it’s been a snowy few days in seattle! and if the weather predictions are correct, we’re in for a lot more snow in the next two days!

while i actually like the snow (and the potential for snow days that cancel school!), it makes me realize that we’re really not in santa cruz anymore!

and one of the food things i love/miss the most about our hometown is the bagelry, a place that makes delicious bagels and spreads of all kinds to put on top of their bagels. their egg salad is absolutely amazing, and i’ve been trying to perfect the recipe for the past few months. i think i’m finally pretty close, so i wanted to share it with you. enjoy!

one year ago: german pancakes
two years ago: lemon poppyseed scones
three years ago: banana bread

egg salad

yields enough for 3-4 sandwiches

• 4 eggs
• 2T mayonaise
• 1/2t brown mustard
• 1/4c shredded carrots
• 1/4c diced celery
• 1/8c diced green onions
• salt and pepper to taste
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1. place the eggs in a pan and cover with cold water
2. bring to a boil over high heat
3. once the water is boiling, turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
4. remove the pan from the heat and immediately run cold water into the pan until all the water is cold
5. i usually refrigerate the eggs overnight at this point, but you can skip to step #6 if you want to make the egg salad right away
6. peel the eggs and rinse under water to ensure all the shell is off the eggs
7. place the eggs into a bowl and use a fork to mash into small pieces
8. add the mayo, mustard, carrots, celery, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

ok, i know the holidays have come and gone, but i really want to post this delicious recipe for wheat rolls. they’re really amazing – so amazing that we made them for both thanksgiving and christmas this year (yes, they’re that good!).

these rolls require a lot of rising time, but they’re totally worth it. and i promise the next post will be a healthy, vegetable-laden meal to get us back onto track for 2012. until then, happy new year everyone!

one year ago: orange yams
two years ago: pesto puff pastry rollies
three years ago: four kinds of cookies

wheat rolls

yields 2 dozen rolls
borrowed from allrecipes

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1¾c warm water
• 1/2c white sugar
• 2¼c whole wheat flour
• 1t salt
• 1/4c butter, melted (or use vegetable oil!)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2½c all-purpose flour
• 1/4c butter, melted
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1. in a big bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar, letting stand for 10 minutes
2. add the whole wheat flour and stir well
3. then add the salt, melted butter, and egg, stirring until they’re well combined
4. next, stir in the all-purpose flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl
5. knead on a floured surface for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth
6. grease a large bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 1 hour
7. punch the dough down, cover again and let rise for 30 minutes
8. grease 24 muffin cups (or two 9″x13″ pans)
9. divide the dough into equal portions and roll each into a 6″ x 14″ rectangle
10. cut the 14″ rectangle in half (creating two 7″ x 6″ pieces)
11. then cut six 1″ pieces out of each half, totaling 12 strips that are 7″ x 1″
12. roll each into a spiral and place into muffin cups
13. repeat with the other half of the dough
14. brush the tops of the muffins with melted butter and let rise 40 minutes
15. preheat oven to 400°
16. bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until nicely brown
17. remove from oven and brush tops again with butter

friends, this pilaf is delicious.

super delicious.

crazy delicious. i think you should make it asap. and now i’m going back to my regularly scheduled reading.

but seriously, this pilaf is really yummy and flavorful and hearty, with a combination of rice, lentils, quinoa, pistachios, and figs. it’s perfect with some veggies and tofu, or on its own with a big scoop of plain yogurt on the side. enjoy!

one year ago: cilantro rice
two years ago: pumpkin bread
three years ago: pizza sauce

rice pilaf

yields approx 6 servings
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 2T olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2c basmati rice
• 1/4c quinoa
• 2t curry powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2c cooked lentils (i boiled 1/4c uncooked green lentils for about 45 minutes, until tender)
• 1/2c pitted prunes, chopped
• 1/4c pistachios, chopped
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1. heat oil in pan over medium heat
2. add onion and sauté 2 to 3 minutes
3. add rice and quinoa, and cook until rice begins to turn see-through
4. add curry powder, bay leaf, and then stir in 1½ cups water
5. cover the pan and bring to a boil
6. reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, or until grains are tender
7. season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

i know that for all intents and purposes summer is over – but i want to sneak in one last summer recipe before acknowledging that it’s actually fall. we can at least pretend it’s still summer together, right?

