Sourdough Pan de Muerto

This is my favourite sourdough sweet bread. It is a versatile recipe enriched with butter, milk, eggs and a little sugar that can be used in many ways after the dough has completed the first rise. 

I used it for Pan de Muerto or Day of the Dead bread. Pan de Muerto is popular in Mexico at this time of year. The dough can be flavoured with citrus, anise, and cinnamon and the bread can be glazed during or after baking. 

The basic bread shape is decorated with dough shaped like bones or skulls. The "femurs" I moulded rose in the oven making them look more like fingers. 

If you don't have a sourdough starter, any basic yeast bread recipe that includes butter, milk, sugar and eggs would work. There are numerous recipes on sites like AllRecipes.

Sourdough Pan de Muerto

1 cup (190 grams) sourdough starter, recently fed
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (or orange zest)
1/3 cup milk (83 g or 80 ml)
4 tablespoons butter (57 grams)
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten

1. Place milk in a small saucepan with the butter and heat until the butter melts. Add the sugar, salt and citrus zest, stirring until combined.

2. Beat the eggs until they are frothy. Add eggs to the lukewarm milk mixture and then combine with the sourdough starter in a large bowl.

3. Add the flour gradually, stirring well. Add the last bit of flour with your hands and knead the bread until it is smooth and not sticky. You may need to add a little more flour when kneading the bread. I used 2/3 white bread flour and 1/3 whole wheat flour.

4. Cover dough and allow it to rise overnight or for 8-12 hours. 

Punch the dough down and shape it as desired. I removed a golf-ball-sized piece of dough for the "bones". I divided the rest of the dough into 3 parts, rolling them into 15-inch ropes. I braided the dough ropes and shaped them into a ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I used the remaining dough for the decorations.

Cover the dough and let it rise again for a couple of hours.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.

I made a glaze from the juice of one lemon and icing sugar and spooned it on the warm bread, making sure to fill all the nooks and crannies.  

Afghani Chana

 

We recently enjoyed take-out food from an Ottawa area Afghani restaurant. Harir Kabob House offered several vegetarian options and the usual kabob dishes. The Eggplant Qorma and spinach Sabzi were delicious with Qabelli rice and sourdough naan bread. They also serve a Chana dish made with chickpeas and kidney beans that differs in flavour from Indian Chana Masala. It was exceptional and I looked online for a recipe to recreate the dish at home. 

I made the dish today and was pleased with the outcome. It tasted similar to the restaurant dish but was a bit spicier due to generous amounts of black pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh green chillies. I used fresh-picked jalpenos from our garden and they were hotter than average. These three ingredients could be adjusted easily for more delicate palates. Here is the recipe.

Afghani Chana

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds, slightly crushed

1 lg red onion, diced

1 generous tbsp grated ginger and garlic

Cook together until the onions are softened

Add

2-3 seeded jalapenos, diced*

1/2-1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp black pepper*

1 tsp dried chilli flakes*

1/2 small tin tomato paste (2-3 tbsp)

1/2-1 cup water

2-1/2 to 3 cups cooked legumes- (1/2 chickpeas. 1/2 kidney beans)

salt to taste

Simmer x 20 min on the stovetop. Top with chopped cilantro before serving

Adjust seasoning and add liquid if necessary during cooking

*Adjust quantities as desired to control heat level

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I made brown rice with freshly crushed cardamom seeds, grated carrots, raisins and pistachios and fried up a plantain as a side dish. Leftovers will taste even better tomorrow!

Tea Biscuits

We enjoy digestive biscuits with our tea and I found a simple recipe that is better than any store-bought version. I will print out the recipe below in case this webpage vanishes.

Tea Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional but delicious)


Combine flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add sugar and pulse until it is blended.


Place the mixture in a bowl and add the milk and vanilla.
Mix with a spoon and your hands until a ball of dough forms. Roll out to a 1/8" thickness and cut in rounds with a cookie cutter. Place on a cookie sheet.


Bake for 15- 20 minutes. They need to be nicely browned so they stay crisp when cooled.

Boston Cream Pie

We just returned from a holiday in Boston MA and enjoyed touring the historic area of North Boston. We saw the Parker House Hotel where this dessert was created for its grand opening in 1856. (The original recipe is here) Boston Cream Pie is a hot milk sponge cake with a custard filling. It is topped with chocolate ganache or fondant. 

I posted an old family recipe for Hot Milk Sponge cake on this blog a few years ago. It has 2 eggs rather than the 7 in the original recipe. I used our recipe and it was just fine! 

Here is the link to the hot milk sponge cake recipe.

Custard Cream:

4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk ( I used 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter 
Whisk the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan until well combined and no lumps remain.
Then whisk in the milk until well combined. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat for 2 to 4 minutes, or until thickened stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Add the pieces of butter, and stir until melted.
Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Ganache:

Heat 3/8 c heavy cream in a pot or in the microwave until it is steaming. Add 1/2 chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and well blended.

