No Kneading Required- Almost Whole Wheat Rustic Bread, great for fillings #Recipe

This is a simple and super easy baked bread that uses part All-Purpose flour and part White Whole Wheat flour. It’s a blend that goes perfectly with fruit and even soft cheese with fruit based spreads. No kneading required and the bread lasts about 5 days in the fridge. I literally just pull the ounces I need and bake fresh bread when needed. It makes it look like I worked really hard in the kitchen!  This is the base recipe and you can make it go savory or sweet by what decide to fill it with.  You can also just have it as is and it goes great with ham!

Let’s Begin…..

• 2 1/4 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup of White Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of Yeast (Active-Dry)
• 1 1/2 cups of warm Water (105 to 110 degrees)

Simply add the flours in a bowl, the salt and yeast. Whisk until blended and then add the water.

Flours, salt and yeast

Whisk until blended

With a wooden spoon or one that has the “umph” to withstand a few strokes, mix until blended. I usually do it for 1 to 2 minutes and if the dough seems too dry, add a teaspoon of water until you get a sticky consistency.

Sticky dough

Cover with plastic and then proof for 2 hours

 

Then simply cover lightly and allow the dough to proof for 2 hours.

During proofing

Reaching 2 hour mark

Dough was done. You can softly punch it down or leave it as-is. I like to leave it but sometimes for a denser texture, I will give it a small push.

I recommend a overnight rest in the fridge for better taste and it allows the bread flavor to mature nicely and hydrate properly. The next day just take out what you need. I pull out about 5 1/2 ounces to make a small sized loaf that is good for 2 people, plus leftovers. Allow the dough to rest for 10 to 15 minutes and then make your creations! Allow the shaped loaf to rest and proof for about 20 to 30 minutes and then comes the baking. Brush the loaf with warm water and sometimes I even add a touch of Maple Syrup to mine to even olive oil if I am making a savory loaf. Brush the loaf and then slash (2 or 3 should do). Then bake at 450 degrees until done. Mine takes about 20 minutes.  Allow the loaf to cool before cutting.  I allow 30 minutes unless a “squirrel” attacks my bread because he could not wait.  The squirrel is usually also called a husband 🙂

 

 

Blueberry Maple Rustic Bread-

• 9 ounces of Almost Whole Wheat Rustic Dough recipe above
• 1/8 cup of dried Blueberries (I use no sugar ones- Bob’s Red Mill)
• Drizzle of Maple Syrup
• Warm Water with a touch of Maple Syrup for “wetting” the loaf before baking
• Dusting of Turbinado Sugar

 

Simply hydrate your berries and some people use warm water,

others like to add flavor by warming some juice and allowing the blueberries to hydrate in that. I went for water because I could not decide what juice to use and since it was late at night, my brain was starting to turn off. I bloom the berries for about 15 to 20 minutes. I then grabbed about 9 ounces of dough from the fridge and let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Slowly begin to shape, sort of flattening and pulling softly until I get the desired shape and length.

Between 9 and 10 ounces of dough

After dough rests, just softly flatten out so you can fill

Then simply drain the blueberries and drizzle the maple syrup. I then rolled, leaving the flap side down.  You then just make sure the end (tips) are the shape you desire.  I went with a pointy look.

Rolling leaving the flap down (bottom side)

Shaping tips and I had a little extra dough, so I did a scroll design

Allow the bread to proof for 20 minutes and then wet, slash and sprinkle the turbinado sugar

I got crafty and pulled some dough out to give it a scroll design on top but you don’t have to :).  Let the loaf relax (proof) for 20 minutes. Time lapses and I brush the loaf with the water and touch of maple syrup. Gave it a few slashes, sprinkled with Turbinado sugar and in it goes to be baked.  I baked the loaf for 20 minutes at 450 degrees and then allowed it to cool on the rack. I had a late night baking session but come morning, we were enjoying fresh baked blueberry maple slices and it was divine!  You control the sugar and sweeteners and get creative!  Make a patriotic themed loaf by adding cranberries and even chocolate or nuts.  Enjoy!

