This is one of the laziest bread recipes I have come across. On the whole it tastes pretty decent. At least it doesn't have a ridiculously long proofing time like the Jim Lahey no-knead bread recipe. It probably also won't taste as delicious as an artisan bread. The bottle that went into this version was a Costco-brand pale ale. I made it as a backup bread for the stuffing.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F) + 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast + 1/2 c all purpose flour
One (12 oz) bottle of beer or ale
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
some cornmeal, for the bottom of the bread (optional)
Directions
After proofing the yeast, stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let rise once for a couple hours until doubled in size. Fold dough into itself to make a ball or loaf or an oblong shape and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 45 minutes. Score top of the loaf a few times with a sharp knife. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a pan filled halfway with warm water below the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Showing posts with label baked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baked. Show all posts
Asiago Crisps
This recipe originated from the French Laundry cookbook under the guise of "Parmesan Crisps". FL's recipe called for "moist" Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, which doesn't seem to exist to the average consumer. When I look at it, it's a pretty darn hard wedge of cheese. Asiago cheese, while considered a semi-hard cheese, has enough--probably too much--moisture for this recipe; and is as strong-tasting as the goat cheese mousse I put in it.
To make the crisps, simply grate enough cheese. FL calls for a cup of grated cheese. This will make approx six 2" diameter crisps, when using a 2" biscuit cutter (the only round cutter in the kitchen). Using a Silpat mat is better than parchment paper.
Simply place the biscuit cutter on the Silpat and fill it up with a layer of grated cheese. Gently remove the cutter and repeat with more cheese, spacing the rounds of cheese about an inch apart.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
If you just want to eat these flourless cheese "crackers", remove the baked cheese from the Silpat with a spatula and let cool on paper towels. Once cooled, you should remove the cheese from the towels to a plate since the paper will stick to the cheese if you don't.
If you are going a step further and using the cheese crisps as a carrier for another appetizer, say, as a tiny basket for goat cheese mousse, then immediately remove the crisps from the oven and gently stuff into small heat-proof bowls to form the "basket" curve. You can then let these cool while in the bowls until ready to use. Or, once cooled, you can place these into an empty egg carton. Instead of a small prep bowls, you can also use the egg carton to form the baskets.
Do not use a semi-soft cheese like cheddar to make crisps. There is simply too much liquid (high fat content) in the cheese to make them look or taste good.
Krispy Kale Khips
I can't believe packages of these sell for $5 for a 1.2 oz bag at the grocery store. Kale is in season almost all year in the PNW. Best pricing at a grocery store will be about a dollar a bunch for fresh green kale during mid-summer. Red and multicolored kale is slightly pricier, but it doesn't matter which variety is used for these "chips". Definitely remove all the tough 'ribs' from the leaves before shredding them by hand. The end product is ideally light, crispy and slightly salty.
[edit: later that day] I weighed the remainder of what I didn't nibble on, and it would appear that a bunch of fresh kale (roughly 1 lb) yields about 2 oz crispy kale chips.
I did three batches with a head of kale; largely because only a third of the leaves would fit on the baking sheet at one time. I found that using a 9x13 glass baking dish did not work so well in evenly drying the leaves. As for flavorings, here's what I used:
[edit: later that day] I weighed the remainder of what I didn't nibble on, and it would appear that a bunch of fresh kale (roughly 1 lb) yields about 2 oz crispy kale chips.
I did three batches with a head of kale; largely because only a third of the leaves would fit on the baking sheet at one time. I found that using a 9x13 glass baking dish did not work so well in evenly drying the leaves. As for flavorings, here's what I used:
- batch #1: coarsely ground Himalayan pink salt with Mrs. Dash tomato/garlic/basil seasoning
- batch #2: lightly sprinkled with black truffle oil salt
- batch #3: lightly sprinkled sea salt
Batch #1 came out way too salty for my taste but light and crunchy. The process is pretty simple and the messiest part is preparing the leaves for baking. Taking time to massage oil into the individual leaves helps the "chips" attract salt and/or spices, or at least stick on better.
