Wild Stoneground Wheat Bread

What makes bread WILD?

Most bread you buy in grocery stores are made with commercially produced yeast. You know those little packets of Fleishmann's yeast you find in the baking isle. This is a yeast that guarantees a 90 minute rise, unlike natural yeast which generally takes hours to do it's work on bread dough. Natural yeast inhabits the air around us. It can be "captured" and cultivated with flour to produce what is called a barm, which is the precursor to sourdough and other wild yeast breads. This barm eliminates the need to buy commercial yeast, and quite frankly, tastes a whole lot better. So no matter where you are, you can produce a wild bread that captures the essence of the yeast in the air in that particular place. Pretty cool huh?

To make a barm all you need is 1 part flour and 1 part water by WEIGHT, not volume. That means you need to bust out with a scale... well not me. As I said before, I love to wing it. And I've done this a few times so it's become easier to just fly by the seat of my pants. So mix the flour and water together thoroughly. Tip: try using rye or whole wheat four and apple cider or pineapple juice just this first time. This gives the final barm a really developed flavor since the acidity of the juices promote the growth of bacteria which create complex flavors. Make sure to use 100% juice, no additives, as they can interfere with the production of the bacteria you want. Keep it in a container with a loose-fitting lid that is a good size bigger than your mixture as it is going to expand to about twice it's size. Leave it on the counter until the next day.

Now time for lesson 2 of barm making. Feeding is when you add flour and water to the barm to keep the yeast alive. You always want to at least double your barm size when you feed it. So you can take half out and make something with it or toss it, or double your barm. Feed the barm at room temperature for 3 more days like this, keeping an eye out for overflow. After that put the barm in the fridge and feed 1-2 times a week. At this point you can use the barm but the flavor won't quite be at it's peak. Don't worry. After 3 weeks of feeding the barm will start to smell kinda like rotten fruit and give off ethanol gas. Word of advice: don't stick you nose in the container right after opening it :) One more note: if you find that your barm seems too thin or runny just add flour. The best kinds to feed your barm with are bread flour, all purpose, whole wheat and rye.

Now that you have barm let's make some bread! Take a cup of cold barm and add 3/4 cup of water to it, mixing well. Add a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of honey and a tiny touch of molasses. Mix in bread flour until it thickens and is easy to lump together, but is still very sticky. Add some stoneground wheat flour and knead it into the dough. Keep adding flour as needed and knead the dough for about 8 minutes in a mixer, or 8 minutes by hand then rest for 5 minutes and 8 more minutes. You can tell when the dough is ready by taking a small lump off and doing a "window pane test" stretching a tiny piece of the dough into a circle over a light. If you see the light through the dough pretty easily it is done.

Shape the dough into a ball by stretching one side over the other and sealing it in a circle. Place on the counter seal side down, cover with plastic wrap or a large bowl until the dough almost doubles in size. Then flatten the dough lightly with the flats of your fingers or your palms and shape into either a loaf for a loaf pan or a batard. Both require you to fold the bottom third of the dough into the center and press lightly to seal. Then pull the top part over the seal you just made and seal a second time by pinching the crease. Put crease side down on an oiled baking pan. Beat a small egg well and brush it over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle oats, sesame seeds, flax seed, sunflower seeds, or whatever your heart desires on top. Spritz with a little water to help the toppings stick a little better. Score the bread with a serrated knife by cutting 2 slits diagonal across the top, and along the sides. Let rise until almost double and bake for 10 minutes at 400, then about 20 minutes at 350. Take the temperature by inserting a thermometer in the side. Get a reading from the middle of the bread. It should be between 190 and 210.

