Updates and a New Recipe!

So an update on the hot cross buns. They worked! Mom like them, said they were really good. Maybe not spot on, probably due to the fact that, I, unlike Freihofers, don't use crap ingredients. Just real stuff for me, and... no preservatives. And here it is as promised a really great pizza crust recipe!

Pizza Crust


2 pkgs yeast or 4 1/2 tsp
2 Cups warm water 105-115 degrees
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil

Use a large bowl (12 cup or more)  Put yeast in the bowl and add warm water and sugar. Mix it around and let it get frothy. This should take about 10 minutes or so. Add 2 cups of the flour and still till it is smooth and well mixed.  Add another cup of flour and continue to mix.  Add fourth cup of flour, continue to mix then add the last 1/2 cup of flour. When your dough is all combined, add oil, and mix.  Knead for 5 minutes, or until it's smooth. Take a good look at the dough, is it smooth or does it look lumpy? If its lumpy keep kneading. If it's still sticking to your hand add a little oil. Once it's smooth, let sit to rise until doubled in volume. Some place warm is best, on stove if its warm or on a radiator. Once its risen, punch it down and divide. You can get 3- 12" pizzas out of one recipe. Divide in two for 2- Sicilian crust pizzas.  Drop some oil inside of a Ziploc and place your portioned dough into the freezer. Take out in the morning and put into the fridge to thaw for dinner. Take out a couple of hours before baking to let warm and rise again. Try not to work the dough to much.

Note: To do my mixing and kneading, I use a Kitchen Aid mixer. I start with the paddle to incorporate all flour and oil then switch to the dough hook to knead. Still knead about 5 minutes, keeping and eye for the smooth dough.  Some mixers can not handle dough, keep an eye on your machine as not to burn out the motor.

Bake at 425 degrees, on a greased  cookie sheet.

Recipe Courtesy of:   Pirma! Recipes of Choice by Laurina Filippini Holte

New Recipe Posting - White Bean and Tuna Salad

It's not pretty, but it's pretty delicious

Today's recipe share is White Bean and Tuna Salad. I came across this recipe ages ago in a book by Kathleen Daelemans called Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen. Unfortuatly I don't own this book, so I can't give you the exact recipe, but this is as close an approximation that I can remember, and it's how I make it all the time.  It's a great recipe that you can make in a flash, keep everything in the pantry for it, it's healthy, filling and you can make it taste any way you prefer.  So here is your yummy recipe for this week!


Tuna and White Bean Salad with a Cumin Vinaigrette


2 Cans Tuna (which ever kind you prefer)
1 Can Great Northern Beans 15oz
1 Tbsp Good Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Fresh Parsley (if you have it, dried works too)
1/2 tsp Cumin

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix and enjoy. Better flavor the longer it sits. Best if made the day before.

Feel free to experiment and change to your liking. Don't like cumin? Try lemon pepper, or Caribbean jerk seasoning.  Not a fan of Red wine vinegar? Try white balsamic, or cider, or rice wine. Lots of options! Enjoy.

New Recipe Posting.

Well I've done quite poor at putting out a new recipe every week. So I'll add one today. Lasts night dinner was home made Hamburger helper. Yeah I know. But some nights you A. don't want to cook and B. Don't have a whole hell of a lot in the house. So one must improvise.  I do tend to keep a few staples in the house, for the occasion that both  A & B occur on the same evening. You must always have egg noodles, a can of condensed cream soup (please don't lecture me on it's awfulness, I am well aware how it barely constitutes food), some sort of meat product, and an onion. You must must must keep an onion in the house. Even if you don't cook that often. They keep just wonderful in the pantry. Cool dark places is what they like best.

So here it is:

Home Made Hamburger Helper
Sorry the recipe is so vauge, it's meant to be a cupboard cleaner outer

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or any Cream Based Soup)
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 diced onion
1/2 diced green pepper
Some cheese
Some Meat
Egg Noodles
Oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat largest skillet you have. You should beable to get everything in it if your not cooking for 10. If your Meat is raw, cook it up in a little oil, (brown hamburger, cut up chicken into little bite sized pieces) drain off excess fat when done. Remove to separate bowl.If your meat is already cooked (Tuna, pre cooked meat from market, morningstar farms, etc) move to next step. Put on a pan of water to boil. Follow directions to cook egg noodles. Use your best judgement as to how much. (We were 2 and used 1/2 a bag) Sauté onions and green peppers (if you have them) add a little garlic if you like. Cook on medium till soft. Remove to separate bowl with meat. On medium heat add soup and milk, wisk till combined. If it looks too thick, add a little more milk. Once it is simmering add some cheese, what ever you have in the fridge, except mozzarella (it just gets stringy). Once the cheese is incorporated add a little black pepper and the rest of the ingredients back in to the skillet. Then add the cooked noodles and taste for salt.  If you would like you can also add a little cayenne or pepper flakes for a kick.  Try adding salsa with cheddar for a mexican helper.

