Sublime Garlic Bread

This recipe belongs in the bread section, but it makes such a tantalizing appetizer that it's going to get an extra entry.

Basic ingredients:

1 tablespoon yeast in ¼ cup warm water with a tablespoon sugar in a glass container or bowl.

2 cups water

6 - 7 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Extras:

½ cup flax meal

1/3 cup melted butter

4 cloves garlic mashed in a garlic press; discard the parts that won’t go through the press

¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dry dill weed

Directions:

1. Assemble your yeast mix and set in a warm oven for about 15 minutes.

     2. Warm means you should be able to touch any part of the oven without burning yourself. If the oven is too hot, bye-bye yeast spores:)

     3.  All of the extra ingredients are optional, but the thing that makes this bread sublime is the garlic. So if you don’t have or don’t want the other stuff, no worries. 

3    4. When the yeast has bubbled for at least 15 minutes it should have nearly filled the container. Pour the yeast mix into a glass mixing bowl and add everything else you want to use – except the flour.

    5. Begin adding the flour, 2 cups at a time. When you have mixed in 4 or 5 cups start adding a little more slowly. When you have dough that you can turn out onto a pastry cloth or floured surface, you are ready to knead. It’s OK if it’s a little sticky, you can add more flour while you knead. 

    6. When you have kneaded enough to have a smooth, round ball of dough, rub a small amount of olive oil or melted butter on the surface of the dough, and place it in a sizable glass bowl and cover with a light cloth. Place in a warm oven.(See above) It will take from 1 – 2 hours for the dough to double in size. 

    7. When it is double in size, turn it out on the floured surface and knead it until it is nearly back to the original size.  You can make the loaves into any size or shape you like. You could make four long baguette shapes and put 2 each on cookie sheets. You can make two round loaves and bake them on pizza stones. Or you can use loaf pans.  The bread is going to double in size, so keep that in mind. Cover the shapes with a light cloth and return to the warm oven for the final rising.* This will take from 1 – 2 hours.

    8. When the dough has doubled, gently remove the pans from the warm oven and set them on the counter while you preheat the oven to 350.

.    9. Bake the loaves 1 at a time on the middle rack for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes are up, tap the top of the loaves lightly with a knife to see if you hear a hollow sound. That sound is a good indicator the bread is baked through. A thud would mean a couple more minutes. 

     10. When the bread is done, wait as long as you can stand it, then cut and spread with a generous amount of butter. About 20 minutes is a good rule of thumb for when it is ready to cut. Before that, it is a little too soft. 
    
     * At this stage, (before the second rise, but after you have shaped the loaves) you can take all or some of the loaves and freeze them to bake at a later time. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw and rise, then bake. Allow at least three hours for this.

   The longer the shelf life of what you are eating, the shorter yours will be.
   Alexander Junger

Dressing up Salad with Tahini, Lime and Figs

Creating a tasty dressing for a salad is not an exact science, so recipes do not need to be followed precisely. Experimentation is fun and instructive. The basic ingredients are olive oil and an acidic liquid such as vinegar or lemon juice. Everything else is just flavoring. I nearly always use mustard of some kind in the dressing as well, because there are so many terrific flavors and it has a good consistency for dressing.

1 1/2  cups extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tahini

1 rounded tablespoon fig jam

½ cup plain yogurt (Use coconut yogurt if you want to be dairy free)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Season with sea salt, ground pepper and any herbs that you like.

Put all of the ingredients in a glass bowl and mix with a hand blender. Too tart? Add more oil or jam. Too bland? Add more lime or a few herbs, such as basil, dill or thyme. Let it sit for a while to let the spices infuse the oil.

I save interesting bottles with good stoppers or lids to use for salad dressing because an attractive bottle is brightens up the table and because re-using is even better than recycling!

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd. 

Voltaire

Roasted Garlic and Tahini Dressing

 

This homemade salad dressing is easy and delicious, and good for you, too!

2 roasted garlic bulbs *

Extra virgin olive oil of a very good quality – about 2 cups

Juice of one large lemon

White balsamic vinegar – 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons tahini

½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper – freshly ground is best

Step 1 – Roast the garlic by snipping off the tips and placing the bulbs root side down on a baking sheet.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour at 300 degrees. When the garlic is done, it will be soft and light brown in color. In the meantime, your house will smell like an Italian restaurant!