Quick and Easy Vegetarian Pasta

Pasta AGAIN? Sigh. Well what can I do to make this not boring? Let's start with some pipe rigate pasta (my favorite) boiled to al dente (remember to salt the water), some finely chopped broccoli, fresh garlic, frozen peas, feta cheese, yellow onions, and some left over eggplant-tomato sauce from the other night. Just saute the broccoli and onions in some olive oil for a few minutes, add the garlic, then add the frozen peas after a minute. In the mean time if your pasta is drained and cooling try drizzling milk or cream on it with a touch of olive oil and toss to coat. Then add about a quarter cup of water to the saute with the eggplant sauce. When hot add the pasta and toss. Serve with  a little crumbled feta and some herbs/spices on top. Lovelier than I was expecting!

Hold the Eggs! A New Take on Breakfast

Breakfast. It's seems like every time I make it I use eggs. I'm tired of eggs. There has GOT to be another way. Time for another cupboard dive.

I have been really liking quinoa a lot lately, and I bought some tofu that was on sale. That sounds like a protein-rich and tasty combo. I'll add a little fresh garlic, chopped spinach, diced onions and my signature seasoning blend: sweet and smoked paprika, thyme, salt and black pepper. It goes great on everything.

If you've never made tofu before, or have tried but it turned out bad, I'll give you a tip on how to cook tofu. There 3 types of tofu: silken, firm and extra firm. I usually get the firm one for things like stir fries etc. The trick is to first lightly press the tofu block between a folded towel. Get a decent amount of water out of it, then cut it into cubes to the size of your liking. Next heat a non-stick skillet on medium low. Add a touch of oil. Place the tofu pieces in the skillet and arrange them in a pattern that you can follow around in a circle. The reason for this is because you want to cook the tofu on all sides and at the same time slowly evaporate out some of the water. You could just toss them in and toss them around every few minutes to turn but the pieces won't cook as evenly and the texture suffers. I like to turn them on all sides and cook about the same, so you'll need to turn each one 5 times. Once all sides have a light golden color turn up the heat to medium high, add the chopped garlic, then the rest of the ingredients and toss/stir fry for a couple of minutes. You could also take the tofu out of the pan, add the other ingredients then add the tofu back in towards the end. You can keep a crispier texture on the tofu that way.

There's my proposal for an egg-less breakfast. The only thing that I would like to see is a few avocado slices on top and maybe a touch of goat cheese. This meal cost me under $2 and took about a half-hour. Happy breakfast adventures!

Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan!)

Oatmeal cookies have been a favorite of mine since my induction to the cookie experience at the tender age of, I dunno, like 2, right along with the grand daddy of all cookies: Chocolate Chip. If you've ever made cookies before you know they require eggs, right? Wrong! Haha!

Say one day you are looking through your cupboard and see all the ingredients necessary for oatmeal cookies except...oh no, you're out of eggs! And OMG butter too! Gosh I was really wanting some oatmeal cookies...built up a taste and everything. Well, you know... bananas are a great substitution for eggs in a cookie recipe! Don't believe me, try it. Also, coconut butter (same as oil) is a great substitute for butter. Sub both the eggs and the butter and these babies are VEGAN! What's even lovelier is the fact that coconut and banana compliment the flavor of the oatmeal. These are gonna be tasteeee.

Let's get started. Put 3oz of coconut butter in a small dish the freezer (one that will make it easy to pull the whole chunk out later). In a mixing bowl put a peeled banana and squash down with a fork and then blend it until it is smooth. Notice it gets to a very egg-like consistency. Next measure out 1/3 cup sugar and blend it into the banana. Add 2 tbsp of honey, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon. If you wanted to, you could add a tsp of flax meal, which will act a little bit like eggs when mixed with liquids, and add a little softness to the final cookies. Chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Chop about 2 handfuls of almonds in a blender. Don't over grind. You want some chunks.

Remove the coconut butter from the freezer and the dish. Chop into pea-sized chunks and add to the banana mix. Add a cup of oatmeal and stir until combined well. Mix a half cup of all purpose or whole wheat flour (or for gluten-free try brown rice or sorghum flour instead) and a half teaspoon of baking soda or powder. If you use baking soda add a large pinch of corn or tapioca starch to soften the final cookies a bit. Don't overmix or you'll start gluten formation and that is good for bread, but bad for cookies. Add additional flour as needed to get the cookies to the consistency where when you break off a bit of the dough you can roll it in your dry-ish hands without it sticking much at all. I like to bake off one or two cookies before I do the rest.