As for plating, I suggest a parchment cone in a large glass tumbler or a decorative rectangular dish.
Ingredients
a bunch of kale, washed and stems removed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
1. After you have washed and dried the kale leaves, remove the thick rib from the middle of the leaf. Tear the leafy parts into bite-sized pieces. These will retain most of their size after baking. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil.
2. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for 20 minutes. You could rotate the leaves after 10 minutes of baking, but that depends on how much residual oil is on the leaves. I did not flip the leaves on two of the three batches and they came out okay.
4. Serve immediately.
Coconut Brown Rice
Saw this at the demo booth at Trader Joe's the other day, except steamed long grain jasmine rice was used. The rice, when made this way, would complement a curry dish pretty well.
Ingredients
1 c. short grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
Directions
In a heatproof bowl, combine coconut milk and brown rice. Stir to distribute liquid and grains of rice. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for an hour at 375 degrees F. When the rice is done, fluff with a fork. If the rice looks a little runny, like there is still too much liquid, simply let the rice sit in the oven to cool. The rice will eventually absorb the excess liquid.
Ingredients
1 c. short grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
Directions
In a heatproof bowl, combine coconut milk and brown rice. Stir to distribute liquid and grains of rice. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for an hour at 375 degrees F. When the rice is done, fluff with a fork. If the rice looks a little runny, like there is still too much liquid, simply let the rice sit in the oven to cool. The rice will eventually absorb the excess liquid.
Foil baked trout
This is a pretty simple recipe and can be done in less than a half hour, provided that the trout is already gutted and cleaned. And, as long as the oil doesn't leak out of the foil packet, clean-up is easy. Assume serving size is one trout per person. I would recommend using olive oil on both sides of the fish to keep the skin from sticking to the foil.
Ingredients
1 trout, cleaned
fresh or dried herbs: thyme, parsley, garlic, poultry seasoning, whatever is available
lemon slices (optional)
unsalted butter, up to 1 tbsp
olive oil
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Tear out enough aluminum foil to wrap the fish in a rectangular package and lay fish, scored diagonally on both sides, in the center. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the fish before adding herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Place two lemon slices, fresh/dried herbs, and butter inside the fish. You can also sprinkle a salt-free seasoning blend on both sides of the fish, or season with some sea salt and black pepper.
3. Wrap fish with aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Ingredients
1 trout, cleaned
fresh or dried herbs: thyme, parsley, garlic, poultry seasoning, whatever is available
lemon slices (optional)
unsalted butter, up to 1 tbsp
olive oil
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Tear out enough aluminum foil to wrap the fish in a rectangular package and lay fish, scored diagonally on both sides, in the center. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the fish before adding herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Place two lemon slices, fresh/dried herbs, and butter inside the fish. You can also sprinkle a salt-free seasoning blend on both sides of the fish, or season with some sea salt and black pepper.
3. Wrap fish with aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
Cheese Fries (aka Baked Mozzarella Sticks)
I like the term "cheese fries" since the only similarity between these and fries topped with cheese is that they're cut to the size of fries and baked up. I suppose one could always deep fry these, but I lack a deep fryer and enough oil for such an experiment. Trader Joe's and Costco sells uncut mozzarella cheese in 1-lb packages. You can easily freeze the unused portions for later use.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 tsp seasoning (optional, see below)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (after removing cheese sticks from the freezer).
1. Slice the cheese so that you have 2" x 1/2" sticks, or thicker if you prefer. Store slices in a resealable bag in a single layer in the freezer and let set up to an hour. This will help the cheese keep its shape when baking and not melt as fast in the oven.
2. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with salt, pepper, and additional seasoning (see below).
3. Arrange dipping stations in three separate bowls: flour, beaten egg whites, and bread crumbs. Coat a cheese stick with flour, then dip into egg whites, and finally dredge until covered with bread crumbs and seasoning.
