Author Archives: Patti

CHEWY SOURDOUGH BAGUETTES (added yeast)

Leave a reply

There are just times when you want to build a quick and easy bread that tastes like it came from a bakery. Actually, for me, those times happen almost daily. I always want to not only eat great bread; I want to be able to serve it to my family and friends as well. And this my dear readers is a recipe for truly great bread. And ever so quick and easy to build.

The other evening I decided to fix a soup and bread dinner for our friends Mark and Vicki who are in the final stages of moving out of their old house and into a good friend’s cabin for about 3 weeks before their new home is ready for occupancy. So frazzled, tired, weary, distraught, disgusted, elated, stressed out, and every other universal emotion related to moving, I decided that what our dear friends really (insert your favorite expletive here) needed was some comfort food. And what is more comforting than a big old bowl of soup and freshly baked bread with tons of flavored butter to slather all over each piece. Drastic times call for drastic measures. And comfort food always helps. Well that and one (or two) of Mr. C’s adult beverages. They definitely help smooth out the road. (Wherever that road may lead!)

So along with this delicious bread, I served Italian Meatball Soup with Vegetables and Macaroni.

It’s really a stressful time right now. For everyone. Not just for people making huge changes in their life, like building and moving during the coronavirus! But also for those trying to make ends meet, make certain their family members stay healthy, and keep themselves available and approachable when maybe not always “feeling the love”. But we are cooks. And as cooks, we can prepare food that not only fuels the body, but feeds the soul as well. So this is the perfect time to prepare your family’s favorite dishes. Make popcorn every chance you get. Dunk apple slices in caramel sauce. Serve nachos for dinner. Whatever it takes to help your family feel connected to each other, appreciated, and loved.

And another great way to make sure this happens is to eat together. Sit around your dining room table and converse. Yes converse. (No electric gadgets allowed. This is sacred time!) It’s truly the best way I know of, to take the mental temperature of the people you hold most dear.

So bravo to each and every one of you for all the effort you expend for the benefit of all. As always, peace and love from our home to yours.

1 c. sourdough starter discard

2/3 c. slightly warm water

1½ tsp. active dry yeast

½ tsp. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. kosher salt

2½ c. bread flour, or more as needed

extra virgin olive oil

Combine the sourdough starter, water, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the flour and using your dough hook, knead dough until relatively smooth, about 6 minutes. (Most of the dough will form an irregular shaped ball around the bread hook. There should still be a bit that clings to the bottom of the bowl.)  

Pour a bit of olive oil in the bowl, and using your hands and a sturdy rubber spatula, roll the dough into a ball totally covered with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature 1-2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. (Mine took one hour.)

Lightly flour a surface. Divide dough in thirds.  Shape into rough logs and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Prepare flat baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray and dusting with cornmeal. Or lightly spray a 15 x 13-inch 4 gutter baguette loaf pan and set it on a large baking sheet. (See picture of baguette pan under Thin Sourdough French Baguettes.)

Shape baguettes into long loaves.  Make shallow slashes with a lame or sharp knife.  Place on baking sheet or baguette pan and cover with greased plastic wrap. (Greased side down.)  Allow to rise 1 hour at room temperature.  

Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a light golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. (I used the convection option on my oven for the first 10 minutes.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. Great served with Herb and Garlic Butter. (See recipe below.)

HERB AND GARLIC BUTTER

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. granulated onion

½ tsp. dried parsley

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch paprika

Moosh all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with baguette slices.

Can also be used to make garlic bread.

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and spread liberally with the butter mixture. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until the bread is crusty around the edges and the butter topping is very hot. Serve either piping hot or at room temperature.

The seasoned butter is also wonderful melted on a grilled steak or slathered on corn on the cob.

BTW – Speaking of corn on the cob. Perfectly cooked corn on the cob. Grilled is wonderful. But for quick, easy, and perfectly cooked corn – bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the ear(s) of corn, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Not less time, not more time. Three minutes. Remove from water and enjoy.     

CHOCOLATE CHIP AND PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FILLED CRUMBLE BARS

Leave a reply

I’m back at it. Making a dessert that includes peanut butter. I simply can’t seem to help myself because I’m such a devotee. Actually, since being confined to quarters since the covid-19 outbreak, I have been eating more sweets, and in generally eating more items from the forbidden food groups than is reasonable, even during a pandemic. Either that or my bathroom scale is lying to me, and somehow I doubt that since my jeans seem to be in accordance with the scale.  

