Alma

Very tasty hummus recipe. Alma has made it a few times now. Ingredients Cooked chickpeas. Though I cook dried chickpeas on occasion, I typically use store-bought canned chickpeas in my homemade hummus, and it always comes out great. If you cook your chickpeas yourself, make sure to soak them ahead of time, and let them boil for a bit longer than you normally would. You want them to be mushy, soft, and creamy. Tahini. A generous amount of good-quality tahini is the key to smooth hummus. I use 1/3 cup in my recipe, and I choose a brand with a smooth texture and a mild, nutty flavor that’s not bitter. My favorites are Cedar’s (available at most grocery stores), Seed & Mill (the best ever), and Soom. Extra-virgin olive oil. I blend 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the dip, and I love to serve it with an extra drizzle of oil on top! Fresh lemon juice. Squeeze it yourself for the best bright, zingy flavor. Garlic. It adds savory depth of flavor. Water. I start with 5 tablespoons and add more, as needed, to give it a delectable light, fluffy texture! Sea salt. I use 1/2 teaspoon to heighten the bright, nutty flavors in this homemade hummus recipe. Directions Once you assemble your ingredients, you can make this recipe in one easy step. Just add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, garlic, and salt to a high-speed blender, and process until smooth. That’s it! As you blend, add more water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency. If your blender has a baton, you may want to use it to help get things going. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can use a food processor to make this recipe. However, you’ll likely need to blend the hummus longer, for up to a few minutes. A blender makes a smoother dip faster. You can make super creamy hummus in a food processor too, but it will take a bit more time. Credits Alma found the recipe at Love and Lemons

Blank slate shortbread Though shortbread is perfect on its own, it can also be a blank canvas for all kinds of flavours and additions. If you’re going for flavour, try adding grated citrus zest, dried flowers (such as lavender or rose), finely chopped fresh herbs, dry tea leaves or spices as you beat the butter and sugar – adding them at this stage will help them release more flavour and distribute it throughout the dough. Additions such as finely chopped chocolate, nuts, candied ginger or citron can go in with the flour and salt. ...

Very tasty apple cake recipe, especially when it’s hot out of the oven. Close up action photo…. Ingredients 4 large Golden Delicious, Gala or other firm flesh apples (1 3/4 lbs) (800 g) 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder pinch sea salt 2 extra large eggs – at room temperature 1 cup organic sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk 7 tablespoons unsalted butter – melted and slightly cooled Also needed powdered sugar as garnish 1 – 10″ non-stick round spring-form pan – buttered and floured Directions Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Then using the slicing attachment of a food processor cut them crosswise in 1/8″ slices. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk at medium speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is pale and thick, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Fold the flour into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon, until just incorporated. Fold in the milk, then the butter and finally the apple slices. Be sure not to over mix. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Pack the apples into the mold and flatten the surface of the cake with the wooden spoon. Bake for 10 minutes on the floor of the oven. Transfer the pan to the middle rack and continue baking for 50 to 55 minutes until golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and run a paring knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the ring of the mold. Cool in its mold to room temperature. Unmold the cake and transfer to a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Cook’s note: The cake can be baked up to 6 hours ahead and kept in its mold at room temperature in a cool place. It is best eaten the day it is made. Credits Alma found the recipe at Food and Style

Equipment sauce pan glass liquid measuring cup Weck 744 1/2L Tulip Jar measuring cups Ingredients 2 pounds Fresh Beets 3/4 cups Red Wine Vinegar (Alma used apple cider vinegar instead) 1/2 cup Sugar or honey 1/2 cup Water, filtered 1/2 large Red onion  Instructions Trim the top stem to roughly 1 inch and throughly wash your beets. Place washed beets in a large pot of water and boil for roughly 20 minutes, or until tender. (just like boiling potatoes, the larger beets will take longer to cook) Strain cooked beets in a colander and cool your beets by running cold water over them. When your beets are cool enough to safely handle, with your faucet is running with cold water, use your hands to slip the skin off the beets. Trim the remaining stems and root to be flush with the beet bulb. Cut or slice cooked beets as desired. To make pickled beets Combine vinegar, sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and set aside. In glass jar(s) or container(s) with a tight fitting lid, layer cut up beets and sliced onion. Pour vinegar/sugar/water over top. Add additional water if needed to fully submerge the beets in the liquid. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the refrigerator for 5-7 days before enjoying. Refrigerator pickled beets will keep for about 2 months. Nutrition Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg ...

