Easiest, no-knead bread you'll ever make - quite versatile and tasty, too - just a lot of rising time, so plan to start it the day before:
INGREDIENTS
* 3 c. unbleached flour
* 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast
* 1-1/4 tsp. salt
* extra flour (any kind) for dusting and for work surface, dash of cornmeal for baking surface
* 1-1/2 c. lukewarm water - a bit more if needed
DIRECTIONS
1. Use a fork to whisk together dry ingredients in large, stainless-steel bowl, then add water.
2. Stir mixture well, until flour is mostly incorporated - some will stick to sides of bowl. This is a very sticky, shaggy-looking dough. (NB: I use my KitchenAid stand mixer with dough hook and stainless steel bowl attachment, and a fork to quickly scrape at the sides rather than a spatula)
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest and rise for 18 hours - yes - 18 hours. Dough surface will appear fairly bubbly when ready.
4. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and fold it over on itself 2-3 times, sprinkling lightly with extra flour. (Be sure to flour your fingers, too - the dough will be sticky and stringy as it comes out of the bowl.) Cover loosely with plastic again and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Flour a cotton towel (not terry cloth - linty!) and set it on a flat surface, then take the dough, quickly shape it into a ball and place it, seam side down, on floured towel. Sprinkle top surface of dough with flour and cover with another towel, let rise for 2 more hours. (I swear by the nice, cheap flour sack towels from IKEA for this, but any thin, non-terry cotton towel will do). I place the towels into a round proofing basket, but it is ok to leave on the counter, too.
6. Preheat oven to 450* placing a large, covered 6-8 qt. cooking pot - cast iron, enamel, ceramic, or (my favorite) stoneware in to preheat at the same time - about 15 min. before 2nd rising is done.
7. After 2nd rising, dough should double in size and keep its shape when poked gently with a finger. Carefully take cooking pot out and set it on stovetop or insulated surface. Sprinkle in some cornmeal to lightly coat surface of pot. Uncover dough, and quickly invert into cooking pot - shake the pot a bit to center the dough if needed, but don't sweat it, even if it looks bad or a bit uneven, it will look fine after it bakes.
8. Cover pot and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20 miuntes until it is a nice, deep golden brown. Bread, when done, will sound hollow if you knock on it. Slice and serve warm with your favorite meal.
This is a great, rustic bread! It is dense and chewy, with large "pores." It is fine on its own, with butter or oil & herbs, and compliments your fave soups, stews, salads, etc. You can slice it thin for panini and broiled/grilled mini pizzas or garlic bread. Any leftovers can be used for croutons OR for Tuscan Bread Soup. (I'll post that one in the Fall).
Buon Apetito - and enjoy!
P.S. About the stoneware - I use a covered "cloche" (bell-shaped) pan. It makes a flatter, disc-shaped loaf. You can get one for about $40 from any number of manufacturers, mine's from Sassafrass - it's versatile (you can bake bread, casseroles, pizza, etc. in it) and IMHO, nothing works better for bread baking. Except maybe a bread machine, but Wiley bit the cord off that a few years back...
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
Sweet Potato Casserole
We celebrated the baby's first birthday this past week by having Thanksgiving dinner - here's one of our favorites:
Ingredients:
6 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 stick butter - melted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. orange juice
1/4 c. brandy (optional, but I strongly recommend it - substitute more oj if you prefer)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. each dried lemon and dried orange peel
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. each ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Directions:
* Steam sweet potatoes until soft & falling apart when tested with with fork.
(You may also bake or microwave them in the skin and then peel them,
just make sure they're thoroughly cooked)
* While sweet potatoes are cooking, toss all dry ingredients into a
small bowl and mix together with fork
* Mash sweet potatoes (or process) and allow to cool slightly
* Add melted butter, beat together at slow speed
* Blend in eggs gradually
* Blend in orange juice and brandy
* Blend in brown sugar, then spices, then vanilla
Pour mixture into buttered 13x9 pan, bake 45 min. at 350* or until edges are slightly browned and pulling away from edges.
Options:
You can toss 1 c. mini marshmallows on top during the last 10 minutes (the kids like it this way) but it is sweet enough without them, and reheats better without them, too.
Adjust spices to taste - I always round up.
Be generous with the brandy!!! ;-)
Ingredients:
6 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 stick butter - melted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. orange juice
1/4 c. brandy (optional, but I strongly recommend it - substitute more oj if you prefer)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. each dried lemon and dried orange peel
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. each ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Directions:
* Steam sweet potatoes until soft & falling apart when tested with with fork.
(You may also bake or microwave them in the skin and then peel them,
just make sure they're thoroughly cooked)
* While sweet potatoes are cooking, toss all dry ingredients into a
small bowl and mix together with fork
* Mash sweet potatoes (or process) and allow to cool slightly
* Add melted butter, beat together at slow speed
* Blend in eggs gradually
* Blend in orange juice and brandy
* Blend in brown sugar, then spices, then vanilla
Pour mixture into buttered 13x9 pan, bake 45 min. at 350* or until edges are slightly browned and pulling away from edges.