We were social distancing with friends on Sunday afternoon, and while the guys (timE3 Jazz) were making music in Tim and Suzie’s back yard, the rest of us were spread out in lawn chairs having interesting conversations. There were two other people in attendance along with “the wives”. Devon, Tim and Suzie’s son, and his partner Octavia were also enjoying the music and comradery. And of course there was wonderful food throughout the afternoon. At one point as we were discussing food, Octavia mentioned that she’d heard a phrase used lately that pretty much summed up my current eating style. People were saying that they had been eating like “an unchaperoned nine year old boy at a birthday party”. And I thought to myself, that’s exactly what I have been doing. I’ve been eating like there is no tomorrow and no consequence for my bad behavior. (It may have something to do with emotional eating. It is after all a very difficult time for everyone right now.)

Well at my age there is a consequence for almost any excess you care to mention. Too much lifting, my back twinges. Too much walking down hill, my knees hurt. Too much sitting at my computer, my hips start to ache. Too much food, my bathroom scale starts to scream if I even look at it! Unlike when I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s, and even into my 50s, excess pounds could be shed by just cutting consumption for a few days. Since my 60s, my body has been absolutely reluctant to part with even an ounce. So what makes me think that just because it’s an unprecedented pandemic, my body is suddenly going to acquire the metabolism of a pygmy shrew? (Oh what fools we mortals be!!!)

Anyway, I decided maybe it’s time to once again take command of my body and just say no to excesses of any kind. And the first and foremost is to stay away from my refrigerator for longer periods of time while I still have some dignity left. (And I can still fit into my jeans.)

But before I stop talking and thinking about food (at least for the rest of the afternoon), let me tell you a bit about these bars. They are delicious and easy to prepare. Nothing more to say.  

Let me leave you with this quote from Winston Churchill. “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

Please consider Mr. Churchill’s words very carefully as you approach the upcoming November election. It is a critical time for our country. Regardless of your political affiliation, listen for the truth.

And remember, there is never going to be a perfect candidate. No platform is ever going to match your every wish or belief. But intelligent people who are familiar with listening and learning, are going to make more informed decisions than politicians who lead from ignorance and spite.

Ask yourself these simple questions:

Which candidate would I trust more with my personal safety? Which would I trust more to care about my immediate and future medical needs? Which will attempt to take care of our planet so that future generations will have clean air to breathe, food to eat, and a place to sleep? Which candidate will consider my basic needs before the greater monetary aspirations of a wealthy few?

These seem like very personal, all about me, questions. But when it comes right down to it, it really is about each and every person individually. And if policies and plans make life better for everyone – that includes you. If policies and plans diminish resources and make it even more difficult for individuals and families to have their basic needs met; that affects you too. Maybe not directly, if you are one of the lucky ones. But someone in your family or circle of friends is going to be adversely affected. Listen for the truth. Peace and love to all.  

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ c. + 2 T. rolled oats

6 T. brown sugar, packed

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 oz. (¾ lg. pkg.) cream cheese, room temperature

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 T. creamy peanut butter (not the natural kind)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

½ c. peanut butter chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar together. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles small clumps. Measure out ¾ cup of the crumb mixture and set aside in a separate bowl.

Pour the remaining crumbs into a lightly greased 8×8-inch baking pan (glass preferably) and press evenly into the bottom of the dish. Bake for 15 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven (metal), 325 degrees for glass.

Meanwhile while the crust is baking, in the same mixing bowl, cream the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.  

When the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Top with the reserved oatmeal crumbs.    

Using the convection option if you have it, bake the bars for 25-30 minutes or until the middle is set and the crumb topping is a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Please note: If you want to make a peanut butter bar, omit the chocolate chips and replace them with additional peanut butter chips. If you want an all chocolate crumb bar, replace the peanut butter with Nutella and use only chocolate chips.   

     

FAST AND EASY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Leave a reply

Now this is what I call an easy recipe. Hardly any prep work, and a resulting product that smacks of hours of simmering, when in reality, very little time is actually involved. And the results – absolutely divine.

I think sometimes we cooks over think and over ingredient dishes that should be left simple and basic. Good Italian sausage already has a lot of flavor. But I am as guilty as the next cook of not allowing just a few simple ingredients to speak for themselves. I’m always trying to over achieve, when almost any dish I prepare would probably be better served (literally and figuratively), if basically left simple. And this pasta sauce is a prime example. Simple ingredients, not a lot of time involved, and a taste that is pure Italian.

So if you are also one of those cooks like me that is always trying to make dishes more complex than necessary, give this recipe a try. You too might learn a valuable lesson. Of course with me, being older than dirt, the lesson might not stick. But if you are younger, and have a more flexible mind, you might be able to learn restraint. (It really is too late for me.) But I have confidence that those of you who are still learning might take advantage of what I am just now realizing at my advanced age. It’s the old do as I say, not as I do “thing”.

