Whole Wheat Baguette

I’ve been really into whole grain bread making these days.

Whole Wheat Challah, Pizza Dough, now Baguettes!

Yes, bread making is exactly what you think. It is labor-intensive. You have to be patient because it takes so damn long. And yeah, your arms will definitely hurt from kneading the dough FOR-EV-ER (think of it as a workout).

But, I gotta tell you something. Having that pretty loaf come out of your oven, all hot and basically SCREAMING at you to eat it, is incredibly rewarding and makes the slow process totally worth it.

This recipe comes from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads. If you poke around the internet, you will quickly realize that Mr. Reinhart is the guru of this type of bread making. Baking with whole wheat flour can be difficult because the dough is tougher than white flour dough and it can be a little more finicky.  

But have no fear! Mr. Reinhart’s book has detailed pictures and descriptions to help show you what your dough should look like every step of the way. I highly recommend it! 

Now, there are some food bloggers out there that will tell you “No carbs! Let’s eat only vegetables. Raw! And be insanely healthy (and hungry!)” and others who insist, “Let’s totally eat jelly doughnuts for breakfast, pumpkin pie as a snack, and double chocolate brownie banana splits for dinner and be sooo happy with life”……

I am somewhere in the middle. No need for extreme views people. You only get to live once.

Just, please….try to have a little more self control than me and don’t eat half the baguette as soon as it comes out of the oven. That is, after you’ve already had dinner…

Oops.

If you have the patience (shocking, because I typically don’t…) and love of idea of a HOT, FRESH, CRUSTY-ON-THE-OUTSIDE-SOFT-AND-PERFECT-ON-THE-INSIDE baguette, I hope you take the time to make this. It goes well dipped in olive oil, paired with cheese, as sandwich bread, toasted, or simply on its own.

Whole Wheat Baguette

Notes: If you have a kitchen scale, I stress that you use it for this recipe. Also, plan a day ahead.

Ingredients

Soaker

1 3/4 cups (227 grams) whole wheat flour (I love King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) salt

3/4 cup water

Mix all of the soaker ingredients in a bowl for 1 minute until the flour is hydrated and the ingredients form a ball of dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours. The Soaker is good for up to 3 days, so if you are going to use it past 24 hours later, put it in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 2 hours before you plan on mixing the final dough.

Biga

1 ¾ cups (227 grams) whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast

3/4 cup (170 grams) filtered or spring water, at room temperature

Mix all of the Biga ingredients in a bowl to form a ball dough. Wet your hands and knead the dough in the bowl for 2 minutes to be sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should feel very tacky at this point. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes and then knead it again with wet hands for another minute. By now the dough should become smoother, but still tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours (Just like the Soaker, this can last in the fridge for up to 3 days). Remove the Biga from the fridge 2 hours before you plan on mixing the final dough.

Final Dough

All of the Soaker

All of the Biga

3 ½ (28.5 grams) whole wheat flour

5/8 teaspoon (5 grams) salt

2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast

3 ¼ teaspoons (20 grams) agave nectar or honey

1 ½ Tablespoons (20 grams) olive oil or melted unsalted butter

Additional whole wheat flour

Clean a work surface and spread a thin layer of flour over the surface. Using a rubber spatula or a metal pastry scraper, chop the Soaker and the Biga into 12 smaller pieces each.

Combine the Soaker and Biga pieces in a bowl with all of the other Final Dough ingredients (besides the extra flour) and knead intensely with wet hands for 2 minutes, until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed into the dough.  The dough should be soft and slightly sticky (if not, ad more flour or water as needed).

Add more flour to your work surface.  Knead the dough by hands for 4 minutes (you can add as much flour as you need to here) until the dough feels soft and tacky (but not sticky). For the dough into a ball and let it rest on the work surface for 5 minutes.

Clean a bowl and spread a thin layer of olive oil all over the inside of the bowl.  Knead the dough again for 1 minute and then shape the dough into a ball and place it inside the oiled bowl. Roll it all over so that it is coated in the oil.  Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough should become 1 ½ times its original size. 

Clean and flour your work surface again. Shape the dough into two baguettes, by rolling two even sized balls like a snake – be careful to not make the baguette too long and thin here. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the baguettes on the paper. Mist the tops with cooking spray. Let the baguettes rise at room temperature for an additional 45 minutes. They should become 1 ½ times their original size.

Place another empty baking sheet on the top rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

When the dough is ready to bake, place it in the oven on the middle rack. Place a kitchen towel on the oven’s glass window to protect it from any backsplash and very carefully pour ½ cup to 1 cup of hot water into the preheated baking sheet on the top rack. (This pan is going to be the steam pan). Lower the temperature to 450 degrees and bake the baguettes for 20 minutes. Rotate the bread 180 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes, until the bread is rich brown and sounds hollow when knocked on it. If you need to put the bread back in the oven to have keep baking, place aluminum foil on top to prevent it from burning.

