Friday, December 25, 2020

Flower Bread

This was a fun new shape to experiment with. However it results in a GIANT bread - which due to a pandemic lockdown, I had no one outside our household to share it with. I would not recommend making it for a single family. I also wanted to make a plain or savory bread, having baked many sweets the previous days. However, I had a small amount of cinnamon-sugar mixture leftover from the swirl cookies, so sprinkled this on the very outer edge. This ended up being my favorite part - which maybe speaks more to my sweet tooth than actually being a better option.

  • the recipe is from: https://www.talesfromthekitchenshed.com/2015/08/flower-bread/
  • but I used olive oil instead of rapeseed oil, and butter instead of spray. I also topped with black pepper, coarse salt, and thyme instead of sunflower seeds (but still had sesame seeds in the middle), as well as a cinnamon-sugar mixture on the very outer edge.
  • Shaping was challenging - perhaps due to the wetness of my dough or the butter instead of spray, the dough layers tended to stick to each other when I flipped them over. Some of them I was able to separate, and some I left as a clump. I think if you can separate them, you can make a nicer layout. 
  • I baked it on a 13" round pizza stone (covered in foil) - which was JUST big enough to fit this bread, considering that it gets bigger after rising. A larger pan would have been ok too.
This was fun to make once but I would probably not make again. Cinnamon Star Bread is still a favorite, and there are some other fun shapes I'd like to try first.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Roasted Turkey Drumsticks

I scored a good price post-thanksgiving on turkey drumsticks, so bought a few to make this lunch. Delicious and easy with a meat thermometer.

  • 4-8 turkey drumsticks (about 10 oz each)
  • high heat oil (avocado oil, but otherwise canola in a pinch)
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1 t thyme
  • 1 t garlic powder
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/4 t pepper
  • 1 t paprika
  • vegetables: carrots (3-5), mushrooms
  1. Line a roasting pan with foil (to make cleanup easier). Use the high heat oil to coat the roasting rack, allowing it to drip in the roasting pan.
  2. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels.
  3. In a bowl, mix the spices.
  4. Melt the butter. Spread it on the drumsticks.
  5. Dip in the spice bowl. Press remaining over meat.
  6. Place on roasting rack. Drizzle any remaining butter over the meat.
  7.  Set meat thermometer in thickest part of meat, not touching the bone.
  8. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
  9. Add the chopped carrots and sliced mushrooms in the bottom of the pan.
  10. Cover loosely with foil to prevent burning and bake an additional 10-30 minutes until thermometer reads 165.
  11. Let rest for 10 minutes, still covered in foil.
  12. Serve meat over rice with vegetables.

Friday, September 11, 2020

Cornbread

 I made a big tray for a bbq at the park. It disappeared quickly.

  • 1 c cornmeal
  • 3 c flour
  • 1 c sugar
  • 2 T baking powder
  • 1 t salt
  • 2/3 c canola oil
  • 1/3 c butter, melted
  • 2 T honey
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2.5 c lactose-free milk
  1. Butter a 9x13 baking dish/tray.
  2. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients.
  3. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until moistened.
  4. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until cracks appear and golden in color.
  5. Let cool. Serve warm, cooled, with butter, or as a side.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Fruit Salad

Nothing better to eat on a hot day than a chilled, colorful fruit salad. Use a variety of fruits - in both colors and textures. Do not use watermelon (too watery). I would also avoid cantaloupe and honeydew, just because they're not as exciting.
  • strawberries, raspberries
  • oranges
  • peaches, nectarines
  • mango
  • banana - ripe but still firm
  • pineapple
  • kiwi, green grapes
  • blueberries
  • passion fruit
  • red grapes
  • cherries
  • blackberries
  • dragonfruit
  • apples, pears
  1. Wash, peel, pit fruit as necessary. 
  2. Cut each into bite size pieces.
  3. Place in large bowl. Mix with juice from orange and/or lemon/lime juice (to prevent browning).
  4. Optional: Include orange zest OR mint.
  5. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Chilled Braised Bamboo