One thing I can promise you however, that regardless of your age or culinary experience, you are going to love this pasta dish. It’s clean tasting, simple, and reminiscent of late afternoon dinners in sunny Italian courtyards filled with happy diners, drinking young red wine, and dunking crusty, chewy, freshly baked bread in seasoned olive oil. (Oh how I love Italy.) So to all – keep striving for excellence.

I’ve been thinking lately of Corinthians 13:11, which has always been a part of scripture I truly felt was pertinent to everyday life. Now more than ever. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child: When I became a man (woman), I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

It’s not easy being an adult. It’s a whole lot of hard work, often unrecognized or properly appreciated. It’s simply a whole lot easier to act like a child, than to think, react, and comport oneself as an adult. But especially now, all of us have a huge challenge. Especially parents of young children. How you manage your self during this difficult time is the lesson your children will be learning and taking with them into adulthood. So be kind, be loving, and be sensitive to the needs of those around you. I salute each and every one of you. And I pray for a better tomorrow for all of us. Peace and Love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

¾ c. finely diced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ c. dry white wine

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4-6 oz. penne pasta (or pasta of choice) cooked al dente

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the Italian sausage until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the white wine and cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Add the canned tomatoes, including liquid, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Adjust seasoning.

Add the al dente pasta, and about a fourth cup of Parmesan cheese. Pass extra Parmesan at table.

 

HOMEMADE CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP AND CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

Leave a reply

I almost always have a can of cream of mushroom soup on hand because it is a quick and easy way to build a casserole, curry sauce, etc. But I never buy cream of chicken soup, only because I never think of it in terms of an ingredient or as a replacement for white sauce. Cream of mushroom soup, on the other hand, was a staple in my mother’s kitchen. Which in and of itself, isn’t really a good recommendation for the product. But it’s certainly where I learned about it in the first place. (I say not a good recommendation because my mother was not a good cook. Her idea of a fancy dish was creamed tuna on toast. And guess what provided the creamy part?)

Often while I’m perusing recipes, I find cream of mushroom soup or quite often now, cream of chicken soup listed as an ingredient. OK, that’s fine, but I don’t want to use a canned product that includes a lot of salt and preservatives more often than necessary. (Necessary meaning I’m tired or feeling lazy and don’t want to expend a lot of energy in the kitchen.)

But luckily, most of the time I’m more than willing to make either of these homemade versions of Campbell’s creations because they are both so easy to build and I’m fond of the recipes that contain them. But frankly, these homemade versions are a great deal tastier and better for us then their predecessors. (FYI – Campbell’s started making Cream of Mushroom soup in 1934. That’s even before I was born! And I’m old!)

So if you too have some beloved recipes that call for a can of creamed soup, give these recipes a try. In fact, some of my favorite recipes on this site include canned soup. And sometimes I prepare the recipes as printed, but now, most of the time, I prepare my own condensed soup replications.    

As always, eat healthy, stay mentally healthy, and keep showing a healthy respect for yourself and everyone around you by continuing to wear a mask in public, remaining socially distant from others outside your household, and doing whatever you possibly can to stem the spread of covid-19. Peace and love to all.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. chopped button mushrooms, or mushrooms of choice

3 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch granulated onion  

pinch granulated garlic

¼ – ½ tsp. dried mushroom powder*, opt.

1½ c. whole milk

1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped mushrooms. Sauté slowly until the mushroom start to brown.  

Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. (If it feels like a little more butter would be nice, add a bit.) Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the dried mushroom powder. (You can always add more mushroom powder when you taste and adjust seasonings later in the recipe if you would like a stronger mushroom flavor.)

Slowly whisk in the milk and vegetable base. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as required. Use in any recipe calling for an a can of cream of mushroom soup.

* Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

6 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

lg. pinch granulated garlic

lg. pinch granulated onion

1 c. chicken stock or 1 c. water and 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

½ c. whole milk or ¼ c. heavy cream, ¼ c. water 

¼ c. dry white wine

In a small sauce pan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Add the chicken stock, milk, and white wine. Whisk together to smooth out the lumps, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as necessary. (The sauce will be very thick. That’s what you want. And it can be made ahead.) Use in any recipe requiring a can of cream of chicken soup.

BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SWISS CHEESE AND SPINACH

Leave a reply

So whatever possessed me to ask Mr. C. to pick up some Swiss cheese and a big old container of spinach last time he made a grocery run was both prescient and fortuitous. Because twice this week already, I have wanted to use both ingredients. And there they were. Just waiting to be discovered in my refrigerator.

