Salmon en Papillote with Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

I am reviving something from my earlier blogging days that I called “Project Freezer Burn.” Now that I have a better idea of what’s in my freezer I am determined to start using it. First up was a packet of ethically caught salmon that had been in there for months, along with a packet of frozen organic Brussels sprouts and another packet of frozen organic carrots. I’ve never made anything en papillote before and this seemed like the perfect time to try it.

I cut four big pieces of parchment paper into giant hearts and layered the carrots, then the sprouts (both still mostly frozen), and finally the salmon over one half, seasoning after each layer.

I poured a bit of olive oil over the top and then finished it up with granulated garlic, paprika and dill.

I folded the other half of the heart over and crimped the edges to seal the packets.  I was just able to get all four of them on the one half baking sheet.

I baked them in a 375° F. oven for ten minutes. The sprouts and carrots had partly thawed and that was just long enough to cook them without turning them to mush and the salmon was not too well done for me. If you like your salmon well done you should probably cook them closer to twelve minutes. This comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner and also offers a wow moment for entertaining.

You can use other fish and other vegetables - whatever you have at hand. Just bear in mind how long each item needs to cook and adjust accordingly.

Home Cooking v9.81 Chapter: Meat Fish and Eggs SALMON EN PAPILLOTE WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND CARROTS 4 Salmon fillets
2 Tbsp olive oil (approximately)
1 10-oz package frozen brussels sprouts, thawed enough to slice in half lengthwise
1 10-oz package frozen sliced carrots
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp of granulated garlic powder
2 tsp of dill
2 tsp of paprika

Additional items:
4 large sheets parchment paper

Fold the parchment paper in half widthwise and cut out half a heart shape. Combine the spices into a small bowl and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Lay one-fourth of the carrot slices over the bottom of one half of the heart, followed by one-fourth of the Brussels sprouts halves. Season with salt and pepper. Lay one salmon fillet over the center and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of the spices over the fish and what vegetables are exposed.

Close the heart and crimp the edges together, making sure the packet is tightly sealed. Carefully place the packet on a half-sheet size baking pan.

Repeat with the remaining three fillets, laying them evenly on the baking sheet without overlapping.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove form the oven and place each pouch on a plate. Serve immediately, slitting the pouch open carefully.

adapted from this recipe: https://www.jessicagavin.com/salmon-en-papillote-vegetables/

exported from Home Cookin v9.81

Baking Class: Whole Wheat Artisan No Knead Bread

I have tweaked this whole wheat sourdough no knead bread recipe about as much as I can to get it where I want it to be.  I don't always have the time (or the patience, if I am being honest) to let it sit for hours before baking it so right off the bat I increased the percentage of starter to the rest of the ingredients.  This gives me the freedom to let it sit out for just a few hours if I am in a hurry to have it, or I can throw it in the fridge and let it do its thing for up to five days to let the flavors really develop.

And while I appreciate the beauty of a crumb that is filled with those beautiful large holes, I find that the bread goes stale much faster than I can use it so I started adding olive oil, which does give a longer life but softens the crumb so I don't get those lovely holes anymore. If you want the holes and are feeding enough people for leftovers not to be a problem, you can omit the oil.

I thought I would give a little pictorial of how the dough should look at various stages of the process. If you do not want to bother with that you can just scroll down to the where the recipe is at the bottom. I promise I won't be offended.

First I combine all of the ingredients and cover the bowl and let it sit anywhere from a few hours out on a counter up to five or six days in the refrigerator. If I refrigerated it, I take it out and let it sit for about an hour and a half, long enough for it to come to room temperature. I then transfer it to a floured surface and sprinkle both it and my hands with bread flour while I stretch and fold it a couple of times, adding more flour in small amounts as needed.  When I am ready to shape it I start at the top and grab both sides and pull them across each other over the dough and affix them to the opposite sides.  I do the same in the middle, and then the bottom, and then I carefully shape it into a ball.

I then set it on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, pick it up by the corners, and put it in a small aluminum bowl tand cover it with a towel and let it rise for another hour or so. After about 45 minutes I place my Dutch oven onto the middle rack of a cool oven with the lid on and preheat it to 500° F.  When the oven has come to temperature I pull out the rack with the Dutch oven on it, remove the lid, gently lift up the corners of the parchment paper and use it to carefully remove the dough from the bowl and gently place it in the Dutch oven as quickly as I safely can, then immediately put the cover back on and put it back in the oven.

I bake it covered for 30 minutes and then I lower the temperature to 450° F. and remove the cover and let it bake for another 15 minutes. I remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes and then I use the ends of the parchment paper to remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and set it on a cooling rack to let it cool completely.

