This year I wanted to do something a little different. I've been reading David Chang's momofuku book and wanted to figure out a bulgogi brine. After looking at various recipes and Maangchi, I came up with this recipe.
4 small asian pears
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 bulb of garlic
2 inches of ginger
1 bunch of scallions
1 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 small onions or 1 big onion
1 tb sriracha
A couple of hours before I was reading to brine the turkey, I put the salt and brown sugar in a pot with 1/2 gallon of water. I didn't really measure, just kind of eye balled it. I brought the water to a boil and stirred the mixture until the salt and sugar were dissolved. I turned the stove off and let it cool.
Cut the asian pear into chunks, quarter the onions, peal the ginger and garlic. Blend the mixture with soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and rice wine. Combine the pear mixture with the chilled water solution and add another half gallon of cold water.
Rise the turkey and place in a brining bag. I get them at stop & shop and it fits a 12-16 lb turkey without any problems. I made 2 12 lb turkeys, so this was enough to brine both. It it marinate over nite and up to 1 day.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
MexiGoat Pizza
For my son's birthday, he wanted to a Magic tournament, so that's what he got. I asked him what he wanted for the food. I suggested a couple of things and he chose pizza. I'm glad he did, since that's easy to make and feeds a lot of teen age boys. I listed a couple of different flavor combinations, taking into consideration his friends likes/dislikes.
He decided on 1 cheese and 1 vegan. The dough is Jim Lahey's no-knead pizza dough, which is very similar to no-knead bread recipe. The ingredients for the vegan pizza was basil pesto, garlic slices, bella mushrooms, bell peppers, coarse salt, cracked pepper and spinach. I didn't get to taste it, since it disappeared pretty quickly with 12 boys.
The cheese pizza I used 2 kinds of moz. The first was fresh moz, which I broke into pieces by hand. The second was a low moisture moz, which I cut into thick slices. I did try that one and boy was it good. The two kinds of moz gave it two different textures. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture in time.
The third pizza was for the wife and I. I'm calling it MexiGoat pizza. Here's the ingredients
thin layer of tomatoe sauce
avocado
crumbled goat cheese
coarse salt
cracked pepper
spinach
The trick to a nice thin pizza crust is to spread it out on the pan and let it rest. The dough is pretty, but not so thin that it breaks. I spread about 4 tablespoons of sauce to make a thin layer. Next I put on the avocado, feta, coase salt and cracked pepper. Bake it at 550 degrees for 4 minutes. Take it out and put the spinach on top and bake for another 2 minutes. When it's done, transfer to a cutting board, cut and then eat!
The reason I'm naming it MexiGoat is simple. Avocado is native to Mexico and central America. Feta is made from goat cheese and originates from Greece. MexiGoat is partly inspired by Antonio's pizza in Amherst (Antonio's Pizza). My favorite pizza there is the Black bean avocado. If you're ever in Amherst or East hampton, I highly recommend it.
He decided on 1 cheese and 1 vegan. The dough is Jim Lahey's no-knead pizza dough, which is very similar to no-knead bread recipe. The ingredients for the vegan pizza was basil pesto, garlic slices, bella mushrooms, bell peppers, coarse salt, cracked pepper and spinach. I didn't get to taste it, since it disappeared pretty quickly with 12 boys.
The cheese pizza I used 2 kinds of moz. The first was fresh moz, which I broke into pieces by hand. The second was a low moisture moz, which I cut into thick slices. I did try that one and boy was it good. The two kinds of moz gave it two different textures. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture in time.
The third pizza was for the wife and I. I'm calling it MexiGoat pizza. Here's the ingredients
thin layer of tomatoe sauce
avocado
crumbled goat cheese
coarse salt
cracked pepper
spinach
The trick to a nice thin pizza crust is to spread it out on the pan and let it rest. The dough is pretty, but not so thin that it breaks. I spread about 4 tablespoons of sauce to make a thin layer. Next I put on the avocado, feta, coase salt and cracked pepper. Bake it at 550 degrees for 4 minutes. Take it out and put the spinach on top and bake for another 2 minutes. When it's done, transfer to a cutting board, cut and then eat!
The reason I'm naming it MexiGoat is simple. Avocado is native to Mexico and central America. Feta is made from goat cheese and originates from Greece. MexiGoat is partly inspired by Antonio's pizza in Amherst (Antonio's Pizza). My favorite pizza there is the Black bean avocado. If you're ever in Amherst or East hampton, I highly recommend it.
Friday, October 3, 2014
apple cinnamon muffin
Last nite I asked my daughter what she would like for breakfast and she said muffins. I started thinking "what kind of muffin should I make?" After a couple of minutes of head scratching, I decided to google for cinnamon muffin. As usual, most of the recipes had too much sugar. Of the first 10 results returned by google, most of them had 1/2-1 cup of sugar. I have to ask "Why?" With all that sugar, you'd hide the apple's natural sweetness and over power the tartness of the apple.
