Italian Sausage and Peppers with Pasta

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces ziti or similar pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 medium-sized bell peppers (any color), sliced into 2-inch long pieces
• 1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 18 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Break the sausage up as it cooks until it’s browned. 
3. Add the garlic, peppers, and onion. Stir and cook the veggies with the sausage until the start to soften, about five minutes.
4. Add the red wine to the pan and, as it simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add the tomatoes and salt. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook the sausage and peppers in the sauce for about five minutes, or so. 
6. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce. I also added about 1/4 cup of pasta water and cooked this down.
7. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Source

Bread - Updated

This is an update to my Bread post from about a year ago. All references are there. I have adjusted the recipe to make two 500 kg loaves or one 500 kg loaf and two 250 kg loaves. Other adjustments allow doing this over three or more days so one isn't spending an entire day waiting. 

Total ingredients

800 g Bread flour

200 g Whole Wheat flour

750-800 g water (75-80% hydration) - 

20 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

Day 1

Make the Poolish

500g Bread Flour 

500g water at about 90° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Leave no dry dough spots. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12-24 hours has worked equally well.

Day 2

Remaining flour = 200g Whole Wheat mixed with 300g Bread flour.

Remaining water = 300g, 280g, or 250g (80%, 78%, 75% hydration).

Turn out the Poolish to the mixing bowl.

Add the remaining water to the Poolish container and swirl to catch any remains.

Add this to the mixing bowl and gently mix with the Poolish.  

Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly to a shaggy dough.

Cover, and let sit for about 45 minutes to Autolyse.

Add salt and mix thoroughly. 

Add remaining 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Dampen your hand and stretch and fold the dough over itself 4 times rotating the bowl 90 degrees after each fold.

Cover and wait 20 minutes. 

Repeat 3-4 more times

Cover and let the bulk fermentation complete. Depending on ambient temperature this could take 1-2 hours. 

Scrape onto counter and split as desired. 

Lately, I'm doing 50%, 25% and 25% to get a large loaf and two smaller ones. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour or a 50/50 mix of rice/all purpose flour.

Shape dough into boules. 

Put the boules in the bannetons seam side up. 

Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with flour. 

At this point, you can cover the bannetons and let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes and then go to the Baking Day steps or you can cover the Bannetons and put them in the refrigerator for 1-3 days for more flavor development and to break up the time you spend waiting. 

Baking Day

Preheat oven containing pizza stone and cast iron dutch oven to 475°F. These should be on the bottom or second to bottom rack

Put parchment paper counter top and dust gently with cornmeal. 

When ready, gently flip banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash the top. 

Gently place boule into dutch oven (hot!!). I'm using the parchment paper as a sling so I don't risk burning my hands. Braver souls might try flipping the banneton directly into the dutch oven. 

Cover and place dutch oven into the oven onto the pizza stone. 

Bake 35 minutes for the larger loaf or 15 minutes for the smaller loaf

Remove boule from dutch oven and finish it at 425 on the pizza stone until crust is nicely browned (about 10-15 minutes, less for the smaller boule). You can also check the internal temperature of the bread with an instant read thermometer. It should read 208 - 210F.  

Place boule on rack to cool. 

Wait at least 2 hours for the boule to fully cool before cutting into it. 

Bread

I've been baking bread for about seven months. I've settled on the following recipe and process.  

Total ingredients

750 g flour (blending Bread Flour with Whole Wheat)

585 g water (78% hydration)

15 g salt

1.25 tsp fast rise yeast

I've been using 1/3 to 1/5 whole wheat flour

Day before

Make the Poolish

375 g Bread Flour 

375 g water at about 80° F

1/4 tsp of yeast

Mix together thoroughly in a container that allows for it to triple in size. Cover and set on a counter for 12-24 hours. 

In the winter, my kitchen is about 66°. 12 hours has worked fine. I'm trying 24 hours in my latest attempt.  