Transfer the baguettes to a cooling rack and cool for a least one hour until serving (if you can wait that long…)

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Lamb and Sweet Potatoes

Big News!

A third roommate moved into our apartment this weekend. 

It was kind of last minute, but I think it was a great decision. 

He is really quiet, doesn’t take up a lot of space, and he really likes to just chill.

Meet Killian!

He is my new pal. I am fostering him for the holiday season until he finds a home. 

How did I end up with this cute little fluff ball on my couch, you ask?

I volunteer for an incredible organization in LA that helps rescue dogs from the streets and shelters and bring them into loving homes. There is no organization headquarters, so all dogs are fostered in homes of various volunteers until they become adopted. I had been thinking about fostering for awhile, but I wanted to wait until I was more settled in after my move. Well, I finally decided to take one of these cuties in for the holiday season. 

Killian is a poodle-terrier mix. He is playful, snuggly, loving and all around perfect.

I’m wondering if I’ll be able to give him back…

I’ve noticed that one of Killian’s favorite things to do is watch me in the kitchen.  This weekend there was a lot going on- my roommate’s birthday, a holiday party with friends, a potluck for work, etc. etc….and I cooked for each event. Needless to say, I was BUSY.

Killie (obvious nickname choice) just sits attentively and watches as onions are chopped, pots are stirred, and trays go in and out of the oven. He never gets in the way. I’m telling you…he’s PERFECT.

Killie was REALLY licking his chops on Sunday night when I made whole-wheat pasta with lamb and sweet potatoes. 

(Which is kind of funny because we think he looks like a little Lamb….don’t you think?)

This dish was delicious and unusual for me. I love lamb, but I usually only ever have it in chop or shank form. Buying ground lamb was a great alternative to ground beef or ground turkey. Your can find it at your local Whole Foods. 

The flavors are fabulous. This is a perfect, warm meal for a fall night — even a weeknight; it is more simple than you’d think!

Now excuse me, but I have a cute puppy I have to go spoil…

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Lamb and Sweet Potatoes

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4inch pieces

2.5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1lb ground lamb

2.5 cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes (from a 28oz can)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 12oz package whole-wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan 

Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1.5 Tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then lay the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet in single row. Roast in the oven until edges begin to brown, flipping with a spatula every so often, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and the onions. Saute until the lamb browns on all sides and the onion softens, about 8 minutes. Break up the larger chunks of lamb as you saute. Next, add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne, stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes. Season with pepper to taste.

Serve in large bowls with whole-wheat spaghetti on bottom, topped with the lamb and sweet potato mixture, and then a sprinkle of cilantro and parmesan. 

**Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Amazing Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am going to be totally honest with you here. I know I promised some Passover recipes, but that ain’t gunna happen. Why? Well, I made this delicious matzoh brei with apples and raisins to share with you, BUT the pictures came out terribly. In fact, if I posted them, you would probably stop reading…and I can’t afford to lose you now, can I? 

So instead, I give you these little gems. Whole Wheat Dark Choc. Chip cookie goodness.  (Passover has really got me craving these bad boys, but alas I will have to wait…) I have made these many times now, changing the ingredients slightly each time as I try to make them totally perfect.

Well guys and gals, I think I’ve nailed it, so it’s time I share:

The thing is, no one really craves a whole wheat cookie, and even if you offer one to someone, they’ll most likely stick their nose up at the thought of such a thing. SO, you gotta sneak that w.w. flour in there so that they’ll never know. 

This is the art of a perfect recipe my friends. You need your butter (the real stuff. please no skimping when it comes to cookies. It’s a cookie. It needs it’s butter. let it happen.) and some good quality dark chocolate.

Final touch is the sprinkling of a little course sea salt before they go in the oven. Everyone loves that salty-sweet combo. In fact, word on the street is that Trader Joe’s has SALTED dark chocolate covered almonds? Where have those been hiding? Gimme, gimme!

Take a bite. You won’t know it’s whole wheat. Give some to a friend. I did. I was pretty popular that day.

Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 30 2-inch cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup rolled oats, blended in a food processor or blender to a fine powder

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 bar good quality (60% cocoa or greater) dark chocolate, grated

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Course sea salt for sprinkling

Heat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (makes clean up a breeze!) 

In a large bowl beat together the brown sugar and the butter for about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg and the vanilla until well combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Slowly add the grated dark chocolate, and then the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is well incorporated.

Scoop into 1/8 cup sized balls and place on a baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on the top of each cookie. Bake for 8-9 minutes and then remove from oven. Let rest on the baking sheet for 3 minutes and then remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack.

Simple Things: Black Bean Dip and Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Hosting a Super Bowl party? Yes? No? Going to a Super Bowl party? Maybe? OK, are you at least planning to sit in front of your TV at all in the next week?