2 cups flour (I use kamut)
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
1/8 cup honey
1 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 granny smith apple
Preheat the oven at 375. Chop the apple into tiny cubes, or what ever size you prefer. Combine the dry ingredients with the apple and stir. In a separate bowl mix egg, butter and milk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until it comes together.
Put the dough into your muffin pan. I like to use muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. This time I used 2 tsp of cinnamon, but next time I plan to use 3. That should give it an extra kick.
2 cups flour (I use kamut)
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
1/8 cup honey
1 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 granny smith apple
Preheat the oven at 375. Chop the apple into tiny cubes, or what ever size you prefer. Combine the dry ingredients with the apple and stir. In a separate bowl mix egg, butter and milk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until it comes together.
Put the dough into your muffin pan. I like to use muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. This time I used 2 tsp of cinnamon, but next time I plan to use 3. That should give it an extra kick.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Pumpkin Soup
I don't cook winter squashes, but I thought it would be good to try. Since the only pie I like is Atkins Farms pumpkin pie, I thought making a pumpkin soup would be a good place to start. Here's the ingredients.
1 cooking pumpkin
3 carrots
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
Sriracha
Salt
1 tbsp butter
5 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup milk or lactaid
Peel the carrots and cut them into big pieces. Cut the pumpkin into big chunks and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees with the 3 peeled garlic cloves and carrots for 30 minutes.
Dice 1 onion and sweat them with some oil and salt to taste. Add the butter, chicken stock and roasted veggies. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and puree in a blender or use a hand-held blender. I prefer the hand-held blender, since I don't have to transfer the soup. Once the soup is blended, you can add 1/4 cup of milk or heavy cream. It's optional, but it does add some richness to the soup. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and serve.
Tonight I served it with my Turmeric Vanilla loaf. Both the soup and bread were orange color. Surprisingly, the turmeric vanilla loaf complemented the soup perfectly.
1 cooking pumpkin
3 carrots
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
Sriracha
Salt
1 tbsp butter
5 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup milk or lactaid
Peel the carrots and cut them into big pieces. Cut the pumpkin into big chunks and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees with the 3 peeled garlic cloves and carrots for 30 minutes.
Dice 1 onion and sweat them with some oil and salt to taste. Add the butter, chicken stock and roasted veggies. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and puree in a blender or use a hand-held blender. I prefer the hand-held blender, since I don't have to transfer the soup. Once the soup is blended, you can add 1/4 cup of milk or heavy cream. It's optional, but it does add some richness to the soup. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and serve.
Tonight I served it with my Turmeric Vanilla loaf. Both the soup and bread were orange color. Surprisingly, the turmeric vanilla loaf complemented the soup perfectly.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Orange Mango Cinnamon Loaf
This recipe is a variation on my orange cinnamon loaf. I was curious to see how it would taste with more cinnamon and orange juice. I know that cinnamon is sometimes paired with mango, so I thought maybe orange mango juice would go well with cinnamon.
3 cups All purpose flour
1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups Florida natural orange mango juice
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until it's mixed. Heat 1.5 cups of Florida natural orange mango juice in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. You want it to be warm, not cold. Pour the juice into the flour mixture and stir until it forms a wet dough.
Let the dough rise over night. For into a loaf and let it rest for 45-60 minutes. In the meantime heat your dutch oven at 500 degrees. Bake the loaf at 500 degrees covered for 30 minutes. If you like a hearty crust, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
When it is done, let it rest for 30 minutes before eating. What does it taste like? Since it has more cinnamon than my orange cinnamon loaf, you can smell the cinnamon right off. The orange flavor is present, but not overwhelming. The mango flavor is subtle and isn't immediately obvious. The cinnamon enhances and changes the mango flavor. I like to slice it up and spread some cream cheese on it. Tastes savory and yummy.
3 cups All purpose flour
1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups Florida natural orange mango juice
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until it's mixed. Heat 1.5 cups of Florida natural orange mango juice in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. You want it to be warm, not cold. Pour the juice into the flour mixture and stir until it forms a wet dough.
Let the dough rise over night. For into a loaf and let it rest for 45-60 minutes. In the meantime heat your dutch oven at 500 degrees. Bake the loaf at 500 degrees covered for 30 minutes. If you like a hearty crust, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
When it is done, let it rest for 30 minutes before eating. What does it taste like? Since it has more cinnamon than my orange cinnamon loaf, you can smell the cinnamon right off. The orange flavor is present, but not overwhelming. The mango flavor is subtle and isn't immediately obvious. The cinnamon enhances and changes the mango flavor. I like to slice it up and spread some cream cheese on it. Tastes savory and yummy.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Gooey chocolate chip cookies
Tomorrow is Covac century with the guys and I decided to make some treats for after the ride. Last year was a lot of fun and we averaged over 21mph. I did some googling and saw lots of different recipes for gooey chocolate chip cookie. This is my own variation based on several that I saw.
