Crusty "No-Knead" Bread

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven? Yes...bread that you don't have to knead over and over, that you don't have to worry about rising improperly, that you don't have to worry about being too soggy on the outside or too dry on the inside. And this is it...it just requires some forethought the night before to get the dough going, and you can bake it off the next morning.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Instant or Rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast.
2. Add water and mix until dough forms (it will look shaggy).
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 to 18 hours (overnight is great).

4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
5. Place cast-iron dutch oven (with the lid) in the oven, and heat for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, remove dough onto a floured surface and shape into a ball.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit while the pot heats.

8. Remove pot from oven and drop in the dough. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and place bread on wire rack to cool.

*Note: I only tried a generic white bread. But the blog where I found the recipe suggests some of the following combinations: cheese breads (pepperjack, sharp cheddar, asiago), jalapeno cheddar, raisin/walnut/cinnamon, pumpkin seed/sunflower seed/poppy seed, rosemary/lemon/gruyere, lemon/thyme/asiago, mixed herb (rosemary, chive, thyme).
**She suggested the following sample measurements for a loaf: to the recipe above, add 3/4 cup dried cranberries, zest of one orange, and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Mix and add the 1 1/2 cups water.
***Another variation measurement: zest one lemon, chopped rosemary, 1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere.

Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Ever been to the Protein Bar? They have a really good buffalo quinoa bowl with celery, carrots, cucumbers, chicken, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese. It inspired me to make a quinoa bowl of my own, since I could make it in bulk and eat throughout the week. Here's my version with Mexican flavors. I'll let you know when I get around to an attempt to replicate the buffalo version.

Ingredients
For the bowl:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can black beans
1 can rotel
1 can whole-kernel corn
1 can diced chiles
1 bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed
Cilantro

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Chipotle pepper
Ancho chili powder
2 cloves garlic

For garnish:

Sour cream

Cotija cheese

Green and/or red salsa

Avocado

Directions
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions, and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
*Note: I use chicken broth instead of water for added flavor.
2. Drain and rinse black beans and corn, and add to quinoa.
3. Dice bell pepper and jalapeno, and add to quinoa mixture along with 1 can rotel.
4. Chop desired amount of cilantro (to taste), and mix well into quinoa mixture to combine.

5. For the dressing, whisk together juice of 1 lime and equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil.
6. Mince two cloves garlic and add to viniagrette, along with desired amounts of salt and three peppers.
7. Pour over warm quinoa and toss to combine.
8. Serve warm or refrigerate for several days and eat as desired.
9. Top with desired toppings. I like a dollop of sour cream, shredded cotija cheese, salsa, and fresh avocado.

Melting Moments Cookies

 These cookies are from all the way back at Easter time. As a consequence of living on another coast, I was family-less for the holiday, and a sweet friend invited me over to her place for Easter brunch. After an amazing Easter service at the Hollywood Bowl with this guy as the amazing guest speaker, I headed over to brunch with a tray of these (from here) in hand. It was a great day celebrating God's grace in the beauty of spring in southern California, sitting outside and worshipping under sun and intermittent cloud cover...and a great brunch with friends.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar + 1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another medium mixing bowl, beat together butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar for two minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla extract and mix to incorporate.
4. Add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (or until firm).

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. When dough is firm, form into one-inch balls. Place cookies on baking sheets about one inch apart.
9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until edges start to brown.
10. Remove from oven and place on wire rack (with parchment paper or foil underneath) to cool for five minutes.

11. As cookies cool but are still warm, sprinkle with 1 cup powdered sugar.
12. Place in airtight container for up to a couple of weeks.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Parmesan Crisps, and Cooking Club #3

Cooking Club #3: Beginnings and Endings. Appetizers and desserts. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my two favorite parts of a meal! And the timing coincided perfectly with the end of the third book from the author who inspired the whole idea for cooking club. So I used her bacon-wrapped dates recipe, along with an easy cheese recipe, and paired it all with fresh strawberries, dried apricots, and garlic-rubbed toasts to top with melting camembert cheese. Easy, cheesy, and pleasing :)

And we had a whole spread: hummus, guacamole, cookies, and cake.

 

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Ingredients

8 oz. pitted dates

4 oz. goat cheese

16 oz. bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking dish will foil or parchment paper (for easy cleanup).

2. Slice along the side of each date, from top to bottom.

3. Open gently and scoop a small amount of goat cheese into the center of each.

4. Close back up and set each aside.

5. Cut the entire package of bacon in half.

6. Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each date and set aside.

7. Place seam-side down on the lined baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well-browned and crispy.

8. Remove from oven and drain on a paper towel-lined dish.

9. Let cool at least until palatable, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients

All you need is some freshly grated parmesan...

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place two tbsp. of cheese per crisp along baking sheet.

4. Smooth down and form into a circle.

5. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until golden.

