Sourdough!

There are many ideas and methods out there, but here's what I did, with great results. This bread has a crispity crust and big air pockets inside.

In a very large, 4 qt bowl (you'll have 3 qt of starter in the end), mix 2c rye flour with 2c filtered water. Then cover the bowl with a thin towel and a rubber band to secure. Leave it at room temperature.

The next day, and every day thereafter, for a total of seven days, whisk in 1c rye and 2/3c-1c water (enough to keep it runny). The starter is then ready for use and whatever you do not use right away can be stored in the refrigerator.

For the bread pictured (1 loaf), use:
1c starter
3 1/2c unbleached flour
3/4 c water
2 t salt

1. Mix the ingredients together to form a wet shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 12hr.

2. Scoop and fold the dough in over itself a couple of times and let rise 4hr more.

3. Flour hands and gently shape dough into loaf and place on a baking sheet that is dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 2hr more.

4. Preheat oven to 450F and set kettle on stove for boiling water. Place cast iron pan on bottom rack and set rack for bread in the middle of oven.

5. When oven is hot, place bread in, pour hot water in cast iron pan (without giving yourself a steam burn) and shut the door. Turn oven down to 325F and bake for about 1 hr.

Asian Beef with Carrot Salad

Here's another hit from Nigella (adapted slightly). She and I are on a roll.



serves 6:
2 onion, quartered
1x2" piece of ginger, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 t coriander seeds
1 c red wine
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
2 qt beef broth
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
2 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
8 lb beef shank, on bone

(for carrot salad: 2 carrot (shredded), juice of 1 lime, 1 T fish sauce, lots of cilantro)

1. Preheat oven to 300F. In mortar and pestle or food processor, grind garlic, ginger, and coriander. With a little oil and the onions, add to pot over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes.

2. Pour in wine, soy sauce, sugar, broth, and vinegar. Bring to boil and add cinnamon and anise. Add beef and bring back to a boil. Put lid on and into oven for 4 hours or more.

3. When beef is tender, take it out of pan and keep warm in oven.Vigorously boil sauce until reduced by half. Pour sauce over beef and serve with white rice and carrot salad.

Sprouted Barley Casserole

I sprouted something! Apparently, grains and seeds contains little nutrition before sprouting, but through the magic of germination, nutrients like vitamin C, several B vitamins, and carotene suddenly appear. And that's just the beginning. The benefits of sprouted grains, seeds, and nuts seem to be endless.

But the important thing is that it was delicious, little labor was involved, and . . .  I did it! This is how I felt when I made sauerkraut for the first time. Now sauerkraut is old hat. And soon sprouting things will be old hat, too. And hopefully my body and the bodies of my family will thank me.

Serves 4:
2 cups barley
3 cups chicken stock
1 t salt
fresh herbs (I used sage, thyme, and rosemary-a couple sprigs of each)
1-2 apples, small dice
1-2 cup mustard greens, blanched, chopped

1. Start to sprout the barley 3 or 4 days before you want to eat this casserole. Put grain in a bowl and cover with filtered water and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse barley. Spread wet grain out on a platter. Rinse grain and return to platter at least twice a day. Stop rinsing when sprouts have reached 1/4 inch. Sprouts can be refrigerated at this point until you are ready to use them.

2. Preheat oven to 250F. In a dutch oven, on the stove, bring sprouted barley and stock to boil, and skim foam. Add herbs and continue to boil until the liquid has reached the level of the barley. Transfer to oven and bake for at least 6 hours or until grain is tender. When the barley is almost done to your liking add apple and greens, and continue to bake for 30 minutes more.

Meat Loaf

This recipe is a no-brainer. My toddler could pull this one off. I love how it feeds 8 with a small amount of a cheap cut of meat. It has become one of my regulars.

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup fine oatmeal
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1 cup tomato juice
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper

Heat oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients together and pack firmly into a standard loaf pan. Bake 1 hr, 15min. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with a generous amount of ketchup. Serves 8.

Lemon Almond Polenta Cake

I found this recipe in one of Nigella's cookbooks. I love this cake. The almond meal makes it a bit marzipan-like. And the glaze does not hurt things either. We had it for breakfast with blueberries and milk!

14 T soft butter (I used a mixture of lard and coconut oil)
1 c fine sugar
2 c almond meal
3/4 c fine cornmeal
1 1/2 t baking powder
3 egg
zest of 2 lemons

for the glaze (juice of 2 lemons, 1 c powdered sugar)

1. Line a springform pan with parchment and grease it. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

3. Mix almond, cornmeal, and baking powder. Add 1/3 of this into the butter mixture, followed by an egg, and continue beating. Repeat. Repeat. Beat in lemon zest.

4. Pour into pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. The center may be soft, just make sure the sides have pulled away from the pan.

5. While the cake rests on a cooling rack, make glaze. Boil lemon juice and powdered sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake and cool completely before removing the outer ring of the pan.

Cuban black beans

About an hour before dinner, put 3 pots on the stove.

One pot for the beans. To 1lb of black beans that have been soaked overnight, add a finely chopped onion, 6 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 t marjoram, 1/4 t cayenne, salt to taste, and water just to cover. Cover, bring to boil, then simmer on low heat.

One pot for boiled chicken. Salt 6 drumsticks and sear them in oil. Then add about 1in of water or stock. Bring to boil, then cover, and simmer on low heat.

And one pot for rice. I like a long grained rice for this.

When beans are tender and the water has been absorbed (if not, mash some of them against the side of the pan and cook a bit longer to thicken), take off heat and add the zest and juice of 2 limes and some olive oil. Check for salt.

Plate up and garnish with lots of cilantro.

P.S. Thank you, Robin, for the inspiration!

Rosti

Much like a hashbrown, but so much better. Thank you Switzerland.

Serves 6-8:
2 1/4 lb russet potatoes
2 T lard
2 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
chives for garnish

Boil potatoes, and cook until tender. Drain and cool until you can peel them. Peel, then refrigerate 1 hr.

Pull potatoes out of the refrigerator and melt the lard in a 8" nonstick pan. While the lard is melting, grate the potatoes. Pour both fats over the potatoes, add salt, and stir to coat.

Put the pan back over medium heat. Transfer the potatoes back to the pan and press them to fit the shape of the pan. Cook until you can see the edges are crispy and golden, about 30 min. Use a plate or cutting board to slide the potatoes out so you can invert the rosti and cook the same way as the first side.

Turn it back onto the cutting board, sprinkle with chives, slice, and serve.