Sourdough bread

 

1040 grams white bread flour(Lehi roller mills Turkey flour works great.) 8 cups

24 grams sea salt (4 tsp)

190 grams sourdough starter (1/3 cup). If you want a more sour taste use an unfed starter, 4-6 days after feeding if refrigerated. 

770 grams warm water

Evening: Mix sourdough starter into the warm water. Add flour and salt and mix until there is no powder left in bowl. dough will be sticky and shaggy. Cover and leave on counter top until morning. 

Do two to three stretch and folds 30 minutes apart. 

Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. Prepare a bowl or banneton by lining it with a linen cloth/dish cloth (do not use terry cloth) that has been dusted with flour. Divide dough into two or three parts. Form the dough into a ball using the normal method where you cup and pull the the sides to create tension in the top of the loaf. (search on youtube how to shape into a boule (round loaf) or battard (long loaf shape). Carefully place seam side up in a bowl, banneton or what ever you want to use. Place bowls/bannetons with dough in fridge for 1 hour uncovered. You can leave them up to three hours but if you leave longer than an hour cover them loosely with a plastic grocery bag. After putting dough in fridge, heat oven to 450 or as hot as your oven will go. If you have convection option, use it. If you are planning to use a dutch oven, put it in the oven to heat up. If you are using a griddle, thick cookie sheet or baking stone, put it in the oven also. If you are using the open method (no dutch oven) place a high heat safe pan or container in the bottom of the oven with hot water in it. If you want thick crisp crust make sure you can remove the water partly through baking without splashing hot water on yourself. Allow oven and pans/water to heat until dough has proofed for 1 hour. Cut parchment as needed to place dough onto/into cooking container.

Carefully flip dough onto parchment. Make a quick deep slice into the dough to allow it to spring in the hot oven. Again, you tube has all kinds of videos on how to do this if you are unsure. Quickly and carefully place dough into cooking container and put lid on if dutch oven. Bake for 22 minutes at 450. Remove lid to dutch oven. If you want a really crisp crust on your bread, you can remove the water from the bottom. Lower temperature to 425 and bake another 20 minutes or until internal temp is 204 - 208.

Allow to cool for a full hour to allow the center to finish cooking and to retain moisture. Enjoy.

Healthy Almond Oat Biscotti Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment and set aside. 

 Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:

2 3/4 cups Almond flour

1 1/2 cups Oat flour (blend rolled oats in a blender to make flour)

1/2 cup tapioca flour or starch

1/3 cup freshly ground flax seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Combine wet ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp Almond extract. 

Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Form into four logs and space equally on one of the cookie sheets. They will expand into one another but that's to be expected. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown. allow to set for 10 minutes and then slice into 1/2 inch slices. If you want the biscotti more crunchy put them back into the oven for 5 more minutes. If the outside rows are already firm I remove those and put the middle back in. Allow the oven to cool for 10 minutes or so. While the oven is cooling, spread an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips on the second parchment lined baking sheet and place in the warm oven. Watch carefully until all the chocolate chips are shiny and then remove from the oven. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the parchment. Using a wide spatula lift rows of the cooled biscotti and set it carefully into the melted chocolate. Put the whole sheet pan in the fridge until the chocolate is completely set. Remove the parchment with the cooled chocolate cookies from the sheet pan and carefully break individual cookies. Store in the refrigerator, can be frozen. Makes about 40 depending on how big you make them. 

White Bean Hummus

 

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

• 2 (15.8-ounce) cans white beans, such as Great Northern, cannellini beans, or navy beans, rinsed and drained

       2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice or 2 TBS water and 1 tsp True Lemon

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
  1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  

• 1/2 tablespoon sea or kosher salt

        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oil and garlic in a small frying pan until garlic is fragrant and cooked. Allow to cool. 

Add all other ingredients to a food processor and run on high until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Slowly drizzle garlic and olive oil into running food processor scraping garlic out of the pan as needed. Mix well. You can enjoy it right away but flavors will improve as it chills. 

Base Recipe for No Knead Bread

 No Knead Bread

• Here is the base recipe that I use to make Cranberry Walnut AND Herb bread.
• A key to making consistently good bread is to use a scale to measure your flour. Amazon has some good ones that are relatively inexpensive. Measuring also works well but make sure the flour is fluffed up, spooned in and leveled. 
• The bread takes 8-12 hours to make but your active time is only about 30 min. 
• Many people like to use a dutch oven but I like the flexibility of using a thick heavy sheet pan with another pan filled with water on a lower rack. I almost always double the recipe and make four smaller loaves. 

Base Ingredients

• 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (I find the flavor lacking using regular table salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon Yeast 
• 1 Tablespoon  honey
• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F (35°C)

• For Cranberry Walnut bread add:
• 3/4 cup (95g) chopped nuts (I like walnuts or pecans)
• 3/4 cup (105g) dried cranberries*
• 1 more TBS honey

• For Garlic Herb bread add:
• If you live in a humid climate you may need to add up to 3/4 cup additional flour. Once you mix the dough together,  if it won't hold it's shape at all, add more flour a 1/4 cup at a time and stir in until it will hold it's shape but is still sticky. In other recipes the dried cranberries and/or oats seem to be able to absorb the additional liquid. 
• 1TBS minced garlic
• 1-2 TBS (or less). Italian Herbs OR Basil OR Rosemary or herb of your choice. Some brands are stronger and some herbs (like oregano) can make your bread bitter. 2 TBS of a generic brand of Italian Herbs gives a subtle flavor. 
• 
  
