Archive for September, 2008

Mahlab Lavash Crackers and Sun Dried Tomato Tapenada

Savory Challenge???!!! Oh…No, bring back my chocolate ganache… LOL ….just kidding! my son ate most of the crackers quicker than my eyes could see 😉

I added  Mahlab  into my rolling doug..mmmh… salty-sweet, nutty with cherry fragrant, made some with out springkles and some with cumin seeds and sesame seeds springkles.

The dip was  a real challeng, as I am a “creamy” person… what I have to make that is completely vegan? leaning towards guacamole… but… nah.. I had some sun dried tomatoes in my pantry, so I made Tapenada 🙂

This month challenge is hosted by Natalie from Gluten A Go Go and Shel, of Musings From the Fishbowl

Recipes

Lavash Crackers

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball.  You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2.  Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter.  Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel doughsatiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled.  Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4.  Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter.  Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour.  Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches.  You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax.  At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down.  Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes.  When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes.  Line a sheet pan with baking parchment.  Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment.  If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf.  Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.)  Be careful with spices and salt – a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough.  You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking.  If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

6.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

7.  When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.  You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Tapenada

Ingredients

  • Pitted black olives, salt-cured but unflavored
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes
  • Basil leaves
  • Mild extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mash the olives, basil leaves and tomatoes with a mortar and pestle, marble by tradition. The rule of thumb is a little more olives than tomatoes and basil, but adjust according to taste. Add very little salt and pepper. Drizzle in the oil until creamy.

2008
09/27
CATEGORY
Bread
Side dish
TAGS




15 comments

Jakarta Beef Soup (Soto Betawi)

Well, if New York has it’s cheesecake, Jakarta has it’s beef soup 😉 .  This one is my edition of the soup,  which I used ONLY meat of the cow ??! ( the original contains beef intestines too) 😀 .

The great thing about Indonesian dish is it has a lot of exotic spices and herbs. Cooking  it, is like formulating your own “love potion”, as cheesy as it sounds but really … you can almost just smell it in the air if your dish is done or has the perfect combinations of ingredients.

I’m sending this for Waiter There’s Something In My… Indonesian  over at the Spittoon Extra

Ingredients

  • 1 kg sirloin beef (trancher)
  • 1/2 kg small potato (cut in halves)
  • 2 big tomatoes (diced)
  • 500 ml coconut milk-liquid or 1 cup coconut milk powder
  • 2 cups of water (if you are using liquid coconut milk) or 3 cups of water (for powder)
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • Juice of 1 big lemon
  • 1 stick of lemongrass
  • 2 lemon leaves
  • 2 (Indonesian) bay leaves
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 knuckle of ginger
  • 1 candle nut
  • Salt

Direction

  1. Make paste out of the onion, garlic, ginger and candle nut.
  2. Heat the oil and saute the paste until soft.
  3. Add the meat, and saute  again until the meat changes its colour.
  4. Add the coconut milk, stir, add water , stir the add the lemon grass, lemon leaves and bay leaves.
  5. Add the potatoes, season with salt.
  6. Cook for 30 -45 minutes, stir every once a while.
  7. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and fresh tomatoes.
  8. Serve hot with minced green chillies (optional 😉 ), melinjo crackers and  steamed rice.
2008
09/19
CATEGORY
Side dish
WTSIM
TAGS

17 comments

Figs, Cream Cheese and Mini Pancake

 

Figs…o…figs, heavenly fruits… I’ve been wanting to make something really good out of figs, tried  couple of recipes, but disappointment after disappointment filled  the air. Until now, I still believe that figs are best eaten fresh as fruits them selves, without touching the “fire”, and cheese is it’s best company.

This time I’m going to extend my believe a little, that  maybe… just maybe,  fig filled with cream cheese topped by walnut, with mini pancake in maple syrup, will make my day?… mmm… let me taste… 🙂

Also, I’m not going to give you pancake recipe, because I guess you all foodies already have your own favorite pancake  or even crepes recipes, and If you want to explore figs further more and have some great recipes for using figs please check this out.

2008
09/16
CATEGORY
Breakfast
TAGS


8 comments

Petit Pain au Chocolat et Noix

 

Truthfully, I am  more of a “rice” person than a “bread” person, but don’t get me wrong I love breads, not as much as I love rice but I love them…and sweet breads are my favorites. I like my bread warm, even if it’s the “day after” baked bread, I always zapp then just a few secs in the microwave before I eat it.

