Greek Yogurt Cornbread

This 20° weather as of late has really made me crave comfort food.  Hence, chili and cornbread.  This cornbread just tastes really great, and the addition of the Greek yogurt makes for a very moist, rich cornbread.  Perfect for sopping up every last flavorful bite of chili.

Five Minute Crusty White Bread

 I am not a baker.  I am a bad baker.  I mess up practically every baked good that involve more than adding water, oil, and eggs to a mix.  It's a sad fact I have come to accept.  This recipe, however, is virtually impossible to mess up.  It is fantastic.  And fast, and delicious.

Not only is it simple, but versatile too.  I make standard loafs, bread bowls, pizza crust, bread sticks, and so much more from this simple dough I keep in my fridge.

5 Cheese Pizza with Honey, Prosciutto, & Truffle Oil (Copy Cat Finch's Dordogne Pizza)

There are many things I love about Bloomington: the gorgeous landscape, the culture, the diverse (temperamental...) climate, the architecture, and most of all the food.  Bloomington boasts some absolutely delicious local restaurants; so knowing that my time here is waning, I've taken a greater interest in copying my favorite dishes.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no? 
One of my absolute favorite menu items in town is from Finch's Brasserie, a restaurant that 'features local and organic products from area farms and cheese artisans'.  They have a really great seasonal menu, but I pretty much can't resist ordering my favorite pizza every time.  It's called The Dordogne, named after a region in France.  Their version has four cheeses, truffle honey, and prosciutto.  While my recipe isn't exactly the same (Anyone know where to find truffle honey in Bloomington?), the flavor is all there.

Coconut Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Poor coconut caramel cinnamon rolls.  I made them all the way back in June, and just now remembered to blog them.  My forgetfulness, however, has absolutely nothing to do with the flavor of these babies, because they are absolutely delicious.  Not to mention they are vegan... which means healthy.... right?!

Coconut French Toast with Mango Sauce

Alas, I feel like I have been neglecting my dear little blog.  With moving, working full-time again, and being separated from my kitchen, I just haven't cooked as much as usual.  When I do cook, it is to quell my hunger, and half of whatever I made is usually gone before the thought to photograph it crosses my mind.  Not to mention, while I do make a killer sandwich... sandwiches aren't particularly bloggable.  (Yes, bloggable is an adjective, thank you) And I have been eating a lot of sandwiches lately...  As a result, I simply haven't had a lot to blog.  Then, last week I threw this recipe together for breakfast when my dear sir was in town.  It was tasty and easy, finally bloggable. Using coconut milk makes the french toast rich and delicious, while adding a naturally satisfying sweetness.  And let's face it, fruit sauce makes anything better.  Plus, the coconut milk added to the sauce reduces down to to be divinely creamy.  I would eat the sauce alone with a spoon and be satisfied, but french toast tastes much better than a spoon :)

Soft Pretzels

I have a problem.  When I get stressed about things... say final exams... I don't alleviate that stress by studying.  I alleviate it in the kitchen.  It's not even the eating I find comforting, but the cooking itself.  Back in high school I would mass-produce muffins and cupcakes during finals, and bring a giant basket handing them out to everyone I knew (and didn't know...) Seriously, I mean at least it's a productive method of coping, but in 7 hours when I am taking an exam over accounting data systems it probably won't feel quite as productive.  Really, though I think knowing how to make a killer soft pretzel will be far more useful in life than knowing anything about accounting data systems... psh what's an accounting data system anyways.

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches

 Just like style, there are food trends.  And Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches are hip right now.  I wish I could pull the "yeah I've known about these forever, they're nothing new because I'm so knowledgeable of all things cultural and culinary..." card, but I can't.  I can, however, claim that Vietnamese food has been my favorite for a long while now, and I am super stoked that it is finally receiving the media it deserves.  Banh Mi are an approachable medium for Vietnamese food to take- I mean who doesn't love a sandwich?  I also appreciate that there are so many varieties to choose from, and no real wrong way to go about creating your own banh mi.  That being said, some ways just taste better, like this way :)

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

 Simple dinner rolls; wonderful with butter and jam, or to go alongside a hearty bowl of soup.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 2 Tbs butter, melted
• 3 Tbs sugar, honey, or agave
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (~110°F)
• 1 Tbs water
• 1 egg white

1. Add the flour, dry milk, butter, sugar, yeast, and water in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.  {which usually means: 1) liquids 2) dry ingredients 3) yeast} Select the dough cycle, and start.
2. Remove the dough from the bread machine pan, and on a floured surface knead the dough a bit and divide into 12 pieces.  Form into rounds, place on a greased cookie sheet and allow to rise covered by a moist cloth for approximately 40 minutes, or until volume has nearly doubled.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F.  In a small bowl mix the 2 Tbs water and egg white, beating thoroughly.  Brush onto rolls, and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown in the preheated oven.

