New Orleans Style Muffuletta

The muffuletta is an Italian influenced sandwich that originated in the New Orleans French Quarter. I have had a serious hankering for some good ol' Louisana style cuisine and this dish just hit the spot. The best thing about this sandwich is that the longer it sits and marinates the better it tastes. I highly suggest making this sandwich on Sunday and take it to work for lunch for a few so you can tastes the flavors enhancing. 

 In this specific recipe I used a special ingredient, wild boar salami. I bought this as well as the genoa salami and ham at Overland Meat Co, South Lake Tahoe's local butcher. The wild boar salami came highly suggested from the owner himself so I knew it had to be tasty and it was! Wild boar salami made a perfect addition to the muffuletta giving it just a little more excitement.  If you don't have access to wild boar salami you can really use any kind of cured meats that you enjoy like capicola, soppresseta or prosciutto. 

Now for my other favorite part of the muffuletta... the bread. I had some extra time on my hands so I decided to make a muffuletta loaf from scratch. The muffuletta bread recipe is quite easy and posted below for my fellow bread makers. If you don't have the time or love for baking bread a good piece of focaccia from your local bakery will do just the trick.

Olive Salad
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup green olives with pimentos
1 tbs capers
1 16oz jar of Giardiniera (pickled cauliflower, celery, onions +
1/4 cup fresh parsley
pinch of oregano 
2 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil

Finely chop all above ingredients then toss in oil and lemon juice. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Sandwich Fixins
 1/4 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
1/4 lb smoked ham
1/4 lb genoa salami
1/4 lb wild boar salami (use your preference here)
1/4 lb mortadella
1/4 lb slices of provolone 

Split your loaf of bread horizontally. Place half of the olive salad on the bottom piece of bread. Next layer the cheese and meats in order above. Top the last layer with the rest of the olive salad and carefully press the top of the sandwich back on.

At this point you can leave the round whole, wrap and refrigerate for until ready to serve or cut the sandwich into 6 rounds and wrap individually and refrigerate. You should let the sandwich ready for at least a few hours or overnight to let the flavors build. 

Bread
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup luke warm water
3 tsp instant yeast
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Place the sugar and yeast into the warm water and let it sit until it becomes bubbly. Make sure the water is not too hot. Meanwhile place the bread flour and salt into a stand mixer or a bowl. Once the yeast is bubbly slowly pour it into the flour along with the oil. Stir the mixture with the paddle attachment on your mixer or a fork until smooth and not too sticky. Remove from the bowl and knead for 5 minutes. Place the ball into a lightly oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap and a towel (make sure it's air tight). Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the dough form the bowl and punch the air out and form into an oval. Lightly brush the round with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds, lightly pressing them into the dough. Cover and let rise for another 15 minutes. Place in the oven on the top rack and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and cook for 15 minutes longer. The loaf will sound hollow when tapped. 

Let the loaf rest for at least 12 hours before cutting for snadwich. 

Pizza Dough

I enjoy making pizza and since it is so easy I make it quite often. This recipe is great because you let the dough rise in the fridge overnight and use it when you are ready to make your pizza. There is no need to let it sit at room temperature to rise, which makes pizza making very convenient all you need to do is plan ahead a little. The dough is good in the fridge for up to 3 days so you can make a fresh pizza whenever you want! 

When it comes to pizza dough and pasta I can't stress how important it is to use good flour. The absolute best flour is "00" farina flour. I find this particular brand at whole foods and some small Italian specialty stores. Once you try this flour I promise there is no going back. The difference is unbelievable! 

Ingredients
Makes 2 Balls of Dough

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
1 cup cold water 
3 tbs olive oil

1/8 cup semolina

Stand Mixer Directions: 

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast into a large mixing bowl. Slowly add in the water and oil and let the mixer run until a ball starts to form, once the ball forms split it in pieces then turn on again, letting the mixer do the kneading for you or remove and knead for 5 minutes until a smooth ball forms.

Remove the ball from the dough from the mixer. Split the dough in half and make two even balls. Place the balls on a tray covered with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. 

Bowl Directions: 

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast into a large mixing bowl. Slowly add in the water and oil mixing well. Turn the dough onto a floured counter or silpat and use your hands to start kneading it into a ball. Continue kneading the dough for 7-8 minutes until an elastic ball forms. 

