The Two-Day Bread

 Two-Day Bread

I've posted bread and pizza on the blog before, and I've always been fascinated with bread and how there are so many different tastes and textures, some of which depend on using different ingredients like milk or butter or molasses or eggs or whole wheat.  But what always puzzled me was how flour, yeast, salt and water could result in such different products.

A few years ago I bought a couple of bread baking books by Peter Reinhart.  To be honest, the author was just a little too precise and technical for me.  He listed ingredients in grams and percentages of the total weight.  He required one to construct a kind of brick oven to insert in the kitchen oven and most of the recipes involved using some form of a "pre-ferment" like a 'biga" or "poolish" or "pate fermentee".  These preferments were to be made a day or two or three ahead of time - before making the actual loaf, which would require several hours in itself.

I don't usually know what I'm going to do this afternoon, let alone tomorrow, so planning on Monday to make bread on Wednesday just seemed like too much of a commitment.  Besides, I am impatient and need immediate gratification.  I want my daily bread today, not on Thursday.  I admit I fooled around with a couple of the recipes, but was not impressed with my skill or my results.  I reverted back to making my dough the way I always did: three mugs of warm water, three packages of yeast, a teaspoon of sugar, three teaspoons of salt, three tablepoons of olive oil (optional) and enough flour  to make dough...but never measured exactly.  (King Arthur All Purpose and I mixed in some Whole Wheat when I wanted to be a little healthier, usually about 3 parts white to 1 part whole wheat).

Yesterday I was making dough for pizza and decided to make my version of a "poolish" - basically a sticky, wet dough to set aside in the fridge.  I made my dough as usual but before mixing in all of the flour, took out about two cups of what was at that point a batter, a little thicker than pancake batter, and set it aside to ferment.  It then went into the fridge overnight.

I then took the remaining batter, added more flour to make dough and turned it into some great pizza and a calzone last evening.

Today I took the preferment out, let it warm to room temperature, added a mug full of warm water, a teaspoon of yeast, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and gradually added more white and wheat flour and beat it by hand till I had to take it out of the bowl to knead it.   The only oil I ued was to coat the dough in the bowl before letting it rise.  I let it rise for an hour and a half, then formed rolls and one large loaf.  Let it rise again for 30 minutes or so, brushed it with milk, and sprinkled it with sesame seeds (thanks to Bob who gave me a huge bag of the stuff), and baked them all in a 475-500 degree oven (my oven is so imprecise - did I ever mention that we bought it for like $275 from Sears Dent and Scratch Store 12 years ago?  We've recently looked at stoves and they have too much electronics, some have burner grates that are a disaster waiting to happen and they are like $800 to $3,000 and that's just a beginning...).

Anyhow, after 30 - 35 minutes the bread emerged looking like an Artesian Loaf, (did I say that right?)
I could not help it, I ate a roll with some butter while they were still hot.  While yesterday's pizza crust was excellent, the texture and flavor of today's bread were even better - crunchy on the outside, airy on the inside, and with a nice nutty flavor, thanks to the whole wheat and sesame seeds.

I will definitely try this method again when I feel I can make the commitment.  I may even look through the bread books again and try to do it more precisely.  But chances are that I will wing it as usual and hope for the best.  It usually works out.

Not Quite Vegetarian Chili

I've always loved vegetables but now I am trying to lose weight so more veggies the better.  But chili without meat...I'm not quite there yet.

For tonight's dish, I used a couple of pork chops diced up a lot smaller than bite size; 

2-3 cloves garlic, 

and diced: 

2 small onions, 

1 green pepper, 

6 jalapeno peppers, 

1 cup celery, 

1 zucchini;

2 tbsp olive oil, 

3/4 cup red wine, 

salt, pepper, chili powder, brown sugar and 

3 cans of beans (not pictured) - kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans ( more or different - as you like)

1 large can of crushed tomatoes (not pictured).

 Saute the garlic and the meat in a tablespoon of olive oil; add salt and pepper; add red wine and cook for a few minutes;  remove the meat and juices;

saute the onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil for a few minutes;

add the green pepper, jalapeno pepper, saute a few minutes; 

 add the celery and the zucchini; saute until heated through, a few minutes; add salt.

return the meat to the pot, add the tomato and beans;
add a tablespoon brown sugar and chili powder to taste

I realized I had a piece of grilled rib eye steak left over from the other night so I cut it up fine and added it to the chili...why not?

