Breads

Moist and Light Honey Pecan Wholewheat Bread – Bread Maker Version

The dough for Moist and Light Honey Pecan Wholewheat Bread, as it was being kneaded in my bread maker, looked super sticky. I added two tablespoons of white flour and was tempted to add more. I’m glad I didn’t. This bread cooked up beautifully with a moist and light texture. Nothing ‘cardboard’ about it, unlike some wholewheat breads. ++ Recipe does include some all purpose white flour.

A recent blood test showed I have a touch of hypoglycemia which means I need to eat protein with every meal – and watch my carbs. So, I believe the carbs I do eat should be healthy – healthy and delicious of course!! (Of course, I’ll still be eating desserts… I just can’t over indulge.)

++ About that bit of ‘Extra Flour’. When making bread dough, the amount of flour needed can vary depending upon the humidity of the flour etc. If the dough looks more like glue than dough, add a tablespoon or so of flour. After the bread maker kneads for awhile, the dough should come away from the sides and form a ball. If it doesn’t, add another tablespoon of flour. There’s NO way you can screw it up!

++ Loaf Ready in About 4 1/2 hours ++

2-LB. Loaf ++ For 1 1/2-LB. Loaf…. continue scrolling down

ADD INGREDIENTS TO BREAD MAKER IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER

1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs. honey ++ Or sugar
4 tsp. butter
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast/bread maker yeast
1/4 cup chopped pecans ++ If your bread maker alerts you when to add ‘extras’, add pecans then. If not, add nuts after dough has been kneaded for about 10 minutes.

++ Want to add chia seeds, flax seeds etc.? Just remove an equal amount of flour from the recipe

Set bread maker cycle to ‘GRAIN’ if possible. Otherwise, set bread maker cycle to ‘BASIC’. It doesn’t get much easier than that! ; o ) Enjoy!

– – – – – – – – –

1 1/2 Lb. Loaf

ADD INGREDIENTS TO BREAD MAKER IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER

1 cup milk
3 Tbs. water
4 tsp. honey ++ Or sugar
1 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white bread flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active dry yeast/bread maker yeast
3 Tbs. chopped pecans ++ If your bread maker alerts you when to add ‘extras’, add pecans then. If not, add nuts after dough has been kneaded for about 10 minutes.

++ Want to add chia seeds, flax seeds etc.? Just remove an equal amount of flour from the recipe

Set bread maker cycle to ‘GRAIN’ if possible. Otherwise, set bread maker cycle to ‘BASIC’. It doesn’t get much easier than that! ; o ) Enjoy!

moist-and-delicious-honey-and-pecan-whole-wheat-bread-breadmachine-versiion-2

moist-and-delicious-honey-and-pecan-whole-wheat-bread-breadmachine-versiion

++ Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens ‘The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Baking’ – 1999.

November 5, 2016December 6, 2016

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!10 Comments

‘Request Bread’ – A Heartier Version of “Five-Star Bread’. Loaded with ‘Good Stuff’ Like Whole Wheat, Honey, Steel Cut Oats, Wheat Germ and Walnuts!

USE - A Heartier Version of 'Five-Star Bread' - myyellowfarmhouse.com — Just look at those yummy chunks of walnuts!

I sure didn’t plan on posting another bread recipe so soon but a Reddit follower asked if Five-Star Bread could be prepared with whole wheat flour. So, I made some adjustments and added a lot of Good Stuff like honey, wheat germ (which has Vitamin A and Folic Acid) and 1/3 cup steel cut oats. (Steel cut oats are a whole grain, like wheat, rye and barley, but contain higher levels of protein than other grains – how about that?)

I love nuts so I added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Walnuts are actually very good for your health. Among other things, they’re are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, and contain antioxidants that boost heart health and help with stress.

++ I’m pleased to report my Reddit follower is happy with this new, healthier version of Five Star Bread. And, after enjoying some toasted Request Bread with butter and jam, I’m pretty darn pleased with it myself!

Enter the ingredients in the order written and set your bread machine for ‘grain’.

1 cup lukewarm water – PLUS an extra 1 Tbs. ++ If dough seems too stiff when the machine is kneading – add another tablespoon. Bread making isn’t an exact science! ; o )
1/3 cup lukewarm milk
3 Tbs. butter – softened just a bit
2 Tbs. honey
1/3 cup Steel-Cut Oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 Tbs. wheat germ ++ There’s a new one out with honey!!
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. rapid rise (bread machine) yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts OR pecans ++ To be added about 15 minutes after bread machine has started to knead the dough.

