a small cube of mozzarella cheese into each one before baking – in essence, making cheese bombs!! I’ve been wanting to do this myself but, oh, the calories!

Must. Not. Indulge!

You have two more options when making these:

1) Pile all the dough balls into a bundt pan.

2) Divide the dough balls between two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

Since I’m only baking for myself, I prefer method no. 2. What I do is place half the dough in the freezer (after kneading but before the first rise) and make only a single cake pan’s worth of bread and, of course, halving the topping ingredients.

However you choose to make these, be sure they make an appearance at your next pasta dinner table. You won’t be sorry!

INGREDIENTS:
For the dough
1 cup warm (∼100°F) water, divided
1½ tsp. yeast
2 TBS. sugar, divided
3 cups a/p flour, divided
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg

For the topping
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1½  tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

METHOD:
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the water with the yeast and 1/2 TBS. of the sugar; let sit until foamy. To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, add 2 cups of the flour, salt and remaining sugar. Stir in yeast mixture, egg, butter and remaining water. Allow the machine to knead the dough 5 to 7 minutes, adding in the last half-cup of flour as needed until dough is no longer sticking to the bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl, knead a few times then place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Grease (or line with parchment paper) 2, 8″ round cake pans; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together topping ingredients, minus 1/2 cup of the cheese, you will use that for sprinkling over the rolls later. Divide dough into 64 (roughly) equal pieces, add a handful at a time into the bowl with the seasoned butter and toss to ensure all dough balls are generously coated and not sticking to each other. Divide the dough balls between the two pans, drizzle any leftover butter over the tops and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled. Bake rolls in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Chicken Pasta Skillet

Well folks, it was a long time coming, three months to be exact, but I finally got myself back in the water! I have been to the pool three times in as many weeks, and the best news is that I have finally managed to wean myself off of those dorky nose clips. For those who don’t already know, I have been working on overcoming a fairly bad drowning phobia, and my mission is just about accomplished! The only thing that is left is to get myself into the deep end of the pool without any kind of floatation device, but that could take a while!

I have also re-dedicated myself to running, which I completely abandoned at the end of October. (That is what “falling off the wagon” looks like, by the way!) And last but not least, I’m hoping to begin a 10-week, “30/20/10” class that begins in January. The class involves 30 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of strength and 10 minutes of stretching. Not sure how it will go since I sort of like to do my own thing, but I thought it might be a great way to kick off the New Year.

So this means I will be running 3 days a week, swimming once or twice a week, and possibly attending a fitness class once a week. Now, if I can just STAY focused, determined, and highly motivated throughout the winter, I might be lucky enough to have a beach body (or, the nearest that a 40-year-old can get!) before the 2014 beach season arrives!

Besides my eternal wish to be (and look) physically fit, the above regime will help me in other ways as well. Namely, I will have a few extra calories to spend on eating my favorite foods! One of which is the recipe below, adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café. And if rich, creamy pasta dishes are your thing, you will love it as much as I do!

This dish not only packs a lot of flavor, it is also highly versatile. You can easily switch up the vegetables and herbs to your liking. I imagine you could also substitute your favorite seafood for the chicken. It does have one bad point, however… the leftovers are very dry, making it a little unappetizing. To remedy this, simply add more cream, Parmesan, and a light sprinkling of salt before reheating.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
2 ½ cups low sodium organic chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups frozen California blend vegetables, slightly thawed
180g rotini pasta, uncooked
1 small tomato, chopped
125ml whipping cream
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

METHOD:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining oil, onions and approximately 1/4 tsp. salt; cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in broth, water, pasta, zucchini, vegetables, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed; about 15 minutes. Add tomato, cream, Parmesan, and reserved chicken. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with a side of garlic toast, Caesar salad, and extra Parmesan, if desired. Serves 4.