I love the texture of bamboo. I enjoy them chilled as a side dish or in a thai curry. I feel like I could eat 2 cups of it one sitting. I've avoided cooking it for a long time because the canned stuff has such a weird taste that even boiling doesn't get rid of it. But I recently found a source shrink wrapped instead of canned and it doesn't suffer from the weird taste problem. But now I need to find the perfect marinade/braising technique for making it Chinese style. This was my first attempt and good enough to enjoy, but I think it could still use improving. I can't find dark soy sauce anywhere so perhaps this was the missing ingredient.
  • 2 t minced garlic
  • 1 T olive oil
  • bamboo, sliced thin and cut into rectangles
  • 2 T soy sauce
  • [didn't use: 1 t dark soy sauce]
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 t sesame oil
  1. Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Stir and saute for 2-3 min until lightly browned.
  2. Add the bamboo and stir.
  3. Add the soy sauces, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 min.
  4. Add the water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 min.
  5. Stir in the sesame oil for 1 minute.
  6. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl to cool. Refrigerate and serve chilled. In a rush, eat warm instead.

Recipe #2

  • 2 c water
  • 1/2 c teriyaki marinade
  • 1/4 c sake
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 2 T dry sherry
  • 1 dry shitaake mushroom

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Cinnamon Knots

I wanted a yeast bread recipe that doesn't take too long to bake in the oven. Many of my go to ones take an hour which is just too long to have the heat on for in the summer. I found this one which only takes 10 min to bake. They turned out dangerously delicious.
Jan '23 Have made this many times over the years.

  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1 c milk
  • 2 T yeast
  • 2 T maple syrup (if you don't have any, can substitute sugar/honey)
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 egg
  • ~3 c flour
  • dip: 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c sugar, 3 t cinnamon
  1. Heat the butter in a small pan. When almost melted, add milk. Stir until it reaches 100-110 F. Remove from heat.
  2. In a large bowl, combine yeast and syrup. Pour in butter mixture.
  3. Add salt and egg.
  4. Add 2.5 c flour. Add flour until dough doesn't stick to sides of bowl. Knead for 5 minutes.
  5. Divide into 12 pieces.
  6. Melt butter in shallow bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in separate bowl (I used a pie plate).
  7. Roll each piece into 8" long rope. Dip in butter, then in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Tie into a knot. Finish by joining two ends and flip over. Place all 12 knots onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  8. Let rest for 10 min.
  9. Bake at 400F for 9-12 min.
  10. Let cool and enjoy warm!

Friday, June 12, 2020

Vanilla Cake

A simple layer cake with whipped cream and fruit. This cake was too sweet for my taste - would reduce sugar by another 1/4 cup from what I tried (which was already reduced 1/4 c from the original). Otherwise easy to put together with basic ingredients.
6/12/23 Made this using the reduced sugar (1 c) and the sweetness was just right. 2 c of whipping cream is too much, but that's the size of a standard container. Jumbo does sell a smaller container that I should try next time. Used lactojoy pill to enjoy the whipped cream symptom free. Used patent tarwebloem.
  • 1 c butter, softened
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 c milk, room temperature
  • 2 t vanilla
  • 1.75 c flour
  • 1/4 c cornstarch
  • 2 t baking powder
  • 1 c sugar (tried 1.25...too much)
  • 3/4 t salt
  • Cream Topping: 2 c whipping cream, 2 T sugar, 1 t vanilla
  • fruit (strawberries, peaches, cherries, etc)
  1. Line bottom of 2 cake pans (8" or 9") with parchment paper and butter sides. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
  4. Add the butter 1/3 at a time to the dry ingredients, beating after each addition until incorporated and at high speed for 10 seconds. It should look like wet sand.
  5. Add half the wet mixture, beating until incorporated. Add the remaining half and beat on medium speed until almost smooth.
  6. Divide between 2 cake pans, and smooth the surface. 
  7. Bake at 350 for 25-35 min until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Cool on rack for 15 minutes before flipping.
  9. Cream Topping: Beat cream, sugar and vanilla until firm peaks form. Do not overbeat.
  10. Decorate: Place one cake layer on plate. Spread with thin layer of cream. Top with sliced fruit. Spread 1/3 of the cream on top. Layer second cake on top. Spread with remaining cream and top with more fruit.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Round Roast

This came out flavorful and tender. When I was bringing it to room temperature I missed the step about salting it and keeping it wrapped. I just unwrapped it. Still came out great. I only had patience to wait until it got to 137 degrees which was just fine.

