Homemade Bagels

I only make bagels about once a year and I'm not really sure why I don't make them more often. I guess it could be the added step of boiling. It is a shame because making your own bagels is fun and when using my stand-by 'Shawn Dough' recipe easy too.

Homemade Bagels
make 4 large or 6 med sized bagels
3 cups of flour (1 cup can be whole wheat)
1 beaten egg + water to make a cup
1 tsp yeast
1/8 tsp salt

Into to bread machine on the dough setting. When using whole wheat sometime you will need to add a bit more water (1 tsp- 1 Tbs) just take look and add more if its dry.
Or
Make the dough by hand, mix, kneed and rise.
(If you don't know how to than maybe start off with my Step-by-Step Pizza Dough)

4 Steps to Shaping the Bagels
After the dough has doubled in size it is time to shape.
1. Roll the dough into 4 or 6 equal balls. Let rest for 10 min.
2. Using the back of a wooden spoon or your thumb made a whole in the center of each ball.
3. Spin the balls around your fingers to make the whole bigger.
4. Flatten the balls with the back of your hand, so they look like bagels.
*Note you may need to repeat step 3 and 4 a few times to get the right size.

Give the bagels a bath in boiling salted water. I do 1 min on each side.
Some people add baking soda or other crazy things to the water to get "New York Bagels".

Drain the bagels on a cookie sheet and top while still wet.
I made onion, poppyseed and sunflower wasabi.

Once the bagels are dry, bake in a preheated oven (400f) on a cookie sheet for 30 min or until the bagels are brown.

Broccoli Salad- Made with Yogurt and Dates

Broccoli Salad can be found at just about any North American BBQ or potluck. The classic recipe being a mix of broccoli, raisins, red onion, mayo, sunflower seeds and bacos. While my mom never used bacos or bacon she stayed close to the classic recipe. I love yogurt and it is no surpise that I'm using the plain stuff in place of mayo. Saeid doesn't like raisins so I'm using dates, but so many other dried or fresh fruits work well in this recipe. Try using some pomegranates in the fall it works like a treat!
Broccoli Salad- Made with Yogurt and Dates
Makes about 4 cups
1 head of broccoli, washed and chopped (use the stem too)
1/4 of a red onion chopped
1 cup of dates chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cummin
salt, pepper, hot pepper

Mix the plain yogurt with the lemon juice and spices. Add the vegs, dates and half of the sunflower seeds and mix well. Top the remaining seeds.
This salad gets better with age. Fell free to add anything you like to it but try the plain yogurt.

Buckwheat Crepes with Shawn's Applesauce

I like to eat whole buckwheat raw or even sprouted. Unlike wheat or rice it is soft and easy to eat uncooked. But this morning I felt like having crepes so I popped some buckwheat into my food processor to make flour.
Crepes are so easy to make. There are tons of recipes out but 1 egg, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour always works for me.

Buckwheat Crepes with Shawn's Applesauce
Severs 2 (6 crepes)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 Tbs oil
4 small apples
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 Tbs plain yogurt (optional)

Buckwheat Crepes
Mix the egg and milk together. Add the buckwheat flour and stir well. In a non-stick pan on med heat add 1 tsp of oil and pour 1/6 of the batter. Tilt the pan to spread the batter. Flip when the bubbles have popped and the crepe is pulling away from the pan. Cook for 20-30 sec before removing. Repeat with the rest of that batter.

Shawn's Applesauce
Peal and chop the apples and put in a small pot. Cover with water. Add the cinnamon and cloves and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 min until most of the water is gone and the apples are falling apart. Remove the spices and mash.

Fill the Crepes with the applesauce and top with plain yogurt.

Adas Polow (Rice and Lentils): The Long Recipe

In my last post I gave my Cheater's Recipe for Adas Polow, which is great for busy days but the long recipe taste worlds nicer.
Saeid likes large brown lentils and I like small black/blue French lentils so I used both. Feel free to use any kind/mix of lentils you want. Note split red lentils work really well in the Cheater's Recipe because they cook so fast, but they cook too fast for the long recipe.
Adas Polow (Rice and Lentils): The Long Recipe
Serves 4
2 cups of basmati or long-grain rice
1 cup of lentils
1 Tbs + 1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of oil

1. Wash the rice, cover with water and add 1 Tbs of salt. Soak for 3 hours or more.

2. Wash the lentils and cover with 1 cup of water. Add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for about 20 min or until the water is gone.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the soaked rice (without the soaking water). (Cooking time of the rice changes with the amont of time the rice has soaked. The longer the soaking the shorter the cooking.) Stir the rice and water and let the water come back to a boil. When the each grain starts to dance in the boiling water its done. Or taste a few grains to see when its soft but still has some bite to it. Drain the rice. Note the cooking time should not be more the 3 min, mine is done around 1 min.