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Before you start mixing the ingredients, preheat your oven at 375.
1. 30 minutes before you're gonna bake, take out the butter and let it get to room temperature
2. Using a spoon or spatula cream the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until well mixed.
3. add egg and vanilla and mix for 2-3 minutes
4. add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and mix
5. when the flour is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and fold. I prefer dark chocolate chips, since it has less sugar. Use what ever chocolate you like most.
6. line your baking sheet with parchment paper
7. make golf ball size ball of dough and press it lightly on the baking sheet. You want the cookies to be thick, so they stay soft
8. bake for 10 minutes. You want the bottom edge to be brown, but the top should be white.
When they're done, remove them to a cooking rack and let them rest for 15 minutes before eating. Get yourself a glass of milk or lactaid to go with the cookies.
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Before you start mixing the ingredients, preheat your oven at 375.
1. 30 minutes before you're gonna bake, take out the butter and let it get to room temperature
2. Using a spoon or spatula cream the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until well mixed.
3. add egg and vanilla and mix for 2-3 minutes
4. add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and mix
5. when the flour is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and fold. I prefer dark chocolate chips, since it has less sugar. Use what ever chocolate you like most.
6. line your baking sheet with parchment paper
7. make golf ball size ball of dough and press it lightly on the baking sheet. You want the cookies to be thick, so they stay soft
8. bake for 10 minutes. You want the bottom edge to be brown, but the top should be white.
When they're done, remove them to a cooking rack and let them rest for 15 minutes before eating. Get yourself a glass of milk or lactaid to go with the cookies.
Banana nut no-knead bread
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
Mash the bananas. Add sugar, salt and yeast. Give it a quick stir and add 3 cups of all purpose flour + walnuts. Add 1 tsp vanilla to 1 cup of warm water. Pour the water into flour and mix until you get a wet no-knead dough.
After 12 hours, form the dough into a loaf and let it rise for 45-60 minutes.
While the loaf is rising, preheat your dutch oven at 500 degrees. Bake the loaf covered in the dutch oven for 30 minutes.
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
Mash the bananas. Add sugar, salt and yeast. Give it a quick stir and add 3 cups of all purpose flour + walnuts. Add 1 tsp vanilla to 1 cup of warm water. Pour the water into flour and mix until you get a wet no-knead dough.
After 12 hours, form the dough into a loaf and let it rise for 45-60 minutes.
While the loaf is rising, preheat your dutch oven at 500 degrees. Bake the loaf covered in the dutch oven for 30 minutes.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Orange cinnamon quick bread
Last nite as I was falling asleep, I thought about what to make for breakfast. At first I thought about making a carrot bread, but changed my mind. Instead I figure I'd play with the orange cinnamon idea and make a quick bread.
1.5 cups kamut flour or all purpose
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees.
Combine eggs, honey, orange juice, water, and butter. Stir until it's mixed. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix and then add the wet mixture. Fold the mixture until it's combined, but don't over mix.
Pour the mixture into a oiled loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. The flavor combination sounds odd and weird, but it is surprisingly good. My kids asked "what flavor is it?" I didn't tell them and asked them to guess. Some of the guesses were lemon, lime, pumpkin, and zucchini. It really doesn't taste like orange or cinnamon, which makes me smile. Even though I use the same amount of cinnamon as my cinnamon raisen loaf, you don't consciously taste it. Something about the combination of orange and cinnamon transforms the flavor of both.
1.5 cups kamut flour or all purpose
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees.
Combine eggs, honey, orange juice, water, and butter. Stir until it's mixed. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix and then add the wet mixture. Fold the mixture until it's combined, but don't over mix.
Pour the mixture into a oiled loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. The flavor combination sounds odd and weird, but it is surprisingly good. My kids asked "what flavor is it?" I didn't tell them and asked them to guess. Some of the guesses were lemon, lime, pumpkin, and zucchini. It really doesn't taste like orange or cinnamon, which makes me smile. Even though I use the same amount of cinnamon as my cinnamon raisen loaf, you don't consciously taste it. Something about the combination of orange and cinnamon transforms the flavor of both.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Orange Cinnamon Loaf
For the last 6 months, I've been thinking about how to use orange juice in a loaf. This is partly inspired by Jim Lahey's carrot juice loaf. I don't have a juicer and don't normally buy carrot juice. I do buy orange weekly, so it got me thinking. I kept thinking of things like chinese orange chicken and other chinese dishes with orange. I also thought about cinnamon rolls with orange. The next time I plan to try no-knead technique. For today I wanted to have it for dinner, so I used regular knead technique.
1/2 cup orange juice - florida's natural
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
Combine flour, salt, yeast and cinnamon in a bowl. Put 1/2 cup of orange in the microwave for 30-45seconds to heat it up. Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the orange juice and mix with flour. Knead it until the liquid incorporates with the flour. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until you get a nice dough that pulls away from the bowl. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes and let it double covered.
