Homemade Bread!

Well on my journey to stop paying other people to make things that I can make myself (and yes I understand some people have extremely busy lives and can't) I have gone down the homemade bread road. For the last few months I've been experimenting with some recipes to see which one will fit our family. To say I have fallen in love is an understatement. This bread is moist and is still wonderful after 2 days, I don't know about any longer because it only made it that long because I specifically kept some to see. Although we have found that to make sandwiches that won't be eaten right away it doesn't seem to hold up.

I have to admit that I have been a mindless food purchaser and not really paid attention to labels and from time to time I would get a notion to but it was never a long lived thing, convenience seemed to win over. I recently took a look at the store bought bread we have used for years and saw all sorts of weird named ingredients. Now I know that they need it to preserve the bread so it has a shelf life but when you make fresh bread and see how long it lasts its a little scary how well these preservatives work! 

The trick for me is going to be timing and staying on top of the bread supply. Recently I haven't been too good at getting up early so bread for lunch has been a little late. I have horrible time management skills and really need to work on discipling myself and working to a schedule. Some recent changes around here will really go along way to helping me achieve this goal. I think a few more attempts and I will have my timing down perfect for the lunch time loaf of bread.

The original recipe this is adapted from is the Food Networks Alton Brown from Good Eats, Very Basic Bread Recipe. I love his show, well some of it, not the silly parts. I love the way he goes into the science behind cooking. It really is a science when you break it down. It also helps you to understand why you do the things you do at a specific stage in the cooking process. Anyhow I have changed the method Mr Brown used because it required some prepping the night before and I didn't feel the yeast was activating as much as I would have liked. So I got Julia Child's french bread recipe which is delicious. I took some of the method she used and applied it to Alton's recipe. Anyhow the results was amazing. The bread rose better and had a much better shape but still retained the taste.

My ingredients list is simple and this makes it cheaper than a store bought loaf. I love the fact that it is honey not sugar. Yeast needs sugar or honey to do it's thing but I much prefer the ability to use honey instead of sugar because its much less refined.

The shallow pan with hot water in it at the bottom of the oven will help to get a soft crust and keep the bread moist while it cooks. But I cannot impress on you the importance of being careful when you open the oven door, water and hot oven equals lots and lots of hot burning steam, I KNOW!!!!!! Facial like I've never experienced nor care to again!!!!

I've made the bread at night and it's been perfect for sandwiches the next day. Although it didn't seem to hold up for my husband when he made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the morning and went to eat it at lunchtime.

By the way this is delicious with the Home Made Butter from January. In fact makes a peasant food like bread and butter feel like a luxury! I'll not even mention how delicious the BLT sandwich is either!!!

So give it a go you never know you could get addicted like me!!!!

Home Made Bread

Ingredients:

1 lb/16 oz bread flour, plus extra for shaping

1 tsp instant rapid rise yeast

2 tsp honey

10 oz of lukewarm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 quart hot water

Directions:

1. Combine yeast, lukewarm water and honey. Let stand for five minutes.

2. Stir together flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer. 

3. Using the dough hook attachment, add the yeast mixture to the bowl.
4. Knead the mixture on low for 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture comes together.

5. Cover the dough in the bowl with a tea towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

6. After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 - 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky but shouldn't be too sticky to handle.

7. Add half of the hot water to a shallow pan and place on the bottom rack of your oven. DO NOT TURN THE OVEN ON.

8. Place the dough in the mixer bowl in the oven on the rack directly above the hot water. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 - 2 hours.

9. Once the dough has risen turn it onto a counter top, lightly dust your hands with flour and press the dough out with your knuckles.

10. Grease the loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with flour.

11. Mold the dough into a shape about the size of the loaf pan and set it inside. Cover and allow to rest for about 30 minutes till 1 hour until it has risen.

12. Turn your oven on to 400 degrees F. Add more water to the shallow pan if it has evaporated. REMEMBER BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL OPENING THE OVEN DOOR FROM THIS POINT ON - STEAM!!!!!

13. Place you bread in the oven and allow to cook for 35 - 40 minutes. Once the bread has reached an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. (If you are like me at least give it a few minutes so you don't burn yourself!).

Happy Home Cooking!!!

Made From Scratch Beef Fajitas

I am so proud of myself. One of my aims has been to completely replace processed food in our diet and find a way to make our favorites from scratch. Well for the longest time Beef Fajitas were my quick and easy open a packet go to meal, the seasoning was prepackaged, the tortillas were prepackaged. Recently for dinner I made Beef Fajitas from scratch, the seasoning was my own and the tortillas were completely homemade.