• For Seeded Oat bread add:
• 1 Cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 TBS flax seeds
• 2 TBS sesame seeds
• 1 more TBS honey

Instructions

1. *No need to grease the bowl, and do not use a mixer in this step because the dough is too sticky for a mixer.* Stir the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl, and then stir in the warm water. The dough will be pretty sticky– don’t be tempted to add more flour– you want a sticky dough. But is should be dough like, not pourable (see note on herb bread variation). Make sure the flour is completely mixed but do not over mix. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!) and allow to rise for 8 -18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and be covered in air bubbles.
2. When you're ready to bake it, put a piece of parchment on a cutting board or portable surface similar to the size of your heavy duty baking pan and sprinkle it with flour or cornmeal. Place your thick pan on the top rack of the oven. Put another pan on the bottom rack and fill with water. Turn the oven to 400-450 (depending on your oven) to allow it to get steamy. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour and take out all or a portion of dough and quickly turn under the sides to create a ball. Set the dough on the floured parchment. 
3. Using a very sharp knife, gently score the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 45 minutes.




4. Carefully open the oven door - move your face away to avoid the steam that will be released. Holding the surface you have the bread resting on quickly slide the parchment and dough onto the hot baking pan and quickly close the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the loaf(s). For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C). 
   
5. Remove the baking sheet with the loaves and place loaves on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool (and finish cooking) before slicing. 

Quick Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

This is from the New York Times. I didn't have the recipe when I bought my tomatillos and only had regular bell peppers on hand. I was planning to spice it up with pepper flakes or cayenne pepper but didn't have those either. I eventually added about a TBS of Trader Joes Chimichurri sauce and it was amazing!

Vegan Lasagna

This takes a little work the first time but some items make more than you will need and can be easily frozen to make putting together this recipe easy in the future. I also have used
half of the  Basil ricotta cheese recipe, mixed with the spinach/onion/mushroom mixture to stuff large shells. Add some marinara and you have one more meal!

1/2 package lasagna noodles - I don't cook them beforehand but it does add 30 minutes to the cooking time.

Veggie Marinara Sauce 
This makes more than you will need but I like to have some in the freezer for day's when I want a quick meal. From the freezer I like to leave it chunky and serve it on spaghetti. If you have family members who don't appreciate being able to see the texture and chunks of veggies you can take a hand blender to it and it will make a smooth rich sauce. The carrots may seem like a strange addition but they sweeten the sauce. I like this sauce best when I start it on the stove and then put a lid on it and let it simmer in the oven at 300-325 until we are ready to eat. Also, these are the veggies I usually use but definitely use what you have on hand and play with the proportions to find a mixture you like.

To a large sauce pan add:

1 TBS olive oil ( basil infused is wonderful)
1 large sweet onion
2 bell peppers (I prefer red or yellow)
8-10 mushrooms chopped (I like the baby bella's from Costco)
2 chopped zucchini or yellow squash or combination
2-3 large carrots
28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- with the tomatoes use what you like - I like the chunks
1 TBS dried Basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 TBS salt
sugar as needed to tone down acidity


Basil ricotta "cheese":
1 cup raw cashews - put in a food processor and process until ground into small pieces to give texture
Add:
1 block (16 oz) of firm or extra firm tofu drained and patted dry, broken into pieces
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp salt
3 TBS lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp salt - can add less
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup packed fresh basil - stems removed

Process until well mixed and desired consistency is achieved. You may need to add water. I usually only use have of this recipe as it is quite rich and flavorful. The other half fits in a ziplock and freezes beautifully. Or you can eat it as a dip with veggies - if you don't mention that it has tofu, no one will know.

Spinach layer
In a large frying pan cook
1/2 large sweet onion chopped
8 mushrooms chopped
2 lbs fresh spinach
Cook onion and mushrooms till onion is transparent, add as much spinach as you can, put a lid on and allow it to wilt. Stir and add more spinach until it is all wilted. Season with salt and Lemon juice. Allow to cool and drain before adding to lasagna.

Put some of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12 pan. place noodles in the bottom. Layer 1/4 of ricotta cheese, then cover with spinach layer, ladel with sauce. Noodles, cheese, spinach, sauce. Noodles, more sauce and you can try some vegan cheese. It's more for looks than anything.
Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.

Homemade Unsweetened Almond Milk (Calcium enriched)

Makes 2 quarts

1 1/2 cups raw almonds
2 large dates or three small ones (this does not make the milk sweet in any way,  just balances the flavor.

Soak overnight on the counter in about 2 1/2 - 3 cups water OR 1 hour in hot water.

Add 8 (I actually use 20) Citrical to 3 cups filtered water in the bottom of a high powered blender and allow to sit for a few minutes while you get everything else ready.

Drain and rinse the almonds and dates, add to the Citrical and water in the blender.

Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt or twist a salt grinder six times

If you want the milk cold right away add 1 cup ice or add 1 more cup water.

Blend 3 times at level 6 for 40 seconds, burping the lid between if your lid seals. This will keep it from overflowing. OR high for 90 seconds. Watch closely the first few times to get a feel for you blender as some will overflow.

Pour the slurry into a nut milk bag suspended in a 2 quart measuring cup. Fill the blender bowl with a cup of filtered water, put the lid on and shake to rinse the bowl and pour it into the milk bag. Squeeze the almond milk into the 2 qt. measuring cup until it's mostly dry. I add filtered water a cup or so at a time to the pulp left in the nut milk bag squeezing the liquid into 2 qt measuring cup until it's full. Pour the almond milk into storage container. Store in the refrigerator, shake before serving. It will last about 4 days although we always use it in two. 

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