Options:
You can toss 1 c. mini marshmallows on top during the last 10 minutes (the kids like it this way) but it is sweet enough without them, and reheats better without them, too.
Adjust spices to taste - I always round up.
Be generous with the brandy!!! ;-)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Puffy sugar cookies
This recipe comes from my husband's mother - the cookies are soft and fluffy, and they do puff up, so use with simple cookie cutters (outlines) as opposed to patterned ones.
1/2 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
Cream those together
Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 eggs
Sift together 3 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp.baking powder and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Add alternately with 1 cup sour cream
Roll out 1/4 inch thick.
375 degrees for 8 minutes.
The recipe does not say so, but I chill an hour or so before rolling out
1/2 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
Cream those together
Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 eggs
Sift together 3 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp.baking powder and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Add alternately with 1 cup sour cream
Roll out 1/4 inch thick.
375 degrees for 8 minutes.
The recipe does not say so, but I chill an hour or so before rolling out
Sunday, April 13, 2008
New Invention
Two of my friends recently opened their own club - a cut WAY above the local-yokel bars around here, let me tell ya...They're hosting a fundraiser for the local cancer treatment center, so we were coming up with a drink menu, and whipped up a new martini (well, new to us, anyway)
Kit's Butterscotch Martini:
2 shots Absolut Vanilla vodka
1 shot Hiram Walker Buttershots
.
Rim 2 chilled glasses with powdered sugar
Shake mixture with ice, strain, and serve.
(Very smooth and sweet...be careful!)
I do seem to be on a bit of a virtual bender with these last 2 posts, but never fear, back to regular recipes next time!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Easy Friday Recipe
Tequila.
Lime.
Salt.
DASH salt on lime trail
Lime. Salt.For those who need further instructions:
POUR tequila into glass[es] of choice
RUB lime wedge on edge of hand (above thumb works best)
DASH salt on lime trail
LICK lime-salt mixture
CHUG tequila
SUCK lime wedge
REPEAT until...
(It's been one of those weeks)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Chicken-Spinach-Rice Salad
This is another simple meal or side dish - great in the summertime, easy-to-multiply recipe, always a hit at parties. My beloved likes it better the second day, my brother-in-law actually heats up the leftovers (if you have any) in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS:
*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)
*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)
* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)
* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)
* 1 Tb. sugar
*1.5 Tb. soy sauce
Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top
PREPARATION:
After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).
While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.
When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips
Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.
Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*
Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.
*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)
*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)
* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)
* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)
* 1 Tb. sugar
*1.5 Tb. soy sauce
Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top
PREPARATION:
After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).
While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.
When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips
Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.
Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*
Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.
*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.
Enjoy!
Polish Cucumbers in Sour Cream
From my So.Cal. Soul Sista - TheDigitalHairshirt:
Peel any number of cukes. I thinly slice them, using a mandolin. Mix in a little bit of kosher salt, maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon for every cucumber you peel and slice. Let that stand for at least two hours.
Then squeeze the juice out of the cucumbers, discarding the juice. I use a ricer but bare hands will work too - you want to end up with limp, dryish slices.
Now mix in sour cream, red wine vinegar, and dill weed. How much? Well, I know this will frustrate a new cook, but just enough. You don't want too much red wine vinegar or it becomes too sour and waters down the sour cream.
Try this - add the sour cream first to the level you like - just as when you make a potato salad, some like it with a lot of mayo,others not so much. Then start with about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add dill weed to taste.
Refirgerate until ready to serve.
(Can't wait to try this one! Thanks Stephanie!)
Peel any number of cukes. I thinly slice them, using a mandolin. Mix in a little bit of kosher salt, maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon for every cucumber you peel and slice. Let that stand for at least two hours.
Then squeeze the juice out of the cucumbers, discarding the juice. I use a ricer but bare hands will work too - you want to end up with limp, dryish slices.
Now mix in sour cream, red wine vinegar, and dill weed. How much? Well, I know this will frustrate a new cook, but just enough. You don't want too much red wine vinegar or it becomes too sour and waters down the sour cream.
Try this - add the sour cream first to the level you like - just as when you make a potato salad, some like it with a lot of mayo,others not so much. Then start with about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add dill weed to taste.
Refirgerate until ready to serve.