Split the dough in half and make two even balls. Place the balls on a tray covered with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. Leave the dough in the fridge until you are ready to shape. 


Pizza Time:

Preheat the oven to 425.  (at this time place your pizza stone in the oven). Sprinkle some semolina on the counter and start. Place the dough into the center of the pizza press out and start pulling and stretching the dough until you have the size and thickness that you prefer. 

Until I get a chance to make a video here is a great one on shaping your dough. http://youtu.be/7OotCkmoPN8

Top the pizza with your fixins and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

Buon Appetito.

**Cook time will be based on your toppings and quality of your oven, so pay attention after 10 minutes. 

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bran Bread with Almonds

 My garden is just pumping out the zucchinis and i'm loving it. Living in the mountains makes it very hard to grow great produce but we keep trying. This was our first year growing zucchinis and surprisingly they are very easy and they are doing great. The three beauties above seemed to have come out of nowhere in just a few days so it was time to get cooking!

There are so many different things you can do with zucchinis and this time I deicded to use one of the zucchini for bread and the other two for Zucchini Fritters. This recipe is on the healither side and not super sweet but quite yummy. The bonus is that it taste hardly any time to prep. 

Dry Ingredients
2 cups wheat flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar (optional*)

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce**
1/4 cup walnut oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cups zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350. Use non-stick spray or butter to coat a loaf pan. Place all of the wet ingredients into a large bowl and stir with a fork. Place all of the wet ingredients into a small bowl and stir with a fork. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing well. Fold in the almonds and place mixture into the loaf pan. The mixture will be pretty thick and not runny at all so use a spatula to get all of it out. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. When the bread is ready remove it and place it on a wire rack to cool. 

* I don't like my bread super sweet so adding in the additional white sugar is up to you
** If you don't have applesauce in the fridge use the same amount in oil.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Making pizza at home is cheap and much easier than you think. All you need is a few minutes to mix the dough and an hour to let the dough rise. You can prep your fixins while the dough is rising, read a book, do laundry or a squeeze in a quick workout.  

Ingredients
Makes 2-3 pizzas
2 1/2 Cups White Flour
1 Cup Wheat Flour
1 Tsp. Sugar
1/4 Cup Warm Water
3/4 Cup Warm Water
2 1/4 Tsp. Active Yeast
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Place flour and salt in a large bowl making a well in the middle. In a separate bowl add the yeast and sugar then pour in 1/4 cup of the warm water, set aside for 5 or more minutes until the yeast bubbles. Once the yeast is bubbled pour the olive oil and yeast mixture into the well in the flour.  

Use a fork or a dough hook on you mixer and mix adding 3/4 cup of water a little at a time, until a ball is starting to form. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball and turn out onto a floured surface. Continue to kneed the ball for 5-7 minutes or until a elastic ball forms. The more you kneed the dough the better, I typically knead my dough for 7 or more minutes.

Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Set the bowl in a very warm spot and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 425. Once the dough is ready kneed it once more to get the air bubbles out. Split the dough into however many pizzas you plan to make and either toss the pizza dough int the air to spread the dough or use a rolling pin to flatten it out.

Place the dough onto the stone or baking sheet, spread a little olive oil on the dough then place toppings on the dough and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

** If you are using a pizza stone make sure to preheat the stone in the oven. 
** If you are making a topping heavy pizza make sure not to spread your dough too thin and then bake for 5 minutes before topping. 

Ciabatta Bread

Sponge Ingredients

• 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (105°‐115° F.)
• 1/3 cup room-temperature water
• 1 cup bread flour*

Sponge Recipe- Make 1 day prior

In a small bowl stir together yeast and warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, room-temperature water, and flour and stir 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

Bread Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm milk (105°‐115° F.)
• 2/3 cup room-temperature water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups bread flour*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 
  

In a small bowl stir together yeast and milk and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil, salt and flour at for 4 minutes or until a sticky ball forms. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and knead for another 4 minutes. Place the ball into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare a large baking sheet by spraying a little olive oil on it and top with 2 tbs of cornmeal. Shape the ciabatta into a large oval and place on the baking sheet. Dust the loaf with flour, cover the loaf with a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature until almost doubled, 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Slice and enjoy. 

