Week of High Protein, Low Carb Dinners for Jonathan

This was a lot of typing. There are most likely typos, and you'll want to double check the grocery list to make sure I didn't forget anything. The only accuracy I can guarantee is that of the recipes. There are two fish, two vegetarian, and 3 chicken dishes. Some take a bit longer than 30 minutes, but not in prep work, just in cook time. Some make great leftovers so you can make them when you have extra time. Let me know if you have any questions!

Menu Plan:
Sunday
- Zucchini-Wrapped Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce with Wild Rice and sugar Snap Peas ***cook enough wild rice to have 1 cup left over***
Monday
- Grilled Butterflied Chicken Breasts atop Wilted Spinach and Fresh Mozzarella
Tuesday
- Lentil Salad or Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad (your choice – two recipes to choose from) ***save remaining ½ red pepper for Thursday***
Wednesday
- Stuffed Salmon and Autumn Salad with Balsamic Pear Syrup ***you will serve this salad again on Friday***
Thursday
- Chicken Fajitas with Red Pepper, Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Friday
- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Autumn Salad with Balsamic Pear Syrup
Saturday
- Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

Shopping List:
Tilapia Fillets (2)
Salmon Fillet (1/2 to 1 lb)
Chicken Breasts (3)
Fresh Mozzarella (4 ounces)
Soft Goat Cheese (2 ounces) ***there is a lot of bad goat cheese out there, hunt out one that you like. Mom found a good one at Caputo’s, I like the one at Wal-Mart***
Feta Cheese (4 ounces)
Sour Cream
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Wild Rice Blend ***Costco has a great organic wild rice blend***
Couscous (1 cup) ***bulk aisle***
Petite French Green Lentils (1 cup) ***bulk aisle***
Barley (1/2 cup) ***bulk aisle***
Black Beans, canned (optional addition to Fajitas)
Evaporated Milk (1 can)
Chicken Stock (1 box)
Fresh Spinach
Frozen Spinach (16 ounces)
Sugar Snap Peas
Carrot (2 medium sized)
Green Onions (6)
Celery (1 stalk)
Italian Parsley (1 bunch)
Garlic
Lemon (2)
Arugula (4 cups)
Mixed Greens (enough for 4 servings)
Grape Tomatoes (2 1/2 cups)
Zucchini (2 small)
Yellow Squash (3 small)
Red Bell Pepper (1)
Onion (2 to 3 depending on size)
Portobello Mushrooms (2 large)
Button or White Mushrooms (6 oz)
Fresh Basil
Italian or Plain Breadcrumbs
Walnuts (1/2 cup) ***bulk aisle***
Pear or Apple juice (1/2 cup) ***try the baby aisle to buy a small bottle***
Dried Tart Cherries (1/4 cup) ***bulk aisle***
Honey or Maple Walnuts (1/4 c) ***bulk aisle***
Mild Bleu Cheese (can substitute goat cheese - 2 ounces)

Pantry Staples:
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
White Wine Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Nutmeg
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Cayenne Pepper
Dijon Mustard
Honey
Salsa

Zucchini-Wrapped Tilapia
(approximate time for fish from start to finish is 25 minutes. The rice will take longer so start it first so everything is ready about the same time.)
1 zucchini, trimmed
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 4 basil leaves
2 tilapia filets
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs butter
Wild Rice

Cook wild rice blend according to package directions. (For extra flavor, replace the water with chicken stock if desired.)
Simmer vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to a thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs butter and set aside.
Shave zucchini lengthwise into very thin ribbons with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler.
Arrange 5 or 6 zucchini ribbons overlapping on a flat surface and top with a basil leaf.
Season fish with salt and pepper and place on top of basil and zucchini ribbons.
Top with another basil leaf (if desired) and wrap zucchini around the fish.
Heat 1 Tbs oil in a skillet and swirl to coat bottom, then arrange fish, seam sides down, in oil. Lightly brush the tops of the zucchini-wrapped fish with remaining oil.
Cover skillet and cook over medium heat, without turning, until barely cooked through, about 5 to 9 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish (fish will continue to cook from residual heat).
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook sugar snap peas until tender crisp, about 1 minute. Drain and plate alongside cooked wild rice blend. Transfer the fish to the plates and drizzle with the balsamic butter reduction.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken Breasts with Spinach and Fresh Mozzarella
(approximate time from start to finish: 15 minutes)
1 chicken breast, butterflied and cut into two pieces
2 to 4 c fresh spinach
2 slices mozzarella
half a lemon
salt and pepper

