No Knead Bread

Make your own Artisan bread.  This bread is simple, but you must have patience.  There is really minimal work involved and it is so worth the wait!  I am not sure where I found out about this bread, but here is the link to the original post from the New York Times.

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Heavily dust a tea towel (not bar towel) with cornmeal.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball, just kind of folding up the side on top of each other.  This dough is really soft and can seem very difficult to work with, but it is so worth it. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. (Prepare the towel before you shape your dough so you can immediately flip it over on to the towel coated with cornmeal.) Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it will look messy and cornmeal may fly everywhere!  

Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

NO KNEAD BREAD

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• 1-5/8 cup water
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. (Mine was on the counter for about 24 hours...I was busy.)  Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball, just kind of folding up the side on top of each other.  This dough is really soft and can seem very difficult to work with, but it is so worth it. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. (Prepare the towel before you shape your dough so you can immediately flip it over on to the towel coated with cornmeal.) Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.  At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it will look messy and cornmeal may fly everywhere!  Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

The Shallot

Apparently there is some mystery to the shallot.  I grew up eating the shallot in the famous "Alfredo Sauce" I posted about.  I have now learned that you should not substitute a whole onion for a shallot.  I really trust my source. Next time you are at the store pick up some shallots.

The main reason you may not want to substitute a whole onion is the difference in size!  It may just make your sauce a little too onion-y.

According to Food.com:

A member of the onion family, but formed more like garlic than onions. Shallots are favored for their mild onion flavor, and can be used in the same manner as onions. A shallot looks like a small, elongated onion with a copper, reddish, or gray skin. When peeled, shallots separate into into cloves like garlic. There are two main types of shallots: Jersey or "false" shallots (larger) and "true" shallots (more subtle flavor. Fresh green shallots are available in the spring and dry shallots (dry skin/moist flesh) are available year-round. Shallots come in three sizes small, medium and jumbo (the least tasty). The younger (smaller) the shallot, the milder the taste. Do not confuse shallots with green onions or scallions.

Chicken Alfredo

The Rowdy has gone low carb!  We have done this before and I would join him except for the fact that I am still sitting on an egg and see no reason to not eat pasta!  I like to make recipes that can go either way so everyone can pretty much eat the same thing.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken fillets.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Fry chicken breast fillets in olive oil, in two batches, until both sides are nice and browned and they are cooked through.  Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel and cover with foil to keep warm.

While the chicken is cooking dice one large shallot.  Do not put your fingers in your eyes when you are done!  Ask the baby chick...she will tell why.

In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, add 1/4 cup butter and melt.  Add shallots and cook until softened, on medium heat, for about 5 minutes.

Add 1-1/2 cups heavy cream to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken and reduce...try not to let it boil...like me.  After about 5 minutes, add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.  Reduce heat to low until cheese is melted.  Turn off heat. Salt and pepper to taste.  Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.

Just below is the low-carb version.  No PASTA!  Yes, that is 3 chicken fillets...Rowdy is hungry when he gets home from work.  These fillets are really not that big...they are nice and thin, like a chicken breast should be.

Here is the carb version.  While preparing the chicken, prepare some pasta.  I like these little shells because they are much easier for a 2 year old to eat than a big long noodle!  Once you have cooked and drained the noodles, toss with a little bit of butter so they don't stick together.  To serve, place a scoop of noodles on the plate and top with chicken and some sauce.

 

CHICKEN ALFREDO

• 8 chicken breast fillets or 4 regular giant breasts, pounded thin and cut in half to make 8 pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 4 T. olive oil
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 lg. shallot, diced
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts.  Salt and pepper both sides of chicken.  Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet and fry chicken until golden on both sides and cooked through.  Place chicken on a plate lined with paper towels and cover with foil to keep warm.  While chicken is cooking dice the shallot.  Once chicken is done, add butter to the same frying pan and melt.  Over medium heat, cook shallot until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add cream.  Bring to a simmer, but not a boil.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cream starts to thicken and reduce slightly.  Add Parmesan cheese and reduce heat to low, stirring until cheese is melted.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Place chicken breasts back in sauce to coat the chicken in yumminess.  Serve as is or over pasta.