Serve with grated cheddar, jack or other cheese of your choice.  Salad and wine and homemade bread completed tonight's dinner.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Onion Soup With Mushrooms - Gratinee

This vegetarian onion soup soup is delicious and filling and did I say vegetarian.  No beef or chicken broth. 

I used about 10 cups of sliced onions, 10 ounces of sliced white mushrooms, olive oil, butter, dry vermouth (or a dry white wine) parsley, salt, pepper and shredded cheese - muenster and extra sharp cheddar (or include some swiss or whatever cheese you have on hand.  American cheese is not cheese - avoid it).  And some crusts of French or Italian bread.

Brown the onions in 2 batches in a very large skillet (or in 3 or more batches depending on the size of your skillet) over high heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring often to get all the onions caramelized.  

Remove the onions and brown the mushrooms in the same pan, add a little more olive oil, if needed.

Combine the onions and mushrooms in the skillet and over high heat, add one teaspoon of salt and one cup of dry vermouth or other dry white wine.  (If your skillet is not large enough - do this in 2 batches, halving the wine and salt for each batch)

Add a few grinds of black pepper (optional).

Bring to a boil and simmer until the alcohol evaporates and the liquid takes on a nice golden brown color, about 6 or 7 minutes.

Transfer the whole mixture to a large (about 3 quart) sauce pan and add 8 cups of water.

Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of salt (to taste).

Bring the soup to a boil, add a handful of chopped parsley (optional) and simmer for 45-60 minutes.

Grate or shred about 3 ounces of cheese per serving.  I like a combo of very sharp cheddar, muenster and swiss.  But I've used Gouda, Fontina, Jarlsberg or other good cheeses as well.  You can make up to eight servings (more or fewer, depending on the size of your oven-proof soup bowls).

Put a few crusts of good bread on the bottom of each soup bowl.  If the bread you have is not crusty, you can toast it lightly.

Ladle on the soup, with a good serving of the onions and mushrooms, over the bread.  Top with the cheese and place the bowls on a cookie sheet(s) to prevent spillage in the oven.

Place into a 450 degree oven until the cheese is melted and starts to brown and bubble.  Remove from oven and serve.

CAUTION: Contents are HOT.  Do not burn your mouth - let the soup cool a bit, and be careful!

Simple ingredients

Saute the onions in Olive oil and butter

Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and butter

Get the onions nicely caramelized
- a little more than above example

Combine the onions and mushrooms

Add the wine, 1 tsp salt and simmer

Transfer to a pot, add water, salt, parsley, simmer

Individual bowls of soup with melted cheese

Serve with a nice glass of wine. 

This soup, alone or with a salad, is a great meal.

Dinner's ready!

Potato, Leek, Swiss Chard and Feta Frittata

There's not much left in the garden at this time of year.  There are some leeks, which I grew for the first time ever, and some swiss chard that withstood some light frost.

Sunday breakfast called for something more than cereal so we had a nice frittata with potato, leek, Swiss chard and feta. (Of course, mushrooms and other good things can be added as well).

I had Leon dice up a potato while ran out in my bathrobe to dig up a few leeks and pick a handful of chard.

Get the potatoes going in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.  Add some salt and pepper.  Wash and chop the white and light green part of the leeks and add to the skillet.  Let saute until the potatoes are tender.  Wash and drain the chard thoroughly, then squeeze to get most of the water out of the handful of chard, then chop into rather fine strands.  Add to the skillet and cook until wilted.

Pour five or six beaten eggs over the veggies, add salt and pepper and some crumbled feta cheese (or any other cheese you like) and cook until eggs are almost set.  Fold over and let the set.  Serve with toast or crusty bread.

Easy Carrot Cake

If you watch cooking shows or bake at all, you've all heard that baking is an exact science.  You must follow recipes exactly and measure precisely.  Yeah, right.