  • round roast
  • 5 cloves garlic, cut into halves
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • gravy: cornstarch, water, red wine/water/broth, butter, thyme
  1. Bring meat to room temperature to help it cook evenly. Unwrap it, salt it, and rewrap it. Let it sit on counter for 2 hours (minimum 1 hour). 
  2. Pat the meat dry.
  3. Cover with olive oil and spread all around.
  4. Use a knife to cut slits into the roast all around and stick in a half clove in each slit.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Place roasting pan to catch drippings on lower shelf. Place meat directly on middle oven rack, fat side up. Bake at 375F for 25-30 min until browned.
  7. Lower heat to 225F and cook for 1.5-2.5 hours (depending on weight and shape of meat), until meat thermometer registers 135-140F.
  8. Place on cutting board and cover with foil tent to keep warm. Let rest for 20-30 min (otherwise meat will bleed too much when cutting.
  9. Slice thinly against the grain and enjoy warm.
  10. Optional: For the drippings, use water/red wine/broth to deglaze the pan. Combine 1 T cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Pour into dripping mixture and heat until thickened. If there wasn't much fat, add some butter. Thyme if extra flavor is needed.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Bruschetta

We didn't have fresh basil so I substituted dried basil. Still delicious! I wanted to make enough just for 2 as the BDs don't eat tomatoes. Instead of bread it was also nice to scoop the tomatoes on cucumber slices.
  • 1 pkg cherry tomatoes minus a few that have been eaten the day before
  • 1 t minced garlic
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 1/3 t balsamic vinegar
  • 3 fresh basil leaves OR sprinkle of dried basil
  • salt + pepper
  • 1 mini baguette OR italian bread
  • optional: cheese, cucumbers
  1. Dice the tomatoes into quarters, eights or to whatever size you like.
  2. Mix with garlic, oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. The tomatoes will take a lot of salt, so make sure you taste it.
  3. Slice the bread and place on baking tray.
  4. Optional: Place the tomatoes on the slice OR mozzarella on OR leave plain OR tomatoes+cheese.
  5. Bake in oven at 350-450. The higher the temperature, the quicker they will toast - but also possibly burn. Toast enough to brown the bread OR melt the cheese OR whatever you want.
  6. Serve by spooning tomato mixture on top of toasted bread.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Steamed Sponge Cake

This is easy to put together and cooks in a rice cooker steam tray. Note: next time try 2 egg ratio.
  • 3 eggs
  • scant 1/2 c sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 3/5 c cake flour
  • optional: 1/4 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  1. Beat the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes. The volume should increase quite a bit as air is incorporated.
  2. Mix salt, cake flour and baking powder in small bowl. Slowly add to the egg mixture.
  3. Beat in the vanilla.
  4. Line bottom of rice cooker steam tray with parchment paper (to prevent batter seeping through holes and easy separation). Pour in batter.
  5. Add 1/2"-1" of water to rice cooker and place steam tray on top. Cover and turn on. Steam for about 25 minutes, until done.
  6. Carefully remove lid so as not to drip water on the cake.
  7. Use knife to separate cake from sides and flip over onto plate.
  8. Serve with fresh strawberries.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Da Bing

My family would order this bread in a restaurant in San Jose when visiting family. Back on the east coast we had no such source for purchasing. So my dad learned how to make it himself, perfected the technique and gave me his recipe. This is similar to the scallion pancake recipe, but a raised dough. I like it better, but it is much more time consuming - you need about 4-5 hours to complete this.

The Dough
Da means Big in Chinese - Big Bing!

  • 1.5 c warm water
  • 1.5 T sugar
  • 1.25 t salt
  • 1.5 T olive oil
  • 4 c flour
  • 1.25 t yeast
  1. Mix first group of ingredients well, using water just warmer than skin temperature (about 85F). Let it sit for 10 minutes at 82 degrees*. Knead it well for 5-10 minutes and then let it rise at 82 degrees for 30 minutes. To maintain warm dough for good rising put it in the oven and turn on the light or put in a couple jars (with lid on) of hot water to raise the temperature mildly.
  2. Alternatively - stick first 6 ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle for 30-40 min.