With the oven pre-heated to 350, put the cookies on a sheet pan spaced about a half inch or more apart, then bake for 11 minutes. The results should be 1/4-1/3 inch tall cookies with banana and coconut hitting your nose right before your mouth bites into a slightly crispy outside texture, then giving into a chewy and slightly fluffy interior. Not too sweet either. Great with a cup of hot green tea.

15 cookies for about $4 in under a half-hour.

Organic ingredients from Vitamin Cottage: whole wheat flour, Horizon butter, oats, cane sugar, banana

Almonds!

One of my favorite things to make cheap on the fly are tamari almonds. Also up there are cocoa dusted almonds.  Almonds are my second favorite nut (next to the cashew, duh!) simply because they are so healthy. Did you know that almonds are a much better source of calcium than milk? Almond milk is pretty good for cereal and eliminates the cholesterol and fat associated with milk. It is much easier for your body to digest. Almonds have a decent amount of protein and are also believed to be cancer-fighting.

Enough health talk. These tasty finger fondlers are fantasticly infused with flavor from my slightly ferral food facilities, meaning I threw together a bunch of stuff from my cupboard to help elevate the taste of the almonds I am about to enjoy by the handful.

Cocoa Almonds: Heat a skillet on medium. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil. Add a tablespoon or so of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water. About a minute after the sugar is melted add the almonds and toss to coat evenly until almonds dry up for the most part. Put on a plate to cool and stick in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes. Put some cocoa powder in a bowl (with a touch of powdered sugar if you have it) and toss the semi-cooled almonds in the cocoa until evenly coated. You don't have to use your hands. Cool in the fridge for a few more minutes and enjoy.

Tamari Almonds: Heat skillet on medium. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil. When melted add the almonds and toss to coat. Heat almonds while tossing occasionally. Remove pan from heat for 30 seconds then add a tablespoon of tamari and toss to coat evenly. Add a teaspoon or so of honey and toss. Add chinese five-spice and toss. Cool on a plate in the fridge or freezer and enjoy!

Pizza Melanzane

OK, it's Friday night and I need pizza. I'm broke so I can't order out. BUT... I do have that sourdough barm that I've been keeping for a few months now, some bread flour, oh and some fresh garlic, jalapeno, a yellow onion, tomato sauce, spinach, a fresh tomato and some yeast (I know, I know, I should've not added the yeast but then it would have taken HOURS to rise, which is OK sometimes, just not now. I'm hungry.) This will make for some great pizza in under 2 hours time and about 45 minutes of actual prep. Cost: right around $7.

First things first:
Roast the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 350.  Hold the eggplant firmly to the counter and pierce with a knife or fork on the top several times, enough to let a little bit of steam escape the eggplant as it roasts. Roast at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until soft.

Get that dough going. As I said in my last blog, when I just want to get this done I wing it without a recipe. Experience allows me to do this with very little error, however illustrating to you the reader how to improvise is one of the goals of this blog. While the eggplant is roasting, take about a cup of the barm and add about 3/4 cup of cold tap water  and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a mixing bowl, mixing it in well until there are no lumps (of if you don't have barm just omit it - it's mostly for extra flavor anyway). Add about a teaspoon of salt, the yeast and about a cup of flour. Mix until thick and there are no lumps. Keep adding flour until the dough releases from the sides but still sticks a little bit to the bottom, probably about 2-3 more cups. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead by hand until it passes the window pane test, which is taking a little lump off the dough, flattening it and stretching it out like a little pizza dough in the air in front of a light. You want the dough to be very translucent and get pretty thin before breaking. Then you know you have lots of gluten formation, which gives pizza crust it's texture. It's really hard to overknead by hand so if you are doubtful, knead for a few more minutes. A mixer will cut your time in half and save your hands from getting a cramp :) But alas I don't have one. Coat the dough with a little olive oil, place in the mixing bowl and cover. Let rest for 15-30 minutes or until the dough has not quite doubled in size.

