Something about Sunday mornings just says….warm bread. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because my Mother would cook breakfast for us only on weekend mornings. It usually involved waffles, fritters or eggs of some kind. I’m not so much into sweet things for breakfast, again that may be because of my Mother. (Do you think the unnatural influence of my Mother on this paragraph is weird?) Our only choices of breakfast cereal were Cheerios, Shreddies or shredded wheat. I now cannot stand sweet things in the morning…come back after dinner though, I’ll make up for it.
Enough babbling though. Back to the warm bread.
Sunday mornings…mmmm. I love a good hearty bread and I love it even more when there is no kneading, no chilling, no yeast, no rising, no…..well, you get the idea. Sunday is the holy day, no? At least I think it is, something about not working today right? Sorry, I have no formal religion to back me up here. I’m just guessing that most people embrace Sunday as their last day of rest before resuming the drudgery that is the working week. This recipe is for you!
Usually on Sundays, what rests in the fridge (if I’m lucky) is a few stray cans or bottles of beer. I was lucky today! And os here my friends, is the perfect accompaniment to a hearty egg and bacon breakfast. Also good as toad in the hole (not the English sausage in a blanket, but the egg cooked in a little hole cut into your toast).
Hearty Garlic & Herb Beer Bread
2 cups Whole grain whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup of fresh herbs, chopped ( I used chives, thyme, oregano and basil)
1 14 oz. can of beer (you might need to use one 12 oz. can and some water or just buy a big English ale like I did and drink the last 2 oz.)
2 Tbsp. Melted butter
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients together, add garlic and herbs and mix very well.
3. Grease a 9in. loaf pan with butter.
4. Stir beer into dry ingredients, blending well but not overmixing!
5. Pour batter into loaf pan.
6. Pour melted butter over loaf and place in oven for 45-55 minutes.
Similarly delicious recipes on other blogs:
Honey and Beer Spice Cake on Joy the Baker
Beer Batter Prawns on Aaplemint
Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes on Smitten Kitchen
Beer Cheese Cupcakes with Bacon Cheddar Cream Cheese Frosting on Cupcake Project
Beer Can Pheasant on Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Everyone likes to dip. Just ask my son. If I put something in front of him that he doesn’t like, all I need to do is put dip next to it. At least I know he will eat the dip, if not the mode of transport that brought it to his mouth.
There are a billion and one dips out there, but only a few come to mind as simple, classic dishes. To me, this is one of those. It’s very easy, anyone can make it. It’s also a little exotic, bringing to mind the spice markets of Jordan or Lebanon. Just be mindful of the garlic, friends!
Baba Ghannouj
(sometimes spelled Baba Ghannoush or Baba Ghanouj)
1 large or 2 small eggplants (or Aubergine)
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 2 in. piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1/8 -1/4 tsp. dry, although this will impart a completely different taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of smoked paprika
Juice of 1 whole lemon
1 1/2 Tbsp. Tahini
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1. Heat broiler.
2. Prick eggplant to avoid messy explosions (talking from experience here people).
3. Place whole eggplant 2 inches from broiler, turning every 5 minutes. (You just want to achieve a nice, soft interior) When done, cool to room temperature.
4. While eggplant is cooling combine all other ingredients in bowl.
5. Peel cooled eggplant and chop coarsely. Add to mixture and blend together.
6. Serve as a sandwich filling or dip.
I had some left over buttermilk in the fridge this morning. That always happens to me. Most recipes call for 1 cup, but I can only ever find 500mL containers in our store. I hate to waste food (there’s that hippie talkin’ again), so I have to find useful ways of using it up. I thought of making a huge batch of buttermilk ranch, but then I would have just eaten the whole batch with a bag of baby carrots and called it a day. On second thought, why not try something new and different. I always love to try new things, challenge the “chef” in me.
Ever since I stopped working the lines of restaurants and catering outfits, I’ve been a little sad about my access to great recipes, methods and ingredients. When you work in an industrial kitchen, there’s no stopping the creativity of a young, creative cook rummaging through tens of thousands of dollars worth of ingredients. I miss that, I really do. I don’t, on the other hand, miss the stress, late nights, sweat, tears and angry Executive Chefs.