The Bing

  • 1-2 bunches of scallions
  • 6 pinches of salt
  • 2-4 T oil (canola or sesame)
  • sesame seeds
  1. Stretch the dough out into a thin square/rectangle by pressing the edge on the counter and working around the edge until the dough is spread out as big as possible, without any holes. You don't need to have a perfect shape; having an even thickness is more desirable.
  2. Spread the oil evenly on the surface, using your fingers. Then sprinkle the salt on.
  3. Sprinkle 2/3 of the scallions on 2/3 of the bing, leaving 1/3 uncovered. Fold in the uncovered portion over. Then fold in the other third.
  4. Sprinkle oil, salt and remaining scallions. Fold in the other direction to make it into a 9 layer square.
  5. Spread sesame seeds in a 10" round baking container (smaller is also ok). Place the dough inside. Put a heavy cover on top. Let rise at 100 degrees for 40-60 minutes.
  6. Turn the dough upside down to put the sesame side on top. Sprinkle more sesame seeds before placing dough down (or oil or flour) for easy removal later.
  7. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes with a heavy cover on top. This is to encourage the bing to spread sideways into the pan instead of just up. My dad recommends using a large dish for easy cleaning, with a metal lid on top. Just be sure everything is oven safe!
  8. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Increase to 375 if you like an extra crunchy crust.
  9. Optional: Leave the bing in the oven for another 5-10 minutes after turning off the heat.
  10. Put on a cooling rack. 
Note
Use all of the scallion OR cut off the white parts and use just the green parts. Stick the whites in a cup of water to regrow more scallions.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Apple Pastry

The nice thing about this dessert is that there's sections for those that really like crust and for those that care more about the apples. This is a sweet empanada dough with apple filling. Each BD put together a fish - kid friendly.
  • 3 c flour
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 5-6 T cold water
  • 7-8 apples, peeled - divided
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • cornstarch/flour/thickener
  • optional: raisins, almonds
  • sugar, cinnamon
  • wash: 1 egg
  1. Make the dough.
    1. Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut butter in large pieces.
    2. Mix in eggs and water until crumbly.
    3. Shape into 2 balls. Flatten and refrigerate for at least 30 min.
  2. Prepare the filling.
    1. Dice 2 apples and combine with brown sugar and cinnamon in small pan. 
    2. Saute on low heat until softened and liquid has come out. 
    3. Mix in cornstarch to thicken the liquid.
    4.  Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. Roll out dough very thin. Cut into desired shape (of fish). Place on parchment paper on baking tray.
  4. Cover head tail and fins with 1/2 of the apple filling. Spread the filling on body as well.
  5. Cover the body of the fish with apple slices, to look like fish scales.
  6. Roll out leftover pieces of dough again and cut out shape for head, tail and fins coverage. Use any remaining dough to make railing for sides so juice won't drip off the fish. Optional: Make eyeball out of small ball of dough.
  7. Repeat with other dough and remaining apples.
  8. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  9. Sprinkle apple slices with sugar and cinnamon.
  10. Brush egg wash on pastry.
  11. Bake for 30-35 min at 375 F until nicely browned.
  12. Let cool before eating.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Apple Blintzes/Dessert Crepes

Being still on an apple kick with no yeast in the house I made apple blintzes today - or crepes wrapped around apple filling. One was filled with mini chocolate chips and banana slices. Other filling options are chocolate mousse, jam, butter and cinnamon sugar, or savory (in which case leave the sugar out of the batter) - cheese, ham, spinach, mushrooms.
June 2023 Nutella banana crepes - delicious! Used a palm-free oil chocolate-hazelnut spread (not actual Nutella brand). Made 2 batches (1 shared).

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1/2 c water
  • 1/4 t salt
  • Chinese spoonful of sugar (or up to 1/4 c)
  • 1 c flour
  • 2 T butter, melted
  • butter for cooking
  • filling of choice
  1. If required, prepare filling of choice. For apple filling:
    1. Dice 2 apples.
    2.  Saute for 10 min on low heat with heaping spoonful of sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon. 
    3. If too much liquid, add cornstarch slurry to thicken.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. 
  3. Stir in the milk, water, salt and sugar.
  4. Slowly sift in flour and stir to combine.
  5. Quickly stir in melted butter.
  6. Drop ~1/4 c into greased pan over medium-low heat. Immediately tilt the pan so the batter spreads evenly into circle, covering the bottom. (If batter is not thin enough to spread easily, add a bit of milk to the batter for the next one.)
  7. Cook for up to 2 min until golden. Then flip and cook about 30 seconds more until done. 
  8. Fill with deliciousness - roll, folding in ends as you go.
Variations

Egg White Crepes - if you have leftover egg whites to use up
Pancakey Crepes - thicker than crepes

Cong You Bing - Scallion Pancakes

My family made these quite often when I was a kid. A successful bing has many layers.
4/26/20 For one bing I put in spicy chutney powder instead of cong+salt. Deliciously spicy!

