Easy Home Made Hummus

Hummus, a middle eastern bean dip, usually eaten with flat bread or pita,or veggies, is easy to make and much better than store bought.
 what you will need:

 1 can garbonzo beans ,aka chick peas  ,drain and save liquid
 1  small lemon, grated rind and juice  ,use 1/2 tsp of juice to start,add more if desired
2-3 tbsp chopped fesh parsley
2 tbsp tahinni or 2 tbsp sesame seeds ground in a coffee /spice  grinder, usually about $10, upright with a top cavity to place what is to be ground.
 1 small garlic clove or  1/4-1/2 tsp finely minced 
olive oil 2-3 tbsp
 salt & pepper to taste
 method:
 place drain beans in processor or blender
 add add all ingredients except reserved liquid from beans
process till smooth,adding small amounts of reserved liquid till of desired consistancy, stopping processor and scraping down bowl as needed..
You have now made your very first hummus! Enjoy!
 Variations: Omit lemon zest, and add any of  the following :
 add :roasted red peppers, home made is best, jalepeno peppers. chipolte peppers, cilentro, toasted ground cumin, rosemary , more garlic, roasted garlic and rosemary,etc......create any flavor profile you may like!
 Just start with the basic recipe and go from there!

BBA # 31 NY Deli Rye

Having been fortunate to grow up in Brooklyn, NY., where real Jewish Deli's were plentiful, I fondly reminisce of those overloaded pastrami sandwiches on Deli rye bread. Now again fortunately I am able to make my own NY deli rye , thanks to the BBA challenge, hosted by Chris . The recipe uses a rye sponge starter that starts with a barm ( as Peter Reinhart calls it) which is actually a wild yeast starter. or sponge, or mother as it is often affectionately refered to. The Rye sponge also contains sauted onions that are added after they have cooled, the sponge then ferments 3-4 hours after which it is refrigerated overnight. The final dough contains bread flour, white rye ( rye that has been sieved to remove the bran and germ), brown sugar,yeast, salt,vegetable oil,buttermilk,or regular milk,and if desired caraway seeds. The usual procedure of bread making is used, mix add wet, mix, knead,proof, shape ,proof. bake.
  There were no difficulties I encountered  during the processs besides having to strain the whole rye to get enough white rye for the recipe, the bran was almost 50% of the total flour. I eventually added some of the bran to other breads I made, including the lavash crackers, which gave them a nice flavor.
 If you would like to make this bread or any others posted here, simply get a copy of Peter Reinhart's book The Bread Bakers Apprentice, and join us, all are welcome. or bake on your own, which is not as much fun.
 Let's make some Deli Rye....

sifting the whole rye ,the bag on right is the bran

bread flour,rye,yeast,salt,brown sugar,caraway seeds

adding the rye sponge

in goes the buttermilk

the vegetable oil,after the dough has mixed a while

onto the work table to rest while I clean the bowl

kneaded briefly to get firm slightly  tacky dough

into the cleaned oiled bowl to rise till double

doubled and ready to devide and shape





loaves have doubled

hot from the oven

after cooling ,sliced, nice crumb  

Had to make a hot pastrami sandwich with the NY Deli Rye, it was delicious !

BBA # 30 Basic Sour Dough Bread

This basic sour dough bread recipe ,has you create a wild yeast starter, since (I) we had already made one for the second bread of this challenge, all that was required was to build it into a larger amount.My mother starter was already 3 months old and grew without problems. I chose to use all of my starter instead of  making a firm starter with it, an option in the recipe to do so.
  I had made this before with fresh rosemary and roasted garlic,and all enjoyed it immensely.The dough is simple to make, mix the starter with the final dough ingredients, knead, place in an oiled bowl for a 3-4 proof, shape, I made 3 boules. I left the dough a little more hydrated then it should have been which made the boules slouch .But they were still delicious.  

I soon realized they were too close, rather then trying to lift them off ,I used a razor to slice the parchment paper ,then lifted  the middle one to another sheet pan . Lifted the other 2 off and placed a new sheet of parchment  on the pan and replaced the 2 boules to it.

We almost ate half, before I took the photo!

crumb

Grilled Brie Cheese Sandwich with Pears and Honey

We love grilled cheese sandwiches, that warm rich melting cheese oozing out of the toasted bread, how could anyone resist! the cooking channel, I think, had an episode about food trucks, one, the grilled cheese food truck, this is their sandwich. I chose a hearty white bread recipe from my bread book by Bernard Clayton, titled the Complete Book Of Breads. I added a 1/2 cup of chopped (chop almost fine) dried cranberries, and minced walnuts, the recipe makes 2 loaves.  Bread recipe below, or use your own, or any bread you wish.