As I stated up above, this does not have that lovely open-holed crumb of your typical Dutch Oven No-Knead bread. I believe that is mainly due to the fact that i add olive oil to my dough. It may not be open and airy and chewy as the original version, but it stays fresh longer and that is more important to me since I am usually the only one eating it. If you want that open, chewy crumb just leave out the olive oil.

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: My Recipes ARTISAN SOURDOUGH WHOLE WHEAT NO KNEAD BREAD 3/4 cup (145g) active starter
1-1/4 cup (300g) water
1/2 cup (60g) bread flour
1/2 cup (60g) barley flour (optional)
2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour, or 2-1/2 cups (300g) if not using barley flour
2 tsp (12g) salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine the flours in a medium bowl and whisk together.

Dissolve the starter into the water in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and give it a stir, then add the flour mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will be fairly wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for as little as overnight or as long as 5 days.

When ready to bake, take a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle flour lightly over the middle. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour to bring it to room temperature. Fold the dough 10 to 15 times in the bowl, then transfer to a floured surface. Sprinkle bread flour lightly over the top of the dough and over your hands, then take the top edges on each side of the dough and cross them over each other and press down into the base. Repeat with the middle edges and then the bottom, adding more flour a sprinkle at a time as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Gently bring the edges of the dough from the bottom up to make a ball, and then turn it over onto the floured parchment paper. Pat a little more flour onto the sides of the dough closest to the paper, then lift it up by the corners and place it into a medium-sized bowl. Cover with a twel and let rise until it has doubled, an hour to an hour and a half.

After about 45 minutes, place a Dutch oven with the lid on it into a cool oven and preheat it to 500° F. When the dough has risen and you are ready to bake, remove the pot from the oven and lift the dough out of the bowl by the parchment paper and carefully drop the whole thing into the hot pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the heat to 450° and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool completely on rack.

adapted from http://breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-bread/

Exported from Home Cookin v9.81

DIY Condiments: Make Your Own Peanut Butter

Here is the recipe for making your own peanut butter.  Pay attention as it is incredibly complicated and you are liable to make many mistakes.

Place a pound of peeled roasted peanuts into the bowl of your food processor.*

Process for about four to five minutes until you have peanut butter.  If you are adding salt, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add it while the peanuts are processing after about three minutes.

*If you want to make chunky peanut butter, remove 1/4 cup of the peanuts and chop them to your desired consistency and then add them in at the end.

That's it.  Don't screw it up!

Baking Class: Artisan Sourdough No Knead Bread

I have been working on sourdough no-knead bread for a while and I think I have finally figured it out enough to get consistent results. Most recipes call for a small amount of starter proportionate to the rest of the ingredients but I had built up a sizeable starter for my fennel seed bread and did not feel like mixing and kneading the dough so I decided to turn it into a no-knead loaf instead.  I did not want to waste the additional starter.  I wondered what would happen if I used more starter and put it into the refrigerator immediately rather than letting it sit outside for hours.  I used this percentage method for calculating starter I found at Chocolate and Zucchini to calculate the amount of starter to use and went to work.

My first attempt was decent with a good crumb, but the crust was a bit soft.  The crumb was decent, however,  and I knew I was on the right path.

My next attempt yielded the result you see here.  The crust was crisp and chewy.  And the crumb was all that I could have hoped it would be!

An interesting note - I only had about a third of a cup of whole wheat flour (not sure how that happened!) so I added enough rye flour to make a full cup.  The result was delicious and I think I will keep that ratio in the future.  And of  course I will play with other flour combinations as well.

But this one is a keeper.  You mix the dough together and put it in the fridge for a couple of days, maybe take it out and fold it once, and then take it out and bake it.  It's as close to set it and forget it as an artisanal home-made bread can be.

Home Cookin v9.76 Chapter: Breads and Muffins
Artisan Sourdough No-Knead Bread 142 g starter
304 g water
120 g any combination of whole wheat or rye flour
229 g white bread flour
12 g salt

Combine the flours with the salt and whisk together.

Dissolve the starter into the water. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for as little as overnight or as long as three days. If more than two days, remove from the refrigerate and bring to room temperature, then fold about 15 times. Cover and put back in the refrigerator until ready to bake, up to two days later.

When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temprature. Fold the dough again 10 to 15 times, then transfer to a floured piece of parchment paper in a bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about one-and-a-half to two hours.