Step 2 – When the garlic is cool enough to handle, pinch the bulbs and the soft, roasted cloves will come out of their casings easily. Put all of the garlic in a medium sized glass mixing bowl.

Step 3 – Add all of the other ingredients and mix well with a hand blender or mixer.

Step 4 - Taste and fine tune - it's easy to make the dressing suit your taste. Add more of any ingredient to make it just the way you like it. Add to any salad for a fresh and tangy finish. It makes a great flavor addition to coleslaw as well as a topping for a leafy green salad or a sauce for a sandwich. Homemade dressings make nice gifts, too!

 * Roast several extra garlic bulbs. Pop the cloves out of their sleeves and store them in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Roasted garlic adds great flavor to soups, chili, hummus, and a whole host of other vegetable and meat dishes.

Moderation in all things, including moderation. Mark Twain

Apple Tart

This apple tart has just a little custard in it, which makes it extra delicious. I wouldn't make this my breakfast on a regular basis, but if you are entertaining or part of a breakfast buffet event, this would be a great addition and you would be popular.


Six or seven apples

1 package of puff pastry (found in freezer section)

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Thaw the pastry.

2. Peel, core and slice the apples.

3. Spread the pastry dough on a cookie sheet that has edges. Grease the cookie sheet with a little
coconut oil if it does not have a nonstick surface. Press the dough up onto the sides.

4. Arrange apple slices on the pastry.

5. Mix the coconut milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter.

6. Drizzle the milk and sugar mixture over the apples. If it needs to be spread more evenly, use a soft brush.

7. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. The apples should be soft and the custard should be slightly set.

8. While the tart is in the oven, mix the jam, water and vanilla. After the tart cools, brush the apples with the jam mixture.

Cut in 4 inch squares and serve anytime of day or evening. There is no meal where this delicious dish would not be a good idea!

If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me. W H Auden

Adele's Chicken Pizza

Crust: ¾ cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons coconut oil

White sauce:

6 tablespoons butter

1 rounded tablespoon flour (oat or rice flour will work fine)

1 cup half and half or almond coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 or 2 teaspoons bouillon powder

Toppings:

1 ½ cups cut up cooked chicken

½ cup diced green chili peppers

2 large cloves minced garlic

2 heirloom tomatoes – red and yellow

2 organic bell peppers – red and yellow

¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

Crust: Put water, sugar and yeast in a warm place to work for about 15 minutes.  Add flour, oil and salt to the yeast mixture and stir until mixed thoroughly. Knead and let rise for about an hour.

For a non-wheat crust, steam 1 cauliflower, mash and squeeze out about a cup of liquid using a cheese cloth. Mix the cauliflower with one egg, a teaspoon salt, and a half cup of a gluten free flour of your choice. Some recipes call for cheese in this crust rather than flour.

Topping preparation:  Sauté garlic in small amount of coconut or olive oil and add cooked chicken and green chilies. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes.

White sauce: Melt butter in saucepan and add flour. Let mixture get bubbly and then add milk. Stir over low heat until creamy. Add salt and pepper and bouillon.

Assemble the pizza on a large stone and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake for 5 more minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.  Enjoy!

Certainty, rather than doubt, is what drives people insane. Nietzsche

Adele's Applesauce Custard

4 eggs

2 cups whole milk or almond milk

1 ½ cup applesauce or about 6 apples

¾ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 /4 teaspoon cloves,1/2 teaspoon  nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¾ teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey

If you are using fresh apples, begin by peeling and chopping the apples and cooking them in a small amount of water over a low heat. The apples do not have to be completely cooked, but they should be soft. Some varieties of apples will become sauce more easily than others.  Either sauce or chunks of apple are OK for this recipe.

When the apples are cooked, spread them in the bottom of an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Sprinkle a small amount of the sugar or honey and cinnamon over the apples.

In a glass bowl, beat the eggs, milk, sweetener and spices. Pour this mixture over the apples, and place the glass dish on a cookie sheet (with edges) on the middle rack of the oven. Set the temperature to 325 degrees. There is no need to preheat the oven. Pour about 2 cups of water into the cookie sheet. The water helps the custard to cook a little more slowly and evenly. You may need to add more water during baking if it all evaporates.

Bake for 1 hour or until the middle is set.  Cool and serve as a dessert or a snack. You could drizzle it with warm caramel sauce or you could top with whipped cream, but it is quite delicious without anything added. It will keep nicely in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Fail early, fail often in order to succeed. Author unknown