Baking day

Remaining flour = 375g ww (50/50) or 150g ww + 225 g Bread (20% ww loaf)

Remaining water = 225, 210, or 188 (80%, 78%, 75% hydration) 

Weigh out remaining flour in mixing bowl. 

Add the Poolish and the remaining water. 

Mix thoroughly, cover, and let sit for 30-60 minute to Autolyse.

Add salt and 1tsp yeast and mix thoroughly. I usually add the salt first, mix and then the yeast. 

Let rest 20-40 minutes. 

Do a series of folds, cover and wait 20 minutes. Dampen hand first.

Repeat 2-4 more times

Cover and let the bulk fermentation complete. Depending on ambient temperature this could take 1-2 hours. 

Scrape onto counter and split into a large and a small piece. The small one should weigh about 480-500 g. We are shooting for a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. These are perfect for my 7" and 8" bannetons. 

Dust bannetons with rice flour. 

Shape dough into boules 

I sometimes let them rest, covered for 15 minutes and reshape. Lately, I'm skipping this step and not seeing much difference

Put the boules in the bannetons. Pinch the bottoms to seal if needed and dust with rice flour. 

Cover with tea towel. 

Let proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Check status at about 45 minutes.

At least 20 minutes before proofing is nearly done, preheat oven with pizza stone in it to 500°F

Put parchment paper on peel (or tray to use as a peel) and dust gently with cornmeal. 

When ready, gently flip 7" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 12 minutes. 

(prep peel for the next loaf)

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 7-12 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and raise oven temperature to 450.

Place small boule on rack to cool. 

Flip 8" banneton onto parchment paper. Dust with rice flour and use lame to slash

Slide boule into the oven onto the pizza stone. Cover with large metal bowl.   

Reduce temperature to 450 and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove bowl (using spatula and good oven mitts)

Reduce temperature to 425

Bake another 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 205-210. 

Remove and place boule on rack to cool. 

Thank you to the following who helped me in one way or another:

Bake with Jack - His videos helped demystify the basic process

Billy Parisi's Classic French Boule Recipe with Poolish

The Bread Monk: How to tell when the first rise is done 

How to tell when a bread is finished proofing from Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast.

Flours: Janie's Mill High-Protein Bread Flour and Red Fife whole wheat. 

Salad Dressing

I don't like vinegar. So, most salad dressings are not for me. In the past, I either ate my salad 'dry' or with just a squeeze of lemon. I found the secret to a great dressing and one that I like. I don't remember where, but I learned that a vinaigrette does not need to contain vinegar as the acid. A citrus juice can be the acid and this opened up a whole new world to me. The basic recipe is:

Equal parts fresh squeezed citrus juice and EVOO

Some honey if needed (usually only when using lemon)

Finely chopped shallot

Chopped fresh herb

Salt and pepper

My favorite is:

1/2 cup EVOO

1/2 cup lemon juice

about 1 tbsp honey

small fresh shallot finely diced (about 2-3 tbsp)

about 1 tbsp of either chopped dill or basil

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Shake well to blend. 

Options:

Put the diced shallot in the lemon juice for 3-5 minutes before adding EVOO

Optional ingredients I've tried:

Blood Oranges + Basil

One more. This one I found here. Instead of the fresh shallot and herb, substitute:

1 teaspoon dried oregano heaping

1 teaspoon powdered garlic

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Janies Mill Corn Bread

From their site:

https://www.janiesmill.com/recipes/old-fashioned-cornbread

Try with their cornmeal

I might also try their no knead bread recipe

Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 5 lemons)
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves or 2 tbsp. dried
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. pepper

6 skin-on whole chicken legs (I used about 2 lbs each of breasts and thighs)
3 lb. medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

In a large resealable plastic freezer bag, add the lemon juice, oregano, garlic, 1/4 cup oil, 1 tbsp. salt, and 1 tbsp. pepper and seal tightly; shake to mix the marinade. Add the chicken to the bag and seal tightly; turn a few times to coat the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Scatter the potatoes evenly over the baking sheet. Place the chicken, skin-side up, on top of the potatoes. Pour the marinade from the bag over the chicken and potatoes.