After about 45 minutes, place a Dutch oven with the lid on it into a cool oven and preheat it to 500°. When the dough has risen and you are ready to bake, remove the pot from the oven and carefully drop the dough into the hot pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the heat to 450° and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Let cool completely on rack.

adapted from http://breadtopia.com/sourdough-no-knead-bread/

Duck Fried Rice

I met some friends for the Beijing Duck (Peking Duck to those of us who remember the days when most foreign city names were anglicized) earlier this week that is the off-the-menu specialty of Sun Wah BBQ restaurant on Argyle Street.  The duck was beautifully prepared and delicious.  First, the meat was carved off the breast and eaten with bao buns, and then the remaining meat was pulled off the carcass and stir-fried with rice or noodles (we chose noodles).  The third dish, a winter melon soup made from the carcass, had a tasty broth but the soup itself was a little bit meh.  But, it was not meh enough to detract from the other two dishes and was well worth it.  I would do it again.

There were only three of us with that whole duck, though, so there was a bit of meat left over.  We divvied it up and I went home with a leg, part of a wing, and a couple of breast slices.  It was more than enough for one serving but I didn't really have anything to go with it. I was describing the dinner to my friend at work and mentioned that they offered either noodles or fried rice with the meat they pull off the carcass and she said she would have opted for the fried rice instead of the noodles.  And just like that I knew what I was going to do with that duck.  I cooked the rice that night when I got home so it would have time for the grains to separate and dry out, and then the next night I put everything together and had myself a lovely meal of duck fried rice.

My friends and I decided we would happily do the Beijing Duck dinner again.  It would definitely be worth it if just to have the leftover duck so I could make some more fried rice.

I realize that duck is not something one has hanging around their kitchen every day.  This recipe would work just as well with chicken or pork.  You an also mix and match the vegetables as you desire; just add them from those take the longest time to cook first, up to those that only need a minute or two.

Home Cookin v9.74 Chapter: My Recipes
DUCK FRIED RICE 1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet sherry
2 Tbsp rice or rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
3 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp minced garlic*
2 Tbsp minced ginger*
2 medium carrots, diced
1 bunch green onions, greens and whites divided and chopped
1 can water chestnuts, sliced (app 4 oz)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup cooked duck, pork or chicken, chopped
1 batch of cooked brown or white rice, preferably made at least one day before making fried rice
Toasted sesame oil

*or 2 Tbsp garlic ginger paste

Prepare all of the ingredients before heating up your wok or skillet and have them ready to be added t the pan.  Mix the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar and tomato paste together in a small bowl and set aside. 

Heat wok or large skillet until it is just starting to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl to coat. Add the egg and cook, stirring constantly with chopsticks to break them up. Remove the eggs from the wok and set aside.

Add the remaining oil and add the garlic and ginger and let it cook for about 30 seconds. Add the carrots and cook for about 1 minute, then add about 1/4 cup of water and stir everything together. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water has evaporated and the carrots are just tender. Stirring constantly, add the onion whites and cook for another minute, then the water chestnuts and cook for another minute and then the peas. Cook for another minute or so until everything has been thoroughly heated. Add the duck or chicken and cook for another minute or two, until it is thoroughly heated.

Add the rice and cook, still stirring constantly, until the pieces have separated and the rice has been heated through. Add the soy sauce, sherry, vinegar and tomato paste and stir it into the rice mixture until well blended.

Remove from the heat and add the chopped greens from the onions. Taste and add more soy sauce of desired. Stream a scant of the toasted sesame oil over and serve while still hot.

4/5/2109
Exported from Home Cookin v9.74 (http://www.mountainsoftware.com/homecook.php)

Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms

Broccoli and mushrooms are something I try to eat every day, as they are both quite good for me.  When the weather is warmer I will usually just cook up the mushrooms using this cool method I discovered a couple of year ago and throw them in a container with frozen broccoli florets and take them to work with me.  By the time lunch rolls around the broccoli is defrosted and the mushrooms have enough flavor from the sherry and olive oil to make a delicious side.

But when the weather gets colder I like to roast them together with some onion and herbs for a quick side.  It's super easy and full of flavor and goes with just about everything to make a satisfying dinner.  I make it at least twice a month during the winter.  Once you try it I am sure you will, too.

Home Cookin v9.73 Chapter: Beans and Vegetables

ROASTED BROCCOLI AND MUSHROOMS

1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 head broccoli, but into bite-size pieces
1 lb button, cremini, or portabello mushorroms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp dried thyme, oregano or tarragon
salt and black pepper to taste

Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to coat well with the olive oil. Spread the mixture evenly into as much of a single layer as you can. Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the pan in the oven. Bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, until the broccoli and onions have some char on them. Serve immeditely.