Dough
  • 2 c flour
  • 3/4 c boiling water (up to 1 cup)
Filling
  • 2 stems of scallions
  • salt
  • oil (sesame, canola)
  1. Slowly add the boiling water to the flour in a food processor and process for 15 seconds OR mix by hand.
  2. Let sit covered in an oiled boil for 30 min (or longer).
  3. Divide dough into 4 pieces.
  4. Roll into large flat shape, as thin as possible.
  5. Cover with oil and salt. Spread with fingers. Sprinkle chopped scallions on top.
  6. Roll the long side. Start coiling into a snail, end with a second snail coil on top of the first.
  7. Squash it with your hand and roll out to final size (NOT as thin as the first time).
  8. Cook on low-medium heat in oiled frying pan until nicely browned on each side.
  9. Slice into wedges and enjoy warm.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Apple Tea Bread

I was craving an apple bread that was fun to make - found a recipe for tea bread and adapted it with an apple filling.
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1/8 c butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2.5 c flour
  • 2 1/4 t yeast
  • Wash: 1 egg + 1 T water
  • Filling: 2 apples, 1/3 c sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon, cornstarch or flour
  1. Place dough ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle.
  2. Prepare filling
    1. Dice the apples. 
    2. Cook over low heat with sugar and cinnamon for 10 min.
    3. Add cornstarch or flour to thicken sauce.
    4. Let cool.
  3. Roll dough out to 12"x15". Spread filling. Roll long end.
  4. Place on parchment paper into circle shape.
  5. Use scissors to make cuts 1" apart, 1" from center, all around.
  6. Optional: turn the cut slices to the side.
  7. Cover with cloth for 30 min.
  8. Brush with egg wash.
  9. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min until golden brown.
  10. Enjoy warm or cooled.


Thursday, April 2, 2020

Baked Apple Donut Shapes

I had a craving for doughnuts but don't like deep frying things so found this baked recipe from my to try list (from 10 years ago!). Substituted butter for the olive oil and almond flour for the wheat germ and it turned out just fine. I think a filling of sauted cubed apples might make it more appley - as is it is more like just a cinnamon donut. 
6/27/20 I wanted more apple oomph so this time sauted an additional 2 c diced apples with sugar+cinnamon to scoop in as a filling.
  • 1 c milk
  • 3 T butter
  • 1/4 c almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t salt
  • 3 T brown sugar
  • 2 apples, grated (what would it be like if they were diced?)
  • 3 3/4 c flour
  • 2.5 t cinnamon
  • 1 t ginger
  • 2.5 t yeast
  • topping: butter, cinnamon, sugar
  1. Combine main ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle.
  2. Move to floured surface.
    • Roll out to about 1/2" thick. Cut out ~14 shapes using cookie cutters.
    • Take munchkin size balls and roll for donut holes.
    • Make larger donuts as flattened balls.
    • Make hole donuts by poking thumb through ball and making very large hole, to account for increase in size from rising during rest time and bake time.
    • Roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut out circle shape. Place on prepared sheet (as below). Add 1 tsp of diced apple filling. Cover with additional 1/4" circle. Seal edges.
  3. Place shapes on parchment paper on cookie sheets.
  4. Let rise for 30 minutes.
  5. Bake for 15 min (or until browned) at 350F.
  6. While hot, melt butter on surface and then dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  7. Let cool on rack. Enjoy warm or for snack later.




