Monthly Archives: January 2014

Baking Pita Bread

Pita dough rising

Pita dough rising

After tasting fresh homemade pita bread it’s nearly impossible for me to eat the stuff I find in stores here. It is fun to make and pretty easy. Although the recipe calls for placing the rolled out dough directly on the oven rack I place mine on baking sheets in the oven. Just a little easier and neater. I also used about half whole wheat flour in this batch.

Pita Bread

 4 ½- 4 ¾ c. flour

1 pkt. Active dry yeast

1 ½ t. sugar

1 ½ t. salt

1 ¾ c. water

2 T. oil

In large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with other dry ingredients. Heat water and oil to 120-130 degrees (warm) and add to flour mixture in bowl beating until smooth. Beat three minutes then begin stirring in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and then a towel and let rest on board 20 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball and place on board, allowing space in between. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Roll dough balls into circles. Place 3 circles at a time directly on oven rack. They will puff up and brown in about three minutes. Remove to rack to cool and repeat with remaining dough. Makes 12.

Roll dough out into circles right before baking

Roll dough out into circles right before baking

Fresh baked pita bread

Fresh baked pita bread

 

Breakfast Pita Pizza

Breakfast Pita Pizza

Breakfast Pita Pizza

I like to use pita bread as a crust for pizza sometimes. I normally go with traditional toppings. This morning I decided to use one of my homemade pita breads for a hearty breakfast style pizza. I started with the pita bread- topped it with a scrambled egg and a drizzle of barbecue sauce. Then I added a cooked sausage patty cubed up. Finished with a little shredded cheddar cheese and then popped it in the toaster oven to heat through. Hearty breakfast for a chilly day.

Garbanzo and Roasted Pepper Salad

Garbanzo Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Garbanzo Bean and Roasted Pepper Salad

No matter how cold it is I still enjoy a salad. This one is simple and with the addition of a roasted sweet pepper it has a slightly smoky taste. It can be served as a side salad or even as a vegetarian main dish. 

Garbanzo Bean and Roasted Pepper Salad

1 or 2 roasted sweet peppers, drained and chopped- Any color is fine. I used yellow peppers

2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. sliced green onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. fresh chopped parsley or 1 t. dried

3 T. oil

3 T. lime or lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

lettuce leaves

Combine peppers, beans, onion and celery in bowl. Combine seasonings with oil and juice in jar with tight fitting lid and shake well. Toss over pepper mixture to coat well. Chill several hours and serve on bed of lettuce. Serves 3-4.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

This is one of the dishes we had in class last night. Great night for soup. It’s an easy soup to make and full of flavor. I like to serve it with hot sauce on the side for those who want a spicier soup.

Tortilla Soup

1 onion, sliced thin

1 T. oil

6 c. chicken stock

1/2 -3/4 c. salsa

2 T. chopped cilantro

1/2 t. cumin

2 c. diced cooked chicken

8 small or 4 large tortillas

Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add stock, salsa and seasonings and simmer, covered 10 minutes. Add chicken and heat through. Meanwhile roll tortillas up tightly one at a time and cut cross wise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Divide strips among 4 bowls and ladle in the soup in the bowls. Serves 4.

Blackberry Scones

Blackberry Scones

Blackberry Scones

I was in the mood for scones and was thinking of using some of my frozen blueberries but while looking for them in the freezer I saw the frozen blackberries first and ended up making blackberry scones instead. The end result was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Warm from the oven they are  crisp on the outside and moist and tender inside with a lot of juicy blackberries. Think it’s time to put on water for tea.  Here is the recipe so you can make them, too.

Blackberry Scones

 2 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

¾ t.  salt

6 T. chilled butter

2 c. blackberries -do not defrost if using frozen

1 t. orange zest

2 large eggs

1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half

Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Toss in berries and zest. Beat together eggs and cream and stir into flour mixture. Mix very gently to avoid bruising berries. Use 1/2 cup ice cream scoop to scoop batter onto a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with a little extra sugar, if you like. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 22-24 minutes. Makes 10-12.   

Tomato Bisque Soup

Tomato Bisque Soup

Tomato Bisque Soup

I had a chance to do a local television show recently. This is the soup I made on New Day Cleveland. It is an old family recipe. My grandmother used to make it in the summer with fresh tomatoes. Since I can tomatoes every year I can make it anytime I like. There is something about opening a jar of canned tomatoes that always reminds me of summer and of my grandmother making this soup.