I used the Swiss cheese in my Shrimp, Sautéed Onion, and Swiss Chard Quiche. And last night I used it in this dish. I sautéed the spinach a couple nights ago as a side veggie, and used it again last evening in this glommed together chicken casserole. So it truly does pay to be well prepared. Even if, as in this case, my having both of these wonderful ingredients on hand can only be attributed to old fashioned blind luck.

But whatever the reason, it was great fun yesterday piecing this dish together. I read a few chicken casserole recipes before starting, but most of them either contained ingredients like cream of chicken soup or stuffing mix that I didn’t have on hand. Or didn’t include ingredients I did have on hand like various kinds of cheese and fresh spinach. So I stopped researching recipes and decided to wing it. And I’m so glad I did. It forced me to invent my own version of a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, and it allowed me to use some more of the fresh spinach and most of my remaining Swiss cheese. And the result? Magnifique!

So if you too would enjoy owning a recipe that features chicken, Swiss cheese, and spinach – I highly recommend this one. It’s quite easy to prepare. And yes, if you must, you can substitute a can of condensed cream of chicken soup and a bit of dry white wine for the first 9 ingredients in this recipe.  

Since the first 9 ingredients are basically the equivalent of undiluted cream of chicken soup, I replicated the recipe at the bottom of this post in case you would like to print it as a stand-alone recipe. It is really tasty and would be a fine substitute in any recipe calling for a can of C of C soup. I also posted my Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup recipe, just in case you might want to make your own C C of M soup rather than opening a can.

Since I am being magnanimous today, I am going to spare you my thoughts concerning our current government leaders, racist idiots, bigots, gun freaks, maskless morons, and other groups of people who absolutely do not meet my non-prejudicial, accurate, and reasonable assessment of their value in today’s society. In other words – it’s your lucky day!

As always, peace and love to all.

8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

6 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt, plus a pinch more for topping

freshly ground black pepper

lg. pinch granulated garlic

lg. pinch granulated onion

1 c. chicken stock or 1 c. water and 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

½ c. whole milk or ¼ c. heavy cream, ¼ c. water  

¼ c. dry white wine

2 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half, then sliced in half again lengthwise (you want all the chicken to be about the same thickness)  

2 c. roughly chopped fresh spinach

generous 1/8-inch thick slices Swiss cheese (enough to cover the chicken pieces)

1 c. Panko bread crumbs

In a small sauce pan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Add the ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Add the chicken broth, milk, and white wine. Whisk together to smooth out the lumps, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. (The sauce will be very thick. That’s what you want. And it can be made ahead.)  

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or 8×10-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Place chicken pieces in pan in a single layer, top with the raw spinach, and then the Swiss cheese slices. Smooth the sauce evenly over all. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.

To make the Panko topping, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Remove from heat. Add the Panko bread crumbs and a pinch of seasoned salt; stir to combine.    

After the 45 minutes of baking time, remove from oven and evenly sprinkle the Panko topping over the casserole. (I turn on my ovens convection option at this time to help brown the Panko topping.)

Bake another 15 minutes, remove from oven, and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. I served the chicken last evening with seasoned brown rice (see recipe below) and steamed fresh green beans. Made for a lovely meal.

SEASONED BROWN RICE (made in a rice cooker)

1 c. brown rice

1¾ c. water

¼ tsp. seasoned salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Throw everything in your rice cooker. Set the rice cooker on GO. Takes about an hour.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

6 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

lg. pinch granulated garlic

lg. pinch granulated onion

1 c. chicken stock or 1 c. water and 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

½ c. whole milk or ¼ c. heavy cream, ¼ c. water  

¼ c. dry white wine

In a small sauce pan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Add the chicken stock, milk, and white wine. Whisk together to smooth out the lumps, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. (The sauce will be very thick. That’s what you want. And it can be made ahead.)

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP (homemade version = roughly 1 can)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. chopped button mushrooms, or mushrooms of choice

3 T. flour

¼ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch granulated onion  

pinch granulated garlic

¼ – ½ tsp. dried mushroom powder*, opt., but really makes a difference

1½ c. whole milk

1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chopped mushrooms. Sauté slowly until the mushroom start to brown.  

Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux. (If it feels like a little more butter would be nice, add a bit.) Add the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the dried mushroom powder. (You can always add more mushroom powder when you taste and adjust seasonings later in the recipe if you would like a stronger mushroom flavor.)

Slowly whisk in the milk and vegetable base. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as required. Use in any recipe calling for an a can of cream of mushroom soup.

* Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

   

       

SOURDOUGH POTATO SANDWICH BREAD (added yeast)

Leave a reply
And yes, that is a big old bite taken out of that piece of bread. I simply can’t help myself. As soon as a loaf is cool, I cut the end off, slather it with butter, and it disappears before my very eyes. And yes, I always share with Mr. C.

And yes, I’m still playing with bread recipes that include sourdough discard. And yes, I have been focusing on sandwich breads, because sandwich breads are so very versatile. They can be used to build sandwiches. (In a former life, I was the head of the Department of Redundancy Department in the city of Jersey City! Just kidding! I just always wanted to use that statement on a job resume, but never got the opportunity.) And sandwich breads makes great toast. (They fit in a toaster as if they were built just for that purpose.) And their square shape make griddle frying French toast easy peasy. But best of all – sandwich breads are stinkin’ easy to build. Especially this sandwich bread.

No fancy ingredients. And no special handling required. Just pat the dough into a regular old loaf pan. So, no fancy clay bakers or pizza stones required. (Not that I don’t advocate making breads that are a bit more difficult to make, and require a bit more trouble in the shaping and baking department. It’s just that everyone needs a simple bread recipe in their repertoire for busy days.) And this is definitely a busy day loaf.

This is also a loaf of bread that everyone in your family will enjoy. Not a lot of tang from the sourdough, just a soft crumb absolutely crying out to be spread with mayonnaise, mustard, deli meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Or baked chicken or turkey. Or toasted and spread with butter and jam, or peanut butter and honey, or just buttered and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

So do yourself and your family a favor, and bake up a loaf at your earliest convenience. It really is a quick and easy bread to produce. And the taste is wonderful.

As always, keep baking, keep learning, and keep growing as a person.

And although I started this as a food blog, I simply can’t refrain once in a while (actually it’s becoming more and more often) from sharing inspirational tidbits with you all. And yesterday, after working on a new recipe and writing a post for this site, I decided to watch the video of Michelle Obama’s speech from the democratic national convention.

The speech was so well prepared, so relevant, and so humble, that for the first time in a long time, I actually felt some hope. Because Michelle was speaking for most of us. Just regular people who believe in kindness, compassion, empathy, and for whom a social conscience has been ingrained from birth. I definitely needed to hear the words coming out of her mouth. I needed to know that someone else understood exactly how I was feeling. Because I’ve been sad. Sad because I know that we Americans are so much better than we are being portrayed. We are not being fairly represented in Washington DC. We are not all racist, or bigots, or greedy. We don’t all lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead. We care about others and genuinely want them to have as good a life as we wish for ourselves.

Even if we were not experiencing this horrific pandemic, and as much as I love to travel, I don’t think I would want to travel overseas right now. I’m embarrassed for America, even if I have done nothing personally to feel embarrassed about. But that’s not what is being propagandized. We are all being painted with the same brush. So why would I want to expose myself to some other nation’s ridicule? And frankly, I truly resent that.

And finally, I don’t want to be divided from others because of my political beliefs. I truly don’t give a flying fig if a person is a republican or a democrat. But I am sick and tired of watching our current political leader demonstrating daily, the worst possible traits of humanity. Greed, cheating, racist rhetoric, demeaning comments about fellow politicians, strong women, and verbal assaults aimed at anyone who is unwilling to bow and scrape to his every whim or thinks differently than he does on any subject. What kind of political leadership does this represent to other nations? What kind of leadership example is this for our youth? What kind of adult acts this way? So I’ve had it. And know that many of you feel exactly the same way.

I sincerely hope you will forgive me if I have in any way offended you. Or at the very least understand why I felt compelled to express myself through this rant. But sometimes it’s just better to set your feelings free rather than let them stay inside and fester. Peace and love to all.    

1 c. sourdough starter discard 

2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 tsp. granulated sugar

¾ c. slightly warm whole milk

⅓ c. instant potato flakes

1 tsp. kosher salt

1¾ – 2 c. bread flour, or as much bread as needed

cooking spray

Combine the sourdough starter discard, yeast, sugar, milk, potato flakes, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add 1½ cups of the flour and knead for several minutes until the dough is silky smooth. Add additional flour as required. (The dough should be slightly tacky, and there should be a bit of dough that sticks to the bottom and a couple of inches up the side of the bowl.)

Pour a bit of veggie oil alongside the dough. Using a stiff rubber spatula and your hands, shape the dough into a ball, making sure the entire ball is lightly coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour or until doubled in size.  

Place the dough in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Pat the dough into the corners of the pan and flat on top. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly coated with cooking spray, (spray side down over the pan), and allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes or so. (Dough should be just at the level of the pan rim.) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  

Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray. Bake for 38-45 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 200 degrees.