  
Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book Of Breads
makes one 9x5" very large loaf / or 2- 8x5 medium loaves ( I prefer)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup hot water (120F-130F)
2 tbs butter (originally vegetable oil)
4 1/2 tsp dry yeast or 2 packets
1/2 cup instant potato flakes may also use mashed potato of same amount
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup dry milk powder …. may use fresh milk ( about 9oz) ,omitting water
2 tbs honey (recipe calls for sugar)
2 tsp salt
Add 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon to blend. Or mix with paddle in mixer.
Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to form a shaggy mass of dough. Work the dough until it is no longer sticky and holds together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for roughly 10 minutes ,or in the mixer using dough hook. Add additional flour sparingly if dough is sticky.
Knead until dough is soft and elastic and passes the window pane test.
Return dough to bowl, now greased, and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic and let rise 60 minutes, or until doubled in size .
When dough has doubled, turn it out onto kneading surface. Shape into a ball and let rest 3 to 4 minutes.
Shape the dough for a bread pan, and place in greased pan(s) Cover with plastic and let rise 30 minutes or until double
20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 15 minutes at 400F, (If bread browns too quickly cover with a sheet of foil or paper sack) then reduce temp to 375F and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool before eating.

To make The Grilled Cheese Sandwich:  


 place slices of Brie then sliced pear ,drizzle with honey



 close up, top with other slice of bread, butter generously, grill!



looks ready!!



How could one resist!



you could almost feel the warmth!



WGB # 10 Transitional German many Seed Bread

This delicious bread loaded with healthy seeds is the 10th of our Whole Grain Breads Challenge using Peter Reinhart's Book of the same name. It utilizes a soaker whole wheat and rye flour with whole or ground flax seeds. I didn't know the flax seeds need to be ground or if used whole need to be germinated first,as in the soaker, for our body to make use of the nutritional value of the seed .The other part of the dough uses a biga of bread flour, both are combined after a 24 hour soak and a cold ferment for the biga.
  The final dough incorporates the soaker ,biga , whole wheat flour,sesame seeds,toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds,agave or honey as a sweetener,and yeast. The finished bread is  dense ,wheaty ,rich with a nutty seed flavor unlike any bread I have tasted, truly enjoyable and healthy. 

Mini Reese's Stuffed Cupcakes/ Pound Cake Cupcakes

This recipe was on the cooking channel, the frosting recipe makes twice the amount needed for 12 cupcakes, either make half or freeze half for another time. I prefered a spicier taste in the frosting ,I doubled the chili powder and added some cayenne, make it to your taste of course. I only use Gheradelli bittersweet choclate chips, (in a 10 oz bag) for all my choclate needs, and only sweet butter never that other stuff which was actually created as a LUBRICANT ,it's one molecule away from being PLASTIC!, yes margarine.

 The pound cake cupcake recipe and the caramel icing I found on line , it folows the first recipe. 


Ingredients reese’s mini stuffed cupcakes




Cupcakes:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 peanut butter cups
Mexican Hot Chocolate Frosting:  This makes twice amount needed for 12 cupcakes
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, meltedDirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
To prepare the cupcake batter: In a large heat resistant bowl, combine the chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water, without letting the bottom touch the water. Stir gently until melted and well combined. You may use a microwave, if preferable.
Remove chocolate from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the sugar. Beat with a handheld electric mixture until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each egg to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended.
Using ladle or small measuring cup, fill the cupcake cups 2/3 of the way full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cup and press down slightly. Bake until the cupcakes are firm to the touch about 20 minutes.
To prepare the frosting: Using a handheld electric beater, cream the cream cheese and butter together thoroughly. Add the chili power and cinnamon, mixing to incorporate. Add the salt, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Finally, mix in the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly until smooth. If additional thickening is needed, add more sifted confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until a spreadable consistency is reached.  

Ingredients: this makes 4 dozen• 3 cups all purpose flour • 2 cups sugar • 3 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 6 large eggs ¼ recipe=1+½ egg, beat egg ,pour /spoon half into recipe • 2 cups softened, not melted, butter • 1/2 cup 2% milk ( I used whole) • 2 teaspoon vanillaPound Cake Cupcake Recipe DirectionsCombine all of your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed then mix at medium speed for about 4 minutes. Scrape bowl. Add eggs one at a time and mix on low speed for 30 seconds after each egg. Once all eggs are in the batter, mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Batter will be thick and fluffy. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon batter into cupcake liners until 1/2 full. If you fill them any more, you risk having a mess in your oven. Bake your cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a cake tester, or toothpick, inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool your pound cake cupcakes completely in the cupcake pans. Store in an airtight container.

 　

.   Caramel Icing Ingredients : note I used above frosting recipe,  omit chocolate and spice, and used half the  below amounts 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup milk (hot) ( I did not  use,but will next time) Omit :if using above recipe.  3 1/4 cups powdered sugar  (or as much as possible so you  can still spread it)How to make it Melt the butter or margarine in a   saucepan. Add the brown sugar. Bring to boil and cook and stir for 1 minute. Cool for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Add the milk and beat until smooth. Note ,  omit if using above frosting recipe.Beat in the powdered sugar until spreadable.