I cannot begin to tell you how delicious and superior this seasoning is to the McCormick pack. Now I'm not criticizing McCormick, they have been a faithful friend in my kitchen. However I have become more conscious of the label on food. McCromick's Fajitas Mix ingredients are: Spices (including Cumin, chili pepper, and oregano), corn maltodextrin, onion, onion salt, corn syrup solids, garlic, citric acid, caramel color, lime juice solids, modified corn starch and natural flavors. Now in the grand scheme of things that doesn't sound too bad and maltodextrin isn't the worse additive as it's actually from food not chemicals. However I know that glucose based items aren't usually that good for blood sugar. I do wonder why 'caramel color' is required!

I've posted the recipe for the tortillas before and once you have made them from scratch and see how easy they are and how awesome they taste you will have a hard time buy them at the store. 

So here is the recipe for Made From Scratch Beef Fajitas. Trust me these are the best fajitas, my father-in-law even loves them and he's a really picky eater!!!!

Beef Fajitas

 Seasoning

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp cumin

Tortillas

2 ¾ cups (about 12½  oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp kosher salt

5 T (2 ½ oz) vegetable shortening

¾ cup very warm water

Fajitas 

1 lb sirloin beef

2 T vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red onion, cut into strips

Directions:

1. Mix all the seasoning ingredients together.

2. Cut up the beef into strips and place in a bowl. Add the seasoning and mix to completely cover.

3. Let the meat marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. You can also freeze the meat marinated.
4. To make the tortillas: in a bowl, using a whisk, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening (and/or lard) and rub into the flour mixture until well incorporated.
5. Gradually mix in the water until the dough comes together. It should be a medium-stiff consistency, not a soft as bread dough but not firm either. Add additional water if needed a Tablespoon at a time.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

7. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each into a ball. Set the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

8. Flatten the ball of dough, flour it, and then roll forward and backward across it once. rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rolling and turning until you reach the desired circle size. Roll all of them before going to the next step. I've found that adding a little extra flour between them helps to stop them sticking together.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently.
10. When the beef has browned add the bell peppers and red onion and continue to cook until they are done. Don't forget to stir it!

11. While the beef is cooking, cook the tortillas. Heat an ungreased griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium to medium high heat.
12. Lay the tortillas on the hot skillet, there may be a little sizzle noise and you will see bubbling across the surface.

13. After 45 seconds or so, when there are light brown marks on the bottom, flip it over and cook for another 30 - 45 seconds until the other side is slightly browned. Be careful not to leave it too long or it will become crispy. Remove from the skillet and place on a dry cloth. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and stack them one on top of the other on the cloth.

14. Serve immediately and with all the additions you like, cheese, sour cream, salsa, whatever takes your fancy.

Happy Home Cooking!!!

Szechuan Noodle Toss

This is probably one of my top prized recipes that I have worked on and claimed as my own. It's one that I first made during my first year of marriage. Actually there's a story to this one.

I can't remember where I found the original recipe that this is adapted from and I actually believe it was supposed to be a cold dish, so you can see it's beyond adapted! Anyhow I learnt a valuable lesson, read the ingredients list CAREFULLY! The original called for a teaspoon and a half of CRUSHED red pepper well I didn't pay much attention to the 'crushed' part. I grabbed the GROUND red pepper it of the cupboard. As I measured it out I thought it looked a lot but I didn't put all but most of it in there. Fast forward to sitting down at the table with my poor, patient husband. One bite and well it was a shock how spicy it was! But he keep eating it and needless to say he was sweating and made a few trips to the bathroom.

After that the recipe nearly ended up in the trash pile but my husband talked me into trying it again, only not with such a generous helping of ground red pepper. I did try it with crushed red pepper but it was lacking. So from there and a little tweaking it became my recipe Szechuan Noodle Toss.

It's wonderful fast food. I can't emphasis enough how important it is that you do all the prep before you start cooking. You will probably spend more time prepping than cooking. When I was preparing for my post-delivery time after the birth of my second son I cut everything up and froze it. It worked well although I do like my red bell pepper to be crunchy and the freezing process had made it soggier. But under the circumstances it was wonderful to be able to put a meal on the table so quickly and easily and know that it was healthy.

Talking about healthy this is a wonderful way to get those great veggies in. I'm a huge fan of red bell peppers, I could remove the seeds and just eat them by themselves. They actually have more vitamin C than an orange. They also contain Vitamin A and K as well as lycopene.

Garlic is a huge favorite in my cooking. I know some people don't like the taste or the lingering effects to your breathe but we love it. It's health benefits are worth it. "Garlic is lipid-lowering, anti-thrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-parasitic. Impressive enough for you? All of those benefits have been documented in the well over 1,200 (and counting) pharmacological studies done on garlic" from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden. Which by the way is an awesome book if you are looking at a diet overhaul. In the ever increasing Lipitor world garlic actually lowers cholesterol too, so these little potent gems not only add amazing flavor but they kick butt when it comes to your health.

