No-Knead Bread

Okay, this is my last bread post for a while (I promise, Amy!!!) and then I'm going to focus on low carb dishes. The leftover French bread loaf just got chopped up, baked, and turned into croutons. All the bread is gone now, I think. Gonna have to be that way for a while.

No-Knead Bread*

3 c. warm water
7 c. flour
1 T. salt
2 pkts. active dry yeast

1. Measure the flour into a LARGE mixing bowl; whisk in salt.

2. Mix both yeast packets into **1 cup** of warm water; allow to stand 5 minutes.

3. Add yeast mixture and remaining 2 cups of water into flour.

4. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is combined.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for roughly 2 hours.

6. Get one of those empty 6-quart ice cream buckets from the pantry…you know—the ones you're always complaining are in the way and you have no practical use for?—one of those! Put your dough in it. Slap the lid on. Put it in the fridge. (I did all my mixing in the ice cream bucket.)

7. Allow the dough to sit in the fridge for 2 hours. It will rise, but don't panic if you see it deflate—it will rise again. (NOTE: you don't have to use the dough today, if you don't have time; it will keep in the fridge for a week. Then you HAVE TO bake it.)

8. When ready to bake, grab a softball-sized piece of dough from your bucket. You might want to flour your hand first, cause the stuff is sticky. And it is very stringy-stretchy.

9. On a floured surface, shape the ball into a loaf. Place loaf on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle the top with a little flour. Cover with waxed paper and allow to rise for about an hour.

Above: I allowed this to rise without slashing it first, and it split down one side. When I tried to slash it before baking, it had a crust on it that prevented me from making "pretty" slashes.

10. Heat oven to 375°. Slash loaf—either down the center, or crosswise 2 or 3 times—with a sharp knife to allow for expansion. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until crust is a nice brown and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped.



NOTE: If you want your bread to turn out crusty, you have to add moisture to the environment. You accomplish this by adding a pan of water underneath the oven rack where your bread will be baking. When I did this, the crust was nice, but the bread didn't seem done in the center. These instructions reflect my discontentment with the original recipe. I have lowered the oven temp and increased the time.

*Adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe.



I also made some breadsticks. I flattened out the dough and sprinkled it with garlic salt and dusted it ever-so-lightly with flour, then folded it over again and again, repeating the process, to make flakey layers.

They looked beautiful after baking:


This is some sticky dough!!!




When all is said and done, I think I have enjoyed some of my other bread recipes more. It was just "okay." This really didn't seem too much easier, I thought, than making regular bread.

random amusements

Happy Birthday, Jerry Taft!!!

Probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but I have had a crush on TV weatherman Jerry Taft since I was in high school.

And I can't even tell you why. There's just something about him, ya know?

Then I saw him on the tv coverage of the Chicago Air & Water Show, and found out that not only was he an Air Force pilot, but also a flight instructor. He has a great reputation with servicemen and is very highly respected.

So, wow, do I know how to pick 'em, or what?! LOL!

And, yes, my husband knows. He's okay with my little crush. I'm more of the admire-from-afar type, and would never in a million years approach a celebrity, not even just to say, "hi."

Anyways....

Happy birthday to Jerry. Hope you have a great day!


XXXXOOOO
Goldie




LINKS:
Chicago Air & Water Show
Jerry Taft - Silver Circle Award
Jerry Taft fan club on FaceBook

Useful Tools: Dutch Oven

Useful Tools: Dutch Oven

There are many uses for this type of cooking vessel. You can make soups and stews, or you can also braise meats and veggies. Casseroles, one-pot mac-n-cheese, and baked beans also work well in this pot.

You should look for a pot that is wide and deep—that's my ideal shape, anyhow. Rather than the narrow, deep stockpot I also own, I like this Dutch oven because I have more room to work with on the bottom, for example, if I were browning up some onions. Not as tall as the stockpot, I can see what's going inside on a lot better, as well.

I bought this pot on sale at Macy's before Christmas, and although it says "multi-purpose pan" on the box, I consider it my ideal "Dutch oven" shape and size.


You probably don't want to go any smaller than a 5.5 quart size, considering how hard it is to make "a small pot of soup." Know what I mean?! LOL! Typical sizes are: 5.5-qt., 6-qt., 8.5-qt.

Look for metal grips and handles; this will allow you to put it in the oven. Some plastics are not oven-safe, or have limited heat-resistance. You have to BAKE those baked beans!

While the enamel-coated cast iron Dutch ovens may match your kitchen decor, they are HEAVY to begin with, before you even fill them, so keep that in mind.

You can expect to spend anywhere between $40 to $150 (or even up to $300!) for a good pot, but consider it an investment that will probably last you forever.