Well, being the rebel that I am, I never follow anything exactly.  The food scientists will probably balk at my Carrot Cake recipe.  It's pretty simple, just takes a little more pep than something out of a box.  This will make a large 9" x 13" cake and a small 4" x 8" loaf to freeze for another time.  Or pour the whole batter into the large cake pan and make a thicker cake.  Or divide it up between whatever size cake pans you have - square, round, whatever.  Of course the bake time will have to be adjusted.

Prep ahead: Amounts are approximate:
4 cups grated of carrots
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
Spray the baking tins with spray oil or use Crisco to grease them
Preheat the oven to 350 - 375 (My oven is a Sears Dent-and-Scratch Store propane gas and the door is slightly off so 375 is what I set my oven to get a good 350.  Adjust accordingly.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl: (amounts are approximate, but don't go wild)
4 cups all purpose flour (plus reserve an additional 1/2 cup in case batter is too wet))
2 scant cups of sugar (scant so I think its fewer calories)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
oh a dash more of cinnamon, won't hurt

Combine wet ingredients, separately: (amounts are pretty much as listed)
1 cup vegetable oil (canola or whatever)
4 large eggs (You may need a little more flour if the eggs are very large or jumbo).
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp orange extract

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon or whatever just until evenly moist. The batter should be heavy and thick, but not dry; if too moist because you have jumbo eggs, add up to 1/2 cup more flour.
Add the carrots, nuts and raisins and mix just until evenly distributed.  Scoop the batter into the cake pans (or loaf pans or muffin tins) and bake in a preheated oven at 375.  Ovens can vary in temperature so be sure to adjust: 30 to 35 minutes for large muffins and up to 55 to 60 minutes for a large cake.  Test with a dry knife after 35 or 40 minutes - if the batter sticks to the knife give it another 10 minutes - test again, it may need 5 more minutes.

Simple cream cheese frosting:  2 packages room temperature cream cheese or Neufchatel.  1 1/2 cups sugar (plus or minus) - you need not use confectioner's sugar- granulated is just fine.  1 tsp or more of lemon extract.  Beat with electric mixer or by hand.  Taste test - if you like it sweeter, add more sugar.  Add food coloring if you like.

Cut a big slice and enjoy!

Chicken alla Cacciatore

CHICKEN ALLA CACCIATORE - HUNTER STYLE CHICKEN
(Not too many hunters shoot chickens so I think this dish was originally made with rabbit or maybe some other bird)

We are expecting a frost this weekend and I figured today was a good day to harvest the remaining green peppers.  Actually they are Cubanelle peppers, otherwise called Italian Frying Peppers; they are mild, not hot.  They were quite prolific this year, given I only had six plants.  Everything else - tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant - quit early;  beans are long gone; have only peppers and swiss chard now.

I've had my eye on the peppers and planned to put them into a Chicken Cacciatore.  It is basically chicken parts with peppers and onions with a light tomato sauce.  You want the veggies in big pieces because the long cooking time will pretty much make them virtually dissolve.  This is a bit time consuming, but its a nice fall or winter dish.

 I used about 12 Italian Frying peppers, cored and cut in quarters, (Bell peppers will hold up better and not "dissolve" into the sauce),  2 onions, a 10 oz package of white mushrooms, sliced in half. (baby bellas would be good too), parsley, basil, garlic, oregano, olive oil, 1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes, 1 cup of tomato sauce, and of course some chicken legs and thighs - six (or eight) of each.  (I've been known to add Italian sausage and/or meatballs.)

Cubanelle or Frying Peppers

Mushrooms

Purple Basil and Parsley

Canned Tomatoes

Brown the chicken parts in a skillet - in two batches. Season with a little salt and pepper.

While the chicken parts are cooking, in a separate, large sauce pan saute some garlic in olive oil.  Add the cut up peppers and one onion, quartered.  Allow to saute and sweat, turning frequently.

Remove the chicken from the skillet, pour off excess fat leaving a little for sauteing the mushrooms.  Add the halved mushrooms to the skillet along with a diced onion and a cut up carrot (optional).  Saute the vegetables until heated through, not over cooked.  Add some wine to deglaze the pan.  Then add a can of peeled tomatoes.  Add chopped parsley and basil, a little oregano, salt and pepper.