my dad sent me this recipe during the very middle of summer, but i didn’t get brave enough to make it until we were looking for a salad to bring to a labor day bbq, and i realized i hadn’t eaten watermelon all summer. i wish i’d made the dish earlier, though, because i absolutely fell in love with it.

i have to say, i was pretty skeptical with the ingredient list – tomatoes, watermelon, and cheese seemed like a weird combination. but you’ll have to trust me that the salad is amazing – the textures and flavors of the ingredients were perfect together. it also took less than 15 minutes to put together, so you know i’ll be making this again something next summer.

ok, i’m off to go enjoy one of my last weekends before school begins (ugh!), but i suggest you find those last watermelons in the store and make this salad asap. and check out these fun pictures from our fantastic trip to ann arbor to visit my sister and noah last week!

one year ago: quick cinnamon rolls
two years ago: rustic ratatouille
three years ago: edamame rice bowls

watermelon and tomato salad

yields approx 8 side dish servings
borrowed from the minimalist

• 2½c cubes of seedless watermelon, plus a little extra
• 1½c grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2c crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2c scallions, sliced finely
• 2T watermelon juice (from the extra watermelon)
• 2T olive oil
• 2T sherry vinegar
• dash of cayenne
• salt to taste
• 1/2c parsley, minced
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1. place the watermelon, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions into a bowl
2. press some of the extra watermelon with a spoon in a bowl to juice it, then pour it through a sieve and catch the juice
3. whisk (or shake in a mason jar) the watermelon juice, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and cayenne
4. when you’re ready to eat, toss the salad with the dressing, add salt to taste, and garnish with the parsley

throughout the week, we’ve been eating some delicious peaches that we canned with natalie, and that’s brightened things up a bit.

i was surprised to learn that canning can be very, very easy – for some reason i always thought canning was difficult, so i have ignored canning recipe after canning recipe because i was intimidated by the process. but natalie handled it so effortlessly that i officially have canning fever now!

i have to admit, this recipe isn’t exactly a recipe – we basically just let the peaches boil for a bit. but i wanted to list out the steps for the next time i can, and maybe inspire some of you to can, too! if you’re already a canner: what do you like canning? do you have any great recipes to share with me?

one year ago: orzo salad
two years ago: grilled veggie sandwiches
three years ago: falafel from scratch

peach compote

• peaches – we used a large brown paper bag full of fresh peaches
• 2T lemon juice
• pectin to desired thickness, optional
• sugar to taste, optional
• canning jars, lids, and screw bands
• tongs or fondue fork
• clean kitchen towel
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1. boil a large pot of water – one that’s deep enough to cover your canning jars completely in water
2. place the canning jars and screw bands into the boiling water and allow to sterilize for approx 15 minutes, adding the lids for the last 5 minutes
3. use tongs or a fondue fork (this is natalie and her husband’s patented secret, but she was kind enough to let me share it with you!) to remove the sterilized jars, lids, and screw bands, placing them onto a clean towel
4. dump the water and boil more water in the same pan (or you can boil water in a different large pan and boil the jars and peaches at the same time)
5. fill a large bowl with ice and some cold water
6. blanch the peaches by dropping them (whole) into the boiling water for a few minutes, then placing them into the bowl with ice water
7. peel the skins off the peaches after they’re cool enough to handle (the skins should come off very, very easily – i just used my hands to peel them)
8. slice the peaches into small cubes
9. dump the boiling water and place all the peaches into the large pan
10. boil the peaches for about 20 minutes, adding the lemon juice and a little pectin and sugar if desired (we didn’t use pectin or sugar, and ended up with a yummy compote, but pectin would thicken the mixture to more of a jam consistency)
11. use a large spoon to scoop the peaches into the sterilized jars until they are full to the top
12. cover the jars with the lid and then the screw band
13. flip the jars upside down and allow them to cool
14. as they cool, the jars will form a vacuum seal – you can tell if it worked by flipping them over and pressing the middle. if the lid doesn’t move when you press it, it’s sealed!

yikes! for the first time since i began blogging, i accidentally published a completely unfinished post. so for all of your rss-subscribers out there, please excuse the earlier post and read this one instead!

