Apple Cranberry Dinner Rolls

This is a little late for Thanksgiving, but not for Christmas.  The recipe off the Red Star Yeast website was recommended to me.  The photo for it wasn't exactly Pinterest perfect, or even what I like to post on this blog.  I read it and saw how it was similar to the challah recipe I use, and how to fix the method a bit.

I also thought that the recipe as written makes a great breakfast pastry, especially if you were to drizzle it with powdered sugar icing.  As a dinner roll, I want something a touch more savory, and added just half a teaspoon of dried thyme to the dough.  You could add sage or rosemary, or even oregano, depending on the meal.  It's just there as a hint, not a main flavor.

The original recipe is very specific about using bread flour.  The challah recipe gives separate instructions for A.P., but the comments on this one insist that bread flour is best in this case.  They were amazingly soft and chewy, so I'd go with the recommendation.

*1 C 100º milk
2 Tb sugar
1 packet yeast (2-1/4 tsp)
3-4 C bread flour
3 Tb unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, room temperature
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/2 C finely chopped apple
*1/2 tsp dried thyme
egg wash, optional

1.  Before starting, chop the apple.  I used a gala, and it was almost half an apple.  It's going to depend on the size of the fruit.  Oh, and the original recipe says to peel it.  I didn't.  I also chopped the dried cranberries because they were Trader Joe's, which are kind of big.  If you use Craisins, you're probably ok.

2.  Stir together milk, sugar, and yeast.  Allow to sit until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

3.  If using a stand mixer, start with the paddle.  Stir together milk mixture and 1 C flour.  Add butter, egg, and salt and beat again until smooth.  Stir in chopped apple, cranberries, and thyme.

4.  Switch to dough hook and add 1-1/2 C flour.  Knead into a dough, 10 minutes.

5.  This is where I'm deviating from the post, because it took me way more flour than half a cup to turn this into a proper dough.  Pour out the very soft dough onto half a cup of flour, then dust generously with about 1/4 C more.  Knead until smooth, adding flour as necessary if/when it becomes too sticky to handle. You still want it soft and a tiny bit sticky.  Don't add so much that the dough feels dry.

6.  Lightly oil a bowl and turn dough ball over in it to coat all sides.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  Punch down and let rest 10 minutes.

7.  Line a rimmed baking sheet or large casserole with parchment.  Weigh out 1.5 ounce pieces of dough and form into balls.  Place an inch or so apart in the dish.  I ended up needing a second pan for the last few.  Allow to rise 45 minutes.

8.  Preheat oven to 375º.  If desired, brush rolls with an egg wash, milk, or melted butter prior to baking.  Bake 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.  Or serve warm.  Cooled rolls may be frozen.

Makes about 20

Difficulty rating  :)

Shrimp with Deconstructed Pesto

While I appreciate how well I've managed my basil this year, it has been a challenge to use or preserve the abundance.  I mean, how much pesto do you really need in the freezer?

I decided to do one last severe trim to the pot before it got too cold out and the leaves became damaged.  Since I don't have hard freezes, it will over-winter and bounce back in the spring.  Some of it is hung up to dry, and the rest went into this dish.

All this sauce became was a tomato-basil pesto that you don't run through the food processor.  It's still whole, with all the ingredients intact, just in different proportions.  I went easy on the cheese and heavy on the tomatoes.

The pasta was simple homemade wheat noodles, and the shrimp is thrown into the sauce at the end to cook in its heat.  You can use packaged pasta and pre-cooked shrimp if you want to focus on the sauce.  Same result.

1/4 C olive oil
*4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
*4 oz basil leaves
1 Tb lemon juice
salt to taste
*1 lb shrimp, size of choice
*1/2 C parmesan cheese
2 Tb pine nuts for garnish
pasta for serving

1.  Start a pot of water for your pasta.  This will come together faster than I thought.  Heat the oil over medium in a large skillet.

