Strawberry Hot Cross Buns

In your Easter Bonnet...

With all the frills upon it...

You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade....

Just love that song, don't you?

One of my favorite Holidays is coming. Easter time is here!
I love bunnies, I love spring, I love chocolate bunnies...!
Everything about Easter reminds me of my childhood. Waiting patiently for the Easter egg hunt. Hunting eggs over and over all day long. Getting a new Easter dress, with shiny shoes. Coloring eggs, and oh the feast! My mom would make a roasted turkey with all the fixing for a wonderful spring meal!

Last year MGG and I celebrated Easter at the LA Arboretum. A beautiful garden full of native CA flowers and trees, and plants, also the home of the famous house from Fantasy Island, and the highlight is the live peacock's that are walking around.

This year we decided to stay home, enjoy the nice spring weather, and to cook our Easter feast! What will you do this Easter?

I'm planning my menu now. You can check out some of my ideas on Pinterest under "Easter". I just LOVE Pinterest...although I dare say it's addicting. (New goal - Cook items collected on Pinterest! One per month!) I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, that it can get away from you. 


 Isn't he just fabulous?!!!









So to get you in the mood for Easter, or just spring in general I've made a wonderful dish for you today.

Strawberry Hot Cross Buns!  Typically served on Good Friday.  These wonderful buns are nicely sweet and studded with strawberries.  A nice twist on the original recipe.  

 A lot of people will bake a pastry strip into the buns for the cross, but I prefer to just pipe a cross on  the buns with a sweet sugar glaze made from mixing confectioners sugar (powdered or icing sugar) with a  little milk. (See what a mess I made with my thumb on the icing above?  oh well, they're rustic!)  These are a yeast bread, so make sure to have the time needed to make these.  You won't be disappointed!

Kitchen Tip:  These are perfect to make in your Bread Machine!  Just make sure to use the dough only setting.

Strawberry Hot Cross Buns

Make 12 buns


1 cup milk                                       
1 package active dry yeast           
1/2 t sugar                       
3 1/2 c flour       
1/4 c light brown sugar                     
1 t cinnamon                                
1/2 t salt                                         
5 T unsalted butter, melted         
1 large egg, lightly beaten                          
2/3 c dried strawberries                                     
 

Glaze:                                                   
                                                
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1 T milk              



In a small saucepan heat the milk until lukewarm over low heat. Add the yeast and 1/2 t sugar, stirring to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and beat until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the melted butter and egg and beat until incorporated. Fold in the dried fruit and knead the dough until it is silky smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough once, so the top is lightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until it has almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

After the dough has doubled, gently punch it down and divide in into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball and place on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment. Leave space between the buns as they will need to rise again. Make an egg was with a beaten egg and milk, brush the tops of the buns with the wash. Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and place over the buns. Place in a warm spot and allow to rise about 60 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the top of the buns again with the egg wash. Place in the over and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool Before glazing.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners sugar and milk in a small bowl. Once the buns have completely cooled pipe or drizzle the glaze across the buns horizontally and vertically to form a cross. Allow to set before serving.                    
                                                           
                                                           
 

Crunchy Baja Salad

Sorry, but I'm on a bit of a salad kick lately...

This dish was inspired by one we had in Baja, California.  Laying out on a balmy day at the beach, and then wandering the streets of town left us hungry and craving something cool to eat.  The heat of the day was taking it's toll and a refreshing lunch was in order.  We stopped at an outdoor cafe for something fruity to drink along with a light lunch and ended up with a terrific salad so huge it was made to serve two.  A wonderful light salad, perfect for lunch.  It had layers of lettuce, beans, cheese, and lots of avocados.  Topped with a Mexican flavored dressing this salad was just what the doctor ordered.  So I made my own Crunchy Baja Salad.

It reminds me of summertime.  Guess I'm wishing for those long summer days already however, with Avocados in abundance right now this dish is perfect for a nice spring lunch or brunch as well.  

While there isn't any meat in this salad it does pack a good punch of protein with the addition of beans.  Bean's are great in a salad!  They aren't just for use as a side dish, or in a soup.  They are so versatile.  Great cold or hot, try them in this Latin flavored salad and you'll experience the wonders of beans!

I've kept everything pretty simple, semi-homemade of sort.  The salad dressing is made using a lite ranch purchased dressing and mixing it with salsa to obtain that tasty Latin flavor.  It really is a great boost to the salad so don't skip the dressing!  Add a little crunch with some tortilla chips, and make sure to use a good pinto bean.  Canned is fine, but get a good hearty bean.  Good ingredients will make your salad taste fabulous!

Try my Crunchy Baja Salad when you want something healthy and light for lunch.  It's easy to make and tastes great!


Crunchy Baja Salad

Serves 2

4 c mixed baby greens

¼ c tortilla chips, crumbled
1/4 c 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 c pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 small avocado, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lime, quartered
1/4 c lite ranch dressing

1 T salsa
2 T cilantro, roughly chopped

Divide lettuce among two plates.   Top evenly with cheese, avocado, and beans.  Squeeze a lime quarter over each salad.  Mix dressing and salsa together in a small bowl. Top salad with crumbled tortilla chips.  Drizzle dressing over each salad.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.  

Swiss Chard and Grilled Chicken Salad

Time to use up some of those wonderful fall/winter vegetables before they are gone!

I've been experimenting with different greens this year.  One of my new favorites is Swiss Chard.  Swiss Chard is a beautiful leafy green vegetable that is very popular along the Mediterranean, and is loaded with nutrients.  

Until recently I had only eaten this vegetable sauteed, but one day while I was lunching at the fresh salad and hot food bar at Whole Foods I came across a salad made with Swiss Chard.  Wow! What a wonderful base for a salad.  Raw, tender leaves mixed with various yummy toppings and drizzled with a nice dressing...oh this is excellent!

I just knew that I had to make my own salad using this great vegetable.  So off I went to buy some Swiss Chard.  There are two types you can get, the original Swiss Chard with white stalks or ribs, and a Rainbow Swiss Chard that has varied colors of ribs.  Of course I chose the Rainbow Swiss Chard because they were so pretty.  One difference between the two that you should know is that the ribs on the Rainbow are quite tough and the thick parts should be removed for ease of eating.  The white ones are less tough and can be eaten with little problems.

See how pretty these are?

So basically you just substitute the Swiss Chard for the lettuce your would normally use in the salad.  Add your favorite toppings and go!  I chose to grill some chicken, and add cranberries and walnuts, plus some luscious goat cheese for my toppings.  A splash of balsamic vinaigrette, homemade or purchased works equally well. (See below for my simple homemade version)  What you end up with is a wonderful salad that is good for you!  Aside from all that...it just tastes darn good!

Hope you enjoy this!



Swiss Chard and Grilled Chicken Salad

Serves 4

½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
salt & pepper
1 T olive oil
1 bunch of Rainbow or Red Swiss Chard, washed and woody stems removed
1/3 c dried cranberries
¼ c toasted walnuts
2 oz goat cheese crumbled
¼ c balsamic vinaigrette

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Salt and pepper chicken breasts to taste.  Add chicken to the hot skillet and cook, stirring frequently, 5-6 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.  

On a large platter or in a bowl place torn Swiss chard, cranberries, walnuts, and goat cheese.  Add chicken.  Add balsamic vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat.  Serve.


Beth's Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes: 3/4 cup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Add the oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Store in a small mason jar or airtight container for 3-4 days.