Anyway, let’s get on with the recipe, shall we? It’s quite simple to make, and I can almost guarantee you won’t screw it up.
Buttermilk Panna Cotta
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. Gelatin
1 cup half and half (or cream if you prefer)
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup Buttermilk
1 vanilla pod
1. Pour water into large bowl, sprinkle gelatin on top. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine cream and sugar in heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not let it boil. Remove from heat.
3. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod and add both seeds and pod to cream and sugar mix. Pour over gelatin and stir until smooth. Let stand 30 minutes.
4. Remove vanilla pod and discard.
5. Stir buttermilk into cream and sugar mixture. Pour through sieve into 4 cup measure. Divide among 4 oiled (use taste neutral oil) custard cups. Refrigerate until set. At least 4 hours, but preferrably more. You can even set them overnight.
Now, when you turn the Panna Cotta out, it may be stuck. I read a tip somehwere that said to let the cups sit in very hot water for 1 minute. Then turn the cups out onto the plate and jiggle both at the same time to remove the panna cotta. Well, let’s just say some of it got stuck still. Not everyone’s perfect. But that’s okay! You can cover it in this delicious mango puree! It will cover all your mistakes, and tastes delicious!
Mango Puree
1 Mango, cut into cubes
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1. Puree the mango and lime juice together. Serve over Panna Cotta.
AKA: Taboulé
Who likes to cook when it’s 30 degrees outside (for all you ‘mericans, that’s 86 degrees Fahrenheit). I just want to sit in the backyard, watch the kid run around with the dog and drink fresh Mojitos. Mmmmmm…
But the mint reminded me of something a friend made for me a while back. Tabbouleh. Yes, the Mediterranean salad. Fresh, minty, cold, no cooking required! Bingo.
And so, the gathering of the ingredients for the requisite food porn shot, began.
Doesn’t that just look delicious? Refreshing? Summery? Yup, that’s what I thought too.
Tabbouleh Salad with Tofu and Chèvre
2 cups presoaked Bulgur (or you could also use cooked quinoa, couscous, wheat berries, etc.)
2-3 cups minced flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tomatoes, diced
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 of a large English cucumber, diced
4 cups Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1. In medium sized mixing bowl, combine everything except cucumbers, romaine and oil. Toss and chill for 1 or more hours.
2. Remove from fridge, add oil, toss and serve on bed of Romaine with cucumbers sprinkled on top.
3. I served mine with some fresh Chèvre and pan fried tofu with a little garlic and salt and pepper.
We harvested our garden last night. Yeah…all of it.
There you go folks! When you have a 4 x 10 garden, you too can live off it’s bountiful production! Go forth and sow your own! For so that you may eat a meal like this one day:
One meal.
A whole season worth of weeding, watering, digging, planting, sowing, babying, etc., etc.
I’m thinking that next year we might try fertilizer!
Roasted Garden Fresh Vegetables
1 Large bunch carrots, peeled
1 bunch beets, peeled
beet tops, chopped
1 handful purple beans, trimmed,
2 large spring onions, chopped
2 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 handful fresh basil, chiffonaded
2 tsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1. Roast carrots and beets in oven in baking dish, covered for 45 minutes to one hour.
2. With about 10 minutes left in cooking time melt butter in pan on stovetop. Add greens, beans, onions and seasonings. Cook to desired doneness.
3. Add beets and carrots to pan and de glaze with a little white wine if desired.
4. Serve with what’s for dinner, I’m sure you cooked something else to go with it right? You weren’t just going to have vegetables for dinner. No, that would be silly…..
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Hi! I'm Elizabeth. I like fitness, bad ass tattoos, food, bacon, chocolate, taking lots of silly pictures and my spawn. Check out my FAQ for all the usual Qs or send me an e-mail and tell me all about your cat and your Aunt Sally's amazing apple pie. |
