Soft sandwich bread

Fresh baked bread, cooling on the rack

I do post a lot of bread recipes on here, but I do so because I'm always trying new ones. There's something visceral about kneading bread, and yet there are definitely many times when I just can't take the time to enjoy the rhythm and pattern of it. The world calls, and chores must be done, and I can't always give myself over to 25 minutes of joyous kneading. Hence, this bread.

Prepared to bake

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it was labeled as a French bread version. The first time I made it, I dutifully made long, stretched out loaves that looked rather like footballs or torpedoes. When the bread came out of the oven, it looked spectacular, but when I sliced it, the crispiness I expect of a French loaf just wasn't there. However, the bread was really good! The second try I made, I specifically made rustic loaves that were olive shaped, thinking they would be better for slicing, and that was indeed true. However, it still wasn't French bread, and it wasn't right for sandwiches. Then I found my perfect method, and made the recipe my own, and that's what you get to share in today!

Mixing with the paddle

The recipe is fairly simple, and you can find it at the end of this article. I used my MixMaster to create this bread because I was in a rush doing other things, but it can be done by hand as well, and almost as easily.

Start by mixing together 2.5 cups of warm water (run the water over the inside of your wrist until it's just a tad warmer than your skin) with 2 tablespoons of yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Let it stand until it begins to bubble, about 3-5 minutes.

Ready to switch to the dough hook

To the above, add in a tablespoon of sea salt and 1/3 cup of olive oil (or the oil of your choice - it works equally well with olive oil, vegetable oil, and EVOO) and stir well. Slowly add in flour a half cup at a time, until you end up with a well mixed batter. If you are doing it by hand, continue to mix with fork or spoon until it's quite thick, then switch to kneading on the counter. If using a MixMaster, after about 5 cups of flour you'll want to switch from the paddle (pictured above) to the dough hook. Continue adding the flour until the dough is soft, but firm enough to mold into loaves. It will be somewhat sticky to the touch.

A sticky mess...

I found that I needed to finish off the kneading by hand, no matter how much I used the machine. It only required a minute or so, but that final touch just turns out nicer when you get your hands on the dough. I turn it out when it's pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but while it's still quite sticky. As you can see, it's definitely not ready to sit as a single batch of dough (picture to right). Flour your hands well before kneading, and work the dough until it's just a bit tacky on the outside, yet smooth and soft.

Ready to rise

This is the flexible part of the recipe, something I really appreciated because I was so busy! Form the dough into a nice ball by tucking your hands underneath and turning it. Let it sit on the counter a moment while you butter, oil or spray a large bowl (ceramic or metal work better than plastic for this). Turn the ball into the bowl, allowing the top of it to get oiled, then flip it so the "gathered" section is under it. If the dough isn't oily, you can put a spritz of EVOO or no-stick spray on the top. Don't overdo it, though.

The second rise

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp floured cloth, and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise. I like to put my rising dough into the oven, with the light on. It's just warm enough in there and the door keeps it free of breezes. Check back every 30 minutes, and punch the dough down anytime it doubles in size. This is a very vigorous dough, and it will puff up a lot, several times. You should allow the dough to rise and be punched down at least three times, but up to five or six is fine. I found that it took about 35 minutes to rise enough to be punched down. Always cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a cloth each time you put it back to rise.

Oiling the loaf pans

There are several ways to complete this bread recipe. If you want a round, rustic style loaf, you can simply place the bread onto a baking stone or in a cast iron pot and bake it that way. If you want a long loaf, roll it out using your hands. Do not use a rolling pin for this recipe at all. I decided I wanted sandwich bread, and so I pulled out my loaf pans. Grease the pans up well and have them ready on the counter before the last rise is complete.

Divided into loaves for rising

When the last rise is done, turn the dough out onto a slightly greased counter. You should work it very gently but not knead it outright. Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, separate your dough into three equal pieces. Roll these pieces into rough loaf shapes, but don't worry too much about the details. Press the dough into the corners of the loaf pans if you're using them, but again, be very gentle. Once they're in the pans or sitting on the counter, cover them and let them rise a final time.