Since I have proof feature on my oven, I let it proof for about 2 hours. Knead the dough for 15-20 minutes and then form into a loaf. I chose a long loaf, but it doesn't really matter. Let the loaf rise for 1-2hours. Preheat the oven at 375. When the loaf has risen enough, bake for 30 minutes.
1/2 cup orange juice - florida's natural
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
Combine flour, salt, yeast and cinnamon in a bowl. Put 1/2 cup of orange in the microwave for 30-45seconds to heat it up. Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the orange juice and mix with flour. Knead it until the liquid incorporates with the flour. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until you get a nice dough that pulls away from the bowl. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes and let it double covered.
Since I have proof feature on my oven, I let it proof for about 2 hours. Knead the dough for 15-20 minutes and then form into a loaf. I chose a long loaf, but it doesn't really matter. Let the loaf rise for 1-2hours. Preheat the oven at 375. When the loaf has risen enough, bake for 30 minutes.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Turmeric Vanilla Loaf
I've made a couple of variations of Turmeric Vanilla loaf and this is the version I like the best.
3 cups all purpose flour or Kamu flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm water
Using Jim Lahey's no knead recipe, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until it's mixed. No need to knead the dough, it will look wet. Let it rise over night 12-14 hours. Turn out on to your counter and form into a loaf.
Preheat a dutch oven at 500 degrees for 30-40min. Bake the loaf covered for 30minutes. If you want a hearty crush, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
3 cups all purpose flour or Kamu flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm water
Using Jim Lahey's no knead recipe, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until it's mixed. No need to knead the dough, it will look wet. Let it rise over night 12-14 hours. Turn out on to your counter and form into a loaf.
Preheat a dutch oven at 500 degrees for 30-40min. Bake the loaf covered for 30minutes. If you want a hearty crush, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Banana nut chocolate bread
This morning I made banana nut bread for the kids, since they're going camping at nickerson state park. Usually I don't add chocolate chips, but my daughter asked for it.
2 cups kamut flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk/lactaid
1 tsp salt
2-3 ripe bananas
Before you start, preheat the oven to 375F. The key is ripe bananas, so make sure they're spotted or dark. Peel the bananas and mash them with 2 tbsp light brown sugar. Add eggs, melted butter, vanilla and milk. Stir until mixed.
In a separate bowl combine the walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour and chocolate chips. Stir a little to mix the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture to the dry and stir. Don't over mix. Pour the batter into a oiled loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until done. When a took pick or bamboo skewer comes out clean, the bread is done.
2 cups kamut flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk/lactaid
1 tsp salt
2-3 ripe bananas
Before you start, preheat the oven to 375F. The key is ripe bananas, so make sure they're spotted or dark. Peel the bananas and mash them with 2 tbsp light brown sugar. Add eggs, melted butter, vanilla and milk. Stir until mixed.
In a separate bowl combine the walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour and chocolate chips. Stir a little to mix the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture to the dry and stir. Don't over mix. Pour the batter into a oiled loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until done. When a took pick or bamboo skewer comes out clean, the bread is done.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Bacon Rice Cake
Last year I experimented with rice cakes for ride food. I first heard about it on YouTube from skratch labs. Like allen lim, I grew up eating glutinous rice balls on special occasions like Dragon Boat Festival. In Chinese tradition, the rice balls are wrapped with Bamboo leaves and they can have a wide variety of fillings. Some have pork belly, others have quail eggs and there's even vegan ones.
I made a batch of bacon rice cakes yesterday for today's rice and it turned out nice. Here's the recipe I used.
3 Cups sushi rice (medium or short grain)
5 tbsp mirin vinegar (rice vinegar with sugar)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp maple syrup
5 tbsp soy sauce
10 strips of bacon - I used maple smoked bacon
4 tbsp sesame oil
For me, I like the rice to be nice and mushy. It makes very easy to eat and stays moist. One note, don't use short grain rice, it won't hold and doesn't get sticky mushy. Chinese call it glutinous rice because it's soft and sticky.
Before you cook the rice, rinse it 3-4 times and then soak it in water for 1 hr. This is a trick for chinese rice balls. Cook the rice. I use a rice cooker, which has a "sweet rice" setting. If you don't have a rice cooker, add 3 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn it down to simmer and cook for 30min. While the rice cooks, cook the bacon.
With a spatula, mix the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil with the rice. Add the bacon, sesame seeds and maple syrup. Once it's all mixed, put it in a square pan that's about 3-4" high. Cut the cakes into squares and wrap them like the skratch labs video.
Time time, I think I'll use 3 tbsp mirin and add either more maple syrup or mini chocolate chips.
I made a batch of bacon rice cakes yesterday for today's rice and it turned out nice. Here's the recipe I used.
