Posole Stew

Chimayo, New Mexico

Since I'm posting recipes with a Hispanic influence, I thought I'd repost this wonderful, wintertime stew.  

I discovered how to make posole stew while living in Medanales, NM, in the summer of 2011.  Posole or pozole is the Spanish word for hominy.  In New Mexico posole stew is traditionally prepared at New Years with the leftover Christmas ham.  In Lexington, KY, Mexican restaurants usually serve pozole only on weekends, and it consists of a similar but much spicier soup made with pork and ground red chile paste rather than with green chiles.  This is my favorite soup.

• 1 Tsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can hominy, drained
• 1 large can chopped green chiles (or better fresh roasted chiles)
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 1 Tsp oregano
• 1 clove garlic

Sauté the onion in the oil in a large pan.  

When the onions are caramelized or translucent (depending upon your taste), add the broth, hominy, chiles, ham, oregano, and garlic.  Bring to boil.  

Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  

This dish often tastes better the next day after it has set and seasoned a bit in the refrigerator.

A small bowl of posole -especially if with limited amounts of hominy- can make for a 200 calorie lunch or dinner.  One cup of hominy has 119 calories by itself.  

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes* (but only if you leave out the green chiles)
Paleo:  yes* (but only if you leave out the main ingredient, hominy)
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (but only if you use vegetable broth and leave out the ham)
Vegetarian:  yes* (but only if you use vegetable broth and leave out the ham)
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Artichokes in Italy

If you love artichokes, Italy offers a delicious variety of ways to prepare them. Besides the marinated versions in jars familiar to Americans, Roman restaurants serve two traditional artichoke ("carciofo" in Italian) dishes:  "carciofo alla romana" and "carciofo alla giudio".  That is, artichokes Roman style or artichokes Jewish style.

Roman style artichokes are stewed with a meat broth or olive oil broth. Jewish style is fried. The Jewish style produces salty fried artichoke pedals that taste very similar to potato chips. The picture shows both versions. 

Gezunt Latkes

Photo courtesy of Elena's Pantry

A few years ago my friends Mark, Nancy, Rachel, and Ben had me over to share Hanukkah with their family.  Hanukkah is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, but it tends to fall near Christmas.  So, it has been elevated to more prominence as a parallel Jewish winter holiday.  What's not to love about a holiday that requires you to drink several glasses of wine with family and friends?!

One Hanukkah tradition is the preparation of latkes, or potato pancakes, with most everyone taking their turn at the fryer.

Latke derives from Russian via Yiddish according to Wikipedia, and my healthy take on latkes I've named Gezunt Latkes, or healthy latkes, in Yiddish.  If gezunt sounds familiar, it is because Yiddish evolved out of German, and we get our American sneezing word Gesundheit (German for health) also from German.  No sneezing around the frying pan though!

• Start with my earlier recipe for Mashed Potatoes for Mo, a delicious faux mashed potato dish made from mashed cannellini beans, You'll need 2 cups of Mashed Potatoes for Mo.
• One of these three options:  
• 3 tablespoons wheat or almond flour
• 2 slices of white bread
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Oil
• Salt
• OPTIONS:  sauteed minced onion, sauteed zucchini, or sauteed carrot slivers

This dish has a lot of optional ways of cooking it:

Method 1:  To the basic mashed beans add 3 tablespoons wheat or almond flour.  Mix together.

Method 2:  To the basic mashed beans add two slices of bread and puree in a blender.

Method 3:  To the basic mashed beans add 2 beaten eggs.  Mix together.

Once you have your chosen pancake batter from above, you can make your basic latke by frying in oil with a dash of salt.  The oil in the pan should be high enough to come up to about halfway up the height of the latke.  Too little oil and your latke will stick.  Alternatively, just toss that latke in your Fry Daddy and fry daddy fry.

To this basic latke you can add a variety of additions:

• sauteed onions
• minced raw onions
• raw green onions
• matchsticks of julienned and sauteed zucchini
• sauteed (or raw if you like more of a crunch) carrot slivers

After cooking to a golden brown (usually about 4 minutes on each side on medium heat), put the latke on a paper towel on a napkin to cool slightly and to soak up some of the excess oil.  Then serve as is or with a side of sour cream, applesauce or apple butter.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes*  (especially if you use Method 3 rather than flour or bread)
Gluten Free:  yes* (if you use Method 3)
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  no (has beans)
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes* (if you use Method 3)
200 Calories or Under:  no

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Diana's Cranberry Salad -Diabetic Friendly Version

Photo by Muffet

No Thanksgiving or Christmas are complete for me without my mom's Cranberry Salad.  Folks often rave about this holiday side dish both for its taste and for how well it presents on the table.