6. Remove from oven and let cool...they'll crisp up quickly.

Sweet Potato Hash with Onions, Sausage, and Eggs

 You know you're busy when you invite a friend over for a meal... and it's for breakfast...on a Saturday...so you can get an early start on a finishing a poster for a conference that's still a few months away. Well that was the case here, and I needed something I could prep the night before and heat up quickly the next morning. Something that would go well with a hot cup of coffee and would fill us up for the long day of work ahead. Slightly adapted from over here.

Ingredients
2 large yellow onions
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and black pepper
1 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage (sage flavor)
3 large sweet potatoes
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
3 tbsp. olive oil
Large eggs
Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Slice onions into half-moons, and cut the moons in half.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet (or oven-safe saucepan), melt better over medium-high heat. 
4. When it starts to foam, add onions and sprinkle with salt.
5. Lower heat and cook onions for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, lowering heat as needed. Cook until very dark brown and caramelized.

6. Meanwhile, cook sausage in another saucepan, crumbling over medium-high heat until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
7. Set aside and drain away excess fat.

8. Meanwhile,  wash and dry sweet potatoes and dice unpeeled vegetables into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in large mixing bowl.
9. Finely mince garlic and rosemary leaves and toss with sweet potatoes.
10. Also toss olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

11. When onions and sausage are ready, stir into sweet potatoes.
12. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out sweet potato mixture into an even layer.
13. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until soft and browned.
*Note: at this point you can refrigerate cooled hash for up to five days.

14. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
15. Spread thin layer of cooked hash in a cast-iron skillet (you can also bake in small ramekins).
16. Make small wells in the hash and crack in large eggs.
17. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
18. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through and hash is hot.
19. Serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto and Cooking Club #2

Once cooking club got off the ground, it wasn't hard to think of themes. And this one was particularly easy to get buy-in for: grilled cheese night!

We had havarti with dried cranberries on pumpernickel rolls, brie with apples and strawberries, mozzarella with tomatoes and basil for a twist on caprese, a cheesy one with bacon, and a grilled cheese with a kick of red pepper flakes...and creamy mascarpone with nutella for dessert.

Below is the recipe I made to accompany the handful of yummy grilled cheeses: a roasted tomato soup with basil pesto. Who doesn't love grilled cheese and tomato soup?

Ingredients

2 (28 oz) cans whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice

1 (28 oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar (*either dark or light is fine)

4 large shallots, diced

4 tbsp. butter (*either salted or unsalted is fine)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

pinch ground allspice

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 (26 oz.) can chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 fresh basil leaf

Olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

3. Place a strainer over a medium/large bowl. Open both cans of the whole tomatoes and dump into the strainer, letting the juice strain into the bowl underneath.

4. With your fingers, carefully remove all of the seeds from the tomatoes. When this is done, use a spatula to push the rest of the juice through the strainer (the seeds should stay in the strainer, and you can throw them away).

5. Place seeded tomatoes on the foil, and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool slightly and then remove and place in a small bowl. Set aside.

7. While the tomatoes roast, dice the shallots.

8. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Saute the shallots, tomato paste, and allspice until softened, stirring occasionally (about 7-10 minutes).

9. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring it in.

10. Gradually add the chicken stock and whisk constantly to combine.

11. Stir in 3 cups of reserved tomato juice (which, when I made it, was the entire bowl).

12. Add the roasted tomatoes and the can of crushed tomatoes. Also, add the basil leaf.

13. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer and let it go for 10-15 minutes.

14. Remove the basil leaf and discard, then blend the soup with an immersion blender.

15. Add the cream and heat for three minutes until heated through.

16. Season with salt and black pepper.

17. You can add the basil pesto at the end. I just eye-balled a traditional pesto recipe (basil, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, black pepper, and olive oil).

Bandera's Grilled Artichoke with Remoulade

Anyone who talks to me for more than five minutes knows my love for Chicago. A few years away hasn't taken that away. So when I'm homesick, I like to make food inspired by my favorite meals from my favorite Chicago restaurants. Bandera is one of them...dim lights, live piano player, and a wicked good menu. Perhaps the best part is their appetizer...an artichoke grilled until smoky and charred just on the edges, soft in the center, and an a-ma-zing sauce.

Ingredients
1 artichoke, trimmed and choke removed
1 small lemon, halved
Montreal steak seasoning
Olive oil

For the remoulade:
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. caper
2 tbsp. sweet relish
3-4 cloves fresh minced garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Prepare the artichoke.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and squeeze lemon. Then add lemon and rind to water.
3. Add artichoke to water and boil for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from pot and allow to cool in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat grill (medium saucepan).
6. Cut artichoke in half.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with steak seasoning.
8. Place on grill/saucepan, turning until lightly heated through and slightly charred.

8. For the sauce, combine ingredients in a food processor until well combined.
*Note: you want to keep some of the chunkiness.
9. Serve alongside artichoke and enjoy!