Super Easy Buttermilk Bread

I generally don't bake bread unless the recipe is dead simple. This recipe was, and since I had leftover buttermilk that I really wanted to use, this was an obvious choice. I pretty much followed the recipe below, but instead of using the shortening, I substituted Smart Balance 50/50, because um yeah I didn't have any shortening at home.

Oh! And I also brushed buttermilk on the bread before baking. I would recommend doing that!

The recipe is courtesy of Cooks.com

3 c. sifted white flour
1 cake fresh or 1 pkg. dry yeast (dissolved in 1/4 c. of tepid water or buttermilk)
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. shortening
1 c. buttermilk (approx.)
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Sift flour into roomy bowl. Add salt, sugar, soda and baking powder to the flour and mix thoroughly. Add shortening to the flour and mix until the flour is like meal; add dissolved yeast and buttermilk. Mix thoroughly. Knead the dough until it is not sticky. (The flour and milk will always vary a little.) Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and allow it to rise away from a draft until it has doubled in bulk. Punch down. Roll out as you would in making biscuits. Roll up like a jelly roll, tuck the ends under.

Place in a greased loaf pan. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in bulk. Put in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes, turn thermostat to 350 degrees and bake the bread 30 minutes longer.

Cowboy Caviar

Oh hi hello y'all! Here's a recipe that I made for to bring to a party. Each couple was supposed to bring a dish to share. Since the party was a good thirty minutes away from my house, I really did not want to prepare a hot dish, that would be eaten lukewarm at the party. So, I decided to make a cold recipe.

COWBOY CAVIAR!

You may be asking yourself.....what is this crazy lady talking about? Is there really caviar in there? No friends. I do not know who came up with the name, but it is a wonderful hearty dish. Here is a picture of the dish before it was devoured:



Isn't it lovely? Here is the recipe, courtesy of Recipezaar:

Ingredients
1 (11 ounce) can white shoepeg corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
2-3 roma tomatoes
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 avocados
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
Dressing 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic (minced, chopped, whatever)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup garlic red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin


Directions

1. Mix all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
2. Mix all veggies together in a large bowl.
3. Add dressing and mix together well.


Since roma tomatoes are absolutely pitiful right now, I used canned diced tomatoes that I drained well, and they were delicious. I also used regular red wine vinegar, and added a can of black beans. I let the beans, corn and tomatoes soak in the dressing overnight before I added the other ingredients. It was served with Tostitos scoops, and everyone loved it! This could also be used as a side dish or as a salsa for fish or chicken. Try it!

Oh hi there!

Greetings and welcome to Tina in the Cucina. This site will feature my favorite recipes, products that I love, and wonderful places to eat here in Nashvegas.


Since we're just meeting, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tina. I have lived in Nashville for 17 years, transplanted from Long Island, New York. I am American, but my family hails from Italy, and that shows up a lot in my cooking influences. My family is a long line of wonderful cooks, and I like to think that I can throw down in the kitchen too. I hope you enjoy what I share, and hope that you will join in the fun!


This is me....more to come.