2.  Cook the minced garlic in the oil until fragrant, 2 minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes, with their juice, and the basil.  Bring to a low boil, then lower heat slightly so the basil doesn't fry.  Stir in lemon juice to preserve the color of the basil.  Taste and add salt if needed, keeping in mind the shrimp and cheese will bring some salt to the dish.

3.  After placing the pasta in its pot, add the shrimp to the sauce.  They should cook in about the same amount of time.  Once the shrimp is pink all the way through, turn off the heat.

4.  Serve sauce on top of pasta.  Garnish with pine nuts and cheese.

Difficulty rating  π

Hearty Vegetable Stew

This was supposed to be a vegetarian cholent, and not a post.  Then I started throwing the entire crisper and some crazy spices in it, so I took pictures in case it was worthwhile.  Yep.

It was probably the addition of miso paste which put it over the top.  And since I have dashi miso at the moment, this is no longer vegetarian.  It doesn't taste specifically Asian, probably because I dumped the rest of my tagine spice container into the pot.  And chili powder, and sumac.  The flavors were so over the place that adding asparagus didn't seem additionally weird.  I'm still calling that optional.

This stew is grounded in the mushrooms, kidney beans, and potatoes.  They and the flavorings are the heart of it.  The carrots, asparagus, and cilantro are just interesting to look at.

I'm giving you the one-hour version here.  It didn't fit in the slow cooker.  As long as you're using canned beans, a slow cooker is definitely an option.  I'm guessing 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

2 Tb olive oil
*1/2 onion, diced
*2 ribs celery, diced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tb tomato paste
*1 Tb miso paste
1 Tb soy sauce
*1 Tb Ras El Hanout or "Tagine Spice"
1 tsp chili powder
*1/2 tsp sumac
2 C vegetable or mushroom broth (or chicken for non-vegetarian)
1 lb red potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
*4 oz asparagus, cut in 2" lengths (optional)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1.  In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium.  Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook until they give up their water, about 10 minutes.

2.  Add tomato paste, miso paste, soy sauce, ras el hanout, chili powder, and sumac and cook in the mushroom water until smooth.  Stir in broth and bring to a simmer.

3.  Add potatoes and carrots and simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes.  Add asparagus, beans, and cilantro and simmer 5 minutes, until everything is heated through.

4.  Serve hot, either as a stew in a bowl or over rice or noodles.

Difficulty rating  π

Spaghetti Squash with Thyme

Somehow, I managed to grow a ton of thyme in the lettuce patch.  The herb pot I started inside and the plant I was trying to grow next to some celery both died.  The seeds I randomly chucked next to the failed pumpkins will be there forever.  I don't use that much thyme, but I guess I will now.

This recipe started as a vegetarian main.  It still can be, but it's closer to what you would call a cooked salad.  The dressing and chevre balance the natural sweetness of the squash.  There is an overall creaminess, with a bit of texture and contrast from the chickpeas.  The thyme is not overpowering.  For something adhering to Mediterranean diet guidelines, this was definitely comfort food.

1 small spaghetti squash (about 2-3 lbs)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 C olive oil
2 Tb white wine vinegar
*1 sprig fresh thyme or 1-1/2 tsp dried
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
crumbled chevre or feta for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Wash squash and pierce in several places with a knife.  Set on a lined baking sheet and roast 90 minutes to 2 hours, turning halfway through, until easily pierced with a fork.

2.  Once cool enough to touch, slice squash open.  I always choose to do it across the equator, for the longest "spaghetti" strands.  If you prefer shorter fibers, cut the long ways.  Allow to cool until no longer steaming, then scoop out seeds and their strings.  I ended up cooking them with some pumpkin seeds into cinnamon pepitas.

3.  With a fork, pull the squash strands from the middle and place in a bowl.  Keep going until you reach the skin, then discard the skin.  At this point, all the hard part is done.  Everything else comes together super fast.

4.  Warm the oil, either on the stove or in the microwave, with the thyme in it.  Just to about 200º, so the thyme can infuse.  Whisk in the vinegar, salt, and white pepper and set aside.  You can also do this while the squash is cooking or cooling.