4. Add the oil to a rice maker or pot. Layer the rice and lentils. Place 1/3 of the cooked rice to the pot and add 1/2 of the lentils on top the rice. The finnal layer will be rice. Cover the lid with a clean cloth and steam the rice for 30 mim. If using a rice maker just use the normal rice setting. If using a pot use the lowest heat on the stovetop.
Saeid likes to top his Adas Polow with salty Irish butter. I'm all about Greek yogurt and raw spinach. Anyway you like it the fuffy rice and rice lentils make a lovely meal.

Adas Polow (Rice and Lentils): The Cheater's Recipe

Adas Polow or Rice and Lentils is the best comfort food in the world. I love making this dish so much that I will be posting the long way in my next post. But this if for cheaters!!!!

Adas Polow : The Cheater's Recipe
serves 4
2 cups of basmati or long gain rice
1 cup of lentil (I like the small French and Saeid likes the large green)
3 cups and 1 Tbs of water
1 tsp of oil
1/2 tsp of salt

Wash the rice and lentil. Place into a rice maker or pot with the water, oil and salt. If using a rice maker turn it on and let it cook. If using a pot bring the water to a boil over a high heat, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 25min or until the rice and lentils are soft.

My whole family loves this dish (even my little brothers). I love it on its own but its also great toped with fried onions and Greek yogurt.

Farm Eggs = a Leek and Cheddar Souffle

Last weekend in Wicklow we stopped at a farm to buy eggs. As we pulled into the drive we had to dodge the truly free range fowl.
The price for fresh eggs? Well your not in Kansas anymore. 6e for 12 (boxes of 10, with the extra to hold in your hands).
Duck Egg, Leek and Irish Cheddar Souffle* Not a recipe from a souffle expert.
Serves 4
1 tsp oil
3 chopped and cleaned leeks
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 1/4 cup of warm milk
3/4 cup grated Irish Cheddar cheese
1 tsp thyme
salt, pepper, hot chili pepper
3 duck egg yolks
4 duck egg whites

1. Heat oven to 350f or 180c.

2. Over a med heat cook the leeks in the oil until soft.

3. Make a white sauce with the butter, flour and milk. (Melt the butter in a pan over med heat, add the flour and stir. Cook for about 30 sec and then add the warm milk. Mix Mix Mix until there are no lumps.) Add the cheese, herbs and spices. Let cool a bit and then add in the yolks.

4. Beat the egg whites. (Fresh eggs whites take longer so maybe ask you husband to do this part!!!)
5. Fold everything together and put into little pots or anything you have ( I used a big pie pan).

6. Into the oven and hope for the best. Cook 30-50 (mine was 40 min, i had to put a foil on the top to stop it from burning while I wait for the middle to be cooked)

It was like eating a cloud of fat!

Greek Salad

A friend of ours likes Greek Salad and asked me to post a recipe. In the summer that would be a really easy task, but the fresh veg is starting to look very sad here. Where are you spring?
Greek Salad
serves 2
Ingredients
1/4 cup of cubed feta
1/4 cup olives (chopped or not but pitted)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped and seeded cucumbers
1/4 of a small red onion finely sliced
1 tsp chopped parsley

Optional Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
a few pickled hot peppers(peperoncini)
4 marinated artichoke hearts
1/8 tsp red hot chili flakes
1/4-1/2 cup fresh herbs
1 tsp capers
1/4 cup chopped radishes
1 smalled chopped beets
3 or 4 anchovies or sardines
1 or 2 cups salad greens

Dressing
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon
1/4 tsp of dried oregano
1/4 tsp of black pepper
salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy right away or let marinate and eat later. Don't worry if you don't have all the ingredients, few free to mix and match.

We enjoyed our Greek Salad on top of a green salad with homemade bread.

Celeriac Salad (Celeriac Remoulade), hold the Mayo

We went to SuperValu the other night and got the best deals. This Irish Celeriac was only .50! I know you can make celeriac mash, but I like it RAW!