8/14/2016

Exported from Home Cookin v9.73 (www.mountain-software.com)

Turkey Isn't the Only Reason to Love the Winter Holidays

Most of my friends and family look forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because it is the only time they have turkey during the year.  Which is mainly interesting for the fact that most of them don't really like turkey all that much.  I include myself in this group.  While I do love those leftover turkey sandwiches, I usually only eat one or two small slices at the Thanksgiving table, mainly as a vehicle for sweet pickles and cranberry sauce, both of which I only eat with turkey, and vice versa.  I am a big fan of the stuffing, potatoes, and other side dishes but the turkey itself is my least favorite part of the meal.  (That being said, I have no problem whatsoever having it those two times of the year for those who do actually, you know, like turkey.)

So what does make me happy this time of year?  In a word, citrus.  Late fall and early winter is citrus season, when oranges are orangier and limes and lemons are juicier, and Texas Red grapefruits make their annual appearance in my local Chicago grocery store.

As I mentioned when I first wrote about them in this 2009 post, the two things that I miss the most since moving away from Texas are Ruby Red grapefruit and the Pecos Cantaloupe.  I still haven't found the cantaloupe, but every November the grapefruit shows up at Jewel.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that way about these deep red, sweet gems.  The 73rd Texas State Legislature declared it to be the State Fruit in 1993.  That is a resolution I can get behind!

Since my move this summer I have been thrown off kilter from my normal routines, and seeing all kinds of things from a new perspective.  The holidays and grapefruit have not been much on my mind, especially once I decided that I was not going to travel this year and instead spend time working on my apartment and other things I have been neglecting since I moved (like this blog).  So I wasn't really thinking about the usual things this fall.  A few days ago I did have the fleeting thought that we were coming into citrus season, which made me happy because oranges are more plentiful and juicier this time of year, but that is as far as my thoughts went.  So when I walked into Jewel Monday afternoon and this five-pound bag of Texas Reds was the first thing I saw, I think I actually squealed with delight.  And threw it into my cart, of course.  That five-pound bag of flour I was going to buy could wait until my next visit.

I went home and immediately supremed a few of them and have been enjoying them all week.  Unlike pink or white grapefruit, the reds are sweet with just a hint of tartness.  I am not a big fan of the pink and white varieties but I absolutely love the reds.  If you give them a try I think you will too.

Many people find grapefruit to be more trouble than it is worth.  I always supreme a few at a time and keep them in a container in the fridge so it is ready to eat when I want some.  If you have never supremed citrus before, this post will show you how.  So now you have no excuse not to enjoy these seasonal gems.

Sunday Breakfast: Polenta and Eggs

As often as I make bread, there are still times when I do not have any in the house. Which can be a problem on a lazy Sunday morning when I want to make a nice breakfast of fried eggs and toast.  This actually happened to me the first time when I was visiting my brother and his family in Austin when they had given up flour and most grains.  The only grains they had in the house were instant oatmeal flakes with a questionable use by date and cornmeal.  And I wanted eggs.  But I needed something to go with them, but what?

And I started thinking about the cornmeal and how it can be used to make polenta, and how similar it is to grits, and I realized I could probably make a single serving to go with the eggs.  Which is what I proceeded to do.  I brought three-fourths of a cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan and then added one-fourth of a cup of cornmeal and a little bit of salt.  I turned down the heat as low as it would go and simmered the mixture for about 20 minutes and then poured it out onto a plate to let it cool.  I then cooked up the eggs and plated them on top of the polenta, which had cooled enough to set.

And while not the same as toast (and let's be honest, nothing beats toast with eggs), it was quite tasty and satisfied my need for some kind of carbohydrate to go with the eggs.  And it was filling, too.  And it impressed the hell out of my brother and sister-in-law.

So when I found myself without bread last weekend I remembered that polenta-and-eggs breakfast and decided to do it again.  Except that this time, in my own kitchen, I was able to expand on the theme and came up with something even more tasty.  Here's how you can make it too:

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan.  (I found this saucepan hanging from a strip in the canned vegetable aisle of the grocery store.  While immune from impulse candy purchases in front of the checkout lane, I find myself alarmingly vulnerable to those odd little items hanging from strips in the aisles; to wit - an equally small skillet, teeny tiny snack containers, and biscuit cutters.  All unnecessary, but I have not yet regretted bringing any of them home with me.)

Slowly stir in 1/4 cup of cornmeal (I prefer coarsely ground but any kind will do).  Turn the heat down as low as it will go and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes, adding more hot water as necessary.

