LIGHT BRIOCHE BURGER BUNS

Posted in Breads by sallybr

This recipe came up in a google search for hamburger buns, together with a gazillion others, but its title – Possibly the Best Hamburger Bun Ever – made me stop searching, roll my sleeves up, and go to work. It was the perfect excuse to inaugurate my heavy-duty pan featured recently at “In My Kitchen“. Brioche, as everyone knows, is a very rich bread made with butter and eggs, but some versions – often called “Poor Man’s Brioche” – cut back a little on those ingredients for a slightly less decadent bread, but still quite buttery and luscious. Made into a bun shape, these will take any humble hamburger to a whole new level…

LIGHT BRIOCHE BURGER BUNS
(from Parsley, Sage, and Sweet, originally via Comme Ça restaurant)

Makes 8 4-inch to 5-inch buns

1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, divided (one will be used for glaze)
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds (optional)

In a measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. In the meantime, beat one egg.

In a large bowl, combine both flours with the salt. Add the butter to the flours and salt and rub into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter, making crumbs, like you would a pie dough. Stir in the yeast mixture and beaten egg until it forms a dough. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter or board. and knead, scooping the dough up, slapping and turning it, until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Alternatively you can use a Kitchen Aid type mixer, for 5 minutes in medium-low speed.

Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper or sharp knife, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 400 F. Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash, then brush on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds pressing them in gently to adhere. Bake, turning the sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: What a nice dough to play with! Smooth, soft, tender, and very responsive. To get that amazing rise from the first couple of photos it took less than 90 minutes, and only one hour was needed after shaping to stick it in the oven. As you can see, this bread is quite easy to prepare on the spur of the moment. I admit that sometimes it’s nice to resort to commercial yeast. I shaped two buns a little smaller, the baking pan from King Arthur accommodated both sizes without any problem.

The day I baked them we had pork burgers that turned out very tasty: ground pork, chorizo, green apples, a few spices. The detailed recipe will be in the Bewitching soon. Leftover rolls were frozen and absolutely perfect after sitting at room temperature for 15 minutes and spending 5-10 more minutes in our small Breville oven at 300 F.

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting event….

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Blues

TWO YEARS AGO: Headed to Hawaii

THREE YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

FOUR YEARS AGO: Hidden Treasure

FIVE YEARS AGO: Avocado Three Ways

5Aug2014

SPINACH AND CHICKPEA CURRY

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

This recipe was published in a recent issue of Fine Cooking magazine, and it called my attention because I absolutely love chickpeas. My dear Mom would have a shock if she read my blog. I would not touch chickpeas with a 10-foot pole when I was a child. Actually, I would not touch them until I was about 30 years old. Then, I fell in love with hummus without realizing what went into it. Once I became aware of the true nature of hummus, I decided that by crushing those strange-looking grains, and mixing them with a ton of other stuff, their evil nature was neutralized. From the tasty dip to trying the actual beans many years more passed. But now you have me here, enjoying chickpeas in every possible way, roasted, sautéed, braised… Go figure. This is a very nice way to prepare them, by the way. For a recipe that comes together so quickly (start to finish will be less than 20 minutes), the taste is surprisingly complex. The amount made was enough for our dinner and two lunches for me and me only. I did not even offer to share. It was better on day 2, and outstanding on day 3. Make this and you will thank me…

SPINACH AND CHICKPEA CURRY
(slightly modified from Fine Cooking magazine)

3 Tbs. canola oil
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt or to taste
7 oz. (7 packed cups) baby spinach (I used less)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (optional)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and cayenne, and cook, stirring often, until the shallot is softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and about 1 tsp. salt. Add the spinach by the handful, stirring to wilt it as you go. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the spinach is completely wilted and the flavors have melded, 4 to 5 minutes more. Season to taste with more salt, if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Serve with the yogurt on top, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I should have changed the name of this recipe to “Chickpea & Spinach Curry“, because mine definitely was chickpea-heavy. I used all the spinach I had leftover from a huge bag, but clearly more would have been better. Spinach: the ever-disappearing leaf… We enjoyed this tasty curry with my default chicken thigh recipe that has been on the blog since its beginning. It is one of Phil’s favorites, that and my Chicken Parmigiana. are on the top of his selected list of frequent requests. You know, partners of food bloggers suffer a strange fate: rarely a dish is made again, no matter how great. We are always in search of the next best thing.

Back to the curry, though. I can see it served over couscous for a completely vegetarian meal, satisfying and super delicious. On day 2, I had some chicken to go with it, but on day 3 the simple couscous was my whole lunch, with half an avocado to round-up the meal. Sort of India meets Mexico. The hot curry with the cool avocado was a surprisingly nice match.

ONE YEAR AGO: Sautéed Zucchini with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

TWO YEARS AGO: Orzo with Heirloom Tomato Relish

THREE YEARS AGO: Headed to Brazil!

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Rhubarb Brouhaha: Revelation Compote

FIVE YEARS AGO: Love me tender…

1Aug2014

IN MY KITCHEN: AUGUST 2014

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Once more I join the virtual party started by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, sharing with you what is going on in our kitchen these days.

In our kitchen… A special gift.

Sour cherries from a friend’s backyard. We went there, climbed on ladders, and came home with a nice load of freshly picked fruit. We will share a recipe for what we did with them soon. Local food at its best!

In our kitchen…

A cute ceramic cheese platter with little chalkboards to write the names of the cheeses being served… It was on sale at ideeli.com… On a side note, ideeli.com is a place that offers special 24-hour sales of all sorts of unique items, from clothing to shoes. I love their customer service, if something doesn’t fit right, returning items is absolutely hassle-free. Aren’t these shoes something? Ok, forgive me for stepping out of the kitchen…

Now, back to cooking….

A special pan to bake hamburger buns, sold by King Arthur Flour. I am not too wild about kitchen gadgets with limited purposes, but this thing is amazing. Very high quality, sturdy, makes the size of buns I like, not gigantic, with a nice shape. And, you can use it for many other items, like single quiche-type concoctions, pies.

In our kitchen…

Three items from the bargain bin at Bed Bath and Beyond… I’ve been flirting with this large scoop for a long time, but bravely resisted until they were on sale. I used to have a silicone whisk multi-colored, but it broke last year. It was nice to replace it, even if this red one is a tad too discreet for my taste. 😉

In our kitchen…

A special container for ice cream. It seems small, but it holds the exact amount of ice cream or sorbets we make in our Cuisinart. The shape is perfect to scoop out a ball of sweet frozen deliciousness such as this apricot-passion fruit sorbet made by my beloved husband. Available at amazon.com (the ice cream container, not the husband).

In our kitchen…

A box to store brown sugar. I love it! Finally a decent way to deal with brown sugar, keeping it loose, and making it easy to scoop out the amount you need.

In our kitchen….

I suppose coconut oil is a very trendy ingredient, as I see it in recipes everywhere. I decided to get a bottle and was surprised by how much I like it. Very delicate flavor.

In our kitchen….

The morning sun shinning through the window, surprised me with a very nice effect on a bottle of paprika left on the counter top. It was a wonderful sight to start the day…

In our kitchen….

Snacks, a winner and a loser. The winner? Crunchy Coated Black Edamame. Hard to stop nibbling on those, they are spicy, salty, we love this stuff! The loser? Hummus crisps. The concept seemed brilliant. Eating those feels like punishment. No one deserves it. Sawdust compressed into rounds would likely taste better.

In our kitchen…

A new take on breading for pork or chicken cutlets… too simple to actually compose a blog about it, I added to the food processor a little panko, a little Parmigiano cheese, and… ready for this? Fresh spinach! Used that to coat pork chops. The inspiration came from Giada de Laurentiis, she used it to make baked chicken nuggets for a kids’ friendly meal. I love the way this turned out, and intend to use it often. Plus, it’s a great way to deal with a little spinach leftover in the bag. Just a handful is all you need.

As usual, I close this IMK series with a message from our faithful furry friends…

Chief thinks Mom’s cooking is the best in the world! Nothing like a little leftover couscous to spice up a bowl of dog food, and start my day right.

Although it does make me a little sleepy….

As the weather warms up, Buck is the only one of our four-legged friends who can keep up with our running and long walks. That dog is resilient, to say the least. In one of these walks, we reached a farm where Buck made a new friend. A big friend, curious, and surprisingly gentle.

Oscar is not interested in long walks or getting up close and personal with bovine creatures. He thinks a much better activity is snoozing close to Mom while she exercises, then jump up at the end to give her a hug. Still a little groggy, but happy to comply.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I wonder how many words a video is worth? I’ve got two to share with you today. If you want to see how excited Buck gets by the perspective of going for a walk, click here.

And, you can also see him showing off his abilities as he learns a new trick. (You may have to increase the volume a little for this one). Not bad for a rescued dog who was abused for 5 long years, don’t you think?

Well, friends… it’s time to say goodbye.
It’s been so hot outside, what we really love the most is just chillin’ out with mom.
See you next time!

If you want to see kitchens from other food bloggers, or add your own post to this great virtual party, visit Celia’s site by clicking here.

ONE YEAR AGO: Jerusalem: Pasta with Yogurt, Peas, and Chile

TWO YEARS AGO: Edamame Hummus in Cucumber Bites

THREE YEARS AGO: Headed to Brazil!

FOUR YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

FIVE YEARS AGO: Golly Moses: She’s a Muffin!

30Jul2014

STRAWBERRY COFFEE CAKE

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

This is a lovely cake, not too sweet, not too rich. The strawberries more or less melt into the batter, the pecan topping makes the cake more complex, with a nice contrast of textures.

STRAWBERRY COFFEE CAKE
(recipe from food.com)

for the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

for the topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir to mix.

In a second bowl, add the egg, milk and butter; stir to mix; add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Place strawberries evenly over the top of batter.

To make the topping: Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until consistency of coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans.

Sprinkle mixture evenly over the strawberries.

Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This recipe comes from Meryl, a long time contributor of the cooking forum Eat.at, who recently passed away. Several members of the forum are celebrating her life by cooking her favorite recipes. I chose this cake to do so.

“A balanced diet is equal parts of milk and dark chocolate.”
(Meryl’s signature line)

(comments are shutdown for this post)

27Jul2014

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: MINI-CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BITES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

August is already knocking at the door, this year is flying by. But before a new month starts, there’s always the excitement of the last Monday of the month, with Reveal Day of The Secret Recipe Club. For those who are new to this concept, bloggers are paired in secret, have a few weeks to stalk their assigned site, and everyone in the club blogs about their recipe on the exact same day and time. Nothing cooler than that, you must admit… This month I was paired with Colie’s Kitchen. Nicole, who hosts the site, is “a full-time college student, with a full-time life of organized chaos.” Ha! I can totally relate… She is married and a “bonus mom”, what a great expression, much better than step mom, I guess I can relate to that too. I had quite a few options selected as possibilities for my assignment, like her Lasagna Rolls, her Parmesan Meatloaf Muffins (great idea!), her Oh My God Macaroon Pie, and her Cauliflower Cheddar Fritters. But, as is often the case with The Secret Recipe, I took the sweet path, and ended up with these super cute single bite (ok, a couple of bites) desserts…

MINI CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BITES
(from Colie’s Kitchen)

3 Packages of Neufchatel, softened
1 + 1/4 cups sugar
1 (8 ounce) container of dairy sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
28 Oreo cookies halves, removing the cream center
28 cupcake tins/liners

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until fully mixed.

Beat in cocoa and flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until well blended.

Remove Oreo filling with a butter knife and add one half of a Oreo to each cupcake tin. Fill each tin with one large spoon full of cheesecake filling until you have filled all 28 then go back and top off each tin with any extra filling.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Store covered in refrigerator or in the freezer.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I cannot tell you how much fun I had making this recipe! The toughest part was discarding the filling of the Oreo cookies. Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and behave like my former self of decades ago: shamelessly open the Oreos, scrape them clean, and try to sneak the cookie halves to the trash can without my Mom realizing. That never had a happy ending. At most, I could get by with a couple of cookies, then pay a price for my behavior. Waste not. Ever. Do you know how many kids in the world went to bed hungry last night? Apparently, I did not. (sigh)

The idea of using Oreos as a base for these cheesecake bites is a strike of genius! Perfect size for cupcake liners. Because the recipe made so many and I only have one muffin baking pan, I got the disposable aluminum pans at the grocery store, and was quite pleased by how well they worked. No difference in quality of baking, although in the name of full disclosure, I confess that I dropped one of the disposable pans while taking them out of the oven. Huge big mess, coupled with language even more colorful than the cupcake liners. I am glad there are no hidden cameras in our home…

If you follow my blog, you know that I never add the caloric content of any of my recipes for the simple reason that I don’t pay attention to it. But, since Nicole provided that info, I will share it with you: one of these babies has only 134 calories, which, as far as dessert is concerned, sounds pretty moderate to me. Keep in mind this interesting linear fit, though. It can be cruel to your waistline.

Nicole, thanks for such a cute recipe that was very appreciated by our colleagues at the department… I hope you had as much fun as I did with my assignment this month.

As usual, if any of my readers would like to see all assignments for my group, click on the blue amphibian at the end of this post, and enjoy the ride through the blogosphere…

ONE YEAR AGO: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Grated Tomato Sauce

TWO YEARS AGO: A Taste of Yellow to Honor Barbara

THREE YEARS AGO: Gratin of Beefsteak Tomatoes

FOUR YEARS AGO: Tour de France Final Stage: PARIS

FIVE YEARS AGO: Snickerdoodles with a Twist