Celeriac Salad (Celeriac Remoulade), but hold the Mayo*
serves 1 or 2 salad lovers and 4 haters
2 cups of grated celeriac
1 small grated green apple
1/4 cups of plain yogurt
1/2 of the juice of a lemon
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
salt, pepper and hot chili pepper

Mix and enjoy right away or up to an hour later.
* I also held the mustered because Saeid hates it, but feel free to add 1 tsp if you like.
If you can find a Celeriac go and make this salad. I'm going to go make it for the 3rd time this week!

Homemade Muesli

Muesli is the unmarried older sister of granola. With way less sugar muesli is a health way to start the New Year.
Makes 4 cups
2 cups oats/rye/bran flakes
1 cup dried fruit
1/3 cup seeds and nuts
1/3 cup dried coconut
2 Tbs wheat germ
orange zest, spices
Mix up and keep in a air tight container. Soak the muesli overnight in milk or yogurt. Add fresh fruit grated fruit(like apple or pear) or some nice jam.

We had ours with sour cherries!

Greek Coffee

"What is Greek Coffee?" "Its like Turkish Coffee but we call him Greek!"

I learned how to make Greek coffee on New Years Day, so I guess if i do nothing else this year I have still accomplished alot.
You need a 'bricky' pot to make the coffee in and a gas burner.
Greek coffee
sugar
Fill the bricky 3/4 full of water.
Put on a med gas and add 4 tsp of coffee.
Then add sugar to taste, if you like it sweet 1 tsp coffee to sugar.
Give the coffee a little stir. When the coffee starts to boil over its ready.

I really want a bricky so I can start making it myself.

Gnocchi Minestrone Soup

My mom can make homemade minestrone soup in under 15min with no recipe (and no food!!!). This soup I made took a bit longer, but the taste was right.

Gnocchi Minestrone Soup
Serves 4
1 tsp oil
4 cups stock or broth (veggie or meat)
1 large carrot cut chopped
1/2 cup butternut squash chopped
1 onion
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 chopped cabbage
20 gnocchi
1 tsp tomato paste
Salt and Pepper
Herbs and parmesan

Lightly fry the carrots, butternut squash, onion and garlic on a medium heat. Add the stock or broth and mix in the tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Add the cabbage and gnocchi. When the gnocchi floats to the top the soup is ready. Check for salt and pepper and top with fresh herbs and or parmesan.

Homemade Orecchiette

When I posted that I used store bought Orecchiette my mom commented with the recipe for homemade ones.
"To make orecchiette, take equal amounts flour and semolina. If I remember maybe 2 cups each. Put in middle of table (or large bowl if you like), but with my nonna, we made a mound on the table, and made a volcano in the middle. Sprinkle some salt over all, add about 1 cup water into the volcano, and work it in with a fork. It may not all work in, but you will get a dough. Knead the dough. Divide into several chunks, roll into snakes about as fat as your thumb. Then cut into pieces about 1/2" thick. Put that cut piece in your left palm. Now stick your right thumb tip into it, and form over your thumb tip. Pinch the sides alittle, and put on a clean towel to dry.Use the leftover flour/semolina mixture on your hands and cutting surfaces to keep dough from sticking."
I started to make the pasta before I remembered that I didn't have any semolina. I went ahead anyway. I had to add more flour for rolling. But came out really well. Really simply, but not fast.
I cook the Orecchiette in salted boiling water until they floated (about 2 min). Then mixed them a sauce of fresh tomatoes, capers, olives, and topped with parmesan. Came out a bit on the chewy side, next time I'll use the semolina.

Beet, Clementine, Feta and Spinach Salad

Beets used to be a important crop in Ireland. Until a few years ago they made sugar out of them. Now the factories are closed and all the sugar is imported. Its very sad. Those kg's of sugar (found in someone's tea) used to be local and Irish. Thankfully we can still get the beets, and boy are they sweet!

Beet, Clementine, Feta and Spinach Salad
Severs 4 (if you like salad and I do!)

Into a bowl:

3 cups Spinach washed
3 small beets chopped (roasted and pealed, or pickeled)
3 Clementines pealed and seperated
1 tsp of feta
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 vinegar or lemon juice
few drops of balsamic vinegar syrup
Salt
Pepper

Mix and enjoy before the beets turn the feta pink!