In the oven to bake

If you are making rustic rounds or torpedoes, when they are the right size, it's time to bake them. If you are making sandwich loaves, you need to watch them a bit more closely because if left too long, this dough will rise up out of the pans entirely and take over your kitchen. The good news is that if this happens, just punch it down, roll it back into a loaf shape, and pop it back in the pan. Let it rise one last time and watch it better! If you look at my picture to the left, you'll see the dough is just over the edges of the pan, but not pouring over. Whatever method you use, slash your loaves three times with a very sharp knife, and slide into a pre-heated 375F oven.

After 30 minutes

After 30 minutes, keep a close eye on your loaves. Mine took 35 minutes to bake in the pans, but the rustic torpedoes I made last time were ready in 30 minutes even. They're ready when the tops begin to brown and the bottom makes a hollow sound when you tap it. If it isn't quite ready, just pop it back in the oven for another few minutes.

Finished loaves cooling

If you want to have bread that slices well for sandwiches, take a stick of butter and slide it over the top of your hot loaves. Not only does it make your bread taste irresistibly good, it also makes the top a little less crunchy, more able to slice easily. If you want a crunchier crust, you can actually whisk an egg up with a tablespoon of water, and paint the top of your loaves just before putting them in to bake.  They will be slightly darker and the crust will be chewier.

I made these loaves with Better for Bread flour, because it's what I had on hand at the time. It could be done with any flour, although you want something that has a decent gluten content to help with the rise. If you find the bread a little fluffy, decrease the yeast by a half teaspoon and see how it works for you. If it isn't sweet enough, add an extra tablespoon of sugar at the start of the recipe. Alternatively, skip the sugar and add either honey, or a mix of honey and molasses for a more dense bread.

This bread works great for sandwiches!

As you can see in the picture, this bread has a nice crumb, and slices fairly well. This was taken while the bread was still hot enough that I needed a hot pad to keep my hands from burning. Once it's completely cool, it slices like a dream. The recipe could easily be adapted to contain garlic, onion flakes, or any powdered flavoring such as tomato or spinach powder. Simply add those items along with the flour, before the dough forms.

Soft Sandwich Bread (makes 3 loaves)

• 2.5 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 6-7 cups flour

Add together water, yeast, sugar and vinegar, and mix together gently. Let sit until bubbly (about 3-5 minutes). Add the salt and oil, and begin adding the flour one cup at a time. The dough should be soft, but firm enough to mold into loaves.

Knead for 2-5 minutes, and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water (this keeps the dough moist). Watch the dough and punch it down every time it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. You can do this many times, but at least 2-5 times. Longer is fine.

Put the dough on a greased counter top and divide into three sections (for three small loves, or two for two larger loaves). Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into French bread shapes (slightly torpedo or long and skinny). Slash the tops of the bread diagonally 3-5 times and coat with a beaten egg.

Let it rise 30 minutes (or until doubled) on the counter, or put into the oven at 170F and wait until they're the size you want to cook them at. Once they're the right size, set the stove to 375F (without opening it if the loaves are inside) and let them bake until done. If going from counter to oven, bake about 30 minutes; loaves risen in the oven may bake quicker.

Enjoy!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site! 
 
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All photographs (c) Rev. M. Allyson Szabo 2013. All rights reserved.

Quick pesto'd pasta with oysters

Pre-cooked farfalle

Sometimes at lunch, I just want something quick and easy. Okay, that's not true. Every day at lunch I want something quick and easy. If it isn't, I often skip lunch, which is bad for me on so many levels. Skipping breakfast is horrid but skipping lunch causes me to over-eat at dinner in a huge way. Now, I occasionally eat leftovers, but often, instead I will take parts of the leftovers and make something new.

Oysters and pesto

This recipe is a great example. I made bowtie (farfalle) pasta for dinner the night before, and there was pasta that didn't get eaten. It was shoved into the fridge in a plastic container and promptly forgotten. On Friday, I pulled it out and made a completely new recipe, something delicious and quick and relatively nutritious. I've made this particular blend before, but it can be switched up. You can make it with leftover chicken, pork, beef or seafood. I've made it with canned crab. I've tossed in shrimp. Most often, though, I want it made with oysters because I love them and they're so yummy!

