Ginger Molasses Cookies (Jill Dorrough)

 

Ginger Molasses Cookies (Jill Dorrough)

½ cup unsalted butter  (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½  tsp ground cloves

2 ½ tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter with 1 cup of sugar.  Add the molasses and egg and beat well. 

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, stir to combine

Use a ¼ cup measuring scoop, shape dough into 12 balls.  Roll in raw sugar or other large sugar crystals.

Bake one sheet at a time (6) for 20 minutes or until cookies are beginning to turn brown.

Cookies should look slightly underbaked.  Move to a wire rack to cool.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

 

CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

Prep Time: 10 min

·       Cook Time: 40 min

·       Total Time: 50 minutes

·   Yield: Serves 4 - 6 

 INGREDIENTS

·       black beans, 1 lb. dried or 3 cans (15 oz.), rinsed and drained (see notes)

·       1 large white onion, chopped

·       4 garlic cloves, chopped

·       2 stalks celery, chopped

·       2 medium carrots, chopped

·       1 medium red bell pepper, cored and chopped

·       2 bay leafs

·       1 tablespoon cumin

·       1 – 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

·       3 cups water or vegetable broth

·       juice of one orange + orange halves

·       himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

·       diced tomatoes

·       onion

·       vegan sour cream

·       lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak beans: The night before, rinse beans in colander with cold running water. Pick through and remove any broken or shriveled beans. Place beans in large pot with 5 or 6 cups water and cover to soak overnight.

Pre-Cook Beans: Next day, drain beans and rinse again. Place beans back in pot, add water, bring to a boil and simmer covered for 1 hour, drain and rinse.

Orange: Juice the orange and set the juice aside. Reserve the orange halves for the soup.

Cook Soup: To the pot of freshly cooked beans, add the bay leaves, garlic, cumin, paprika, onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, water/broth, orange halves, salt and pepper, reserving the orange juice for later. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour, or until beans and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add extra water as necessary (I used another 1 cup of water).

Puree: Once beans are tender, remove the orange halves and bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency. I blended about 3/4, leaving some chunkiness. You could also use a food processor/blender (this method may take two batches to complete). Blending is optional, you may like it chunky as is. Add the orange juice to the pureed soup and cook another 5-10 minutes.

To Serve: Serve alone or over a bed of cooked buckwheat, farro or brown rice. Top soup with a dollop of Sour Cream, Lime Cilantro Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ or Paprika Cashew Crema. You may also like to top it with diced onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, jalapenos, a squeeze of lime and/or cilantro.

Serves 4 generously, or 6 smaller portions.

NOTES

Canned beans: If using canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them well. Put ingredients in pot as in the instructions for ‘Cook’ but only use 2 cups water to start, bring to boil and simmer for 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add more water as needed. Continue with step 3. You may also decide to saute your onions, celery, carrots & bell pepper first on medium high heat using oil of choice for about 5 min before you start with your canned beans.

https://simple-veganista.com/cuban-black-bean-soup-vegan/#tasty-recipes-8951

Kitchn Sourdough bread

 

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-224367

Kitchn Sourdough Bread

YIELD Makes 2 loaves

PREP TIME 24 hours to 48 hours

INGREDIENTS

For the leaven:

·        1 tablespoon  active sourdough starter

·        75 grams all-purpose flour or bread flour (1/2 cup)

·        75 grams water (1/3 cup)

For the dough:

·        525 grams water (2 1/2 cups), divided

·        1 tablespoon salt

·        700 grams all-purpose flour or bread flour (5 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Make sure your sourdough culture is active. If your sourdough has been in the refrigerator, take it out 2 to 3 days before you plan to bake. Feed it daily to make sure it's strong and very active before you make the bread.

2.    Make the leaven and let it sit overnight. The night before you plan to make the dough, place all the leaven ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly to form a thick batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, about 12 hours.

3.    Test that the leaven is ready. Generally, if the surface of the leaven is very bubbly, it's ready to be used. To double check, drop a small spoonful of the leaven in a cup of water; if the leaven floats, it's ready.