Remove from oven and turn bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. (Do not be tempted to slice the bread when it is still warm. It will turn to mush.) Store in an airtight container.

BACON, AVOCADO, TOMATO, CUCUMBER, AND ONION SALAD

1 Reply
Sorry about the fuzzy picture. I truly am a horrible photographer!

We here at Chez Carr are avocado lovers. So every single time one of us goes to our local purveyor of edibles, we bring home a couple of these green, nutrient dense fruits of the Gods. Which means, we eat a lot of avocados. And there are only so many ways I know of to feature alligator pears.

Of course there is guacamole, which we love. But you can only eat so much guacamole. So often times, I simply slice the ripe little darlings and serve them with sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with seasoning salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

But last evening I was in the mood for a proper, lettuce based salad which included avocado. So I went searching for ways other folks use avocados in their salads.

I found an abundance of recipes for salads that included bacon. And as luck would have it, I had some cooked bacon in my refrigerator. I also had a bit of shallot that was looking needy, a couple of very ripe plum tomatoes (not in my fridge), a partial cucumber that looked lonely, and half a head of organic hearts of romaine. Perfect. Now what I needed was a dressing to tie all of those lovely ingredients together.

Most of the time I make a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing for our salads. Easy, delicious, low in calories, and quite tangy. But yesterday, I wanted a creamy, not too flavorful dressing that would caress the lovely veggies, rather than blast them with acidity. So I immediately thought of mayonnaise and sour cream. But the dressing had to have some flavor, and a tad bit of tang, hence the fresh lemon juice. So I whipped up the dressing you find below.

Now, I always taste along the way as I am playing mad scientist in the kitchen. After I had whisked all the ingredients together, I could hardly contain myself from “tasting” this dressing to extinction! And I quickly realized that not only was the dressing going to be absolutely perfect for this salad, but with all that lemon creaminess, it would make a perfect “aioli” to serve with fried fish. Yippee – a two for one!

So for all of you out there who would like to serve your family a dish that everyone will enjoy, build this salad at your earliest convenience. It is so, so delicious, and supper (super) easy to build.

As always, enjoy your summer, take especially good care of the people in your own household because everyone, no matter what age they happen to be, is a bit fragile right now. Drawing on a few lines of a post by Anne Mc Caffrey I read and then shared on Facebook –

“Let’s keep looking for activities that we like… Let’s put some color in our grey… Let’s smile at the little things in life that make our hearts sing.”

Peace and love to all.

2 T. mayonnaise

2 T. sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

lg. pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 strips lean, thick bacon – chopped and fried until crisp

½ head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

½ sm. cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 T. finely diced onion or shallot, opt.

2 small or 1 lg. avocado, chopped

Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.

Place cooked bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion in a salad bowl.  Toss the salad with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Just before serving gently stir in the avocado. Serve immediately.

SHRIMP, SAUTÉED ONION, AND SWISS CHARD QUICHE

Leave a reply

I love quiche. I also love shrimp. So yesterday, as I was planning what to cook for dinner, remembering that I had a tiny bit of Swiss chard that needed to be used, and some Swiss cheese that kept yelling at me from the deli drawer of our refrigerator, I put my thinking cap squarely on the top of my head! (But before I go on, don’t you just hate it when ingredients yell at you? And if you respond in kind, your spouse looks at you as if your mind has slipped yet another cog. That of course may be true in my case, but no one likes to be reminded of their incipient mental infirmity.) Anyway, the Swiss cheese won. So what to do with the lovely combination of Swiss chard and Swiss cheese. Of course the solution was evident. Make a French dish. Duh!

Actually there’s a bit more to it than quiche being a French invention. This bit of quiche history from the finedininglovers.com site, is most interesting and enlightening. I’ve edited the original article a bit, but not in any significant way.

“At its most basic, quiche is dough. There are numerable variations, but the most famous is quiche Lorraine. This was the first quiche that Americans learned of, thanks to Julia Child, and so it is the one most likely to come to mind. This specialty comes from the Lorraine region of France.

Alsace and Lorraine hug the border between France and Germany, so that Alsace and Lorraine are both French and German and are also their own unique place. The most ubiquitous dish from Lorraine is quiche. And the specialty quiche from Lorraine features Gruyère cheese, onion, fatty bacon (French lardons), and nutmeg as its primary flavors.