Gnocchi in Easy Tomato Sauce

No I didn't turn leftover mash into gnocchi, but feel free to try. I wanted to a clean simple sauce to go with them. A few weeks ago one of our house mates made mussels in tomato sauce I expected it to be gross but the sauce was so good. So I recreated it, but without the mussels.

Easy Tomato Sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 tsp oil
1 onion chopped fine
1/2 shallot chopped fine (could leave out or add use a whole one)
5 cloves of smoked garlic chopped fine
1 jar/can tomato puree
1 tsp mix herbs
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and Pepper

Cook the onions, shallot and garlic in the oil on med for 3 min. The onions are still going to be a bit raw but add the tomato puree. Rinse the jar or can with water and add the water to the pan. Mix in the herbs and spices. Bring to a low boil and then lower the heat and cook for 20 min. Check for salt and pepper.

We topped ours with parmesan (which was great) but now I'm thinking capers, or black olives would look really nice too.

Very Lazy NYT No-Knead Bread

New York Times No-Knead Bread that tasty craze. I haven't made it in years, but I wanted to see if I could make it in my bread machine. I mixed it up the night before and baked it in the morning. The dough overflowed and the whole house smelled like burning bread for a week. My bread machine has two 1 pound pans which is too small for the original NYT recipe. So I set to work making an smaller one.

I know what you are thinking "Its no-knead you don't need to use your bread machine!" I do, I'm lazy and its cold in Ireland. The bread machine mixes everything and then keeps it warm.
1 cup of water
2 1/2 cups of flour ( I use 1/2 of whole wheat)
pinch of salt
dash of yeast
Turns out the using the bread machine cuts down the raising time by 12 hours. In fact if I left to to rise longer the dough would overflow again. I haven't baked it in the bread machine, but I did find a lazier way of molding the dough. When the dough is ready turn the oven on its hottest heat. Flour some parchment paper(use tons like 1/2 cup or more) and drop the dough on it. The dough will look normal from the top, but inside the pan it will be a wet cobweb mess. Once all the dough is out use the parchment paper to shape the dough. The dough will be covered in flour. The extra flour on the parchment paper will burn, so dump it or get a new paper. Oil the paper and cook the bread for about 30 min.
I like this bread even better than the original. You don't have to wait for it to cool all the way and the crust is hard but not so thick. I like it toasted with Kerry Gold Butter and Marmite!

Monkey Monkey Monkey Bread

This bread has 3x the monkey: banana bread, dried bananas and peanuts (Irish name monkey nuts).

The banana bread had to be thicker than a normal one so it could be rolled. I also wanted a yeast bread.
1 egg
2 mushed bananas
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 3/4 cup white flour
1/2 tsp yeast
Mix and kneed or into the bread machine on the dough setting.

Roll balls of the dough in a mix of 1 cup sugar and 2 Tbs cinnamon. Then roll in 1/2 cup chopped of peanuts and 10 chopped dried bananas (mine where not sweetened).
Put the balls into a bunt or loaf pan. Top a melted mix of 2 Tbs butter and 1/4 brown sugar.

Bake for 30 min at 170c. Could even pop back into the bread maker on bake (don't let it kneed). I liked the bread it was sticky and messy just like it should be. Would go really well with monkey blood (ice coffee).

Polow with Korean Wild Rice

Anyone who has used a Korean wild rice, in a mix or added to rice knows that it turns the pot of rice purple. When I was in Korean the 'healthy rice' a mix of beans, brown rice and wild rice was always purple. I wanted to use the wild rice, but I did not want purple polow.

Soak 2 cups basmati rice in salt water for 2 hours+.
Boil 1/4 cup wild rice, changing the water until all the purple is out.
Drain the soaked rice and add the to boiling wild rice. Cook until the rice starts to soften.
Drain, add the a rice maker or pot with 1 tsp oil in it. Steam for 20 min. I put slices of potato on the bottom of the pot before the rice and we enjoyed our non-purple rice with aab-goosht badenjan a split pea eggplant stew.

Pomegranate Salad

I love fall! Figs, dates and pomegranates. It used to take me forever to peel pomegranates, but then I learned the Iranian way.
Cut a thin strip off the top and bottom. Should be able to see a tinny bit of fruit. Score around the fruit making four parts. Pull apart over a bowl. Then pop out the rest the seeds.

Done in record time. For pomegranate salad add salt and eat with a spoon.