4.    Dissolve the salt. Place 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) of the water and the salt for the dough in a small bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally to make sure the salt dissolves.

5.    Mix the leaven and water. Add the remaining 475 grams (2 cups) of water for the dough to the bowl of leaven. Stir with a spatula or use your hands to break up and dissolve the leaven into the water. It's OK if the leaven doesn't fully dissolve and a few clumps remain.

6.    Add the flour. Add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until there are no more bits of dry flour and it forms a very shaggy dough.

7.    Rest the dough (30 minutes, or up to 4 hours). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. This is the autolyse stage where the flour is fully absorbing the water and enzymes in the flour begin breaking down the starches and proteins.

8.    Mix in the salt. Pour the dissolved salt over the dough. Work the liquid and salt into the dough by pinching and squeezing the dough. The dough will feel quite wet and loose at this point.

9.    Begin folding the dough (2 1/2 hours). To fold the dough, grab the dough at one side, lift it up, and fold it over on top of itself. Fold the dough four times, moving clockwise from the top of the bowl (or giving the bowl a quarter turn in between folds). Let the dough rest 30 minutes, then repeat. Do this a total of 6 times, every half hour, for a total of 2 1/2 hours. The dough will start out shaggy and very loose, but will gradually smooth out and become tighter as you continue folding.

10. Let the dough rise undisturbed (30 to 60 minutes). Once you've finished the folds, cover and let the dough rise undisturbed for 30 to 60 minutes, until it looks slightly puffed. This dough won't double in size the way regular, non-sourdough breads will; it should just look larger than it did when you started.

11. Divide the dough. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and turn the dough out on top. Work gently to avoid deflating the dough. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough in half.

12. Shape the dough into loose rounds. Sprinkle a little flour over each piece of dough. Use your pastry scraper to shape each one into loose rounds — this isn't the final shaping, just a preliminary shaping to prep the dough for further shaping. Shape them into rounds by slipping your pastry scraper under the edge of the dough and then scraping it around curve of the dough, like turning left when driving. Do this a few times to build the surface tension in the dough (it makes more sense to do it than to read about it!). Flour your pastry scraper as needed to keep it from sticking to the dough.

13. Rest the dough (20 to 30 minutes). Once both pieces of dough are shaped, let them rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten again before final shaping.

14. Prepare 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or mixing bowls. Line 2 bread proofing baskets, colanders, or clean mixing bowls with clean kitchen towels. Dust them heavily with flour, rubbing the flour into the cloth on the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Use more flour than you think you'll need — it should form a thin layer over the surface of the towel.

15. Shape the loaves. Dust the top of one of the balls of dough with flour. Flip it over with a pastry scraper so that the floured side is against the board and the un-floured, sticky surface is up. Shape the loaf much like you folded the dough earlier: Grab the lip of the dough at the bottom, pull it gently up, then fold it over onto the center of the dough. Repeat with the right and left side of the dough. Repeat with the top of the dough, but once you fold it downward, use your thumb to grab the bottom lip again and gently roll the dough right-side up. If it's not quite a round or doesn't seem taut to you, cup your palms around the dough and rotate it against the counter to shape it up. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

16. Transfer to the proofing baskets. Dust the tops and sides of the shaped loaves generously with flour. Place them into the proofing baskets upside down, so the seams from shaping are on top.

17. Let the dough rise (3 to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge). Cover the baskets loosely with plastic wrap, or place them inside clean plastic bags. Let them rise at room temperature until they look billowy and poofy, 3 to 4 hours. Alternatively, place the covered basket in the refrigerator and let them rise slowly overnight, 12 to 15 hours. If rising overnight, bake the loaves straight from the fridge; no need to warm before baking.

18. Heat the oven to 500°F. Place two Dutch ovens or other heavy-bottomed pots with lids in the oven, and heat to 500°F. (If you don't have two pots, you can bake one loaf after the next.)

19. Transfer the loaves to the Dutch ovens. Carefully remove one of the heated Dutch ovens from the oven and remove the lid. Tip the loaf into the pot so the seam-side is down. Repeat with the second loaf. (See Recipe Note if your loaf sticks to the basket.)