Heat grill or grill pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper and spray with a light coating of cooking spray. Grill until cooked through, turning once, squirting with lemon juice halfway through.
Meanwhile, lightly wilt spinach and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Plate and top with fresh mozzarella. When chicken is cooked place on top of mozzarella and serve.

Lentil Salad
(approximate time from start to finish: 30 minutes)

1 c dried French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 medium-sized carrot, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ c Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c olive oil

Bring 3 c water to a boil and add lentils, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Drain and put in large bowl. Toss lentils with remaining ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (serves 6) I like to serve this with whole wheat pita bread that has been brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, grilled and cut into wedges. I also like it topped with a bit of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad
(approximate time from start to finish: 30 minutes)

1 c French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
3 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 c couscous
½ tsp salt
3 Tbs plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with ¼ tsp salt
4 c arugula leaves, chopped
2 c grape tomatoes, halved
½ c feta cheese, crumbled

Bring 3 c water to a boil and add lentils, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Drain and put in large bowl.
Pour 1 ¼ c boiling water over couscous in a bowl, stir in salt and cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in 2 tsp oil. Add to lentils.
Whisk together garlic paste, remaining 3 Tbs oil and remaining 2 Tbs vinegar in a small bowl. Stir dressing into lentils and couscous, then gently add the arugula, tomatoes, and feta.

Stuffed Salmon
(approximate time from start to finish: 45 minutes)
We had this dish at our friends’ home one night and were shocked by its goodness, even Bryant who hated walnuts loved this dish. I am including the original recipe, which serves 6, so just halve the ingredients for you and Amy.

1 ½ to 2 lb salmon fillet
1 Tbs olive oil
½ c minced onion
½ c chopped walnuts
2 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained
¼ c Italian breadcrumbs
Pinch of nutmeg
1 Tbs Dijon mustard mixed with 1 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking pas with nonstick spray and set aside. Cut a slit down the side of the salmon almost all the way through but leaving one side intact. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat and sauté the onion for 3 minutes, add the walnuts for one minute spinach for 1 minute, and then add breadcrumbs and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cool 10 minutes in the fridge. Fill salmon pocket with stuffing and brush top of salmon with mustard honey mixture. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Autumn Salad with Pear Balsamic Reduction
½ c apple juice or pear juice
½ c balsamic vinegar
¼ c dried tart cherries
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 c salad greens
¼ c honey roasted or maple walnuts
¼ c soft cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan combine the juice and vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the cherries in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot liquid over them. Set aside to soften for 30 minutes. Pour cherries and their soaking liquid through a sieve held over the original pan and set the cherries aside. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat and reduce to ¼ cup. It will be syrupy. Pour into a small bowl and whisk in oil. Combine the greens, walnuts, cherries, and cheese and drizzle with dressing. (serves 4)

Chicken Fajitas
(approximate time from start to finish: 20 minutes)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 yellow squash, cut into matchsticks
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
Salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper to taste
1 15-ounce can black beans, optional
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Sour cream and salsa for serving

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan, add onions and chicken and cook until chicken is almost cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add remaining vegetables and sauté until tender crisp, seasoning with oregano and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir in black beans until heated through. Warm tortillas, fill with fajita mixture, top with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
(approximate time from start to finish: 45 minutes)
This dish originally served four. In the ingredients I only put down enough to serve 2, but I am including the original recipe because you can make these up to two days in advance, just individually wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 ounces button or white mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
1 c cooked wild rice
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tsp fine breadcrumbs, divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbs oil. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until translucent, stirring often. Stir in button mushrooms, garlic, and salt and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring frequently. Stir in rice and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese.

Fill each Portobello with about 1/3 c filling and top with tomato halves. Place portobello mushrooms on baking sheet, drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle each with 1 tsp breadcrumbs. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden.

Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup
(approximate time from start to finish: 45 minutes)
This is less of a precise recipe and more of a suggestion. Adjust to suit your taste.

1 chicken breast, shredded and cooked (you can grill extra chicken or cook extra when you make fajitas, or chop and cook before making the soup)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 box chicken stock
1 can evaporated milk
¼ to ½ c barley
Salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add onion and carrot and sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic for 1 minute and then add remaining vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 box good chicken stock, cubed or shredded chicken, and barley. When barley is cooked add 1 can evaporated milk and season to taste with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer until ready to eat. (This is good the first day, but amazing the second day and consequently a great make ahead dish.)

Veggie Recipes for Melissa

Melissa - let me know if you have any specific requests. I think the quickest way to add veggies to a meal is to make a pasta dish. Here are a few of our favorites:

Linguine and Cherry Tomatoes
2 c cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
2 to 4 Tbs good Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 to 4 oz cheese (Parmesan, asiago, any hard cheese will do)
6 oz linguine

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook linguine according to directions (about 10 minutes). In the meantime halve the cherry tomatoes and combine in a large bowl with the olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper. When pasta is cooked drain and add to the tomato mixture, tossing to combine. This is great served with a lettuce salad and garlic bread.

Penne with Matchstick Zucchini and Mozzarella Cubes
4 oz dried penne pasta
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain well reserving 1/2 c pasta water.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Add bell pepper, zucchini, oregano, garlic, and basil and cook for 5 minutes or until bell pepper is tender crisp and zucchini is starting to lightly brown. Gently stir in the pasta, reserved pasta water, salt and mozzarella. Serve immediately.

Pasta Primavera with Breadcrumb Topping
8 oz fusilli or rotini
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
small yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (you can omit if you don't like heat)
3 medium zucchini (about 1/2 lb) julienned
2 large red bell peppers, julienned
1/4 c finely chopped basil (or use 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 c plain dry breadcrumbs
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans for 3 minutes. Transfer beans to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Add Zucchini, peppers, basil, and oregano and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just al dente. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Season with salt to taste.

Warm remaining 1 Tbs oil in a second skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add drained pasta to vegetables and toss to blend. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and serve.

Let me know if you want any of the following recipes - Roasted Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas, Zucchini and Corn Quesadillas, Stuffed Red Peppers, Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, Portabello Mushrooms stuffed with Wild Rice and Goat Cheese, or Grits Souffle with Tomato Coulis (a cheesy souffle with asparagus and a spicy tomato sauce).

Hotcakes

This photo is several years old, but it is one in which my Nana is actually smiling. Usually she is trying to hide from the camera. She will be 80 years old next month and is still going strong despite battling cancer 3 times. I absolutely love her hotcakes, and although she gave me the recipe several years ago I've never been able to replicate her hotcakes at home. So this trip I decided to watch her closely and write down her every move. It was a good decision because she has made some major changes (like omitting the sugar, cutting the salt in half, and doubling the amount of buttermilk!) to the recipe and didn't write them down because she thought I wanted the original recipe. Her hotcakes are light and feathery with a slight tang from the buttermilk. They are my favorite.

1 1/4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 - 2 c buttermilk (the amount of buttermilk depends on your flour and the humidity. The batter will thicken as it sits. You want it to pour easily off the spoon, not plop or run off.)
2 Tbs oil

In a mixing bowl combine the first 4 ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the remaining 3 ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth. Drop by tablespoonful (this is important - not the measurement tablespoon, but the big spoon in your utensil drawer) onto a hot griddle. When bubbles appear on the surface flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Serve with syrup of your choice. Nana prefers chokecherry syrup.

An egg by any other name . . .

Breakfasts at my Nana's home are anything but simple. The usual spread consists of hotcakes (she doesn't make pancakes as far as I know, just hotcakes), toast, eggs, hot cereal with cream and brown sugar, and fresh fruit smoothies which are my Papa's specialty. I grew up eating what I thought were poached eggs any time I was staying with them. Poached eggs were and still are my favorite especially with a well-buttered piece of toast to tear up and mix into the runny yolk and just cooked egg white. It wasn't until around the age of 23 or so that I learned that what I thought was a poached egg was not. I was watching one of those become a designer reality shows and one of the team projects was to run a B&B for a weekend. One of the judges ordered a poached egg and this seemingly simple meal because quite the challenge for one of the teams. Their poached egg was most certainly not my poached egg. I decided that my Nana was just confused and made my first actually poached egg several days later. I didn't like it at all.

