Happy 4th of July!
Category Archives: basic skills
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Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Video Recipe
Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use the best quality ingredients you can for amazing cookies.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces room temperature butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Add the butter and sugars, stir to combine. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl combine:
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Add to sugar and butter mixture; stir to combine. Do not over mix.
Mix in:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Use a small scoop to make even size cookies. Space 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with Maldon Flaked Salt, if desired.
Bake 350°F for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let cookies sit on the pan for a few minutes to “set up” before moving the cookies to cooling rack.
Make sure you hide some for yourself because they go fast!
Ciabatta Bread
T
here is nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked bread, unless it’s eating freshly baked bread.
This loaf can be made in just under 2 hours and is easy and really delicious. The only problem I have with this loaf is that it does not last very long.
It gets gobbled up super fast.
Ciabatta Bread
Dry Ingredients: Combine in the bowl of a stand mixer
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon organic sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (non-iodized like Himalayan Pink Salt)
Wet Ingredients: Combine in a glass measuring cup
- 1 ½ cups warm water (heat 30 seconds in a microwave until the water feels warm to your finger tip)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Using a dough hook, mix the dry ingredients on low speed. Slowly add the wet ingredients, mix until it is all combined.
Set the timer and knead on medium speed for 10 full minutes.
The dough will look wet and sticky. It is and that is the way it is supposed to be. A wet dough will give you the bigger holes Ciabatta is known for. Resist the temptation to add more flour! At 10 minutes kneading time, the dough will be perfect.
Remove the dough hook; cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 15 minutes in a warm area. (Your oven on bread proofing setting is perfect)
In the meantime, prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper (or Silpat sheet), lightly dust with cornmeal and set aside until needed.
Generously flour a surface to put the dough on after 15 minutes. Plop the entire dough mass onto the flour and dust the entire surface with flour so your hands don’t stick to the dough.
Press the dough into a rectangle, fold into thirds, and then repeat. Do not knead the dough, just lightly pat it into place. Pat, pat, pat, just lightly.
Shape the dough into a rectangle and place onto the baking sheet. Loosely cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
While the bread is rising outside the oven, preheat the inside of the oven to 425° F.
After the bread has risen for 45 minutes, spritz with water and place it into the oven. The water will help give the bread a crisp crust.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
Shelf life: 3-5 days or until gone, typically the same day it’s made.
An Interesting Life
#liveaninterestinglife #lovelife
Candied Spiced Pecans
These spiced pecans are from China Grove, NC. A friend of our has a grove of pecans that produced a bumper crop this year. The three boys use the pecans to raise money for music instruments. So it is a great cause to support.
I look forward to the Helms Farm Pecans every year.
There are so many spiced and candied nut recipes out there, you can modify any one of them to fit your tastes. Personally, I love the sweet, salty, slightly hot flavor of these nuts. The warm spices enhance the amazing flavor of the roasted nut, the chili powder gives a slight amount of entertaining heat and the sugars make them indulgent.
Imagine these with fresh pears and bleu cheese! Now, that is an amazing platter to put out with pre-dinner wine and champagne.
Candied Spiced Pecans
Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or use a silpat.
- 1 ounce egg white (1 white from 1 large egg)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pound raw pecan halves
Beat the egg white to soft peaks. If it is properly beaten, there will be no liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Wipe the bowl and beaters with vinegar to remove any possible oils that may be on the surface. This will ensure a successfully beaten egg white.
While the egg white is beating, mix the sugar and spices in a small bowl.
Beaten egg whites mixed with seasonings.
When the egg is properly beaten, add the seasonings.
Fold in the pecans and toss to evenly coat all of the nuts. Separate any nuts that stick together.
Spread onto a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir them occasionally for even roasting.
Cool, separating any nuts that stick together again after roasting.
Package and present as a wonderful gift for anyone!
Please be aware that if you put these out for a party, they will disappear fast! I suggest you save them for a small group.