Sunday, March 29, 2020

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

We haven't been able to buy cinnamon raisin bagels from Metro grocery store in weeks. Tried making it from scratch using the bread machine. This came out ok - a bit blander than I would have liked, and I should have let it rise more. Could make this again OR try another recipe. BDs want plain bagels next.
1/28/22 Tried the other recipe. Folding the raisins and cinnamon to get the swirls was a nice touch, but otherwise they did not rise enough. Would experiment with the first recipe again.
  • 1/2 c raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 min
  • 1 T cinnamon
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1.25 c warm water
  • 3 c flour (recipe called for bread but I only had AP)
  • 3 1/3 T brown sugar
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 1/2 t yeast
  • EGG WASH: 1 egg + 1 T water
  1. Pat the raisins dry and combine with cinnamon and sugar. Dump into bread machine pan followed by remaining main ingredients. Set to dough cycle. Check dough and add water or flour to get right consistency. Remove after the first knead - about 20 min.
  2. Place dough on floured surface and divide into 8 pieces.
  3. Shape into bagels with very large holes (to account for increase in size during rising and baking time) and place on parchment paper on baking sheets.
  4. Let rise for 30 min, until doubled.
  5. Boil large pot of water with 1 T sugar. Boil bagels in batches for 1.5 min per side.
  6. Cool on wire rack for a minute. Then brush with egg wash.
  7. Bake 400F for 20 min.
Recipe #2
1/28/22 These came out rather flat. I forgot to put cornmeal on the parchment paper so when it was time to boil I couldn't get them off the sheet! Remember to butter or cornmeal the sheet next time!
  • 1.25 c warm water
  • 1 T honey
  • 1/2 T sugar
  • 1.5 t yeast
  • 3.5-4 c flour
  • 1.5 t salt
  • 2 t cinnamon
  • 1/2 c raisins
  1. In a small bowl, combine the honey, sugar and warm water.  Sprinkle on the yeast. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 5 min until foamy.
  2. In a large bowl combine 2 cups of flour and the salt. Add the frothy yeast and stir until evenly mixed. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until it's too hard to stir by hand (about 1 cup). Turn onto floured surface and continue adding flour until the dough is fairly stiff but still kneadable. Knead for a total of 8 minutes.
  3. Flatten the dough. Add the cinnamon and raisins down the center. Fold the dough over and knead until the raisins are dispersed and there are swirls of cinnamon in the dough. Knead over raisins that have escaped.
  4. Form dough into ball, cover and let rise until doubled (about 45 min).
  5. Punch the dough down and form it into a log. Cut into 10 equal pieces.
  6. Form each piece into a smooth ball. Pinch the center to make a hole 3x bigger than final size.
  7. Place on GREASED baking sheet/parchment paper, or sheet lined with cornmeal. Let rise until doubled for another 45 minutes.
  8. Preheat broiler.
  9. Boil wide pan of water.
  10. [Broil the bagels for 1 min on each side. They should not brown, only become dull on each side and poof up.] - This is when I discovered I'd forgotten to grease the parchment paper so I couldn't flip them. I only broiled on one side and then had to deal with the disaster. The second tray I didn't broil at all. The first tray came out much smoother than the second tray.
  11. Boil rapidly for 1 min on each side, flipping with chopstick. Let drip on wire rack.
  12. Place back on baking tray and bake at 375/190 for 20-30 min until the surface is golden brown.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Linguine with Clam Sauce

I hadn't made this in over a decade, but finally got around to it again. It was hard to find canned clams here - I only had one can of whole clams to work with but it came out fine. I chopped some of them and left the other ones whole.
  • linguine (or pasta of choice)
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1-2 cans clams, with juice (minced, but whole ok too)
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 3 t minced garlic
  • 1/2 c white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 T dried parsley
  • black pepper
  • 1/4 T dried basil
  1. Cook the pasta and douse with olive oil to prevent sticking.
  2. Saute butter, garlic and parsley.
  3. Add drained clams. Saute 2 min.
  4. Add clam juice and wine/broth. 
  5. Stir in basil and pepper.
  6. Server over pasta with cheese.
Variations
- add 2 T cornstarch with wine to thicken sauce

            Tuesday, March 3, 2020

            Baked Pork Chops

            My mom made pork chops regularly growing up. When I moved away I stopped having them and on visits home my mom would pan fry them just for me. I tried making them on my own but they always came out too dry. I finally found a way to make them super moist - in the oven, and with a meat thermometer.

            • bone-in thick pork chops
            • olive oil
            • garlic powder
            • black pepper
            • salt
            1. Use pan just big enough to hold the meat.
            2. Drizzle both sides of chops with olive oil. 
            3. Sprinkle seasoning on both sides.
            4. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
            5. Bake at 400F until meat registers 140-145F - roughly 8 min per half inch thickness.
            6. Rest for 5 min before serving.

