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Monday, November 17, 2014

Camper's Focaccia Bread from Mother Earth News.


Had to share this, I will most definitely be trying this in the near future. And yes, I will use the RockCrok Dutch Oven to fix this. I love the RockCrok because it is so versatile and can be used on the grill even. And it heats so evenly this bread will cook like a dream in it.



Dutch Oven and Cast Iron Cooking by Peg Couch (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2013) offers complete instructions for using the classic Dutch oven to bake, simmer or roast your way to delicious food. This delightful book provides 50 recipes for breakfast, breads, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. This excerpt showcases the Camper's Focaccia Bread Recipe from the book.
You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Dutch Oven and Cast Iron Cooking.

Ingredients:

Camper's Focaccia Bread Recipe

Ingredients
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3 to 4 tsp dried herbs (such as basil, rosemary, thyme, dill or desired combination), divided
• 1/4 cups olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp. coarse sea salt, or to taste, divided
• 1/3 cups grated Asiago, Parmesan or Romano cheese

Instructions:

Preparation
In a medium bowl, mix flour, yeast and sugar. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons very warm water and stir until dough forms. Cover bowl and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
To dough in bowl, add 2 teaspoons herbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and Asiago cheese. Use hands to work ingredients into dough until well incorporated (dough will seem oily). Knead dough for 10 minutes until smooth. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
In the Oven
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Pat dough evenly over bottom of skillet. With fingers, press 1/2 inch-deep indentations evenly spaced over top of dough. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons herbs and 1 teaspoon salt.
Place skillet on center rack in oven and bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or to desired crustiness. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
Over the Fire (About 28 hot coals)
Grease bottom of Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Put dough evenly over bottom of pot. With fingers, press 1/2 inch-deep indentations evenly spaced over top of dough. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 to 2 teaspoons herb and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover pot with lid.
Arrange about 1/3 hot coals in cooking ring underneath Dutch oven. Place remaining hot coals on lid. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or to desired crustiness. Rotate pot and lid twice during cooking. Adjust the number of hot coals on top and bottom as needed for even cooking. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
Serve warm or at room temperature.


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/campers-focaccia-recipe-zerz1411zfea.aspx#ixzz3JOVY7FEA

Beef and Potato Cheese Soup

It has been forever since I posted. I have to admit, with not having a home and staying with a friend for a few months I hadn't been cooking much. I am now settling into the Duplex I am renting. My new kitchen is small, so I haven't done a ton of cooking. But with cold weather here, I really felt like making myself a nice soup. I had gone to the store for other supplies, and right up front was a display for Campbell's Soup. The new Steak and Baked Potato Cheese Soup sat there evilly tempting me. Of course I can't eat it, with all the cow's milk in it. So I headed on to get the cleaning supplies when it hit me, I have a good supply of cheeses right now, why not make my own.

So I bought a nice package of lean stew beef. I got some Idaho Potatoes and then thought, I would like to make this healthier, some other veggies would really round this out nicely. So I got Parsnips and Carrots to put in the soup.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Lean Stew Meat
2 Large Idaho Potatoes (partially peeled and diced into 1/2 pieces)
2 large Parsnips (Also peeled and diced)
10 baby carrots cut into 1 inch chunks (makes about 30 pieces of carrot)
2 cloves of Garlic (riced)
1/2 cup of brown rice flour
Season to taste: (I used Hawaiian Sea Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Cumin, Red Curry Powder)
Wine or Wine Vinegar
Water

First thing I used my RockCrok Dutch Oven to heat 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil and added 2 cloves of Garlic that I Riced with the Garlic Press and then started adding the beef which I had lightly coated with brown rice flour seasoned with Sea Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Cumin, Red Curry Powder. I turned the meat frequently until lightly browned all over and the oil had been absorbed by the flour. I then added a 1/3 cup of White Wine Vinegar. (I don't drink, so did not have wine on hand.) I added carrots, and diced parsnip and 2 Idaho Potatoes that I had partially peeled and diced up to 1/2 inch chunks. I added a cup of water and set to low heat to simmer for 45 minutes. Then I added 1/3 cup of Chevre, 1 cup of goat Yogurt and 2 cups of shredded Manchego Cheese and 1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano. I crumbled in a small amount of Sheep's milk Ricotta Ensalada which doesn't melt, but gives these lovely little slightly salty cheesy morsels while eating the soup.

I allowed this to cook at low for another 20 minutes until all the vegetables were tender.

This made a nice, stick to the bones kind of cold weather soup. The flavor is rich with a bit of sourness, sort of like a Stroganoff. And there is no cow's milk, no soy and no gluten in this homemade recipe. Win-win,