I'm posting my own diabetic take on how to make this dish a bit healthier for those avoiding sugar.

• 1 bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 3/4 cup Splenda or equivalent stevia or other sugar substitute
• 1 small box of sugar free strawberry gelatin
• 1 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 small can of unsweetened pineapple

Remove a handful of cranberries from the bag and reserve for later.

Cut up the remaining cranberries in a blender until a rough chop but not a puree.

In a bowl mix the chopped cranberries, the Splenda, and the handful of reserved whole cranberries.  Cover and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. 

The next day mix the gelatin, hot water, pecans and pineapple.  When the gelatin has dissolved, pour the cranberry-sugar mixture and gelatin mixtures together into a clear serving dish.  

Let the salad congeal in the refrigerator -usually overnight.  The resulting dish has the brilliant reds of Christmas and a tart, sweet crunchiness that leaves that other cranberry sauce where it should remain -in a can on a far, back shelf.

OPTIONS:  My aunt Susie prefers to make her cranberry salad with cherry gelatin.  

My mother's original recipe calls for 1 3/4 sugar instead of Splenda and has 1 cup small marshmallows and about 1 cup coconut generously sprinkled on top of the gelatin to create a red and white layer effect.  Marshmallows are pure sugar, and most baking coconut is sweetened with sugar.  You may, however, add unsweetened coconut on top.  

In full disclosure, I also am not a fan of nuts in food so I usually leave out the pecans.  The nuts also are rather high in calories if you are trying to slim down the caloric punch of your Thanksgiving.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes* (if you allow yourself to have Splenda or similar)
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes*  (if you can find a gelatin made without animal products)
Vegetarian:  yes*  (if you can find a gelatin made without animal products)
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (if you leave out the pecans)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Homemade Sauerkraut

Cabbage fermenting in my glass crock

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of yogurt, so getting regular amounts of yogurt's wonderful, beneficial probiotics isn't always tasty to me.

Fortunately, I recently discovered that other fermented foods have many...sometimes more...of the probiotics and other health benefits of yogurt.  And, I LOVE good sauerkraut.

So I decided to see how hard it was to make my own.  I think modern people are often afraid of trying the preservation techniques used for centuries out of ignorance and/or fear that we will accidentally poison ourselves.

Homemade sauerkraut is a great way to start exploring making your own tasty, healthful fermented foods because it is one of the easiest things to make.




Homemade Sauerkraut

• 1 head of green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon salt
• OPTION:  2 tablespoons juniper berries
• OPTION:  1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1. Wash and then shred the cabbage into long, string-like pieces EXCEPT FOR 1-3 outer leaves.

2. Put the shredded cabbage in a crock or glass/ceramic pot.

3. Add the tablespoon of salt and any optional berries/seeds.

4. Squeeze and press down on the cabbage to get it to release its juices.  Keep doing this every 15 minutes or so for an hour or two.  Eventually the cabbage should release enough juice to cover the pressed cabbage.  If it doesn't, mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon salt and add to the crock.

5. Place the clean outer leaves on top of the shredded pieces to hold them under the juice.  Place a plastic lid, plate, or other clean item over the cabbage.  Then place a plastic bag full of water and a tablespoon of salt (in case it should break) on top of the lid to weigh the cabbage down and keep below the water line.

6. Place the crock in a pantry or other area of 4-6 weeks to ferment.  

The cabbage contains natural bacteria that will digest the sugars in the cabbage and cause it to ferment.  The kraut will kind of begin to be ready in 3 days to a week but reaches its best at 4-6 weeks.  Some bubbles are normal in the ferment process -as with wine.  Also, occasionally some mold may form on any pieces of the kraut extending out of the water.  Remove and do not worry about this.  If you ever have made pickles, you will be familiar with similar phenomena.

When the sauerkraut is ready, place in your refrigerator and eat cold or heated.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Cebollas Encurtidas (Pickled Onions)

Photo courtesy of Belly of Ecuador

Cebollas Encurtidas are a wonderful Latin American side dish used as a condiment with pork and other dishes.  They add both color and a sweet, tangy addition to many different meals.