Add the tomato/vegetable mixture to the peppers/onions and add the chickenparts along with 1 cup of tomato puree or prepared tomato sauce.   Place on low heat and simmer for at least two hours.  When thoroughly cooked, the chicken should easily fall off the bone.

You can leave the chicken on  the bone or, to be kind, remove all the bones and knuckles and return the chicken meat to the pot.

Brown the chicken parts

Chicken Thighs

Add Onions to the Skillet

Add the Mushrooms

Add a Carrot and Some Wine to Deglaze 

Add the Tomatoes

Cut up the Tomatoes into Large Chunks

Add Chopped Parsley and Basil

Add a Cup of Tomato Sauce or Puree

Allow to Simmer for Hours

After it is Cooked

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Serve with crusty Italian bread, or with pasta, rice, or potatoes.

If you are reheating this dish, be prepared for the peppers to disappear.   If you use Bell peppers, they will hold up better.

Vegetarian "Meatballs" or "Meatloaf"

Veggie "Meatballs"

Did not have the camera handy for the prep and cooking, but if I make these again, I'll take photos.

I am interested in vegetarian dishes, but for the most part find vegetarian is nice as a side dish, not so great as a main course.

I thought I'd make some "meatballs" and be sure they had as much flavor as my ground beef meatballs. I think they are as tasty, but I need to work on the consistency.

Here is what I did:

BROWN RICE:
Saute a finely diced clove of garlic with a finely diced onion and some finely diced celery - about 1/4 cup each of onion and celery, in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Add 1 cup of uncooked brown rice.  Stir to coat rice.  Add 1 and 1/3 cup water and a teaspoon of salt.  Cook about 30 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  Set aside.

EGGPLANT and BABY BELLAS:
Finely dice a clove of garlic or two, an onion and a small green Italian frying pepper.  Peel and slice a medium size eggplant, salt the slices and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Dab off the moisture that is exuded. Finely dice the eggplant.  Process about 8 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms in a food processor.  Saute the garlic, onion and green pepper in four tablespoons of olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a large skillet).  After the onion is cooked through, add the eggplant and the mushrooms.  Saute the mixture until the eggplant is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Add a little Marsala wine and a little salt and pepper.  Cook off the wine. Remove from heat.

CHICK PEAS (GARBANZO BEANS):
Open a can of garbanzo beans and process them in a food processor.

Put all of the above prepared ingredients into a large bowl.

Add: A small handful of fresh parsley chopped and a four or five leaves of fresh basil, chopped.  Add 3/4 cup prepared Italian breadcrumbs, one half cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese, two eggs. (I used 4 eggs and my mixture was too soft and the meatballs did not stay round- they're more like triangles.  I think 2 or 3 eggs at most should do). Mix everything together.

Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.  Form the mixture into balls and fry in the oil, turning when brown on one side, until more or less evenly browned on all sides.  Makes about 32 meatballs.

Not Pretty - but Tasty

I was eating these as they came out of the frying pan.  I guess you can serve them with spaghetti, but I would not cook them in the tomato sauce because they will probably fall apart.

I think this would also make a nice "Meatloaf".

Veggies and Breaded Fish Filets and Bean Salad

OK.  So this is not one of my better meals.  But the veggies were ready a couple of weeks ago and I cooked up a pot of Swiss Chard.  Oil, garlic, leeks, jalapenos, green and red chard. Lemon optional.  Black pepper.  Dice and saute the garlic, jalapenos and leeks in olive oil.  Wash the chard well and cut into large pieces.  Add to pot and allow to wilt.

I've been shopping at Aldi's - a national chain grocery that specializes in low-cost food items.  Some of their stuff is very good.  But the fish was not quite like the package promised.  $2.49 for 8 pieces.  This was Pollock.  Product of USA.  The other frozen fish at Aldi's were product of China, which really surprised me.  Aldi does seem to have mostly US made products.

I added some whole wheat pasta to the chard and the whole thing took on an unappetizing color - mostly from the red chard.  Green chard does not bleed out.  But it did taste good.

Bean and tomato salad.  I had three or four different bean varieties - Romano, yellow, green. Wash and steam the beans till just tender.  Cool.  Add tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Makes a nice healthy salad when the lettuce is past its prime.