Focaccia

After watching food network one morning, a chicken sandwich with a spinich artichoke spread on fresh focaccia caught my eye. The bread was yummy, the spread...not so much. But the idea still appeals to me, so I am going to try to perfect the spread. I will use this bread recipe again for sure, minus the tomato. It seemed to make the bread soggy in spots.

Fresh Focaccia:

• 2 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus leaves, for garnish
• 1 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 8 thinly sliced rounds beefsteak tomato
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it bloom until bubbly, 5 to 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose and wheat flours together with the salt and chopped rosemary. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bloomed yeast in the mixing bowl. Then add 1/2 cup of the olive oil.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very loose.

Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 2 to 3 minutes.

Wipe out the bowl you mixed the dough in and then coat the bowl with some olive oil. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and let it rest in a warm place, covered with a dish towel, until doubled in size, 30 to 35 minutes.

Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Spread the dough into the pan using your fingertips to create dimples into the dough. The more dimples you make, the more texture the bread will have.

Using a pastry brush, oil the dough and place leaves of rosemary into some of the dimples. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover the dough again with the towel and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degree F and set a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bake the dough until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Maple Oatmeal Scones

I woke up this morning to a rainy dark day and nothing sounded better then a big mug of hot tea. So, I decided this was the perfect day to try out scones. I didn't realise I was almost out of white flour, so I only used a cup and used white whole wheat for the rest. I also didn't have enough glaze to coat all of my scones. I am a glaze lover, so next time I would double the glaze for sure.

Maple Oatmeal Scones
(this recipe has been halved)
yield: 7-8 scones
Ingredients:
Scones:
1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. quick cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ lb. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced
¼ c. cold buttermilk
¼ c. pure maple syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tsbp. water for egg wash
Glaze:
½ c. + 2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼ c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend in the cold butter with an electric mixer on the lowest speed and mix until butter is in pea-sized pieces. (If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.) Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup and eggs and add quickly to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just well blended. The dough may be sticky.
Dump the dough onto a well floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾ to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (I cut mine into wedges.) Brush the tops with egg wash. (I forgot this step, and I didn't find it necessary.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.
To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. Sprinkle with some uncooked oats for garnish.

Sourdough Bread

I love sourdough bread. Like deeply, truly love it. I would eat it everyday if I could! So why haven't I tried to make it at home? Because I have a fear of bread baking, never mind one that requires a starter. But I told myself this year I would tackle my fear of yeast bread, and starting with sourdough was the natural choice. While the bread was delicious, it wasn't "sour" enough for me. But I will try again soon with the starter that is still in my fridge. Maybe it will get better with time! I sliced mine thick and used 3 different cheeses to make grilled cheese with homemade tomato soup. YUUMM!

Sourdough Starter  (Courtesy of Annie's Eats)
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp. sugar or honey
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Pour the water into a 2-quart glass or ceramic jar or bowl.  Stir in the sugar or honey to dissolve.  Stir in the yeast. Gradually whisk in the flour.  Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or dishcloth (not plastic wrap) and place it in a warm area. Let it develop 2-5 days (I let mine go for 5), stirring once a day due to the separation that will occur.  When bubbling has subsided and a sour aroma has developed, stir once more and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sourdough Bread

1 Cup Starter
3 Cups Flour
2 Cups Warm Water
1/4 Cup sugar
Mix together and let stand in a warm place overnight (no more then 8-10 hours.)

Take out 1 cup and add to your starter to replenish, adding 1Tablespoon of sugar. Stir and replace starter in the fridge. To the remaining dough add:
1 Cup Warm Milk
1 Egg
1/4 Cup softened butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons salt
4-5 Cups Flour

Mix well, adding flour as needed. Knead on floured board until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl, cover and let rise until double. Punch down and shape (I baked mine in loaf pans.) Allow to rise, bake 30 minutes at 400.
*This recipe makes 2 large loaves of bread, so it may take more then 30 minutes for them to cook through in the middle.

On a cold rainy day one of the things I crave the most is tomato soup with grilled cheese. I do like the soup in a can, but I always knew there was something better out there. I love the tomato basil soup from Applebees, and this one tastes very close. I pureed mine in the blender in 3 batches and didn't feel the need to strain it afterwards. I liked mine a little thicker so I didn't add all of the broth. There was plenty of leftovers, which I think I may thicken more and put over pasta with more basil and Parmesan cheese :)

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
In a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes  and bay leaf. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and their juices. Mash tomatoes using a potato masher, until tomato pieces are all smaller than 2 inches. Add sugar and bread. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and beginning to disintegrate, about 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaf, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth (I didn't add the additional oil). Transfer half of soup to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Strain if desired. Return soup to pot and stir in broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and return to a boil. Sprinkle basil over the top of each serving of soup and drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired.