Advertisement

Garlic Gold: Double Crusted Cheese sticks made with Marinated Mozzarella #Recipe

I’m so in love with the Garlic Gold brand, that I made another easy recipe to enjoy. These go with everything from pizza, wings, to even a light Italian dinner.  I even pair them with a dinner salad and these sub for my croutons.

Let’s Begin…..

• Large Mason Jar
• 1/4 cup of Garlic Gold’s Red Wine Vinaigrette
• 8 to 10 sticks cut from Mozzarella Cheese (from a semi-soft block, not the soft fresh type)
• 1/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup of plain Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup of plain Bread Crumbs
• Dash of Garlic Gold Nuggets
• 1 egg
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• Optional- 1/4 teaspoon of chili flakes if you want to make Fire Crackers. Add the flakes to the marinade.
• Peanut Oil (or one of your choice) for frying

Take your Mason Jar and add 1/4 cup of the Garlic Gold Vinaigrette. Take your cheese sticks and close the jar, give it a toss and lay it down in the fridge.

I marinated mine overnight and I would walk by the fridge and shake it a few times. You can use a small jar if you wish but I wanted to not fill the jar and waste vinaigrette, so I opted to not filling and used this shaking method.

You will notice the oil will solidify so take the cheese out an hour before cooking and allow the marinade to liquefy and every now and then give the jar a shake.

Take out a plate (I use a glass pie plate) and use that as your flouring station and another dish for the bread crumbs (both the panko and plain combined). Add salt and pepper to taste to the bread crumbs and a dash of the Garlic Gold Nuggets.

Take cheese out of jar (reserve the vinaigrette) and dip them in the flour, rolling and making sure to not forget to dab the tips too.

Once the cheese is floured, dip the cheese back into the vinaigrette and then roll into the bread crumbs.

You will notice that not much will stay, but this is the first dip that will insure you have that great flavor. The flour will soak it up and give it a beautiful layer and crunch. Do all the bread sticks and let them relax in the bread crumbs.

Crack open the egg and whisk.

Dip each bread stick in the egg and back into the bread crumbs. I lay the cheese sticks on a plate because they will be relaxing in the freezer for 20-30 minutes after they have received their second coat. This is the coat that will stick really well and just continue until all cheese sticks are nicely covered and coated.

Put plate in freezer and depending how cold yours is, it only takes 20 to 30 minutes for them to set nicely. This buys you time when frying and also allows the breading to set.

Once the above time has lapsed, it’s time to fry! I use Peanut Oil for how it tends to fry everything really crispy. You can use any frying oil of your choice. Heat up the oil and this is a quick dish to make.

It takes less than 30 seconds to get golden. I take about 2 to 3 sticks at a time because I used a small frying pan but you can use a larger one (I don’t like wasting oil either 🙂 ). You just drop them in and you can see my oil comes up half-way and then once they are golden and this happens in a few seconds, just flip and finish.

I placed my fried cheese sticks on parchment to rest. Serve immediately and enjoy.

If you are frying more than the above quota, no worries as you can use a pan with parchment to rewarm them. Again, this happens quick as we are dealing with cheese. Heat your oven to 375 degrees and set your cheese sticks on a cookie sheet (with parchment) and heat until warm and gooey. This can take 5 minutes and I do this with leftovers (from the fridge). You can serve with a pesto and I opted for a eggplant and vegetable marinara sauce. The cheese sticks are flavorful and you can make these into “fire crackers” by adding the chili flakes to your marinade.