5.  Toss together the chickpeas and squash gently, so the squash doesn't mash.  Once evenly distributed, toss again with the dressing.  Either plate or place in a serving bowl, topped with crumbled cheese and perhaps more thyme for garnish.

Difficulty rating  π

Minted Leg of Lamb

So, way back I bought a bone-in leg of lamb because it was only $5 per pound.  That never happens.  I did a terrible hack job to get four roughly one-pound sections, plus the bone on the last pound.  Because I wanted the bone for some roasted-bone broth, I decided to do something with that piece.

I need to remember never to buy a bone-in leg of lamb again.  Unlike fatty cuts of meat or chicken, the meat really doesn't want to come off the bone.  It's worth it to pay the extra for boneless, or even semi-boneless.  There is a reason I'm a baker and not a butcher.  It's a very good thing I wasn't serving this to guests, because I made a total mess of it when carving.

Anyway, back to the flavor profile.  There isn't a ton of mint in the seasoning rub.  A little dried mint goes a long way, and you don't want this to taste like ice cream.  It's just a brightness designed to take away any gamey undertones.  You could probably use this spice mix on duck or venison, to the same effect.

I'm going to scale the rub to a full leg of lamb, 4-5 pounds.  Or, you could make the smaller amount and use this on lamb chops.  Or just make up the rub and store it to use as needed.  It's just a spice blend.

1 leg of lamb
1 Tb kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
*2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp ground sumac
*2 tsp dried parsley
*1 tsp dried mint
olive oil

1.  Line a roasting pan with foil for easing cleaning and preheat oven to 325º.  Set lamb, fatty side up, in roasting pan.  Rub all over with olive oil.

2.  In a bowl or mortar, combine seasonings.  Rub mix all over lamb, including the underside.  Cover pan with foil.

3.  Roast until internal temperature reaches 140º for rare/medium rare, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.  Go to 145º if you prefer medium.  Allow to sit 15 minutes before carving. 

Serves 10-12

Difficulty rating  π

Whole Wheat Onion and Parmesan Rolls

 

I was clearing out a pot for planting winter items and pulled a massive green onion.  I had kind of been hanging onto it because it was the last mature one, but it was almost the size of a leek.  That's a lot of salads, so I decided to put some of it in rolls.

Ok, wow, for an impromptu side bread, these were really good rolls.  I did make them too big.  A standard dinner roll is one or two ounces.  Twelve ounces of dough should have been eight rolls, not four.  They were more like hamburger bun size, and I ended up cutting them in half.  And now that I'm saying that, using these as sandwich rolls isn't a bad idea.

I made these all by hand, since it was such a small batch.  It merely adds a few minutes to the kneading process.  I like kneading and feeling when the dough is right.  I find it much more effective than putting a specific volume or weight of flour in the mixer and hoping for the best.

1/2 C 100ºF water
1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp honey
*1/2 C whole wheat flour
about 1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
*1/4 C finely diced green onions
*1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1.  In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, oil, and honey.  Allow to sit until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

2.  Add 1/2 C whole wheat flour and stir into a thin dough.  Add 1/2 C all-purpose flour and the salt and stir into a wet, shaggy dough.  Stir in onions and cheese.  It's going to smell yeasty but look like biscuit/drop scone dough.

3.  Generously flour a work surface and scrape the dough onto it.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding enough flour so the ball doesn't stick to everything, but not so much that it feels heavy. You should end up with roughly 12 oz by weight of dough.

4.  Rub the inside of a bowl with about a teaspoon of oil.  Turn dough in bowl to cover all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place (100-110ºF) until doubled, about 1 hour.

5.  Punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes.  Divide into 1 or 2 oz portions by weight.  Shape into a sphere, then flatten slightly and place on a lined baking sheet.  Allow to rise again 30 minutes.

6.  Preheat oven to 350º.  If desired, brush rolls with oil

or butter.  I sprayed them lightly with water and sprinkled them with a tiny bit of salt.  Bake until lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped, about 20 minutes.  Cool on sheet 5 minutes, then remove to a rack for at least 10 before putting them in a serving basket.  Can also be frozen once completely cooled.

