Grilled Flat Bread with Herb Oil

This recipe will be sure to wow any party guest and family! These can be made big or small and they go well with everything from soup, salad and grilled veggies and chicken! The herb oil can be made and stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Below I have posted 2 different kinds of bread recipes. The first is a naan (Indian flat bread) and the other is more of a pizza dough. Try both! You won’t be disappointed!

Homemade Herb Oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon

1/8 cup chopped fresh thyme

1 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Makes 1 3/4 cups oil.

Naan (recipe from “Spilling the Beans”)

1/2 cup warm water

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

3 cups of your choice flour, extra if needed. I used half spelt, half all purpose flour.

1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl mix together the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand until bubbly for a few minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the beans with yogurt, oil and egg; add the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour and salt until a sticky dough forms. Add more flour turning the dough out onto a floured surface kneading until the dough is elastic and smooth. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until double in size. 1-2 hours.

Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces. On an oiled surface, roll out each piece into an oval. Set a heavy skillet over high heat and drizzle oil on the pan. Cook one naan at a time until golden blistered on bottom and top. Spread herb oil on dough after it has cooked. Lightly salt with Kosher salt and pepper. Keep warm in a 250` oven until ready to serve.

Pizza Dough (Flat Bread)

1/4 cup warm water

1 1/8 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 tsp honey

1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cup flour of your choice

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp room temp water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Make a Sponge:

in a small bowl, mix together warm water, yeast ans honey until yeast is dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until smooth; set aside 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Make the Dough:

In an electric bowl fitted with a dough hook, combine sponge, 1 cup flour, milk, room temp water, olive oil and salt. mix on medium speed to form a sticky dough. Add additional flour, little a ta time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (Dough should be very soft). Reduce to a low setting and knead for 10 minutes. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

Divide dough in half and roll out onto an oiled surface, making 2 large oval shapes. Grill on a heavy skillet or outside on the BBQ grill. Brush herb oil on fully cooked dough and cut into triangular shapes. Lightly salt with Kosher salt and pepper.

August 13, 2013September 4, 2013

Homemade Croutons

Who needs store bought croutons when you can make your own and make it so much better! This recipe is so simple and can be made ahead for up to a week!

Recipe

1 loaf sourdough bread chopped into 2-inch pieces

olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the chopped sourdough pieces onto a jelly roll pan evenly so none are overlapping. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to gently coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with hands to evenly coat bread and put into a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping with a spatula once in the middle of cooking time. Remove from from oven when the croutons are lightly golden. Let cool and use for salads or soups!

July 16, 2013September 4, 2013

Sunny-Side Up Personal Pizzas!

Now here is a new twist on pizza! These personal pizzas are fun for the whole family to help make! My kids loved rolling out their own little pizzas and enjoyed eating them too! They can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner! This recipe makes 4 personal pizzas or 2 large.

Recipe

1 lb. pizza dough (see recipe below)

1 cup tomato or pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional toppings of your choice, such as mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives, spinach, etc.

4 large eggs

Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide dough into 4 pieces and roll out on a floured surface, about 1/2-inch thick. Place 2 pizzas on a oiled jelly roll pan and bake for 10 minutes. Take out of oven and place sauce and toppings on the pizza, including cheese. Crack one egg over the top and put back into the oven for 15-20 minutes longer until the cheese is bubbly and the egg is set. Garnish with basil.

Pizza Dough

1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans

1 cup warm water, divided

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 1/2 cups flour, either all all-purpose flour or half white, half wheat

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

In a blender puree beans with 1/4 cup of the water until completely smooth. In a small bowl stir together the remaining warm water, yeast and sugar. Make sure the mixture gets foamy to ensure the yeast is fresh. In a large electric bowl fitted with a bread dough hook add the water and bean mixtures together along with 1 cup flour. Add the oil and salt. Add the remaining flour and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead a few times on an oiled surface. Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once the dough has raised punch down and proceed with directions above.

June 25, 2013September 4, 2013

Fresh Herb Garlic Bread

I have many people tell me they would grow more herbs if they knew how to use them! Well, here is another wonderful recipe you will be so glad to try! The flavors are unbelievable! A perfect addition to any meal! This recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa’s “Back to Basics”.

Fresh Herb Garlic Bread

6 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 large loaf of ciabatta bread or 2 small

2 tablespoons butter at room temperatire

Preheat the oven to 350`. Place the garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over low heat. Add the garlic and herb mixture and cook for 3 minutes, until the garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cut the ciabatta in half horizontally, running a serrated knife parallel to the board. Spoon the garlic mixture onto the bottom half and spread the butter on the top half and place together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place on a sheet pan. Bake the bread for 5 minutes. Unwrap and discard foil, bake for another 5 minutes. Slice crosswise and serve warm.

