Ballymaloe No-Knead Brown Bread

This recipe is from “a change of appetite:  where healthy meets delicious” by Diana Henry

Here is a review of the recipe from Grillou, a restaurant and inn  in the  Pyrénées 

“This really is a bread that needs no kneading, and starts with a dough that is so wet it couldn't be kneaded even if you tried. And it works, producing a glorious, moist, nutty and chewy loaf of the kind I've grieved for for years: this is the bread that I loved so much way back in the heady days of wholefood cafés and thick lentil soups and have been (unsuccessfully) trying to make ever since! It cuts beautifully with no crumbles, keeps happily for a couple of days then makes great toast, and is so satisfying that one slice, eaten slowly, is enough”

Makes 2 loaves of bread

Ingredients

Butter for greasing loaf pans
2T black molasses
3.5t dry yeast

3 – 3.5  cups warm water
8 cups wholemeal flour (I used 6 cups of whole wheat and 2 cups of rye)
2 teaspoons salt

2T sesame seeds

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, combine the molasses and yeast.
Add water and gently whisk to break up any lumps.
Allow about 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.

Grease two 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pans with the butter.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt and make a well in the center of the mixture.
Add yeast mixture and 2 cups of water and mix gently until thoroughly combined.

It should be a wettish dough, but not so wet that it doesn’t come together.

Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

Let rise in a warm place, loosely covered with a couple of cloths for about 30 minutes, or until the dough comes to the top of the pans (be careful not to let the loaves overproof).   

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sprinkle the loaves with sesame seeds

Bake loaves at 450 degrees for a total of 45-50 minutes.

FIRST, bake in pans for 30 minutes.

THEN, take the loaves out of their pans and put them on a shelf in the oven to finish cooking, for another 15-30 minutes.

When done, the outside of the loaves should by firm, and they should sound hollow when you tap the bottom.

Butterscotch Brownies

I used to make these brownies a lot, but lost track of the recipe over the past years.  I made it for the first time in over 15 years, and I remember why it is such a crowd-pleaser and cook-pleaser.  It is very easy to make and is dairy-free.

Ingredients

1/2 cup oil

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 

Directions

·         Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. 

·         Mix brown sugar and oil. 

·         Add vanilla and eggs. 

·         Stir in salt and baking powder.

·         Mix in remaining ingredients. 

·         Spread in greased 9×13 pan. 

·         Bake 18-30 minutes until the top is semi-firm and the bottom is lightly browned.  The brownies turn out great, even if they seem a bit mushy when they come out of the oven.

·         Cut into  squares after they have slightly cooled.

Winter Casserole: Sweet potatoes, Black Beans, Greens, and Brown Rice

• • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and dice
  •  A few cups of cooked brown rice
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 bag of fresh spinach or other greens
  • 1/2 cup of chicken or vegie broth
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander (plus more to tastes)
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin (plus more to tastes)
  • 3/4 cup asst shredded  cheese (I used cheddar and parmesan)
  • salt, pepper and olive oil

1. peel and dice the sweet potatoes and parboil in a saucepan until nearly done
2. In a big pot, saute the onion for about 5 minutes in 1T olive oil
3. Add the fresh spinach/greens and
   broth , turn heat to low and cover the pan, allow to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the spinach wilts and cooks down
4. add the steamed (and drained) sweet potatoes, black beans, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper to the pan, mix all together and turn off heat
5. in a large baking dish, layer the rice and then a sprinkling of the shredded cheese, then the sweet potato mixture, a bit more shredded cheese, and finish with brown rice with some shredded cheese.
6. Cook uncovered at  375 degrees for 25-40 minutes

Gondi - Persian matzoh ball soup with chickpeas and chicken
(modified from Epicurious)

Gondi is a bawdy Persian expression for a certain part of the male anatomy
and a favorite food in many Iranian Jewish homes.

Prep time: 15 min for balls, 30 min for everything else
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 8 servings (50 balls)

Ingredients:
Balls
  2 yellow onions
  1 egg
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  2 t ground cardamom
  1 t ground turmeric
  2 T grapeseed oil
  2 C chickpea flour
  1 lb ground chicken or turkey
  12 C chicken or vegetable stock
Broth
  8 C chicken or vegetable stock (Note: this can be reduced by using broth
      that the balls are cooked in, which will yield about 1/3 its original
      volume.)
  1 large carrot, thinly sliced
  2 C cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  4 dried limes, soaked in hot water & covered for 15 minutes
  2 C loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh dill, flat-leaf parsley, or
      cilantro
  1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Puree the onions in a food processor, then transfer to a large bowl
Whisk in egg, garlic, cardamom, turmeric, oil, 2 t salt, & several grinds
  pepper
Now use a fork to mix in the meat and chickpea flour to form a thick paste
Cover & store in fridge for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours) to firm up
Use 2 spoons or wet hands with cold water and break off walnut-size pieces
  of the dough & roll them into smooth balls (gondi)

In large stockpot, bring 12 C stock and 2 t salt to a rapid boil
Carefully drop in gondi
Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes without opening the pot
When ready, the gondi will be firm in the center
Remove with a slotted spoon
Cooking stock can be strained and used for the soup broth

In another stockpot, pour 4 to 8 C stock (4 if gondi broth will eventually
  be used & 8 if not)
Add carrot and chickpeas and bring to a boil
Pierce limes several times with a fork and add them to the stock along with
  their soaking water
Simmer covered for 15 minutes
Add herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper
Stir in the lemon juice just before serving
Divide the gondi among soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, and serve.