USE - A Heartier Version of 'Five-Star Bread' - myyellowfarmhouse.com (2)

A Heartier Version of 'Five-Star Bread' - myyellowfarmhouse.com 008

March 5, 2016November 16, 2016

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!28 Comments

‘Five-Star’ White Sandwich Bread – Prepared in a Bread Maker

UPDATE!!

One of my ‘Reddit’ followers made Italian bread with this recipe!!

“I made this recipe, but substituted the milk with more water, and instead of letting the machine bake the bread, I used the dough program, then made a ball and let it rise in a greased bowl for an hour. After that I formed an Italian loaf and placed it in a cold oven. I turned the oven up to 450 F and baked the bread until it was done. It came out great! (The important thing of the recipe is the ratios, they’re spot on.)”

++ If you’re an experienced bread baker, give this a try. I know I will!

King Arthur Flour Company calls this recipe ‘Bread Machine Bread – Easy as Can Be’, but I prefer the name ‘Five-Star Bread’ because this recipe is so highly rated! The loaf bakes up super high with a lovely, springy texture – great for sandwiches, toast and French Toast.

Because ‘Five-Star Bread’ is made with a bread maker, you just add the ingredients, press a button and, in a few hours, you’ll be making sandwiches with freshly baked bread.

Judging from the reviews on the King Arthur Flour web site, it seems people have fallen in love with this sandwich bread. In fact a few people said they make this bread two to three times a week. You can’t have a better recommendation than that!

King Arthur Flour, based in Vermont (USA), has been in existence as a flour mill since 1790 – that’s a long, long time. I truly love their products. When we had our farm in Quebec we traveled back and forth between our ‘Yellow Farmhouse’ here in Massachusetts and our farmhouse ‘up north’ – and I loved to drop by King Arthur’s Flagship Store, aptly named The Baker’s Store, in Norwich, Vermont. If you’re ever in the New England area, I highly recommend dropping by!!

King Arthur Flour - Store- Norwich, Vermont — King Arthur Flour’s Flagship Store – Norwich, Vermont

The King Arthur Flour’s Baker’s Hotline can answer and & all of your baking questions! 1-855-371-2253.

Directions for Large Loaf (1 1/2 – 2 lb.)

++ For a Smaller (1 lb.) Loaf — continue scrolling down.)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup lukewarm water
1/3 cup lukewarm milk ++ warm, briefly, in microwave
3 Tbs. butter – slightly softened
3 3/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
3 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast OR instant (bread machine) yeast ++ I used bread machine yeast

Follow your bread maker’s instructions for basic white bread. With my bread maker I set the machine to ‘Regular/Basic’, which takes 3 hours and 50 minutes. Enjoy !!

Instructions for Smaller (1 lb.) Loaf

2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 lukewarm milk ++ warm, briefly, in microwave
2 Tbs. butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
5 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active dry yeast OR instant (bread machine) yeast

Follow your bread maker’s instructions for basic white bread. I know with my bread maker I set the machine to ‘Regular/Basic’. Enjoy !!

Follow this link for baking recipes of all kinds. King Arthur Flour even has a Help Line!

Five Star Bread - King Arthur Flour - Bread Machine - myyellowfarmhouse.com

COPY -Five Star Bread - King Arthur Flour - Made in a Bread Machine

February 27, 2016December 5, 2016

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!39 Comments

‘No Name Bread’ – – A dense, round loaf made with flour & cornmeal. Perfect with chili, soup or stew!

No Name Bread is delicious, but what makes it really special is how little ‘hands on’ time is needed. You mix flour, salt, water and instant yeast, then let the dough sit overnight. (Or a total of 12 – 18 hours.) About an hour before you plan to eat, add some cornmeal & some seasonings and knead dough for about 5 minutes. Cover dough and allow to rest for a half hour. Bake for a half hour and ‘et voila’ – a dense moist bread which holds up to being dunked in soup, chili or stew. ; o )

I’ll let you in a secret. This loaf of bread is NOT the bread I intended to make. I won’t go into a lot of detail about The Problem. I’ll just mention that ‘all flours are not made equal’, meaning Canadian flour is slightly different than flour used in the States. Due to that difference, the dough ended up being sticky and soft. But the yeast worked it’s magic and that’s the most important thing!!

I thought of adding a bit more flour to the dough but was out of flour. (Thank you flour moths…) But I did have cornmeal – and the rest of the story will go down in history as How ‘No Name Bread’ Came to Be!

