FLATBREAD

1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/4 cup warm water, between 100-110°F

2 cups all-purpose flour or bread 

1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for brushing the dough

1 teaspoon salt

 

Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Pour warm water on top. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. 

 

With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the flour, olive oil, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines. The dough should be thick and shaggy. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, including any loose flour. Knead it with lightly floured hands for 2 minutes until it begins to come together and becomes smooth. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-2 more Tablespoons of flour.

 

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Once it has rested and slightly risen, you can place it in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

 

Preheat oven to 475°F 

 

Shape the dough: Punch the dough down to release any air. Divide the dough into two. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the second piece of dough. 

 

Carefully transfer both pieces of dough to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or use a pizza stone.

 

Poke your fingers all around the surface of the flatbreads or prick a few holes with a fork. Drizzle or brush each with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. 

 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned to your liking. Remove from the oven. Slice and serve warm.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS (SOUTHERN LIVING)

Active: 25 mins

Total: 50 mins

Yield: Makes 12 to 14 biscuits

 

½ cup butter (1 stick), frozen

2 ½ cups self-rising flour

1 cup chilled buttermilk

Parchment paper

2 tablespoons butter, melted

 

Step 1

Preheat oven to 475°F. Grate frozen butter using large holes of a box grater. Toss 

together grated butter and flour in a medium bowl. Chill 10 minutes.

 

Step 2

Make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk, and stir 15 times. Dough will be sticky.

 

Step 3

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a ¾-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Fold dough in half so short ends meet. Repeat rolling and folding process 4 more times.

 

Step 4

Roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 ½-inch floured round cutter, reshaping scraps and flouring as needed.

 

Step 5

Place dough rounds on a parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter.

 

Chef's Notes

For Pillowy Dinner Rolls: Cut in 1/2 cup cold shortening instead of cold butter. You'll get a soft biscuit that stays tender, even when cool. Plus, shortening has a neutral flavor that will complement anything on your dinner plate.

EASY BEAN CURRY

1 lb. beans, cooked

 

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 tsp salt

 

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 TB garam masala

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano chili, minced

1 TB fresh ginger, minced

 

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

 

Juice of one lemon

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

 

 

In a deep pot, sauté onions and carrots with salt until onions are translucent.

 

Add ground black pepper, garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric, garlic, chili and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, one minute.

 

Add beans and tomatoes and their juice and cook for 15 minutes.

 

Remove pot from heat and add in lemon juice and cilantro and give the pot a quick stir.

GERMAN PRETZELS

500 grams all-purpose flour

280 ml water
7 grams dry yeast
15 grams barley malt powder
15 grams of salt

1 tablespoon baking soda in 4 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons coarse salt to coat pretzels

 

Mix all ingredients until the dough forms a nice soft ball.

 

Cover the dough and place in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

 

Remove the dough and punch it down and then divide the dough into 12 equal balls (66grams) let rest for 10 minutes and then form into pretzels and place on an oven tray lined in baking paper.

 

Cover and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

 

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

 

Combine 4 cups water with the baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, drop the pretzels in the water for 20 seconds each. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet.

 

Sprinkle with the coarse salt. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC SAUCE

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2-pound green beans (ends trimmed)
vegetable oil 

In a saucepan, whisk soy sauce, chicken broth, cornstarch, sesame oil and garlic together and set aside.

Wash your beans and dry them with paper towel. 

Broil the green beans: Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a large cooking tray. Add green beans and 1 tbsp vegetable oil and toss to coat evenly. Lay the green beans flat on the tray and season with salt. Broil in the oven for 3-6 minutes, until the beans are lightly charred. Transfer beans to a paper towel.

Place the saucepan with broth mixture over medium high heat, add cooked green beans and bring to a boil. Stir quickly and turn off the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.

Season with salt and serve immediately.
 

BUTTERMILK BANANA BREAD

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana and the eggs. Add the buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix well.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the bread to a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Store covered in the refrigerator.

TRINIDAD STYLE EGGPLANT

2 medium globe eggplants (about 14 oz. each)

2 TB vegetable oil

2 TB Chief curry powder

4 garlic cloves

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp Tabasco, plus more to taste

 

Cut top off of 2 medium globe eggplants (about 14 oz. each) as close as possible to stem. Using a vegetable peeler, remove skin and discard. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise. Lay halves flat on their cut sides, then slice each half lengthwise into thirds to create long slabs. Cut each slab into large cubes.

 

Heat 2 TB. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat about 30 seconds, add 2 TB. Chief curry powder, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add eggplant and stir to coat in oil. Pour in 1/2 cup water, stir again, and cover pan. Cook until eggplant is tender but not falling apart, 7–9 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop 4 garlic cloves.

 

Uncover pan, mix in garlic and pour in another 1/2 cup water. Stir, re-cover, and cook 7 minutes (eggplant should be soft enough to mash easily). Uncover and mash eggplant with a fork. Mix in 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. Tabasco and cook, uncovered, until flavors have come together, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; taste and season with more salt and Tabasco if needed.