CARROT AND SESAME SANDWICH LOAF

Posted in Breads by sallybr

From the one and only Dan Lepard, a loaf to satisfy your cravings for a hearty sandwich bread, with the slightly nutty flavor of sesame seeds and a very subtle sweetness from grated carrots in the crumb. Very easy to make, very easy to love… You can find the full recipe on The Guardian site, by clicking here.

Here’s a little virtual tour of the process, starting with a quick preparation of your loaf pan. You might be surprised to learn that I am a complete disaster when it comes to using scissors. I cannot make a straight cut to save my life. So I was proud of my job here, although truth be told, it took me almost 15 minutes to do this.

You weigh your ingredients, and make a nice, smooth round of dough…

Thanks to the use of Rapid Rise Yeast (which is unusual for me, I normally go for the regular kind), you will end up with a shaped loaf that will threaten to escape its container, so make sure not to leave the house to run a few errands as the dough rises… 😉

The carrots are very evident in the dough, but they get baked into the crumb in a wonderful way. They won’t disappear, but you won’t feel any harsh bits of carrots as you bite into the bread. A very soft crumb, with a nice crunchy top given by the sesame seeds. Make sure to follow Dan’s tip on adding them: wet the surface of the slashed dough with a little water so that the seeds can stick better. He used black sesame seeds, for quite a dramatic look. I could swear I had black sesame seeds somewhere, but I could not find them, so I used regular, white seeds.

And I share with you a favorite lunch option: an open-faced sandwich made with this bread, slightly toasted, some smoked ham, and cottage cheese with enough salt and black pepper to make it all shine… Perfection, if you ask me!

I am submitting this post to Susan’s Yeastspotting…

ONE YEAR AGO: Border Grill Margaritas

TWO YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.

THREE YEARS AGO: Vermont Sourdough

5May2013

QUINOA WITH CIDER-GLAZED CARROTS

Posted in Rice and Grains, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

A note to subscribers: Google Reader will shutdown on July 1st, 2013. If you have a subscription to this blog through Google Reader, please sign up for email notifications, or switch to another reader. I recommend Feedly or Bloglovin. They will automatically retrieve all your Google reader subscriptions.

I’ ve had plenty of versions of quinoa in the past, but this one takes the number one spot. The carrots added a sweet-sour note, the thinly sliced almonds a delicious crunch, and the quinoa married them together with its light and refreshing nature. Cannot praise this dish enough. I was inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit, and decided to come up with a version to be served hot instead of cold, but with similar flavors. If you are searching for a recipe to please vegetarians or a perfect side dish for pork, poultry, perhaps a thick slab of grilled salmon, look no further. This is perfect!

QUINOA WITH CIDER-GLAZED CARROTS AND ALMONDS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by Bon Appetit)

1 cup quinoa, very well rinsed and drained
salt
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
2 Tbsp apple cider
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 450°. Bring quinoa and 4 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa mixture to saucepan, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl; let cool.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with oil (or cover it with parchment paper). Whisk cider and honey in a large bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Add carrots and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the almonds and cook over low heat until fragrant. Set aside, keeping it warm.

Whisk vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Add carrots and almonds to quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Drizzle the vinegar & lemon mixture and mix well tp combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you are new to cooking the seeds of Chenopodium quinoa, please remember to rinse them extensively. The seeds have a natural coating of saponins that taste very bitter. Processing the seeds for sale includes pre-washing, but you will notice that the water still foams slightly once you soak the seeds. A couple of years ago, I read somewhere that quinoa goes rancid very easily, so the advice given was to store it for no more than 6 months (or freeze it). I tried to find a source for this information, but now I find plenty of sites stating that it lasts for several years in the pantry. Oh, well. I guess one can always open the bag and do a sniff test.

