White Bean and Kielbasa Stew

Slow Cooker White Bean and Kielbasa Stew
Ingredients
1 pound dried great northern beans (or other white bean)
14 ounces kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and each half cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 large onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 tablespoon jarred chopped garlic))
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
(amount here) (ingredient name here)
 
Directions
In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, add beans, kielbasa, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and turn on cooker.
Cook until the beans are tender (low: about 7 or 8 hours; high: 5 or 6 hours). Cooking times can vary based on how hot your particular slow cooker gets.
Right before serving, add the spinach, stir it in, and allow it to wilt for a few minutes.

Pumpkin Rosemary Hummus

Pumpkin Rosemary Hummus
 
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (or dried ones that have soaked overnight)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
"Cook" time: 2 minutes
 
Directions
Prepare all ingredients and add to food processor. Pulse until mixture reaches your desired smoothness. You may wish to add more olive oil if you prefer a creamier hummus (less if you like yours thick). Serve with crackers, pita chips, veggies or whatever you like.
 
Note
The original author of this recipe did not call for tahini, so you may be fine without it. In its place, increase the amount of olive oil (to 5 tablespoons or more).
 
 

Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast

I made a version of this several years ago when I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my dad and his side of the family, but I'll be damned if I can find the recipe now. I did a quick Google search and found a very similar recipe. If you've never brined your bird, you don't know what you're missing. I'm a big fan of brining and have brined various poultry, pork, etc. Anyway, I digress . . .


Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast
Yield: Serves 4-6.

Prep Time: 30 minutesTotal Time: 2 hours + overnight brine
Ingredients:

Note: If you want to do a whole turkey, just double this recipe.

1 whole turkey breast (5-6 pounds)

Absolutely required:
1 quart apple cider
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Not mandatory, but does up the flavor quotient:
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
4 whole star anise pods
3 garlic cloves
3 scallions, sliced
3 inches fresh ginger, sliced thick
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cinnamon stick
A few sprigs of cilantro
10 cups cold water

For cooking:
1 green apples
1 lemon

Helpful Equipment:
Digital Probe Thermometer


Preparing the Brine
I’m not going to get into the science of why brining is good, but basically it results in a cooked turkey that’s much more moist than its unbrined brother due to the way that salt reacts with the proteins in the meat. Just trust me. It’s good and worth the time.

I’ll admit, there are a lot of ingredients in this brine. They all serve a purpose, but if you can’t find them all, don’t feel like you can’t make this brine. At the end of the day, I’d say 80% of the flavor comes from the apple cider. As long as you have that, you can make this happen.


Of course, if possible, any of these spices will just up the flavor complexity of the brine. Use as many of them as you can, but don’t freak out if you’re missing one.

Bring the cider, brown sugar, soy sauce, and salt to a simmer in a medium or large pot. Then add in all your spices and herbs. The only prep I did to my spices was chop my garlic cloves and scallions in half and slice my ginger into coins. Then just toss everything in the pot.

Let this simmer for about 5 minutes, then kill the heat and let it slowly cool to room temperature. This will give plenty of time for the flavors to infuse into the brine.

Once the brine is room temperature, add the cold water and you’re ready to brine.

Brining the Bird
If you’re doing a full bird, make sure you have a large bucket or pot that can fit your entire bird. 

Whatever device you use, cover it well and place it in a refrigerated place overnight. Depending on the temperature, sometimes I’ll just stash my turkey cooler setup outside somewhere or in a cool garage for the night. Just make sure your temperature outside is around or under 40 degrees and make sure rodents can’t get to it.

Cooking the Bird
When it’s time to cook, take your bird out of the brine and discard your brine. There’s no reason to keep it. It’s done all it can do to help us out.

Then rinse off your turkey really well with cold water. The brine is very salty and you don’t want it coating the bird. There’s plenty of flavor soaked into the bird. Trust me.

So rinse off the bird and then pat it dry with some paper towels.

At this point I’d recommend adding some lemons and apple slices to the cavity of the bird. This will just give it a bit more flavor and moisture as it cooks.


Basically, you start the turkey in a super-hot, 475 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then pull the turkey out and insert your probe thermometer if you have one. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to cook it until it reaches 165 degrees internally (thickest part of the breast in my case here, or thickest part of the thigh if you’re cooking a full bird).