After the 20 minutes, when the mixture is thick and the cornmeal has softened, add about a tablespoon of olive oil or butter and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional but really adds to the flavor!).  Stir well and remove from the heat.  Pour the polenta out onto a plate and let it stand for about ten minutes to set.

If you are lucky enough to have some fresh parsley on hand from an earlier dish (as I was), sprinkle chopped parsley over the polenta.

Top with eggs, shrimp, sausage, or whatever you have on hand and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

We are buried under a couple of feet of snow here in Chicago and it is still coming down this cold Sunday morning.  It feels like the perfect time for an omelet and hash brown brunch, topped off with two slices of the Sourdough Whole Wheat Flaxseed and Sunflower Seed Bread that I have been working on and is just about perfect.  (But that is for a future post.)

I have also been working on hash browns.  A few years ago I wrote this post about my father's hash browns and how I never had the patience to make them myself.  Now I find that it is no trouble at all - it's funny how things change.

I had part of a sweet potato in the refrigerator so I decided to make my hash browns with those.  I don't really follow a recipe, but I thought I would share my technique with you.

This is about a third of a large sweet potato, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.  I wanted a smaller cut so they would cook faster.  I filled my non-stick 10-inch skillet with about 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil and heated the oil over medium high heat.  When the oil was shimmering I added the potatoes and shook the pan to coat the cubes in oil and to get them as close to a single layer as possible.

I lowered the heat and let them cook for 10 minutes without touching them.

After that first 10 minutes I shook the pan to get the cooked sides up and then left it again for about 5 minutes this time.  I shook the skillet to redistribute the potatoes and then left it for another 5 minutes.  I tested a piece with a fork for tenderness and it was almost there.  I left it alone for another 3 minutes and the potatoes were perfectly tender when I did the fork test this time.

And then I added my spices.  I try to incorporate turmeric and cinnamon into my diet on a daily basis so whenever the opportunity arises I use those first.  Those flavors work well with sweet potatoes so I added about a fourth of a teaspoon each of turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, and cumin and cooked it for about a minute until the potatoes were well coated and the heat had released the oils of the spices.  I added salt at the end and then transferred the potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

I made the omelette while the potatoes were cooking.  I used the method that I wrote about here.  I will be posting my recipe for the bread soon.

A New Way to Cook Mushrooms

Since reading about the benefits of cooked mushrooms a couple of years ago I try to eat them daily.  I would usually roast them along with broccoli and red onions or saute them in a skillet with a little olive oil and I was relatively happy with those methods.  When I sauteed them I would cook the whole batch and keep it in the refrigerator to throw into whatever dishes I was making where it seemed like they would be a good match.

But I was never all that thrilled with the flavor of the sauteed mushrooms and they would sometimes be rubbery.  And then I stumbled across this new (to me) method of cooking mushrooms at The Spruce a few weeks ago. The first thing that interested me about the article was that they debunk the myth that mushrooms absorb a lot of water and should only be delicately brushed off and not washed.  I was really happy to read that because I have always been a little skeeved out at the thought of how dirty the mushrooms must still be.  I cannot tell you what a relief it has been to me to thoroughly clean those mushrooms under running water!

And then I tried this new method of cooking.  And had the best mushrooms I had ever produced in my kitchen.  Ever.  Who knew?  They are the essence of mushroom with a great texture.  I make a big batch weekly and add them to whatever vegetable dish I am making, or salads, or weekend omelet or frittata.  It is a delicious way to make sure I eat them regularly.

The secret to the flavor is that you cook them in water with a little olive oil.  A lot of water.  And you cook them until the water is all gone and then season them and add any flavorings you want and let them sear in the oil once the water is gone.  The end result is loaded with flavor.  I was a little skeptical the first time I made them, so I thought I would provide a photo  demonstration of the process.

Cut the mushrooms about twice the size that you want them to be and place them in a pan that allows for them to stack up about three-high. You want the pan to be relatively full.

These are crimini mushrooms, which are baby portobello mushrooms.  They are also the same species as the white button mushrooms that are so common, but I like that little bit of color the brown ones have.  But I use whichever kind looks the best when I am at the store buying them.

Fill the pan with water until the mushrooms are almost totally covered.  This can be a little tricky because mushrooms float (more evidence that they do not absorb all that much water) so they don't really get submerged at all at first.  What I do is I pour the water in and as soon as the mushrooms start to rise I will pour another inch or so and that usually does the trick.

Add a generous tablespoon of olive oil.