The history of quiche, a dish we think of as quintessentially French, is actually a liminal one, in that the dish is of German origin. The word ‘quiche’ comes from the German word kuchen, meaning cake. Thus quiche is a savory cake, and Lorraine is a rather new name for a region that, under Germanic rule, was called the Kingdom of Lothringen. There are 13th century recipes for egg and cream baked in a dough crust in Italy, so it is difficult to say exactly where such a simple and ubiquitous approach to baking first began. In the 14th century English recipe collection, The Forme of Cury, there is a recipe like this with the unappetizing name – Crustardes of flesh.” But back to this recipe, which I must say is appetizing!

But why a shrimp quiche you might ask?

Well, if you are following my posts, you know that our beloved upright, non-frost-free freezer is coming to the end of its very long and useful life. And because everyone and their cousin are apparently just discovering the joys of storing more than one day’s supply of food in their home since the pandemic, there isn’t an upright freezer to be begged, borrowed, or even stolen in our area. So using up our frozen food ASAP (especially seafood) has been the driving force behind many of the main dishes I have been currently preparing. (I really can make a short story long. Sorry about that!)

Anyway, I glommed this recipe together yesterday, and we were both very pleased with the result. The quiche was very tasty, and it hadn’t been that difficult to prepare. And I had used up some of the ingredients that were either quietly going bad or noisily reminding me of their presence.

So next time you get hungry for quiche, give this recipe a try. But remember, the nice thing about quiche is that it allows you to use almost any ingredient you have on hand. Love mushrooms, add them. Don’t care for shrimp, replace them with small chunks of Black Forrest ham. Matters not. As long as your egg batter is properly proportioned, and your choice of additives are not terribly wet, you’re good to go.

As always, have fun in your kitchen, don’t let your ingredients give you any guff, and keep an open mind. People with open minds (and ears) let new ideas in. They aren’t afraid that their long cherished beliefs just might be misguided. Open minded people welcome facts over feelings, science over skepticism, and experience over egotism.

Peace and love to all.

No-Roll Pie Crust

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour   

heaping ½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

scant ¼ tsp. baking powder

7 T. vegetable or canola oil

5 T. cold water  

Whisk the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder together. Whisk the oil and water together. Pour over the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened. Pat the dough across the bottom of a fairly deep pie pan, then up and over the rim. Crimp or mold the pie crust around the edge to make it pretty.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until you are ready to assemble the quiche. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Shrimp, Sautéed Onion, and Spinach Filling

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

½ med. yellow onion, diced

2 c. finely chopped Swiss chard or spinach, not packed

1 lb. raw shrimp, cut into small pieces

5 lg. eggs

¾ c. whole milk

¼ c. sour cream

¼ tsp. kosher salt, plus more for shrimp

freshly ground black pepper, plus more for shrimp

pinch ground nutmeg, plus a bit more for sprinkling

tiny pinch cayenne pepper

¾ c. grated mozzarella cheese

¾ c. grated Swiss, Gruyère, or Emmental cheese  

Heat oil in a fry pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to become a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. (Don’t fry at too high a heat or the onions will start to burn. You do not want that to happen! Onions are bitter when they are burnt.)

Add the Swiss chard and sauté for a couple of minutes, just enough to wilt the chard a bit. Add the shrimp, season with a tiny bit of salt and pepper, and cook just until shrimp are barely done. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper together. Set aside.

Spread the onion, chard, and shrimp mixture on the crust. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the shrimp mixture. Pour the egg mixture on top. Sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Bake the quiche until puffed and firm when touched in the center, 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into 6-8 pieces.

SHORTBREAD CRUSTED LEMON BARS

Leave a reply

OK, for those of you who want a mild, wimpy lemon flavored bar cookie (dessert) recipe, read no further. This recipe is simply not going to work for you. This recipe is for people who love a totally delicious shortbread crust topped with an in your face, authoritative, pucker up baby, bold lemon custard like topping.

And yes I know, there are as many recipes for lemon squares/bars out there as there are recipes for chocolate chip cookies. But as with chocolate chip cookies, there are good chocolate chip cookies and then there are amazing chocolate chip cookies. And these bars are amazing chocolate chip cookies. No, they’re not! But they are amazing lemon bars. And holy cow easy to build. Don’t believe me, read the recipe! I’ll wait.   

So I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. (Or lemon tangy if you prefer.) It’s supposed to be 93 degrees here on Camano Island today. So I’m going to bid you adieu and go give some of our plants a bit of water. (They get extra thirsty in hot weather too.) Then I’m going to call this a day of leisure. I’m going to go out in our courtyard, west facing so nicely shaded in the morning and early afternoon, and read. I’m currently reading The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin which I haven’t read since I was in my 30s going through my science fiction stage. Wonderful reading if you have never had the pleasure. Even if you have, it makes for great reading a 2nd or even a 3rd time through. (Especially since if there were an alternate planet we could move to right now, I think we might actually consider making the move. The current climate (and I don’t mean temperature wise), is getting to be more than either of us can understand and would rather not have to endure.)