NOTE: If you’re using a probe thermometer you can’t have it in for this part of the cooking. It could melt.


Resting and Slicing
Once your bird hits its temperature, pull it out, cover it in foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This is maybe the most important part of the whole process. If you slice right into it, all the juices will run out and you’ll have a much dryer bird.

Zesty Citrus Cookies

This recipe calls for lemon, but there's no reason why it can't easily be changed into lime or orange cookies.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar for dusting



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a standing mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add lemon juice and zest, mixing until blended.

Add salt, baking powder and flour and mix until blended.

Drop by rounded scoopfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake until edges are firm with no color, 12 to 15 minutes.

Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. 
                                 

Orecchiette With Peas, Prosciutto, And Crème Fraîche

INGREDIENTS
serves 4

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for salting the pasta water
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 cup frozen petite peas, or fresh if in season
1 cup crème fraîche
6 slices prosciutto (3 ounces total), torn in half
12 small basil leaves, or 6 large ones roughly torn


PROCEDURES
1. Bring a large pot of salty water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occassionally to prevent sticking.

2. In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant but not browned, then reduce the heat to medium and add the peas, cooking for a few seconds, then add the crème fraîche and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until warmed through.

3. Reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it while still wet to the skillet. Toss well with the sauce and add the pasta water to create a loose sauce. Turn the heat to high and cook for 2 minutes as the sauce melds with the pasta.

4. Transfer to bowls and top with any sauce left in the skillet. Lay the prosciutto and basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Homemade Crème Fraîche

How to Make It

To make a batch at home, all you do: add a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) of buttermilk or yogurt to a few cups of heavy cream, and let the mixture sit out in a clear jar or plastic container in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. (I've read you should leave it uncovered, but—worried about bugs, dust and the like—I left the lid ajar for a few minutes, then sealed it, and was successful.) Within the day, the cream will have transformed to a thicker, tangier and more spoonable version of itself. Then just store it in the fridge, where it will continue to mature.

Even though some recipes recommend kickstarting the process by heating the cream mixture to take off the refrigerator chill, I found that using cold cream actually worked better. It made for a thicker, creamier result. Plus, after 12 to 24 hours at room temperature, the short amount of time you save by preheating the mixture is not that significant anyway over the long run.

Just as every brand of store-bought crème fraîche tastes different, yours will vary slightly depending on the flavor of your milk or yogurt, the butterfat content you can find, and how long you let it become sour. If you like a looser, runnier consistency, check your crème after 12 hours. I've left some batches as long as 36, especially when using yogurt, which I find produces a thinner version. Just keep in mind that the mixture will continue to thicken once you place it in the fridge.

Notes on Shopping

When choosing ingredients, try to find pasteurized* (as opposed to ultra-pasteurized) heavy cream, yogurt and buttermilk. I used a locally produced cream and a full-fat plain yogurt from Ronnybrook. I could only find 1 percent buttermilk in the markets near me (which I was worried would be too diluted), but it worked swimmingly.

* Look out for wording on packaging! I've read that ultra-pasteurized cream takes longer to sour, but I haven't actually tried it myself. Have any of you?

Your crème will keep for around 7 to 10 days, plenty of time for you to dream up some fun ways to use it! Besides spooning some over fresh fruit, pancakes, cobblers or pies, you can use it in savory ways, too. Stir a little into pan sauces, soups or mashed potatoes—it tolerates heat better than milk or cream, and adds a richness and nutty flavor—or mix with lemon and herbs to serve with fish fillets. My favorite use to date: stirring it in to scrambled eggs before cooking. Simply out of this world.
There'll be plenty of buttermilk left over, too (which is partly why making your own pays off).

Homemade Sour Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk (or even white vinegar will work)

Instructions

In a screw-top jar or mason jar with lid, combine the heavy cream and sour cream (or buttermilk). Shake the ingredients up a bit to thoroughly mix and let stand, covered, at room temperature for about 24 hours or until it becomes very thick. You can store your sour cream in the refrigerator in the original jar you mixed it in (or use some other resealable container) for up to one week. Make sure that your sour cream is well chilled before using.

