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BBA #18
Here is a shot of my new kitchen! Surprisingly, it has more cabinet space than our last one (even though the apartment is 50% smaller) and i find it is easier to work in. One cook at a time.
I, like a lot of Americans right now, don’t have a lot of expendable income, and so i have not yet bought a copy of the Bread Bakers Apprentice. I have been checking it out from the library in DC (and then for a short while in Charlottesville). I have not yet gotten my driver’s license for Massachusetts, and therefore cannot yet get a library card here. I could not find the recipe for ‘Light Wheat Bread’ on Google Books. Panic. Luckily, Smitten Kitchen has published the full recipe on her site! Thanks to her, i am saved for this week, and should be able to get my hands on a copy from now on. For free.
Also to save money, i did not buy the powdered milk that the recipe called for. Instead, I substituted 4 T regular milk for 3 T of powdered. Otherwise i followed the recipe exactly and the bread came out GREAT. It was a little on the sticky side after 10 minutes of kneading, and approximately an additional 1/2 C of flour (white wheat flour added during kneading). I sampled a slice while it was still warm and it was delicious with bit of jam on top. This will also make some excellent sandwiches. I think next time (there WILL be a next time) I will try adding some sunflower seeds to mimic my favorite bread in Charlottesville – sunflower wheat from Bread Works.
Check out more of my Light Wheat Breadmaking photos on FLICKR!
I had planned a 4 course dinner for our anniversary, but with moving out in 3 days, we are working on clearing out our fridge, not add to it. There was only one thing on the menu that used ingredients we already had, English Mint-Pea Soup. With it, I toasted one of my English muffins from the BBA Challenge this week.
chilled minty pea soup:
- 1 C low-fat buttermilk
- 2 C shelled peas, plus more for garnish
- Salt
- 10 mint leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Bring buttermilk to a boil over medium heat. Add peas and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Puree in immersion blender with mint leaves and cool in the fridge (or freezer if in a time crunch) until chilled.
- Garnish with mint leaves and freshly ground pepper.
We had a couple of friends over for pizza last night but i was too shy and hungry to take pictures while we were baking the pizzas. I made 5 ‘personal’ doughs ahead of time, and we each topped one, leaving the one photographed above for today’s lunch. I must say that they were some of my best pizza crusts EVER. They were very bubbly and soft on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside. Last night we had green peppers, pepperoni, red onions, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and kalamata olives for toppings. A little bit of everything was leftover today, so our lunch pizza looks like a Smörgåsbord.
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GUEST CHEF: DAD
I think that my dad has a natural knack for making bread. I remember when i was little, growing up in Vermont, he would bake bread on occasion. He made this focaccia loaf yesterday, and we had sandwiches on it for dinner tonight. It is a very tasty recipe, and super quick to make. I have made the recipes a few times myself, and am anxious to see how Peter Rinehart’s 2 day recipe (Challenge #13) compares.
- 1 T honey
- 2 C warm water
- 1 T active dry yeast
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 T EVOO
- 1/2 C coarsely diced onion
- 5 C all-purpose flour
- 3 T EVOO
- 2 T chopped rosemary
- 1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 T kosher salt to sprinkle
- Dissolve honey in the warm water in a large bowl, then sprinkle yeast over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam. Stir in 1 T of salt, 1 T olive oil, onions, and 5 C of flour until the dough comes together. Knead on a well floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 415 degrees F (215 degrees C).
- Place dough onto oiled baking sheet, and flatten to cover the whole sheet evenly. Use the tips of your fingers to make indentations all over the dough spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the focaccia with 3 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon of kosher salt over the top. Let rise for 10 minutes
- Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes until golden brown.
For two people it is really best to make just two avocados worth of guac. The original recipe i used called for three, but it always leaves too many leftovers that turn brown in our fridge.
- 2 large Haas Avocados
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced (let the garlic sit for a min. after mincing to let the juices intensify)
- 1/2 C petite diced canned tomatoes, drained (i just scoop in a couple spoonfuls)
- 1 1/2 t red pepper flakes
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- stir together avocado, garlic, salt, and lime juice in small bowl. Add tomato, red pepper, and onion. Let sit in the fridge for 15 or so minutes before serving.
this was such a treat. this salad was like candy! i have read somewhere that eating avocado with other foods helps your nutrient absorption. i wish i had allowed a good hour and fifteen to prepare all the ingredients (mainly the beets), because i was pressed and had to cut corners (turned up the oven).
- 3 medium beets, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
- 3 T minced onion
- 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 C olive oil
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 C (or so) dried cranberries
- 1/3 C feta cheese
- romaine lettuce
- 1/2 C walnuts
- 3 T brown sugar
- 1 T canola oil
BEETS:
- preheat oven to 425°
- to make dressing, mix together balsamic vinegar, evoo, and onion in medium sized bowl. toss beets in dressing and let marinate while the oven heats up.
- bake beets for 25 min, then flip and bake another 20 min, or until soft through.
CANDIED WALNUTS:
- heat canola oil and brown sugar (and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper) in medium saucepan with walnuts. keep stirring as the sugar caramelizes and begins to coat the nuts (about 5 minutes).
- when the sugar is fully caramelized, remove from heat and pour the nuts onto a piece of parchment or a plate to cool. THEY LOOK NICE, BUT ARE VERY HOT AND WILL BURN YOU. i found this out the hard way…
this is secret family recipe material. it is SOOO good! it is one of joe’s recipes and this is the first time i have made it. unlike boxed mac n’ cheese, it actually tastes good the next day! I used some nice sharp Cabot cheese (we usually buy store brand but it was on super sale) and i think that added a lot to it. Next time i might use a tad more Worcestershire sauce.
