Züpfe - Swiss Bread

Last night I got together with some lovely friends for a light dinner party. The hostess made a delicious cold soup that had us guessing as to the main ingredient (it was GRAPES!). My contribution was bread and as one friend said "she made it from scratch!" In one of those lovely coincidences, I had been talking with a Swiss expat friend and bread came up and he told me how he likes to make this traditional Swiss bread. Now this was rather unexpected from my bachelor guy friend, but we made a deal: if he figured out how to translate the recipe to English, I would make. So on Thursday, a recipe appeared in my inbox. I strayed quite a bit from it and was a bit worried. It smelled delicious baking, then cutting into it...it looked fine, was done inside, then biting into it...it was delicious! Very yeasty and dense but not heavy. Sigh of relief - success.

1/2 kg bread flour

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup almond milk

1/2 Tbsp dried yeast

½ tsp sugar

2-3 tsp salt

1) Pour the flour into a large bowl, mixing out any lumps. Make a hollow in the center.

2) Dissolve yeast in cold milk, add sugar and salt.

3) Add milk mixture and melted butter to the flour. Mix in well and knead until it comes together. Continuing kneading for about two minutes.

4) Cover with cloth, leave to rest for one hour in a warm place. (This I did, and then popped it in the refrigerator overnight.)

5) When ready to bake, divide into two pieces and roll into snake-like strands. Make an X with the strands, folding the top two down to have four strands. Braid together. (Google reveals some lovely picture diagrams for this. I used my new-found knowledge of four-piece braiding learned through countless hours of Pinterest perusal.

     

Vegetarian Sausage Mango Mix

I love fake meats. I know some people find them very strange and they are a bit interesting. What exactly allows them to be so chewy? Even though I love them, I very rarely buy them. It's more of a treat but I recently was tempted by dog-like links begging for a spring-time grill and bought some Tofurky Italian Sausages. These things are ridiculously good. I can eat them straight out of the package (but of course don't, ahem).

What I did do with them was to add them as the star ingredient in a mish mash stir fry. I had just returned from the farmers' market with some lovely fresh produce so I combined mango, spinash, soy bean sprouts, onions, and the sausage. Over a tortilla is was quick and perfect!   

Saute half an onion

Add one Tofurky Italian Sausage, cut in pieces

When these are cooked, add one mango chopped and a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

Let cook until the mango is warm but still holding together and the spinach has begun to wilt

Add salt, pepper, cayenne. I also added Bragg's Liquid Amino.

It's ready!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Every Christmas morning, we start the day with a large traditional breakfast. The past couple of years I've been in charge of the biscuits while my grandmother makes the gravy and my mom the eggs.

Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted from Southern Living Cookbook

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 (1 stick) of butter, cold

3/4 cup of buttermilk

1) Mix the dry ingredients

2) Cut in the butter with a fork

3) Lightly stir in the buttermilk, just until mixed

4) Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 mintes or until golden

5) Brush the tops with melted butter

Enjoy!

Apple Cookies

It's holiday party time! I made these apple cookies using the last of my stash from the fall for a work holiday luncheon. A lot of my coworkers aren't big on very sweet desserts so I went for something fresh and fruity. These cookies are very soft and slightly chewy. The recipe makes four dozen so I thought I might have a few leftover cookies to bring home. But no, they were gone, every single one.

Apple Cookies

adapted from James Beard's American Cookery

1/2 cup of butter

1 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1 cup diced apple

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1) Cream butter. Add sugar and combine well. Beat in egg.

2) Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

3) Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Then add milk and combine until the dry ingredients and milk disappear.

4) Stir in apples and pecans.

5) Drop by the teaspoon onto buttered cookie sheets.

6) Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until a light brown.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Today, I'm thankful for....

good food....
followed by sweet things....

for beautiful things....

and wonderful family, both furry and human, relatives and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Southwest quinoa salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups black beans
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn
3/4 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp coriander
juice of one lime
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients. Season to taste. Can be served cold or heated.

I also enjoyed it as part of a spinach salad.

Sweet potatoes + collard greens

When I get lazy or busy, one of the first things that gets left behind are fresh foods. Forget going to the grocery store or planning a menu with everything before it starts to turn to the dark side and smell.

Actually, make that several meals. As a single girl cooking for one or two at a time, my trips to the farmer's market leave me with a lot of food. Those big bunches of parsley and cilantro and basil that smell so good end up sagging and turning brown in my refrigerator. I swear I put parsley on everything I ate for a week and still had a bundle sadly going to ruin.

Enter this delicious meal. It's rather quick, super easy and healthy, and perfect for lunches and freezing.

Sweet potatoes & collard greens

4 medium sweet potatoes, each cut into 6-8 pieces
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 tsp pepper
3 medium apples
6 cups loosely packed collard greens
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes with vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bake until potatoes are cooked and caramelized (about 20 minutes).

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add apples and saute about 15 minutes or until soft.

Put 2 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp water into a large pot. Add greens and saute (about 5 minutes). Decrease the heat and add potatoes and apples. Cook for a few minutes and stir in parsley and remaining salt and pepper.