Bake the chicken and potatoes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken leg registers 165°, about 45 minutes. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Broil the potatoes until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the baking sheet. Broil until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a platter. Pour the pan juices into a pitcher. Serve the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices and crusty bread.

Discovered this recipe in Rachel Ray's magazine and here.

No Flour Cornbread

Ingredients

2 cups white cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (I used goats milk)
1⁄4 cup butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Put first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk together. Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the milk. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

Put butter in well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet and put in oven until the butter melts. Swirl to coat bottom and sides. Pour extra into the batter and mix.

Pour entire mixture into the skillet.

Place skillet on middle rack of oven. Bake until cornbread is springy in the middle, browned and pulling away from the skillet on the sides (about 15-20 minutes).

Remove from oven and invert skillet over serving plate.

Original recipe used 1/4 cup bacon grease instead of butter. If using butter, adding about 1/4 tsp salt might be better.

Adapted from food.com

Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk (or substitute non-diary alternative like almond milk)
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or substitute maple syrup or other desired sweetener)
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

Directions
Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7 hours (slow cooker times can vary).

Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Source: The Yummy Life

From Food Network, just simply add 1 cup steel cut oats with 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup dried figs and 4 cups water and 1/2 cup half and half. Cook 8 hours on low. I'm going to substitute raisins for cranberries and add the spices and flax seed from above and use water instead of half and half.

Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

8 cups veggie broth
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 cup sliced celery stalks
1 cup large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pound (3 cups) butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 cup turnip, peeled and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, and secure the lid.
Turn it on low, and leave for eight hours (or on high for five hours).

Credit: Popsugar

Changes: I just substituted 1 cup parsnips for the turnip and it was better. Also, add more salt and about 1-2 tbsp mustard to the recipe.

Steak Marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp dried basil
1 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp minced garlic

Combine all ingredients. Pour marinade over meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired.


Note: until I use it up, I substituted 4-5 Tbsp of a spice mix that I have for all the powdered spices in the list above. It's a close enough match and worked fine the first time.


Source: Allrecipes

Mushroom Lentil Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup dry lentils
½ cup uncooked pearly barley
1 quart beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
14 oz can of diced tomatoes 
8 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms quartered
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 tbsp mustard
4 garlic cloves minced
Bay leaves
1-2 teaspoons ground fresh black pepper
Salt to taste
One medium potato chopped

Directions:

In a slow cooker, mix all ingredients. cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

(Recipe called for ¾ cup each of the barley and lentils. I guess it’s ok as long as it adds up to 1.5 cups. This would be a fine recipe with just barley)

French Press Coffee

Some notes:
2 Tbsp beans for each 8 oz of water,
Set burr grinder to 8 for french press (2 for auto drip)

And the process (from here)

Preheat the glass and plunger by pouring hot water inside the pitcher and plunge once to warm everything up. Discard the rinse water.
Add ground coffee.
Pour hot water (30 seconds off the boil or about 205 degrees F) into the French press, saturating all of your grounds, and pouring to the halfway mark. Start your timer for 4 minutes.
After 1 minute, stir the “bloom” (or top layer) and pour the rest of the water evenly to the top and affix the press pot lid.
After 4 minutes, plunge and serve. Any coffee not served immediately goes in a thermos so it doesn't sit in the used grounds.

Slow Cooker Chili

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 14-oz. cans chopped tomatoes, with juices
1 14-oz. cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup beef stock
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/6 c. cornmeal
1-2 Tbsps chili powder, to taste
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup brown sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a slow cooker. Add onions to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Drain fat and add onions and garlic to slow cooker.

Add the ground turkey to the skillet, brown it, and transfer it to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Add all the remaining chili ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to blend. Cover and cook for 6 hours – 5 on high and the last hour on low.

Adapted from: http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2012/02/17/6-hour-slow-cooker-chili-my-familys-favorite/

Beef Stew

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 pound cremini (aka baby portobella) mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and sliced.