Turn the burner as high as it will go and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, lower the heat just a little and let the water continue to boil until the water has boiled off.  This will take about half an hour.  You can leave it untended for the first twenty minutes or so, and then you should move close to the kitchen so that you are there when the water is gone.  You will know when that has happened because you will hear the mushrooms sizzling.

 

This is what they look like when the water has boiled off of them.  You can see how much they have shrunk - they are about half the size as when I started.  That is why you want to start with them about twice as big as you want the finished product.

At this point I will add about 1/4 cup of sherry or white wine and a little salt, and then let the liquid cook off again.

The end result is the photo at the top of the post.  I added sherry and a touch of salt to those.  They are packed with that lovely umami flavor that makes mushrooms so darned tasty.  I make them once a week and keep them in the refrigerator so I always have them around when I need them.  Although they do take some time there is minimal prep and very little maintenance.

The next time you are at the grocery store pick up a package and give it a try.  I am sure you will love them as much as I do.

Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms with Lemon and Dill

I was gifted with a home-grown lemon a few months ago.  The first thing I noticed was how dry and soft the peel was.  That may have been partly due to the particular type of lemon, but I suspect it had more to do with it being unwaxed.  It did not have that shiny, plastic look that the lemons we buy in the grocery store have.

My first thought, therefore, was that I must use all of the zest.  That night I had planned to roast my usual broccoli, red onion and mushrooms so I decided to slice the zest and add it to that dish.  I also made a quick whole-grain Dijon mustard vinaigrette to use with the vegetables instead of just olive oil and herbs.  I thought it would pair nicely with the lemon zest and used the juice from the lemon instead of my usual white wine vinegar.  Then I finished it off with some fresh dill I happened to have from a dish I had made earlier that week.

I was not sure how strong the zest would be so I sliced it super thin.  You can hardly see it in the finished dish but in this photo I took before adding the vinaigrette and the red onion you can see how beautiful it looks.

But how did it taste is the question, right?  The end result was so much more flavor than I was expecting.  It may have been psychological since I knew this was no ordinary lemon but the flavor was intensely lemony without being overly acidic.  My only regret is that I sliced the zest so thinly.  I wanted more of that intense flavor in every bite!  But that did not detract from my enjoyment of the dish, and I know if I am lucky enough to ever get another one I will be more generous with my slicing.

I loved the flavor of this dish so much that I have made it since with plain old store-bought lemons.  It is quite delicious that way as well, which is a good thing since I don't know when another home-grown lemon will cross my path.  So I hope you will make this dish and I am sure you will enjoy it.

I recently posted my easy roasting method here.  Instead of pouring olive over the vegetables before baking, sprinkle some sliced lemon zest and this vinaigrette and you will have a super special side dish on your plate.

And I just realized that this would make a killer side for that Thanksgiving table.  I am late to the table again, I guess.

Home Cookin v9.70 Chapter: My Recipes
MUSTARD SEED VINAIGRETTE Makes approximately one-third of a cup

1 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1 Tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the mustards and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk until they are well incorporated. Add the olive oil gradually, whisking continuously, until you have an emulsion. Add the crushed garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Can be made ahead of time and stored for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

1/31/15

Exported from Home Cookin v9.70 (www.mountain-software.com)

Baking Class: Sourdough Bolillos

I found a recipe for bolillos online that I adapted to sourdough.  I was disappointed that they did not come close to what I think of as a bolillo, but they were quite good.  I might be able to get them closer to the real deal if I play with the crust.  I just could not get them crusty enough.

But I will have fun trying.  Either way, these make for good eating.

Home Cooking v.8.59 Chapter: My Recipes
SOURDOUGH BOLILLOS Makes 6 small or 8 large bolillos

120g starter
230g water
120g whole wheat flour
240g bread flour, plus more if necessary
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp butter melted and cooled
1-1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp cornstarch

Add water to starter and mix well. Stir in the melted and cooled butter and the honey and then add about 300g of the flour about a cup at a time (starting with the whole wheat flour) and the salt. Mix together until a soft dough is formed, gradually adding in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to keep it from sticking.

Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it briefly and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 to 10 equal pieces. Preshape them into balls and let them rest for 20 minutes, then shape into batards, about 4 to 5 inches long. Place the rolls on a parchement paper-lined baking sheet. Slash the rolls and let rise until doubled in size.