Makes about 8

Difficulty rating  :)

Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce

 

Despite it being the time of year that I tend to eat 19th-century British and American types of foods, I'm still trying to incorporate Mediterranean recipes into the meal plan.

This is a very simple two-part recipe.  While I happened to make the sauce first, you can multi-task and do it while the fish is in the oven.  Tzatziki goes with really any fish.  I happened to have salmon on hand.  Not the awesome kind I got at the kosher market for Passover, just the frozen, vacuum packed filets sold generically at the supermarket.  While not life altering, they were pretty good.

I did get out the grater to do the cucumber properly.  It wasn't the worst thing in the world.  As far as kitchen messes go, cucumber juice is pretty low on the cleaning up scale.  I didn't seed it, though.  Gotta draw the line somewhere.

*4 6oz salmon filets, checked for pin bones
olive oil
salt and white pepper
*dill as needed
*1 C Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers
2 cloves garlic, grated or through a garlic press
1 Tb lemon juice
*dried mint to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a roasting pan with parchment for easier cleanup.

2.  Lay filets skin side down in pan.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil, about 1 or 2 tablespoons.  Sprinkle as desired with salt, pepper, and dill.  Keep in mind there's more dill in the sauce.  Cover pan with foil and bake until fish is opaque and flaky, about 25 minutes.

3.  For the sauce, peel (and seed) cucumber, then grate on a box grater's large holes.  Place in a strainer over a bowl or the sink and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Allow to sit 10 minutes, for the salt to draw moisture out of the shreds.  Rinse lightly, then squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

4.  Stir together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and half a teaspoon each salt and dill to start.  Taste, then add more of those, white pepper, and dried mint until you like the result.  I probably ended up with two teaspoons of dill in mine, but just enough mint to brighten it up.  Chill until ready to use.

5.  Serve salmon with a generous 1/4 C of tzatziki on the side or in a little cup.  It's really more of a condiment than a sauce.

Difficulty rating  :)

I Grew a Sunflower!

One of the volunteer sunflower seeds bloomed!  There are a few others scattered around.  Some of them might make it to flower.

There are many varieties of sunflowers.  Not all of them are the 8-foot high giant sunflowers that some people grow for the bragging rights.  Not all of them even produce edible seeds.  What was in the bird feed grew about two feet high, which is fine with me.

I do not plan to harvest seeds from the flower.  That would just be inviting more critters into the yard.  It was a fun experiment.

In other gardening news, I was finally able to plant my seedlings.  I got a new roof, and the amount of tar and dust out there was incredible.  I'm really hoping it didn't settle too badly into the soil of pots I couldn't move.

I broke out two new bowl pots I forgot I had because they were behind the gate I don't use.  One bowl is now sage and oregano, and the other is arugula and hybrid romaine.  Well, that's what seeds I put in them.  We'll see if anything actually grows.  I had to be careful to leave room in the garden for more seedlings.  One transplanted broccoli might die, but I have another inside still.  I put more arugula and romaine out in the front yard lettuce patch, where it can battle it out with the thyme.  Honestly,  I might just pull the thyme and dry it, which will fill the jar for a couple of years.

I also put in the garlic, partially to keep the eggplant company and ward off bugs.  There's no actual over-wintering of garlic here, but it's still going to take 6-8 months to grow.  I should know which cloves are viable within a month, giving me plenty of time to try again if some fail.  I only did seven, which doesn't seem like nearly enough.  The problem is they won't be harvested until June, so I can't put them anywhere I might want to plant something in April/May.  I'll have to wait for some of the other young plants to fill out a little.  That will give me some idea what kind of space I still have.