Adding oysters

The cupboard revealed a can of oysters in water, and the fridge yielded some leftover pesto from a previous meal. I tossed the pasta in a cast iron pan along with some EVOO and sautéed it until it was warm. I added in the pesto a tablespoon at a time until the pasta was covered in those lovely, fragrant green specks. The oysters went on the top at the last minute, and were gently stirred into the pasta and pesto. When working with canned oysters, you want to make sure you use very gentle movements, because otherwise they break apart and become a sort of mush in the bottom of your pan. The taste is the same but it loses its aesthetic appeal.

I served this meal up with a light sprinkle of salt and a topping of fresh grated parmesan cheese. It was filling and quite tasty! The whole meal took me about five minutes, start to finish. It's very flexible, too, because you can add whatever you like to the mix. If you want onions, throw them in. You have some leftover corn? Toss it in as well! Kitchen sink cooking is an art form, one I've practiced and perfected.

Topped with parmesan cheese!

Shared at the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange 2/26. Thank you to everyone who made my bread recipe the most clicked last week!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site! 
 
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Bread again!

Bread again!

Quick "French" bread

Our family likes bread. There's just something wonderful about pulling out a hot, steaming loaf from the oven and tearing into it, slathering it with butter, and enjoying it with those you love. The flavor, the scent, the look of fresh baked bread is so different from store bought!

I'm always on the look-out for a good bread recipe. I like to try different things, now that I've gotten over my fear of baking. While I do enjoy kneading on most days, sometimes I just want to have a quick loaf that is in and out. Usually, that means giving up the nice crumb or the fluffy interior, or it means making a quick bread that's more like cake than bread. This recipe is not like that, though!

This is not French bread as you might buy in the store. It's slightly more dense inside (though that could be because I didn't let it rise long enough), and the crust isn't quite as crunchy. Still, it's a wonderful white bread that could be adapted easily to any gluten free flour. I may even try making this with whole wheat flour sometime.

The second loaf

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp yeast
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 6-7 cups flour

I used the MixMaster for this recipe, but it could easily be done by hand as well. Add together the water, yeast, sugar and vinegar, and mix gently. To get the water to the right temperature, run it over the inside of your wrist, until it's just a bit warmer than you are. Let the mixture sit until it gets bubbly, which takes about five minutes. It doesn't bubble like a normal sponge does, perhaps because of the vinegar, but you'll see the bubbles starting to form around the four to five minute mark.

Add in the salt and oil, and then start putting the flour in one cup at a time. I used Better for Bread flour, with a half cup of all purpose because I ran out of the other stuff. I used the paddle on the MixMaster for the first five cups of flour, but when it started to get really sticky and crawl up the paddle, I switched it out for the dough hook. I ended up adding a total of 7.5 cups of flour, which may have been because I was using the machine, or because it was a damp day, or perhaps I put in too much water and didn't notice.

The dough should be soft, but hold its form. Knead it  for a few minutes, about three minutes in the MixMaster and up to six or seven by hand. You'll know it's ready when it crawls up the dough hook and tries to escape the bowl, and when it is somewhat smooth and not overly sticky to the touch. Pour it out onto a floured counter top and knead for a few seconds. Form into a ball and leave on the counter for a moment.

Grease up a bowl (I just spray it with no-stick spray) and place the dough ball into it. Roll the top of it in the oil first, then flip it over so the seam side is down. Put the bowl into your oven, which should be off but have the light on. Boil some water and put it in a small bowl or pot and slide that in as well, to keep the dough moist.

Sliced this morning

The dough will rise several times, and you need to punch it down at least three times. Each time the dough reaches the top of the bowl it is in, punch it down and tuck it back into a ball. I found that, in my stove, each rise took about 20 minutes. I was pressed for time, and so did the punch down only four times. I recommend doing it at least five times. The more rises you do, the nicer your crumb will be in the end!

While the dough is rising for the last time, clean your counter top well, then grease it up with olive oil or spray. Pour the risen dough out onto the counter and divide it into two or three sections. I made two large loaves, and they didn't cook as well in the center as I had hoped. I suggest three smaller loaves for a more even cooking time. Form the loaves into the shape you want: torpedo shaped for a traditional rustic loaf; long and skinny for a French bread loaf, or place into a greased bread pan for a sandwich loaf.

Spray or grease your pan, and scatter a bit of corn meal on it. This helps keep the bread from sticking, and adds a nice texture to the crust, as well. Place your bread on the pan or sheet, then use a very sharp knife to make three to five diagonal slashes on the top of the bread. Coat the loaves with a beaten egg.

