Piggy-cakes

"More eyes, please!"

I keep meaning to post my pancake recipe, but keep forgetting to actually measure.  Someday I'll share it with you.  For now, though, here's a fun idea.  Enjoy!

NoKnead Bread, Meanwhile Style

This is my version of the no-knead bread you see around so much these days.  I've modified it by adding some whole grain flour.  I really like the nutty taste that it adds, and it makes me feel a bit better about eating the huge amounts of it that I want to eat.  I got the original recipe from King Arthur and played with it until I was happy.

Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

*extra flour for dusting

1.  Combine all the ingredients.  You can do it in a bowl, I use an old ice cream bucket.  Just mix them with an wooden spoon for a minute or so until they're mostly mixed together.  You want a gooey dough, but if it seems runny add a bit more(1/4 to 1/2 cup) of either flour.  The ideal consistency is sticky and will spread very slowly.

2.  Allow the dough to rise, covered, for at least 2 hours at room temperature.  Then transfer to the fridge and let it rise there for at another 2 hours.  (okay, I've rushed these steps and honestly not noticed any decline in quality) 

3.  When you want some bread, pull off a piece of dough 1/4 to 1/3 of the total volume.  If it's really sticky, you can sprinkle the surface with a little flour to make it easier to handle.  Plop it on some parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle it with flour.  After an hour to 1 1/2 hours slash the top with a sharp knife.  (This loaf of bread was slashed with a pitifully dull knife and is not nearly as pretty as it should be.  Sorry bread.)

 

4.  Pick up the dough, parchment and all, and place on a baking stone in a 450 degree oven.  Put a pan or other non-glass vessel in the bottom of the oven and pour in a cup of water, then shut the door quickasyoucan.  The steam is supposed to make the crust chewier.  I like it that way.

 

5.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your loaf, until it's a deep golden brown.  Remove from oven and devour.

*  Keep the remainder of the dough in the fridge for up to a week, baking it as you want it.
*  Things not to do:  Don't (for example) try to bake half the recipe in one giant loaf in 35 minutes for Thanksgiving dinner.  Because if you were to do such a thing the loaf would be uncooked in the center and you might be embarrassed and, even worse, not have any bread for Thanksgiving dinner.

*  If you don't have a baking stone, it's no biggie.  Just use a cookie sheet.

 

This bread makes an awesome addition to any supper, and we really enjoy it with spaghetti and soups.  Sometimes I'll just serve it with butter and sometimes I'll roast garlic and serve it with roasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  Mmmm.

This post has been shared at:  A Soft Place to Land: DIY Day, and My Backyard Eden: Make it Yours Day

Pease Porridge Hot!

Pease porridge cold.

Pease porridge in a pot nine days old.

Some like it hot...

Some don't like it at all.  My children, for example.  I love it, though, and made it for dinner last night with the leftover ham bone from Easter dinner.  And, with a loaf of fresh sourdough bread, it was the perfect meal for a cold, snowy night.

This picture doesn't do this tasty soup justice, I promise! 

Megan's Split Pea Soup

1 meaty ham bone                                          3/4 c. chopped carrot

1 1/2 c. split peas, sorted and rinsed               3/4 c. chopped celery

4-6 cups water                                                1 c. frozen sweet peas

14.5 oz can chicken or vegetable broth             salt to taste

1/2 t. marjoram

1 T dried minced onion

1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in 1st column, starting with 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Remove the ham bone.  Remove meat from the bone, discard bone, and return meat to soup with the vegetables from the second column.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Add additional water or broth as necessary while simmering to achieve desired consistency.  Taste, and adjust seasoning.  Serve, being prepared for immediate rejection by anyone under the age of five.

I made grilled cheese for the kids.  Honestly, I was surprised because they will eat almost anything and  I almost never offer a "kiddie meal" alternative.  But, when my sick 2 year old repeatedly wiped his mouth out with his napkin after a taste, I caved.

Breakfast Potatoes

Yesterday was a busy day for me.  It seemed like one minute it was 2 PM and the next minute it was dinner time.  I hadn't defrosted any meat, my fridge was bare, and it was too late to drive to town.  So, I decided to make breakfast potatoes.  This is a great meal for using up leftovers and it's delicious, but probably not great for heart-health.

I like to start with pre-cooked potatoes, as they brown faster and I'm done and can eat sooner.  Leftover baked or boiled are good, or you can bake them in the microwave.  Mine has a fancy "baked potato" button.  If you don't save a mug of rendered bacon grease, you might want to cook your bacon first.

Chop 1/2 to 1 large onion.

Heat a large skillet to medium heat.  Add a dollop of bacon grease or vegetable oil.

Add onions and salt liberally.  Once onions start to become translucent, you can add any vegetables you like.  I prefer carrots and broccoli or cabbage.  Saute until crisp-tender.  At this point I like to add halved grape tomatoes if I have them.  (I didn't last night.)

Once the vegetables are cooked to your desired doneness remove them from the pan to a bowl.

Add more bacon grease, a layer of cubed potatoes, more bacon grease, and plenty of salt.  Salt is really important in this dish.  If in doubt, eat a piece of potato while you're cooking to check the salt.  After a few minutes lift and turn the potatoes with a spatula.  Repeat until most of the potato pieces have a fair amount of golden crust on them.

This is what my children were doing while I was cooking dinner.  I gave them dried beans to play with.  Sometimes I wonder about myself.

When the potatoes are finished cooking add the veggies back in and warm for a minute.  This is also a nice time to add fresh chopped parsley or your herb of choice.  Serve with your condiments of choice, my family likes ketchup and tobasco sauce.  Some bacon or sausage, some fruit, and a glass of milk and you've got all your food groups.  Mmmm.