3 Cups sushi rice (medium or short grain)
5 tbsp mirin vinegar (rice vinegar with sugar)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp maple syrup
5 tbsp soy sauce
10 strips of bacon - I used maple smoked bacon
4 tbsp sesame oil
For me, I like the rice to be nice and mushy. It makes very easy to eat and stays moist. One note, don't use short grain rice, it won't hold and doesn't get sticky mushy. Chinese call it glutinous rice because it's soft and sticky.
Before you cook the rice, rinse it 3-4 times and then soak it in water for 1 hr. This is a trick for chinese rice balls. Cook the rice. I use a rice cooker, which has a "sweet rice" setting. If you don't have a rice cooker, add 3 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, turn it down to simmer and cook for 30min. While the rice cooks, cook the bacon.
With a spatula, mix the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil with the rice. Add the bacon, sesame seeds and maple syrup. Once it's all mixed, put it in a square pan that's about 3-4" high. Cut the cakes into squares and wrap them like the skratch labs video.
Time time, I think I'll use 3 tbsp mirin and add either more maple syrup or mini chocolate chips.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Egg Loaf
My daughter is sick with the flu right now, so I thought it would be good to make a soft white loaf for her in case she is ready to eat.
3 cups KA all purpose
1 egg
1/2 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1.5 cup warm water
Mix the ingredients. It should look like a wet no knead dough.
After rising for 12-14 hours, the dough should look like the picture above. Form the dough into a loaf or individual buns. I decided to make little buns, since my daughter like mini pancakes and little buns.
Preheat oven 375F. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours and bake for 30-45 minutes. I do 30 minutes with convection bake or 45 min on regular bake. I brushed them with an egg wash first. Egg wash is optional.
3 cups KA all purpose
1 egg
1/2 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1.5 cup warm water
Mix the ingredients. It should look like a wet no knead dough.
After rising for 12-14 hours, the dough should look like the picture above. Form the dough into a loaf or individual buns. I decided to make little buns, since my daughter like mini pancakes and little buns.
Preheat oven 375F. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours and bake for 30-45 minutes. I do 30 minutes with convection bake or 45 min on regular bake. I brushed them with an egg wash first. Egg wash is optional.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Turmeric Ginger Loaf
I decided to try a new flavor and thought "what goes well with turmeric?" Indian curry dishes usually have garlic and ginger, so I thought it might be a good combination.
2 cups of Kamut flour
1 cup King Arthur All-purpose
1/4 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1.5-2 cup water
I mixed all the dry ingredients in the bowl, gave it a stir and then added minced ginger to it. Next I added 1.5 cup of water and gave it a quick stir. The dough looked quite dry, so I added another 1/4 cup of water and mixed it some more. I ended up adding 2 tbsp more water before the dough was right. One thing I've noticed with kamut flour is it tends to need a bit more water than all purpose or einkorn flour. I don't know why, but the last few loafs I made with kamut, I noticed it did need a little bit more water.
Let the loaf rise over nite 12-14 hours and then form it into a loaf. Let the formed loaf rise for 1-2 hours and then bake at 500F for 30 minutes in a dutch oven.
How does it taste? To my surprise, really good. It doesn't taste like I thought it would.
2 cups of Kamut flour
1 cup King Arthur All-purpose
1/4 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1.5-2 cup water
I mixed all the dry ingredients in the bowl, gave it a stir and then added minced ginger to it. Next I added 1.5 cup of water and gave it a quick stir. The dough looked quite dry, so I added another 1/4 cup of water and mixed it some more. I ended up adding 2 tbsp more water before the dough was right. One thing I've noticed with kamut flour is it tends to need a bit more water than all purpose or einkorn flour. I don't know why, but the last few loafs I made with kamut, I noticed it did need a little bit more water.
Let the loaf rise over nite 12-14 hours and then form it into a loaf. Let the formed loaf rise for 1-2 hours and then bake at 500F for 30 minutes in a dutch oven.
How does it taste? To my surprise, really good. It doesn't taste like I thought it would.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Kamut sour dough
I decided to make a Kamut sour dough loaf and see how it tastes.
2 1/2 cups Kamut flour
1 cup sour dough starter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp oregano
As usual, I mixed the dry ingredients with the sour dough starter and then added the water. Once the dough was mixed, I let it proof in the oven for 2 hours before turning it off to rise over nite.
The next morning, the loaf was ready to shape. It was quite wet, so I did knead it for a minute with lots of flour.
This time I decided to experiment with the baking and rising to see what would happen. Once the loaf was shaped, I put it in the dutch oven to rise for 2 hours. Normally, I let it rise in the bowl and preheat the dutch oven. I got the idea from a friend and both of us were curious what would happen.
This is how it looked before baking. The bread tastes great and has a really nice sour dough flavor. With a little bit of butter it is perfect.
It kind of looks like a cake instead of a regular round loaf.
2 1/2 cups Kamut flour
1 cup sour dough starter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp oregano
As usual, I mixed the dry ingredients with the sour dough starter and then added the water. Once the dough was mixed, I let it proof in the oven for 2 hours before turning it off to rise over nite.