All in all, it is up to you which size and style is going to work best. Watch for sales and go to the stores and really look at the items before you buy something. I'd suggest viewing in person, and then buying online, if you want to take advantage of an online deal.

IN STORES:
Kohl's
Target
K-Mart
JC Penney
Sears
Macy's
Crate & Barrel
Bed Bath & Beyond

ONLINE:
Bed Bath & Beyond
Crate & Barrel
Cooking.com
Chef's Catalog
Sur La Table
Williams-Sonama
Food Network Store

Gripe Of The Day

Going to the dentist today....

It's just for a cleaning, and I have no fear of the dentist. But it's about a 45-minute drive, and that irks me.

Plain and simple: don't want to drive there. Not that I have a fear of driving. Just don't wanna.

Anyone have a fear of the dentist? Any "anti-dentites" out there?!?!!

Quick Clam Chowder

This was another one of my spur-of-the-moment innovations, because I had a hankering for clam chowder, and there wasn't any in the pantry. So I made some...

Quick Clam Chowder

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (6 oz.) crab meat
1 soup can of milk
1 small potato
dash of black pepper

1. Whisk mushroom soup and milk together in a small sauce pan. Add dash of pepper.
   
2. Add crab meat; stir. (drain the crab if you prefer, or add liquid for more seafood flavor. Your choice.)
   
3. Pierce potato several times with a fork; put in mircowave for 5 minutes on high, or until fork-tender.
   
4. Cut up and peel potato—careful, don't burn yourself—and add to soup. (you could also use a leftover baked potato, if you have one handy, of course)
   
5. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
   

Chicken Enchiladas

There was a slight mishap with regards to this recipe, but I'll tell you the story later...first, the recipe:

Chicken Enchiladas

6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 packet taco seasoning mix (I use Old El Passo Mild)
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes
water

flour tortillas
cheddar cheese
enchilada sauce

Cut up the chicken thighs into small pieces, but remember, it will pretty much end up shredded after cooking, so you don't have to be too meticulous.

Slice up the onion and put it into the pressure cooker with the chicken; you can brown it a little first, if you choose.

Add the tomatoes and the seasoning packet and give it a good stir. Add enough water to cover the meat, then put on burner over medium heat until it begins to boil. Put lid on pressure cooker and set your timer for 30 minutes.

When the chicken is done, drain and reserve the water. (you can make some instant rice with the liquid from the chicken.) Fill individual flour tortillas with your preferred amount of meat and cheese. Roll up and place, seam-side down, in a baking dish. Repeat until you've used up your tortillas—the number will depend on what size tortilla you chose, and how full you've made them.

Pour the enchilada sauce (and some more cheese, if you'd like) over the top and bake at 350° for about 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly.


Serve with sour cream and guacamole, or whatever your favorite accompaniments are.





BAD REACTION:
I mistakenly put *medium* sauce on the enchiladas, because that’s what Casey had bought, and neither one of us had looked closely at the label. For those of you who don't know me, I have a few food allergies, and any type of pepper can cause a reaction, sometimes severe. Sauces usually don't bother me too much, but I stay away from anything that is spicy-hot.

So, dinner was ready and Casey started eating first, and he says to me, “this enchilada sauce is HOT!” So I nibbled a little bit, and it was kinda warm, so I took another tiny bite...and my top lip started to BURN!

At the time I was drinking some Diet Cherry Coke, so I just kept my lip in the glass where the ice cubes were, but it still hurt. I looked like I had Hollywood Starlet Lips! 



While keeping the glass of cold pop to my mouth, I also decided it might be a good idea to take a Benadryl…just in case.

Not sure if it was the ice or the medicine, but it quit hurting and the swelling went away. Casey did some ‘food surgery’ on the enchiladas and took out the 'uncontaminated' chicken so we could put it on a new tortilla for me. So I didn’t miss dinner after all. But what an adventure! Yikes!

POLL: Who is your favorite TV chef?

Well, so far Guy Fieri and Paula Deen are in the lead. But Bobby, Giada, and Gordon are hot on their heels!

There are still 2 weeks left to vote, you guys. And changing your vote is possible in this poll, so make sure you have included everyone you consider to be a favorite.

I'll give the final results in another post at the end. But feel free right now to comment on who you voted for, and especially those of you who selected "other." Tell me who and why! (who did I neglect to include in the poll?!)

Salmon Meatloaf

Sorry I don't have a photo of the finished product, but this was another dinner we shared with our friends nextdoor, and I neglected to take my digital camera along. Oops.

Salmon Meatloaf

2 cans pink salmon, drained and cleaned
2 eggs
1/4 c. sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 c. croutons, smashed
1 c. shredded cheese (I use cheddar; but you can also use 1/4 c. Parmesan instead)
salt, pepper, tarragon, dill, lemon peel

You can use bread crumbs in place of the croutons...

