A Jewish Baker's Pastry Secrets

Recipes from a New York Baking Legend for Strudel, Stollen, Danishes, Puff Pastry, and More.
by George Greenstein

This book made me feel like such a legit baker.  Greenstein spends full chapters on streudel and babka and provides a wonderful recipe for puff pastry.  He discusses at length the importance of quality ingredients and shows his care for what he makes in his writing.

He starts off with the ingredients and equipment, going into details about what bakers should look for in different flours and fats.  He is all about quality when it comes to food, and while we can't all afford cocoa powder imported from Holland or Hungarian fruit butter, he provides realistic tips as well.  He also covers the baker's equipment, including anything and everything you could need, from parchment paper to the ideal setting for your refrigerator.

Mashed Root Vegetables

 A little over a year ago, Seth and I ate at a little restaurant in Tallahassee that a coworker of his recommended. It was called Mikosukee Root Cellar and I had the meatloaf with mashed root vegetables.  It was hands down the best meatloaf I think I have ever had and the mashed "root vegetables," were so stinking good.  I'm not particularly sure what root vegetables were used in the dish, I don't think they're even served currently, but I've tried recreating that interesting side a few times now.  This dish is not the same thing; it's even better.  I just had to share. The parsnips give the dish a sweet cinnamony flavor, similar to, but with a better texture than sweet potatoes, and of course, mashed potatoes are always good! The two blend together so well that you really don't need the sour cream or mass amount of butter many recipes call for.  Hope you enjoy!

Mashed Root Vegetables
8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:
4 large Parsnips (1lb)
5 red potatoes (1.5 lb)
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add peeled parsnips and potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook fro 25-30 minutes
3. Drain water and add butter, lemon zest, and herbs.
4. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to blend together the vegetables. 
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

....And one more time. I haven't had the best luck on the computer front lately.  Between my computer's meltdown with the installation of Lightroom, and Blogger deleting multiple posts, I was pretty much ready to throw this thing out.  I think my computer may have just needed a break - don't we all from time to time.  Now on to more important things, like food...

Don't be dismayed by the brussels sprouts in this roasted vegetable medley.  While I'll admit I've only ever tried brussels sprouts roasted, I find them absolutely delicious. If you just aren't sure about them, this is the way to try them (or really almost any vegetable). A cousin to the common cabbage, brussels sprouts are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin K. Combining them with potatoes, carrots and onions, as well as a few herbs, creates a well balanced and flavorful meal. 

I had initially intended on this recipe being a little more dependent on winter vegetables, but local availability of parsnips, and a sub-par job of grocery shopping put a halt to that idea.  I grabbed a few new potatoes I had on hand and threw in a few aromatics, and viola, an easy and delicious dinner (or side dish, if you prefer).

Roasted Vegetables

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook time 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped red potatoes

2 cups chopped brussels sprouts

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried

1/2 teaspoon chives, fresh or dried

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Combine chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add olive oil, herbs and seasonings and toss
3. Spread evenly in a large (9 x 13) casserole dish
4. Bake 30-40 minutes, until potatoes are tender and brussels sprouts start to develop a golden color

Brunch with the Birmingham Bloggers

Saturday morning, Brittany and I met in Birmingham for a brunch hosted by the Birmingham Bloggers.  The brunch was held at The Nest in Avondale.  Located just across from Avondale Brewing Company, The Nest is a beautiful new event space in a very cool historic area.  The brunch kicked off with a food photography/instagram workshop with Rachel, a food stylist for Cooking Light and blogger at Stupid Good Rachel. She covered lighting, angles, and backgrounds, among other things I had never thought of and offered great pointers.  

Rachel also coordinated the wonderful four course meal.  In addition to our yogurt bowls which we somewhat beautifully assembled (part of our workshop, we had a super green salad with pistachios, tahini and satsumas, baked eggs with crispy proscuitto and lemon zest home fries, and a citrus scented scone with grapefruit cream. With great food, wonderful people, and beautiful decorations like this, I'm reminded of how much I absolutely love brunch. 