So dear readers, keep observing what’s going on around you, keep using your own good common sense to make informed decisions, and reflect on what all our lives would be like if America became a single party country. (Your homework assignment for today.) For a short, informative look at the subject, read Heather Cox Richardson’s August 15th posting on Letters from an American.

And for those of you wondering why I post my thoughts on various subjects not associated with recipes, I figure if I am going to be a well-rounded provider, I should offer food for thought as well as excellent ways to achieve dietary sustenance. Peace and love to all.

½ c. powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 c. + 3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

pinch kosher salt

½ c. cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. lemon zest

½ c. lemon juice

3 lg. eggs

Whirl the powdered sugar, 1 cup of flour, and pinch of salt in the bowl of your food processor. Add the butter and pulse until dough resembles fine meal. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a lightly buttered 8×8-inch or 7×11-inch pan. (And no, the crust “dough” doesn’t look like it will stay together as a crust. But I assure you it will!) Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven (325 degrees if you are using glass bake-ware) or until the edges are light brown. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.  

Whisk the granulated sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons flour, and lemon zest together. Add the lemon juice and eggs.  Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy. Allow the filling to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together again and pouring over the baked shortbread crust.

Bake at 350 degrees (325 for glass pan) for about 20- 25 minutes or until the custard appears set. (It doesn’t jiggle.) But don’t over bake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before lightly sprinkling with powdered sugar*. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, cut into small squares or rectangles. Store leftover bars covered in your refrigerator.

*I use a fine mesh sieve to evenly sprinkle powdered sugar over the lemon squares. Works like a charm. Just put a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar in the sieve, and shake away. The sieve works well for cocoa too. Keeps the cocoa from clumping on to whatever it is that you’re trying to decorate.

    

OLIVE OIL DIPPING SAUCE

Leave a reply

OK, so the sourdough breadsticks I made a couple of days ago were alright, but they simply were not up to my demanding standards. So I’ve developed another recipe and plan to give it a try in a few days. But the olive oil dipping sauce I made to go with the breadsticks was outrageously delicious! In fact, it was so good, that when I tasted it (for quality control purposes only, I assure you), I had to speak sternly to myself not to polish off the whole bowl before I could serve it to our guests. (Socially distancing, of course!)  

Now you should know, that really good bread dipped in an olive oil based dipping sauce is absolutely revered in our household. We love Italy for many reasons. And among those reasons, their crusty and chewy bread and olive oil dipping sauces are right up there at the top of the list. But I have to say, this dipping sauce beats most of the sauces we knocked down in Italy, hands down! I know – that’s saying a lot! But I’m going to stand fast on this statement! Because, and I know this is going to sound terribly conceited, this dipping sauce is one of the best I have ever tasted. And baby, I have tasted some winners over the years.

In my humble opinion, this sauce takes the blue ribbon, the cake (in a good way), and if there were a Nobel Prize for culinary excellence, I truly believe this olive oil masterpiece would win at least an honorable mention. So yes, I really like this dipping sauce and expect you will too!

Now I know perfecting an olive oil dipping sauce is nothing compared to finding a cure for cancer, solving racial inequities seemingly endemic to every culture, helping radical American gun lovers understand that the writers of the second amendment surely would not have endorsed the use of assault weapons had they been in existence at the time the amendment was set into law, or being able to effectively explain the first sentence of the 14th amendment (all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the state wherein they reside) to certain politicians currently residing in Washington DC. But it’s a good start towards culinary enlightenment. (And yes, I am VERY TIRED OF AND TOTALLY DISCUSTED WITH much of what is happening in our country today. In my opinion, IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!)  

Now if you simply can’t wait for me to publish a recipe for sourdough breadsticks, you can always bake up a batch of my Soft and Chewy Breadsticks. Not made with sourdough starter, but absolutely delicious. And dunked in this dipping sauce – heaven!

As always, stay informed, stay connected, and stay the hell away from people who refuse to wear masks in public! Namaste

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely minced

2-3 tsp. drained capers, mushed*

1 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

pinch granulated onion

pinch dehydrated parsley

Whisk or shake all together. Store in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature with crusty Italian bread or breadsticks. Also, terrific drizzled over Caprese Salad (fresh mozzarrela cheese, fresh basil leaves, and thick sliced tomatoes).

*reduced to a soft, wet, pulpy mass.