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I was making my yummy Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers and thought they would be great on pita bread but I did not feel like going to the grocery, so I decided I would try making them on my own. I never knew how easy pitas were to make but it was so simple and delicious. I wasn't sure how they were supposed to puff up but the high heat and low rack did the trick. If they don't puff then you have flat bread so it's a win win either way. Enjoy!! 

Ingredients
Makes 6 Pitas

2 cups bread flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp quick rise yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup lukewarm water

Place the sugar and yeast in a measuring cup and add in the water, letting the pouring of the water mix the yeast and sugar around. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until yeast bubbles.

Put the salt and flour into a large bowl and stir then pour in the bubbled yeast and mix well with a fork or dough hooks on a hand mixer. Add in the extra water just a little at a time until the dough is evenly moistened. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 or more minutes until you form a stretchy and elastic like ball. Place the ball into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let is it in a warm place and rise for 30 minutes to an hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size remove the ball and place in on the same floured surface and knead out all of the bubbles and make 6 balls and flatten them out with a rolling pin making large disks. Place the disks on a flat surface, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place and let it rise for another 20-30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 500 and make sure the rack is at the very bottom of the oven. Place a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to warm before placing the dough on it. Once the dough is ready and the baking sheet remove the baking sheet and spray some olive on it to prevent sticking. Place two disks at a time on the baking sheet and cook one side for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes. 

Remove the pitas from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Repeat until all of the dough is cooked. Let the pitas cool and use a knife to slice through the dough to open the pita. Serve cold or warm. Once completely cooled you can store them in a ziploc bag. 

Enjoy! 

Jalapeno Cheddar Burger Buns

 

I am totally obsessed with jalapeno cheddar bread. It is so yummy and you can use it for so many fun sandwich combinations. The past few times I've made a jalapeno cheddar bread was either in the form of a bagel or a loaf of bread. This go around I decided to make burger buns for my Black Bean Mushroom Burgers and they totally completed the burger.  

The process to make the buns is just like making a loaf of bread except you shape it differently. If you are in the mood for a loaf of jalapeno cheddar just follow the directions below and place the dough in a bread pan for the final rise and bake.

 

Ingredients
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp(1 package) instant yeast
1 tbs sugar 
3/4 of warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten (at room temp)
2 tbs olive oil 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos

3 tbs egg whites + 1 tbs water for brushing

Directions
In large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Pour the warm water, sugar and yeast In a small bowl or measuring cup and let is sit for 5 minutes or until it bubbles. With dough hook or a fork, stir the yeast mixture, egg and oil into flour mixture until blended. Add a little more water at a time, if needed but not more than 1/4 cup. Place the dough on a floured surface or silpat and knead the jalapenos and 3/4 cup of the cheddar into the dough for 5-7 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with lid or plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and punch down to remove any bubbles. Separate the dough into 6 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball, place on non-stick baking sheet and flatten into a 3 1/2-inch disk. Cover and the balls rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat your oven half way through the rising period. 

When the buns are done rising brush the egg wash on top and add a sprinkle of cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove buns and place on rack to cool. Slice through buns and serve. 

Bagels

Ingredients

Makes 7-8 bagels

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbs sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water (1 packages of yeast)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Fixins

Shredded Cheddar & Sliced Jalapenos

Shredded Asiago

Everything: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Dried Garlic and Dried Onions

Directions:

Add the yeast and sugar into a measuring cup with 1/2 cup of warm water. Pour the water in yeast mixture so that it gets to the bottom of the measuring cup, do not stir. Let the yeast mixture sit for 5-7 minutes until it is foamy. 

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix while making a well in the center of the flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and use a dough hook on your mixer (or stand mixer) to combine. Pour in the rest of the water a little at a time while mixing with the dough hook. Add more water if needed until a smooth dough forms. 

Put the flour mixture onto floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until a firm, smooth elastic dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place in a warm place* and let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down then divide into 7-8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball. Make a hole in the center of the ball and twirl around your finger until a large hole is formed. 

Place the bagels on a non-stick pan, cover with the plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 10 minutes. 