Related articles
- Jami Mitchell’s Spicy Pecans with Cranberries (fox4kc.com)
- Spiced Nuts With Fresh Herbs (putneyfarm.com)
- For More Than Just Pie! Pecan Halves – Ingredient Spotlight (thekitchn.com)
- Pecan Dreams (offonatangent.blogspot.com)
- homemade cinnamon sugar candied nuts. (sallysbakingaddiction.com)
- Candy Brandy Pecans (sweetheatchefs.com)
I Try To Do Things . . .
Make Almond Milk – It’s So Easy!
It’s so easy to make almond milk at home, why wouldn’t you?
Almond Milk and Cookies
The most difficult thing is to remember to soak the almonds overnight. Once you start making your own milk on a regular basis, you’ll get into a rhythm. There is not one bit of this that is hard to do.
The ingredients are few, recognizable as real food and delicious.
Here’s how:
Almond Milk, lightly sweetened
Ingredients for Almond Milk
To make 5 cups:
1 cup raw almonds, skin on
Water to cover for initial soaking; about 4-5 cups (this water gets discarded)
4 cups water – to make the milk
3 Medjool dates, remove the pits
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method:
Place the almonds in a bowl, cover them with fresh water. Cover the bowl and allow the almonds to soak for 12-24 hours.
Drain the water and use it to water some plants.
Place the soaked almonds into a blender.
Add 4 cups fresh water, pitted dates, vanilla and salt into a high-powered blender. Secure the cover and turn on high. Allow it to run on high for 2-4 minutes, depending on the power of your blender. If you are using a vita-mix, use the lower time to 2 minutes, more generic style blenders, process for a longer time.
Use a wire mesh strainer over a bowl to strain the milk from the solids. Using a rubber spatula or bowl scraper,work the almond, date pulp around the wire strainer until it’s as dry as you can get it. Save this for another use, after all it’s just ground almonds, dates and vanilla.
Straining Almond Milk
Pour the milk into a pitcher or milk jug and refrigerate until well chilled.
This milk is very lightly sweetened and is the consistency of whole milk. If you want it thinner, add more water, thicker, use less water. Same with the dates for sweetening.
You want chocolate Almond Milk? Add organic dark coc
oa powder with the dates. Simply amazing.
Almond Milk Label
Once you try this homemade almond milk, you’ll be so spoiled! Read the labels on a store-bought almond milk. Which would you prefer to drink and give to your family?
The ground almonds and dates left over from the process make nice cakes and cookies. I’ve used the almond debris to replace zucchini in zucchini brownies with great success.
I’ve made Chocolate Almond Cherry Ice Cream and no bake almond butter, date and oat balls.
Almond milk “debris”
How do you use the almond debris left over from the milk? I’m getting fat from the cakes and cookies!
#almondmilk #makeyourown #makealmondmilk #almonds #noprocessedfood #wholefoods #vegan #nondairymilk #nutmilk
#makenutmilkathome #healthyeating #wellness
Almond Milk and Almond Cranberry cookies made from the debris
Eat Fresh! What’s in Season NOW: October 2014
Fall is in the air!
Fresh Crisp Fall Apples
A nip in the morning, time to grab a light jacket.
Here is a quick listing of what’s in season now.
These are the things you should be seeing in the markets, things that are growing locally.
Click on the links for recipes and other great information while you read the list!
Apples – Quite abundant for apple dumplings and apple sauce now through February. Find an orchard and go apple picking!
Beets – get some baby ones and roast them. So delicious! Pickle some for later. Ummm
Pickled beets
Apples on display
Bok Choy – debuts mid month! Make a refreshing salad of crisp stir-fry
Cabbage – plenty on hand until mid December. Try your hand at making Sauerkraut or Kimchee
Cherry Tomatoes – these juicy gems will be gone by November. I’ve witnessed my plants slowing way down in production. Enjoy them now!
Collards – A year round favorite green. Make some cornbread, cook up some pinto beans, add simmered collards and YUM! You’ve got quite a meal.
Cucumbers – are saying good bye. As in days of yore, if you haven’t put up your pickles yet, you’re almost out of time!