The next morning, the loaf was ready to shape. It was quite wet, so I did knead it for a minute with lots of flour.
This time I decided to experiment with the baking and rising to see what would happen. Once the loaf was shaped, I put it in the dutch oven to rise for 2 hours. Normally, I let it rise in the bowl and preheat the dutch oven. I got the idea from a friend and both of us were curious what would happen.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Kamut Challah
I bought 10lbs of Montana Kamut flour to see how it works for breads. According to the kamut website, it is a brand name for khorasan wheat. I first heard about khorasan from the wheat belly videos on youtube.
This morning I got up early to start a kamut challah. The flour looks similar to regular King Arthur all purpose flour. When I mixed the dough, the texture was smooth and more elastic than einkorn.
5 cups kamut flour
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
2 eggs
4 tbsp butter
First I dissolve the salt, yeast, and honey in the warm water. Next I scramble the eggs, and add the melted butter to it. Combine egg and water mixture. I gradually added 5 cups of flour until I got a nice dough. Normally, when I use KA all purpose flour it takes about 6 cups of flour to 2 cups of water. I kneaded the dough for about 5 minutes, then let it double in the oven. I use the proof setting and it took about 2 hours.
Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, then form into a challah loaf. My daughter likes 6 braid, so that's what we did. Let the loaf rise for 1-2 hours, then bake at 375 for 40-45 min. Since my new oven has convection bake, I do 375 for 30 minutes.
How does kamut challah taste? It tastes awesome. It rose just like King Arthur all purpose flour, but the flavor is different. It is richer, the crust was crunchy without being hard, the crumb was soft and moist and the color is darker than all purpose flour. Overall, I like the flavor better than all purpose flour.
This morning I got up early to start a kamut challah. The flour looks similar to regular King Arthur all purpose flour. When I mixed the dough, the texture was smooth and more elastic than einkorn.
5 cups kamut flour
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
2 eggs
4 tbsp butter
First I dissolve the salt, yeast, and honey in the warm water. Next I scramble the eggs, and add the melted butter to it. Combine egg and water mixture. I gradually added 5 cups of flour until I got a nice dough. Normally, when I use KA all purpose flour it takes about 6 cups of flour to 2 cups of water. I kneaded the dough for about 5 minutes, then let it double in the oven. I use the proof setting and it took about 2 hours.
Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes, then form into a challah loaf. My daughter likes 6 braid, so that's what we did. Let the loaf rise for 1-2 hours, then bake at 375 for 40-45 min. Since my new oven has convection bake, I do 375 for 30 minutes.
How does kamut challah taste? It tastes awesome. It rose just like King Arthur all purpose flour, but the flavor is different. It is richer, the crust was crunchy without being hard, the crumb was soft and moist and the color is darker than all purpose flour. Overall, I like the flavor better than all purpose flour.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Sour dough scallion bread
Since the sour dough loaf turned out so nice on Monday, I decided to see how it would work with scallion loaf.
3 cups Einkorn flour
1-1 1/4 cup sour dough starter
2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped scallion
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp yeast
Having learned my lesson about sour dough starter, today I tried a different approach. I mixed the chopped scallion, flour, salt and yeast first. I added 1 cup of water to the flour mixture. It looked a bit dry, so I gradually added water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough came together like a normal no-knead loaf. The way I chop the scallions is to first cut length wise down the stalk and then 1/4" thick.
I let it rise in the oven on proof setting for 2 hours and then over nite. The next morning the loaf was ready to form a loaf. This time it was pretty sticky, so I had to flour the counter liberally. Before I started forming the loaf, I oiled the mixing bowl. Once the loaf was formed, I put it in the bowl and let it proof in the oven for 1.5 hr. Preheat the oven at 550F. Once it ready, bake the loaf in the preheated dutch oven for 30 minutes.
The loaf turned out nice. I suspected the sour dough would compliment the scallion flavor, but it's unreal how good it is. I'm definitely making this recipe again.
3 cups Einkorn flour
1-1 1/4 cup sour dough starter
2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped scallion
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp yeast
Having learned my lesson about sour dough starter, today I tried a different approach. I mixed the chopped scallion, flour, salt and yeast first. I added 1 cup of water to the flour mixture. It looked a bit dry, so I gradually added water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough came together like a normal no-knead loaf. The way I chop the scallions is to first cut length wise down the stalk and then 1/4" thick.
I let it rise in the oven on proof setting for 2 hours and then over nite. The next morning the loaf was ready to form a loaf. This time it was pretty sticky, so I had to flour the counter liberally. Before I started forming the loaf, I oiled the mixing bowl. Once the loaf was formed, I put it in the bowl and let it proof in the oven for 1.5 hr. Preheat the oven at 550F. Once it ready, bake the loaf in the preheated dutch oven for 30 minutes.