 

You can also make this easy dish by getting your own Garlic Gold Products at:

• On-line– http://garlicgold.com/
• Visit Garlic Gold on Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/GarlicGold
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/garlicgold
• See the pretty Garlic Gold products and the other dishes you can create onPinterest– http://www.pinterest.com/garlicgold/

I received the above product free of charge from Garlic Gold.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Rumiano Cheese: Organic Sharp Cheddar #Review and #Recipe; Mezzi Rigatoni with Pancetta and Peas

This is a cheesy house. Wait, let me clarify that. We love cheese here. Good cheese. Made with good things. By people who know cheese. So it’s with great pride I introduce The Rumiano Cheese family, who has been making cheeses since 1921. I decided to pitch this family-owned company not only because we love cheese, but they are also in my home state of California, but because we love, love and love cheese 🙂 .  Did I mention we love cheese? We have a drawer in the fridge that easily carries 15 different cheese varieties at any given time. I believe there is a cheese for every occasion and even cheese to celebrate with when you find a new cheese. See, I can make any excuse to have cheese. I love it but you would think I consume large quantities of cheese because of the large selection we have, I personally don’t. I found that a good cheese will satisfy you in small doses . It’s quality versus quantity.

Rumiano’s Organic line is:

• Non-GMO verified
• USDA Organic
• Cows that are grass fed
• Global Culture certified Organic
• Made in Northern California using the finest ingredients and are also American Humane Association certified

 

In comes the Rumiano cheeses. I hunted for their smoked mozzarella and wanted to share a recipe that featured two of their cheeses but it’s currently on order with the dairy guy at my local Sprout’s market. I decided to just jump in and make a dish using just one cheese, their Organic Sharp Cheddar. I went in thinking the dish will need some pizzazz, since using just one variety is so not me but…….this is the best sharp cheddar I have tasted! It tastes clean and it’s not just because it’s Organic, but the recipe and aging it’s in a class all it’s own. You get that bite that sharp cheddar has but this one is smooth til the end with no sour tang left behind. A cheese that can stand on it’s own. I proceeded with the dish that I decided to make on Easter Sunday. I do this quite often, where I come up with an idea and attempt to make it on the day of and try not to stress. The only thing that saves my hide is using quality products and I can say that Rumiano will be my go to for Sharp Cheddar as of now. No oily residue when I was making a bechamel sauce, a sauce that tells on you if used poor ingredients. I can easily say this is the best 1-cheese sauce I have made and I thank the Rumiano family for helping me come through for mine.

Get your apron and even a chef hat on but don’t get comfortable because this is a quick and easy recipe. This is a recipe that yields 2 ramekin servings, can be used as a appetizer or a side dish.  Double it or quadruple it if needed.

Let’s Begin…….

Mezzi Rigatoni with Pancetta and Peas, in a Rumiano Sharp Cheddar Cheese sauce

• 2 Ramekins (single serving) and greased (I went with butter but a spray oil is fine)
• 20 to 22 Mezzi Rigatoni pasta shells
• 20 to 22 Frozen Peas
• 3/4 to 1 ounce of Pancetta (small cubes)
• 1/4 ounce of Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 ounce of Salted Butter
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 2 teaspoons of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ounce of Rumiano’s Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded), plus a little more for topping
• 1 Slice of White Bread
• 1/4 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)
• Dash of Nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Begin by filling your ramekins with the dry (uncooked) Mezzi Rigatoni pasta shells. I fit approximately 10 to 12 (allow for expansion) to each ramekin. I boil 24 shells just in case one wants to be naughty and split. Cook pasta about 1/2 way through, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Grease ramekins and stand your shells, so they may each be filled with one frozen pea.

In a separate pot, heat the milk until just warm (do not boil)

I use a frying pan and cook the pancetta and onion.

I do not drain the oil when it’s done because I then add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the flour to create a roux.

The roux takes less than a 1 minute to make. You will smell the nutty tones the flour gives when cooking and bubbling. You will then notice a color change and we are going for golden in color and not too deep in tone. Then slowly pour in the milk. I usually get a whisk and begin pouring the milk, whisking and then pouring the rest. This helps temper the milk and you will get no flash heat or mess.

Continue whisking until the bechamel sauce is made. You test this by using a spoon and dipping it into the sauce. If the coat left is thin, continue whisking until it thickens but never allow the sauce to boil.

