Monday, December 23, 2019

Vegetarian Pinto Bean Sloppy Joes

This Vegetarian Pinto Bean Sloppy Joe recipe hits all of the buttons for a hearty satisfying cold weather comfort dish for both vegetarians and meat eaters.  The flavor profile is spot on and it has the same luscious consistency as the original beef version.  It's the perfect dish for these cold winter months.

I won't lie, there is a lot of chopping of vegetables involved.  But once you get into the dicing groove it goes pretty quickly, and once the carrots and onions are in the skillet you can start working on the garlic and red peppers, and so on, so much of the work is done during the cooking process.  And the end result is well worth the effort.
Home Cookin v9.76 Chapter: Beans and Vegetables
VEGETARIAN PINTO BEAN SLOPPY JOES
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp date or brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups cooked drained pinto beans
12 oz passata or tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen (thawed)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minuts. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the spices and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the cabbage and cook for another minute or two until the spices are evenly distributed.

Add tomato paste and cook for a minute, then add the water, apple cider vinegar and passata. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add zucchini and bring back to a simmer then cook for 5 minutes. Add corn and beans and cook until heated through.

adapted from this Eating Well Magazine http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vegetarian_pinto_bean_sloppy_joe s.htmlrecipe found at Eating Well Magazine

exported from Home Cookin v.9.76 (www.mountain-software.com)

Monday, December 16, 2019

Baking Class: Sourdough Focaccia

I found this recipe for sourdough focaccia a few years ago and have been making it regularly ever since so I figure it's about time that I share it with you.  It is thicker, softer, and more bread-like than the Focaccia de Luciano I posted about here.  Both are delicious and I will sometimes make that one and sometimes make this one.  The Focaccia de Luciano is thinner and more crisp.  I think because of that it goes stle pretty fast and is best made when there will be enough people to eat it in one sitting.

This focaccia lasts a bit longer so it can be made when you know you might have leftovers on hand for a few days.  Both are delicious as is, or topped with herbs and/or cheese and other goodies.
Home Cookin v.9.73 Chapter: Breads and Muffins

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA
Sponge:
275g (1-1/2 cups) active starter
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
120g (1 cup flour)

Dough:
Sponge
1/4 cup olive oil
480g (4 cups) flour
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus about 2 Tbsp more for spreading over the top before baking

Combine the ingredients for the sponge in a large bowl.  Cover and let rise for a few hours until it is quite bubbly.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed.  The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.  Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a rimmed half-sheet size (or two quarter size) baking sheet(s) and spread it evenly across the bottom(s).  Gently punch down the dough and then press it into the pan as evenly as possible.  Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 450° F.  When the oven is ready, dock the dough lightly with the tips of your fingers.  Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing it from the pan.  Let it cool on a rack to your desired serving temperature.

Adapted from http://flouronmyface.com/2014/01/step-by-step-how-to-make-sourdough-focaccia.html

exported from Home Cookin v.9.76 (www.mountain-software.com)

Monday, December 09, 2019

Baking Class: Basic Buttermilk Biscuits

I have posted a biscuit recipe before but was never fully satisfied with it.  Although it made flaky biscuits, they were missing that quintessential biscuit texture and flavor but I did not know why.  And then I was recently looking for recipes to make them with my baking companion and I discovered that the recipe I had been using had eggs in it and many that I was seeing online did not.  So I tried it without the eggs and boom - there was that beautiful biscuit flavor I had been missing for so long.

These biscuits are easy to make and delicious.  I also learned a new trick for making them even flakier than I was getting with the folding method.  Instead of being folded they get cut into three pieces, stacked, rolled or patted, and then cut and stacked again two more times before being cut into biscuits.

If you are looking for a simple, classic biscuit recipe then look no further - this is the one!
Home Cookin v9.76 Chapter: Breads and Muffins
BASIC BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cold buttermilk

Cut the butter into 32 equal pieces and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the cubed cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is the size of small peas.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the cold buttermilk. Gently stir to combine until everything just comes together.  You do not want to overwork the dough or it will get tough.

Place the dough onto a well-floured surface and work it gently into a ball. Pat or roll it out into a rectangle approximately 1/2-inch high. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into thirds crosswise and stack the three layers. Pat it out into another 1/2-inch rectangle.  Repeat this process twice more.

Cut out the biscuits with a 2-inch or 3-inch biscuit cutter, making sure to push straight down without twisting to ensure that they will rise.  Place the cut biscuits on a rimmed baking sheet so that they are touching each other.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned, turning the tray in the oven about halfway through.  Start checking after about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.


adapted from recipe found at https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/easy-buttermilk-biscuits/

exported from Home Cookin v9.76 (http://www.mountainsoftware.com/homecook.php)
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