TBP: Le Pain Quotidien Recipes

I didn't mention it when I posted about my Le Pain Quotidien Bread class, but we got a little packet to bring home that had a few recipes (two, actually- white and whole wheat) and other bread basics in it. I'd held onto it but hadn't made anything because they were both weight-based and I didn't own a kitchen scale.

Well I got one for xmas! So last weekend a went a bit crazy making bread. I was pleased to find the white bread recipe was as perfect as it was in class- the lovely tacky but not sticky consistency I strive for but hardly ever achieve. We'd used the basic white bread for pizza dough in class- and as D and I didn't have much for supper in the fridge, that's what I did again here:

A little bit of mozz, homemade tomato sauce, spinach and eggs. It's a shame one of the yolks broke. So so tasty.

The whole wheat bread didn't come together quite as well at first- but I let it hang out in the fridge for a few days and used my Le Creuset when I baked it and...well...just look:

So pretty!

I wish I'd remembered to score the bread- and though the bottom was a bit dark it could've stood to cook a little longer. Still, very very delicious. Will definitely be using these recipes again.

Turkey Chili

This is something you will hear me say a lot: my Le Creuset is probably my favorite thing ever. It was a surprise gift for xmas. I need to give him a name. Suggestions would be appreciated.

This past weekend was so cold. Nowadays I am always cold, so I was just colder. Though I'd planned to make turkey chili this past weekend anyway, the weather really pushed me along to do it. Apologies for the vagueness of the recipe- hopefully it inspires you to kind of wing it, instead of just frustrating you.

Yummy:

Ingredients:
2 turkey thighs
1 yellow onion
A few cloves of garlic (or like 10, if you're me)
2 jalepenos
1 28 oz can of diced tomatos
appox 1 1/2 cups turkey (or chicken) stock
1 bell pepper - green was cheap so I had that
2 cans of beans (I used 1 chickpea and 1 pinto)
1 tbs recaito (or some cilantro)
Bay leaves
Chili powder
Cumin
Chipotle

Helpful tools
Dutch Oven
Tongs (I improvised with two forks)

Put your dutch oven on high heat, once it gets nice and hot drizzle in some oil and sear your turkey thighs. While that's searing dice up your onions, garlic and jalapenos (remove the seeds if you wish- I didn't). Once they get nice and brown move them to a plate.  Be sure to keep those tasty bits on the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and toss in the onion/garlic/jalapeno you just diced and saute for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Then add your can of tomatoes and the stock. Add your recaito/cilantro, and as much spice as you wish. I enjoy cumin, chili powder and chipotle. Also two bay leaves. Honestly I didn't measure. If you're nervous err on the side of caution- you can always add more later.

Throw your turkey thighs back in and let all that simmer for about a half hour, or until your thighs are cooked through.

While that's going have a bit of fun. Take your bell pepper and wash it well, removing any stickers. Then turn another burner onto high and put the pepper down on top of it. Char the outside well, using the tongs (or the two forks) to turn it to get it it blackened all around. Then put it in a bowl, cover that tightly with plastic wrap and let it cool.

Now take your turkey thighs out and let them cool. Once you won't burn yourself, take your two forks and shred the meat. Add that back into the pot.

At this point that bell pepper should be about cool, so take that out, remove the stem and seeds and cut it so it lays flat. Then take a knife and scrape off that charred skin. Dice the rest and also add it to the pot.

Then drain and rinse your beans and throw those in the pot. Let everything simmer until they're the beans are enough for your liking.

Take another taste and adjust your spices.

Eat, preferably with some crusty bread.

Cranberry Ginger Shrub

What is a shrub? It's like a simple syrup...only with vinegar. Does that sound weird? I've become a bit obsessed with tart and spice, so it didn't bother me at all. It may turn people off though- just say it's awesome. They will agree.

I'd been wanting to make a ginger shrub for a while, but since we're in the middle of The Great Cranberry Overbuying Experiment of 2011 (now extended into 2012), it seemed like a good idea to add some of that as well. Our freezer is full. God help us.

Cranberry-Ginger Shrub (recipe slightly adapted from Well-Fed Everyone)

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 giant piece of ginger, peeled and diced (exact amount up to you- I err on the side of way too much)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

For me the right amount of ginger is one that attacks your face with spice. So I can't say how much I added to the shrub, but it was a decent amount.

After peeling and dicing the ginger heat up the water and sugar in a nonreactive pot. Once the sugar dissolves, add the ginger and let it simmer for 10 or so minutes to really get the flavor in there.

While that's simmering, rinse and pick through your cranberries. Add them to the pot and simmer, stirring every once in a while.

Let it get nice and thick- at least 15 minutes, maybe longer. Then add the vinegar and let it simmer for another five minutes to let the flavors meld.

Take it off the heat and let it cool a bit, then put a strainer over a large bowl and pour the contents of your pot through it. Take a spoon and press down on the berries to get all the lovely juice out.

Let it cool on the counter, then pour it into a bottle and stash it in the fridge.

Once it's cool it's great added to seltzer, maybe a little rum if you're in the mood. It's also great added to a mug of warm water. Such a wonderfully versatile beverage, I'll definitely be making more.