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Combine the cold water and the cornstarch in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Brush the rolls with the warm cornstarch mixture. Bake until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and take the rolls off of the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack

adapted from a recipe found at http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/12497068/bolillos-mexican-oval-rolls/

exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Last Minute Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Mushroom Fried Rice

I took a couple of days off before Columbus day last week and mostly hung around the house catching up on cleaning and some other projects that I had neglected for too long.  I am pleased to say that it was a productive weekend for me, but by the time Sunday night rolled around I had not really given much thought to dinner and I had not gone to the store since I had been off.  As a result I did not have much in the refrigerator and by the time I realized I did not have anything ready I was hungry.

What to do?  I thought about ordering for delivery but did not want to wait.  Desperate, I went back to the refrigerator for one last look.  What I found was a half full container of steamed rice from a Chinese restaurant delivered earlier in the week (and another reason I did not want to order in again), half a sweet potato, broccoli florets in the crisper I had completely forgotten about, and half a container of sauteed mushrooms (I almost always have those in the refrigerator these days; more on that in another post).

I realized I had the makings of a simple fried rice dish.  It took a second to chop the sweet potatoes.  I did not bother with garlic or ginger and did not want to take the extra time involved to scramble an egg first, so I just heated the wok, added the oil, cooked the potatoes and then the broccoli, added the rice and the mushrooms and finished it off with a quick stir fry sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and sweet sherry.  I topped it off with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds.

The whole thing was done in less than half an hour and it was surprisingly delicious and made enough for my dinner that night and lunch the next day.  And although it was one of those last minute things that get thrown together out of desperation, it was tasty enough to make again when I do have the time to take the effort to chop up some garlic and ginger, scramble an egg and throw in chopped scallion at the end for an even tastier version.

Home Cookin v9.70 Chapter: My Recipes

LAST MINUTE SWEET POTATO AND BROCCOLI FRIED RICE Makes 2 to 3 servings

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped raw sweet potato
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup to 1 cup leftover cooked rice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet sherry
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 tsp garlic chili paste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Heat wok over high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Add one tablespoon of the corn oil and gently swirl it around the bottom of the wok.

Add the sweet potato and stir quickly to coat all of the pieces. Continue to stiry fry for about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water by pouring it around the edges of the wok to create steam. Continue to stir-fry, stirring regularly, until the water has evaporated and the sweet potato is just tender. Let them brown and then remove to a serving bowl.

Return the wok to the bowl and add the second tablespoon of oil. Add the broccoli florets and stir to coat, then stir fry for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is just tender. Cook another minute or two to let them brown.

Add the mushrooms to the broccoli and let it cook just long enough heat the mushrooms thoroughly. Add the sweet potato back and stir everything together.

Add the rice and cook it for a minute or two, then add the soy sauce, sherry, hoisin sauce and garlic chili paste. Cook until the liquid has evaporated a bit and everything is well coated.

Remove from the heat and place everything into the serving bowl that was used for the sweet potatoes. Add the toasted sesame oil and stir it into the rice. Top with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Created 10/8/2017

exported from Home Cookin v9.70 (www.mountain-software.com)

Quick Side Dish: Roasted Vegetables

Now that Fall is coming I want to share one of my favorite kitchen hacks.  I am always looking for ways to eat more vegetables but often, especially on week nights, I do not feel like taking the required time to prep and cook them.  I want something simple and tasty.

The solution?  Cut them up and throw them onto a baking dish then season them with salt, pepper, and any other herb or spice your heart desires.  Sprinkle olive oil over the whole thing, shake the pan to evenly distribute it so they are as close to one layer as you can easily get, and throw it into a 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes, taking them out to stir and redistribute on the pan halfway through.

It is the perfect side dish to just about any meal.  And often I will take a serving, cover it with cheese, melt it under the broiler and call it dinner.

It never fails.  My favorite combination these days is red onion, broccoli and mushroom.  When I want to change it around some I will add red peppers, use cauliflower instead of broccoli, or add a few cloves of garlic.  It is good with a little balsamic vinegar splashed on just before serving and sometimes I will even dress it in vinaigrette if I have any leftover from salads.

The only thing I keep in mind is to cut the vegetables as close to the same size as possible so they will cook evenly and to use vegetables that take about the same amount of time to cook to the desired consistency.  The broccoli takes a little longer to cook than the onion and mushrooms but I like it a little on the crunchy side and I like the onions and mushrooms to be a little more done so it works out perfectly.

No recipe here, just a tried and true technique.

OVEN ROASTED VEGETABLES
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare and chop desired amounts of broccoli, cauliflower, onion, mushrooms, red peppers, and fennel. Spread evenly on a large baking sheet.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and desired dried herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, cumin, coriander, dried chilies, or paprika. A favorite curry blend is also nice.