Notes:

• 3 cups all purpose flour can be subbed for whole wheat + cake flour combo.
• These puppies can be mass produced and frozen- once you have them formed into rolls place them in the freezer on a cookie sheet.  Once fully frozen, put them in a freezer storage bag or tupperware.  When needed, pop them in the about 1 minute (depending on the quantity of rolls) and then allow to rise 40 minutes, brush on egg wash, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Yields 12 rolls

30 Minute Italian Bread Sticks

 These speedy bread sticks make a delicious accompaniment to any Italian dish, or a tasty appetizer dipped in marinara sauce.  I love that they don't take any time to rise!

• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tbs raw agave syrup (can be subbed with white sugar)
• 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ~1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the following order: 
   
   
   

   • Liquids: water, oil, agave
   • Dry ingredients: flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, milk powder, salt
   • Yeast

1. Select Dough cycle; press Start. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When dough cycle is complete, remove dough to a lightly oiled surface. Divide dough up into 18 pieces. Roll each piece on an oiled board, from center of piece to the outside edges to form bread sticks. Place bread sticks at least 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. 

Notes:

• Feel free to mix up the seasonings- ie. omit the Italian and toss in some crushed black pepper to pair with chili

Yields 18 bread sticks

Vegan Naan Bread

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour, plus a few tbsp for workspace 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

 

1. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Add salt and flour. Mix thoroughly. Knead dough on a floured workspace about 20 times and form into a tight ball. Put dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel.
3. Put in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes. Dough won't rise much, but it doesn't need to.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured workspace. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1/8" thick.
5. Grill naan pieces on a grill or electric griddle. In a pinch, a frying pan sprayed with some nonstick cooking spray will work.  A George Foreman grill also works, no need to even flip. Grill for 1-2 minutes on each side. 

Notes:

• Sub in any type of flour, I used half wheat and the result was great!

Yields 8 pieces

Quick Mini Biscuits

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 2 Tbs butter
• ~1/2 tsp your choice of seasoning: cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, fennel, rosemary, etc 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease the cups of two mini muffin tins.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, and butter.  Stir in seasoning. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely puffed and browned.

Notes:

• I use wheat flour, but good ol' all purpose flour will definitely do the job.
• I have found that I can bake them at 400F for 7-9 minutes and they turn out fine too if you're in a hurry- just keep an eye on them.
• In place of butter you can use mayonnaise for a kick (I despise mayonnaise though...).
• If you have self-rising flour, just use a cup of that and omit the baking powder and soda.

Yields 16 mini biscuits

Procrastinator's Pizza Crust

This is a great recipe because it needs no time to rise and is still absolutely tasty!

• 3 cups flour
• 1 (.25 oz) package instant yeast, or 2.25 tsp
• 2 Tbs vegetable or olive oil
• i tsp salt
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• Corn meal (optional)
  

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Add the water and vegetable oil, and mix well, I find my hands work the best.
3. Roll out and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Top as desired and bake 18-20 minutes at 375°

Notes:

• To health it up you can use 1.5 cups wheat flour to 1.5 cups all purpose
• Optional add-ins that are delicious include: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, rosemary, etc. Be creative!

Yields enough dough for approximately an 11x15 rectangular pizza with medium thickness crust.

Delectable Cheese Scones

• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut up
• 1 c. (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lg. egg
• 1/2 c. milk

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
   

2. Put flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, dry mustard, and salt into a large bowl; mix well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers or a fork, until the mixture looks like fine granules.
   

3. Add cheeses and toss to mix.

4. Break egg into milk and beat with a fork to blend well. Pour this over flour mixture and stir with a fork until a dough forms.

5. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop dough into a greased mini muffin tin, or onto a greased cookie sheet.
   

6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until medium brown. Cool, loosely wrapped in a dish towel, on a wire rack.

Notes:

• Instead of the cream of tartar and baking soda, you can use 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder.