This one definitely goes into the Hall of Fame of our salads, we loved everything about it, from texture to the mixture of flavors, all working together like a perfect symphony… I adapted it from a version in this brand new cookbook, which I highly recommend if you like to expand the horizons on your enjoyment of all things salad.
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed 1 lemon 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons Calamansi vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar) 1 small head broccoli 1 green, tart apple 1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped feta cheese crumbled, amount to taste salt and black pepper
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat and season with salt. Add the quinoa, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve, rinse with cool water and drain well. While the quinoa cooks, finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large bowl, then cut the lemon in half. Add the oil, mustard, honey and vinegar, plus the juice of ½ lemon and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finely chop the entire head of broccoli and add to the dressing. Chop the apple and then add to the bowl. Keep them in the fridge or room temperature for 10 minutes. Add the cooked quinoa, feta cheese, nuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. A final squirt of lemon juice is always nice…
. Comments: I don’t mind raw broccoli (although I despise a platter of crudités with intense passion), but I do not love it. Normally I would not even try this recipe but the author included a review from a person who made it and I was too tempted. Glad I made it, I am now a lover of raw broccoli, as long as it’s cut super small and allowed to sit in the acidic dressing for a little while. The addition of quinoa makes it hearty and pretty much a full meal if you want to go vegetarian. We had it with grilled chicken thighs, and my lunch next day was a bowl of this salad, warmed briefly in the microwave. Not a salad anymore, I suppose, but still wonderful… I do hope you try this recipe and also take a look at the cookbook.
I’ve been flirting with making this bread for a while, finally took a deep breath and did it! It was a lot easier than I anticipated. The idea and basic formula came from a super creative baker I follow on Instagram, and you can marvel at all her stuff clicking here.
EAR OF CORN SOURDOUGH BREAD (slightly modified from crumbofherown)
for main dough: 265g bread flour 170g water 65g active starter (mine was at 60% hydration) 6g salt 2 tiny drops yellow food coloring
for green dough (you will use only half of it for the husk) 160g flour 85g water 30g starter 3g salt two tiny drops of green food coloring
Start by making the main dough, adding first the water to the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer, and diluting the yellow color in it. Add all other ingredients, mix with the dough hook for about 4 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and ferment at room temperature folding 4 times at 45 minute intervals.
Make the green dough, exactly the same way. It will be lower in hydration, so it won’t be as smooth as the other dough. Place in a small, oiled bowl, and ferment at room temperature. Do minimal kneading every time you fold the yellow dough.
After about 8 hours of mixing the dough, form the yellow dough as a batard, and place in a banneton. Leave the green dough in the bowl and place both components in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, the yellow dough out was gently shaped/pushed each batard into more of a corn-cob shape without completely reshaping the dough. I scored lengthwise first, then added horizontal scores across the entire loaf to create the individual kernels.
For the husks, I rolled the green dough out into a rectangle and cut out triangles. I placed the triangles over the yellow cob, folded the tips down, and added a small piece of green dough at the base for the stem.
I baked these individually at 450°F with the lid on for 23 minutes, then 425°F with the lid off for 8 minutes. If the green dough gets too much brown color, protect it with aluminum foil.
Comments: I have used food coloring in bread dough before, but had not added to the water before mixing. That makes all the difference in the world! Mixing the color once the dough is formed can be very tricky, and time consuming. Adding to the water makes it incorporate in the dough like a dream… The green dough will resist rolling at first, just allow it to rest a bit so the gluten relaxes, and continue trying. I did not want to make a very small amount of dough, so I used the full recipe. With the leftover dough I made a tiny little boule, scored it and baked after the big bread was out of the oven.
So there they are, my two babies, ready to be enjoyed! I am definitely going to play with this concept, it was quite straightforward to make, although I was a bit scared to try it at first.
I hope you visit @crumbofherown site on IG, it is quite amazing everything she does with sourdough in terms of shaping and adding colors. I want to try many different versions… So many breads, so little time!
Sorry, could not resist the pun… These are chocolate cupcakes, and they are the most fun and adorable project you can definitely do with kids. They will love the process and later consuming all the owlsome calories. Ok, I’ll stop now.
OWLSOME CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES (from The Bewitching Kitchen)
makes 10
for the cupcakes: 50g butter, room temperature 110g all-purpose flour 25g cocoa powder (Dutch-processed) 150g sugar 1 large egg at room temperature 130ml milk at room temperature 1/2 tsp salt 1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
for buttercream: 120g butter, softened 240g powdered sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder heavy cream to thin consistency, if needed
to decorate: Oreo cookies, gently open so that the filling stays nicely on one side brown and orange M&Ms
Make the cupcakes. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. I like to sprinkle rice at the bottom of the muffin space before adding the liners on top.
