Favorite for Toasting Oatmeal Bread

Posted on February 24, 2012 | 2 Comments

Anyone else want to scream if you have to eat one more root vegetable for dinner? Me too. I am having to get real creative. 3 more months until we’ll be up to our ears in asparagus.

Every night this week I have cooked out of “Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home” which I’m borrowing from the library… just purchased my own used copy off amazon last night for .79 cents.

- Monday was bulgar burgers which were unreal- flavored with tahini and soy sauce, enjoyed with 1/2 a perfect avocado, a giant fluffy bun, cheese, a ketchup bath, and a bud light.
- Tuesday, cornbread and black bean soup with sun dried tomatoes and cilantro… the secret ingredient? bean juice. (And next time maybe bean-o). It took about 25 minutes to make, very easy.
- Wednesday, peanut noodles with tofu and carrot broccoli salad. Creamy, salty, perfect for lunch leftovers.

If you are feeling left out, just buy the cookbook. It totally busted my root vegetable blues. I have got my eye on a vegetable cheddar soup, and the Greek orzo salad with white beans I made last week was nothing short of divine.


Oat bran vs Wheat bran.

Favorite for toasting oatmeal bread is adapted from the book “Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day”. I have tried several loaves from this book but like this one the best. They have recipes for a standard boule or french bread loaves that are also knead free but I find the baguettes  I can get from Red Hen Baking Company here in VT are too dreamy to pass up.

Yeast + liquid

Favorite for toasting oatmeal bread is perfect sliced thick for breakfast with butter and jam or sliced thinner for a turkey, apple and brie sandwich.

yum.

Mixed dough and risen dough


folding dough for the loaf pans


Before and after the second rise.

Favorite for Toasting Oatmeal Bread
Inspired by and adapted from “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day”

1 3/4 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F)
1 cup whole milk, warmed slightly, enough to loose the chill of the fridge
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast (two packets)
3/4 Tablespoon table salt
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup oat bran
1/3 Cup wheat bran
1 1/2 Cups rolled oats
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour (2 ounces)
4 1/4 Cups all purpose flour (18-19 ounces)

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standard mixer, mix the water, milk, honey, yeast, salt and oil. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix by hand or by using the dough hook attachment on your mixer until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. The dough will look sticky and chunky like a good hearty bowl of oatmeal. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. (If your house is particularly chilly, allow it to rest a bit longer.)

2. After two hours, you can either put the dough in the fridge and bake it at a later time, it will stay fresh for about 5 days, or proceed to baking. The dough is easier to work with when it has been chilled, but requires a longer second rise in the loaf pans. I usually bake my loaves right away.

Pull out 2-3 loaf pans (depending on what sizes you have) and grease them well. I like to use one large loaf and one medium loaf. Dust flour onto a large cutting board or counter top and dump the dough from the bowl onto the flour. Based on the size and number of loaf pans you have, cut the dough into proportionally sized pieces. Dip your fingers in flour as you are working with the dough to prevent sticking. You can dust flour on the top of the dough as well.

Once you have your dough cut into 2 or 3 pieces, encourage your sections of dough into a rectangular shape by patting and pressing the dough gently as needed. The photos above should be of guidance to you. To form the loaf it works best if you fold the long edges in first followed by folding the ends under. With well floured hands, scoop up your folded dough and flip it over into the loaf pan- all of the folded edges should be on the bottom of the loaf. Repeat with your other pieces of dough. Note: This dough is so forgiving that you could probably plop it in the loaf pans without shaping it and it would rise just fine.

Cover the prepared loaves with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rise for a second time at room temperature for 50 minutes. If your dough has been stored in the fridge for any length of time, rise your loaves for about a hour and a half, until they have doubled in size.

3. When the loaves have risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently place the loaves into the oven and shut the door. Bake until they are nicely browned on top, 45 to 50 minutes and register about 200 degrees on a thermometer.

Once fully baked, take loaves from the oven and sliding a knife around the edges of the pan, remove the bread from the pan. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

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quick pickled carrots

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 3 Comments

I hadn’t meant to take such a long hiatus from cooking over the holidays. I ate out, I ate in, I suggested other people take a turn picking what to eat. On New Years I made some bomber cheese fondue in a little cast iron fondue pot over the wood stove in a tiny cabin with hilarious people who all really adore each other.

Three New Years resolutions have landed on my plate and two of them are going well. One of them is: no cell phone while driving. none. I’m loving it.

annnnnd….. I am about to embark on an adventure to Colorado to visit four really stellar gals. We should expect:
Fire roasted chilis in mom’s freezer
grandma, a guest on my blog?
ski-riding + midnight hot springs + O’dell brewing company
cowboys all around, I’ll get some footage

Brooks is staying home and all I am leaving in the fridge is pickled carrots. Lucky for him they are his favorite even though he is a total vinegar weenie. Do me a favor, when you make these, buy the carrots with the tops still on them. You don’t want to know how long the carrots in the bag have been in the bag. Trust me, it’s no wonder they taste like the compost pile sometimes. Carrots with a fresh and leafy top were in the dirt 1 week? 2 weeks? prior to hitting the grocery shelf. That’s not too bad considering the ground is frozen solid in my town.