The loaves should rise on the counter for about 30 minutes (or until doubled). Alternatively you can put them into the oven at 170F and let them rise there until they've reached the size you want them to be. This was what I did, and they got a bit bigger than I'd intended. If you rise the dough on the counter, preheat the oven to 375F, and when they're ready, slip them in (your pot of water should still be in there). If you let them rise in the oven, as I did, simply turn it up to 375F once they're risen to the right size.

Bake for about 30 minutes, watching carefully from the 20 minute mark onward. They will turn a lovely golden brown, rise a bit more, and spread out a bit. The loaves are ready when you can turn them upside down in your hand (with a hot pad!) and tap on the crust and get a hollow sound. If it sounds thick then cook another five minutes.

Bread will continue to bake for 15 or more minutes after it comes out of the oven, so try not to tear into it until it has had a chance to sit. We couldn't resist, and the first loaf was cut into about three minutes after being removed from the oven. It was a bit soft in the center, though the flavor was exquisite. The second loaf, which I finally cut into this morning, had perfect crumb.

Soft and white

This produces a soft, white bread similar to what you get in a store bought bread. Of course, because you're making it yourself, it isn't quite as full of sugar, and it definitely doesn't have any High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Nor does it have hydrogenated oils, preservatives, or other chemicals. It also won't keep nearly as long, both because you'll eat it too fast and because of that lack of preservatives. If you worry you won't eat it in time, slice it and freeze the slices. They can be pulled out and popped into the toaster for lovely fresh bread throughout the week!

The whole process of making this bread took me only three hours, start to finish. I was shocked at how easy it was! Using the MixMaster made it trivial, and it was by far the nicest, softest bread I've ever made. For my personal taste, I will probably replace the sugar with honey next time and see how it works. This recipe is readily adaptable to use with any flour, in my opinion!

I served it up with a home-made potato and sausage soup, and of course lots of butter. It was well received by everyone in the family!

Shared at the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange 2/19!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site! 
 
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One Pan Chicken Wonder

So delicious! (1)

I love meals that turn into immediate family favorites. In our home, we all love chicken, and I cook it often enough. I try not to buy all breasts, even though we all enjoy breast meat. Generally I buy a pack of chicken that contains all the various parts. Sometimes I use them together and sometimes separately. This week, I used breasts in another meal earlier in the week, so I had legs with backs to use up. I ran into a great recipe over at Julie's Eats and Treats (via Pinterest, my go-to for new recipes!).

This recipe is one of the easiest I've ever made. Anyone can do this. I wish I'd taken pictures, but I'll admit I thought it was "too easy to bother with." I've changed my mind. This is totally worth sharing!

Start with chicken (2)

I used one of my Granite Ware roasting pans to cook this in, as I am feeding five adults and two first graders at each meal. I sprayed the pan with cooking spray, so the ingredients wouldn't stick to it. Then I put the chicken legs (still mostly frozen, I might add) into the pan in the center. I had four chicken legs with backs attached, and I spaced them evenly. The recipe on Julie's Eats and Treats calls for a package of ranch dressing powder as flavor, but I didn't have any, so I used a blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery seed, dried onion flakes and a no-salt seasoning mix that the family likes. I sprinkled them over the chicken evenly.

Spuds (3)

On the "foot end" of the chicken, I put a pre-cooked frozen bag of smashed potatoes. Earlier in the year, when we bought all our potatoes, we took several pounds and cooked them up in the Westinghouse slow cooker. These were then scooped out of their skins and smashed lightly with forks, and frozen in 2lb bags. It was incredibly easy to just pull out the bag, completely frozen, and dump them into the pan. I sprinkled the seasonings over them as well, and then put a half stick of butter over the chicken and potatoes, in little chunks (see the top photograph).

Green beans (4)

I put the pan into a 250F oven for an hour, at which point the chicken and potatoes were mostly defrosted but definitely not cooked through. The butter had mostly melted, and there was a nice bit of juice in the bottom of the pan. I basted everything a bit with a spoon, then put it in for another hour at the low temperature. At the end of the second hour, the meat and potatoes were fully defrosted and starting to actually cook, and so I added in one 2lb package of frozen green beans to the "meat end" of the chicken. It all looked very pretty, but I was still dubious that anyone would like the results.