Take the pan away from the heat and add your seasonings. You can change to fresh herbs but I like the Herbes the Provence mix because I feel the lavender gives the sauce a beautiful taste. Add the cheese and stir.

Pour the sauce over your pasta.

 

Take a cookie/biscuit cutter and one slice of bread should be enough to yield two circles for toppers. Add the bread toppers and sprinkle some more of the shredded Rumiano Sharp Cheddar cheese.

 

I then give each ramekin a dash of freshly grated nutmeg and into the oven it goes.

Baking takes a total of 15 to 20 minutes and you cover with foil for the first half.

Take the ramekins out and serve with dinner or you can serve these as appetizers.

You can make everything the evening ahead and then just bake when needed the following day, just adjust the time as the ramekins will be cold from the fridge.

Great tasting and perfectly creamy! Enjoy!

Find all the cheese and butters Rumiano carries at:

• On-line– http://www.rumianocheese.com/
• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/rumianocheese
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/RumianoCheese
• Pinterest– http://www.pinterest.com/rumianocheese/
• YouTube– http://www.youtube.com/user/RumianoCheese

 

 

 

I received the above product free of charge from Rumiano.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

The Spice Lab: Ghost Pepper Crispy Oven Fries

The myth. The legend. The Ghost Pepper.

I have heard about the Ghost Pepper and even seen people taste it but their reaction was always to the intense heat with very little to report on taste. Scary stuff. I’m a girl that loves heat and spice but I want flavor too. My best description is that this pepper tastes like a non-latin red pepper, but with attitude. The notes are actually good and intense but end with a touch of smokiness. Not like a chipotle or a poblano, so there is where I come off with the “non-latin” description. It’s good……like, really good. After I tasted the salt as-is, I not only respected Mr. Ghost Pepper but could not wait to try it in a recipe. But wait for me to get some more water 🙂

Potatoes are usually bland so I felt they were the perfect pairing, plus I am always in that race to use up every Russet potato I purchased in the bag because then what I paid is not a super bargain. These fries are simple to make and only take 25-30 minutes to cook. You are left with crispy and I mean extra crispy fries from the oven. I am not overstating that here, because I have tried so many oven fries recipes and ended up with floppy sticks….no flop here.

Let’s get started…..

• 3 to 4 Russet Potatoes (washed but with peel….I said this was easy)
• 1/8 cup of Pecorino & Romano cheese blend (grated and if you just have Parm, that will do)
• 1/8 cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup of White Rice Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon of Onion Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of Granulated Garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon of Oregano (dry)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Parsley (dry)
• 1/8 teaspoon of Dill Weed (dry)
• 1/8 teaspoon of The Spice Labs Ghost Pepper Infused Salt (or more if you dare 🙂 )
• Smoked Salt (to taste) and I used The Spice Labs Applewood Smoked Salt
• Black Pepper (to taste)

 

• Baste- 1/4 cup of Buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of Peanut Oil (or a oil with a high heat point of your choosing). I find Peanut Oil gives me the perfect crisp!

Cut your potatoes into fries and soak them in cold water for an hour, just make sure to change the water about 3 times. Removing the starch helps aid with the crisp factor.

Take a bowl and just add all the above dry ingredients and mix, then set aside.

Once the hour passes of your fries swimming in water, I spin them in a salad spinner to dry them. Patting them with paper-towels until completely dry works too.

 

Place the fries in a bowl and allow them to bathe in the 1/4 cup of Buttermilk. You will think a 1/4 cup is too little but as long as you come by and give them a stir, you will see that it covers nicely without waste. If you feel your bowl needs more Buttermilk, feel free to add more because this is just for the fries to soak in it for 30 minutes. Once the fries have been basting in the Buttermilk for 30 minutes or so, add the Peanut Oil and toss making sure to coat the potatoes well.

Turn on oven to 425 degrees. I used the convection setting.

Then comes the dunk! I take the fries by the handful (leaving whatever Buttermilk/Peanut Oil that did not soak up behind) and dump them in the batter. I make sure each fry gets a nice crust adhered to it and then place it on parchment paper.

It took me two pizza pans (the ones with holes) to get all my 3 potatoes to fit. I spaced them enough and in the oven they went for 25 to 30 minutes. At the half-way point, I made sure to get them out and give each fry a flip, so it would cook evenly. If you cut your fries bigger, they may need a little more time to finish but always taste-test to know if they are done.

 

These fries are crisp and have heat, so I paired them with a dip and chose a Caesar dressing! It’s yogurt based and went really well with them, plus saves you from the heat when needed.

 

Get Your Ghost Pepper kick and many others at:

• The Spice Lab On-line– http://shop.thespicelab.com/
• Via Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/TheSpiceLabInc
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/TheSpiceLab

Don’t forget to pick-up their wonderful Applewood Smoked Salt too and they carry so much, you will get lost in Spice Lab’s World!

I received the above products free of charge from The Spice Lab.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

Tribes-A-Dozen: Voila! Hallah Bread Mixes, Wholey Wheat & Traditional Review

As a baker, I tend to always resort on made from scratch methods because of all the unkind ingredients in mixes. You want to reward your family with a treat and not necessarily a lab experiment.

In comes, Tribes- A-Dozen bread mixes, which are friendly on the ingredient list and a cinch to make. You have Challah breads made the traditional way, to wheat and simply spelt. I enjoy egg based breads very much but dislike having to purchase so many eggs that tend to take space in a fridge, until I get started on my project. With Tribe-A-Dozen, you use 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk. This leaves me with an egg white for next day’s breakfast, so it all works out nicely. The ingredients are the main focus for me because they are simple and recognizable.

The wheat mix has Organic Grain Wheat flour, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, sea salt and organic flavor.

You get everything in one box, the yeast and the mix itself. You just add water, eggs as directed and then vegetable oil and honey. A little flour to for the board or you can also use oil if you want. I like options! You also have varieties to choose form (get creative) in making these mixes personalized by adding nuts to dried fruits, or even topping with a seed variety of your choice. One box yields 1 large loaf, 2 regular sized loaves or if you need buns, you can make 8 rolls in less than 2.5 hours!

My first try was a success and I kept checking the box because I felt it was a bit too easy that I was missing something. I was able to cook a nice dinner while baking my wheat Challah bread and it was less of a mess but not breaking tradition. I never have tasted wheat Challah and we mostly make traditional style because we love it on burgers to just plain by itself.

After the bread rises, you then dust your board with flour and divide as you wish.  I decided to go with 2 smaller loaves and one I did a traditional braid and the other I tried for a 4-strand braid.  I also opted to use sesame seeds and poppy for my personal touch.

You then just stick the breads in to rise for for 45-minutes more and at the 30 minute mark, you start preheating your oven at 350 degrees.  You bake your beautiful creations for about 25 minutes.  Mine were ready in 22 minutes!

I was very happy with the results from start to finish.  The wheat bread is moist and I did enjoy the flavor but I am more of a traditional gal and prefer the traditional mix they offer, plus I can’t pass up the great sandwiches it makes!  Goes great with any meal, even a Meat Loaf!  Give them a try risk-free with a satisfaction guarantee on every box!

You can purchase Tribes-A-Dozen mixes on-line or use the store locator to get your hands on a box:

• On-line- http://tribesadozen.com/buy-tribes-voila-hallah-egg-bread-mixes/
• FaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/TribesaDozen
• Twitter- https://twitter.com/tribesadozen
• Purchase via Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A1N9ZRECBL4I2G

or

**You can enter to win your own Tribes-A-Dozen mixes by completing 3 small Tasks**

1.  Please “like” Tribes-A-Dozen on Facebook 
2. Follow Tribes-A-Dozen  on Twitter (@TribesADozen)
3. Please post a comment on this review and that is it 🙂

 Previous winners of Tribes-A-Dozen giveaways are ineligible. Continental U.S. entrants only please 

I will announce the lucky winner on March 3rd!!!

I received the above product free of charge from Tribes-A-Dozen.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.