Assemble to cake:

Slice the cooled sponge cake in half horizontally.

Spread the cooled custard on the bottom half of the cake.

Place the top of the cake over the custard.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and spread it around. It will drizzle over the edge.

Chill the cake for a few hours or overnight for the best flavour. 

Pizza Beans

 

I love the creamy texture of dried giant lima beans that have been cooked slowly, preferably in a slow cooker for eight hours. This dish comes together quickly after the beans are cooked and can be varied in as many ways as pizza is prepared. 

Soak 2-1/2 cups of dried giant lima beans overnight. In the morning, add them to a slow cooker, drain and cover them with fresh salted water, and let them cook all day on low heat. Alternatively, they could be cooked on a stovetop. 

Add two tablespoons of oil to a wok or large frying pan and add:

• 1 diced onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 large sweet pepper, diced
• sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp each of dried basil and oregano

To a 9x13 pan or equal capacity baking dish add and stir together:

• 1 28 oz jar of good quality passata or tomato sauce
• the drained, cooked lima beans
• the cooked vegetables from the frying pan or wok
• 4 ounces of grated cheese

Bake the beans in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

Serve on plates or bowls and garnish as desired with olives, cilantro, meatballs, parmesan cheese, etc.

Sourdough Focaccia

My sourdough starter is almost a decade old and is used weekly for bread making. I have a few favourite recipes and this is a newer variation we have enjoyed a couple of times this year. I use a food scale for this recipe as the dough is very soft and sticky. 

100 g sourdough starter

10 g salt

435 g water

512 g flour ( use 50/50 whole wheat and white flour)

Mix ingredients in a large bowl, cover with a lid or cloth and allow it to rise overnight or for 10-12 hours.

Once the dough has risen, drizzle it with oil, fold and deflate it and place it on an oiled 9x13 baking pan for a single recipe. Spread the dough out evenly and let it rise for 2-3 hours. It will develop bubbles on the surface.

Preheat oven to 425 F

The dough can be baked without garnishes. It is good sprinkled with coarse salt and dried spices such as rosemary.

It is fun to make flowers or other designs with raw tomatoes, red onion, sliced garlic, sweet peppers and herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley and scallions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and coarse salt. 

Bake for 25-35 minutes. It takes a little longer to bake the garnished bread.

The baked focaccia is thick enough to slice in half for sandwiches.

(See this post for more information on sourdough bread and starters)

Graham Wafer Pie

The recipe for this pie used to be printed on the side of graham cracker boxes, long before the days of store-brand products. My sister-in-law, Shirley, made this often and it was always a hit. Today, while cleaning the shelves, I found a package of graham cracker crumbs left over from Christmas baking. I posted a recipe for this pie in 2008 on this blog but updated the amounts for my largest pie plate. It turned out so well that a repost of the recipe is warranted. 

 

Crust:  1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 5-6 tbsp melted butter, 3 tbsp sugar

Combine the ingredients thoroughly. Remove 1/4 cup of crumb mixture for topping. Press the remaining crumbs into a deep-dish pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 F.

Pudding:  2-1/2 cups milk, 1/3 c cornstarch, 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp butter

Whisk ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract. Pour pudding into baked pie crust.

Meringue:  Beat 4 egg whites, 2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar until still peaks form. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top of egg whites.

Place meringue on top of the pie and bake at 325 F for 12-15 minutes until the top starts to brown.

The pie needs to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving. 

Vegetable Bouillon Concentrate

Vegetable Bouillon Base (from A Veggie Venture)

5 ounces (150 grams) leeks, white and light-green parts only

Consistency in food processor

7 ounces (200 grams) fennel bulb, chopped
7 ounces (200 grams) carrot, chopped
3.5 ounces (100 grams) celery, chopped
3.5 ounces (100 grams) celery root (celeriac)
1 ounce (30 grams) sun-dried tomatoes
3.5 ounces (100 grams) shallot, peeled
3 medium garlic cloves
9 ounces (250 grams) kosher salt (about 1 cup)
1.5 ounces (40 grams) parsley
2 ounces (60 grams) cilantro

Method:

Chop the vegetables in chunks of an inch or less and add them to a food processor. I layer the vegetables and some of the salt as it helps liquify things faster. The food processor will not get the vegetables to a smooth paste, so I use my blender after processing the vegetables and adding all the salt. It is best to blend small batches at a time until smooth. The blender step is optional.

Consistency using blender as well

The finished product can be placed in jars or tubs suitable for the freezer. A single recipe makes about 3-1/2 cups of concentrate which is equivalent to about 40 quarts or litres of broth when used at a ratio of 1 teaspoon/cup of water. 