Pour just enough olive oil over the vegetables and spices to coat them and stir them around on the baking dish so they are all coated and in as even a layer as you can get them.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently stir them around to redistribute the layer. Return to the oven and cook another 10 minutes or so, until they have reached the desired consistency.

Baking Class: Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I have been making bread with sourdough, or natural, starter for a few years now but since things have been so crazy the past year or so I have not posted much about it.  There are several recipes that I make frequently and it is past time that I shared them with you.

I will start with one of the first recipes I tried.  I wanted to find something to replace this whole wheat sandwich bread that was my standby bread, and I was looking for something that looked straightforward and not too threatening for my first attempt.

I found this article on sourdough written by an Austin (now Denver, apparently) gamer.  It has really good information (and the FAQ page, while closed, is super helpful as well).  The recipe seemed straightforward enough and similar to my whole wheat bread recipe so I did not feel quite as intimidated as I might have felt had I decided to tackle San Francisco sourdough or some other more artisanal-style loaf.

The result was quite tasty, and this became my weekly bread for a while, until I got comfortable enough with the sourdough to start to branch out and try other recipes.  Although I now make many different sourdough breads I will still make this one when I am in the mood for peanut butter sandwiches for lunches and toast for breakfast.  The crumb is soft but holds up to spreads and toasting.  It is an all-around versatile thing of beauty and will get you lots of compliments.


A few notes:

• In the original recipe he does not preheat the oven; instead he turns the oven on and then puts in the bread and cooks it 15 minutes to half an hour longer.  He makes a good case for why it should be done that way and I did do it that way a couple of times but old habits die hard and I found myself preheating the oven about half an hour before baking time without even thinking about it.  Either way will work just fine.
• The only problem I currently have with my sourdough is that I do not care for the way it interacts with whole wheat flour.  I can't even pinpoint exactly what the issue is for me but I find myself using regular bread flour much more often with my sourdough breads although I would much prefer to work with whole wheat.  Through experimentation I found that adding 1 cup of whole wheat flour to the recipe was the perfect combination for both flavor and texture (texture being my main issue with sourdough and whole wheat) for me.  You may not have the same issues with it as I do, so feel free to substitute as much or as little whole wheat flour for the bread flour as you would like.
• The ratio of starter to dough is pretty high in this recipe.  That means that it will rise pretty quickly; much closer to the rising time for commercially yeasted bread.  For this recipe I was looking more for a natural leavening agent than for sourness.  If you are looking for a true sourdough loaf, this is not the one you want to make.  This recipe is for a plain old-fashioned loaf of sandwich bread.

You can find information on how to build your own sourdough starter here.

Home Cookin Chapter:  My Recipes

SOURDOUGH SANDWICH BREAD Makes 1 loaf

Sponge:
160 g starter
210 g water
120 g unbleached bread flour
Total:  490 g

Bread:
490 g sponge
2 Tbsp olive oil
16 g sugar
8 g salt
120g whole wheat flour
240 g unbleached bread flour (depending on how much is needed)

Topping:
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk or water
sesame or poppy seeds (opt)

Combine the starter, water and flour to make the sponge and let proof from one hour to overnight.

When ready to make the bread add the oil, sugar and salt to the sponge and mix well.  Add the flour a half cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until you have a shaggy dough.  You may not need all of the flour.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and start kneading it, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

Knead for 10 to 20 minutes to develop the sourdough flavor and the gluten.  When it is smooth and elastic and passes the windowpane test* it is done.

Form the dough into a ball and place it top side down in a lightly oiled bowl, then turn it over to make sure it is completely covered with the oil.  At this point you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight to further develop the sourdough flavor, or you can cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, anywhere from one hour to overnight depending on the strength of your starter.   If you put the dough in the refrigerator, let it sit out for half an hour to an hour to come to room temperature before the following step.

Punch down the dough and knead it about 6 times.  Form it into the desired loaf shape and place it either on parchment paper on a baking sheet (for a free-form loaf) or in a greased bread pan. Cover and let it proof until it has at least doubled in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.  About half an hour in, turn on the oven to 350° F.  Combine the egg with the water and beat well.

When the dough is ready, score it if necessary (depending on the shape of your loaf).  Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash.  Lightly sprinkle with the sesame or poppy seeds if you are using them.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap on it.  Remove from the oven and take the bread out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving.

*Take some of the dough and stretch it between your fingers until it is thin enough that you can see through it.  If it tears, it is not ready.

adapted from recipe found at http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/sour.htm
 
Exported from Home Cookin v.8.58 (www.mountainsoftware.com)