It is surprising I like these wonderful morsels of onion.  While I love caramelized and other thoroughly cooked onions, I pretty much hate raw onions.  Cebollas Encurtidas, however, are more like an onion pickle.  

These onions are a common side dish in many Mexican and other Latin American restaurants.  I began making my own when I found it difficult to find any commercial brands in local Latino groceries.  I believe most people just make this dish at home.  They are easy to make, and you can find a number of different recipes online.  After some experimentation, here is my own variety that I have come to love:

• 3 red onions
• 1 c lime juice
• 1 c water
• 1 c red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp cloves, ground
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Slice the onions horizontally into rings.  Put into a bowl and salt.  

Bring the water and vinegar mixture to a boil.  

While the vinegar is heating, move the salted onions to a bowl with the lime juice.  Add the cloves and pepper.  

Pour the vinegar/water mixture over the onions.  Let them set for 2-3 hours until they turn pink.  

Refrigerate and eat within 2 weeks or so.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Black Bean Soup

The other night Nathan had a dish at a new Latin fusion restaurant served over a thick, delicious black bean soup.  I've craved it since and decided to try to create my own.  The result is quite tasty if I say so myself:

• 2 cans black beans (I used Goya brand.)
• 2 pints of chicken stock (I used Costco brand.)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 small red onions
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions are nicely translucent and cooked.

Drain the black beans and rinse with cold water.  

Add the beans, chicken stock, and cumin.

Cook on medium for about 20 minutes to reduce the liquid by about a third.  

Either mash some of the beans into a soupier texture in the pot or remove a portion of the mixture and puree with a blender.  Then put the puree back in the pot.  Simmer on low until you are ready to taste the deliciousness!

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock)
Vegetarian:  yes* (substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock)
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (up to a cup of soup)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Posole Stew

Chimayo, New Mexico

I discovered how to make posole stew while living in Medanales, NM, in the summer of 2011.  Posole or pozole is the Spanish word for hominy.  In New Mexico posole stew is traditionally prepared at New Years with the leftover Christmas ham.  In Lexington, KY, Mexican restaurants usually serve pozole only on weekends, and it consists of a similar but much spicier soup made with pork and ground red chile paste rather than with green chiles.  This is my favorite soup.

• 1 Tsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can hominy, drained
• 1 large can chopped green chiles (or better fresh roasted chiles)
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 1 Tsp oregano
• 1 clove garlic

Sauté the onion in the oil in a large pan.  

When the onions are caramelized or translucent (depending upon your taste), add the broth, hominy, chiles, ham, oregano, and garlic.  Bring to boil.  

Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  

This dish often tastes better the next day after it has set and seasoned a bit in the refrigerator.

A small bowl of posole -especially if with limited amounts of hominy- can make for a 200 calorie lunch or dinner.  One cup of hominy has 119 calories by itself.  

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes* (but only if you leave out the green chiles)
Paleo:  yes* (but only if you leave out the main ingredient, hominy)
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (but only if you use vegetable broth and leave out the ham)
Vegetarian:  yes* (but only if you use vegetable broth and leave out the ham)
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Ode to the Pumpkin Seed

Photo courtesy of BradBeattie

One of my latest food obsessions are pumpkin seeds.  This obsession began at a recent pumpkin carving party at my friends Bernadette and Anna's house.  They roasted the fresh seeds from the pumpkins for about an hour with a splash of soy sauce on them.  Delicious, salty, and crunchy!

I had never realized you can eat the entire green, inner seed and outer white casing.  They offer a very satisfying texture and crunch.




Semillas tostada de calabaza, or roasted pumpkin seeds, are a popular Mexican snack.  If you want to try some pumpkin seeds and your regular grocery store does not carry them, check out your local Mexican specialty grocery store.

• Fresh, clean, raw pumpkin seeds
• Soy sauce or Bragg's Amino Acids
• Some oil (in a bottle or spray oil)

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F.

Spread out your pumpkin seeds as a single layer on a shallow baking sheet pan.  Coat with oil.  Add a light coating of soy sauce, Bragg's Amino Acids or simply salt.

Bake for 45 minutes to one hour while stirring the seeds occasionally.  

Enjoy!

Options:  You can also add other seasonings when roasting such as cayenne pepper, black pepper, or rosemary.