Fast forward. I am really hungry and stranded at home because Bryant is working at a hospital in another city this week and therefore has our car. Our refrigerator is almost empty because we are moving into our new home soon.so I do not have many food options at the moment. I do, however, have eggs and cream, and as I thought about what I could make I remembered hearing something about an egg coddled in cream. My Internet search led me to this article by Dorrie Greenspan and the realization that I have been eating coddled eggs my entire life, minus the cream. Coddled eggs, come to find out, are a quintessential British dish which makes even more sense considering my Nana's very English upbringing. So there you have it. I like my eggs coddled, not poached, thank you very much, and the addition of cream is simply lovely. One mystery solved. The next task is to figure out how on earth to make her hotcakes. I have the recipe, but I swear they are not remotely close to the ones that she whips up. I may have to record her making them next week.

Simple Food

Summer is synonymous with simple food. Dinners lately have been centered around produce. Green beans sauteed with bacon heaped on a platter with fresh corn on the cob rubbed with butter, grilled slices of baguette drizzled with olive oil and chopped fresh tomatoes tossed with pesto. Fresh cherry tomatoes tossed with angel hair pasta, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper. Breakfast this morning was beautiful. Ripe Turkish figs served alongside a scoop of ricotta cheese that had been sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with a delicate honey. Meals do not have be complicated, especially in the summer.

Dinner for Emily

My sweet friend Emily went on a trip to Italy this past Spring and dutifully documented everything she ate just for me. She even brought back pesto and cheese for me, but there was a catch. She said I could only have them if I cooked Italian food for her, a deal that seemed to be completely in my favor. Last night we had a great time eating ravioli with a ricotta garlic filling in a chicken stock reduction, bruschetta with pesto, tomatoes, and asiago cheese, and peche bianche con panna di mandorla, which translated means white peaches with almond cream. This dinner was the perfect excuse to buy a manual pasta roller. Rolling out the dough was so much easier. I am thankful that I didn't buy the ravioli attachment however because I think it is more fun to use my ravioli rolling pin and cutter. Here's the photographic process (since I posted the recipe several months ago:

Filling the well with the egg/water/oil mixture

What the dough looks like when all liquid has been incorporated

Dough after kneading for 5 minutes

Spreading the ricotta filling on the pasta

Cutting the ravioli

Drying out the ravioli on a pan with semolina

I have been waiting to make this dessert since 2005. Bryant bought me an Under the Tuscan Sun day planner that year and it was filled with great Italian recipes. This dessert has always looked delicious, and it is truly amazing. I didn't take a photo of my dessert because I had to use yellow peaches (I couldn't find any white ones that were ripe enough) and these were a bit too ripe so they didn't hold their form as well after poaching. I would also reduce the amount of cookie crumbs because it made the mixture a bit too dark, but the taste was still incredible. The Amaretti cookies are expensive, but lovely. Even the packaging is fabulous.

Here is a close up of the photo from the page I saved from my day planner. It is easy and very, very good.

***If you aren't a fan of the almond flavor you could simply use vanilla extract or add lemon zest. You could find a vanilla cookie to crumble instead. The Amaretti cookies are delicious and worth a try.

Pesche Bianche Con Panna Di Mandorla

1 c mascarpone

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 c heavy cream

1/4 c superfine sugar

1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted and cooled

1 1/2 c crushed almond cookie crumbs, such as Amaretti (I would reduce this to 1 cup)

6 large white peaches, ripe but not soft

1 c ginger ale or sparkling apple cider (poaching liquid)

Mix all filling ingredients and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peal the peaches and halve them removing the pit. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the peach halves and poach for 3 to 4 minutes, spooning liquid over the halves. Remove peaches from the liquid and cool. Spoon a mound of mascarpone mixture into the center of the peach. Serve, garnished with almonds and mint leaves.