although i’ve never made that mistake before, i make tons and tons of mistakes on a regular basis – don’t you? my major, weekly mistake is buying WAY too many bananas. do you do this? or is it just me? i love bananas, but i always misjudge how many to purchase and end up with a few ugly, overripe bananas at the end of every week (as pictured above). and there’s nothing i hate more than overripe bananas.

so then i’m faced with a dilemma: do i throw them out and waste food? or do i bake banana bread? or make banana pancakes? what if i’m sick of these two recipes (hard to imagine, but possible nonetheless)?

luckily, this recipe turns my banana mistakes into an absolutely delicious, mouth-watering flatbread that’s a great alternative to the sweeter options listed above. i love serving it with soup, especially the avocado soup i posted last week.

if you’re unsure about baking with yeasted foods, this is a super simple, four-ingredient, impossible-to mess-up way to experiment with yeast – so go buy some yeast and make this naan, asap!

one year ago: blueberry scones
two years ago: tomato pie
three years ago: honey glazed tofu with couscous

naan

yields 4 pieces of naan
borrowed from (never home)maker.com

• 1/2 overripe banana, mashed with a fork
• 1t yeast
• 1/2c lukewarm (not hot!) water
• 1½c all purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• dash of salt
• olive oil
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1. after mashing the banana with a fork, whisk the banana, yeast, and water together in a medium mixing bowl
2. let the mixture stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to activate
3. while the mixture is standing, lightly oil a different mixing bowl and set it aside
4. add the flour and salt to the banana mixture, stirring well to combine
5. place the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead with your hands for a few minutes, adding a little warm water if the dough is too dry
6. form a ball with the dough, and place the dough into the greased bowl, turning once so that all sides are covered with oil
7. cover the bowl with a  damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes
8. punch the dough down, divide into four balls, and use your hands to press them out into 6″ flat pieces of oval-shaped dough
9. pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and place over medium heat
10. once the pan is hot, put one piece of naan (or two, if your pan is large enough) into the pan and cook until golden – it takes us 2-4 mins per side
11. flip, allow to cook til golden, and keep repeating with the other pieces
12. serve warm with soup, salad, or just a little melted butter to dip the naan into

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I first made this focaccia bread way back in 2004 when I had first moved in with Mike, Emilie and Bryan.

My mom had bought us a pizza stone as a house-warming gift and I was invited to a friend’s potluck birthday party and wanted to make something using the pizza stone.  After that party this bread became a staple at every party we hosted at the Ledyard house.  Over the years I have topped this bread with olives (like the original recipe called for) or sundried tomatoes, but I think it tastes best without anything on top.

This bread’s two key ingredients are potato and rosemary.

A lot of people don’t like to make bread because of the time it takes to rise.

But if you plan right you can give your dog a bath while the bread is rising.

Make this bread this weekend.  You won’t be sorry.

one year ago: tortillas
two years ago: zucchini bread
three years ago: polenta and pesto

Rosemary Focaccia With Olives

yields approx 8 servings
borrowed from epicurious.com

• 1 12- to 16-ounce russet potato
• 2 1/2 cups (or more) bread flour
• 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (105°°F to 115°F)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oil-cured black olives, pitted, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
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1. Pierce potato several times with fork. Microwave on high until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut in half. Scoop flesh into small bowl; mash well. Measure 2/3 cup (packed) mashed potato; cool (reserve extra potato for another use).
2. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, half of rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt in processor; blend until rosemary is chopped, about 1 minute. Add potato; blend in, using about 25 on/off turns.
3. Combine 1 cup warm water and sugar in 2-cup glass measuring cup; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir 3 tablespoons oil into yeast mixture. With processor running, pour yeast mixture into flour mixture. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until dough feels silky, sprinkling with more flour as needed, about 1 minute. Place dough in large oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with towel; let rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F. Brush large baking sheet with oil. Punch down dough; knead 30 seconds on lightly floured surface. Stretch or pat out dough to 12-inch round. Transfer round to prepared baking sheet. Press dough all over with fingertips to dimple. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Press olive halves, cut side down, into dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let rise until just puffy, about 20 minutes.
5. Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

in my last moments of spring break, i finally, finally! documented this delicious, hearty whole wheat bread to share with you!