INGREDIENTS ++ Remember to start the dough the afternoon or night before!!

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. instant OR rapid rise yeast ++ Bread machine yeast IS rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water ++ Run your hands under the water to check. If the water feels slightly warmer than your hand – it’s perfect!
1 cup cornmeal.
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/3 tsp. garlic salt with herbs
2 Tbs. pine (pignolia) nuts ++ optional
parchment paper
RIGHT BEFORE BAKING….
olive oil
1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings

METHOD

Oven at 450 (F) Bake on a parchment paper-lined cookies sheet for 25 mins.

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast. Mix in 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 12 – 18 hours. (You can peek it at… I know I did!)

About an hour before you plan to serve the bread, turn out dough… which will be VERY sticky… onto a heavily floured work surface. Roll dough around a bit so it picks up some of the flour. Add 1 cup cornmeal. Work the dough with your hands until cornmeal is thoroughly mixed in. Add 1/2 tsp. Italian seasonings, 1/3 tsp. garlic salt with herbs and 2 Tbs. pine nuts and work into dough.

Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Scrape dough onto the middle of a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Form into a 7 1/2″ circle. Cover dough with the same large bowl, turned upside down, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

See, it’s bubbling again!

Drizzle dough with olive oil (you can be generous with the olive oil) and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings.

Bake in a preheated 450 (F) oven for 25 minutes. ++ Loaf will look more ‘golden’ than brown. I recommend letting the loaf of ‘No Name Bread’ sit for 5 – 10 minutes…. if you can wait that long!!

Follow this link for my recipe ‘Thick ‘n Creamy Charred Red Bell Pepper and Potato Chowder’

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November 7, 2015January 27, 2017

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!6 Comments

Gemelli Pasta Bake with Parmesan & Mozzarella and Rustic Italian Bread

++ For my recipe for Rustic Italian Bread – please follow this link – https://myyellowfarmhouse.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/rustic-italian-bread

A meal featuring saucy/cheesy baked pasta with a warm slice of homemade rustic Italian bread is always a sure winner. This recipe is a snap to make and it can be put together ahead of time – which is always nice, especially when you’re having guests.

In my case, I was at our house in the Pocono Mountains, with plans to leave the next day, when I decided that I’d rather cook up something with whatever was in the refrigerator rather drag it all home. If you follow this blog, you’ll know that I love “digging in the fridge” and making “what’s for dinner” using whatever I find. I found a bit of left-over spaghetti sauce that I’d made following ChgoJohn’s recipe for basic meat sauce. (It makes quite a bit, so I’d frozen some). http://fromthebartolinikitchens.com/2013/01/16/basic-meat-sauce-sugo-di-carne/ I also found some left-over red and green pepper, an onion, some left-over bottled spaghetti sauce – and – digging further, I found a box of pasta in the cupboard. We had run out of Parmesan, so I ran to the store – while there, I also purchased a bag of shredded Mozzarella.

I often bring my bread machine to the Pocono house, and my grandchildren love both making – and eating – homemade bread. So I decided I’d make – for the very first time – an Italian bread using the bread machine for the dough and then baking the bread in the oven. I’d never made Italian bread before and I was so happy with the results. In fact, the bread looked so beautiful it almost looked fake!

And – I gotta say – the pasta turned out yummy, though I only ate a small bit ’cause I wanted to freeze both the bread and the pasta for my son and his family when they returned to the Pocono house. And were they ever glad because on their next trip they brought along a bunch of nieces and nephew. From what I was told, the pasta – and especially the bread – were big hits!

View from the fabulous new lodge built by the ‘association’ where we have our home in the Pocono Mountains. I LOVE sitting here – you can bring something to eat, and, better yet… something to drink! So very peaceful….

Gemelli (pasta), which comes from the Italian word for twin, resembles two strands of pasta twisted together. These small pasta twists keep their shape and hold the flavor of sauce beautifully while retaining a firm “al dente” texture – which makes Gemelli perfect for a baked pasta dish. (Photo courtesy of Frites and Fries.com)

Ingredients for Gemelli Pasta Bake with Parmesan & Mozzarella

Oven at 350 F

Cook . . . covered – for 30 minutes. Uncover….cook for another 15 minutes

++ If the pasta has been refrigerated, it’ll take a bit longer to cook. (Here’s what I do to tell if it’s hot enough – I put a CLEAN finger in the middle – if it’s hot in the middle, then it’s ready!)

