No Knead Bread

This recipe has been making the rounds for ages. I've seen it on several blogs and in the New York Times.  Love freshly baked bread as much as I do? As lazy... um.... wait, as busy as me? No kneading! Lasts two weeks in the fridge!! Tear off only and bake only as much as you need!!! Brilliant.


No Knead Bread
Recipe courtesy of vanilla bean blog (with gorgeous photos and other tips)

INGREDIENTS
3 cups water, lukewarm
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS
In a 5 quart plastic container or bowl [preferably a resealable plastic container], mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water [about 100 degrees]. Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks [It's best to let dough refrigerate at least three hours - it is less sticky and easier to work with. Also, more flavor will develop if it sits longer].  When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on the dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife [about 1 pound]. Sprinkle flour on work surface and lightly knead dough 5-6 times to form a ball, adding flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Put dough on a piece of parchment paper, and let rest 40 minutes. Refrigerate the rest of the dough.

About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to the upper middle position and place the Dutch oven (with lid on) on the rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 450, remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and/or instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Image by Sharon Pruitt, Flickr

Armenian Red Lentil-Apricot Stew, with Sesame Rice

So, so, so busy with school... which means cooking big vats of stew and soup on the weekend and eating it all week. One and a half weeks left, and then I'm off for three weeks. Woohoo!!!

Last weekend I made this stew. It was so good, and is totally affordable! I didn't buy a big thing of tahini, just about 1 cup from the bulk store. The recipe comes from the Big Vegan cookbook, and I pretty much stuck to it as written, except for boosting up the spices (it seemed a bit bland without any heat). I'm a heat fiend, I guess you could say.  The fresh mint and parsley really make the dish, so don't leave those out. 

Armenian Red Lentil-Apricot Stew, with Sesame Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped

14 oz tinned diced tomatoes 

1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

½ cup dried apricot, chopped 

2 tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp cayenne 

1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh mint, chopped

Rice:

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

1 ½ cups long-grain brown rice

½ tsp salt

3 tbsp tahini paste

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot, combine 1 qt water, the lentils, and onion. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the spices, salt, eggplant, tomatoes, and apricots and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the parsley and mint just before serving. Keep the stew warm while cooking the rice.

4. To make the rice: In a 2-qt/2-L pot over medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil . When the onions are clear and soft, add the sesame seeds and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Add 3 cups/720 ml water, the rice, and salt. Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover. Check after 35 minutes. When all the water has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, to finish steaming the rice, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. In a small cup, stir together the tahini and lemon juice, then fold them into the rice. Serve the rice hot with a ladleful of stew on top.

To refresh the stew the next day, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the stew before serving.

Image by alemdag, Flickr

Sweet Potato, Corn and Black Bean Hash

We're cooking with "black" ingredients today and tomorrow, to celebrate "Black Thursday" and "Black Friday" in a non-shopping, non-stressed out way.  This recipe is great for those nights that you come home tired and hungry. It's also good for brunch, lunch, and reheats just beautifully the next day.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Black Bean Hash
Adapted from Eating Well

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons veggie oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, or other hot pepper, seeded and minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin (to taste)
sprinkle of hot pepper flakes (to taste)
3/4 cup veggie stock
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 avocado
4 T sour cream
4 T salsa


INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet, or frying pan, over medium-high heat.
2.  Add onions and sauté until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
3.  While onions are sautéing, microwave the diced sweet potato for 4 minutes, to give it a head start.
4.  Add sweet potato and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes.
5.  Stir in garlic, jalapeño, cumin and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6.  Add stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.
7.  Stir in corn and black beans and cook until heated through.
8.  Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
9.  Serve with lime wedges, slices of avocado, sour cream and salsa.
10. Gobble up!

Image by D. Sharon Pruit, Flickr