Whisk the egg and milk in a measuring cup with a fork. Reserve.
Put the flour, baking powder, sat, cocoa powder, butter and sugar into the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.Mix on medium speed until the butter forms a sand-like consistency, in very small pieces.
Pour half the mix/egg mixture into the bowl and mix on low speed until incorporated, the increase the speed to high for a minute. Add the remaining milk, and again mix on low, then increase speed to high. Add to the cupcake liners until half full, not more than that,
Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
Make the buttercream by whisking the butter for about 7 minutes on high speed. Add the powdered sugar in three portions, whisking low at first, then increasing speed. At the last addition, incorporate also the cocoa powder. Whisk on high for a couple of minutes, thin wth heavy cream if needed.
To decorate, spread a layer of buttercream on top of the cupcakes. To the open Oreos add brown M&M to form the eyes, press gently but firmly to attach to the white filing. It is easier to do that before you add the Oreo to the cupcake. Place the Oreos as eyes, then use Oreos without filling cut in half for the eyebrows. Add the orange M&M for the beak.
Comments: I cannot take credit for the idea, I saw it somewhere on Pinterest and made a version, as it seemed pretty straightforward. The only thing is, you will need a lot more Oreos than you think, because yes, “there will be breaks”. Also, sometimes when you separate them the filling does not stay nicely on one side. If you try to move it around and fix things, it just won’t work very well. So, be gentle, twist slowly as you open them. Also, when you cut them in half for the eyebrows, it is easy to crumble one of the halves. Anyway, no big deal but make sure you have enough to start with.
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Not sure how many people will get this quote, but I’ll take the risk…
Today I have a very special blog post for you. I am very excited to share a short review of the first cookbook by Martin Sorge. Martin won The Great American Baking Show back in 2023 and just published an amazing cookbook that reflects very well his style of baking: attention to detail, focus on things that truly matter to make a recipe shine, and creativity to come up with clever twists in classics. Normally, I would include a recipe but to do so I would have to ask permission from Martin himself and/or the publisher. I wanted this post to be a surprise for Martin so I did not contact him. I will just share photos of the recipes I’ve tried so far, and direct you to his book. If you love to bake, Great Bakes is a total must-have!
Great Bakes: Modern Classic Recipes from the Midwest, by Martin Sorge. To order, click here.
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I will start with perhaps my favorite…
LEMON-GINGER SANDWICH COOKIES
This recipe has quite a few clever twists to prevent common issues with sandwich cookies. The filling is pure genius, using clarified butter to reduce the water content, so that it firms up and holds nicely when you bite into the cookie. The cookie dough contains fresh and powdered ginger, the filling a touch of turmeric. You absolutely need to make this… The texture, the taste, the sharpness of the filling, it is perfection in cookie shape!
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BLACK FOREST BROWNIES
Fudgy, intense, sweet but with the bursts of sharpness of sour cherries, this recipe is brilliant and very “uncomplicated”. Martin streamlines things whenever possible, it is part of what makes his book so cool and his flawless baking approachable.
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
One of my favorite sections of the book, I made his basic version (although I did add some bells and whistles with the chocolate drizzle and bling), but Martin offers several variations, including one that is calling my name, Toasted Sesame. I even invested in a new pan for this bake… A 9-inch square pan with removable bottom. Because, why resist, right? Click here for the one I got.
ULTRA-OATY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
This was an OMG type of chocolate chip cookie, and got two thumbs up by the resident critic, who is very picky about cookies with oats and chocolate chips. They MUST contain nuts, and Martin did not disappoint him… In case you are wondering, no raisins were invited to this party.
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And now, time for a little walk through his book…
The book is divided in chapters that are quite unusual and fun in their terminology. First comes…
DUMP IT IN A PAN… The chapter opens with a quote from Dolly Parton; There’s no bad way to eat a biscuit. Considering her recent passing, this is a sweet reminder of who she was and how she’s lived her life. This chapter shares recipes for crisps cobbler, cornbread brownies and biscuits. I will have to pick my favorite recipe from this chapter to be his brownies since it was the first recipe I tried from his book. He offers a few variations for this classic but the Black Forest was outstanding. I would love to try the coconut caramel brownies, as well as his strawberry and tarragon shortcake, and his Midwest cornbread, which I am sure will be spectacular.
BALLS OF JOY… That is how Martin classifies cookies, isn’t it adorable? Opening quote by Cookie Monster, you will have to get the book to see which one he chose. Chapter opens with Shortbread, and Martin has very clear ideas about what makes it perfect. Love the variations, and adored his basic version. Crumbly, just the right amount of sweetness. He went on with Spritz cookies, which I definitely intend to try, particularly his Eggnog version. But I am set to trying his Strawberry Magic Macarons, just looking at the picture makes me dream.