olive oil – about 2 Tbs.
1/2 to 3/4 green pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 – 3/4 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 (24 oz) jars of spaghetti sauce (I like Bertolli “Tomato & Garlic”.)
++ If you have some left-over sauce with meatballs or sausage, chop up the meatballs/sausage and add to the pasta. Or – you could add some left-over chicken or ground beef.
3 – 4 cups UNCOOKED Gemelli pasta, cooked according to package directions for al dente.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese PLUS 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top (I highly recommend you buy freshly grated Parmesan – it just tastes so much better!)
1 bag shredded Mozzarella – DIVIDED
salt & pepper to taste

Follow the package instructions for cooking Gemelli pasta al dente. Once cooked, drain in a colander & rinse to prevent further cooking. While your pasta is cooking, heat some oil olive in a large skillet, and cook the green pepper, red pepper and onion just until they’re just “crisp tender”. If adding left-over sauce with meatballs etc. – add it now. If adding raw ground beef or chicken, remove the veggies and continue cooking until no longer pink. Reintroduce the veggies and add sauce. Mix well.

Pour your sauce into a big bowl. Add the pasta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/2 the bag of shredded Mozzarella & combine.

Pour into a large casserole dish or a 13′ x 9″ pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and the rest of the bag of shredded Mozzarella.

Bake at 350 F – covered – for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes – or until heated through.

If the pasta has been refrigerated, remove it from fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. – it might still take a bit longer go heat up – say 40 minutes covered & 15 more uncovered. Enjoy !

August 4, 2013January 24, 2015

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!11 Comments

Rustic Italian Bread

The beauty of this recipe for Rustic Italian Bread is that the dough can be made in a bread machine and then baked in the oven – OR it can be made in the traditional way. So, you choose!

Unlike typical Italian bread, this bread is very light. It’s called “rustic” but I don’t think the name really fits. It’s more like “light as a feather Italian bread”!

Both recipes take 3 hours, 45 minutes – including 1 hour for cooling the bread. But that’s not all “hands on” time.

Ingredients (The same for both methods.)

1 cup water – temperature 100 F to 115 F Here’s a trick, if the water feels slightly warm on your wrist, then it should be fine. You only want it “warm”, not “hot”! Too hot – or too cold and the yeast doesn’t work. Of course, if you’re using a bread machine, it heats the water for you!
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cups BREAD flour – Interestingly enough – in Canada, they can use ordinary flour. Somehow the flour in Canada is “different”.
2 tsp. sugar – Yeast needs sugar to “work”.
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (1/4 oz.) package active dry yeast – I called Pillsbury and they said to use regular yeast – even with a bread machine. 1/4 oz. yeast = 2 1/4 tsp. OR 1 cake fresh yeast
about 3 Tbs. cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten – spread on the bread BEFORE baking

Using a Bread Machine to Make the Dough

Oven at 375 F Bake 25 – 35 minutes Yield = 1 (12-slice) loaf

Place all ingredients – EXCEPT the cornmeal & egg white – in bread machine according the manufacturer’s directions. Set on “dough” setting.

When dough cycle is finished, remove dough and place on lightly floured surface. (I use a dish towel.) Punch dough down – meaning press it down with your hands, which flattens it out. If dough is too sticky, mix in a bit of additional flour before shaping.

Cover dough with a clean cloth. (I use the same dish towel.) Let dough “rest” 15 minutes. It will have already begun to rise a bit again. Nothing seems to keep a good dough down. ; o )

Shape dough into a baguette shape about 12″ long.

Prepare a cookie sheet by spreading 3 Tbs. of cornmeal on it. Place formed dough onto cookie sheet. If the baguette shape becomes a bit “messed up”, just pat it back into submission! I find the best way to cook or bake is not to take it too seriously. There’s alot you can do to “fix things” before they’re baked/cooked. And believe me, even wedding cakes can be fixed up – I know ! So don’t freak out – just find a way to fix the problem. I also find that talking to yourself helps immensely !

Now cover your lovely creation and let it rise in a warm place (80 F to 85 F) for 20 to 25 minutes. If your kitchen is cold, you can fill a 13″ x 10″ pan with hot water, place it in the bottom of your oven and let your bread rise in there. I’ve also been known to heat the oven a bit and then shut it off, but you may not want to try that in case you heat the oven too much.