I hope you manage to fit brunch into your busy life this week.  Do you have a favorite brunch-like meal?

Almond Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

I made these a couple of weeks ago for a family lunch that I ended up getting to about 45 minutes late.  A positive aspect of staying in Alabama, is my family.  It's big, loud and a little crazy, but very happy.  Everyone is nearby, and able to regularly get together. My mom cooks lunch every weekend for everyone who can join and it's always delicious. As I said, these were meant to be dessert, but a hodge podge of issues resulted in my arriving after everyone had eaten.  They were still sampled, and everyone seemed to really enjoy.  My grandmother even thought they were the best I had ever made, but of course, what are grandmothers for if not complements.

If Thanksgiving had an official cookie, I would like to think this would be it.  The cranberry, in addition to the beautiful color it provides, adds a bittersweet kick to the white chocolate.  The almonds give a great texture and add a delicious little flavor.  Personally, I think the solid amount of butter also aids in the warm fuzzy feeling of Thanksgiving in this cookie.  I may be biased, but I loved these and hope you will too.

Almond Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Makes 28 cookies

Prep Time: 12-15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients: 

½ cup and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
1 ½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
½ cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and sea salt and set aside. 
3. Cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
4. Add in vanilla and beaten egg, mix until just barely combined.
5. Add in your flour mixture a third at a time.
6. Mix in the dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and almonds. 
7. Drop heaping tablespoon-sized dollops of cookie dough onto the parchment paper, leaving a 2 inches between each cookie, I even smooshed them down a little.
8. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden. 
9. Let rest on the cookie sheet for just a minute, then move to a cooling rack. 

                                                                                                                     Hope you enjoy!

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Does anyone else feel like the time change kicked their butt?  While it's been great to feel like I've gotten to sleep in every day, the nights have been a complete drag.  I've barely managed to walk B and eat dinner before half way falling asleep on the couch.  Thankfully, I have had plenty of leftover chili to eat after making a big batch early this week.

I've previously mentioned my love of soups and my search for more vegetarian soup options. This is more of an old favorite, but it is vegetarian and delicious. I've always associated chili with football and cold weather, making this the perfect time of the year to whip some up.  This recipe is very simple and can easily be customized to your preferred amount of spice.  The chopped chili peppers really don't have too much of a kick once cooked down and the listed recipe is pretty mild as is.  If you'd like more of a spice try adding a little more chili powder or throwing in some red pepper flakes.

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili
Makes 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 chili peppers, finely chopped

1 large (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 ½ cups water

1 tablespoons chili powder
½ tablespoons cumin
½ tablespoons dried oregano

½ tablespoons seasoned salt
½ tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. In a stock pot, saute the olive oil, onion, garlic and peppers on medium heat until slightly cooked, stirring often 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 30-45 minutes.

Easy as pie. All that's left to do is to throw some cheese on top and enjoy!

Flourless Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Sometimes mornings are hard. While I've become so much more of a morning person over the past few years, cooking a full breakfast while having a leisurely cup of coffee is not even remotely in my weekday routine. My breakfast generally consist of a smoothie or overnight oats. Anything you can throw together quickly (or the night before). 

These muffins were very easy to throw together and, stored properly, could easily last a few days. Better yet, the recipe is so simple, you could easily put in the extra 5 minutes to bake them in the morning. They make a very filling breakfast and a great way to start the day, if I don't say so myself.

Flourless Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Makes 16

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 28-30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
¼ cup canola oil              
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup vanilla soymilk
3 cups old fashion rolled oats2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with cupcake papers
2. Combine oil, sugar, pumpkin and eggs until just combined.
3. Gently whisk in milk. 
4. Separately combine oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and fold into wet mixture. 
5. Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each liner and top with whatever goodies you'd like. Crushed macadamia nuts, sliced almonds or white chocolate chips are all delicious. 
6. Bake for 25-28 minutes. 