4. Place breaded cheese sticks onto a parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tops and edges are golden brown. Serve while cheese is still hot with warmed marinara sauce, fresh salsa, or other complementary sauces.
Seasoning variations:
Cajun seasoning (serve this with fresh salsa)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 tsp seasoning (optional, see below)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (after removing cheese sticks from the freezer).
1. Slice the cheese so that you have 2" x 1/2" sticks, or thicker if you prefer. Store slices in a resealable bag in a single layer in the freezer and let set up to an hour. This will help the cheese keep its shape when baking and not melt as fast in the oven.
2. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with salt, pepper, and additional seasoning (see below).
3. Arrange dipping stations in three separate bowls: flour, beaten egg whites, and bread crumbs. Coat a cheese stick with flour, then dip into egg whites, and finally dredge until covered with bread crumbs and seasoning.
4. Place breaded cheese sticks onto a parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tops and edges are golden brown. Serve while cheese is still hot with warmed marinara sauce, fresh salsa, or other complementary sauces.
Seasoning variations:
Cajun seasoning (serve this with fresh salsa)
Tomato curry rice
This recipe uses Alton Brown's method of making brown rice, except I cook for one and this is too much rice for me to eat, even for a couple days. Only white rice has a 1:1 ratio with water. Brown rice has more substance to it and requires a bit more water.
Basic recipe
1 c. brown rice (long grain like basmati, or short grain)
1 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of saffron (optional)
pinch of salt
1. In a small saucepan, boil water, butter, and saffron (optional) together.
2. In an 8" x 8" baking pan (preferably glass), add rice pour water-butter liquid over it. Cover with a heat-proof lid or with aluminum foil.
No need to preheat the oven. You can put this into the oven as it heats up, just set the timer for 10 minutes longer, depending on how fast the oven comes up to temperature.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F for an hour.
Tomato curry rice
Instead of using water/butter/saffron as the liquid, use an equal amount of the sauce from the tomato curry chicken recipe, up to 2 cups of liquid for half a cup of brown basmati rice (long grain).
This dish tastes a lot like a rice pilaf or a rice dish that you'd find at an Indian restaurant. I'm sure someone has given this rice cooking method a name.
Basic recipe
1 c. brown rice (long grain like basmati, or short grain)
1 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of saffron (optional)
pinch of salt
1. In a small saucepan, boil water, butter, and saffron (optional) together.
2. In an 8" x 8" baking pan (preferably glass), add rice pour water-butter liquid over it. Cover with a heat-proof lid or with aluminum foil.
No need to preheat the oven. You can put this into the oven as it heats up, just set the timer for 10 minutes longer, depending on how fast the oven comes up to temperature.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F for an hour.
Tomato curry rice
Instead of using water/butter/saffron as the liquid, use an equal amount of the sauce from the tomato curry chicken recipe, up to 2 cups of liquid for half a cup of brown basmati rice (long grain).
This dish tastes a lot like a rice pilaf or a rice dish that you'd find at an Indian restaurant. I'm sure someone has given this rice cooking method a name.
Oven Baked Pan Cake
When I was a child, my dad used to make this sweet breakfast item in a large square cast-iron skillet on the stove. When I got much older, I asked him for the recipe. Apparently it was one that he created after much trial and error, and had forgotten over the years. I was told that I had to recreate it by the same method, trial and error. As for the size of the cast iron pan, I used an 8" and given how much one side of the batter rose while baking, it's probably be better in a 10" or larger pan. This is my first run at remaking a childhood memory.
The recipe's ingredients and baking process is remarkably similar to German Apple Pancake, Oven Fried Pancake, Baked Peach Pancake, Yorkshire Pudding (minus the drippings of roast beef), or a Dutch Baby. I imagine that this recipe has gone through hundreds of iterations across different countries and generations. Here is my rendition of it.
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
3/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp unbleached granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and while it is heating up, place clean cast iron pan in oven.
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar.