Serves 6

Recipes for Melissa & then some

Melissa - I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to post these recipes! Hopefully it isn't too late. This scone recipe is one that I've adapted from the American Heart Association Cookbook on page 515. The original recipe calls for pineapple juice but my mom substituted orange juice one day and that was the beginning of our mutual love for this great recipe. It can be easily adapted to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Some of our favorite combinations include lemon poppy seed, orange poppy seed, and orange lavender. Feel free to play around with the flavor combinations. The original recipe also calls for 1/2 c dried cranberries which I always omit, but you can add them or any other dried fruit that sounds tasty.

Scones
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c sugar
1 Tbs poppy seeds (optional, sometimes I substitute 1/2 tsp lavender buds or orange zest)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
1/2 c dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 c orange juice
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Stir in cranberries (if using) and make a well in the center of mixture. Pour in juice and egg and stir until just combined. Don't over mix!

With floured hands divide the dough in half. Shape into 2 balls and place on baking sheet 4 to inches apart. Flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Cut each into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, but do not separate.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on a cooling rack.

***I like to drizzle these with a simple icing made with powdered sugar and orange juice. Sometimes I mix lavender buds with the sugar in my coffee grinder. Sometimes I add orange or lemon zest. Play around with the flavors. These are delicious and easy.

You also asked for a recipe for white bread. I am assuming you want the normal white loaf sandwich bread, and this is the only recipe I've tried. Bryant & I are in love with this bread, it is delicious. Again, this only makes one loaf. There is a basic white bread recipe in the American Heart Association cookbook (pg 463) but I haven't tried it yet, and it makes two loaves. This recipe is from the Wednesday Chef blog.

Maple White Bread (Makes 1 large loaf)
1 cup milk (whole milk is best, but any kind will do)
1/4 cup maple syrup (use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff)
4 tablespoons sweet butter (unsalted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar or maple sugar
1 egg beaten
4 cups (approximately) unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Place milk, maple syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan and scald. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water along with the sugar. Set aside for five minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. Transfer the milk mixture to a large bowl, stir in the yeast mixture and then stir in the egg.
3. Stir in two cups of the flour. Then add more flour about one-half cup at a time until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for about eight minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn the dough to oil on all sides, cover lightly and set aside to rise until doubled, about an hour.
4. Punch down dough, turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for another minute or so. Roll dough into a rectangle about nine by 12 inches, then roll tightly, jellyroll fashion, starting from the narrow side. Pinch the seam and ends closed. Fit the dough seam side down into a greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking pan.
5. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in the oven and bake about 45 minutes, until well browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool freely on a rack before slicing.

To read the original post go to http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2009/02/maple-white-bread.html

I have taken a cooking hiatus this past month because I was sick for half of it and out of town for the other half. Last Saturday I cooked dinner for 40 people. It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a great learning experience. I will share my recipes and experience soon. I am finally getting back into the swing of things now that I am feeling better, and one thing that really helped me this week was prepping all of my produce in one day. On Monday I went grocery shopping and bought yellow squash, zucchini, onion, yams, corn, and carrots. I diced the squash, yams, zucchini, and onion and put in separate containers in the fridge. I removed the kernels from the corn and shredded the carrots and gave each of them their own containers. Then I cooked a big batch of brown rice (which turned out perfect for once thank to this great advice) and separated it into 1 cup servings. Cooking has been a breeze. I've made vegetarian burritos by sauteing all of the veggies with the rice and black beans, then folding them up in a whole wheat tortilla and serving with sour cream. I made egg fried rice by again sauteing the veggies (except for the corn), adding rice and then 3 lightly beaten eggs. Dessert has been fresh fruit including strawberries, figs, and black grapes. Tonight I am cooking for friends and planning on making ricotta ravioli with a reduced chicken stock sauce, crostini with pesto and thinly sliced tomatoes, and a special dessert that I saved from an old day planner - poached pears filled with a sweet mascarpone mixture and topped with toasted almonds and crushed amaretti cookies. It should be good. I will try to take photos before devouring the food.