Find more yummy recipes at Tasty Tuesday.

A Fat Quarter Skirt...how to make one!

I dreamed this up today.  I am sure I am not the first, there is nothing new under the sun after all, but it was new to me.  A skirt from fat quarters was my idea.  I dug around in my sewing stuff to see what I had that would coordinate.  If I would have gone to the fabric store I would have picked out something much more lively, but this worked in a pinch so I could get my idea rolling.

Here are my two fat quarters.

I cut each quater in half and then cut each half in half, which gave me eight strips of fabric that were 18 inches by 4-1/2 inches.  (I would say this skirt is a 2T and you would probably want to add another fat quarter for each size you go up, 3 for a 3T, 4 for a 4T.) With right sides together, pin and sew down the long side with a 5/8 inch seam.

Continue adding strips until you have used them all.

Once you have sewn all the strips together, pin the ends, with right sides together and sew at 5/8 inch.

Press all your seems flat, or if you are really cool you will have used a serger to sew all these strips together!

Make a casing for your elastic.  Fold over 1/2 inch and press, then fold over 1 inch and press and pin.  Sew along edge, leaving an opening big enough for your elastic to fit through.  (Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end of the opening.) I was using 1/2 inch elastic.  I use my elastic as a guide for how big to make my casing.  Thread elastic through the casing and check for fit.  Sew ends together using a zig-zag stitch, going over it several times for strength.

In the same way you made the casing, make the hem.  I like a wide hem.  It is less likely to curl up in the washer.  Fold and press fabic 1/2 inch and then fold over again and press at 1 inch.  Stitch close to the top of the fold.  Your done! 

I have never written directions on sewing anything.  I hope these are clear enough.  This is really simple, but you can always leave me a comment with a question and I will comment back with an answer.

Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is yummy and easy.  You don't have to have a fancy garlic roaster either.  You can just use foil.  Once roasted you can spread on crusty bread, throw in mashed potatoes or just eat along side a slab of steak!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  After removing most of the paper from the outside of the heads of garlic, chop the top off being sure to expose the tops of all cloves.  You may have to do some tricky cutting if you have some cloves down low on the sides.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  If you are using foil, place cloves on foil in a pie tin, prepare as directed and then seal the foil.

Roast garlic in a 400 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes until they look nice and caramlized on the top.  To remove from skins I use the tines of a fork. 

Strawberry Banana Smoothies

I have often wondered why people would be interested in such simple recipes.  I have now decided that sometimes we just get in a rut and need some inspriation, no matter how simple.  Once while reading the kids a book, we read of a family that rolled out store bought biscuits and then made mini-pizzas.  Totally simple...but I would never have thought to make a biscuit pizza.  I don't know if it is a home school phenomena or what...but my kids expect more than a sandwich, more than just an apple.  Maybe they are just spoiled.  Today we made smoothies for a mid-morning snack.  The boy is hungry all the time.  He would probably starve to death if I sent him to school  :O)

Throw 1 cup crushed ice and 8 ounces frozen strawberries into your blender.

Add 1 cup strawberry yogurt.

One "rotten" banana.

Pour in 1/2 a cup of milk and begin to mix, adding more milk to make the desired consistency.

Strawberry Banana Smoothies

• 1 cup crushed ice
• 8 ozs. frozen strawberries
• 1 cup strawberry yogurt
• 1 "rotten" banana (really ripe and sweet)
• 1/2 cup milk plus more to make smoothie desired consistency

Throw all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Serve to happy children.

Enter to Win a Berkey Light Water Filter

Stephanie at Keeper of the Home is giving away a Berkey Light Water Filter.  You have until February 25th to enter.  Apparently California is totally against its people drinking clean water, so if you live in California and you win you will need an out of state address to have the water filter shipped to.