This pickled carrot recipe is a great place to start getting into pickling- once you make them you store them in the fridge to be eaten within a few weeks.  I start eating them hot, moments after I add the brine… but I am a bit of a loon when it come to vinegar.


quick pickled carrots
adapted from epicurious.com, Gourmet 2003 and 1985

Ingredients
1 pound fresh carrots, preferably purchased with the tops on to assure freshness
4 teaspoons dill seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
1.5 Tablespoons salt

1. Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the carrots and wash well under cool water or use a peeler to remove the skin. Cut the carrots into sticks. Add the carrots to the boiling water and and cook for 1 minute (aka blanching). Transfer the carrots to a colander and spray with cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. Rinse clean either two pint mason jars or one large glass container. Assuming you use mason jars, place 2 teaspoons dill seed, 1 clove garlic, and the optional 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes into the bottom of each jar. In a small saucepan combine the cider vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. While brine is coming up to temperature, arrange the carrot sticks in your mason jars or glass container. Once it has boiled and the salt has dissolved, pour the hot brine over the carrot sticks. Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

Pickled carrots are ready for consumption when you can’t wait any longer… no harm in trying one when they are still warm :)

Carrots will be best if eaten after 1 day and within 2-3 weeks.

Who knew carrots were hairy?!

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spicy pomegranate guacamole

Posted on December 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

Last night concluded in a full blown Christmas present wrapping session supplemented with country music radio jams and whiskey laced eggnog. I have been known to deny  associations with eggnog in the event that liking it could be means for judgement… I like it. I really like it with whiskey.

What will you eat this weekend?

I am gearing up to eat: Oyster stew, rice pudding, Swedish meatballs, fruit salad, smoked ham, pepparkakors, peanut brittle, pickled herring, nut goodie bars, wine, plum pudding with hard sauce, hot totties, smoked salmon, cheese fondue, sugar cookies, tiny pickles and this year, pheasants on the rotisserie and wild rice with chestnuts, orange zest and cranberries. I might go hungry.

The most Christmasy thing about this post is… the red/green theme, ha. I am suggest pomegranate inspired guacamole because the combination of spicy jalapeno, garlic, lime and sweet pomegranate seeds are a welcome reprieve from the predominantly sweet or savory flavors I will eat this year. Plus, you might need an appetizer to blow the socks off your family and friends- it’s familiar + wow.

   

spicy pomegranate guacamole
original recipe

2 avocados ripened at room temperature
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 of a small clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1-2 Tablespoons lime juice or to taste
salt to taste
1 small poblano pepper finely diced
minced fresh or pickled jalapeno
1-2 Tablespoons minced onion or scallion
2-4 Tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

The most important thing you need to know about guacamole is that the fun in making it comes from the small pile of chips you keep on your cutting board and use to sample the dip as you create. The proportions here are a starting point- if you love raw onion, add more, if you hate cilantro, skip it.

Second, be careful how much garlic you add as the delicate flavor of avocado is quickly overpowered. In this recipe the garlic is a flavor enhancer- you shouldn’t be able to taste it directly, rather it gives the avocado a richer, fuller flavor. The salt and lime juice are to be used similarly.

Instructions:
Cut the avocado in half, set the pits aside, and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Using a fork or mortar & pestle, mash the avocado to your desired texture somewhere between chunky and smooth. Prepare and add the desired ingredients listed above and stir well. Allowing the guacamole to sit for 20 minutes will deepen its flavor. However, exposed to air avocado begins to brown quickly. You can add the pits back into the dip and cover it tightly with plastic wrap to slow the process of discoloration.

Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips or we enjoyed it in taco shells with Smitten Kitchen’s Mexican pork.

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your granola

Posted on December 16, 2011 | 9 Comments

I’m laying in bed, overheated under the L.L. Bean comforter and my perpetually 75 degree apartment. Lucky, in a way, to know hot during a New England winter. My old Timex doubling as an alarm clock has gone off at 6:00, 6:04 and 6:30. It’s 6:42. I need to stop doing this to myself.

I welcome a cup of tea, working quickly to pack lunch while the kettle boils, while the tea steeps, pausing to add milk, honey. I pack breakfast also, which I will eat at work in a few hours. Today it’s the kind of granola I get nostalgic over.

