Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sometimes you just want soft white bread for egg salad or peanut butter and jelly. Or for the honey - hazelnut - pistachio - apricot kernel - peanut spread you found. Makes two loaves.

1C active starter

2-6 T sugar

1 1/2 C milk

3 T butter, melted

2 eggs

Unbleached all purpose flour

1 T coarse salt

Combine starter, sugar, milk, eggs and some flour to make a thick batter.  Let stand in a warm place until it looks puffed and alive. Stir in salt and enough flour to create a soft dough.  Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (@ 70° ambient temperature- approximately 10 hours).  

Turn dough onto floured board, knead, divide in two and shape into loaves, place in bread pans.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches top of pans (8 hours @ 70°).  

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush loaves with butter.  Bake 10 minutes.  Lower oven to 350°. Bake for 20-30 minutes (or internal temperature of 200°. 

Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks. Let cool completely before cutting with a serrated knife. 

Chianti Braised Beef

Dust beef with flour salt and pepper.  Brown in olive oil. 

Remove meat to a plate.

Cook coarsely chopped celery, carrots, and onion until softened.  Deglaze the pan with a little wine or water. 

Add the browned beef, rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and one bottle of chianti.

Cover and braise at 425° for two hours. 

Caci e Pepe Scones

Finished product.

1 C flour, 1 C whole wheat flour, 1T baking powder, 1/2 t salt, 1 t coarsely ground black pepper, 1/2 C grated Romano cheese. 

1 stick of butter, cubed. 

Cutting in the butter with a pastry blender. 

Zest and juice of one lemon, plus milk to equal one cup. 

Adding the liquid. If the mixture seems dry add a little milk. 

Prepared work surface- parchment paper. 

Pile the dough on the parchment paper. 

Form dough into a circle and score into 8 wedges. 

Sliding the parchment onto the baking sheet. 

Brush with egg wash.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes then cut the wedges again to separate.  Let cool and enjoy. 

Chocapocalypse Cookies (Alton Brown)

Happy Valentine's Day!  I've had this recipe for awhile. It is from Alton Brown and was sent as part of Food Network's "12 Days of Cookies" email.  It calls for  4 kinds of chocolate (100, 72, 54, 40 %) and cocoa nibs.  Sahadi's had all of the chocolate (as wafers) in the bulk department and the nibs in packages.  A labor of love, especially so due to my lack of a microwave (for melting chocolate).  

These are not for the faint of heart.  Do not be tempted to make the cookies any larger.  If I make them again, I will decrease the chopped chocolate mix in.  The cocoa nibs add a nice flavor and crunch. Serve with cold milk or strong coffee. 

Ras Al Hanout for Tagine

This is the basic spice mixture I used for Tagine.

2 teaspoon 

2 teaspoon ginger 

2 teaspoon cardamon

2 teaspoon mace

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine in a jar. 

Tagine with Lamb, Chickpeas and Apricots

Great on a cold winter day.  See post for Ras Al Hanout recipe.

PART ONE: combine in slow cooker

1 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder in chunks for stew (or boneless, skinless chicken)

2 cans chickpeas 

1" fresh gingerroot, finely chopped 

6 ounces dried apricots, halved

PART 2 Sauté then add to crockpot

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, chopped 

3 garlic cloves, chopped finely 

2 carrots, peeled and in 1" pieces

PART 3 whisk together and pour over ingredients in crockpot

3 tablespoons honey  

1 C chicken stock 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1T cornstarch 

1 pinch turmeric 

4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix*

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

salt and black pepper 

Give everything a stir, cover and cook on low 8 hours.

TO SERVE

1 preserved lemon, chopped into small wedges  (optional)

Fresh coriander, chopped

Harissa 

Pistachios, chopped

Couscous

Christmas Struffoli 12/2014