After 20 – 25 minutes your dough should be about double in size. If the bread has been rising in the oven, obviously, take it out and set the oven to 375 F. Take a sharp knife and make a 1/2″ deep cut along the length of the bread. (Oops – I just realized the directions say “1 cut”, and I had read it as “one 1” cut”… oh well, my bread turned out OK..)

Brush sides and top of loaf with some of the beaten egg white. I use my fingers…

Bake for 25 to 34 minutes – or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. I’ve found that bread often cooks faster than the directions say. My bread was ready in 25 minutes, but each oven are different.

+ Tip – if you like a soft crust, cover the bread with a dish towel as it’s cooling. Enjoy!

Directions for Traditional Method

Ingredients – exactly the same as above

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup. Level off with a knife. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix well. Add warm water and oil. Mix well. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. (I use a dish towel.) Knead dough 10 minutes or until smooth. (To knead dough, push away from you with the palm of your hand, turn dough, fold over and repeat.) If dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.

Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, place it back onto the lightly floured surface and cover with inverted bowl. Allow to “rest” for 15 minutes.

To form the dough into a baguette and to bake the bread – refer to the directions above, as they’re the same. Enjoy!

++Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury

August 4, 2013January 18, 2017

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!9 Comments

Always Moist Barbequed Chicken, Corny Bread and Easy-Cheesy New Potatoes

“Always Moist Barbequed Chicken”

“Corny Bread – Made in Bread Machine”

“Easy Cheesy New Potatoes”

“Easy Cheesy New Potatoes” – – – ‘Brooklyn Farm Girl’s’ version – – – prepared with fresh radishes and broccoli straight from her rooftop garden. Check out Pamela’s blog at brooklynfarmgirl.com!!

Some friends came over tonight to help take my outdoor furniture out of the barn – and into the yard, where it belongs! The weather today was amazing – mild with no humidity…. the kind of day that just screams – BAR–B– QUE !!

I haven’t made my Always Moist Barbequed Chicken in a while, although it’s always a real favorite whenever I make it. (And it was a big hit tonight.) The secret lies in the marinade, and, in cooking the chicken in a 250 F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours so the meat is partly cooked before it goes on the grill. So you can say goodbye to slightly raw – or dried out – barbequed chicken!

The Easy-Cheesy New Potatoes is something I “invented” tonight – and the Corny Bread recipe is from a cookbook that came with my bread maker. Even though there’s a half cup of cornmeal in the ingredients, it doesn’t taste like cornbread. It’s just incredibly moist and light! .

“Always Moist Barbequed Chicken”

The “Always Moist Barbequed Chicken” is marinated for several hours – or overnight – so I’m giving you those directions first.

Ingredients – (Uses 4 Large Chicken Breast Halves – bone-in and with skin.)

4 bone-in chicken breast halves with skin
3/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
dash of pepper

Combine the Italian salad dressing with 2 Tbs. soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and a dash of pepper. If you like, you can add some other ingredients to your marinade, such as a bit of cayenne pepper are some cumin, for example.

Place the chicken in a bowl, a pan or a large zip lock bag, and pour the marinade over it. Marinate overnight – or for several hours, turning occasionally.

About 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you plan to barbeque (depending on the size of the chicken breasts) set your oven at 250 F, drain away the marinade and place the chicken in a low sided casserole or pan. (You can turn the chicken a few times but it’s not necessary.)

At the end of the cooking time, the chicken will look like this – all ready to be barbequed!

OK – you’re all set! Set your gas grill at medium. Slather chicken breasts with your favorite sauce, grill until the skin as brown as you like and enjoy! (If fat from the chicken makes your grill flame up – lower heat a bit.)

++ Tip from Emril Legasse – spread on your barbeque sauce at the last-minute or it might crystallize and char! My chicken breasts charred a bit because I turned up the heat when the skin wasn’t browning quickly enough for me…. and the next thing I knew, it had gotten slightly charred. Oh well, we live & learn !

Corny Bread – Made in the Bread Machine

The “Corny Bread” takes several hours, so allow yourself enough time. (Not that you have to do any of the kneading etc.!)

Ingredients

2 Tbs. milk. . . .and add lukewarm water to make 1 cup
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbs. butter, softened a bit
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 tsp. yeast – bread machine yeast !
++ OPTIONAL – 1/2 cup canned corn – drained OR 1/2 cup frozen corn – ADDED LATER!

Place all the ingredients – EXCEPT THE CORN – in your bread machine’s baking pan in the order listed above. Select the “Basic” and “Regular Crust” settings. My bread machine lets me know when I should add ingredients such as nuts – or corn. If you’re bread maker doesn’t have this feature, you can add the corn towards the end of the kneading cycle. (My machine takes 3 hours and 50 minutes to knead and bake the bread.)