Spinach is one of those vegetables that I know I should eat more of but really don't. I guess it's more I don't know what to do with it. I think this is one reason I like this dish so much. But Popeye was on to something with it, it's a packed with lots of nutrients and vitamins and is said to be the best source of vitamin K.

So anyhow I got a little carried away with all the healthy talk, perhaps my next post needs to be something sugary and loaded with calories!!!! Hey sometimes just simply being told something is good for you and actually knowing what the exact benefits are make the difference in choosing or not choosing to eat something. As a kid I remember being told that eating carrots would help my eye sight and I was so afraid of going blind that I would eat them like a crazy child. I still ended up wearing contacts so maybe it's a good thing I did eat them.

Anyhow finally recipe time. Again DO ALL YOUR PREP BEFORE YOU START COOKING!!!

Szechuan Noodle Toss

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon peanut oil (refined good quality)

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 (16 oz) pkg thin spaghetti

1 large sweet red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 (10oz) pkg fresh, trimmed spinach, torn into bite size pieces

3 Tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 T rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce (use reduced sodium if you are worried about sodium content)

1/4 tsp GROUND red pepper (reduce the amount if you don't like spicy food)

Directions:

1. Prep all your ingredients. 

2. In a measuring jar combine 2 T sesame oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 T rice vinegar and 1/4 tsp red pepper, stir and set aside.

3. Cook spaghetti according to package directions: drain.

4. Heat wok and when hot, add peanut oil, allow the oil to heat for a minute then add the chicken and 2 T soy sauce and stir fry until cooked. 

5. Remove from the wok and set aside.

6. Add 2 T sesame seed oil to wok and allow to heat for a minute. Add the red bell pepper, scallions and garlic and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

7. Stir in spinach and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until the spinach wilts.

8. Add the chicken and the spaghetti to the wok.

9. Pour the mixture from step 1 over the pasta and toss gently to coat.

Guacamole!!!

I thought I'd post a nice healthy quick snack recipe and nothing fits the criteria like homemade guacamole. This is so simple but so delicious! Trust me there will be no leftovers!!!! And you are probably wondering how that fits with Irish/Cajun cooking, well it's GREEN!!!!

Ingredients:

4 large ripe avocados

1 tablespoon of finely chopped red onion

2 Roma tomato, deseeded and finely chopped

A few drops of fresh squeezed lime juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Spoon out flesh of avocados into a bowl.

2. Add the chopped red onion and chopped roma tomato. You can adjust the amount of both depending on your tastes, my husband isn't big on raw tomatoes so I only put one.

3. Squeeze a few drops of the lime juice into the bowl and add some salt & pepper to your taste preference.

Doesn't it look yummy!

4. Depending on your preference you can leave it chunky, or you can get a hand blender (a handy kitchen to own and very affordable) and blend the mix until you have the consistency you like, we like it creamy!

And voila!

Yummy homemade guacamole and ready as quickly as it takes to chop the ingredient!

Beef & Pepper Stir Fry

I thought for the first recipe I'd share a quick and easy dish for all the busy mothers. This is Chinese fast food home style! It's one of my favorite go to recipes for busy nights.

I think the best thing to own is a wok or good skillet! Either will work with this.

Go ahead and do ALL your preparations BEFORE you start cooking, once you start it's really quick! It probably takes longer to cook the rice and cut up the ingredients that the actual cooking.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp cornstarch, divided

6 Tbsp dry sherry, divided

6 Tbsp soy sauce, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 - 1/4 tsp of ground red pepper (adjust to taste we like things spicy at our house)

1 lb top sirloin, thinly sliced into ¼ inch strips

½ cup water

2 Tbsp good quality refined peanut oil (I use Spectrum, it's a little more expensive but when it comes to taste you need it).

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 sweet red bell pepper, cut into strips

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 Tbsp sherry, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, garlic and ground red pepper.

2. Add beef and toss to coat; put in fridge for 10 – 15 minutes or longer.

3. In a small bowl, combine water with remaining cornstarch, sherry and soy sauce; set aside.

4. In a wok or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high.

5. Add green and red peppers; stir fry for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Remove peppers to a platter.

6. Add remaining oil and the beef to the pan; stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Remove to platter.

7. Return peppers to pan.

8. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to pan; bring to the boil, stirring constantly until thickened.

9. Cook 1 minute longer.

10. Serve immediately over hot rice.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: you can actually cut the beef and mix it with the marinate and freeze it, then take it out of the freezer when you are ready to cook and throw it in the wok. I tried cutting and freezing the peppers too but they become soggy and not crisp but it will work, it's all down to taste.

You can cut all the ingredients in the morning ahead of time and stick them in the fridge and just pop them in the wok when it's dinner time!

HEALTHY TIP: Peppers are high in vitamin C and actually I think it's higher than an orange so this is a great dish during cold and flu season to give the family's immune system a boost!

I promise I'll try and start posting pictures of the dishes in future!