Black Bean Chili (Vegan, GF)

My tomatoes finally ripened...all at once.  Not really, but it sure felt like it.  I oven-dried some of them, made the sweet and sour sauce with others, and put fresh ones in a lot of salads.  They were quite juicy and fantastic.  This is the first time gardening that I understood the value of a pressure canner.  If I find one at a garage sale, maybe.  The last pile of tomatoes was staring at me, and I decided to put them in chili.

My poor black bean burgers.  This is the second month in a row I've put them on the meal plan, only to make something else that day.  Perhaps I should meal-prep and freeze them, like I did the meatballs.  Once there's a bit more room in the freezer.

Some of the seasoning amounts in this recipe may be off.  I had the worst non-Covid head cold I've had in years and couldn't taste a whole lot.  I was erring on the side of not enough, so you might prefer to increase amounts.  If I make it again when I'm well, I'll update the recipe.

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, or *1-1/2 lb fresh
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tb olive oil
1 C vegetable broth
*2 Tb tomato paste
*2 cloves garlic
*1/2 tsp fenugreek or 1 tsp sugar
*1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 Tb chili powder
Salt to taste
garnishes such as avocado, lime, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc

1.  Heat oil in a 2 qt saucepan over medium and cook onion until it softens, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and tomatoes.  If desired, pan-toast fenugreek and cumin seed before adding to the pot.  Add in chili powder, tomato paste, and a generous pinch of salt.  Bring to a low boil and cook on low.  If you're starting with fresh tomatoes, a really weird salsa is going to turn into a beautiful, chunky sauce in 20 minutes.

2.  Stir in beans.  Add broth for desired consistency.  For a thickened texture, mash or purée a cup of the chili, then stir it into the pot.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Bring back up to a simmer for 10 minutes, then portion into bowls with plenty of garnishes and a side of corn tortilla chips.  Yes, I had it with a bagel.  I was sick, from a cold I got at the dentist while having some work done.  Give me a break.

Difficulty rating  π

Thyme and Lemon Chicken

I used to braise chicken all the time when I was in college.  I was scared that I would under-cook it in the oven, but stovetop braises are faster and tend to cook more evenly.  I usually used those sauce packets, like Knorr, that you just add water or milk and simmer for half an hour.

Since getting the Crockpot, I've really started to appreciate braised meat.  This recipe is stovetop because the chicken didn't fit in the slow cooker.  Just means it cooked faster.

I picked thyme as the herb for this recipe because I managed to grow a lot of it.  Not in the herb pot I started almost a year ago, but some random seeds I put in the lettuce patch just to see what happened.  Lemon goes with most herbs.  You could try this with sage, tarragon, cilantro, parsley, or even basil.  If using dried instead of fresh, only use 1 tsp.  The flavor of dried herbs is concentrated.

2 skin-on chicken breasts (or 4 small)
white pepper & salt to taste
1 fresh or *preserved lemon
*1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
*1/2 onion, diced
2 Tb olive oil
water or chicken broth as needed
2 Tb cream (optional)

1.  If using preserved lemon, rinse and soak to reduce salt.  Set aside.

2.  Heat oil on medium in a lidded skillet or saucepan large enough to snugly fit the chicken.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add chicken to skillet skin-side down.  Lightly season underside with salt and white pepper.  Cook until skin is browned, about 8 minutes.  Flip chicken and brown bottoms, about 5 minutes.

4.  While the chicken is browning, prepare the lemon.  For preserved, drain, scrape away the pulp, and dice the skin.  For fresh, thinly slice.  Add to pan with the thyme.

5.  Add water or broth to pan halfway up the sides of the chicken.  Bring to a low boil.  Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 20 minutes.  Turn chicken over and cook until thermometer reaches 165º in the deepest part of the breast.  This will vary based on size, anywhere from 10-25 minutes.

6.  Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.  Turn up the heat and reduce the stock into a sauce.  This could take 20 minutes or more, depending how much water you used.  Once there is about 1 cup of liquid, add cream and remove from heat.  If you want a thick cream sauce, add 1 tsp flour before the cream and stir until it thickens.  The flour will bind with the oil to make it more gravy-like.

7.  If using thyme sprigs, remove the stems before serving.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)