While the dough is rising put your tomato sauce, chopped garlic, herbs, spices in a small pot and simmer on low. Take the eggplant out of the oven when it is done, cut it in half and scoop out the insides into the tomato sauce. At this point you can blitz it in the blender for a few pulses, or not if you want it chunky. Add about a 1/2 cup of water and simmer on low. Start chopping the rest of the veggies for the toppings, shred the cheese and toss the toppings with the cheese in a mixing bowl, then refrigerate.

Prepare your pizza pan by oiling it lightly. Take the dough and flatten it with your fingers and palms to roughly the shape of the pan, insert it into the pan and stretch to the outsides by holding the center of the dough so it doesn't stretch too much and pull the outside of the dough to the edge. If you are having a hard time stretching the dough try letting it rest as is for 10-15 more minutes. It should loosen up. If not then you probably needed to knead your dough more. Lightly oil the top of the dough and cover. Leave it on the counter for about an hour or until risen about 1 1/2 - 2 times it's size. Top with the sauce, toppings and bake at 450 for 5 minutes, then lower to 375 for roughly 25 minutes or until the cheese has color all the way to the center. If you are not sure if it is done in the middle insert a thermometer and it should read about 180 or so.

Enjoy your homemade pizza melanzane a la Geo!

5 Moments of Delicious Zen

Since I haven't been feeling all that creative in the kitchen lately, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at some of my favorite dishes for inspiration. Here are a few moments of zen.

1/3 lb buffalo burger stuffed with habanero chicken slices and provolone, topped with sliced cucumber, tomato, avocado, red onion and tzatziki, served on a giant rosemary roll. Best burger I've ever eaten.

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup in a bread bowl

Nuff said? K. Nope, I used New Belgium Trippel and Tillamook 3 year sharp cheddar for this deliciosity.

Huevos Benedictos

Garlic chive pancakes, black beans, tostones, chorizo and poached eggs. The only thing I wished for was a little bit of poblano hollandaise.

Souvlaki pizza

homemade crust (of course), falafels and tzatziki with ground lamb, feta, pepperoncini, basil, garlic.

Southwest Watermelon Tapas

Semi-frozen watermelon with jalapeno, bacon, goat cheese, scallions, chives, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice and habanero sauce.

I remember each of these clearly in my head. Although recently I have vowed to eat less meat, so I've been cutting down on portion sizes when making things like this and also using less dairy. I won't go into my personal philosophies on that but maybe in my other blog 3Cents I'll write about it.

Tropical Juice

Pineapples were on sale at Vitamin Cottage so I picked one up. I have 5oz of frozen Cascadian Farms organic peaches, lime juice, a quarter of a lemon and a small chunk of ginger, all of which sound like they would be great together. Let's give it a try. Juice time.

Here's how I like to do my juice: in a blender and through a strainer. Why you ask? Because it's healthier that way and you get the most out of your fruit. The tiny pulp that thickens the juice is fiber.

Did you know that most of the nutrients in many fruits and vegetables are located just below the surface of the skin? For that reason when I trim down my fruit I like to leave some or all of the skin on, for instance all of the skin of an apple, but for an orange I would peel the whole skin off since the white pith is bitter. There's nothing wrong with zesting citrus before you peel and juice it. That's when you grate off the very outside layer of the skin of most citrus fruits (not the white part). It's great for adding to a stir fry or sugar cookies.

OK, so I chopped most of the outside of the pineapple off and cubed it, blended it, the ginger and the peaches together, strained it, and now to finish it off with a touch of extra sweetness. A cup of hot water from the tap, a half cup to a cup of natural cane sugar and stir until melted. Add a tablespoon or two of honey and stir. Then add to the strained fruit mixture. You may need to add a little more water or just throw a bunch of ice in and come back in 5 minutes.

Final yield was about a gallon of juice and it cost under $5. Toss in some rum and well you've got a party.