Pita, Balsamic Onion Tart, Dumplings and Maple Salmon

To start off, we've got homemade pita bread. I had never really considered making it before I had a bunch of extra hummus (see earlier post) and no pita to go with it, such a calamity! So, after making it, I found that it's really quite simple, quite fun to make, and is very good. To make it, combine and kneed 3C flour, 1.5t salt, 1T honey, 2t yeast, 1.25C water and 2T olive oil until well combined, and let rise about an hour and a half. Then, divide into 8 balls and press/roll into pita shaped on a well-floured counter. If you work them too much and they won't hold the flattened shape, let the dough rest 10 minutes and try again. Bake on a stone in the oven at 400 degrees until the bottom is lightly golden. They turn out soft and light, and go really well with hummus, or make a nice personal pizza crust. Based on http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pitabread

Next up, we have a savory tart that turned out to be absolutely fantastic. I found a recipe for a French tart dough that made a shell similar to a pie crust that was quite simple, and went from there. To make the crust, put 6T butter, 1T oil, 1T sugar, 1/8t salt and 3T water in a Pyrex measuring cup, and bake at 410 degrees in the oven until the edges of the butter are just starting to brown. Carefully remove from the oven, and mix in 1 rounded cup of flour, then stir until well combined, let cool, then roll out to form a crust on a well-floured counter.

At this point, you can fill it with pretty much whatever you'd like, but I think my concoction was pretty delicious. I started by drizzling some reduced balsamic vinegar on the bottom, then layered thickly sliced onion and tomato, basil, oregano, thyme, more reduced balsamic vinegar, and top with mozzarella cheese. Now comes the challenging part, folding it up without making a disastrous mess. I used a pastry scraper to fold up the sides and press them together and used a small sheet pan as a peel to transfer to the oven. Bake at 400 degrees on a stone until nicely browned and bubbly. It turned out to be absolutely fantastic, and the crust is quite versatile. I have also used it with pear slices that were boiled in water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and it made a fantastic dessert. The crust is based on http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/french-tart-dough-a-la-francaise/

Next up is a dumpling that turned out OK, but weren't outstanding; I think because the filling I used wasn't the best. To make, kneed 2.5C flour, 1t salt, 3/4C water, 1t baking powder, 1t oil and 1 egg, then roll out on a well-floured counter. Make sure that you get it nice and thin, otherwise it doesn't cook evenly. Then fill with something good; the Italian sausage I used was good, the potato not so much. I think mozzarella would be good, as well. Make sure you cut the dough into larger pieces than you think, otherwise they can be tough to get closed. Once made, boil for a few minutes, then drain and serve with sauce, Parmesan, or whatever other garnish you like.

Finally, we end with an awesome maple salmon recipe. To make, mix 1/4C maple syrup, 2T soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4t garlic salt, and 1/4t black pepper in a small bowl. Place the salmon in a foil-lined appropriately sized dish, pour over the glaze, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until easily flaked. If you have a larger piece of fish, double the sauce, and use leftover for pouring on rice.

Kung Pao Chicken, Tuna Pasta Salad and Stuffed Italian Herb Bread

Today we start with one of my favorites growing up, a cold tuna pasta salad. This is quite simple to make, and packs really well for lunches. To make, combine 3 diced hard-boiled eggs, 3C cooked macaroni, 5-10oz defrosted peas (and/or whatever other veggie suits your fancy), 2 6oz cans flaked tuna, 1/4C mayonnaise, 1/4t each salt and pepper, cubed cheddar cheese, chopped green onion and chopped celery. Delicious fresh, and it just gets better in the fridge as the flavors meld. One of my favorites for quite a while.

Next, we have a simplified Kung Pao Chicken I've actually made this a couple times, and it is reliably tasty. To start, marinade ~2 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces in soy sauce, water and cornstarch for a couple minutes. Meanwhile, make a sauce by whisking together 2t apple cider vinegar, 2t soy sauce, 1t sesame oil, 1T water, 3t sugar, and 1.5t cornstarch. Heat a bit of sesame oil in a skillet, then add 4 cloves of minced garlic, ginger, chili powder and pepper, then add the chicken and marinade. Cook for a bit, then add 6 chopped green onions and 2/3C roasted peanuts, and simmer until the sauce has reduced to whatever thickness you desire. Serve over rice, and you've got a tasty meal.

Finally, a bit more in-depth bread that makes an absolutely enormous loaf that's filled with a tasty meat and cheese filling.

-Add 1.5t pepper, 2t basil, 2t chervil, 2t thyme, 2t savory and 1/3C olive oil, and let sit for at least an hour.

-Combine 1.5 yeast, 1C warm water, 1C white wine, 1T salt, 5.5C bread flour and infused oil with herbs, and kneed to a smooth, springy, resilient dough. Place in a greased bowl and let rise for an hour.

-Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine 1.5 lb italian sausage, 1 large chopped onion, 3 cloves minced garlic and cook until browned. Then, add 1/4C chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and 2T anise liquor. Let cool.

- Turn out the risen dough onto a floured surface and spread into a big rectangle. Spread the sausage mixture into the center third of the dough, and sprinkle with 8+ oz mozzarella cheese. Bring the 2 long ends together and pinch to close, then slash slits in the top with a sharp knife. Bake in a preheated oven on a pizza stone for 40-50 minutes or until brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool before slicing.

I completely forgot to take a picture of it sliced, but it looked really cool with the layers inside, and was extremely tasty. I sliced it into a couple big pieces and froze it, and it lasted me a couple weeks (it was a really big loaf), that pan is ~13x16.