June 12, 2013September 4, 2013

Growing and Using Strawberries

Every garden should have a small strawberry patch in my opinion! Nothing beats the burst of flavor from a home grown strawberry! They are easy to grow in a container or in the ground. Most strawberries produce their best within their first 5 initial years. There are 3 different types of strawberries:

June-bearing – produce an abundant crop one time in June. Good for making jam or canning.
Ever-bearing – produce in the late spring and late summer. Can produce during the middle of the summer if temps are cool enough to allow the plant to set flowers.
Day-neutral – once established and have reached maturity, the plants will produce all summer long, increasing yields with cooler temps.

All varieties require at least 8 hours of sunlight to produce good fruit. Strawberries prefer well-draining, rich soil that has been amended with lots of organic matter. They can be susceptible to root rot if grown in heavy wet soil. The best time to buy strawberry plants is in the early spring in bare-root form. They usually come in bundles of 10. Make sure the roots look healthy and have stayed moist. Larger potted plants are more expensive and do not produce more than less expensive bare-root plants.

After the first year, the first daughters (or runners) can replace the original mother plant. This keeps the fruit production high and the size large. Remove any other runners that come off the 1st daughters.

I grow an ever-bearing variety called “Sea Scape” for it’s large berries and wonderful sweet flavor. Just this year so far I have harvested about 4lbs. Here are just a few recipes we love using our own home grown strawberries!

This simple and beautiful salad will impress anyone over with it’s candied pecans, fresh strawberries and creamy feta cheese! I love to serve it with a homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette!

Strawberry, Pecan, Feta Salad

Serves 8

1 cup candied pecans

2-4 T. agave

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size (reserve 1/3 cup berries for dressing)

12 cups fresh greens from the garden or organic spring mix

1 (7-ounce package) crumbled feta cheese or more if you like

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking oil. Add the pecans and agave. Stir continuously until thickened and the pecans are coated well. About 10 minutes. Be careful not to let them burn. Remove from heat.Prepare the greens, strawberries and feta in a large salad bowl. Add the pecans once completely cooled. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing and toss.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mix 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup strawberries, 3 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 T. sugar and salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Pulsing a few times leaving a few chunks of strawberries. Drizzle over salad just before serving.

Freezer jam is so easy to make! No hassle and it’s quick! It has less sugar than other preserves, making it a healthier alternative without the loss of flavor! Try eating some with my Rustic Rosemary Loaf! https://rootedemily.com/?p=197

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 cups mashed strawberries or fruit of your choice. I like to use my blender.

1 cup organic sugar

1/3 cup instant clear gel

Mix together the sugar and clear gel then add the berries. Place in jars of your choice, leaving a 1″ head space. Place the lid on and freeze! Can be kept in the freezer for up to 6months.

This beautiful cake says summer time! Made with lemon and orange zest, it adds a delightful addition to any gathering! From the Barefoot Contessa cookbook “Parties”!

Strawberry Country Cake

For the cake:

3/4 cup softened butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest ( 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoons orange zest ( 1 orange)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat oven to 350`. Butter or spray two 8-inch round cake pans.

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On medium speed, add the eggs, sour cream, zests and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together the flour, corn starch, soda and salt. Add the flour mixture slowly into the batter. Mix until just combined and smooth.

Pour batter evenly into pans, smooth tops with spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature.

To make filling and topping, mix the cream, sugar and vanilla with beaters until stiff peaks form. You can either stack the cakes on each other or slice them in half, layering with 4 levels. Place the cream on each layer, topped with berries and repeat until complete. Serve immediately!

June 12, 2013September 4, 2013

Rosemary Rustic Loaf

This is a wonderful recipe for those just beginning to bake bread! I love that it doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare, just a bit of thinking ahead! The crusty outside and soft chewy inside make this the perfect bread for dipping into soups or sauces! I found the recipe from “America’s Test Kitchen Baking Cookbook”. I recommend reading through the directions of the recipe first before proceeding.

3 cups all-purpose flour ( I used 2 cups spelt flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)

1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)

3/4 cup water, room temperature

1/2 cup mild beer (I use non-alcoholic Odoul’s and make 3 loaves at a time from one can), room temperature

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt and rosemary if using. Fold in the water, beer and vinegar until the dough starts to come together and looks shaggy (I like to make sure the flour is mixed in all the way). Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.

Once the dough has risen and you are ready to continue, turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place a piece of parchment paper that is 18×12-inches inside a 10-inch skillet. Place the dough on the parchment and spray with non-stick oil, cover with plastic wrap and allow to raise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before baking turn the oven on to 500` with the rack at the lowest setting. Place a large, cast iron dutch oven with lid, on the rack and allow to heat up with the oven.

Score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife and sprinkle a little flour on top. Once the oven has reached 500` carefully remove the dutch oven and lid. Place the entire loaf and parchment paper directly into the pot, place the lid back on and put the dutch oven back into the oven. It is okay to let some of the parchment hang over the edge of the pot.

Once the pot is back in the oven immediately turn the oven down to 425` and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid of the pot and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack at room temperature for about 2 hours before serving.