(Can't wait to try this one! Thanks Stephanie!)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup of something yummy (I've done dried cranberries, slivered almonds, dried peaches, dried cherries - you need something for texture, so don't skip this part!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in (your favorite add-in). Spread into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
My only "oops" moment with this one was using a stoneware 9x13 when my usual glass one was in use elsewhere, which resulted in a rather dry batch
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup of something yummy (I've done dried cranberries, slivered almonds, dried peaches, dried cherries - you need something for texture, so don't skip this part!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in (your favorite add-in). Spread into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
My only "oops" moment with this one was using a stoneware 9x13 when my usual glass one was in use elsewhere, which resulted in a rather dry batch
Chicken & Black Bean Burritos
This is a light and easy dinner - great in summer, stores well, portable, can be easily doubled, quintupled, whatever...of course the "light" factor disappears once you add the after-ingredients, but that's the joy of "optional." Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
3-4 med. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or the equivalent in "tenderloin" pieces), fresh or thawed, cut into bite-size strips or pieces
1-2 Tb olive oil
2 tsp cumin
salt/pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 med. jar salsa in whatever level of "hot" you prefer
1/2 c. frozen white corn (I round way up on this), or 1 small, drained can
1 pkg. (8) tortillas (homemade are best, but I lack the necessary skills and get them from a local restaurant, store-bought are a last resort)
Optional add-ins: shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, Spanish/Mexican style rice, etc.
PREPARATION:
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste while heating olive oil in large, deep-sided skillet.
When oil is warmed (drop of water skips around on surface), thoroughly cook chicken on medium heat, stirring frequently, adding cumin as soon as outside of chicken pieces are white.
Once the chicken is cooked through, drain off excess oil - you'll want some of the drippings reserved for flavor, but not so much that your chicken is "swimming" in it
Stir in your jar of salsa and let it begin to simmer with chicken while you drain and rinse your black beans
Gently fold black beans into salsa mixture (don't smash them!), bring back to a simmer, then add corn, simmer entire mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you set the table (or yell at your kids to come and set it) and get your tortillas* and add-ins ready.
Serve with fresh fruit on the side and enjoy!
*If you are like most people who don't live in the Southwest and don't have a tortilla warmer, use 2 dinner plates - one to hold the tortillas and one to cover them - and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds, flip the plates over, and repeat. Warm and moist, as opposed to warm and a bit dried out in the regular oven.
Or cheat and call my dear, dear friend Diane...a fellow (now retired) 110% Tex-Mex Jarhead's wife we met in '95 at El Toro...she makes her own flour tortillas and there's NOTHING like them in this world. We have imported her from VA a few times and will be going down to see her in a few weeks to make this dinner for our combined families and, of course, will slug back some Finger Lakes wine together. :)
Ingredients:
3-4 med. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or the equivalent in "tenderloin" pieces), fresh or thawed, cut into bite-size strips or pieces
1-2 Tb olive oil
2 tsp cumin
salt/pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 med. jar salsa in whatever level of "hot" you prefer
1/2 c. frozen white corn (I round way up on this), or 1 small, drained can
1 pkg. (8) tortillas (homemade are best, but I lack the necessary skills and get them from a local restaurant, store-bought are a last resort)
Optional add-ins: shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, Spanish/Mexican style rice, etc.
PREPARATION:
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste while heating olive oil in large, deep-sided skillet.
When oil is warmed (drop of water skips around on surface), thoroughly cook chicken on medium heat, stirring frequently, adding cumin as soon as outside of chicken pieces are white.
Once the chicken is cooked through, drain off excess oil - you'll want some of the drippings reserved for flavor, but not so much that your chicken is "swimming" in it
Stir in your jar of salsa and let it begin to simmer with chicken while you drain and rinse your black beans
Gently fold black beans into salsa mixture (don't smash them!), bring back to a simmer, then add corn, simmer entire mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you set the table (or yell at your kids to come and set it) and get your tortillas* and add-ins ready.
Serve with fresh fruit on the side and enjoy!
*If you are like most people who don't live in the Southwest and don't have a tortilla warmer, use 2 dinner plates - one to hold the tortillas and one to cover them - and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds, flip the plates over, and repeat. Warm and moist, as opposed to warm and a bit dried out in the regular oven.
Or cheat and call my dear, dear friend Diane...a fellow (now retired) 110% Tex-Mex Jarhead's wife we met in '95 at El Toro...she makes her own flour tortillas and there's NOTHING like them in this world. We have imported her from VA a few times and will be going down to see her in a few weeks to make this dinner for our combined families and, of course, will slug back some Finger Lakes wine together. :)
Welcome!
This is a little side project I've decided to start due to the recent tragedy we suffered in our big brick house by the brook...
Our 10 year old Golden Knucklehead decided to eat my family cookbook. A few days later, he got the Betty Crocker cookbook.
BAD BOY!
Our 10 year old Golden Knucklehead decided to eat my family cookbook. A few days later, he got the Betty Crocker cookbook.
BAD BOY!
So, as part of the reconstruction process, I've started this sub-blog to seek and share favorite recipes - mine and yours - for feeding groups of all sizes for all occasions. I'll add things as we go along, and invite you to post your faves in the comments on each post title.
Thanks, Enjoy, Please Contribute, and Bon Appetit!
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