Lots of options with this one. Its about 1/2 hour in the kitchen start to finish. 

Recipe of the Day.... Crumpets.

So, I am endeavoring on making a decent crumpet. Which should be interesting, since, I've never had a crumpet. I have nothing to compare it to, no model to set it up against. I'm off to the grocery store for ingredients. I've been reading blogs all around the interwebs looking for ideas and the general recipe for one. I'm feeling like it a pancake-y sort of a thing.  I'll make this a several part blog on the "Crumpet: A Quest"  and then we'll see what we get.

Friday Night-  Attempt Number 1 -  So they came out...Meh. Not really what I was looking for, or what I think I'm looking for. No real nooks and crannies. Mostly doughy and heavy. They really weren't what the blog described. I think I filled the rings to much. And someone had mentioned that they had put the soda in right before cooking. I think I'll try that with the next recipe. We'll see!  This is the best part of experimenting, figuring out what works and what doesn't. So these are mine:

Ok so Crumpet fest-tober is on hold for awesome weather. Yard work must be done, so I will continue this little exploration of crumpetness on Tuesday.

 

Crupmet Update:

I might have found the one. This recipe has a lot more air and you add the baking soda at the end, after you have let the yeast do its work. Lots of bubbles everywhere.  Here is the new picture. (if your english, please let me know if these look better) The first picture is as it went into the pan and the second is when it is getting ready to be turned. They seem to work out really well. They do tend to be a little bit greasy. But after you toast them, and add some butter, you don't seem to notice the greasiness.  I have to apologize. I completely forgot to take a picture of them when they were all finished. But they look better!

Happy Birthday to Penny, with two new Recipes!

So my little darling is 2 today. Well we think she is two. We got her from the Forever Home Pet Rescue a great Albany organization that finds forever homes for dogs. I can't believe that she has been with us for more then a year now. I really don't remember what life was like before she took a piece of my heart.  What did I do before I was woken every morning with a 40 pound dog sitting on my back? Or the wet kisses I get every night before bed.  If you don't have one of your own, and are looking to adopt, I definitely suggest Forever Home. They were great, they make sure every dog will work with their new owners. They make house visits and call your vets. And of course, they are a no kill adoption agency, actually they get a lot of their dogs from kill shelters in the south. We know that Penny came from Arkansas.  So our little girl is here to stay, and after the wedding we're talking about adding to our four-legged family.   In honor of Penny's birthday I am adding a Recipe section to blog and putting up her birthday peanut butter cookies.

 

Well I went and saw the co-op kitchen today. I think it's going to be a good fit for my business. The proprietor Anna is a great lady, that really has an interest in helping people out. She was a Home-economics teacher at Ichabod Crane School. The kitchen is down in Kinderhook, which is a bit of a drive from my East Greenbush home, but really not that bad.  Now I need to figure out how I can afford all of the fees and permits that I will need. NY makes it really hard for a business to get started.  I have to start looking around for small business loans etc.   But at least I have a place to bake now.

 

Dinner tonight was pizza, which brings me to my new recipe. It is for my pizza crust. I forgot to take pictures when I was making it so those will be posted next week when I make it.  Kevin and I are on a low carb/ high protein diet, that doesn't allow breads, starches, and high sugar vegetables.  So after a lot of tries I came up with a high protein crust. I saw lots of interesting things on line, that used cauliflower. We tried a few, but Kevin is not a fan of cauliflower,  so those when out the window.  Finally I came up with my own, which works out quite well for crust. It's not your thick Sicilian, but it holds toppings.  The recipe also works if you add some south west spices and make them burrito size.  Not to bad of a taco shell.  All in all today was a productive day.  Here's to the weekend, let it be a warmer, less rainy/snowy couple of days!