I love this vegetable combination, particularly the addition of fennel and celeriac, but other vegetables and herbs could be used. I would be careful to maintain the weight of vegetables to salt ratio. It is important to use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.

Bindaedok

We watched an episode of Kim's Convenience last night where Janet wants her mother to make bindaedok, a Korean pancake. I have made a vegan version of bindaedok for some time but the one featured on the show had eggs as well as soaked mung beans and vegetables. I looked up another recipe online and tried it for lunch today with a few modifications. This version is faster to make than the vegan recipe. 

Soak: 1 cup of split, peeled dry mung beans in a generous amount of water for 2-12 hours. 

(This is also called Moong dal and is found in ethnic section of most supermarkets in our area.)

Mix in a large bowl:

2 large carrots, grated

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Using a blender mix until smooth:

1 cup water

Drained soaked mung beans

2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp rice or wheat flour

Add the blended beans and eggs to the vegetables and mix together. 

Heat an 8 inch frying pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add 1 cup of the pancake batter and spread it thinly to the edge of the pan. Cook one side until browned and then flip the pancake and cook the other side. I sprinkled the batter with sesame seeds.

Slice the pancake in 6 wedges and serve with dipping sauce. Makes 3-4 large pancakes.

                                                                   

Dipping sauce:

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp vinegar

a few drops of sesame oil

I think this tastes good cold for a packed lunch or leftovers can be reheated. 

Easy Creamy Hummus

Soak:

1-1/3 cups of dry Chana Dal (split and peeled yellow chickpeas) in water for 6-8 hours.

Drain the soaked legumes and put them in a slow cooker with enough water to cover.

Cook:

Cook the chana dal on high for 3-4 hours until soft. Drain the cooked legumes, reserving the liquid.

Process:

Put cooked chana dal in a food processor with

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 3 small cloves of garlic
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, freshly squeezed if available

Process until light and very smooth. Add a little of the cooking liquid if needed. Garnish with paprika and olive oil before serving if desired. 

Variations and notes:

• Use whole chickpeas and increase soaking/cooking time. Peel the skins off the cooked chickpeas if you want a super-creamy result
• Add cumin or other spices as desired
• Use an Instant Pot for cooking chickpeas
• I let the chana dal cool overnight in the crockpot and did not have to add extra liquid to the food processor.

Nutritional Information (1/4 cup serving)

Ash Reshteh (Persian Vegetable and Noodle Soup)

This hearty vegetarian soup is easy to make with a little planning. There are several versions online and this recipe contains personal tweaks. It is the type of recipe that tolerates "tweaks" very well. You can use alternate legumes, including canned ones if you are in a hurry. 

Soak 1-1/2 cups of dried beans in water for 8-12 hours. I used 1/2 cup each of garbanzos, navy beans and small red beans. Black beans, small fava beans, and green or brown lentils would also work well but I would cook the lentils separately.

Rinse the beans and cook in fresh salted water until they are tender. I used the Instant Pot (manual setting x 12 minutes with natural release).  This makes about 4 cups of cooked beans if you prefer to used canned beans.

In the meantime...

Use a large soup pot.

• Dice 2 onions, 3 cloves of garlic and soften in a tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat
• Add 8 cups of vegetable broth. I used Better than Bouillon paste and water.
• Add 1 generous cup each of chopped parsley, chopped dill, chopped cilantro and fresh spinach or baby kale to the broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until greens are wilted
• Add 200- 225 g of pasta like bucatini or linguine
• Add the cooked beans.

Simmer for 15 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of cumin, salt and pepper to taste

If you have some preserved lemons, finely dice the peel of 1/2 a lemon and add it to the soup. You could squeeze some fresh lemon juice in the soup instead. 

Add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt to serve. 

Serves 6-8

Cornbread Biscuits

I tweaked this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for drop cornbread biscuits. They are drop-dead delicious! I added a little more liquid, some whole wheat flour and baked them at a lower temperature. I think making 16 smaller biscuits is the way to go if you are serving them with soup or stew or a big dinner. If you wanted them as a main item for breakfast with something like eggs, dividing the recipe in 8-12 would be preferable. They are fast and easy to make.

Preheat oven to 425 F

In a large mixing bowl combine

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1-2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Cut in with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly

• 1/2 cup cold butter (cut in cubes to make the blending easier)

Add

• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1/4 cup of water

Mix the dough lightly until it is all moistened. Pat the dough into a circle in the bottom of the bowl and cut into 8, 12 or 16 sections. Drop the portions of dough on an ungreased baking pan. You could use a biscuit cutter if you prefer.

Bake for 14-18 minutes.

I baked 16 biscuits for 14 minutes and they were done perfectly.  

Nutrition Information for 1/16 of recipe