The loaf turned out nice. I suspected the sour dough would compliment the scallion flavor, but it's unreal how good it is. I'm definitely making this recipe again.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Sour dough einkorn
Last friday I made a challah with the sour dough starter I made. It tasted good, but it isn't a challah. Well not a traditional challah. That got me thinking I should make a regular sour dough loaf to see how it tastes plain. I've never made a sour dough loaf, so I kind of took a wild guess.
3 cups einkorn flour
1 cup sour dough starter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry yeast
1-1.5 cup water
I mixed the ingredients and let it rise 14 hours. In the morning I tried to pour the dough out on the counter to form a loaf, but it was too wet. To fix that, I added more flour until the dough stopped sticking to the bowl. I didn't measure how much more flour. I'm guessing it was about 3/4 cup. Since my starter is pretty wet, I should have used less water. 1 cup of water is probably enough. The next time I make it, I'll start with 1 cup and gradually add 1 tbsp at a time until it's just right.
Once the dough stopped sticking to the bowl, I shaped it into a loaf. I oiled my mixing bowl and used it for the final rise. When I put the loaf in the bowl, I give it a few turns and rub a bit of oil on top. This helps to prevent it from sticking to the bowl as it rises.
Let the loaf double in size before baking. For me, this took about 1 hr 45min on proof setting in my oven. I removed the loaf and preheated the dutch oven to 550F. Once it was ready, I baked the loaf covered for 30 min and 4 min uncovered.
It will take a few more tries before I dial the recipe in. The flavor of the loaf is wonderful. It reminds me of the San Francisco sour dough I've had in the past when I visited the bay area.
The crumb of the loaf is nice and fluffy with good chewiness. The aroma of sour dough is distinctive and makes the house smell like a real bakery. I had several slices plain without butter or topping. One thing I did notice in the morning is the dough smelled a little like beer.
3 cups einkorn flour
1 cup sour dough starter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry yeast
1-1.5 cup water
I mixed the ingredients and let it rise 14 hours. In the morning I tried to pour the dough out on the counter to form a loaf, but it was too wet. To fix that, I added more flour until the dough stopped sticking to the bowl. I didn't measure how much more flour. I'm guessing it was about 3/4 cup. Since my starter is pretty wet, I should have used less water. 1 cup of water is probably enough. The next time I make it, I'll start with 1 cup and gradually add 1 tbsp at a time until it's just right.
Once the dough stopped sticking to the bowl, I shaped it into a loaf. I oiled my mixing bowl and used it for the final rise. When I put the loaf in the bowl, I give it a few turns and rub a bit of oil on top. This helps to prevent it from sticking to the bowl as it rises.
Let the loaf double in size before baking. For me, this took about 1 hr 45min on proof setting in my oven. I removed the loaf and preheated the dutch oven to 550F. Once it was ready, I baked the loaf covered for 30 min and 4 min uncovered.
The crumb of the loaf is nice and fluffy with good chewiness. The aroma of sour dough is distinctive and makes the house smell like a real bakery. I had several slices plain without butter or topping. One thing I did notice in the morning is the dough smelled a little like beer.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Fluffy Einkorn pancakes
This morning I decided to change the recipe a bit to make it a bit more moist. I love the flavor of einkorn flour, but my usual recipe was more dry than using King Arther all purpose flour.
1 1/3 cup einkorn flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp oil
1/4 cup kefir
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the eggs, butter, oil and milk in another bowl. Combine and mix, but don't over mix. I cook the pancakes on my LG range, which has a nice non-stick griddle. The pancakes turn out fluffy and moist. With a regular frying pan, I have to use oil, but with my griddle no oil is needed. This produces a pancake that is light, not greasy and flavorful.
The combination of kefir and einkorn produces a rich flavor.
1 1/3 cup einkorn flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp oil
1/4 cup kefir
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the eggs, butter, oil and milk in another bowl. Combine and mix, but don't over mix. I cook the pancakes on my LG range, which has a nice non-stick griddle. The pancakes turn out fluffy and moist. With a regular frying pan, I have to use oil, but with my griddle no oil is needed. This produces a pancake that is light, not greasy and flavorful.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Einkorn scallion Loaf
Last nite I decided to try a scallion loaf with Einkorn flour.
3 1/2 cup einkorn flour (from Jovial foods)
1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 big bunch of scallion or 2 small bunches
1 3/4 cups water
Combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and flour in a bowl and stir a bit. Chop the scallions into small pieces. There's a couple of different kinds of scallion.
At my local Stop & Shop, they sell the smaller variety. My local Shaws sells the thicker Asian scallions, which have a much stronger flavor. I prefer to use the thicker variety and use 1 bunch. With the smaller variety, I use about 2-3 bunches. Once it's chopped, it should be about 1.5-2 cups.
Mix the chopped scallions with the flour. Add 1 cup of warm water and mix. Gradually add the remaining water until you get a nice wet no knead dough. Basically you want wet dough. Depending on the moisture of the scallions, you may need more or less water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 14 hours. I put the bowl into my oven to proof for 2 hours before turning it off for the nite.