Cooked quinoa freezes very well, so you can prepare a full bag and portion it in the freezer for later. I actually cooked it on a Saturday and made this recipe for our dinner on Tuesday. Pork tenderloin kebabs completed the meal, but the truth is we both raved about the quinoa a lot more. Bonus: we got our intake of carrots all taken care of! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Celebrate Wednesday: Heirloom Tomatoes Steal the Show

TWO YEARS AGO: Pain de Provence

THREE YEARS AGO: Golspie Loaf, from the Scottish Highlands

23Apr2013

KINPIRA GOBO AND JAPANESE HOME COOKING

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Of all types of cuisine, Japanese is the one that intimidates me the most. Making sushi at home is out of the question for me, but even other types of Japanese cooking give me pause. In a recent trip to California, we met a wonderful couple who takes a different approach: they are both Americans, but mostly cook Japanese food at home and are really serious about it. Their bookshelves are loaded with cookbooks devoted to Oriental (and vegetarian) cooking, their pantry stocked with the most exotic ingredients. They mentioned a dish they love so much that it’s not uncommon to have it twice in the same week. It uses a strange-looking root called “gobo“, also known as “burdock“. They gave me the perfect spice mix to season this traditional Japanese dish (see my previous post) and wished me luck finding gobo in Manhattan, KS. I was very optimistic, though. It turns out “The Little Apple” is home to one of the most amazing food stores I’ve ever been to, called quite simply “Asian Market“. I could not wait to get there to search for the elusive root. Not only they had a ton of it, but the owner said it’s always in stock. Call me a happy camper. And call this dinner one of the healthiest meals I’ve ever put together. And very delicious too!

KINPIRA GOBO (Sautéed Burdock)
(adapted from Hiroko Urakami Japanese Family-Style Recipes)

1 medium gobo root
2 carrots
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 Tablespoon grape seed oil
2 Tablespoons mirin (or sake)
1 + 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 + 1/2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Nanami togarashi to taste

Set up a large bowl with cold water. Peel the carrots and cut in julienne strips. Peel the outer dark skin of the gobo root, and working quickly, cut it in julienne strips. Soak the gobo and the carrots in water for 10 to 20 minutes. Drain well, and dry the strips using a kitchen towel.

Heat the sesame and grape seed oil on a large skillet. Add the carrots and gobo root, and sautée them together for about 4 minutes, until they are tender. Add the mirin, sugar, and soy sauce, and cook over medium heat until all the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the sesame seeds and the nanami togarashi right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I have a bit of trivia about gobo for you: in the 40’s, a Swiss inventor called George de Mestral was walking his dog through some woods and noticed that the seeds of a particular plant glued to everything, from his clothes to his dog’s fur. He collected some seeds, and inspected them under the microscope. He was amazed by its hooks and loops, and thought that it could be the basis of a new material. From that observation, Velcro was born. The plant was burdock. Apart from its technological impact, gobo is considered by the Japanese as one of the healthiest types of food, that they claim to “purify the blood”. It contains a lot of minerals (including iron), it is high in fiber, low in calories, and has a very unique taste. The soaking in water is necessary to get rid of tannins that can give it a harsh taste.
I love to find a new ingredient to play with! Our kinpira gobo was served as a side dish for boneless chicken thighs on the grill (marinated with yogurt and a few spices), snow peas, and brown rice. It was the type of meal that makes you feel healthier with each bite. I hope you can find some gobo and give this recipe a try, it’s a keeper… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Walnut Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Thai Chicken Curry

THREE YEARS AGO: Zen and the art of risotto

2Apr2013

EVERYBODY LOVES CARROTS!

