SAVORY CREPES FOR A LIGHT DINNER

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Pizzas & Small Dishes by sallybr

When I lived in Paris, I had crepes often. Once back in the US I made them at home every once in a while. However, I am the first to admit, not often enough. It is such a simple meal to put together, and yes, it can be light if you don’t go overboard on cream sauces and cheese. Our version is quite austere, so feel free to change it to your liking.

SAVORY CREPES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour

fillings:
sauteed mushrooms
ham
cheese
tomatoes

To a blender, add all ingredients for the crepes except the flour. Blend for a couple of minutes, then add the flour and blend again until smooth. Place it in the fridge for 2 hours if you have the chance.

Pour 1/3 cup batter on a non-stick crepe pan (or small skillet), and cook on both sides. I like to brush a little oil before the first crepe, and work carefully with the flame to cook them to a light brown without browning too much. Place the crepes over a plate separated by parchment paper until time to assemble them. They can sit in the fridge for hours or even overnight.

Place a crepe on a surface, add your fillings to half the area, fold the other half over, then fold again to form a sort of triangle. Bake in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: With this meal, we’ve decided that crepes will be part of our regular rotation. The batter can actually sit in the fridge for a day or so, making it even simpler to get them going. The possibilities for fillings are endless, as you can imagine. Salmon with cream cheese and dill, sautéed shrimp, chicken breast in a cream sauce. We will quite likely stick with our versions, and serve a little something on the side. Like this delicious zucchini-sesame soup…

And of course, the icing on the cake…. my lunch next day!!!!

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7Apr2024

KALYN’S SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Pizzas & Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I’ve been following food bloggers for a very long time. Many stopped blogging, but a few of my favorites still hang on over many years. Kalyn is one blogger who passed the 15-year mark (a milestone I am going to hit in a few weeks…). For the most part she focuses on low-carb recipes and everything I cooked from her blog has been delicious. No lack of flavor, no odd textures. Back in 2022 she shared a recipe for zucchini muffins and I finally made them. They delivered all that she promised. No matter your take on amount of carbs, these are great. The almond flour makes them moist and quite tender. I made a few minor changes from her published version.

FLOURLESS SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
(from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

1 small zucchini
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
8 eggs, well beaten
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 T baking powder

Heat oven to 375F.

Cut stem and blossom end off zucchini, then cut in fourths lengthwise. Then on each piece, trim off and discard part of the white center part of zucchini, so you have zucchini strips with skin and about 1/4 inch of white. Cut those pieces into thinner strips, then dice to make small cubes around 1/4 inch square. You will have about 1 + 1/2 cups diced zucchini. Heat olive oil in non-stick frying pan and cook zucchini seasoned with the Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper until it’s softening and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes.

Put cottage cheese in a fine strainer placed in the sink and rinse with cold water, then let it drain well.
Beat the eggs until yolks and whites are well-combined.

In a bowl combine the cooked zucchini, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and beaten eggs.
In a smaller bowl mix almond flour, flax seed meal and baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, adding only part at a time and stirring each time until the mixture is combined. Fill muffin cups, dividing the mixture evenly among 9 muffins cups. Bake about 27 minutes, or until muffins are firm and slightly browned.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I omitted feta cheese because I did not have any. I made bigger muffins and instead of twelve I ended up with nine. These jumbo silicone liners are absolutely great! If you don’t have a jumbo muffin pan, they will still stand upright on a regular baking sheet. You can find a link to get them in Kalyn’s blog, I’ve had mine for a while. Love the colors also, as you might imagine…

They would be pretty nice with chunks of feta in the crumb, so consider adding that. The crumb is very delicate and they are perfect for a light lunch. The muffins freeze well, you can microwave them for 1 minute, and enjoy good as fresh.

Kalyn, thank you for yet another great low-carb recipe!

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25Aug2022

BANANA BREAD FROM THE EXPERTS

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Cake by sallybr

This is a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, the folks who test every single variable in a recipe multiple times until they come up with perfection. With the best. Or, as they called this one, The Ultimate Banana Bread. They’ve been known to go after food bloggers who either share their recipes without permission, or tweak their versions. I find the tweaking part a bit funny. Taste is so subjective that adjusting any recipe to suit the palate is what any cook should be doing…

THE ULTIMATE BANANA BREAD

The recipe is available online, so you can get it with a jump here. I actually did not see that review until after making the recipe, but I read it smiling all the way through… It turns out that I removed all the fuss and no major harm was done.

As the folks at thekitchn mentioned, the addition of turbinado sugar on top is brilliant. I actually added it in two installments, first right before placing in the oven…

And the second time another sprinkle just over the bananas when the bread had been baking for 40 minutes. I baked for a total of 55 minutes, in a 9 x 5 inch pan. The other tweaking I did was using frozen bananas without worrying about draining excess liquid. I also measured the amount of mashed bananas that went into the bread, as the fruit varies so much in size: 600g of banana pulp. One single fresh banana was used for the slices on top. Doing that, the recipe is really super simple, two bowls, one for dry ingredients, one for wet. Done.

Keep in mind that going at the sugary crust to peel it off and eat it is considered a faux-pas. Stealing extra slices of banana and running away? Equally distasteful. What you should do is make this recipe, available online in the link I provided or in this cookbook. Tweaking is optional. Your kitchen, your rules!

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29May2022

KAREN’S BRAIDED LEMON BREAD WITH BLACKBERRIES

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

She posted. I read the post while away on a trip. Could not wait to get home to bake it. As far as enriched bread goes, you cannot get much better than this. Think brioche loaded with a tangy lemon cream and luscious blackberries. As I said, cannot get much better. THANK YOU, KAREN!