If you want to make a lighter sour cream, substitute whole milk for 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. 

Chinese-style Chicken and Broccoli

Broccoli Chicken

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To Velvet Chicken:
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon water

To Cook Broccoli:
1 pound broccoli
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste

Other:
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 cups plus 4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, mix together the egg white, cornstarch and salt. Add the egg white mixture to the chicken cubes, tossing or using your fingers to coat the chicken in the mixture. Marinate the velveted chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside. Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic.

3. Preheat a wok. Heat 2 cups oil in the wok until it reaches 275 degrees Fahrenheit. (Test the heat by placing a piece of chicken in the wok - it should float). Add the chicken cubes, and let cook until they just turn white (about 30 seconds), using a wooden spoon or chopsticks to gently separate them. Quickly remove the chicken cubes from the wok as soon as they turn white, and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

4. Drain the oil out of the wok or preheat a second wok on medium high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds.

5. Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain.

6. Clean out the wok and heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the velveted chicken, stirring and tossing to cook the chicken through. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.

Homemade Cream Cheese

Homemade Cream Cheese
1 quart homemade or store-bought plain yogurt (whole milk or low-fat, depending on your preference)

Instructions

Place a clean kitchen towel or clean muslin in a colander. Place the colander in a bowl that is large enough to hold it. Add the yogurt to the lined colander and wrap the towel over the top to cover (or use a plate). Leave this to drain for about 5 hours in the refrigerator. If you want a thicker consistency, leave it longer, making sure to empty what is draining so it doesn't reach the bottom of the colander and get reabsorbed. Store your finished cream cheese in a resealable container in the fridge. Better yet, use one of your old packaged cream cheese containers to do the job!

Your cream cheese will last as long as your yogurt would, so if you used purchased yogurt (rather than making it yourself), check the expiration date and use that as your guide. (I highly recommend trying to make the yogurt yourself since this will cut down on additional waste especially if you can get your milk in returnable glass bottles.) If you want to get fancy, you can add flavorings to your cream cheese. Try adding homemade strawberry jam for strawberry-flavored cream cheese. If you spent time dehydrating onions, then adding those (or fresh green onions) and chives from your garden will make a tasty chive-and-onion cream cheese spread.

Beef Stroganoff, Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS
2 pound cubed beef stew meat or chuck roast
2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water (more if needed)
1/4 cup low sodium beef stock (more if needed)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese (reduced fat works well)
1/2 pack French onion soup mix
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
8oz. mushrooms, sliced
Pat of butter

DIRECTIONS
1. In slow cooker, combine meat, mushroom soup, chopped onions, minced garlic, Worcestershire, dry soup mix, pepper, stock and water.
2. Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.
3. During cooking time, sauté the mushrooms in butter about 4 mins.
4. Put sautéed mushrooms in slow cooker last 30 minutes of cooking time
5. Check sauce if it needs salt or extra pepper.
6. Best served over buttered egg noodles.

Simple and delicious Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
1 onion, sliced
1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, giblets removed
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
Kosher salt and black pepper



Directions
Heat oven to 450° F. Place the onion in a large roasting roasting pan. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings under the chicken and place it on top of the onion. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Roast, tossing the potatoes once, until the thigh registers 165°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the chicken rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Spinach-Cheese Lasagna

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1.5 C Chopped Onions

1 TBSP Chopped Garlic

1.5 C sliced fresh Mushrooms

6 C washed chopped fresh Spinach (approx 1lb spinach, loosely packed)

1 TSP Salt

.25 TSP Black Pepper

2 Eggs, beaten

2 C ricotta cheese

.5 TBSP dried oregano

1.5 C grated mozzarella cheese

3 C canned tomato sauce

1lb dried lasagna pasta (cooked, drained, & rinsed OR 3 sheets fresh lasagna pasta cooked, drained, & rinsed)

1/3 C grated Parm cheese

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic for 3-5 mins, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the mushrooms to the onion mixture and saute for 5 mins. Add the spinach, salt, and black pepper and saute for 3-5, or until the spinach wilts. Turn off heat and stir in the eggs, ricotta cheese, oregano, and mozzarella cheese.