Greens – Like cooler weather so there should be a good selection through mid December. Time to fortify.
Herbs – There are many you will find in the markets. They are quite easy to grow so you should consider a small container of herbs for your kitchen.
Indian Corn – for decoration
Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
Kale – Hearty and healthy; abundantly available. Make salads, stews, soup, smoothies, chips, saute it, wraps. . .
Lettuce – makes another quick season before it gets too cold.
Muscadine Grapes – nearly gone. Freeze some for holiday punch bowls and drinks. Crush, simmer and extract the juice. Make sorbet to die for. Definitely worth doing
Muscadine grapes
Mushrooms – you should be seeing a nice supply through the end of November
Napa Cabbage – shows us a quick cool season until mid December when the deep cold sets in with shorter sunlight hours
Peanuts – Seems these are always available
Pears – Nice juicy pears are around until the end of October. Poach a few, can a few more for winter treats.
Persimmons – The perennial Fall Favorite to those who like them. Honestly, I don’t get it.
Pumpkins – Yay! I get them for carving, roasting, eating, I plant succulents on them, decorate with them. After Thanksgiving, I paint them Christmas colors.
Painted Pumpkins Lined up to dry
Radishes – There should be a bunch of radishes this month. I love the French Breakfast Radish. Yeah.
Raspberries – Fresh and short lasting. Enjoy them, freeze them but that’s just not the same as fresh. Gotta love those little seeds!
Romaine – Another lettuce for the Fall season. Practice your Caesar Salad skills.
Caesar Salad
Snow Peas – Toss some into your Stir-fry, I like to snack on them like chips. So crisp and delicious!
Spinach – Add just a pinch of fresh grated nutmeg to your spinach for an awesome flavor compliment. Just a small pinch is all you need.
Sweet Potatoes – Available all year.
Tomatoes – If you grow them, watch for the first freeze and pick whats left. Make Green Tomato Chow-chow or Green Tomato Pie (tastes just like apple!)
A delicious Green Tomato Pie
Turnips – add some to soup, mash some with your mashed potatoes. Toss some into your greens as they cook. My favorite, Pickled Turnips!
Pickled Turnips
This, is the list for the Piedmont area of North Carolina.
What’s growing where you live?
#localfood #eatfresh #healthyeating #freshfood #seasonalfood #localfarmers #farmersmarkets #freshfruit #freshvegetables #whatsinseasonnow
Whole Roasted Cauliflower Enrobed in Spicy Yogurt Dressing
This is a delicious way to serve a whole roasted cauliflower. Instead of drying out in the oven, the spicy yogurt dressing serve as a marinade and a tasty barrier holding all the yummy juices inside.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower Enrobed in Spicy Yogurt Dressing
The yogurt dressing will turn golden brown when the cauliflower is done. Pierce carefully with a slim knife to test for tenderness all the way through.
Do not over-cook, you don’t want the vegetable to fall apart and be mushy.
Each head of cauliflower will serve 4 people generously, 6-8 as a side dish.
This would make a fun “roast replacement” for any vegetarian (not vegan due to the yogurt) meal.
Plated roasted cauliflower
Here’s what you need:
Whole Roasted Cauliflower Enrobed in Spicy Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (or drain plain yogurt so it is nice and thick.)
Zest and juice from 1 lime, more if your taste prefers
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Very Tasty!
Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves; trim so it sits flat.
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Spread the mixture all over the cauliflower; use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over the surface. Save any extra for serving later.
Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes in a 400°F. The surface will be dry and lightly browned. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.
Place the cauliflower on the serving platter and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Slice the cauliflower into wedges and serve with a fresh green salad.
Serve any extra yogurt marinade on the side of the roasted cauliflower; add good quality bread and you’ve quite a meal.
Try this for Meatless Monday!
#wholeroastedcauliflower #roastedvegetables #cookingvegetables #cauliflower #meatlessmeals #meatlessMonday #vegeterianmaindish
Spoon Feast 