One thing with using einkorn flour is the dough will be very sticky. Put plenty of flour on the surface before turning out the dough. Before you form the loaf, coat the mixing bowl with 2 tbsp of peanut oil. Any oil will work, but I prefer peanut oil over olive or corn oil. Form a round loaf and place it in the bowl. I turn the loaf over once to make sure it's got oil all around. This prevents the dough from sticking to the bowl too much. Let it rise for 1.5-2 hours in the bowl covered. 45 min before you're ready to bake preheat your dutch oven at 550.
Gently slide the loaf into your dutch oven. I use a rubber spatula to make sure it's not sticking any where. Bake for 30 min covered. After the 30 min, you can bake it uncovered for 5-15 min depending on how much crust you like.
Now that I've made several einkorn loafs, here's what I've learned so far. It takes a bit longer for einkorn dough to rise, so give it more time in the first rising and after it's made into a loaf. Bake it in a dutch oven instead of a loaf pan, baking sheet or stoneware. Cast iron dutch oven with a good lid helps to create steam and has higher thermal inertia. It weighs more than stoneware, but that extra weight helps to keep the temperature high. The heavy lid traps the moisture and helps it rise more during baking. Stoneware is lighter, but it has less thermal inertia, so it cools down a bit before it heats back up. When I slid the loaf into my dutch oven, I could hear the oil sizzle. That's how hot it should be.
For Challah and other loafs that don't fit in a dutch oven, let it rise 2-3 hours after shaping. If your oven has proof setting, proof the loaf until it has doubled, remove it from the oven to preheat and then bake.
3 1/2 cup einkorn flour (from Jovial foods)
1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 big bunch of scallion or 2 small bunches
1 3/4 cups water
Combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and flour in a bowl and stir a bit. Chop the scallions into small pieces. There's a couple of different kinds of scallion.
Mix the chopped scallions with the flour. Add 1 cup of warm water and mix. Gradually add the remaining water until you get a nice wet no knead dough. Basically you want wet dough. Depending on the moisture of the scallions, you may need more or less water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 14 hours. I put the bowl into my oven to proof for 2 hours before turning it off for the nite.
One thing with using einkorn flour is the dough will be very sticky. Put plenty of flour on the surface before turning out the dough. Before you form the loaf, coat the mixing bowl with 2 tbsp of peanut oil. Any oil will work, but I prefer peanut oil over olive or corn oil. Form a round loaf and place it in the bowl. I turn the loaf over once to make sure it's got oil all around. This prevents the dough from sticking to the bowl too much. Let it rise for 1.5-2 hours in the bowl covered. 45 min before you're ready to bake preheat your dutch oven at 550.
Gently slide the loaf into your dutch oven. I use a rubber spatula to make sure it's not sticking any where. Bake for 30 min covered. After the 30 min, you can bake it uncovered for 5-15 min depending on how much crust you like.
Now that I've made several einkorn loafs, here's what I've learned so far. It takes a bit longer for einkorn dough to rise, so give it more time in the first rising and after it's made into a loaf. Bake it in a dutch oven instead of a loaf pan, baking sheet or stoneware. Cast iron dutch oven with a good lid helps to create steam and has higher thermal inertia. It weighs more than stoneware, but that extra weight helps to keep the temperature high. The heavy lid traps the moisture and helps it rise more during baking. Stoneware is lighter, but it has less thermal inertia, so it cools down a bit before it heats back up. When I slid the loaf into my dutch oven, I could hear the oil sizzle. That's how hot it should be.
For Challah and other loafs that don't fit in a dutch oven, let it rise 2-3 hours after shaping. If your oven has proof setting, proof the loaf until it has doubled, remove it from the oven to preheat and then bake.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Einkorn Challah
I decided to make a Challah with einkorn flour this morning.
5 cups einkorn flour
1 cup King arthur all purpose flour
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 eggs
4 tbsp butter
1 3/4 cup warm water
Mix honey, salt, yeast, eggs and butter in the water. Gradually add the einkorn flour 1 cup at a time. Since einkorn has less gluten, I kneaded the dough for 10 minutes. I used the proof setting to help it rise.
Once it's doubled, knead it and braid into a loaf. We made 1 4 braid loaf and the other a round loaf.
Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes. I'm using convection bake, so it takes about 30 minutes.
5 cups einkorn flour
1 cup King arthur all purpose flour
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 eggs
4 tbsp butter
1 3/4 cup warm water
Mix honey, salt, yeast, eggs and butter in the water. Gradually add the einkorn flour 1 cup at a time. Since einkorn has less gluten, I kneaded the dough for 10 minutes. I used the proof setting to help it rise.
Once it's doubled, knead it and braid into a loaf. We made 1 4 braid loaf and the other a round loaf.
Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes. I'm using convection bake, so it takes about 30 minutes.
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