20. Score the top of the loaf. Use a lame, sharp knife, or serrated knife to quickly score the surface of the loaves. Try to score at a slight angle, so you're cutting almost parallel to the surface of the loaf; this gives the loaves the distinctive "shelf" along the score line.

21. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

22. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake another 10 minutes. Resist the temptation to check the loaves at this point; just reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake another 10 minutes.

23. Remove the lids and continue baking 15 to 25 minutes. Uncover the pots to release any remaining steam. At this point, the loaves should have "sprung" up, have a dry surface, and be just beginning to show golden color.

24. Bake another 15 to 25 minutes. Continue baking uncovered until the crust is deeply browned; aim for just short of burnt. It might feel a bit unnatural to bake loaves this fully, but this is where a lot of the flavor and texture of the crust comes in.

25. Cool the loaves completely. When done, lift the loaves out of the pots using a spatula. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Wait until they have cooled to room temperature before slicing.

RECIPE NOTES

Whole-wheat sourdough: You can replace up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat or whole-grain flour.

All-purpose vs. bread flour: Bread flour will give your bread a sturdier, chewier texture and a loaf that's easier to slice. Loaves made with all-purpose flour will be a bit more delicate, especially when you cut them, but still work just fine.

If your loaf sticks to the proofing basket: This still happens to me all the time! It's annoying, but not the end of your sourdough dreams. If some of the dough stays stuck to the lining of the proofing basket, try to gently disengage it or pinch it away with your fingers. Fold a pinch of dough over the tear and bake as usual. The crust will look a little rough where it was torn, but the bread will still taste delicious.

Storage: Bread can be stored at room temperature (cut-side down if cut) in a paper bag for up to 3 days, or well wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months.

Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread

 Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe is simple and I think it’s one that appeals to the masses. We also love this shaped into rolls.

• 1 c active sourdough starter
•  2 c warm water
• ⅔ c honey
• 1 c applesauce
• 1 T salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 8-9 c whole wheat flour

 

 

 

Combine the yeast, water, honey, applesauce, salt, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer or bosch. Mix to combine on low speed.

 

Add in 3-4 c flour until a shaggy dough forms.

 

Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit for 20-30 minutes. This allows the flour to soak up moisture so that you don’t add too much flour.

 

Once the dough has been sitting for 20-30 minutes, turn the mixer back on and add more flour 1/2 c at a time, until the dough cleans the sides of the mixer. Knead on low speed for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic (doesn’t tear when you stretch it with your fingers).

 

 Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a lid or greased plastic wrap.

 

Set in a warm place for 8-12 hours.

 

Once the dough has doubled in size, shape into 2-3 loaves (depending on their size) and place in greased bread pans.  (7 mini loaves 10-11 oz)

 

Allow to rise covered with greased plastic wrap for another 2-2.5 hours. I like to put them in the oven with the light on for this second rise to keep them nice and warm.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the bottom of the loaf reads 180-190 degrees.    25-30 minutes for mini loaves.

 

http://www.simplelifebykels.com/honey-whole-wheat-bread-natural-yeastsourdough/

Smoked Sausage Chicken Gumbo

 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced

2 c. water

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

1/2 c. green pepper, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 16 oz can green beans

Place sausage in slow-cooker; add water. Shake chicken breasts with four in a zip-top bag; put chicken on sausage. Cover with chopped vegetalbes; sprinkle with garlic and spics. cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours. Remove chicken and cut into bite-size chucnks. return chicken to pot. Drain green beans; stir into gumbo. cook on high 30 min. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

 From The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

• ▢1 lb. dried elbow pasta
• ▢1/2 cup unsalted butter
• ▢1/2 cup all purpose flour
• ▢1 1/2 cups whole milk
• ▢2 1/2 cups half and half
• ▢4 cups shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese divided (measured after shredding)
• ▢2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided (measured after shredding)
• ▢1/2 Tbsp. salt
• ▢1/2 tsp. black pepper
• ▢1/4 tsp. paprika

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13").  Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
• While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles.  Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.  Mixture will look like very wet sand.  Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.  Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth.  Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
• Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency.  It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
• Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine.  Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
• Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.