my bread making journey began a few years ago, when my mom gave me the tassajara bread book. i immediately read through it, but felt a little daunted by all of the steps and choices involved in making a loaf of bread. edward espe brown, a buddhist monk from california and the author of the tassajara bread book, writes with elegant prose and offers pages and pages and pages of directions for making amazing bread.

so i’m going to do my best to paraphrase what i’ve learned from the book in the recipe and pictures below, but there are many steps involved. bread is an interesting combination of detailed steps with simple ingredients, and there’s something very peaceful about spending half of a day working on nourishing food to share with friends and family.

the loaf begins with lukewarm water, soy milk, and sweetener – i use molasses when i want a denser, deeper flavored bread, and honey or brown sugar when i want a lighter flavor. after adding yeast and flour, the bread rises for the first time. then the process continues with salt and butter (or oil) and more flour, and a second rise. after an hour, the loaf gets punched down and allowed to rise a third time. are you still with me, dear readers? after all of that, the loaves get formed, allowed to rise again, brushed with some egg wash, and then baked. ok, i know that sounds like a lot of steps – i warned you about that – but this bread is worth it.

one year ago: muhammara
two years ago: carrot oat coconut cookies

whole wheat bread

yields 2 loaves of bread
borrowed from the tassajara bread book

• first rise:
• 2c lukewarm water (85º-105ºF)
• 1c lukewarm (soy) milk (85º-105ºF)
• 1/4c sweetening – honey, molasses, or brown sugar
• 1½T dry yeast (2 packets)
• 4c whole wheat flour
• second rise:
• 4t salt
• 1/3c oil or melted butter
• 3c whole wheat flour
• 1c whole wheat flour for needing
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1. pour the water, milk, and sweetening into a large bowl (the bowl of a kitchen aid if you’re using one)
2. dissolve the yeast into the liquid and allow to sit for 10 minutes
3. stir in the 4c of flour and beat well – i use a kitchen aid with a dough hook, but the book suggests beating with a wooden spoon for 100 strokes
4. allow the mixture to rise for 45 minutes, covered loosely with a damp towel
5. stir in the salt and melted butter
6. add 3c of flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl
7. either knead the dough on a floured board for 10 minutes or with the kitchen aid for 10 minutes, adding the extra cup of flour as needed
8. grease a different large bowl with olive oil, place the dough into it, and turn it upside down (so the top of the dough is covered in olive oil)
9. cover the bowl loosely with a damp towel and allow to rise for 60 minutes, until doubled in size
10. punch the dough down and allow to rise for another 50 minutes, until doubled in size
11. grease two loaf pans with olive oil
12. punch the dough down and divide it in half
13. take one half of the dough and use the palm of your right hand to fold it over away from you horizontally, pressing down firmly
14. use the palm of your left hand to fold the dough over vertically
15. repeat steps 12 and 13  four more times
16. start at the edge of the dough and roll it tightly into a cylinder
17. place the loaf seam-side up into the loaf pan
18. use your fingers to pinch the seam of the loaf together
19. turn the loaf over and use the back of your hands to press it down
20. repeat steps 13-19 with the other loaf
21. allow the loaves to rise for 20 minutes
22. preheat the oven to 350º
23. whisk one egg with 2 Tablespoons of (soy) milk
24. brush the egg wash over the top of the loaves, and cut a 1/2″ slit in the top of each loaf
25. bake for one hour and enjoy!

as promised in my last post, here’s the recipe for sourdough bread!

back when we lived in santa cruz and weekends were full of free time, i used to make whole wheat bread almost every week. i’m not quite sure why i haven’t posted my favorite bread recipe, but i promise to make it and post pictures asap!

in the meantime, this recipe will have to suffice – and in some ways, i think it’s even better than my normal whole wheat loaf (although it’s a little like comparing apples and oranges). this sourdough loaf is light and tangy and made some awesome sandwiches and toast! i love the simplicity of it, too – it’s just flour, sourdough starter, a little more yeast and water, a pinch of sugar, and salt. yum!! so, if you’re up for making the starter from my last post, or if you want to purchase a pre-made starter, don’t hesitate! this bread is amazing!

one year ago: healthy brownies
two years ago: thai “chicken” pizza

sourdough bread

yields one loaf of bread
**this recipe requires an overnight rise
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 1½c all purpose flour
• 1¼t yeast
• 3/4c lukewarm water
• 1¼c sourdough starter
• 2T brown sugar
• 1½c all purpose flour
• 1½t salt
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1. combine 1½c all purpose flour with the yeast in a bowl
2. add the lukewarm water, sourdough starter, and sugar, and stir well
3. cover the bowl and allow to sit overnight
4. next, add in 1c flour and salt and stir well (i use my stand mixer and dough hook for this process, but a wooden spoon would work just as well)
5. add the remaining 1/2c in tablespoon increments until the dough is not sticky
6. knead the dough with your hands or a stand mixer for 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed
7. roll the dough into an 8″ log
8. grease a 9″ loaf pan with olive oil, and place the dough in the pan upside down to coat the top with some olive oil
9. turn the loaf over and cover loosely, allowing to rise for one hour
10. preheat the oven to 375º
11. use a serrated knife to cut a slit in the top of the loaf
12. bake the loaf for 45 minutes
13. allow to cool, then slice and enjoy!

this month’s vegetarian times included a whole section on making a sourdough starter from scratch. it’s a 72-hour process in which every 12 hours, half of the starter gets discarded and replenished with more lukewarm water and flour.

i know this process isn’t something most of you will try, and heck, it’s not something i thought i would try before this spring break. but, faced with some time on my hands and a dearth of great bread options up here in seattle, it seemed like the perfect spring break project. it turned out to be a MUCH easier process than i initially thought – the 72 hours flew by.

and the starter yielded the MOST DELICIOUS pancakes i’ve ever eaten. i do not say this lightly. i love pancakes, and many a chef has made stacks of mouthwatering pancakes for me and with me, including banana pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, oat pancakes, persimmon pancakes, blueberry-rice pancakes, you name it. but these take the proverbial (pan)cake. they’re tart and slightly sour from the starter, crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. i couldn’t stop eating them this morning, and even snacked on them cold this evening!

if a small piece of you thinks you can commit to the 72-hour process, i strongly urge you to go for it! you won’t regret it, i promise. i’m including the recipe for the starter in addition to the sourdough blueberry pancake recipe, and just so you know: when i made the starter, i saved the first few discards so that i had enough starter for this recipe, two loaves of sourdough bread (that recipe will be up here soon – it’s some of the best bread i’ve ever made!), and another portion to keep in the fridge so i (hopefully) don’t have to make a starter again….at least not for a little while.

one year ago: sweet potato tacos
two years ago: banana chocolate chip bundt cake

sourdough starter

yields 1¼c starter
**this recipe requires 72 hours of rising time
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 1c all-purpose flour
• 1/4t yeast
• 1c warm water (110º)
• 2½c flour for additional starter feedings
• 2½c warm water for additional starter feedings
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1. combine the flour, yeast, and warm water in a bowl and stir well
2. cover the bowl loosely with saran wrap and allow to sit for 12 hours
3. after the 12 hours are up, discard half of the mixture (or keep it and double the amount of flour and water you add from here on out, see my note above), and add 1/2c flour and 1/2c water, then stir, cover, and leave it alone for another 12 hours
4. repeat this process for 72 hours total (5 total feeding times after the first one)
5. after the yeast mixture has fermented, you can keep it in the fridge or use it in recipes (such as the one below). if you keep the starter in the fridge, discard half and feed it equal parts flour and water once a week.

sourdough pancakes

yields approx 1 dozen pancakes
**this recipe requires an overnight rise
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 1¼c sourdough starter (see above)
• 3/4c all-purpose flour
• 3/4c warm (soy) milk
• 2T brown sugar
• 3T melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2c flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• 1¼c fresh or frozen blueberries
• oil and butter, for frying
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1. stir together starter, flour, milk, and sugar in a medium bowl
2. cover the mixture and allow to sit overnight
3. the next morning, whisk in the butter and egg
4. add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
5. stir in the blueberries
6. heat a pan over medium heat and add about a teaspoon of canola oil
7. add a teaspoon of butter to the oil – putting the oil in the pan first will prevent the butter from burning (thanks for that tip, mom!)
8. pour batter into the pan in 1/4c scoops, and allow to cook until bubbly and browning around the edges, then flip (approx 2 mins per side)
9. serve hot, with maple syrup and butter, and prepare to enjoy some amazing pancakes!