2 lbs stew meat
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

2 medium celery stalks, medium dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and medium dice
1 turnip diced (optional)
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
3-4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 - 1.5  cups dry red wine (I used Tilia Malbec)
2 tablespoons mustard (Dijon)

1/2 teaspoon paprika
3-4 potatoes cut into large chunks (Can use sweet potatoes, yukon golds, red, etc)

2 cups chicken broth
2-3 dried bay leafs

1 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Add butter if desired. Brown mushrooms in cast iron skillet and add to slow cooker.  
2. Coat the stew meat with salt and pepper. Saute the meat in a cast iron skillet in as many batches as needed to get them evenly browned. Remove the meat to the slow cooker. 
3. If needed, add a little oil to the skillet. Add the celery, carrot, turnip, onion, garlic, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots just begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook until it’s no longer raw-tasting, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and mustard, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Use spatula to deglaze skillet. Cook until the wine reduces by roughly half, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the slow cooker. 
4. Now add the following into the slow cooker: paprika, potatoes, chicken broth and bay leaf, tucking the bay leaf into the broth. Stir.
5. Cover and cook on high (300 degrees F) for about 30 minutes and then set to low (200 degrees F) for about 9 hours until the beef is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.As an alternative, one recipe I read said to cook on high, stirring about every 1 1/2 hours if possible (if you can’t stir it that often, it’s OK), until the beef is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork, about 5 hours. 
6. At the end, add the peas and parsley, stir to combine, and continue to heat until the peas are warm, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

I took several recipes from the internet and combined what I thought were the best ideas. Sources included Chow.com, The Pioneer Woman, TPW again, and I read a few others (who can keep track?). There's one I found that uses Guinness that I plan to try sometime soon. 

Iced Coffee

Taken from The Pioneer Woman, I modified her recipe only by reducing quantities.

2 Cups of ground coffee (decaf today).
2 Quarts of water.

Letting it sit overnight (at least).

Sweet Corn Bread

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1 14 oz can creamed corn
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Combine the egg, sour cream, creamed corn, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Melt 3-4 Tablespoons of butter into cast iron skillet. Pour ingredients into skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Original recipe here. Modifications from one of the comments.

Asian Spinach and Shrimp Salad With Sesame Dressing

Stumbled across this recipe here and can't wait to try it out.

1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest (grated)
2 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sesame oil (black toasted)
salt and black pepper

1/2 cup spinach (baby, lightly packed)
1 lb shrimp (medium cooked and peeled)
2 oranges (peeled and segmented)
1/2 cup scallion (chopped)

Bring orange juice to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to about 1 Tbsp., about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, place spinach in large bowl, and set aside.

Whisk reduced orange juice, zest, ginger, vinegar, and honey together in small bowl. Whisk in vegetable and sesame oils and season with salt and pepper.

Toss shrimp, orange segments, and scallions,with 2 tablespoons dressing in bowl and season with salt and pepper. . Toss spinach with remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach among 4 individual plates and top with shrimp and oranges.

Picnic Salads

Steam or boil a bunch of asparagus; slice on the bias. Toss with orange segments, zest and juice, some olive oil, salt and pepper. Garnish with sesame seeds. I added cut up cooked, shrimp.

Combine cooked brown rice with small, barely cooked broccoli florets and chopped pecans or walnuts and parsley. Dress with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon. This turned out a little bland and dry. I added soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. I think cut up scallions would be a good addition.

Both original recipes from Mark Bittman's column in the NY Times: "101 20-Minute Dishes for Inspired Picnics".

Roasted Garlic

No time to post. Go here for great instructions on roasting garlic to spread or use. Also instructions on making roasted garlic infused olive oil.

http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2010/02/01/roasted-garlic-three-ways/

Horseradish Dressing / Steak Sauce

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons milk (I used whole)
2 Tablespoons horseradish, prepared
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together mayo, milk, horseradish, salt and pepper.

Crumbled, well-cooked bacon makes a great addition.

Add a little of the bacon grease, too. Maybe a teaspoon to taste to give it some more bacon flavor.

This is great on salad, steak or steak salad.