This recipe was created during West Ham’s 3-0 beating of Wolves on Sunday 16th December. It is delicious and filled a very large Dutch oven. Can also be frozen. This list of ingredients makes an extra large Dutch oven full. Reduce by 1/3 for regular Dutch oven. It’s not even Super Bowl Sunday Ingredients 1 1/2 cups EACH of dry kidney beans, white beans, black beans. You can substitute the white beans for chick peas or navy beans or whatever. Olive oil 2 large onions, 6 large cloves Canadian garlic 3 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 1 jalapeño 2 sweet bell peppers Kale (optional) 3 tbsps chilli powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cumin 1/2 to 1 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp cloves 1 tsp Italian seasoning 2 cups of hot broth of your choice ( I used beef, therefore no added salt) 2 cans of tomato sauce 1 can of chipotle in adobe sauce 1 1/2 cups frozen nibblets corn 1 cup dried lentils to thicken. (They will cook when you simmer it). Optional (not really) Sharp grated cheddar topping Tortilla chips for scooping Directions Soak 1 1/2 cups each of dried kidney beans, white beans, black beans overnight with at least 2 inches of water over the bean level. You can also use chicken peas as an alternate. Simmer the beans for about 90 minutes and then drain them when they’re cooked. Chop 2 large onion, 3 stalks of celery, 3 good size carrots, 6 large cloves of Canadian or US garlic or 10 Chinese, 1 large jalapeño, 2 sweet bell peppers, ( I used up fresh finely chopped kale, optional) In a big Dutch oven, saute all the above vegetables in olive oil until nicely sweating. Stir in 3 tablespoons chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Add 2 cups of hot broth of your choice. I used beef “Better Than Bouillon”, 2 cans of tomato sauce, the drained beans, one cup of dried lentils to thicken, a can of chipotle in adobe sauce, and 1 1/2 cups frozen nibblets corn. Simmer for a couple of hours Serve with tortilla chips for scooping it up and a grated sharp cheddar on top.

Credit We have enjoyed delicious bagels using this recipe from The Clever Carrot over the winter. Description With just 10 minutes of prep, this easy, overnight recipe uses active sourdough starter for the ultimate soft & chewy NY-style bagel. Customize with zesty everything bagel spice, sesame seeds and more! Recipe adapted from my book: Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. Ingredients 150 g (3⁄4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter 250 g (1 cup plus 2 tsp) warm water (See Notes below for temperature range) 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) King Arthur bread flour 9 g (1 1⁄2 tsp) fine sea salt 20 g (1 tbsp) honey Cooking spray or oil, for coating Mixed seeds, such as poppy, sesame, fennel, flax and sun flower seeds or Everything Bagel Spice. Notes Water temperature: In winter, I use 85-95 F water (29-35 C) to give the rise a boost. In summer, I use cooler water, about 55- 60 F (13-16 C) to slow down and control the rise. ...

Ingredients 2 tsp of instant yeast 1 cup of warm water 2 cups of bread flour 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar Directions In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Turn dough onto a well floured surface. Roll into a shape ?!? Cover with sauce and toppings Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on toppingsuntil golden brown. Serve with cold beer or red wine or white wine or vodka and tonic or …..

