Saleena: breaded

Rosemary and Garlic Butter Rolls

These are my new favorite dinner rolls. Seriously, they're good. I found this recipe here. She has great step-by-step pictures if its your first time making rolls.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
1 stick butter (soft)
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 rosemary sprig
2 garlic cloves
coarse sea salt (I used Kosher)

Directions:

Dump 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir and let the yeast sit there for 5 minutes.

Mix 2/3 stick of butter with 1 cup of milk. In a separate container, lightly beat a large egg. Pop the milk & butter mix in the microwave for a minute at full power. It doesn’t have to be hot, just warm. Transfer the yeast water to your mixer bowl. Add 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, pour in the egg and add 1 cup of flour.

Now pour in the milk with butter. Mix until the flour is incorporated before adding another cup of flour. Repeat this process until all the flour is incorporated. As soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 5 minutes before starting the kneading process. (This is when I switch from using my paddle attachment to the dough hook.) Unless you’re doing this by hand, then you start kneading right away and only use extra flour if the dough starts sticking to your hands. The dough will look really sticky at first, but that will resolve itself during kneading as the gluten are developed.

Knead for 6 to 7 minutes, by the end of which the dough will have formed into a ball. If your dough looks impossibly sticky in the final few minutes, add a tbsp flour at a time. But remember, it should still be sticky to the touch! (My dough always looked too sticky...I probably ended up adding about 4 extra Tbsp) Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, apply some oil to the top of the dough to prevent it from drying out. Cover with a towel and let it rise for about an hour, until it doubled in size.

Lightly butter a baking tray.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured cutting board (or clean granite counter top). It should be a really supple and slightly sticky dough.

Flatten it with your hand and using a sharp knife divide the dough into 12 pieces.

In stead of rolling the dough in your hand, you simply fold the sides to the bottom and shape them in the palm of your hand. Transfer them to the buttered baking tray but give them a little room to rise. Cover them with a towel and let them rise for an hour to an hour and a half.

Until they doubled in size.

Break out the pestle and mortar. In order to get the flavor inside the butter, you have to release some of the oils. Strip the rosemary sprig and add 2 garlic cloves.

Now smash the whole thing, reallly bruise the rosemary.

Add the remaining 1/3 stick of butter and lightly mix it. Leave it be for an hour or so, while the dough rises.

Once dough is done rising, microwave the butter mixture. This will intensify the flavor and will make it easier to brush on top of the rolls. Give it 30 seconds at full power.

Brush it all over the dough and don’t be shy, they’re not called butter rolls for nothing! Be sure not to add too much of the rosemary...if it burns it won't taste very good. Last but not least, sprinkle a generous amount of coarse sea/kosher salt all over them.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 350F for 20 minutes. Until all puffy and golden brown.

I tripled this recipe for Thanksgiving. Everyone seemed to love them. I know I did!

Make these for Christmas!

<3 Saleena

Honey Roasted Peanut & Pretzel Crusted Chicken

If you are looking to cook something easy and fun, or maybe making dinner for kids, this is sure to be a hit. This chicken is so crunchy and has a great flavor. Plus, I am going to add one of my favorite recipes for honey mustard dipping sauce...it's real good.

Ingredients:

For chicken:

1/2 bag salted pretzels, any shape

1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper

2 eggs

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Honey mustard or barbecue sauce, for drizzling

For Honey Mustard Sauce:

1/4 C Honey

1/4 C Dijon mustard

1/2 Tbsp Hot sauce

2 Tbsp Chives

For the Veggies:

1 Zucchini, sliced

1 Squash, sliced

Salt & pepper

2 Tsp Olive oil

Italian seasoning

Directions:

To make the sauce, add honey, mustard, hot sauce, and chives in a bowl and stir to combine. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Place the pretzels and peanuts in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer to a shallow dish, add the thyme, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Pre-heat a large skillet with EVOO, enough to go a quarter-inch up the sides of the skillet, over medium-high heat. While your oil is heating up for your chicken, add oil to a small skillet and once it is hot add your veggies. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook until tender.

Crack and beat the eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken in the ground pretzels and peanuts, then the eggs, then the pretzels again. (Double dippin' :])

Add the coated chicken pieces to the hot EVOO. Cook in a single layer, in two batches if necessary, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.