“Easy Cheesy New Potatoes”

My sister-in-law says I could make a delicious meal out of mud. And by that she means I can take a bit of this and a bit of that and – voila – some good eatin’ ! I take that as a very nice complement – thanks Sue !! These “Easy Cheesy New potatoes” were NOT made out of mud but out of what I happened to have on hand. I love the flavor and texture of new potatoes – like strawberries, they taste like spring or early summer.

Ingredients

6 – 7 medium new potatoes – unpeeled
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
5 shakes of Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. salt – or to taste
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
some sliced cheese to place on the top – about 1/2 cup – as much as you want
(I happened to have Marble Jack cheese, which is a combination of Colby and Monterey Jack)

Scrub potatoes a bit under running water, then cut into chunks of about 1″. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook potatoes until they are fork tender. (According to my brother-in-law, I didn’t cook them enough. According to his wife, they were fine…)

Once potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside. With the heat off, mix 2 Tbs butter, 2 Tbs. olive oil, 5 shakes Tabasco sauce, 2 Tbs. parsley and 1/4 tsp. salt in the pan. Add in the potatoes and mix well. (If the potatoes begin to break up a bit… that’s fine.)

Place potatoes in a casserole. Put some sliced cheese on top and broil until the cheese is melted – that’s it ! (The cheese tends to melt quickly because the potatoes are already hot!) Enjoy !

June 20, 2013March 18, 2014

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!19 Comments

Ham ‘n Swiss Bread

When we lived in Villanova, outside of Philadelphia, my sons and their friends used to love grabbing something to eat which didn’t need to be heated. Just Grab and Go! Therefore, they loved Ham ‘n Swiss Bread. Ham ‘n Swiss Bread is good reheated, at room temperature or right out of the oven = which makes it nice for a party or a picnic.

Oven at 375 F Bake for 30 minutes Makes one Ham ‘n Swiss Bread

Ingredients

white bread dough – enough for one bread, either made from scratch or purchased. ++ Of course, if it’s frozen…. you’ll have to thaw it first. Follow directions on the package.)
3 cups chopped ham (I used a 12 oz. packaged ham slice)
1 cup chopped Swiss cheese
1 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. grainy mustard (I use Grey Poupon “Country Djion”)
a bit of oil to grease baking sheet
1 egg, beaten – to be used right before baking

Place dough (after thawing, if necessary) in a medium-sized greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (or a dish towel). Allow dough to almost double in size in a warm place. (I like to warm up the oven – just a tiny bit – and leave the dough to rise there – out of any drafts.)

Once dough has risen, remove it from bowl and ‘punch it down’, which means punching or pressing the dough down until it’s, basically, hardly any bigger than when you first placed it into the covered bowl. This rising is called (no surprise here..) – The First Rising.

Form the punched down dough into a log shape about 8″ long.

Place “dough log” onto a greased cookie sheet and flatten down with your hands – or a rolling-pin – into a rectangle about 11″ x 13′. ++ The rectangle doesn’t have to be perfect.

Once you begin working the dough, it’ll get softer and your job will be easier. Here I am stretching the dough. Whatever works, right? ++ I discovered purchased bread dough is harder to work with than homemade bread dough.

Mix chopped ham and chopped Swiss cheese with 1 Tbs. mustard and 1 Tbs. mayonnaise. Spread the mixture in the center of the rectangle. Then, using kitchen shears (you can use a knife, but I think shears make the job easier), make cuts at 1″ intervals on both sides of the dough – cutting towards the center.

One by one, take a strip from each side and bring them together in the middle of the loaf. Twist the two ends together, using the photo of the finished bread as your model. Don’t worry – it’s super easy. And, actually, kind of fun! ++ You might have to stretch some strips a little bit to make them ‘meet’.

After you’ve finished twisting – admire you handiwork for a minute – then cover bread with a dish towel. (Tea towel for my British, Maltese & Australian friends!!). Allow bread to rise for the second time, which should take about 40 minutes.

When bread has risen sufficiently, meaning almost doubled in size, heat oven to 375F. ++ Don’t forget to remove bread from oven – if it’s been rising there.

Using a brush or your fingers (I always use my fingers…) spread beaten egg on the risen bread.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Bread should be golden brown, and should sound hollow when lightly tapped. Enjoy!!