Donna’s short cut sourdough bread, extracted from Alexandra Cooks recipe. You should see the other one….. Ingredients 50 – 100 g (1⁄4 – 1/2 cup) bubbly, active starter — I always use 100 grams 375 g (1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp) warm water, or more 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour 9 to 12 g (1.5 – 2.5 teaspoons) fine sea salt Instructions Make the dough: Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl with a fork or spatula. Add the flour and salt. Mix to combine, finishing by hand if necessary to form a rough dough. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold: After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough and pull it up and into the center. Repeat until you’ve performed this series of folds 4 to 5 times with the dough. Let dough rest for another 30 minutes and repeat the stretching and folding action. If you have the time: do this twice more for a total of 4 times in 2 hours. Note: During the fourth stretch and fold, fold in a mixture of raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon into each fold. Bulk Fermentation (first rise): Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours at 70°F (21°C) or even less if you live in a warm environment. The dough is ready when it has increased by 50% in volume, has a few bubbles on the surface, and jiggles when you move the bowl from side to side. (UPDATE: In the past I have recommended letting the dough rise until it doubles in volume. If you’ve had success with this, continue to let the dough double. Recently, I have been stopping the bulk fermentation when the dough increases by 50% in volume, and I feel I am actually getting better oven spring in the end.) (Note regarding timing: If you are using 100 g of starter, the bulk fermentation may take less than 8 to 10 hours. If you live in a warm, humid environment, the bulk fermentation may take even less time. In the late spring/early summer, for example, my kitchen is 78ºF and the bulk fermentation takes 6 hours. It is best to rely on visual cues (increase in volume by roughly 50%) as opposed to time to determine when the bulk fermentation is done. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly increased in volume by 50%.) Shape: Coax the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round: fold the top down to the center, turn the dough, fold the top down to the center, turn the dough; repeat until you’ve come full circle. If you have a bench scraper, use it to push and pull the dough to create tension. Rest: Let the dough rest seam side up rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20-cm) bowl or proofing basket with a towel (flour sack towels are ideal) and dust with flour (preferably rice flour, which doesn’t burn the way all-purpose flour does). Using a bench scraper or your hands, shape it again as described in step 4. Place the round into your lined bowl, seam side up. Proof (second rise): Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or for as long as 48 hours. (Note: I prefer to let this dough proof for at least 24 hours prior to baking. See video for the difference in the crumb of a loaf that has proofed for 6 hours vs one that has proofed for 24 hours. The original recipe calls for a 1-hour rise, and if you have had success doing that, by all means, keep doing it.) Place a Dutch oven in your oven, and preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C). Cut a piece of parchment to fit the size of your baking pot. Score: Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Using the tip of a small knife or a razor blade, score the dough however you wish — a simple “X” is nice. Use the parchment to carefully transfer the dough into the preheated baking pot. Bake: Lower the oven to temperature to 450ºF (230ºC). Carefully cover the pot. Bake the dough for 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) and continue to bake for 10 – 15 minutes more. If necessary, lift the loaf out of the pot, and bake directly on the oven rack for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing. This loaf will stay fresh up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight plastic bag or container. It freezes beautifully, too.

Chocolate chip cookies I’m pretty sure the chocolate chips in the plastic bag were going to spoil, so we needed to do something!. The head chef said to make sure the butter is workable, so get it out of the fridge and to room temperature in plenty of time. Credit to the one handed baker. Thanks. Ingredients 225g butter, softened 3/4 cup soft brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla essence 2 1/4 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 -3/4 tsp salt depending on preference 300g of chocolate chips Instructions Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly fold into the creamed mixture. Stir through 300g of chocolate chips.* Cover and pop dough into the fridge to chill, while the oven preheats to 180°C fan. Scoop out the dough, and lightly shape into small balls. They will spread so don’t flatten with a fork, and don’t space together too closely. (I make approx 3 trays x 11 cookies). Bake for approx. 8-9 mins….. took our oven 12 to 13! Makes About fourty cookies.

This recipe was extracted from the Cliff House Hotel in Waterford which serves this delicious bread with a crab salad on top. Domini Kemp, author of my cookbook “itsa cookbook”, adapted it just a little bit. My sister-in-law and I use a little less sugar. First loaf at Pidcock road Ingredients 2 cups (just shy) of multigrain flour 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 and 1/3 cups wheat germ 1 and 1/3 cups porridge oats 1 and 2/3 cups bran 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt 2 large eggs 900 ml buttermilk a good squeeze of honey Directions You will need one big loaf tin, approx 31cm x 11cm x 7 cm. ...