STUFF IN CRUST… Opening quote by Carl Sagan, one of my heroes. I had not seen that one, and it gave me a huge smile. I do think Martin excels at pastry, the chapter is a basic, thorough lesson on pie crusts, including many versions of pies that you probably never imagined making. Oe example Apple, Quince and Vanilla Bean Pie. The lattice work on that one is to die for. Apple Strudel is in there and looks fabulous too. I am looking forward to making his Corn, Tomato and Red Pepper Galette, and Sausage Rolls.
NEED TO KNEAD… Opening quote by James Beard. Martin knows how to pick the quotes, I tell you. This is an outstanding chapter, Martin did his homework and each recipe sounds like a winner. I have not made a recipe from his book yet, but a whole wheat loaf from his blog is a favorite in our home. You can check that recipe here. From the book, pretty much everything in this chapter appeals to me: Big Crusty Loaf, Three-Seed No-Knead Bread,Whole Wheat Toast Bread, Honey Emmer Dinner Rolls, just to name a few. But perhaps my favorite section in this chapter is “Breads that Speak German”. He had a chance to practice bread baking in Germany, and shares his expertise with us. Swabian Soft Pretzels, Bungalowbrot, Vollkornbrot (aka Real Rye Bread), Stollen. A wonderful collection indeed.
NICE CAKES… Martin confesses that cake was his nemesis for many years, and since I was a certified cake-o-phobe, I had to smile. Martin is partial to chocolate ganache or whipped cream to decorate cakes, although he shares a Chocolate Cake with Peanut Buttercream that seems amazing. I am absolutely mesmerized by Nirali’s Masala Chai Chocoflan, Nirali was a contestant in the same season of the Bake Off, and they live in the same city, so they kept swapping ideas and baking together. This gorgeous cake is a result of this sweet collaboration.
BEYOND CATEGORIZATION… Opening quote: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Indeed it is! In this chapter you will find things such as Chocolate Malt Pudding, Lemon Curd (with variations), Pavlova, Choux Pastry and incredibly cool Sweet Corn Cream Puffs.
NEEDLESSLY COMPLICATED… This is a nod to the showstopper component of the Bake Off. Martin starts giving tips on how to tackle a real intimidating, complex baking project. Having won the competition in that tent, he knows what he’s talking about. The chapter opens with S’mores Croquembouche, moves to Bagel and Lox Paris Brest, but I am also super intrigued by his Piña Colada Princess Cake.
I hope you enjoyed this little review, I close this post congratulating Martin not only for the amazing performance in the tent, but for the beautiful job he did composing and publishing this book!
Chicken Piccata is a classic, no doubt. I often use pork cutlets or tenderloin in recipes that call for chicken, because to me both cuts behave similarly. We loved the way this turned out, and yes, one more dish that is requested to be in rotation. In fact, it’s already been repeated once. Delicious!
PORK TENDERLOIN, PICCATA-STYLE (from The Bewitching Kitchen, adapted from several sources)
1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, cut in 1/4 inch slices and gently pounded 1/2 cup flour for coating meat salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons grape seed oil 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) 1 tsp flour 1 cup chicken broth ½ cup dry white wine zest and juice of one large lemon 1 tablespoon butter, cold
Season the pork slices with salt and pepper. Add flour to a shallow dish or tray, lightly dredge one side of the meat with the flour.
Heat grape seed oil on a skillet that can hold all the meat in a single layer. Alternatively, be prepared to work in batches. When the oil is hot, place the slices of meat, coated side down, and cook until golden. Flip the pork slices and cook until no longer pink inside, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked meat to a platter, tent with foil as you prepare the sauce.
If there is not enough oil, add a bit more to the pan. Add capers and garlic (if using), cook until fragrant. Stir the teaspoon of flour until cooked through, then slowly add broth, wine and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes, add the meat back to the pan, lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover the pan and cook everything together for about 5 more minutes. Remove the meat to a serving dish, add lemon juice and butter to the sauce, swirl until everything is well incorporated. Spoon the sauce over the meat, and serve.
Comments: I love using my little Le Creuset pan for this type of recipe, it cooks a nice amount of meat for the two of us, with leftovers, which you know I adore. Speaking of it, pork tenderloin behaves even better than chicken breast as far as leftovers are concerned. This would go well with so many side dishes: pasta, polenta, rice. We enjoyed it with some steamed rice and broccoli on that particular evening. On the second time I made it, we had it over pasta, simply dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.