Great. I have the perfect snack for you to make. It will take you ten minutes. You definitely have ten minutes. And it’s healthy.

Oh gosh, did I lose you at healthy? Super Bowl? Healthy? Oxymoron? Probably. But just hear me out.

I remember my freshman year Emily, Irene, Michelle and I would get ready for any event in Michelle’s room.  

Michelle very generously always supplied us with chips, salsa, and black bean dip. (Thanks Michelle - don’t think we ever paid you back for that). It was our thing — we would polish off the bag of chips in no time. Oops. Ya, we don’t really do that anymore.

Well this recipe is a healthified version of our favorite snack and it is sooooo easy to make.

Start out by cutting your pita into triangle wedges like these.  (I found my whole wheat pita at Trader Joes).

Brush each triangle with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle some sea salt to taste…and into the oven they go. 6 minutes should do it. Any more and you’ll get burnt chips. Please don’t do that. No one will ever come back to your Super Bowl party.

We can make the black bean dip while the pita is in the oven. It’s really that fast. 

Just throw everything into the blender…

bada-bing! bada-boom! healthy snacking in ten minutes. Don’tcha wanna come to my Super Bowl party?

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Ingredients

Pita rounds cut into wedges

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not totally necessary, but it makes cleaning up so easy). Brush the pita wedges lightly with olive oil using a basting brush. Spread the wedges across the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until the edges are brown and crispy.  Mine took 6-7 minutes, but I would recommend checking yours around 5 minutes.  They burn quickly.

Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 can black beans

2 T. liquid from black beans

squeeze of lemon (or lime) juice

1/2 t. coriander

1/4 t. each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin

dash of cayenne (optional for added spice)

Strain the black beans, reserving 2 T. of Liquid. Rise the beans.

Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until well combined.  Adjust spices as desired. Serve with whole wheat pita chips or any cracked of choice.

** Recipe adapted from Pinch My Salt

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnuts

Done. With. Finals. 

Officially a second semester senior.

When did i get so old?

Last thing I remember is cooking Annie’s Mac ‘n Cheese and watching Full House reruns at my kitchen counter when I got home from school.

When did things get so fast-paced? When did we have to start making so many big life decisions? Can we slow down a little? Just a little bit. 

Let’s start with making an involved, long, perfect dinner.

Why? Because I am home now and I have time.

Home means wonderful people, relaxing, and delicious food. When I am home I am lucky enough to get to cook with my dad and bake with my mom (well, when she lets me help…) 

This weekend my dad and I made the most delicious pasta dinner together. My parents have been trying a lot of vegetarian dishes recently, which are not dishes that I usually choose. I am a chicken / meat / protein kinda girl and I usually find that vegetarian dishes leave me hungry.

Not this pasta!

Boy was it filling. The recipe claims it serves 6 - but I promise you it is for at least 8 - so prepare accordingly.

I always love cooking with my dad. He always seems to know exactly how to pair different ingredients and combine dishes to create the most fantastic meal.

He definitely had to get used to cooking with me because I stop and take pictures of…everything. 

This is definitely a good dish to cook with another person (who you trust in the kitchen) because it is fairly involved and you use the oven and stove simultaneously.

In the end it is totally worth your hard work. It is the perfect winter dish. Warm and filling. 

We had a really yummy salad on the side with apple, cranberries, walnuts, and a light pear dressing.

It was the perfect meal and a great way to start my vacation.

I love home.

P.S. I took all these pictures using my new iphone 4s. pretty good, huh? Siri and I are going to be very good friends. 

Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (makes about 6 cups)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Set the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl toss the squash cubes with the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.

Spread the squash pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer (I used two so they had room to spread out).  Roast until tender - not mushy - about 30 minutes, flipping the pieces at 15 minutes.

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnuts

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green parts online, cut into 3/4 inch half-moons (about 4 cups)

4 garlic cloves (if your cloves are small, more is better)

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1.5 cups)

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta (or any other tubular pasta), cooked al dente

3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water

5-6 cups Roasted Butternut Squash (recipe above)

3/4 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted, skinned, and chopped**

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook the pasta al dente and reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the leeks and a dash of salt, cook until softened (about 4 minutes).  Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute. Add the wine, adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the chicken broth and return to boil, again allowing the liquid to reduce to half (about 5-6 minutes). 

Adjust the heat to medium-low and stir in the parmesan, and half the goat cheese. Then add the pasta and the squash.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for about one minute.  Toss in most of the hazelnuts and the rest of the goat cheese. Add the reserved pasta water slowly and mix so that the pasta regains proper consistency. 

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley and the remaining hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

**For the hazelnuts: Set oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1-2 minutes.  Rub in the towel to remove loose skins.  Let cool completely and then chop.

Adapted from The Boston Globe Magazine.