BRAIDED LEMON BREAD WITH BLACKBERRIES
(from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

For the Sponge:
3 ounces warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
30 grams unbleached all purpose flour

For the Final Dough:
All of the sponge
85 grams vanilla yogurt, room temperature (I used plain and added 1/2 tsp vanilla)
56 grams softened unsalted butter
1 large egg, beaten
50 grams sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
300 grams unbleached all purpose flour
one beaten egg for the egg wash
pearl sugar for topping (optional, but nice)

For the Filling:
85 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
25 gram sugar
29 grams sour cream (I used creme fraiche)
1 tsp lemon juice
15 grams all-purpose flour
100 grams lemon curd
Handful of blackberries

Combine the sponge ingredients in a small bowl, stir, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
In your stand mixer bowl, combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, egg, sugar, salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix with the dough hook for about 8 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled dough rising bucket or bowl, cover, and allow to rise for one to two hours, until doubled (mine took 2 hours and 30 minutes).

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and flour until smooth. Cover and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the risen dough not the parchment, and press or roll it into a 10 inch by 15 inch rectangle. Mark the dough lengthwise into thirds by pressing a ruler into the dough. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the middle third, leaving about an inch uncovered at the top and the bottom. Spread the lemon curd on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with the blackberries.

Cut the outer sides into strips. Cut off the strips from the four “corners” of the dough, leaving a flap at the top and bottom. Fold up the bottom flap and fold the strips over the filling alternating in a braid pattern. Fold the flap over the top before finishing the braid. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.

Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes. When the dough is ready, brush it with the egg wash and sprinkle it with the sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a deep golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Make sure to stop by Karen’s post because her pictures and explanations are very detailed and will help you with the shaping. The dough is a pleasure to work with, as enriched doughs always seem to be. You can make the filling while the dough rises, and use store-bought lemon curd to make your life easier. Next time I will add more blackberries, I was afraid they would contribute too much moisture and leak too much, but that was not the case.

This basic method can be used for savory breads, or use different sweet fillings. Karen has a lot of suggestions in her article, so pay her a visit.

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9Jun2020

GIBASSIER

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

Those who follow my blog might be aware that I am a huge fan of Helen Fletcher. When she praises a recipe, I just know it will be awesome. Still, this one surpassed all my expectations. Gibassier is a little brioche-like delicacy from Provence, a place that enchanted me when I visited many years ago, right during lavender harvesting season. I will never forget the fields and the intense but delicate lavender aroma present everywhere. Helen’s recipe is a breeze to make using the food processor, but she also gives detailed instructions to make it in a regular mixer.

GIBASSIER
(from Pastries Like a Pro)

Preferment (Biga):
140 g bread flour
1/2 cup warm milk (about 105°F)
Large pinch of instant yeast

Stir together in a small bowl. Knead several times to make a smooth ball. Let sit at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Gibassier Dough:
385 grams bread flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold (85 grams)
100 grams granulated sugar or 3 1/2 ounces)
2 + 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
Orange zest from l medium navel orange
All of preferment from above
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water, divided
1/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia (optional)
2/3 cup candied orange rind

Place the flour in the processor and pulse several times. Cut the cold butter into pieces and arrange in a circle over the flour. Process until the butter is no longer distinguishable.

Add the sugar, yeast, salt, zest, and Fiori di Sicilia. Pulse to incorporate. Tear the preferment into pieces and add it processor. Process to fully incorporate.

Combine the eggs, olive oil, and half of the water. Pour over the dry ingredients and process to mix completely. Scrape down and rearrange the dough if necessary. The dough should be very soft. Add water a teaspoon at a time if necessary (I did not use additional water). Add the candied orange rind. Pulse briefly to mix. Do not over mix or the rind will be too small.

Let the dough proof at room temperature for 2 hours, then deflate the dough and transfer to the fridge overnight

Shape the Gibassier. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Turn the dough out. Weigh your dough and do the math to find out how many grams you should use to form each little dough. You should have enough for 14 gibassiers. In my case, I used 80 grams per little ball. Shape all the balls, cover, and refrigerate to make it easier to cut them. Take two or three out at a time so they don’t soften too much. Take a ball and stretch it out with your fingers to make a rough torpedo shape. Turn it so the best side is up. With the heel of your hand press the top of the dough upward from the middle. Again from the middle of the dough, with the heel of your hand press the dough downward to form a lemon shape. Flatten the ends to match the center. It shoud be abut 2 1/2 ” high.

With a single edge razor blade, make a cut in the middle of the dough.Then one to the left. One to the right. Along the right side of the top of the dough cut in toward the center about 3/4” to 1”. Again on the other side. Last cut in the same amount on the right side. And on the left. As you pick it up to put it on the sheet pan, stretch it out to enlarge the holes. Place 7 on a tray.

Cover them and allow them to rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until puffy.

Heat the oven to 350F. While the oven is heating brush 2 or 3 of the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle heavily with sanding sugar or pearl sugar. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rung for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown and baked through.

Serve warm or room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you’d like to make Gibassier, I urge you to stop by Helen’s site because her step-by-step photos are perfect to understand what needs to be done. Explaining just with words is a bit tricky. If you make it in the food processor, it will be easy to make just half the recipe, as the processor will handle it without issues. Everything comes together super quickly, and I like the fact that I could use butter straight from the fridge.

Some people suggest using an old credit card to do the cuts on the dough, but Helen’s idea of getting those single edged razor blades is truly spot on. I advise you to allow the final proofing to reach the 2.5 hour mark or even a little big longer as enriched doughs tend to be a bit sluggish. The puffier they get at that stage, the lighter the rolls will be. I had to cut my final proofing a bit short for half of them, and the second batch was better.

This is the type of pastry that will transport you straight to a cafe in France, sitting outside, people-watching, as you sip a little hot chocolate, coffee, or whatever suits your mood…