I turned the heat up to 375F and cooked it for another full hour (checking every 20 minutes for doneness, and taking the top off the pan for the last 20 minutes). The smell in the house was incredibly by this time, and people were complaining that the food wasn't on the table. I hurried it out, scooping the beans and potatoes into separate serving bowls. I noticed that the beans had been cooking in the juice, and were a bit mushy looking, and I was disappointed. The family isn't fond of mushy beans, and neither am I. Still...

The chicken was perfectly done, moist without being fatty, and delicious. The potatoes had started to brown and crisp a bit on top, which turned out to be the perfect thing. The green beans were not actually mushy at all, surprisingly! They were coated in the juices, but other than a few minor bits from the very bottom of the pan, they were pretty crisp, and had a lovely, fresh flavor!

I would make this again. I will be making this again. It was easy, pretty, delicious, and nutritious. I might even make some ranch dip mix up, just to pour over the top and see how the flavor changes.

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site! 
 
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1) Image courtesy of Julie's Eats and Treats (used with permission).
2) Image by cohdra / morgueFile
3) Image by Alvimann / morgueFile
4) Image by kamuelaboy / morgueFile

How to cook a wild turkey

Wild turkey (1)

Wild turkeys are nothing like their fat commercialized cousins. They live in the forests around New England like kings, and indeed, they are rather majestic. They can fly and are very impressive when in flight. They don't need help from a farmer to produce offspring. They're decidedly NOT fat, either. Cooking a wild turkey is similar to cooking a commercial one, but very different at the same time. You have to be more careful with a wild turkey, and the cooking time is shorter, too.

Ready for roasting

We were lucky enough to get two wild turkeys just after the season ended, from a friend who had more turkey than freezer space. I gladly took them off his hands, because nothing beats the flavor of wild turkey. It's so different from the pale, big breasted things you get at Market Basket!

The first thing you'll notice is that our turkey looks a lot more like a chicken than a turkey from the grocery store. Wild turkeys do not have massive breasts. They also don't have any white meat, so be aware of that. The breast meat is much lighter in color than the rest of the bird, but it's all dark meat, make no mistake. The skin is a bit more yellow than store-bought birds, and in this case, the wings were removed before we got it into our pan. The bird itself weighed about 10lbs or so, and this one was male, so I'm told (the other one we have was female).

Bread for stuffing

We like stuffed birds, and so I made a bread stuffing for our wild turkey. You may prefer a rice stuffing, or something entirely different. When cooking wild bird, however, never leave the cavity empty or you will end up with a terrible gamey flavor throughout your meat. Stuff it with a quartered onion, if nothing else, then discard the onion when ready to serve.

Add butter and an egg or two

For my stuffing, I used the bread ends from a 12 grain loaf that were starting to go a bit stale. I cut the bread into cubes about an inch in size, then mixed in a couple tablespoons of butter and two eggs. Some people like to add in the liver of the bird, or even beef liver, and I have done this in the past for a very delicious stuffing. Since I didn't have the liver, I couldn't do that this time. I added a variety of spices (celery seed, salt, pepper, paprika, minced fresh garlic, and dehydrated onion flakes).

Add the spices

Stir it around a bit, then add in just enough freshly boiled water to moisten the entire thing. It should look a bit mushy without having standing liquid. If you add too much water, you can toss in a few more bread cubes. Not enough water is solved by pouring in a bit more. Mix it all up very well until it's quite mushy but sticking together almost like a thick, lumpy batter. Allow the stuffing to cool enough to put your hands into it, because it's much easier to stuff a turkey with your hands than with a spoon!

Making it self-basting

Wild turkeys do not come with pop up timers (although you can buy them) and are not self-basting. However, you can easily make your turkey mostly self-basting by adding bacon to the top of it! Once your turkey is in the pan, breast up, and you've stuffed it, spice up the skin however you like. Then carefully lay three or four slices of bacon (I used three, split in half) over the majority of your turkey. As the turkey cooks, the bacon will drip grease, basting your bird for you. The bacon also adds a touch of flavor and seems to pull out any gamey taste, as well. And... well... it's BACON.