In an oiled 9X12-inch backing pan, making alternate layers of the tomato sauce, cooked pasta, and cheese mixture, ending with the tomato sauce. (Make sure the pasta is well covered with the sauce so it remains soft and moist while cooking.)

Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve.

Ali's Cassoulet

This is a fall/winter favorite.  It's my take on a cassoulet, and you can tell I concocted the recipe, as very little about it is exact in terms of ingredients or directions (sorry!).  Easily made vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and swapping vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Ingredients:

-1/4 to 1/2 pound bacon
-1 medium onion, chopped
-3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
-3 to 4 carrots, diced
-4 to 5 stalks celery, sliced
-2 cans beans, rinsed and drained
-2 to 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
-1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 teaspoons thyme, crushed


Directions:
1. Cut or slice the bacon and saute over medium high heat in a heavy cooking vessel (I use my Dutch oven).  When the bacon is crisp, remove from the pot and add the onion, cooking in the bacon drippings.  When the onion starts to become translucent, add the garlic, sauteing briefly (but don't burn the garlic. Yuk.).
-Add the carrots and celery and saute until they start to soften slightly.
-Add the beans, stock, and kale, stir.  Stir in the bay and thyme.
-Simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until the flavors are melded and the veggies are no longer crunchy.

Add parmesan cheese to each serving if desired.

Lentil Kale Soup

Ingredients: 

 3 carrots, chopped
 3 ribs of celery, chopped
 1 onion, chopped
 3 cloves garlic, pressed
 8 cups water or vegetable broth
 2 cups lentils, rinsed
 1 tsp. dried thyme

Directions Put all of these ingredients in the slow cooker. Set it on low if you are leaving it all day, high if you are starting it around lunchtimeAbout 10 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, add:  

 1 ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar
 2 tsp. salt
 1 tsp. ground pepper
 1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped

Variations: 
You can add potatoes if you want more bulk. Add cubed potatoes at the beginning of cooking if you do.

Tomatoes are also good in this dish. Add one 14 ½ ounce can of diced tomatoes at the beginning of cooking if you like. I don't use the tomatoes because my husband is allergic to them.

Greek Pasta Salad

(I admit to cheating with this recipe; I will often use a bottle of Trader Joe's Greek Dressing with Feta in place of the called-for dressing in this recipe.  I also add more Feta (who doesn't love Feta?).  This is a good summer recipe.)

• 1 pound rotini or tri-colored pasta
• 
  
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 
  
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well in a colander set in the sink.
2. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Set aside. Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, green and red peppers, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the pasta and mix together. Cover and chill for 3 hours before serving.

Portuguese Sweet Bread

Ingredients

Sponge:

• 1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 water, at room temperature

Dough:

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups unbleached bread flour
• About 6 tablespoons water, at room temperature

Directions

To make the sponge, stir together the flour, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are hydrated and make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the sponge gets foamy and seems on the verge of collapse.

To make the dough, combine the sugar, salt, powdered milk, butter, and shortening in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Cream together with a sturdy spoon (or the paddle attachment) until smooth, then mix in the eggs and the extracts. Knead by hand (or switch to the dough hook attachment) and mix in the sponge and the flour. Add the water, as needed, to make a very soft dough. The finished dough should be very supple and soft, easy to knead, and not wet or sticky. It will take 10 to 12 minutes with the electric mixer and close to 15 minutes by hand to achieve this consistency. (Dough with high amounts of fat and sugar usually take longer to knead because the gluten requires more time to set up.) The finished dough should pass the windowpane test (see NOTE below) and register 77 to 88 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into two equal pieces. Form each of the pieces into a boule. Lightly oil two 9-inch pie pans and place 1 boule, seam side down, in each pan. Mist the dough with spray oil and loosely cover the pans with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until the dough fills the pans fully, doubling in size and overlapping the edges slightly. (If you only want to bake one loaf, you may retard the second in the fridge for 1 day, although it will take 4 to 5 hours to proof after it comes out of the refrigerator.)