2. Whisk eggs and milk together (1-2 minutes) by hand or with an electric mixer. Gradually whisk in flour mixture.
3. When the oven reaches the baking temp, take skillet out and put in butter pieces. The butter melts pretty quickly, so use a spoon to coat the sides of the pan with butter. This'll make it easier for the cake to slide out after baking.
4. Pour in batter and bake for 25 minutes. It should be lightly golden colored on top when done.
5. Remove from oven and slide cake out onto a plate. Cut into slices and serve with a fruit compote, eat it plain, with freshly sliced fruit, or bacon.
The recipe's ingredients and baking process is remarkably similar to German Apple Pancake, Oven Fried Pancake, Baked Peach Pancake, Yorkshire Pudding (minus the drippings of roast beef), or a Dutch Baby. I imagine that this recipe has gone through hundreds of iterations across different countries and generations. Here is my rendition of it.
 |
| Despite how it looks, it is really good. |
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
3/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp unbleached granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and while it is heating up, place clean cast iron pan in oven.
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar.
2. Whisk eggs and milk together (1-2 minutes) by hand or with an electric mixer. Gradually whisk in flour mixture.
3. When the oven reaches the baking temp, take skillet out and put in butter pieces. The butter melts pretty quickly, so use a spoon to coat the sides of the pan with butter. This'll make it easier for the cake to slide out after baking.
4. Pour in batter and bake for 25 minutes. It should be lightly golden colored on top when done.
5. Remove from oven and slide cake out onto a plate. Cut into slices and serve with a fruit compote, eat it plain, with freshly sliced fruit, or bacon.
Coconut Macaroons
Wikipedia says that the English word macaroon and French macaron come from the Italian maccarone or maccherone. This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient. Most recipes call for egg whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), with ground or powdered nuts, generally almond or coconut.
This is one of my favorite confections that I have always enjoyed, usually around Passover when supermarkets tend to carry them fresh and kosher. I suppose that the eggs and coconut were humanely slaughtered and/or blessed before being processed into ingredients. This is not a gluten-free food, if all-purpose flour or matzo cake meal is used to firm up the cookie. I like my macaroons to have substance, so this recipe uses flour.
Ingredients
1 c. egg whites (about 4 large eggs, reserve yolks for another recipe)
1/2 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 or 1/4 tsp)
14 oz (1 bag) of sweetened shredded coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. Carefully separate the egg whites from egg yolks. I used two prep bowls for this step.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form and add almond extract. Whisk to incorporate flour mixture until a "dough" forms.
4. Stir in shredded coconut until it's even distributed.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (makes approx 2 dozen) or rounded tablespoonfuls (makes 18-20) onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges of the macaroons are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
This is one of my favorite confections that I have always enjoyed, usually around Passover when supermarkets tend to carry them fresh and kosher. I suppose that the eggs and coconut were humanely slaughtered and/or blessed before being processed into ingredients. This is not a gluten-free food, if all-purpose flour or matzo cake meal is used to firm up the cookie. I like my macaroons to have substance, so this recipe uses flour.
Ingredients
1 c. egg whites (about 4 large eggs, reserve yolks for another recipe)
1/2 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 or 1/4 tsp)
14 oz (1 bag) of sweetened shredded coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. Carefully separate the egg whites from egg yolks. I used two prep bowls for this step.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form and add almond extract. Whisk to incorporate flour mixture until a "dough" forms.
4. Stir in shredded coconut until it's even distributed.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (makes approx 2 dozen) or rounded tablespoonfuls (makes 18-20) onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges of the macaroons are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
Tuna Casserole
The Food Timeline tells us that:
"The word 'casserole' has two meanings: a recipe for a combination of foods cooked together in a slow over and the dish/pot used for cooking it. Casserole, as a cooking method, seems to have derived from the ancient practice of slowly stewing meat in earthenware containers. Medieval pies are also related, in that pastry was used as a receptacle for slowly cooking sweet and savory fillings. Early 18th century casserole recipes [the word entered the English language in 1708] typically employed rice which was pounded and pressed (similar to the pastry used for pies) to encase fillings. Like their Medieval ancestors, they were both savory and sweet. The casseroles we know today are a relatively modern invention."