This is just  my favorite sweet easy bread recipe, enjoy! 🙂

 

Ingredients

Dough

  • 250gr bread flour
  • 25 gr caster sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 50 gr butter
  • 75ml milk
  • 1 large egg

Filings

  • 100 gr dark chocolate (chopped)
  • 100 gr walnuts
  •  50 gr caster sugar

Glaze

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp milk

Directions

  1. Blend flour, sugar and yeast in a food processor for a couple of seconds. Melt the butter and milk in the microwave and add sugar and in measuring cup beat in the eggs and salt. Add the wet ingredients little by little to the dry ingredients while whizzing the dry ingredients.
  2. Stop when the dough has form a ball, remove the dough to a lightly  flour dusted surface, and kneed the dough for 10 mins.
  3. Put the dough in slightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled plastic cling, Let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
  4. Tip the dough, roll out to a large rectangle aprox. 15 x 30 cm, sprinkle the 3/4 mixed filling ingredients  on the 2/3 part of the dough and roll up firmly, cut into halves, put into 2 mini pans (5 x10cm).
  5. Let it prove for 30 mins, preheat the oven  to 180′ C.
  6. When they are ready,  glaze the top with slightly beaten egg and milk, sprinkle with the rest of the mixed filings,  baked for 20 -25 min.

 

2008
09/11
CATEGORY
Bread
TAGS

16 comments

Yellow rice with Roast Lamb Ribs on a bed of Hierloom Tomatoes and Carrot salad

It is a very busy month for me, when the challenge of KBB came, it didn’t just came like that but came with surprise…  that the challenges are also  competitions, because this month is the first anniversary for KBB.

Although I didn’t join KBB since the very beginning, but the group is very dear to me, full with warm hearted and talented people.

This time with theme  “colourful”, Our host launched  3 competitions: cooking, baking and photography. I choose only cooking competition, because I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately and neglected my first passion, cooking…  (psst…my other reason is actually I had to pick my battle, most of KBB members are professional bakers and dare I to compete with my pocket  bridging camera with award winning members with their DSLR?  LOL… guess not… run..run away), so this is for the love of cooking and KBB !!! 😀

The event is hosted by the Chief, her self and Dewi Oni (non-blogger), for cooking competition  judge by mbak Ine and mbak Estherlita.

Recipe in Indonesian, here. 

Yellow rice

Ingredients

  • 500 gr jasmine rice
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • salt

Direction

  1. Heat the oil
  2. Put the washed rice and saute for 2-3 mins
  3. Add  2 cups water and mix
  4. Add turmeric and salt
  5. Cook until “al dente” and sprinkle the rest 1/2 cup of water on top
  6. Remove from the heat

 

Heirloom Tomatoes  and Carot Salad

Ingredients

  • 250 gr Heirloom Tomatoes (cut in halves)
  • 250 gr Carrots (shredded)
  • 1/4 gr Onion (sliced very tiny)
  • Cilantro
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • juice of half lemon

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together and chill  before served.

*Tips: For preparing vegetable salad, first of all mix the tomatoes and carrots( they take longer to absorb dressings) first with dressing, then the rest of the veggies.

 

Asian Roast Lamb Ribs

Ingredients

  • 500 gr Lamb Ribs
  • 3 tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
  • 2 cloves Garlic (smashed and sliced)
  • 2 (Indonesian) Bay leaves
  • 1 lemon leaf
  • 1/2 tbsp Cheyenne pepper
  • juice of half big lemon
  • Salt

 

Directions

  1. Marinate ( leave the lemon skin in the bowl) lamb with all ingredients for min. 2 hrs (over night for best result).
  2. Heat the oven 200′ C.
  3. Lay aluminium foil over a baking sheet, arrange the ribs (take out the lemon skin), close the foil covering all the meat, bake for 12-15 mins.
  4. Open up the foil, roast (with upper fire) for another 8-10 mins to achieve crunchy meat surfaces
  5. Serve warm with the rice and salad.

*Tips: To avoid strong lamb aroma, don’t wash the meat before you cook it (just make sure that your butcher is a clean one 😉 )

2008
09/07
CATEGORY
Dinner
KBB
Lunch
TAGS



22 comments
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