I roasted my turkey in the Westinghouse cooker for several hours. I cooked it at a very low temperature, about 250F, for just about six hours total. For the last half hour, I put the pan into the oven and finished it off at 350F, to brown the breast skin and crisp it up. I wish I had photos of the finished product, because it was quite lovely and moist, but we gobbled it up so fast that I forgot to take pictures.

By cooking the turkey with the bacon over it, I avoided most of the basting. I did go and baste about twice or three times, right near the last hour. I wanted to make sure the flavors were distributed well. When I put the bird into the oven to brown, I shoved the bacon off, exposing the skin underneath. It crisped up beautifully.

Wild turkey has a much more earthy flavor than commercial turkey. You know it's wild. It isn't offensive at all, but the flesh has a different texture. It's a bird that lived a free life, not one in a cage or a small box, and its meat reflects that life.

When cooking any game, always double-check before you begin cooking. Make sure the innards are fully cleaned, and salt it if you feel it necessary. This bird still had a bit of lung in the upper cavity, which isn't unusual (it happens with commercial birds, too!) but would taste pretty funky if left in to cook. Even deer steaks or roasts should be rinsed very well and patted dry with a towel. With a bird, you want to get inside with your hands and feel around for anything that doesn't seem right.

What's your favorite game meat? How do you prepare it?

NOTE: Don't forget about the Freehold giveaway! The contest is open until January 29th, so enter now!

This post was shared at the Homestead Barn Hop #96 (click here to enter).
We're also listed on the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange 1/29 (click here to enter).

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site!
 
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1) Image by imagefactory / morgueFile free photos

Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup

Garlic, onions, carrots

Similar to my Lentil Soup of January first, this soup is hearty and delicious. It even looks the same during preparation, for the most part. The flavor and texture, however, is vastly different. When I made this soup for myself last week, I was just coming out of a bout of stomach flu, still shaky but very hungry. I had gotten past the toast and applesauce stage and wanted real food, and by "real food" I mean healthy, well cooked whole foods. I opted out of meat for a few days, and stuck to getting my protein from legumes and TVP.

Sautéing the vegetables

This soup has a surprise ingredient at the end, one which I thought was rather odd. I tasted the soup both before and after adding it, and was pleasantly surprised. You may be tempted to leave it out, but don't. It adds the finishing touch to this that makes it unique and delicious.

Adding chard and lentils

Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup
   - based on a recipe from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor-Antoine  d'Avila-Latourrette

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, cubed
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 6 cups water
• 1 small bunch swiss chard leaves, finely chopped
• 2 bouillon cubes or packets 
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Add broth and simmer

In the bottom of a soup pot, pour your oil and heat it. Lightly sauté the garlic, onion and carrot until they turn a golden color. This takes about five to seven minutes. Don't rush this part, because it lays the foundation for the soup's delicate flavor. Also, don't skimp on the olive oil. Four tablespoons seems like an awful lot, but the oil has its place in the soup as well. If you want, you can substitute avocado oil or flaxseed oil for the olive oil, but whatever oil you use, pick an excellent quality one rather than a cheaper brand.

The secret ingredient

Add the lentils, water, chard, and bouillon cubes or packets. If you want to use your own broth, simply replace the "water and bouillon cubes" with "broth of your choice" and carry on! Cover the pot and cook over a medium heat for about 35 minutes. Depending on the kind of lentils you use, this could take 30 minutes to 45 minutes. The lentils should be soft when chewed, but still hold their shape. Check frequently after the 25 minute mark. If you're not sure, let them simmer a further five minutes, because for this soup, a bit long is better than a bit short in timing.

Add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir it all well, and simmer for another ten minutes. Serve hot, with a side of bread or some crackers.

Swiss Chard & Lentil Soup

This is, like all of Brother d'Avila-Latourrette's soups, incredibly easy to make. The addition of the vinegar at the end really makes the flavors pop. On my somewhat delicate stomach, it went down easily and digested fine. I used a Goya bouillon packet rather than my own broth, simply because I was still not quite well and didn't want to fuss around in the kitchen for too long. If I were to make it again, I might use my own chicken broth instead of the bouillon, though!

Linked to from the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange #115. Want to enter? Click here!
Linked to from The HomeAcre Hop! Want to enter? Click here!
Also shared on the Homestead Barn Hop #95 (click here to enter!) and the Backyard Farming Connection Hop #16 (click here to enter!).

