Olive Oil n' Rosemary Bread

If you are new to baking bread by hand,...this is the recipe for you!!

Pop down to the bottom of the page for a few "questions answered".

While I was on vacation, I picked up a loaf of "Rudi's Organics - Olive Oil and Rosemary Bread" at an Ingles supermarket in North Carolina. It smelled fantastic right through the plastic, so I knew I had to have it.

That night I made Chicken n' Dumplin's and I broiled a few slices of this bread brushed with Olive Oil - Hubby was lookin' for more! The next day I made turkey sandwiches for our picnik lunch using this bread - they were fantastic!!!

So, needless to say when I got home, I popped on the internet and began searching for a recipe, hoping to get as close as I could. After making a few adjustments to the recipe I found, I got so close I almost thought my name was Rudi!! :)


While this is an easy bread to make, it takes some "sponging time", so you can either begin it at night before bed and bake in the morning,...OR begin in the morning and bake before dinner.

What you're gonna need:

4 TBSP. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP. minced fresh Rosemary (don't use dried in this recipe)

1 C. Whole Milk - Warm, but not hot - like a nice bath - about 110 degrees

2 C. Whole Wheat Flour (I ALWAYS use King Arthur WHOLE WHITE WHEAT)

1/2 C. Unbleached Bread Flour (I used King Arthur)

1 1/2 tsp. Instant Rise Yeast

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. large grain salt (Kosher or Sea)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

First, Create a "sponge"...

In a medium sized bowl mix 2 C. Wheat Flour, and all the Yeast; stir in the warm milk until well mixed.

It'll be kinda thick, like this...

Cover bowl snugly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place - I put it on the top of my fridge overnight.

After about 8 hours or so (when you wake up, or an 1 1/2 hours before dinner), take down the bowl and remove plastic.



You'll notice it's a little bit puffy now because it rose last night and then settled.

Stir in the oil, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and sugar.

It'll be gloppy, like this.

Turn your oven on to WARM, when it's ready, turn it off.

Using the 1/2 cup of Bread Flour, sprinkle your counter well, and dump the dough on there...

Knead the dough until you get a nice soft bundle, adding more of that 1/2 cup as needed (you'll most likely use it all). Keep kneading for 7-10 minutes or until you have a nice pliable, elastic feeling dough ball.

Make a round loaf by turning the ball in your hands and tucking under toward the bottom, giving it a smooth top. Set this on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper; lightly rub top and sides with Olive Oil. Cover with a lightweight kithcen towel and slip into the warm oven to rise for about 25 minutes (or until almost doubled).

Remove from oven and treat gently so it doesn't collapse. If you have a baking stone, put it on the LOWEST rack in the oven, and put one of the racks at the highest point. Crank it up to 400.

Here is the risen loaf...
Now, take a VERY sharp knife or blade and slit it three times (or however you want), about 1/4 inch deep.

Make a mixture of egg white and a dribble of milk, whip it good and brush it on the top and sides of your loaf (for a beautiful golden color).

Once the oven says it's ready, slide your bread (and parchment paper) onto the stone, and place a shallow pan of water on the top shelf - now TURN IT DOWN to 375.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temp. reaches 190 degrees (I use a temp probe, this works best for me).

(it's ready when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom). You can remove the pan of water after 15 minutes.

Remove bread to cooling rack and cool completely before slicing - this is HARD to wait for, but it's the best thing to do for a nice texture!

Now for some answers to your questions...what no questions? Ok, here's some info anyway...

1. What's the big deal about King Arthur White Whole Wheat? This is the best whole wheat flour I've ever worked with because it is milled from a soft grain, and milled nice and fine. So, it performs almost just like white flour (ALMOST, but nothing beats while flour for pancakes!).


2. Why should I use extra virgin olive oil? Actually there's a lot more to it than that. I only buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil that says it is from the FIRST COLD PRESSING, this ensure that the oil has not heated up from the processings and lost is valuable flavor and nutrients. I ALSO only purchase oil that SAYS it has been packed in Italy. If your label says (select oils from Italy, Spain and Tunisia,...) BUT doesn't say it's packed in Italy, then after it's shipped to the USA in big vats, it is most likely "dulled" down by a percentage of vegetable oils before being bottled.


3. Why am I putting a pan of water in the oven? The steam that is released during the few few minutes of cooking gives the bread that nice hard crust that you want in an Artisan type bread (think of a baguette). If you prefer a softer crust, brush the bread with olive oil after removing it from the oven.


4. How do I knead bread? Kneading is easy, AND relaxing. Simply fold the top part of your dough down in the center and press it into itself with the heel of your hand, then turn it a quarter of a turn and do it again, and again, and again, until you achieve the soft elastic feel.


