Crazy Day, Comforting Dinner

Monday was crazy. You know how it is, heading back to work after a long break. I was so happy I had made the extra roast chicken on Friday, because we used it last night.

I started out with Lentil Soup. What a hearty, comforting way to begin a meal.

1 onion diced finely,
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbs. olive oil
2 carrots cut into small dice
3/4 tsp of smoky paprika or cayenne pepper (if you like heat)
1/2 tsp of cumin
2 bay leaves
8 ounces of fresh spinach
1 large can of chicken broth
8 - 16 ounces of water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 lb bag of brown lentils.

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about five minutes and then add the carrot, the paprika, cumin, bay leaves broth, water, lentils, and boullion cube. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Three or four minutes before you take the soup off the heat add the spinach. Let it cook down and you are ready to serve.

We ate this with mulit-grain bread that I made last week.

For the rest of the meal, I cooked up some asparagus, took some of the left over orzo that hadn't been sauteed with the veggies from Friday, heated it, dressed it with olive oil, red pepper flakes and a dusting of pecorino romano cheese. We ate all this with some of the leftover chicken.

Easy, and filling.

Multi-grain Bread

I have this super easy recipe for multi-grain bread. It's healthy and I love it. It also makes a really pretty loaf.

2 c. water
3/4 c. multigrain cereal
1 tbsp butter
1/3 c. molasses
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 pkg. yeast
4.5 cups all-purpose flour

Combine the 2 cups water and the cereal in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until melted, then molasses and salt. Let cool completely.

Dissolve sugar and yeast in the 1/2 c. of lukewarm water and let stand until it is frothy. In a large bowl, comibne the yeast and cereal mixtures. Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in enough of the flour to make stiff dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Divide dough and either place in 8 x 4 inch loaf pans, or make a free form loaf like i do. I also take one egg yolk, add 1 tsp of water and make an egg wash. I brush the top with the egg wash and it makes a beautiful golden brown, glossy crust. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes. I bake it at 400 for 20 to 25.

Traveling

I'm back from traveling. Actually, I was back on Sunday, but I had a marathon day yesterday making lasagna for 120 people.

I went to my parents' house in Abilene, Kansas for a few days, left Rob and the dog to fend for themselves. You'd have thought I'd been gone for ten years when I returned.

I didn't do much cooking while I was at my parents. Lots of bread that's for sure. I made challah and multigrain bread. I've been looking and I've not put the recipe for either of these on the blog yet, so here goes.

Challah. (This recipe is adapted from Shabbat Shalom, a great Jewish Cookbook.)

4-1/2 tsps of yeast,
1 cup of hot water,
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
4.5 to 5 cups of flour.

Place the yeast and hot water and 1 tsp of the sugar into a large bowl, mix, and let the yeast bloom. Then add the canola oil, sugar, honey, and the eggs. Mix completely and then add the flour a cup at a time. When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl take it out and knead it.

Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl for about and hour or until it's double. Divide the dough into two equal halves, and then divide each of these halves into thirds. Make ropes with these thirds and braid the bread. You will have two loaves. Make an egg was and brush both loaves, sprinkle with sesame seeds and then let the dough rise again for about an hour. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes.


Multigrain bread,

2 cups water
3/4 cup multigrain cereal
1/3 cup molasses
1 tbs butter
2 tsps salt

1 tbs yeast
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsp. sugar

4 - 4.5 cups of flour.

Bring water to a boil and add the cereal, cook until the cereal has absorbed most of the water. Take off the heat and add the molasses, butter and salt.

In a bowl, add the yeast, 1/2 cup of hot water and the sugar, let the yeast bloom and then add the cooled cereal mixture. Finally add the flour one cup at a time, until it is all incorporated. This will be a really sticky dough.

Put it in an oiled bowl and let it rise for at least an hour until doubled in size. Take it out, punch it down, knead it, and then divide in half. Create two loaf shapes, snip two slits in the top for decoration and let rise again for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

I'll get into lasagna tomorrow.