Savory Rosemary Goat Cheese Quick Bread

It’s soup season, and serving homemade bread makes even ordinary soup from a can taste better. This savory quick bread lives up to its “quick bread” name in that it mixes up in a jiffy and requires no yeast rising time.

Goat cheese and rosemary are a classic flavor pairing from sunny Provence. (The third element of that classic pairing is Sauvignon Blanc, just as an FYI!) Sun-ripened golden raisins are added for contrasting sweetness — and because you can’t have too much sunshine in January.

If you’ve made banana bread, zucchini bread or another sweet quick bread, you’ll likely find savory quick breads to be a pleasant — and healthy — surprise. This savory quick bread has zero added sugar and is infinitely adaptable to what’s in your pantry; it can be stuffed with all sorts of nutrient-rich ingredient combinations, including:

• Sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta cheese
• Green peppers, frozen corn and pepper Jack cheese
• Shredded carrots or parsnips, nuts and Swiss cheese

The core of this recipe is additional nutrient-rich ingredients — including reduced-fat milk, an egg and fiber-rich whole-grain flour — to help you make the most of your calories. And for a flavor-studded quick bread, there aren’t many of those calories: A slice has only 129 calories and a big 4 grams of protein.

This higher protein count is mostly thanks to the use of white whole-wheat flour, which has about 25 percent more protein than all-purpose flour. A mix of white whole wheat and all-purpose flour is used, since the all-purpose helps produce a lighter texture; but you could use entirely whole wheat — just add 1 additional tablespoon of milk and expect a bit denser bread.

So try mixing up this bread as soon as you get home from work; it bakes up in just 50 minutes. That’s enough time for you to change into some comfy clothes, warm up a can of soup, toss a bit of salad — and pour that glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Savory Rosemary Goat Cheese Quick Bread

Ingredients:
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup reduced-fat 1% milk
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon dried cracked rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 ounces goat cheese, very cold and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.
2. Place the egg in a medium bowl; whisk in milk and butter. (It’s OK if there are still small chunks of butter remaining after whisking.)
3. In a large bowl, mix together baking powder, rosemary, salt and flours with a fork. Add the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Sprinkle raisins and goat cheese over batter; gently fold in with just 2 or 3 strokes.
4. Pour into prepared pan; bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of bread comes out clean.

Makes about 12 servings.

Per serving (1/12th of recipe): Calories 129; Fat 5 g (Saturated 3 g); Sodium 701 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 4 g

Serena Ball, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian nutritionist. She blogs at TeaspoonOfSpice.com, sharing tips and tricks to help readers find cooking shortcuts for making healthy, homemade meals. Her recipes are created with families in mind.

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1Zrr1Is