5. What's the Sponge for? This gives the bread a light airy texture and a slighly "sourdough" flavor, but not a TRUE tart sourdough flavor.

Any more questions? Just ask! :)

Have a beautiful day!

Seasoning A Turkey

I know we all have different ways of getting our bird ready for the big day, so I almost hesitated in sharing this. Then I remembered that there was a time when I had no idea what to do to a Turkey, and I even cooked it without taking out the bag of goodies that was in the neck cavity - yeah, we won't go there!!! LOL

Over the years I have come up with a nice way to make turkey juicy and tasty. First things first...pick the bird.

The BEST thing you can ever do is buy a FRESH - NEVER FROZEN turkey. You would have to order it from your butcher or specialty meat market most likely.

If you can't do that, then at least look for a turkey that is NATURAL, and has not been "injected" with broth and flavorings. This is hard to do, because almost ALL meat has been injected with some sort of solution - it's actually kinda scary. But if you ask your butcher, or the person who wears the white coat and appears to be a butcher, they should be able to help you out.

Once your bird is thawed, removed the bags of guts, rinse him well inside and out and pat him dry. Set him on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Now you're ready to season, here's what I do...

In a small bowl, mix fresh chopped herbs (Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and minced Garlic with Kosher or Sea Salt, and Fresh Ground Black Pepper) - add equal amounts of melted butter and extra virgin olive oil to make a gooey paste. You want to end up with about 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup.

Using your fingers, gently lift the skin of the breast and legs away from the meat, but don't tear the skin if possible.

Now rub that Herb Goop all up in there, as far as you can ~ get around his knees and onto his thighs, tickle the side of his ribs too!

Next, roughly chop up some carrots, celery and sweet yellow onion, also, smash about 4-5 cloves of garlic with the flat side of a butcher knife. Fill his body cavity with these veggies (I don't stuff my Turkey - I like my stuffing baked in a dish, besides this cuts down on roasting time and leaves no possibility of contamination).

See that flab of skin hangin' by his back end? Cut a small slit in it and tuck his little ankle bones in there to secure them. Tuck his wings behind his neck (even though he doesn't have one), kinda like he's sunbathing.

Next, I like to soften a little more butter and add a bit of olive oil in a small bowl. Now rub this all over this bad boy, grease him up good!

The next thing I do is pour a couple of cans of homemade chicken broth into the pan. If you don't have homemade, get a good quality organic broth if you can. This is going to be the base for your gravy, so don't skimp here.

Hey...it's a good idea to defrost it first....BUT if you don't for some unknown, strange, air-headed reason...it's gonna melt in the oven just fine, but you have to get it in the pan!!!!

Get the turkey safely to the oven, avoiding the slobber tongue of your dog!

If you have a temp probe like this one from Pampered Chef, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh, but don't let it touch the bone. Set it for the proper poultry setting and walk away and it'll beep when your turkey is done! Oh! Be sure to pre-heat your oven first, lol.

Check on him every now and again. If he's golden, tent him lightly with foil so he doesn't burn. Add more broth if it disappears. Once you take him out, cover him with foil and let him sit there undisturbed for AT LEAST 30 minutes. This let's the juices set up - you do NOT want a dry bird! :) Enjoy!

Strawberry Mornings

I used my biscuit dough as a base for this recipe, but changed it up a bit to get what I wanted. I created this and was pretty happy that it came out just as I wanted on the first try! That's always fun. :)

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup REAL unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 cup low-fat yogurt (plain, vanilla or strawberry)

About 6 good sized sliced strawberries (I used frozen ones that I sat out to soften) - you could also use a different fruit, blueberries, peaches, yum!

2 tsp. melted butter

Turbinado or Raw sugar (fine works too if you don't have the crunchy kind)

NOTE: I used plain yogurt because I wanted this to be a lightly sweet breakfast treat, however I have used Strawberry and it adds a little extra sweetness - VERY good. :)

Preheat oven (and baking stone if you have one) to 450. I like to place a piece of parchment paper on a small baking sheet and slide the paper onto my stone when I'm ready to bake, that way my stone is nice and hot.

In a small bowl, sprinkle 1/4 tsp sugar over the strawberries and stir - set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Work butter chunks in with a pastry cutter or your fingers. You want to leave it kinda clumpy, that's what makes biscuits flaky! :)

Stir in the yogurt, just until mixed. Don't overmix, that's can make your biscuits into Bricks!

Sprinkle your counter with a little bit of flour and plop your dough on that. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle and fold it in thirds. Bring one side over, leaving 1/3 unfolded, then bring that side over to the edge. Turn 1/4 turn and do this again. I try to do this about 3 times; this helps to add layers, fluffiness and flakiness to your dough.

Gently pat dough into a rectangle that is about 6x12 - don't get too picky with it, but DO be GENTLE - (no bricks, right?).

Cut straight down, not in a slicing motion, make 8 squares (they won't be perfect, don't worry).

Divide the strawberries evenly between the squares, (about 3 strawberry slices each). Fold up corners and pinch together (it won't be perfect, that's not important).

Place these little guys onto a piece of parchment paper that is laying on a small flat baking sheet. (Make sure it's the right size to slide onto your stone).

Brush the tops lightly with the 2 tsp melted butter ~ take it easy, this is for big flavor, not big thighs!!

Sprinkle the tops lightly with your crunchy turbinado sugar (or plain if that's what you've got).

Slide the parchment onto your stone (be careful, don't burn your hands on the metal handle - not that I would KNOW that from experience or anything!!!) :)

Set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes, ....and go do something fun for 10 minutes...maybe pick flowers in your backyard, that's what I did! :)

When they are done they should look like this...

OR this... :)

They taste wonderful; light, flaky, just a little sweet, tender with a crispy bottom. WAY better than anything I've ever had at St**b**ks - LOL,....EXCEPT their pumpkin bread, mmmmm! But definitely cheaper and I can have them while I'm still in my jammies! :)

They were so good that I HAD to have 2! :)

Now go get cookin' girls!

Have a beautiful day...

Kathy :)

Cheese Ball

I'm joining my best friend Kim for her "Tried and True Thanksgiving Recipes Week"...if you'd like to check out more recipes, go here..Kim's Meme.

Today is Appetizer Day...so here goes...

As is tradition, my family always goes to Kim's for Thanksgiving (and they come to my house for Christmas dinner). For the last couple of years, I brought this cheese ball. I just decided to do it one year and it worked out great because there was a delay in the meal for some unknown and forgotten reason, but the ball was scarfed down pretty quickly. Not sure if I'll bring it this year because she's promising some sort of baked Feta and Marinara thingie that sounds way YUM! We all know what too much cheese can do... :)

Here ya' go...

2 - 8ox packages 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese - softened to almost room temp

8 oz Sharp cheddar cheese - Shredded (I like Cabot white cheddar)

1 Tbsp. minced pimento

1 Tbsp. minced green bell pepper (or any color)

1 Tbsp. minced sweet yellow onion

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Dash of Cayenne Pepper (or two if you're adventurous)

(OPTIONAL) - Chopped pecans, parsley (or other mixed herbs) or walnuts to roll the ball in

Cream together the 2 cheeses, add the remaining ingredients (except optional ones). Shape it into a ball. Wrap w/foil and chill for 24 hrs. After it's chilled well, roll in nuts or herbs.



Serve with crackers and let the munching begin! I really like the Kashi crackers - they are pretty healthy and taste wonderful.

Pumpkin-Cherry Berry-Swirl Bread

I adapted this from a recipe I found in one of my Cooking Light cookbooks. I always like to use whole wheat flour and unrefined sugars when I can. This is yummy as is, or toasted with jam or cream cheese!

Although I used fresh steamed pumkin (it tastes so fresh and looks beautiful!), you can use canned pumpkin. AND, last but not least...as I always told my son..."we want bread not bricks"...always measure your flour by lightly spooning into your cups.

Here's what you'll need:

4 oz. (1/3 less fat) cream cheese (softened to room temp)

1 Tbsp. Honey

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla

1 large egg white (save the yolk - you're gonna use that too!)

2 cups King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat Flour

(it's the best whole wheat I've ever used)

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

(I just make up 1 1/2 tsp of spices I like: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk (that you saved, right?)

1 cup organic sucanet ~ OR ~ dark brown sugar

3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

3 Tbsp. organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ~ OR ~ Canola oil

3/4 cup dried Cherry Berry blend (Cherries, cranberries and blueberries) ~ OR ~ any dried fruit you prefer (dates, raisins, currants, etc...)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

9x5 inch loaf pan (I prefer stoneware or ceramic)

Heat your oven to 350. Butter or oil your loaf pan.

Combine the first 4 ingredients and whisk or mix until well blended.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in berries and walnuts (if using).

In a separate medium to small bowl, mix egg, egg yolk, brown sugar, pumpkin and oil until well blended. Now get out your Wooden Spoon and mix this into the dry ingredients just until blended.

Spread into prepared loaf pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top and swirl it around and through using a knife.

Now, pop it in the oven and bake for about 1 hour. This depends on your oven of course. Check at 50 minutes and lay a piece of foil gently on top if you need to prevent further browning.

When it checks done with a pick (no gooey dough, just moist crumbs), remove from oven. Let it cool IN THE PAN for 10 minutes. Then remove it and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Enjoy with a cup of Hot Spiced Cider or some yummy coffee...I just did! :)

Two Bean and Brown Rice Stew

I came up with this last night for dinner. It's healthy, hearty, satisfying and Delicious!!!

NOTE: I always look for low-sodium or organic products when I can, keep that in mind when purchasing ingredients.

1 cup Brown Basmati Rice

3 cups Chicken Broth (Wolfgang Puck Organics is a good choice)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion (vidalia is my favorite)

4 minced garlic cloves

ground turmeric

Chipotle Chili Powder

Dried Basil (or fresh is always a better choice)

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup bell pepper (any color) chopped

1 can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

1/4 cup sweet red wine

6 oz low-salt V-8 juice

1 can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground pepper

Toppings:

Shredded cheese (I used Mozzerella)

Crushed Tortilla Chips (Not Fritos)

Chopped Avocado (optional)

Cook the rice according to the directions, however substitute the water for 2 cups chicken broth + 1/2 cup water. While rice is cooking, begin stew.

Saute Onion and Garlic over med-high heat in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, until tender. Add wine and simmer until reduced by 1/2. Add carrotts and peppers, saute 3 minutes.

Add seasonings and stir well (I suggest 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1/8 tsp chipotle powder and 3/4 tsp basil). Add V-8, canned tomatoes and 1/2 -1 cup chicken broth.

Puree 1/2 of each type of beans until smooth; stir puree and whole beans into stew. Add just a pinch of Kosher salt and frsh ground peppercorns.

Simmer covered, until the rice is done. Add 2 cups rice to stew and continue to simmer until carrots are just crisp tender ~ the entire cooking time should be about 1 hour from start to finish.

Serve topped with a little shredded cheese, a couple of crushed tortilla chips and (if desired) chopped avocado). This is hearty and filling, so you won't want to eat TOO much! I served these with Biscuits ~ I made them with Whole Wheat Flour, and added about 1 tsp. caraway seeds. Enjoy!

For nutrition info regarding Turmeric, Beans and Brown Rice, check this out...The Low Down.

Get out your wooden spoon and whip up some stew!

The Low Down on Beans, Brown Rice and Turmeric...

Good For Your Tastebuds ~ Good For Your Body!

Last night I was craving a "Meatless Main". I was in the mood for brown rice and beans, but wanted something hardier than a salad or a "side-dish", so I dug through the pantry, and this is what I came up with ~ Two Bean And Brown Rice Stew.

For the recipe, please click on the recipe title above. For the "low-down" on 3 of the main ingredients in this stew, read on...

Breaking it down...

Turmeric:

Briefly, here are some awesome reasons you should use this spice... It has all these properties and more ~ anit-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, liver detoxifier, may fight some forms of cancer, natural painkiller, known to boost metabolism (help with weight loss), speeds up wound healing and helps fight depression.

Beans:

They feed your body with complex carbs, the good ones. They won't make you fat; they actually make you feel full longer while they feed your muscles and brain with quick burning energy! If that's not a good enough reason to eat beans, check this out...

Beans are packed with calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium, folate, alpha-linolenic acid, antioxidants, and are also one of the only plant sources that have complete proteins. It's also been found that eating beans regularly will lower your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity.

Brown Rice:

"I don't like brown rice, why can't I just eat white rice"...

sure go ahead, if all you want is to fill up your belly and get nothing in return.

Check this out...

Processing Brown Rice: Harvest; Run through huller/husker to remove the outer grain husks; Done.

Processing White Rice: Harvest; Run through huller/husker to remove the outer grain husks; Run through process to remove the germ and the bran (this is where all the good fiber and vitamins are); Polish the remaining grain using glucose or talc (yes, that's the stuff we diaper our babies with); add synethic nutrients to "replace" all the nutrients that were stripped away (our bodies don't absorb synthetic nutrients as efficiently as natural ones); Done.
Once this is done (even after being fortified, the nutrients are still lower than in brown rice, as well as the fiber content which is about 1/4 of brown rice fiber).

NOTE: Store Brown rice in the fridge or freezer, it doesn't stay fresh at room temp as long as white rice.

A lot of Mom's have a hard time going straight from white rice (or bread) to brown rice (or whole grain bread)...try making a slow transition, that's what I did many years ago. I began to cook a little of both and mix them slowly together until eventually we were eating only brown rice.

Don't be fooled by "instant brown rice". If it doesn't take 30-40 minuts to cook, it's probably not REALLY brown rice.

All beans are good for you, but here's a little tip: The darker the skin, the more antioxidants, so black beans are always a good choice. However, with so many beans out there, just find one that you really like!

Now whip out your wooden spoon and make up a batch of Two Bean and Brown Rice Stew!