Sprinkled over whole milk yogurt and drizzled with maple syrup, one is completely treated. I know I will spend the rest of today pouring over spreadsheets, but that doesn’t stop me from imagining I have my snow pants on, waiting for the lifts to open.

   
  

I like to toss in a few whole nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts. When you get one in your bowl it’s sort of lucky and sort of like getting an M&M candy or yogurt raisin in a handful of trail mix. Homemade granola makes an excellent host/hostess gift, thank you gift, birthday present and is a healthier alternative to cookies and breads.

 

granola
adapted from the “old” Alta Lodge granola recipe

6 cups Oats
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 to 2 cups raw nuts (slivered almonds, pecan or walnut pieces, whatever you like)
1 handful whole nuts (almonds, hazelnuts) (optional)
1/2 cup pepitas or sunflower seeds (optional)
1 stick salted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cranberry or apple juice
1 cup dried fruit- raisins, cranberries, currents, cherries, or blueberries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, raw nuts, and optional whole nuts and seeds. Set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the butter, honey, maple syrup and juice. Stir gently until the butter has completely melted. Once melted, pour the sugary syrup over the oat-nut mixture. Using two large spoons, toss until evenly coated.

4. If you have a finicky oven use your best judgement for baking times and make sure to rotate the sheets from top to bottom and back to front inside the oven if needed. The granola will brown slowly at first but will darken quickly at the end of baking.

Spread the oats evenly onto two baking sheets. Place into a 325 degree preheated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the baking sheets and stir or turn the granola using a spatula. Granola on the edges of the baking sheet tends to cook more quickly than in the middle. Return the sheets to the oven and continue to bake in 10-15 minute intervals, removing the pans each time to stir the granola. This should take an additional 20-30 minutes.

Once browned to your liking (somewhere between golden and medium brown) remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the granola to cool. It will not become crunchy until it has fully cooled! Once cooled, mix in dried fruit if you’d like and enjoy with yogurt, milk or by the handful.

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greek lentil salad w/ skillet flat bread

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 3 Comments

In the last 5 years I’ve been doing more skiing (Yooo!) and less participating in the holidays. Now I have an 8-5 job and a lack of skiing in my life… (also it’s 39 and raining). I forgot how excited people are in anticipation of family, presents, parties, snow storms. There is a general sense of neediness yet generosity… rushing around while trying to live in the moment.

Things to love about the holidays: a short list.
fancy cheese consumption at parties or alone
thinking about how happy you will make someone when you give them the perfect gift
hugging mom, dad, sibling, friend when you haven’t seen them in too long
the smell of fraser fur.
a child’s unconditional love and fear of Santa
scotch on the rocks while wearing slippers by the fireplace
singing (If you are into that. If not, I’ll show you how to lip sync, been practicing for years)
plum pudding with hard sauce

I have been sitting on this recipe for a week. Sorry. It’s worth the wait, Brooks and I really fell in love with this one (I even double checked with him tonight that he did in fact “love the lentils”). It is very satisfying and perfect for when you ate too many cookies or over indulged in something rich but still need to eat. Lentil Salad with Tahini dressing is the kind of dinner I am generally always in search of.

Tahini Dressing and notes

Pick through the lentils and look for rocks.

Greek lentil salad fixings

Making skillet bread

Dinner, lunch, snack. you name it.

Tahini Dressing
Original Recipe

3 Tablespoons well stirred Tahini (ground sesame seeds)
2 Tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon mustard (stone ground or spicy brown)
1 pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons water (or more for a thinner dressing)
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 clove of garlic cut in half

In a small bowl combine the tahini, vinegar, mustard, salt and water. Whisk to combine. While continuing to whisk, add the oil in a thin stream. Add another splash of water if you’d prefer a thinner dressing. Peel the garlic clove and cut it in half the long way. Add 1/2 piece garlic to sauce and let sit while you prepare the salad. Discard the piece of garlic later.
Greek lentil salad
somewhat inspired by cooksillustrated.com

1 cup dry green lentils
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 small can chick peas (optional)
1/2 cup red pepper
1/4 cup greek olives (kalamata or green) sliced thin
1/2 cup crumbled feta
4 Tablespoons minced shallot
3 Tablespoons minced parsley
3 Tablespoons minced mint

In a medium sauce pan over high heat combine the chicken broth, water, bay leaf and two whole cloves of garlic and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sift through the lentils and remove any small stones that sometimes are present. Rinse the lentils under cold water and when the broth has come to a boil, add the lentils and turn down the heat to medium low. Gently simmer the lentils for about 20-30 minutes until they are soft. Once cooked, strain the lentils and discard the garlic cloves and bay leaf and lay the lentils on a plate to cool.

While the lentils are cooking prepare the red pepper, olives, feta, shallot, parsley, mint and rinse the chick peas if using.