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

And to prove my point, a photo straight from one of my favorite websites, Dogshaming.com (published with permission)

Phil and I try to eat a varied diet. We don’t exclude fats or carbs, only moderate the intake of overly caloric stuff. Over the years we made some changes in our nutrition that we follow as strictly as possible. We do the seafood at least once a week, often more. We limit red meat to once a week. We save desserts for special occasions. Recently we decided to increase our consumption of carrots. Our goal is to have them as a side dish twice/week. Carrots are a fantastic source of beta-carotene, a compound that is metabolized into vitamin A and retinal in humans and other vertebrates. Retinal (vitamin A-aldehyde), is a key compound in the vision process. Interestingly, carotenes are poorly absorbed from raw carrots. For optimal absorption, the carrots should be cooked, and preferably consumed with a little oil, as carotenes are oil-soluble. I am sure the cute dog above compensates the poor absorption by maximizing uptake and grabbing each root available in the backyard… 😉 This recipe solves the problems for H.sapiens, as the carrots are roasted with a bit of olive oil. Plus, to pump the “good-for-you” index even further, they are mixed with pomegranates, themselves chock full of nutrients. Interestingly enough, did you know that both carrots and pomegranates originated in Afghanistan? That may be why they go so well together!

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES GLAZED CARROTS
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

8 carrots (any color), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Heat oven to 425°. Combine carrots and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading out in an even layer. Clean any excess oil left in the bowl and reserve it. Roast carrots, turning occasionally, until just tender, 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk honey and pomegranate molasses to blend in reserved bowl.

Transfer carrots to bowl with honey mixture; toss to coat well and spread out on baking sheet, scraping out any remaining glaze from bowl. Roast until glaze is reduced and sticky and beginning to brown in spots, 5-8 minutes longer.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I loved this recipe not only for its flavor, but also its simplicity. At first, I thought that the honey would make it overly sweet, because molasses sound sweet enough to start with. Not the case. The pomegranate component of the molasses wins the battle and the honey is needed to compensate its sharpness. Since the final roasting takes less than 10 minutes, you can pre-roast the carrots in advance, and finish the dish right before sitting down to eat. I am all for easy during weeknights.

Note to self: make a lot more carrots than you think you’ll need. Yeah, they are that good… 😉

Note to readers: if you are a dog lover and have not been introduced to Dogshaming.com, make sure to stop by. My day is not complete without a visit!

ONE YEAR AGO: Codruta’s Rolled Oat Sourdough Bread

TWO YEARS AGO: Roasted Corn and Tomato Risotto

THREE YEARS AGO: Light Rye Bread

13Apr2012

SPRINGTIME SPINACH RISOTTO

Posted in Rice and Grains by sallybr

Because there’s no such thing as too many risotto recipes, I share with you this version, made more special because I used spinach freshly harvested by our friends and neighbors (the ones with the green thumb). I took one small shortcut by using a frozen bag of peas and carrots. We always have those in the freezer because they are handy additions to rice, pasta, and soups. And I wanted a bit of orange color to add contrast to the dish.

SPRINGTIME SPINACH RISOTTO
(inspired by Martha Stewart‘s Everyday Food)

.
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
10 ounces of spinach, finely chopped
8 ounces frozen carrots and peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter

Combine chicken broth and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and keep at a low simmer (you may not need to use the full amount of liquid). In a medium saucepan, preferably wide and with round edges, heat the olive oil and add the minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper, cook until soft and translucent. Add the rice, and cook until it starts to get a little color, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly so the grains don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Add wine; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 2 big ladles of hot chicken broth, and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for liquid to be absorbed before adding more, stirring occasionally, until rice is just tender and creamy with a little liquid remaining in the pan, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach, peas, carrots, and finish with the butter. Adjust seasoning if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This risotto could be a meal in itself, but we enjoyed it with grilled boneless chicken breasts. We do like some meat with our dinner, even if risotto-purists disagree. I thought about making risotto cakes with the leftovers, but ran out of gas and simply re-warmed it in the microwave. Not a real risotto anymore, but still a pretty tasty side dish! 😉

I used frozen peas and carrots for this recipe, but would not use frozen spinach – you need the texture of the fresh leaves that get barely cooked in the final moments of the preparation. A squeeze of lemon juice, and a dusting with lemon zest would not hurt it either…

ONE YEAR AGO: The end of green bean cruelty

TWO YEARS AGO: Torta di Limone e Mandorle