            Thursday, February 6, 2020

            Snickerdoodles

            Key ingredient is cream of tartar. If you don't have it, make another cookie! These turn out very soft. Lost my original recipe but these turned out fantastic.

            • 1 c butter, softened
            • 1.5 c sugar
            • 2 eggs
            • 2 t vanilla
            • 2.75 c flour
            • 1.5 t cream of tartar
            • 1/2 t baking soda
            • 1 t salt
            Dip
            • 1/4 c sugar
            • 1.5 T cinnamon
            1. Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
            2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
            3. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
            4. optional: Chill for 15-20 min.
            5. Preheat oven to 350. Combine dip ingredients.
            6. Roll dough into small balls and roll in dip. Place on parchment lined paper. Take each ball and roll AGAIN with a spoon, scooping dip on top and pressing down lightly with spoon.
            7. Bake for 9-10 min. Err on the side of shorter to ensure soft cookie.
            8. Cool on tray for 2 min before moving to cooling rack.
            9. Store any leftover dip in small jar.

            Wednesday, February 5, 2020

            Tofu Black Bean Stir Fry

            I usually buy extra firm tofu, but had a package of firm tofu in the fridge I needed to use up. Found a recipe I had the ingredients for.

            • 1 pkg firm tofu
            • 1 T black bean sauce
            • 2 T cooking oil
            • 1 cl garlic
            • 1 t minced ginger
            • assorted vegetables (spinach, carrot, snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms, etc)
            • 1 T cornstarch
            • 2 T cold water
            • 1/2 c broth
            • 2 T low sodium soy sauce
            1. Pat tofu as dry as possible.
            2. Cut into 1/2" cubes.
            3. Combine with black bean sauce. My sauce was very thick and did not spread easily. Next time combine with soy or water to make thinner? Let sit for 10 min.
            4. Heat oil in wok. Saute tofu until browned. Set aside in bowl.
            5. Add oil as needed. Saute vegetables with garlic and ginger.
            6. If possible, move veges to side of pan. Add broth and soy sauce.
            7. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl. Pour into broth and stir until thick.
            8. Stir in slurry with veggies. Mix until veggies are cooked. 
            9. Add tofu and stir one last time.
            10. Serve with rice or udon noodles.

            Tuesday, January 28, 2020

            Oven Braised Beef Shank with Tarragon

            Got a bottle of dry Marsala and was ready to go with this recipe. Next time try adding potatoes with the carrots.

            • 2 T olive oil
            • ~2 lbs beef shank (I used 2 pieces, bone in)
            • salt and pepper
            • garlic
            • celery, 1 stalk, cut into 1/2" cubes
            • 1 c Marsala wine
            • 14oz+ beef broth
            • carrots, 2" cuts
            • 2 T dried tarragon
            1. Season shanks with salt and pepper.
            2. Heat olive oil in cast iron/dutch oven pan on stovetop. Fully brown the shanks, 5-12 min.
            3. Transfer to plate.
            4. Saute celery for 5 min. Add garlic and continue to saute 1-5 min.
            5. Pour in wine, scrape brown bits off with wooden spoon.
            6. If in small pan, transfer to oven proof pan.
            7. Place shanks in pan. Add in carrots. Pour in broth (and water if needed) to cover 50-75% of shanks.
            8. Sprinkle tarragon over shanks.
            9. Cover with lid or with double layer of foil.
            10. Bake at 275 until meat is falling off bone (about 4-5 hours). [Alt: cook at 300 for shorter time]
            11. Serve with veggies and bread/mashed potatoes/rice.

            Sunday, January 26, 2020

            Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

            I had a sick family so needed to make a quick lunch of chicken noodle soup. Everyone liked it. Cheater because I bought a roasted chicken at the grocery store. I based this on a recipe I found online but can't find it anymore. This is from memory.

            • chicken, roasted
            • 4 c vegetable broth (or more)
            • egg noodles
            • celery (optional)
            • carrots, cubed
            • salt
            • pepper
            • garlic (instead of onion)
            • thyme
            • 1 T butter
            1. Saute minced garlic in butter.
            2. Add carrots (and celery). 
            3. Add broth and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
            4. Add chicken pieces.
            5. Add egg noodles to cook through (OR cook separately so that the soup sans noodles can be frozen and used later).
            6. Simmer for 20 min.
            7. Serve with bread.