The traditional tuna casserole calls for egg noodles, of which I had none on hand. Brown rice fusilli was used instead since this type of noodle can hold up to both boiling and baking in the same recipe. The thought of adding a can of creamed mushroom soup to a casserole is appalling to me. I don't think I've had canned mushroom soup since I was a child and I'm more inclined to make it from scratch if I had to. There are three parts to this recipe: the sauce, the noodles, and the baking. Start by cooking the noodles first since they take the longest to prepare.
You could use any type of mushroom in a casserole. I had dried oyster mushrooms that had been in my pantry for almost a year so I used those. Rehydrated in water and the water (without the mushrooms) added to the pot of water to cook the noodles. The same goes for the shredded cheese. I used mozzarella, but you can easily use cheddar, jack, or colby.
The addition of olive oil to the boiling noodles is an optional step. I had about that much leftover from an appetizer I did earlier in the day. The tuna can is from Trader Joe's and it's tongol in water with no salt added. I didn't think about salt until I tasted the sauce. Hardly any of the ingredients used actually have salt in it, except for the trace amount in the cheese. I sprinklled some sea salt on top of the casserole before adding the last of the cheese.
Ingredients
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
One 6.5 oz can of tuna, drained
One red bell pepper, diced
1 c. oyster mushrooms, chopped
1-2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, separated
sea salt, to taste
1 c. whole organic milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 c. dried fusilli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pot of water
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a pot, add enough water to dried fusilli and boil until noodles are tender. Add olive oil. About 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a 8" skillet, on medium heat, melt butter and fry bellpepper and oyster mushrooms until soft. Add flour and stir until combined. Add milk and stir (or whisk) until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and stir in one cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.
3. In an 8" x 8" baking dish, add cooked fusilli and tuna. Break up the larger chunks of tuna into smaller pieces, if necessary. Add the sauce on top of it and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
4. Sprinkle sea salt on top of casserole then add the remaining cheese (up to one cup) on top of the casserole. While it melts and browns, it also makes a tasty crust.
5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 2-3 servings.
"The word 'casserole' has two meanings: a recipe for a combination of foods cooked together in a slow over and the dish/pot used for cooking it. Casserole, as a cooking method, seems to have derived from the ancient practice of slowly stewing meat in earthenware containers. Medieval pies are also related, in that pastry was used as a receptacle for slowly cooking sweet and savory fillings. Early 18th century casserole recipes [the word entered the English language in 1708] typically employed rice which was pounded and pressed (similar to the pastry used for pies) to encase fillings. Like their Medieval ancestors, they were both savory and sweet. The casseroles we know today are a relatively modern invention."
 |
| Tuna casserole. There, now I can say I made it. |
The traditional tuna casserole calls for egg noodles, of which I had none on hand. Brown rice fusilli was used instead since this type of noodle can hold up to both boiling and baking in the same recipe. The thought of adding a can of creamed mushroom soup to a casserole is appalling to me. I don't think I've had canned mushroom soup since I was a child and I'm more inclined to make it from scratch if I had to. There are three parts to this recipe: the sauce, the noodles, and the baking. Start by cooking the noodles first since they take the longest to prepare.
You could use any type of mushroom in a casserole. I had dried oyster mushrooms that had been in my pantry for almost a year so I used those. Rehydrated in water and the water (without the mushrooms) added to the pot of water to cook the noodles. The same goes for the shredded cheese. I used mozzarella, but you can easily use cheddar, jack, or colby.
The addition of olive oil to the boiling noodles is an optional step. I had about that much leftover from an appetizer I did earlier in the day. The tuna can is from Trader Joe's and it's tongol in water with no salt added. I didn't think about salt until I tasted the sauce. Hardly any of the ingredients used actually have salt in it, except for the trace amount in the cheese. I sprinklled some sea salt on top of the casserole before adding the last of the cheese.