Very gently brush the loaves with egg wash. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

Bake the loaves for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they register 190 F in the center. After 30 minutes, check the loaves and rotate 180 degrees, if necessary, for even baking. Because of the high amount of sugar, the dough will brown very quickly, but don't be fooled into thinking it is done. It will get darker as the center gradually catches up with the outside, but it will not burn. The final color will be a rich mahogany brown.

Remove the bread from the pie pans and place on a rack to cool. The bread will soften as it cools, resulting in a very soft, squishy loaf. Allow the bread to cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing or serving.

Anadama Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place 1/2 cup water and cornmeal in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture thickens; about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter or margarine and molasses. Let cool to lukewarm.
2. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled cornmeal mixture with the yeast mixture; stir until well blended. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
4. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
6. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a loaf. Place the loaf in a lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anadama_bread

Oatmeal Yeast Bread

Ingredients

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; set aside. In another bowl, stir boiling water and shortening until shortening is melted. Add honey; cool to 110 degrees F-115 degrees F. Add eggs, oats, salt and shortening mixture to yeast mixture. Add 3 cups flour; stir until smooth. Stir in enough of the flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3 -in. loaf pans. Prick tops with a fork. Brush with butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove form pans to cool on wire racks.

Spinach Salad with Salmon, Barley, and Oranges

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 4-ounce pieces skinless wild salmon fillet
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 navel or blood oranges
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook the barley according to the package directions. Spread on a plate and refrigerate until cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large cast-iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until cool. Using a fork, flake the salmon into bite-size pieces.

3. Cut away the peel and pith of the oranges: Working over a small bowl, cut along both sides of each orange segment, releasing the segments into the bowl.

4. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the accumulated orange juice to a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add the spinach, cilantro, avocado, orange segments, scallions, and cooked barley and toss gently to combine. Serve topped with the salmon.

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken with Mushrooms and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 4-ounce chicken cutlets
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, halved if large
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 450° F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool and coarsely chop.

3. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Fold in the walnuts, parsley, 2 teaspoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.

4. Divide the potato, mushrooms, and thyme between 2 rimmed baking sheets; toss with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Roast, rotating the sheets once, until tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with the vinegar and toss gently.

5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a large cast-iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Wipe the excess marinade off the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the quinoa and vegetables.

Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Garlicky Kale and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 6 ounces whole-grain spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
• 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted almonds
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino (1 ounce), plus more for serving

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3. Add the kale mixture, almonds, pecorino, and reserved cooking water to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with additional pecorino.

Kale Chips!

I LOVE kale.


http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/baked-kale-chips/

Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Kale-Dusted Popcorn If you’re making the chips with the intention to grind them up for popcorn, I’d use less oil — perhaps half — so they grind without the “powder” clumping. I ground a handful of my chips (about half) in a mortar and pestle (well, actually the “pestle” was MIA so I used the handle of an OXO reamer, not that anyone asked) and sprinkled it over popcorn (1/4 cup popcorn kernels I’d cooked in a covered pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, shaking it about with potholders frequently). I seasoned the popcorn with salt. I liked this snack, but I think Parmesan and Kale-Dusted Popcorn would be even more delicious. Next time!

Strawberry "Pop-Tart"

OMG

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour plus additional for shaping and rolling
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons ice water
• 12 tablespoons strawberry preserves (preferably organic homemade)
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh strawberries

PREPARATION

• Whisk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips or back of fork, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water by tablespoonfuls, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half; shape each half into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on floured surface to about 13x11 inches. Trim to 12x10-inch rectangle, then cut into eight 5x3-inch rectangles.
• Arrange 4 rectangles, spaced apart, on each sheet. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons preserves in row down center of each rectangle. Top preserves with second dough rectangle. Using fingertips, gently press all edges of each tart to seal; press all edges with tines of fork to double-seal. Using toothpick, poke a few holes in center of top dough rectangle. Cover; freeze tarts on sheets at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake frozen tarts uncovered until golden, reversing sheets after 15 minutes, 25 to 30 minutes total (some preserves may leak out). Immediately transfer tarts to rack. Sift powdered sugar lightly over. Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh berries.
  
  
  Extra slides for maximum comprehension (Yes, this was snatched from Bon Appetit.): http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/slideshows/2010/04/how_to_make_homemade_pop_tarts#slide=1