Caution:  1/3 cup of roasted, salted pumpkin seeds have 160 calories, so they are nutritious but fairly high calorie.  The  commercially roasted, salted version in grocery stores also is high in salt (about 49% of your recommended daily salt intake in only 1/3 cup).  Pumpkin seeds, however, are a rich source of manganese, zinc, magnesium, and tryptophan.  Folk medicine also says they kill and expel intestinal parasites so grab a bag and say goodbye to those tapeworms! ;)

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes...actually some nutritionists recommend for diabetics for the mineral content
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes...pumpkin is in the gourd family, not Nightshade
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Less:  yes...but no more than 1/3 cup

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Pico de Gallo Beans

Medanales, New Mexico

This simple dish can be served cold as a salad or heated as a side dish.  When my garden overflowed with tomatoes and green onions, I invented this dish after seeing similar dishes over the years.

• 1 can blackeyed peas
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tomato, remove the seeds and juicy parts and then chop
• cilantro, chopped, add as much as you enjoy to your own particular taste
• salt & pepper

Combine and enjoy!

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  no (has tomatoes)
Paleo:  no (has beans)
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Less:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Sausage and Okra Gumbo

New Orleans, August 2014

Legend says Louisiana cooks invented the spicy delicacy that is gumbo as a summer soup to cause diners to sweat and cool off. So it unusually is a summer soup.

A lot of restaurants serve either a nasty gelatinous mess or tasteless, tomato-based vegetable soup which they call gumbo. A real gumbo always starts with a good roux.  And usually gumbo is thickened a bit with either okra or filé powder.  Never use both in the same gumbo:  you'll end up with a gelatinous mess.

This particular version is one Nathan and I created in August 2014 for a yummy summertime treat. 

1 package smoked sausage

2 cups fresh okra, chopped with tops removed

1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes

1 large onion

3 stalks of celery
5 bay leaves

1/2 cup flour

2 cups rice

In a bowl or container where you can store for later uses also, mix:

3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme

Gumbo is usually a one pot dish but is cooked in stages;

Stage 1:  Cut the sausage into 1/4" slices. Sauté in a small amount of olive oil. Remove sausage from the pot. 

Stage 2:  Chop the onions, okra and celery.  Sauté in the pot. You may need to add more olive oil. Remove from the pot.

Stage 3:  Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup butter to the pot and stir for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat to make your roux base. The roux is essential and transforms this vegetable soup to sheer deliciousness.  A roux (pronounced "roo") can be blond, brown, or black depending on how long you cook it. For our gumbo we want a nice brown roux about the color of coffee with cream or chocolate milk. Don't rush the cooking. Start on a low heat and adjust up to medium.  Stir continuously so it doesn't burn. 

Stage 4:  Once the roux is a beautiful brown color, add the sausage, sautéed vegetables, stock, bay leaves, and 1 heaping Tablespoon of the seasoning mix (more or less to taste).  Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium/low for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile cook two cups of white rice. 

Serve by filling a bowl about half way with the gumbo.  Using a 1 cup measuring cup, scoop a cup of cooked, warm rice and put on top of the soup.  

This dish heats up well for leftovers. Keep the rice separate from the soup until serving. This gumbo does get saltier if it is stored for a day or two probably from the sausage. If cooking for another day, reduce the salt a bit.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes* (if eat little rice or a high glycemic rice like brown or Basmati)
Gluten Free:  no
Mediterranean: yes
Nightshade Family Free: no
Paleo:  no
SugarBusters:  no
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (leave out the sausage)
Vegetarian:  yes* (leave out the sausage)
Wheat Free: no
200 Calories or Under:  no

Notice: Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you. Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post. Some calories are estimates based on packaging.

Easy Bruschetta

Bruschetta is one of my favorite dishes. It is a quintessential Italian appetizer made from bread and ripe, juicy tomatoes. The quality of your bruschetta really depends on the quality of the tomatoes.  Here is a simple version my friend Barbara Falkenhagen taught me long ago. 

• toast some bread slices

• while the bread is warm, spread a nice layer of butter on the slices and let the butter melt and soak in

• dice some tomatoes

• add some salt and pepper to the tomatoes

• put the tomatoes on the warm, buttery bread and enjoy!

Options:  You can also add some chopped rosemary, basil, or other herbs to the tomatoes. I've also seen bruschetta in Italy made with diced olives. In Italy sometimes a thin layer of pesto is applied on top of buttered bread before adding tomatoes. And I've also seen bruschetta made using olive oil rather than butter. Experiment and enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Sticks

I enjoy carrots cut into slices as a healthy snack but sometimes they are rather bland. Here is a trick to spice them up:

Cut fresh carrots into the shape you prefer (sticks, curls, carrot chips, etc.). Then roll the cut carrots in a bowl with a liberal dash of hot sauce.  Remove the carrots and store ...or eat.  

The hot sauce will subtly flavor the carrots with a spicy hot flavor that is not overpowering. 

Dutch Zucchini

There is really nothing especially Dutch about this dish except that I invented it in Amsterdam and orange is the color -fittingly- of the Netherlands' ruling House of Orange. It makes a very tasty side dish when zucchini are in abundance. 

1 zucchini

2 carrots

1 small roll or baguette

2 Tablespoons butter (oil if vegan)

Cut zucchini in half. Using a spoon scoop out the seeds.  Discard the seeds and cube the zucchini halves. 

Peel and dice carrots. 

Cube roll/baguette. 

Sauté zucchini, carrots and bread in the butter. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Dutch-Thai Carrot Salad

We are traveling in Europe and staying in apartments along the way. This is a great way to travel and save money by cooking at the apartment. Having few ingredients on hand, I get creative with what is available in the kitchen.  I created this recipe with a bit of trial and error in Amsterdam using some beautiful, fresh Dutch carrot and a bag of peanuts from Delta Airlines. ;)

The crushed peanuts give this dish a Thai flavor.  It reminds me of a common carrot salad served in individual portions in Paris grocery stores. 

Ideally I would grate the carrots a little thicker for better presentation, but our apartment's box grater only had a fine grate setting. So it was a bit mushy but delicious. I will be making this dish quite often for myself. Nathan doesn't like peanuts. 

4 clean, whole carrots with ends removed

1 Tablespoon roasted peanuts, crushed

2 sugar cubes crushed (about 1 Tablespoon)

1/2 lemon

1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Dash or two of salt to one's preferred taste

Using a box grater, grate the carrots into a bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix. You may wish to experiment with the proportions of acids, sugar and salt to your preferences. 

Refrigerate and serve.  

Pain d'Épi

Pain d'Épi translates from French as Wheat Head/Spike Bread.  Its shape is supposed to look like the head of a piece of wheat.

It looks fancy.  It's fun.  And it makes nice, individual loafs/rolls connected as one piece.  I haven't tried this with kids, but I suspect children would enjoy tearing off their own individual 'grain' from the loaf.




Use the Basic Bread Recipe.  When you shape your dough for the final 20 minute rise, roll the original ball with your hands into a longer cylinder.  Then using a pair of clean kitchen scissors, cut into the roll at about a 45 degree angle.  Cut down into the roll until you are leaving only a 1/4" piece of dough under the tip of your scissors.  You will now have a flap of dough.  Gently push it to one side of the roll.

Repeat the cutting with the scissors.  On the next cut though, push the flap of dough to the opposite side from the first.  Repeat this until you have cut the entire roll into flaps -or 'grains'- of dough on your 'wheat stalk'.

Let the bread rise for 20 minutes on a surface coated with a generous portion of whole wheat flour.

Preheat your oven to 450 F.

When ready to bake, put one cookie sheet of hot water on the lowest rack in your oven.  Then slide the risen dough to another cookie sheet.  Place the bread and sheet on a higher rack.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool for at least 5 minutes.  Then tear each delicious 'grain' from your Pain d'Épi to eat with your favorite butter, preserves, molasses, or honey!

DIETS:
Diabetic:  no
Gluten Free:  no
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  no
SugarBusters:  yes* (if you use 100% whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour)
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (unless you do not consume yeast)
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  no
200 Calories or Under:  no

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Bread-a-rama

Bread has taken some hard knocks in the last decade or so as Americans' burgeoning waistlines have led to a move away from carbs.  Yet, most people love breads in all their varieties.  They are cultural statements. Imagine Indian food without naan, English tea with no crumpets, or French cheese without the baguette.  You're probably going to have some carbs with your breakfast or dinner.  Why not take a lesson from the French and make small, delicious additions to your meals count.  One slice of a really good homemade bread versus eating a bag of noxious baked potato chips:  which would you choose?

Plus, you can bake your own higher quality breads at home for a fraction of the cost of bread bought from a store.

When I was younger, I always associated a happy home with making your own bread.  So these recipes have a special emotional resonance with me.

Bread also does not have to be that complicated.  Each one is something of an experiment.  I've undercooked bread.  I've overcooked bread.  I've used old yeast that didn't rise.  I've used small bowls and had rising, raw dough spill over into my oven.  Experiment.  Learn.  Return to the flour to fight another day.

Here though is a basic recipe you'll find on a number of sites.  I forget exactly where I first found it.  I've since played and adapted it to my own kitchen.  I now share it with you:

Basic Crusty Bread

3 cups all purpose flour (Use bread flour or a mix depending on how chewy you want your bread.  The more bread flour with its higher protein content will result in a chewier bread.)

1.5 cups warm water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

Take a large bowl.  Mix these four ingredients together.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight. While you sleep, the yeast will be working their magic.  No need to proof your yeast or to add sugar.  The key is time.

If you want to make larger batches, you can refrigerate or freeze the dough after the initial overnight rise.  Then just pull off enough for a future loaf.

Preparing the Dough:

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 F.

Coat your hands in flour.  Either use the entire dough or tear/cut off a grapefruit-sized piece of dough to make smaller loaves.  Pulling from the top of the ball of dough, pull the top down to the bottom of the ball. Rotate the ball a quarter of a turn.  Pull the top of the ball down to the bottom.  Do this a total of four times.

Place the ball of dough in a clean dish towel, piece of cheesecloth, rising basket, cookie sheet, or pizza peel (the flat wooden thing you see at pizzerias) after generously putting down corn meal, whole wheat flour, or regular flour to create a cushion to prevent sticking.  Also, this is the time when you shape your dough, cut the top into patterns, or top with seeds.  If you wish to cut your dough into decorate patterns, generously top the dough with flour to prevent the blade from sticking in the dough.  Alternatively, you can wet the dough and knife to keep them from sticking.

Allow to rise from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on your schedule and preference.

Cooking Methods:

Professional bakeries use steam-injected ovens that produce a crisp crust.  There are at least two ways to get a similar outcome at home:

A. If you have a Le Creuset or Lodge Dutch oven made of enameled cast iron, you can place the bread in the Dutch oven.  (Be careful:  the Lodge brand's top knob has been known to melt at 450 F in the past.)  The bread's own moisture content will steam the bread.  Bake for 30 minutes covered.  Then bake another 15 minutes uncovered.

B. If you don't have a cast iron Dutch oven, no worries.  Put a cookie sheet on the lowest rack in your oven.  Fill with hot water.  Then on the higher rack put another cookie sheet with your dough.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Cooling:
Most recipes also need to be properly cooled for the inside of the bread to finish cooking.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  no
Gluten Free:  no
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  no
SugarBusters:  yes* (if you use 100% whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour)
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes* (unless you do not consume yeast)
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  no
200 Calories or Under:  no

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.  

Amazing and Versatile Vinaigrette

Paris, 2012

I frankly love tangy vinegar.  I sometimes gross my partner out by slipping into the kitchen for a teaspoon of vinegar when I get a craving.

Today's post is a roundup of various yummy dishes made with a simple vinaigrette.












The basic recipe for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid.  You can experiment with different oils:

• Olive oil -the traditional oil element
• Walnut oil
• Sesame oil -for a rich Asian flavor
• Canola oil
• Even hot bacon grease for dishes like the Southern wilted lettuce

You can also play around with different acids:

• White vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• White wine vinegar
• Rice vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Lime juice

And you can also add some other ingredients for various tastes:

• Dijon mustard -to make a French vinaigrette
• Garlic and oregano -to make an Italian dressing

Most Americans are familiar with using vinaigrette as a salad dressing, but vinaigrette is an amazingly versatile sauce for various dishes including:

• Lentilles en Vinaigrette (Lentils in Vinaigrette) -lentils
• Salad Antibes -tomatoes
• Anne Burrell's Asparagus Salad -asparagus (Delicious and unique!  Folks have a hard time figuring out what the diced asparagus is.)
• Ina Garten's Celery and Parmesan Salad -This delicious and unusual take on celery is similar to Anne Burrell's asparagus salad except with celery.
• Ina Garten's Avocado and Grapefruit Salad -an amazing blend of buttery avocado and tangy grapefruit
• Pico de Gallo Beans -I have also experimented with a tasty alternative to this recipe where I use a bit of vinaigrette to provide a tang for a cold blackeye pea salad.
• Cucumbers -In Germany I've had a number of salads consisting of grated cucumbers tossed with a vinaigrette.
• Potatoes -Also in Germany, one traditional version of a warm potato salad consists of skinned, sliced, and cooked potatoes mixed with a vinaigrette and bits of bacon.
• marinade -Vinaigrettes are often mixed with herbs to make delicious marinades.

On what other vegetables and dishes can you use this versatile dressing?

Salade Antibes

Market, Venice, 2012

I discovered this salad by accident.  I like naming my salads after French places under the dictum that foods taste better with French names. (wink)

Antibes is on the Mediterranean coast, and this yummy salad of summer tomatoes and lemons seemed a good dish to name for that warm, sunny city.

• 2 cups fresh tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• Tablespoon of good olive oil
• Pepper to taste
• Kosher salt to taste

This is a great tomato salad.  You can use either fresh tomatoes cleaned of their seeds with a spoon or use whole, halved grape tomatoes.  Prepare and cut the tomatoes.  Add the juice of half a fresh lemon. Add in about a tablespoon of good olive oil.

Add black pepper and an amazingly large amount of kosher salt to taste.  The salt is key.  Keep adding as long as you think it revs up the taste.  At one point you end up with this fantastic, salty-sour vinaigrette.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  no (contains tomatoes)
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.    

Lentilles En Vinaigrette

Paris, 2012

I have been fortunate to live in Paris twice -once in 2010 and again in 2012.  I loved living there, and one of the treats was the food!  Paris is full of incredible open air markets, delicious restaurants, and these wonderful grocery stores.  I have to say the food I cooked in Paris was among some of the best dishes I've ever made.  My tiny apartments had few cooking implements.  I believe the quality of my cooking was heavily influenced by the very high quality of French ingredients.

Paris has a number of grocery store chains including Franprix, Carrefour, Picard, and Monoprix.  I have never seen a store like Picard in the US.  It sells only frozen foods.  Franprix was the small, urban grocery store near the apartment on rue Popincourt where I lived in 2010.  In both 2010 and 2012, however, I lived fairly near a Monoprix, the larger and more upscale grocery store chain.  And it is at Monoprix that I discovered Lentilles en Vinaigrette (Lentils in Vinaigrette).  It has been true love since that day!

I had never really had many lentils in the US.  I had tried lentil soup once or twice and was not that impressed.  My limited experiences with Indian dals and other lentil dishes were tasty, but I did not really ever get a craving for them.  Then I encountered this French dish.

French cooking uses lentils quite a bit.  I am not sure if lentils are a traditional part of French cooking or an immigrant from North Africa.  French lentils tend to be the dark green ones.  Monoprix sells individual servings of lentilles en vinaigrette both served with smoked tofu (tofu fumé) or bulgar wheat.  Another version I've seen contains smoked salmon.  All three are surprisingly delicious.

When I got home, I had a number of trials and errors creating my own version of this dish.  I now share it with you:

Lentils in Vinaigrette Sauce

• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon additional vinegar

Cook the lentils and minced onion in boiling water until soft but not mushy.  I usually cook 1 cup lentils with 2 cups of chicken stock.  The stock improves the flavor, but you can also use plain water.

While the lentils are cooking, mix the vinaigrette in a bowl by combining the soy sauce, olive oil, vinegars, water, Dijon mustard, and salt.

When the lentils are done, drain and gently toss with the vinaigrette sauce.  You can serve this dish cold or hot.

Options:
1. Add small cubed or slivered carrots to the lentils and onions.  Cook all three together. Adds a nice color.

2. As a last step, add tofu.  Add smoked tofu if you can find it.  Yum!

3. As a last step, add bits of smoked salmon.

4. Use 3/4 cup of lentils mixed with 1/4 cup bulgur wheat.  Cook together.

DIETS:
Diabetic:  yes
Gluten Free:  yes* (lentils are naturally gluten free but check to make sure they weren't packaged in a facility with gluten products)
Mediterranean:  yes
Nightshade Family Free:  yes
Paleo:  yes
SugarBusters:  yes
Sugar Free:  yes )
Vegan:  yes
Vegetarian:  yes
Wheat Free:  yes
200 Calories or Under:  yes* (leave out the olive oil and consume no more than 4 Tablespoons)

Notice:  Be sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist about the safety of any eating plan for you.  Also, check ingredients as different brands and products may have different ingredients or have changed them since this post.  Some calories are estimates based on packaging.