Lizzie’s Kitchen: Tomato Bisque and EASY French Bread

Good Morning! 
Last night Ben and I turned off Psych to get ready for bed. We were asleep before we ever got out from under the covers. It means that I woke up with that unbrushed teeth feeling and 8 hour old gum in my mouth. gross. Now I have a morning of econ before I go take my exam. Yikes. 
But as promised, here are my recipes from yesterday 🙂 
This bread recipe is my go to. Its so easy, and way faster than regular french bread. If you’re looking for an easy addition to any meal, you’ve found it. 
Yield: 3 Small Loaves
Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Total Time: 2 hours


Dough

2 cups warm water
1 package yeast (1 tbsp)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
5 to 5 and 3/4 cuts of flour – here I like to substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat or white whole wheat (if you haven’t tried that I highly recommend King Arthur’s While Whole Wheat flour …its great!)
softened butter
1. Dissolve yeast in water in a mixing bowl.
2. Add sugar and salt. 
3. Add flour (if using kitchen aid, add one cup at a time). The key is to have the dough stay sticky but no longer sticking to the edge of the bowl. 
4. Knead dough by hand for 15 minutes (when I use the kitchen aid I put it on low for about 7).
5. Let it rise for half an hour. 
6. Divide into three loaves 
7. Let rise for 20 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top starts to golden. 
9. Best served warm, cut in slices, and buttered!
Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil
I’ve never made tomato soup that didn’t come from a can so this was an experiment. It was more work than I’d like for a soup, but it leaves so many leftovers that I’m thinking of making it a weekly endeavor. 
Ingredients
  • 4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced [use only 1/2 tsp if you used dried]
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced [use only 1 tsp if using dried basil]
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.
Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.
Cook onion, oregano, basil, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.
Divide soup among 8 bowls.

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Enjoy!

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10 Comments

  1. my boyfriend would love if I made that french bread recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  2. i have to admire your talent. for me alas, there is not such thing as "easy french bread" or even "easy bread" c'est tres mal…

  3. Oooh thanks for sharing this! I always love to read about quick bread recipes 🙂

  4. That bread looks delish! Thanks so much for linking up to Simple Steps to Healthy Living!! xoxo

  5. Mmm…that bread looks delicious! I'm pinning this to try. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Yummy. I love making bread so I will have to try this recipe. Found you through the Simple Steps to healthy Living link up.