Hope you enjoy!

 

 

Vegetable Lentil Soup

It's just starting to cool off, and I'm already getting excited about making soups and chilli's.  I love making a big pot of soup on the weekend and being able to freeze it or take it for lunches.  It's easy, nutrient rich, can help prevent bloating, and has been noted for aiding in weight loss (depending on what you're throwing in).  This year I'm looking for more vegetarian soup ideas outside of the usual vegetable soup.  This one seemed like a great addition to my limited list of soup recipes and it will definitely be a repeat.  Lentils are low in fat and a good a source of protein and fiber. The carrots, celery and other vegetables bring some great nutrients to the table as well.  This soup is super flavorful. It definitely has a kick to it (back off on the cayenne if that doesn't sound like a good time to you) but the oregano, paprika, and lentils bring out a somewhat sweet taste. This recipe is a perfect fall meal.

Vegetable Lentil Soup
Makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ cup chopped celery

1 ½ cup chopped carrots

1 cup dry green lentils
1 medium tomato, diced
1 ½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
a couple dashes black pepper and salt
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Stir often.
2. Add celery, carrots, tomato, lentils and spices and continue to cook 5 minutes.
3. Add vegetable stock and water and bring to a boil for a couple minutes.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Allow to simmer for 45 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring periodically. The soup will be done after 45 minutes (everything will be thoroughly cooked) but allowing it to simmer for a couple hours really brings out the flavors.

This could easily be frozen and saved for later. Hope you enjoy!

Buffalo Hot Wing Pretzels

I have now made these a few times in the past month, I love them that much.  This is not even remotely a healthy recipe, but I am already a sucker for hot wings and anything buffalo flavored.  A great bonus to this tasty little snack is that they pack that hot wing kick without the huge mess.  I made a batch of these for our beach trip from a recipe I originally found on Mom In Time Out.  They were good, but they turned out a little Worcestershirey for me. A little tweaking brought me to the recipe below, which has a little more of a buffalo kick without the aftertaste of Worcestershire. It is definitely my favorite.

Buffalo Hot Wing Pretzels

Super easy and a great game day snack

Makes: 1lb Pretzels

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:
½ cup Frank’s buffalo wing sauce

½ cup butter

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp seasoned salt

16 oz bag of pretzels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300F and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Melt butter, wing sauce, and Worcestershire sauce over medium heat until combined. Stir often; this should take less than 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic powder and seasoned salt
4. Empty the entire bag of pretzels into an over sized bowl
5. Drizzle hot wing mixture over pretzels and gently toss until all pretzels are coated. 
6. Spread pretzels across parchment paper somewhat evenly and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until dry.

If you have extra time, let the pretzels sit for 10-15 minutes after coating. If really gives it an extra pop of flavor. Hope you enjoy!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Burrito Bowls and Burrito Salad

I eat way too many burrito bowls.  Not only do these fix my weekly Chipotle cravings, they are quick go-to meals that I can easily pack up for lunch the next day.  I don’t really have too defined of a recipe I go by, but instead try to work with whatever produce I have in my kitchen.   This is definitely a fun flexible meal.

A friend and I happened upon Chipotle a few weeks ago and I decided to try the salad.  It was not only huge, but delicious.  It was like a burrito bowl on a bed of lettuce with this wonderful chipotle vinaigrette and I thought “I can do that.”  Well this week was the first I’ve made and while not the same as Chipotle’s, it was delicious (and I would like to think, a little healthier).  Instead of a recipe, I’m just going to list the components and let you handle the assembly.  I stick to a love of vegetables, but you can really however much you would like of each component.