Oops! Falling off the wagon

Since becoming pregnant I haven't been good AT ALL at blogging. At first I was so sick I didn't feel like eating anything. Now, although I am back to eating regular foods I still don't have much energy. I'm sad to say that there have been a few recipes that I have tried that are on my list that I didn't document. All of them I will make again, and will make sure to document. But here is how I felt about what we have tried since I "fell off the blogging wagon."

Cuban Sandwich- Marinated pork roast, ham, Swiss, mustard, french bread and bread and butter pickles. Yummy! This was the first time we had tried this sandwich, and we will make it again for sure. We went light on the mustard and pickles on the side- both good decisions. But I wouldn't omit the pickles entirely, you really need that sour bite with the rich sandwich.

Gumbo- I received a recipe from a lady I talk to online who lives in Louisiana, so I knew she would know what she was talking about when it came to gumbo. I only used andoullie sausage and shrimp. I was spicy but good, very filling and perfect for a cold night.

Bananas Foster- Very rich, but yummy!

Marshmallows- For our Christmas dinner dessert at my moms we made homemade s'mores. I made the graham crackers, mallows and a yummy chocolate ganache. The mallows had great flavor. Next time I will make sure to coat the top with powdered sugar so they would be easier to cut. We had plenty leftover chocolate and mallows, which I made into a decadent hot chocolate the next morning. How sweet it is!!

Cheesecake- For Christmas dinner at the in-laws I attempted my first cheesecake. I made The Girl Who Ate Everything's Turtle Cheesecake. Everyone loved it, so much so that my mother in law had a slice for breakfast the next day! The chocolate layer was a bit to bittersweet for me, but the cake turned out nicely, so I can't wait to try out another variation.
I have a list of the next recipes I am going to try, and made a sourdough starter on Monday, so I hope to be baking a loaf of delicious bread soon!

Cookie Dough Truffles

I have a confession to make: I love raw cookie dough. Yes, I know that its dangerous to eat raw eggs but what can I say, I like to live on the wild side. So when I found the recipe for these truffles- egg free!- I just had to try them. And I'm very glad I made them at Christmas time, because I can share them instead of eating them all!

Cookie Dough Truffles
(Recipe courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I used regular sized chips, and they turned out fine.)
1½ lb. semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped (Baker's chocolate)
Mini chocolate chips (for garnish) ( I used melted white chocolate instead)

Directions:

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.

Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.

When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time using a fork, coating in chocolate and shaking gently or tapping against the bowl to remove the excess. (If at any point during dipping, the cookie dough balls become too soft, return to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.) Transfer to a wax-paper lined surface. If using mini chocolate chips for garnish, sprinkle on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets. Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Homemade Pasta and Bolognese Sauce

Yet another Sunday family dinner has come and gone, and this week it was Homemade Pasta with Bolognese sauce, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. Yum! Dessert was Paula Deen's Caramel Apple Cheesecake bars. Those are a must make. Tonight. Just saying, they are delicious!

Pastor Ryan’s Bolognese Sauce
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1-1/2 cup Grated Carrots
1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
2 pounds Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil Flakes
1 can (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 cup (to 2 Cups) Red Wine
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
2 cans (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
1 cup Milk
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.
Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.
Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pasta

6 whole Eggs
3 cups All-purpose Flour
Rule of thumb: Two eggs per one cup of flour
Make a well in the center of your pile of flour and crack in your eggs. Slowly mix together with your hands. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead (roll, punch, push, etc.) by hand until dough becomes smooth and pliable, adding flour to the board as necessary.
Let the dough rest for a little while before rolling it out. You can sort of figure on one egg per person to determine how much dough to make. Example: Two eggs and one cup of flour would make enough pasta dough for a dinner for two.
When you’re ready, roll it out on a floured surface as thinly as it’ll go. The noodles will plump up quite a bit when they boil in the water, so the thinner you can roll it, the better. Cut the noodles really thin. You can use a sharp knife (if you can keep it in a straight line), a pizza wheel, or a long pizza/bread cutter.

To cook the noodles, just boil them in salted water (very important!) for probably two minutes. They cook lightning fast, so don’t let ‘em go too long.