When the lentils have cooled to room temperature, combine all the ingredients together. Dress with tahini dressing and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with greek yogurt, olive oil and flat bread or naan.

Skillet flat bread
adapted from the Food Network

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast (or one packet)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon oil

Pulse the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a Cuisinart mixer. With the machine running, add the lukewarm water and process until the dough comes together. Empty dough onto a clean, lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic, about 2-5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky incorporate more flour as needed.

Oil a medium sized bowl, plop in the dough and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour (or 45 mins if you are in a rush…) until doubled in size.

Once risen, punch down the dough and cut into pieces. If you want large flat breads for eating like a taco, cut into 6 pieces. If you want small, dainty rounds for dipping then divide the dough into smaller pieces.

Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan (not Teflon) over medium high heat and do not add any oil. Roll out each piece of dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Place a round of dough into the heated pan and cook until bubbles start forming on the surface. Flip the flat bread and cook on the other side 1-2 minutes. Enjoy right away or if you store for later, reheat before serving.

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Cranberry banana smoothie

Posted on November 30, 2011 | 1 Comment

I went to npr.org yesterday afternoon to read the newest “Sandwich Monday” post and, in addition to learning about the toast sandwich, skimmed an article on Thanksgiving leftovers. Booooring, right? Don’t say that T word again people, we are all sick of the leftovers and sick of talking about our holiday and mostly just want to dramatically hum-sing to Celtic Christmas music. guilty. I won’t say the T word again, I promise.

If you happen to like smoothies and you happen to have leftover cranberry sauce or you want to cook up some cranberries with sugar because they are delicious eaten with a spoon out of the fridge… you’ve come to the right place.

[Cranberry sauce my way: Buy cranberries. Rinse them off and pick out any stems or rotten guys. Put them in a sauce pan and add water so that half of the berries are submerged. Cook over medium heat for about 30 mins or until the sauce is thick and berries have burst. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.) For every 4 cups of cranberries you'll need about 1/2 to 1 cup sugar. I never measure... just add a little sugar, taste, add some more. Cook a few minutes longer to make sure the sugar dissolves. Cool. Chill. Enjoy]

Cranberry banana smoothie
adapted from npr.org kitchen window

2 small bananas, peeled
1 cup plain yogurt (or milk, almond milk or soy milk)
1/3-1/2 cup cranberry sauce
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
6 large ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender, puree until smooth… enjoy right away or pack in a mason jar for a mid morning snack. Serves 2.

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Pumpkin whoopies + ginger spiked fluff

Posted on November 22, 2011 | 3 Comments

Maybe you need a trendy afternoon project to entertain young relatives this week

Maybe you are an enduro athlete calorie seeker

Maybe you want to impress a (prospective) honey with your baking skillz

Maybe you need a serious pumpkin fix and no way will pie cut it …. (this one applies to me)

Mostly you want to make something cute, forth-week-of-November appropriate, blow the socks off your family’s dessert connoisseur, squeak a compliment out of cynical Aunt Gladys who never has anything nice to say…

Yum.

If you have a mini ice cream scoop of sorts, it would work well to scoop the dough uniformly and thus the whoopies will be smoother on top when baked.

If you buy the larger sized container of marshmallow fluff there will be extra fluff left over with which you can enjoy secret or blatant fluffernutter sandwiches.

Pumpkin whoopie pies
Adapted from “Whoopie Pies”
by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened/ at room temp
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease sheets lightly with vegetable oil.

Place a fine mesh strainer or sifter over a medium mixing bowl. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Once the dry ingredients have been sifted into the bowl, stir gently to combine. In the bowl of a standard mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar on low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the pumpkin and beat on low until incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until incorporated. With the mixer turned off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sifted dry ingredients. Beat on low until all the flour has been incorporated, no longer.

Using two large spoons or a small scoop, drop dough onto the cookie sheets in 2 Tablespoon proportions, 2 inches apart. This should yield 12 portions of dough per baking sheet. Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 15 minutes. You’ll know the whoopie pie halves are done when they are beginning to crack on top and are firm to the touch. Allow the cakes to cook on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack.

Once completely cooled, pair each cake with another cake of similar dimensions. Spread a generous amount of frosting on the bottom of one cake and attach the partner cake to form a sandwich. Arrange on a platter, cut in half for smaller portions or wrap with plastic to store.

Fluffy whoopie pie frosting with ginger or mini chocolate chips
Original Recipe

3/4 cup salted butter (1.5 sticks) softened at room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 7oz jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger (optional)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Sift the confectioners sugar into the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer or medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or kitchen aid fit with the paddle attachment, beat the confectioners sugar and butter together on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the fluff and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Finally, add the optional gingers or chocolate chips and beat until incorporated. Frosting is fine to sit out at room temperature for a few hours.

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