...but I prefer the smashed croutons....

...perhaps it is just my violent nature. [humor]

This isn't even all the ingredients, but, hey....

Mix everything together really well, and plop it into a loaf pan; top with extra cheese, if you'd like. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until it's all bubbly-hot along the sides.

If you really wanted to, you could serve this with tartar sauce...on a bun...with more cheese...darn, that sounds good...now I'm Hungarian...


LINKS:
BBQ Salmon Meatloaf

Sweetcream Biscuits

I consider this a masterpiece. And I'm not sure which photo has more visual impact...

I think this one has nice primary color effect, but the impression of size is lost here, whereas sitting in my hand, it just looks so cute and tasty you wanna pop it in your mouth....which I did, by the way. Okay, maybe it was two bites.

Sweetcream Biscuits

NOTE: this is a re-post, with a few minor changes, and a boatload of photos this time.

2 c. flour, sifted
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 stick cold butter
1 c. whipping cream

Sift dry ingredients into bowl; whisk to combine:

Add butter; use pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture...

Keep working...

Keep working...

...when you're done, it should look like this:

Add whipping cream (make sure it's COLD); stir to combine...

Knead slightly to form dough; turn out onto cutting board and flatten...

Cut into disks using smallest biscuit cutter you own...

Place on ungreased cookie sheet; gather scraps, flatten out again, and repeat...

Heat oven to 450° and bake about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned...

Look at how much they puff up!

Ain't they CUTE?!!!

Serve with butter, honey butter, jam or whatever you like...


I made this one into a teeny little strawberry shortcake:




SPECIAL NOTE:
My sincere apologies to my friend, Amy, who has been going nuts with all my recent bread postings...she has been working out really hard and trying to cut carbs, and here I am tempting her with bread and sweets recipes! LMAO! Sorry!
And, Amy, I am going to start with the Strength in Numbers features as soon as I catch up on all the recipe posts from the photos I have saved. Gimme another week. Maybe I'll consult with you about the outline I have right now...?

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Muffins

This was actually a box mix that I picked up at Aldi's. But they looked so beautiful, I thought it'd be nice to share the photos. Rather than following the box instructions, I added buttermilk in place of the water that it called for. I think I may have also added some sour cream for a more moist texture, too. I didn't take photos of the process because it was just a box mix, and I had no idea they'd be so freakin' awesome.



My intent was to under-bake them so that they'd be really gooey and fudgey like brownies, but this was 15 minutes in the oven, and they were fully baked. The box had said 16-18 minutes, and I thought 15 minutes would leave them sufficiently under-baked, but....no.


I do that quite often—fiddle with the instructions on box mixes—just as a way to "make it mine."

I'll add stuff that I think compliments a flavor, or adds texture. Just whatever strikes me at the time.



Being creative in the kitchen makes me happy...I don't understand why some people find it so difficult. You know what you like—just make it your way!


Mmmmmm....gooey chocolate goodness.....

Turker Meatball Soup

No, that's not a typo...I meant to spell it "turker"...and there's a story behind this one, too. But first, the recipe...

Turker Meatball Soup

meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
2 handfuls of instant rice
1/4 c. Parmesan
dash of: garlic powder, oregano, paprika, salt, black pepper

also:
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, cubed

Heat chicken broth in a large pot over medium heat.

In a mixing bowl, mix meatball ingredients:


Using a spoon, or a melon ball scooper, shape mixture into small meatballs:

and drop them into the broth:


Allow them to simmer, stirring very gently:

Add carrots and potatoes; allow to simmer until potatoes are cooked through.






The "turker" story:
Okay, it isn't MY story, but one that was told to me by our good friend, Tony.

He and his brothers were back on the East Coast, visiting with family, when someone brought home a bunch of sandwiches for dinner.

As they were being taken out of the bag and handed out, a label had been written in a manner so that the "ey" on the end of the word "turkey" was messy and it looked more like an "er".

Without missing a beat, the person handing out the sandwiches pronounced it as written, "turker" and handed it to Tony's brother.

"Turker?! What?!! This isn't what I ordered! What is this—tuna salad?!!!" exclaimed the brother, furious. He simply didn't get it. Apparently, he never does.

And I'm not sure how well this translates right now, as you are reading it, but when Tony tells a story, it's hilarious. This brother of his is notorious for not being able to tell a joke the right way, too. I guess you just have to know Tony and the stories about his family to really understand. But we use a lot of funny references in our everyday life, and our hilarious friend Tony has had a big impact with those types of incidents. So the "turker" soup is a tribute to a friend who is far away, but never far from our hearts.... Miss you, Bean Curd!!!! *smooch*