- 2 C elbow macaroni
- 2 C skim milk
- 2 T corn starch
- 6-8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
- S+P to taste
- cook macaroni in pot of boiling water 1 min less than indicated, then preheat oven to 350°
- in a small saucepan, whisk together milk and corn starch, turn to medium heat and continually whisk until it begins to bubble
- take milk off the heat, stir in cheese, Worcestershire, and s+p.
- mix together pasta and sauce in baking dish and cook for 12-15 min in preheated oven.
Last week Carolyn bought two bunches of asparagus, we ate one as a side with chicken but had one bunch left. We’re racing a triathlon tomorrow, so we wanted something high in carbs but we needed to use the asparagus before it went bad. This pasta was the logical choice. I’ve made it before, and it is tasty and super quick.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 3 cloves of garlic – minced
- 1/2 box of pasta, we use angel hair
- 2 cans diced tomatoes – petite diced is the best
- olive oil
- dried basil
Get your pasta water boiling in one pot. In a large skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat. Once hot, put the minced garlic and about a tablespoon of dried basil (fresh would be better if you have it) in the skillet. Cook the until the garlic is golden brown. Once brown, turn the heat down a bit and pour in your cans of diced tomatoes. They have a lot of juice and will taste better if you let it cook down a bit, about 10 minutes.
Once your water is boiling, put in your pasta. You want to put the asparagus in with the pasta with about 4.5 minutes to go, so watch the timer. Cook the two together until the pasta is al dente and the asparagus is done, but not mushy. Drain in a collander and the pour into the skillet with the tomatoes and garlic. Mix well and serve with grated parmesean.
Unfortunately the bruschetta was so good that it didn’t last long enough to photograph. Honestly. but, it was the best bruschetta i have ever made. the grape tomatoes and splash of balsamic make ALL the difference.
ingredients:
- leftover bread from the 090326 post
- 1 C cherry tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 scallion minced
- 1-2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 t salt
- 1T basil
- 1t oregano
- 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (or thin sliced ball)
- slice bread into 1/2 (or 3/8) inch thick slices, using a grilling brush, lightly coat with olive oil, and spread out on baking sheet.
- turn oven to high broil.
- broil bread 1- 1 1/2 min on each side (just wait till bread smell comes from the oven).
- combine chopped tomato, vinegar, salt, basil, oregano,and let sit for 5- 10 minutes.
- saute scallion over medium low heat for 8-10 minutes.
- add onion to tomato mixture, add spoonful on top of each piece of toast, and a slice of mozzarella.
- broil for 2-3 minutes, waiting till cheese begins to brown.
joe really wanted broccoli and cheddar soup. I hate to disappoint, but this soup recipe is so flexible, you can add your own cheese. and it’s healthier. i admit that i got a little crazy with the ingredientes, but these things happen. here’s what i did:
- 1T evoo
- 1 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 C water + 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 medium potatoes, washed and cubed
- 2 parsnips peeled and chopped
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 1 C kale, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- ground black pepper to taste
- Heat evoo in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion until tender.
- Add potatoes, parsnips, and broth, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and continue simmering for 10 more minutes.
- In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 2 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir continually until thick and bubbly (keep stirring or it will stick to the pan!), and add to soup.
- Using an immersion blender, chop up big chunks of broccoli stalk, potato chunks, and kale stems. Season with pepper (+ sharp cheddar cheese if your name is joe) and serve.
- 2 cups warm tap water, about 110 °
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
- 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup flour for dusting the loaves
- Cornmeal or semolina for the pans
- in a 3-quart mixing bowl place water and sprinkle yeast on surface, allowing it to stand for two minutes before whisking. Add the smaller amount of flour and salt stiffing with a rubber spatula until it forms a ball. Knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, adding more flour if dough is too soft.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl (you may need to use a scraper) and turn dough over so top is oiled. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise at room temperature until doubled. If you wish to interrupt the process, let the dough begin to rise, then punch it down, cover it tightly and refrigerate. When you are ready to proceed, bring back to room temperature until it begins rising again.
- To shape loaves, scrape risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it to deflate it. Divide dough in half and shape one piece at a time. Gently press dough into a square, then roll it up tightly. Rotate cylinder of dough 90 degrees and roll up again from short end. Arrange dough seam side down, cover with plastic or a towel and let it rest of 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining piece of dough.
- Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll each piece of dough under palms of your hands to elongate it. Work from middle of loaf outward, pointing the ends slightly. Place loaves seam side down on the sheet and dust each loaf heavily with flour, using about 1/3 cup in all. Cover with plastic or a towel and allow to rise until doubled (an hour or so).
- About 30 minutes before you intend to bake the loaves, preheat oven to 500 degrees and set racks at the middle and lowest levels. Set a pan on the lowest rack to absorb some of the excess bottom heat and keep the bottom of the loaves from burning.
- Holding a razor blade or the point of a very sharp knife at a 30-degree angle to the top of each loaf, make 3 to 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf. Immediately place loaves in oven and lower temperature 450 degrees.
- After loaves have baked for 20 minutes and are completely risen, lower temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking about 20 to 30 minutes longer, until bread reaches an internal temperature of about 220 degrees. Remove loaves from oven and cool on a rack.