 

 

Tomato Bisque Soup

2 T. oil

1 c. chopped onion

28-29 oz. can whole tomatoes, cut up or diced tomatoes, undrained or 1 quart canned tomatoes

1 qt. beef or chicken or vegetable stock

½ c. raw rice

1 c. sour cream

Cook onions in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Add rice, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Place sour cream in bowl and stir in a cup of the hot soup, stirring until smooth. Add another cup of the soup and then add this mixture to the pot. Heat through, but do not boil. Makes  6-8 servings.

Variations: Brown or wild rice can be added instead, but cooking times will be longer, about 45-50 minutes. Barley can also be added instead of the rice, but allow 45 minutes to cook.

Seafood: Once rice is tender, but before adding sour cream you can add any one of the following; ½ -1 pound raw diced fish (mild white fish are good or even salmon for a special treat), ½ -3/4 pound  salad size raw shrimp, 2 cans crabmeat, 2 (10 oz.) cans clams, drained.

Here is my TV appearance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjL7vd6MD8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUtLd3sOV5Jl0hBqi6tS9-hA

The Challenge- Keeping it Green

Fresh Green Onions

Fresh Green Onions

Since I am not going to the grocery store these days I am trying to get the most out of what I do have. I had some nice green onions and when I used them rather than tossing the ends into the compost pile I stuck them in a small flowerpot. In less than a week I have lots of new growth and a steady supply of green onions when I need them.

It’s really easy to do. Just get a pot and put some potting soil in it. When you go to use your green onions just cut off the root, leaving about  1/4 inch of the white part. Place in the soil, water and wait. In a week I had some as long as 5 or 6 inches. When you use another onion- just add it to the pot. You can start celery and romaine lettuce pretty much the same way.

Freshly planted green onions

Freshly planted green onions

Garden Skillet Dinner

Garden Skillet

Garden Skillet

I love to cook- not so crazy about a lot of dishes to wash so I am always happy with recipes that require fewer pots and pans. I love this Garden Skillet Dinner. It’s a little like mac and cheese but with some added veggies for extra flavor. Always a hit when I make it. This time I used a sharp white cheddar cheese. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand. 

 

 

Garden Skillet

1 large onion, sliced

2 small zucchini, sliced

1 T. oil or butter

1 t. dried basil

1 14 oz. can tomatoes, chopped, undrained- I used my home canned tomatoes

4 c. cooked pasta

1/2 c. milk

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 t. spicy mustard

 In large skillet cook onion and zucchini in oil or butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until heated through and cheese has melted. Serves 3-4.

Simple Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Cheese

Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Cheese

I was lucky enough to get some beautiful winter squash from a local farmer friend of mine. Thank you Carl from Blue Pike Farm. There are an assortment of acorn, butternut and several spaghetti squash. If you haven’t had spaghetti squash before it is a squash with flesh that shreds into strings once cooked. It looks a little like spaghetti, thus the name. The taste is not as sweet as some other winter squashes. When using it don’t be afraid to add a lot of flavors to it. It is mild and goes with everything. I cooked one up with no real idea of what I wanted to do with it. To cook it I just placed the whole squash in a pot of water and boiled it until fork tender. That took less than an hour. I had to cool it down so I could handle it so I placed it in a big bowl of cold water for a few minutes. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. The seeds went out to the bird feeder. Then I took a fork and kind of pulled out the flesh, fluffing with the fork as I went. I ended up sauteing some onion in a skillet and then added the squash to the skillet. I cooked it over high heat, stirring often and adding some salt and fresh ground pepper. I also added a couple of cloves of chopped garlic. It tasted pretty good. I ended up just adding some fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It was wonderful. I had planned on serving the spaghetti squash as a side dish- but just had it for lunch all by itself. Sometimes the best dishes don’t have to have a ton of ingredients. Simple can be good, too.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash

Corn and Ham Chowder

Corn and Ham Chowder

Corn and Ham Chowder

I was looking for a quick soup for dinner the other night. Inspiration hit when I came across some corn in the freezer. I had blanched and frozen it during the summer at the peak of  corn season. I had a little ham in the fridge I was wanting to use up and the pairing was a natural. I started by sauteing an onion in a little butter. Once the onion was tender I added a peeled and diced potato, the corn, the diced ham and about 2 or 3  cups of chicken stock. I covered the soup and let it simmer until the potato was tender, about 15 minutes. I then took 4 tablespoons of flour and put it in a jar. I added a cup of milk, put on the lid and shook it until the flour was well mixed in. I poured the flour mixture into the pot and brought the mixture up to a gentle boil. I stirred it as it thickened up. I cooked it for a few minutes and adjusted the seasonings adding salt, fresh ground pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I also added some chopped parsley. The end result was a  wonderful chowder that took almost no time at all. Sometimes the best dishes come from just looking at what we already have. In this case some frozen veggies and a bit of leftover ham.