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Potato Bread

So at the potluck I went to last month someone brought some amazingly delicious rosemary bread. Not sure if my love of rosemary has made it onto this blog yet- it's not as much of an obsession as ginger, but it's a flavor that makes it into much of what I bake. After tasting that bread I had to find a recipe.

This recipe from Brown Eyed Baker seemed to combine all the things I love in bread. So last weekend I baked up a batch. The result?

Yum...ish.

It was fine, just not the tastiness I was hoping for. I think it needed more salt, maybe some butter. But I'm thinking if I'd used my real mashed potatoes instead of just some leftover baked potato those flavors would've come through more. Or I could've brushed the bread with oil and sprinkled a little salt on before baking. Maybe next time.

The good news- the biga for this was the best dough I'd made since the baking hiatus- the perfect tacky but not sticky consistency.

Pickles!

So...these are refrigerator pickles, not puttin' up pickles. Eventually I'll get one of those canning kits and go crazy, maybe once they go on clearance at Target.

Anyway, these are both delicious, and adaptations from one of my favorite cooking shows I never get a chance to watch anymore: Good Eats. Such a fan of what that show does, and so sad to hear that it's ending soon. Here's hoping it'll go on Netflix streaming, yes?

Spicy Curry Pickled Carrots (adapted from Good Eats)

Ingredients:

• Baby carrots
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder **(next time I'll add more)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon chili flakes **(next time I'll add more)

Place your carrots in a quart sized glass jar, as many as will fit (I used a lovely Slom from IKEA, which leaks a little- so that was fun!). Carrots float apparently- something I learned while making this- so cram 'em in or you'll have a sad little space of empty brine on the bottom of you jar that will mock you. I know from experience.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a small, non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Once it's boiled for a few minutes pour the hot liquid over your carrots. I transferred mine from the pot to a measuring cup with a spout for an easy/non-scalding pouring experience. Let cool for a bit, then close the jar and let cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge. Wait a few days before eating.


Rosemary Pickled Beets (adapted from Good Eats)
Ingredients:

• 2 cans sliced beets
• 1 large sweet onion, frenched
• 2 (or 3, or 5) cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Uncan your beets, rinse them off in a colander to remove excess salt. Let them hang out in there for a while while you prep everything else- i.e. french your onion, smash as much garlic up as you'd like, and pull the rosemary leaves off the stems.

Put the sugar, water, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, and those rosemary leaves in a small non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Once the pot has boiled for a few minutes, remove from the heat and pour your brine through a strainer into a measuring cup.

Take the rosemary leaves and garlic from the strainer and mix them with your onions. Then layer the beets and onion mixture in your jar. You'll probably have a bit of each left over. I made a sandwich with mine, with some roasted garlic hummus on the bread and a few slices of cucumber. Very tasty. Anyway-

Pour the brine over the beets and onions, let them cool for a bit, then close your jar and let cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge.

Per the episode, they'll technically be pickles within 12 hours, but they'll taste better if you wait a week. It's hard, I know.

Corduroy and Plaid Clutch

Were you aware that the most corduroy-y Corduroy Day was last Friday? In celebration I finally got around to making a new clutch, as my last one finally died- or at least, the pull came off the zipper and it was getting a bit dingy. I still used it for a month or so despite the hassle, as I always run my bags into the ground.

I used some corduroy I had left from my corduroy tie, as well as some plaid I bought ages ago with a project in mind that never came to fruition.

The lining is that same plaid.

I usually don't take the time to cut things on the bias, but for the plaid it makes the whole thing look so spiffy. Will have to try it with a few other plaids I've been saving.

The pattern is once again based off Noodlehead's gathered clutch tutorial, though I was too lazy to create the gathered front, as well as unsure it would work with this fabric anyhow. Per usual the zipper tabs ended up wonky, though I think less wonky than the first time. I think I finally understand what the directions say, so the third try may actually get the desired result.

And as the project came together so quickly I think I may make an extra to give to a friend. We'll see.

TBP: Pumpkin Yeast Bread

The first Wednesday of every month is potluck at my bar (well, not mine per se, but I spend enough time there...). Though I've only been to two before this I seem to by default bring the desserts. First month was a tasty bread pudding using homemade brioche-ish bread, then the second was delicious nutella cookies.

This month I wanted to try some of the skills learned from my awesome Le Pan Quotidien bread class and stuff rolls with chocolate. As it's nearing Thanksgiving and I had leftover pumpkin from my vegan pumpkin cranberry walnut bread, so I looked up some seasonally appropriate recipes.

What turned up? This lovely King Athur Flour recipe. It came together reasonably well, though I tried to keep my dough on the sticky side so there were a few minor freakouts during the kneading process (I'm a bit rusty it seems).

The bread itself turned out delicious- I made a loaf and 14 or so rolls, which I stuffed with some bittersweet chocolate and butter. The final verdict though: needed more chocolate! Also a kitchen scale to help with the uneven (and slightly too big) roll sizes. Will definitely make again though.

The biggest breakthrough came once the rolls were done- the pumpkin flavor was very mild, especially with the chocolate inside, but it gave the bread a nice softness and light golden color. It reminded me of my attempts at potato bread. Well, they were more than attempts- tasty potato bread was, in fact, made- but I never got that orangeish/yellow bread I was looking for. Those breads must have sweet potato in them. Will have to make search for more recipes one of these days...

*FYI- the camera has been found! Expect posts with pictures soon!