1.       Cilantro Lime Rice
I know everyone has their own tricks for cooking rice but I generally cook mine in the oven.  It’s how my mom does it, and I have yet to burn it this way.  Combine ½ cup rice and 1 cup water in small casserole dish add a dash of salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro (or a little more if using dried cilantro).  Cover dish with foil and cook for 30 minutes at 350F (45 if doubling) then turn off oven and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

2.       Black Beans
I used organic canned black beans, but if you read the labels, a lot of products are sticking to more natural preservatives like salt.  Heat up and maybe throw in a little garlic ( ½ clove at the most) and dash of cayenne pepper

3.       Sautéed onions and peppers.  If I have any on hand, I’ll usually sauté in extra virgin olive oil for just a few minutes, until slightly soft.

4.       Tomatoes, sweet corn, avocado, anything else that may sound good.  Once again, if it’s on hand.  Corn and avocado are so good to top off your bowl/salad. 

5.       Dressing, salsa, guacamole.  I haven’t been able to find a chipotle vinaigrette and haven’t yet experimented with making my own.  I did find Marie’s chipotle ranch in the refrigerated section and while it may not be as healthy as the vinaigrette, man is it good.

My burrito salad, shown above, included romain lettuce, cilantro lime rice, black beans, sweet corn, avocado, and Marie's chipotle ranch. Like I said, assembly and the little extras you can include are totally up to you.  I can’t imagine it not being great! 

No-knead Wheat Bread

Who knew it was so easy to bake your own bread?  I don't buy bread anymore because there is no way for me to eat a loaf before it goes bad.  Not that this recipe didn't make more bread than I could eat, but I feel like it is way more acceptable to share fresh baked bread with a neighbor than trying to get someone to go halvesies with you on a bag of sliced store-bought bread.  An additional benefit to making your own bread is the wonderful smell that will fill your home.

I found this recipe on the side of a bag of Gold Medal all purpose flour and thought, "I bet I can do that." You can find the original recipe here.  For the most part, I followed the original recipe.  The few changes I made included using mostly whole wheat flour and cutting back on the salt.  The bread is best within the first couple days (and amazing when eaten fresh out of the oven).  I will definitely be experimenting with added herbs and cheese in the coming weeks.

No-Knead Wheat Bread

Makes 4 small loaves

Ingredients: 
3 cups lukewarm water
5 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 package active yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

I used a stand mixer and allowed the dough to set in the bowl with a towel over it. The dough rose for about 2 hours at room temperature.  I then transferred the dough to the refrigerator where it stayed for an hour.  This step wasn't completely necessary, but it did make it easier to handle.  You can tell from my picture, I got a little excited with the flour.  It is very necessary for handling, but too much will make it a little tough.

Hope you enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Granola

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I love cinnamon. Also, raisins, the original favorite dried fruit. I love mixing the combination into oatmeal and of course adding cinnamon to oatmeal raisin cookies. I’ve never tried making granola before, and couldn’t believe how easy it was. With the honey and brown sugar, this isn’t the healthiest snack, but it is very filling. I love eating it dry for a snack, or with cold milk or yogurt. With a little warm milk, this would make a great cold weather snack.

CINNAMON RAISIN GRANOLA Quick and easy homemade granola Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time:  30 minutes INGREDIENTS: 3 cups old fashion or steel cut oats 1 1/2 cup raisins 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds 1/4 cup ground flax seed 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg a pinch of salt 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup grape seed oil (you could also use coconut or canola) 1/4 cup brown sugar DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 300F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Once again, grind the flax seed. A coffee grinder would be ideal for this, but I used a food processor/blender. It took a little more patience and stirring but still worked well. Combine the oats, raisins, almonds, flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt in an over-sized bowl. In a small saucepan and over medium-low heat, combine the oil, honey and brown sugar. Stir frequently until the brown sugar starts to dissolve, this should take no more than 5 minutes; do not bring to a boil. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the oat mixture and stir. This isn’t something you would need a mixer for. Just a few quick stirs to make sure everything is coated and you’re good to go. Spread the oat mixture on the parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. After the initial 15 minutes, stir/flip/turn the granola. Check and turn the granola every 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Mine was done in 30 minutes, but I have a gas oven- which can be a little dryer of a heat. Let cool. I left mine on the cookie sheet for a few hours. NOTES: Deciding when the granola was done was probably the hardest part of this process with all the cinnamon in there. I taste tested each time I pulled the pan out and stopped when the granola started to reach a crunchy consistency.                                                                                                     Hope you Enjoy!