While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil then reduce to a medium high heat. Place the bagels in the water and let the bagels cook for 2 minutes on each side. 

Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water then place back on the non-stick baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are done. Place the fixins of your choice on each bagel and bake for 20-25 minutes, until bagels are golden. 

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving or storing.

What is your favorite way to dress a bagel? 

My favorite bagel is an asiago bagel with cream cheese, avocado and sliced tomato. 

Pumpernickel Walnut Bread

This is my first yeast bread recipe post and it is about time. I absolutely love baking yeast bread and really enjoy the whole process. This was my first go with pumpernickel bread and it was pretty darn awesome! I don't know about you but I have always loved Outback Steakhouse's pumpernickel bread with honey butter. I haven't been to an Outback in years but I think about that bread quite often. This bread is pretty dense and super filling which makes for a great breakfast bread. You can serve it with peanut butter or good ol' honey butter.

Ingredients
Makes 2 Small Loaves

1 1/2 cups dark rye flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 cup bread flour (plus more for kneading)
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs cocoa powder
Mix the above ingredients into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tbs sugar
1/4 cup warm water 
Place yeast and sugar into the warm water and let it sit until it bubbles.

1/2 cup dark molasses
1 cup hot water
Mix the molasses into the hot water and mix well.
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup rolled oats

Once the yeast has bubbled add the yeast and molasses mixture into the flour. Use a mixer with dough hooks to mix the ingredients until a ball starts to form. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface or silpat and knead for 5-7 minutes until you have a ball of dough that isn't sticky. Place the ball of dough in a large bowl and toss it with 1/2 tbs olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a dish towel and set in a warm place.

Your rising times depend on warmth and altitude. The first and final rise should be 35-50 minutes or until doubled in size. When the dough has doubled in size remove the dough, knead in the walnuts, place on your baking sheet or bread pan, cover with plastic and let the dough rise again until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 425 while your dough is rising.

Reduce the oven to 400 and bake the bread for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat again to 350 and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. 

Spinach Feta Scone/Bread

This weekend the b/f and I took a trip to ski at Alpine Meadows. On the way up we made the a stop at the Tahoe House in Tahoe City to get some coffee and a little breakfast to go. It is a must have if you are in the Tahoe City area. They serve scones, bagels and so many other pastries and goodies. I usually go for a good ol' bagel but this time I decided to go for the spinach feta scone and it was yummy! After having one slice I knew I had to try and make it myself. 

This was my first time making a scone and I totally started off on the wrong foot because I was out of butter and had already made one too many trips to the grocery store. So instead of butter I used a little olive oil and some Greek yogurt and it turned out to be a great decision and a healthy alternative. The end result was not as dry as a scone but not quite a bread so I will call it scone/bread. This recipe makes for a great side for dinner or a yummy breakfast. Enjoy! 

Ingredients 

2 cups white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg 
1/2 cup Greek yogurt 
3/4 cup milk
1 cup sauteed spinach
1/2 cup feta 

1. Preheat the oven to 450. 
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, soda, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl. 
3 .Whisk the egg in a small bowl then add in the yogurt and milk and mix well.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together until evenly combined. 
5. Mix in the spinach and feta into the dough and knead into a ball.
6. Form the ball of dough into a 3/4 inch thick circle and cut into triangles. 
7. Place the triangles on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. 
8. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Kabocha Squash & Chocolate Chip & Raisin Bread

Kobocha Squash is another goody that we have been getting in our CSA box every week. The kobocha squash is a Japanese pumpkin that has a yummy sweet taste just like the pumpkin we all know. 

I have been playing around with a few different recipes like Kobocha Squash Risotto but nothing beats a good ol loaf of sweet bread! This recipe makes a great dessert or a yummy breakfast treat.

This recipe calls for half a cooked kobocha squash. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and place in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 1 hour. Peel off the skin and set aside to cool. If you dont have a kobocha squash use a small baking pumpkin.

Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350. 

• 2 cups wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
  
  Mix the above dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• 2 cups cooked kobocha squash (or pumpkin)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
  Place all of the above wet ingredients into a large food processor and mix until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  
  Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips. Pour batter into a non-stick baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.