Friday, October 29, 2010

Bistro Focaccia & Monster Pretzel Cookies {October's Show-N-Tell}


Today was Show-N-Tell for the month of October. Wow time flies! I hosted our Show-N-Tell today...because it was my month to choose the date, coordinate and decide on the agenda. So, I decided to host it at my home. I served Gingered Juice, Bistro Focaccia and fresh veggies. Once again, the conversations were all over the place. Everything from our hubbie's jobs, college life, HOMECOMING, childhoods, Christmas packaging, Borders Rewards, Stress, time management, family dinners and SOMEHOW...we even talked about laundry...thanks, LINDA!

This lunch was perfect. The chopping was done last night, the Ginger Juice Concentrate was also made up in advance so that the ginger was able to TOTALLY infuse our drinks.

Here is the recipe I tweaked with my twinsie's suggestions.


Bistro Focaccia

Adapted a bit from Pampered Chef {PC used canned bread}

Focaccia Bread Base

Ingredients:

2 cups very warm water

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

3 cups bread flour

1 cup all purpose flour {I use half white/wheat}

1 Tbsp. sea salt

olive oil


Directions:

In a measuring cup, add yeast to very warm water.

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour and salt. Add yeast water. Stir with a spoon
until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth.


Cover dough and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

With olive-oiled hands, spread dough on SILPAT. Using your knuckles...spread dough out forming holes in the dough.

Using a silicone pastry brush, spread olive oil out on bread.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Take out of oven and spread a little more olive oil on dry parts of bread.

Sprinkle peppered jack cheese on first, then the rest of the toppings and end with the Parmesan.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.




Bistro Topping:

*2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded


1 red pepper, chopped

1 {8oz.} jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup Kalamata olives, chopped


½ cup green olives with pimiento, chopped



*¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded


Need to make it up ahead of time? Mix ALL ingredients together and store in fridge. Get out of fridge and let sit out for 30 minutes then bake!

Enjoy!!





Shared with: comfy in the kitchen


Linda brought an activity for us to do for her Show-N-Tell:



Aren't they cute little monsters? I'm sure your little ones would love these. If anybody were to have a Sesame Street party...these would certainly be fun to make.

She got the idea from Martha Stewart {of course!}

She took about one cup of white chocolate candy melts and melted it over low heat. Once it was melted, she added a tad bit of green food coloring and a half bag of pretzel sticks that she had broken up a bit.

Stir it all got stirred together.

Then let it sit for a few minutes.

Form mounds of pretzel mix on to Roulpat or waxed paper.

Cut mini marshmallows in half with scissors and pull a bit. Stick peanut M&M on top of marshmallow and then on mound for monster eyes.

Shared with: stone gable

1 comment:

  1. These recipes are luscious! YOur focaccia bread all gussied up with wonderful things like olives, artichoke hearts and jack cheese... oh too good to be true! I am making this for sure.
    Thanks, dear one for participating in ON THE MENU MONDAY! You make every OTMM sweeter!
    xo Yvonne

    ReplyDelete