No Bake Energy Cookies

I've made a couple batches of these over the past week and I really like how they've turned out.  It's similar to eating cookie dough, but with a little less refined sugar. I've been enjoying them as mid-morning snacks
and they have been super filling.  Kept refrigerated, the cookies should be good up to a week.

No Bake Energy Cookies
A healthier and energy filled sweet treat

Makes about 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Set Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashion or steel cut oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup white chocolate chunks (finely chopped)
1/4 cup protein powder
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Line a couple of large cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Grind the flax seed.  A coffee grinder would be ideal for this, but I used a food processor/blender.  It took a little more patience and stirring but still worked well. 
3. Combine the oats, peanut butter, honey, flax seed, white chocolate, and protein powder. You could also add dried fruit or nuts. 
4. in a separate bowl, mix together the chopped almonds and chocolate chips
5. Roll the dough into a ball and flatten into a cookie shape. Dip into chocolate-almond mixture and place on parchment paper. 
6. refrigerate 1 hour and enjoy!

Notes: 
If the oat concoction isn't sticking together very well, try adding more peanut butter.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Over the past few months I have developed some type of aversion to coconut, which is really unfortunate considering how much I love coconut. I typically break out on my face after eating actual coconut or drinking coconut milk (which is delicious by the way). Until this week I hadn't really had much of any issues with coconut oil unless I used mass amounts of it, but using my EOS lip balm one too many times led to another annoying reaction.  Most allergies can progressively get worse with each exposure, and while I have had no other allergy related symptoms, I think its probably best to quit while I'm ahead.  This weekend I've started cleaning coconut out of my house.  I had almost exactly 3/4 cup of coconut oil in the kitchen cabinet, and being the good decision-maker that I am, I decided to use it to make some blueberry oatmeal cookies to take to work. I have made these a few times before and really love them. Not to sound like a chubster, but eating a warm one almost feels like a hug, and it was also really hard to avoid eating this cookie dough. I’m sure this won't be my last time making these, but I may be reverting to butter in future cookie making.



Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
A summer twist on the classic oatmeal raisin cookie

Makes 24 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
¾ cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups old fashion oats
1½ cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper. The paper isn’t completely necessary, but it is easier to get the cookies off the pan and to the cooling rack.  If you don’t use parchment paper, just be sure not to butter or grease the pan.
2.  Cream together the coconut oil and sugars on medium speed. I left the mixer going about 4 minutes. It isn’t going to look very creamy, as butter would, just make sure it is well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla; the concoction will look something like brown sugar soup at this point.
3.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, then slowly mix the dry mixture with the sugar mixture. 
4. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the oats and blueberries. I used frozen blueberries; making It a little easier to fold the berries in without breaking but also a little harder to mix and scoop as your dough will start to freeze if you don't work quickly enough. Don’t worry if you do break blueberries, it’s inevitable, the cookies will still be delicious. 
5. Bake for 16-20 minutes. I made some pretty large cookies, a little smaller than a golf ball when all rolled up. Because of the size and the fact that I used frozen berries, it took a little longer to bake, closer to 20 minutes. Leave the cookies on the pan for a minute or two before moving to cooling racks.  Enjoy!

*disclaimer… coconut oil melts at 76ºF. As it is summer in Alabama and I live in a very old house, it was about 77ºF-80ºF in my kitchen at the time I was baking these; do not try to combine coconut oil with any type of cold ingredients (ie. cold butter or milk). It doesn't go well.