Mark Twain once said, “Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education!”
In recent years, cauliflower has gained popularity. Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill in New York tested a new dish with this simple vegetable. He cut it in thick slabs and roasted it to a deep brown. The result . . . a delicious vegetable steak was born! For another delicious and fabulous presentation, roast white, golden, and purple cauliflowers together.
How nutritious:
One cup of cauliflower contains 80 units of vitamin A, 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 339 milligrams of potassium, and very high levels of folic acid, vitamin B.
How to buy:
According to Bert Green of Greene on Greens “A good rule of thumb for freshness is a faint cabbage scent.” Also, look for a head of tightly packed florets and is unblemished, free of dark spots.Small heads are sweeter than larger heads.
How to keep:
Store in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Cook it within three or four days.
How to prepare:
Rinse, detach the leaves, turn up side down, trim out the core, set it aside, and cut the florets into small, uniform pieces so that they will cook evenly.
How to roast:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a jelly roll pan with a piece of parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower pieces with excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil and coarse salt. Bake for about 15 minutes until tender. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the hot cauliflower. Serve at once!
Cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education!
Birdie, my grandmother was known for her bread-baking skills. In fact, friends and family still speak fondly of her dinner rolls. Bake and taste them once and you will know the reason.
Easy to make dinner rolls, because they require only one rise before baking. They are delicious!
Ingredients
1.25-ounce pkg.Active dry east
1T.Sugar
1/4 CupLukewarm water (110 degrees)
2CupsButtermilk
1tsp.Salt
1/2tsp.Baking soda
2T.Honey
1/4CupShortening
2 1/2CupsAll-purpose flour
2 CupsWhole wheat flour
1/4CupMelted butter
Instructions
Proof yeast by emptying contents of package in warm water(110ºF). Add sugar, then set aside. to proof.
Heat buttermilk, salt, baking soda, honey and shortening until all ingredients mix together. Remove from heat, set aside and cool to 110ºF.
Add yeast mixture to buttermilk mixture and stir.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flours together and the yeast mixture until the mixture is smooth.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (I use a silicone baking mat.) Cut into small pieces and roll each piece with your hands into a small ball. Place each ball in a greased 9x13 pan. Allow a small amount of space between each ball.
Brush melted butter over the top of the dough, cover and set aside in a warm location for 1.5 hours to rise, until doubles in bulk.
Bake in preheated oven at 400ºF. for 15 to 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Rules: Water should not be hotter than 110 degrees. Check expiration date on yeast package.
Celebrating National French Bread Day by baking New Orleans French Bread!
We are so grateful that the French settlers brought their French bread with them to New Orleans.
If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer you are in luck. With a yeast, flour, salt, a touch of sugar and water + a little time, you can make some homemade New Orleans French Bread.
Basic steps:
Mix and knead the dough; cover with a clean dish towel and set aside in an oiled bowl for the first rise.
After 1 1/2 hours, the dough will double in volume.3. Roll out the dough in an 8″ X 13″ rectangle, roll up to form the loaves, place on a silicone baking mat(sprinkled with cornmeal), cover with a clean dish towel and set aside for 1 hour to rise. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
With a baker’s blade, make diagonal slits in the loaves and brush with egg wash.
Throughout Louisiana, loaves of French Bread are served with all meals. Delicious with butter or to scoop up every last bite of gumbo, red beans and rice, or gravy.
Ingredients
2packagesactive dry yeast
1T.sugar
1T. salt
2cups warm water (about 110ºF.)
5 - 5 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
4T.cornmeal
egg wash: one egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and water. Whisk with a fork until the yeast is dissolved.
Gradually add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. With the dough hook, knead for about 3 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Turn the dough to oil all sides. Cover with a clean dish towel; put in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
Invert the dough onto a lightly floured silicone baking mat. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into a 8" X 13" rectangle. Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal, and shape ends.
Sprinkle a jelly roll pan lined with a silicone baking mat with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the prepared silicone baking mat, about 3" apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. This will take about 30 minutes so begin while the french loaves are rising.
With a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over the loaves.
Place a cup of hot water in an ovenproof container on the baking sheet with the loaves. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. A properly baked loaf should register a temperature between 195º and 205º. Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.
Slice and serve. Enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, it is delicious toasted or made into French Toast.
A delicious bread - great for beginner bakers or experienced bakers. It's so easy to make that we enjoy focaccia with daily family meals!
Ingredients
1 1/4cupswater (110ºF.)
2 1/4 t.fresh yeast
1t. sugar
3 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
1t. salt
3T.extra-virgin olive oil
2T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1T.coarse salt
Topping: Brush with a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of fresh, chopped rosemary.
Serve with plenty of Balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil!
Instructions
Proof the yeast! In a 2-cup Pyrex® liquid measuring cup, stir the yeast with into the water and sugar; set aside for 5 to 10 minutes; until the mixture bubbles.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the flour, salt, olive oil, rosemary, and yeast mixture. Mix everything until it is thoroughly mixed. Leave it in a warm, draft-free place for one hour.
Preheat oven to 440ºF
Place the dough on a silicone baking mat, placed on a jelly roll pan. Flatten the dough out into an oval shape about 1" thick. Press your fingers into it to leave little holes everywhere. Drizzle with olive oil, chopped rosemary and salt and cover with a clean dish towel; set aside for 20 minutes.
Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.
Enjoy life eat chocolate! Chocolate Meringue Pie made with a creamy, chocolate filling and mile-high meringue will be enjoyed by friends and family!
Tips for easy pie baking:
It’s easier to fit baking into a busy schedule by baking the pie crust the day before you make and serve the pie.
Homemade or store-bought pie crust is good.
Before you begin, read through the recipe a couple of times.
Before you begin baking, measure all of the ingredients.
Before you begin baking, gather all of the kitchen equipment.
Tips for mile-high meringue:
Separate egg yolks and whites when they are cold.
Egg whites should be room temperature for the greatest volume.
Beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and salt; continue beating until soft peaks form; begin adding the sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
Spread the meringue to the edges of the pie crust, on all sides of the pie, otherwise it will shrink!
Six egg whites is the secret to mile-high meringue!
Here's a pie with a creamy, chocolate filling topped with mile-high meringue. Whip it up for your friends and family. The presentation is beautiful. And they will enjoy every last bite!
Ingredients
1baked pie crust
3/4cupsugar
1/2cupall-purpose flour
1/2t.salt
2.5cups2% or whole milk
3squaresunsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4egg yolks
4T.unsalted butter
1t.vanilla extract
Meringue: 6 room temperature egg whites, 1/2 t. cream of tartar, 1/4 t. salt and 3/4 cup sugar *See tips for mile-high meringue in the "Enjoy Life Eat Chocolate" post!
Instructions
Prepare pie crust; cool. This may done the day before.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a 2-quart saucepan set over low heat stir together the sugar, flour, and salt; stir in the milk.
Cook mixture stirring constantly. Add the chocolate; raise the heat to medium continue cooking until mixture boils and thickens (about 10 minutes).
In a small bowl, briefly whisk the egg yolks; add a small amount of the chocolate mixture, whisk together and return to the mixture to the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until very thick. At this point, do not boil!
Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.
Pour into baked pie crust. Top with meringue. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes in preheated oven until lightly browned. Watch carefully!
*Meringue pies are best served on the day they are made.
3. Roll out the dough in an 8″ X 13″ rectangle, roll up to form the loaves, place on a silicone baking mat(sprinkled with cornmeal), cover with a clean dish towel and set aside for 1 hour to rise. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
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