Ingredients
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
One 6.5 oz can of tuna, drained
One red bell pepper, diced
1 c. oyster mushrooms, chopped
1-2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, separated
sea salt, to taste
1 c. whole organic milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 c. dried fusilli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pot of water
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a pot, add enough water to dried fusilli and boil until noodles are tender. Add olive oil. About 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a 8" skillet, on medium heat, melt butter and fry bellpepper and oyster mushrooms until soft. Add flour and stir until combined. Add milk and stir (or whisk) until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and stir in one cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.
3. In an 8" x 8" baking dish, add cooked fusilli and tuna. Break up the larger chunks of tuna into smaller pieces, if necessary. Add the sauce on top of it and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
4. Sprinkle sea salt on top of casserole then add the remaining cheese (up to one cup) on top of the casserole. While it melts and browns, it also makes a tasty crust.
5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Makes 2-3 servings.
Pumpkin Muffins
I suppose I could have made pumpkin tartlets with the leftover canned pumpkin from when I made the biscotti. It would have meant actually calculating how much tart crust to make. I just wanted something sweet and easy to nibble on. These won't win any bake contests, but they're easy to make and when they're warm, the muffins are pretty good on a cold, breezy weekend.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
1 c. cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 c. olive oil
For this batch, I used the entire leftover can of pumpkin which was roughly 11 oz (from a 15 oz can).
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together so that the spices are evenly disbursed.
2. Stir in pumpkin and eggs until the mixture neither looks runny nor like there's egg white everywhere.
3. Fill prepared muffin tin (either use paper muffin cups or lightly butter the muffin pan) so that each muffin opening is 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they look done. Let cool on a rack.
This batch didn't get to cool and I'd already eaten two of the muffins before remembering to take photos, which eventually will get posted.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
1 c. cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 c. olive oil
For this batch, I used the entire leftover can of pumpkin which was roughly 11 oz (from a 15 oz can).
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together so that the spices are evenly disbursed.
2. Stir in pumpkin and eggs until the mixture neither looks runny nor like there's egg white everywhere.
3. Fill prepared muffin tin (either use paper muffin cups or lightly butter the muffin pan) so that each muffin opening is 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they look done. Let cool on a rack.
This batch didn't get to cool and I'd already eaten two of the muffins before remembering to take photos, which eventually will get posted.
Kitchen Note: Moonfish
This fish, a random shopping cart item at Fubonn, gets its name from having a whitish, almost opalescent sheen to its rather smooth skin. Because of its thin frame and lack of exterior armaments (scales, spines), one would assume this is a fish found in tropical or temperate waters. It actually looks like something one might find in an exotic aquarium. But, nonetheless, I found it in the freezer aisle at the Asian grocery store.
The fish would probably taste great skewered and roasted over an open fire. It has lots of small bones and there isn't a whole lot of meat to it. Eating it reminded me of perch, an equally bony fish that is the equivalent of a sunflower seed (lots of work, little reward). I've only cooked up the first of the two that came in the pack and it tastes ordinary, like the "white fish" you'd find in a breaded, fried fish fillet.
I braised (poached?) it in some olive oil and Chinese rice wine with a sprinkling of Himalayan pink salt. That was probably not the right approach for the fish. It might have been better to bake or steam it because the skin stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Ahh, what to do with its companion...
[Updated: 12/2/2010] When this fish cooks, it smells a lot like the "fish powder" condiment (not furikake) that is used on Chinese rice porridge (xi fan, also known as congee). For the second fish, I cooked it over rice in the oven. In retrospect, I think that moonfish would make a great fish stock type of fish because it's very bony and with the right mix of spices and salt, you'd get a very flavorful broth out of it.
I made the brown basmati rice (a long grain) the way Alton Brown does, heated in a foil-covered baking dish at 375 degrees F for about an hour. Because I am cooking for one, I don't really like reheating leftover rice, so I try to minimize it to a meal or two.
In my pantry, I have Mexican saffron which is several iterations cheaper than real Spanish saffron (from Spain). I picked up a few ounces of it several years ago, probably from hole-in-the-wall spice shops in California.
1 c. brown basmati rice
1 1/2 c. water
pinch of saffron
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
In a small saucepan, bring water, saffron, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over rice in a baking dish.
Wash the moonfish and gently place on top of the rice. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for an hour. The essence from the fish adds a nice layer of depth to the rice that makes it more flavorful.
If you have sweet potatoes on hand, these bake in the same amount of time at the same heat setting as the rice.
I made a special sauce for the fish, which is a variant on the soba noodle sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
Bring ingredients to a simmer for about two minutes (long enough to infuse the sauce with garlic flavor) and pour over fish.
The fish would probably taste great skewered and roasted over an open fire. It has lots of small bones and there isn't a whole lot of meat to it. Eating it reminded me of perch, an equally bony fish that is the equivalent of a sunflower seed (lots of work, little reward). I've only cooked up the first of the two that came in the pack and it tastes ordinary, like the "white fish" you'd find in a breaded, fried fish fillet.
I braised (poached?) it in some olive oil and Chinese rice wine with a sprinkling of Himalayan pink salt. That was probably not the right approach for the fish. It might have been better to bake or steam it because the skin stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Ahh, what to do with its companion...
[Updated: 12/2/2010] When this fish cooks, it smells a lot like the "fish powder" condiment (not furikake) that is used on Chinese rice porridge (xi fan, also known as congee). For the second fish, I cooked it over rice in the oven. In retrospect, I think that moonfish would make a great fish stock type of fish because it's very bony and with the right mix of spices and salt, you'd get a very flavorful broth out of it.
I made the brown basmati rice (a long grain) the way Alton Brown does, heated in a foil-covered baking dish at 375 degrees F for about an hour. Because I am cooking for one, I don't really like reheating leftover rice, so I try to minimize it to a meal or two.
In my pantry, I have Mexican saffron which is several iterations cheaper than real Spanish saffron (from Spain). I picked up a few ounces of it several years ago, probably from hole-in-the-wall spice shops in California.
1 c. brown basmati rice
1 1/2 c. water
pinch of saffron
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
In a small saucepan, bring water, saffron, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over rice in a baking dish.
Wash the moonfish and gently place on top of the rice. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for an hour. The essence from the fish adds a nice layer of depth to the rice that makes it more flavorful.
If you have sweet potatoes on hand, these bake in the same amount of time at the same heat setting as the rice.
I made a special sauce for the fish, which is a variant on the soba noodle sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
Bring ingredients to a simmer for about two minutes (long enough to infuse the sauce with garlic flavor) and pour over fish.
Cornbread for T-day Stuffing
This cornbread recipe comes from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food
("Cornbread No Chaser") and has been only just slightly tweaked. I lowered the required heat, muckied about with the ingredients and order of operations.
What better way to stuff a bird than to use a somewhat, but not really traditionally bread for stuffing? For this year's Straggler's Thanksgiving hosted by my more adventurous cooking sibling, we used cornbread as the bread base for stuffing the bird. Here is the recipe for it the cornbread. I suppose it could be eaten as is.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. cornmeal, medium grind (stoneground)
1 1/4 c. whole organic milk, heated to a simmer
1 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt (because it was what was on hand at the time)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c. fresh or frozen cooked corn kernels, thawed and drained (optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
One 10" cast iron skillet
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and leave skillet in oven while mixing the cornbread.
1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cornmeal. It's not all that important to let it sit in the milk for Alton's recommended 15 minutes since the cornbread isn't the final product output.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat together oil and eggs.
4. Add the smaller bowl to the larger bowl and add the cornmeal/milk mixture. Mix until well combined. It won't be smooth nor runny and you'll have to spread it around in the skillet before it bakes.
5. Remove skillet from oven (with oven mitts!) and melt 1 tbsp butter in the skillet.
6. Empty cornmeal mixture into skillet and spread around with a spatula until the surface looks nearly even. Neatness does not count since you'll be crumbling this later after it cools.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown.
Try to not eat this before it's made into stuffing or you'll have to make more cornbread. I made two batches of this for a 15# turkey.
("Cornbread No Chaser") and has been only just slightly tweaked. I lowered the required heat, muckied about with the ingredients and order of operations.What better way to stuff a bird than to use a somewhat, but not really traditionally bread for stuffing? For this year's Straggler's Thanksgiving hosted by my more adventurous cooking sibling, we used cornbread as the bread base for stuffing the bird. Here is the recipe for it the cornbread. I suppose it could be eaten as is.
 |
| Crumbled bits of cornbread for turkey stuffing |
1 1/2 c. cornmeal, medium grind (stoneground)
1 1/4 c. whole organic milk, heated to a simmer
1 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt (because it was what was on hand at the time)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c. fresh or frozen cooked corn kernels, thawed and drained (optional)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
One 10" cast iron skillet
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and leave skillet in oven while mixing the cornbread.
1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cornmeal. It's not all that important to let it sit in the milk for Alton's recommended 15 minutes since the cornbread isn't the final product output.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a smaller bowl, beat together oil and eggs.
4. Add the smaller bowl to the larger bowl and add the cornmeal/milk mixture. Mix until well combined. It won't be smooth nor runny and you'll have to spread it around in the skillet before it bakes.
5. Remove skillet from oven (with oven mitts!) and melt 1 tbsp butter in the skillet.
6. Empty cornmeal mixture into skillet and spread around with a spatula until the surface looks nearly even. Neatness does not count since you'll be crumbling this later after it cools.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown.
Try to not eat this before it's made into stuffing or you'll have to make more cornbread. I made two batches of this for a 15# turkey.
Pumpkin Cranberry Biscotti
This isn't the cookie-like Americanized textured biscotti that Trader Joes has; this "cookie" is rather hard and is best dipping it with hot tea or coffee. It's a pretty simple recipe with simple ingredients and simple steps. It's certainly different than the super sweet treats that are typically made for T-day weekend.
Ingredients
3 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (see below)
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin, fresh or canned
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 c. dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp butter, melted (optional)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Lots of websites and cookbooks give different ratios for this spice blend. This blend works for pies and cookies.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.
3. Add in pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix together wet with dry ingredients until well combined.
4. Take a large glob of dough and shape it into a log. Flatten it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. The "logs" should be about 3-4" wide (this will become the length of the finished cookie) and no longer than 12" long (so all the dough will fit on one baking sheet).
The dough logs should not be touching each other as the baking powder will cause the biscotti to rise slightly. Bake for 25 minutes and remove when logs are slightly browned on top.
Slice logs diagonally (?) using a very sharp knife or serrated knife, the latter will cause tears in the dough if you rush cutting these.
5. Place slices cut-side down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until dry. Can let cool in oven on the baking sheet or removed to cool on a wire rack.
Ingredients
3 c. unbleached wheat flour
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (see below)
1/2 c. cooked pumpkin, fresh or canned
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 c. dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp butter, melted (optional)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Lots of websites and cookbooks give different ratios for this spice blend. This blend works for pies and cookies.
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.
3. Add in pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix together wet with dry ingredients until well combined.
4. Take a large glob of dough and shape it into a log. Flatten it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. The "logs" should be about 3-4" wide (this will become the length of the finished cookie) and no longer than 12" long (so all the dough will fit on one baking sheet).
 |
| Unbaked "logs" of biscotti |
Slice logs diagonally (?) using a very sharp knife or serrated knife, the latter will cause tears in the dough if you rush cutting these.
5. Place slices cut-side down onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until dry. Can let cool in oven on the baking sheet or removed to cool on a wire rack.
 |
| Biscotti ready for second baking session |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