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site!
 
You may also be interested in:

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Mexican Meatloaf
Lentil Soup is a new favorite
Oyster Soup from the Little House

Mexican Meatloaf

Mexican Meatloaf with potatoes and salad

January always inspires me to cook more interesting and healthy foods. Suddenly the summer looms before me, with all the gardening and outdoor work that accompanies it. I also start feeling deprived of fresh, local fruits and vegetables about now, and start looking for ways to incorporate fresh or stored produce in new ways.

Meatloaf is a favorite around our house. However, the general type of meatloaf we make includes a ketchup-based sauce that is rife with brown sugar and probably contains more calories in it than the rest of the meal put together. We also love Mexican food around here, and when I ran across this recipe for a Mexican meatloaf over at Plan to Eat, I decided to give it a try.

I modified the recipe slightly to reflect the fresh and dried foods I had on hand, and I paired it with "Mexican style" fried potatoes and a fresh salad. While hubby wasn't as happy with it as he could have been, everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Though the original recipe says it serves four, I only added a bit more than called for and it fed seven of us with leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1/4 cup dried parsley OR 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder OR 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp tomato powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 lbs ground beef or turkey

Mexi-style potatoes

In a large bowl, crack your eggs and beat them gently. Don't over-mix them. Add the vegetables, herbs and spices, and fold into the eggs. Then slowly pinch small pieces of the ground meat into the egg-vegetable mixture. You'll be tempted to squish it between your fingers, but the original instructions warned not to do that, and I have to agree that the end result was worth the bit of extra time mixing more gently with my hands. Mix until the whole mess is combined well.

Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over the meat and fold in gently. Repeat with the other half of breadcrumbs, if necessary. Mix only until it's evenly distributed. Form it into a ball and put into a baking dish, or press gently into a greased glass baking dish. You don't want it to be more than about three inches thick so that it will cook evenly. Pour the salsa over the top and distribute over it evenly.

Preheat your oven to 350F, add the meatloaf and bake for one hour. Check how well it is cooked at this point - I found it needed another 15 minutes of cooking. If you use a meat thermometer, it should read 165F when the meatloaf is done.

Mexican meatloaf

To make the potatoes, I diced our long-term storage potatoes into dice sized pieces then boiled them until they were just beginning to soften in the middle. I drained them well while I prepared the pan. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, butter or bacon grease in a heavy pan and add a bit of diced onion and a bit of garlic. Cook until they're starting to brown a bit, then add the drained potatoes, and a teaspoon each of cumin, salt, pepper, powdered chili, and tomato powder. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, cook the potatoes until they are beginning to turn a bit mushy and the spices are well distributed.

Serve all of the above with a crisp salad, and some Mexican cheese, sour cream and guacamole on the side! If your family prefers hot foods, you can add more chili or red peppers, and use a very spicy salsa as your topping. A couple of drops of Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce for an extra hot treat.

PS: This post was shared over at the Homestead Barn Hop #93 - go have a peek and see if there's something fun and new for YOU to learn! Want to enter your own blog entry? Just click here and follow the instructions!

We're also shared at the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange #18, which includes all sorts of delicious recipes. Go on over and have a look around, and  you can enter your own recipe by clicking here and following the instructions!

There's also the Winter on the HomeAcre Hop, which I just learned about and shared a few things on! You can enter your wintry homestead blog post by clicking here.

Lastly, we're also over at the Backyard Farming Connection Hop #14, which has tons of great info from a huge number of sources! Check them out and you can enter your own blog entry by clicking here!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site!
 
You may also be interested in:

Lentil Soup is a new favorite!
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Winter is here!
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Oyster Soup from the Little House

The beginning of something wonderful...

"In all her life Laura had never tasted anything so good as that savory, fragrant, sea-tasting hot milk, with golden dots of melted cream and black specks of pepper on its top, and the little dark canned oysters at its bottom. She sipped slowly, slowly from her spoon, to keep that taste going over her tongue as long as she could." -- from By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder, pp 204

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have an uncontrollable fascination with the Little House series. It was my introduction to Christianity, and the reason why I invited the minister to dinner when we moved to New England (Ma insisted it was right and proper, so therefore it was what I ought to do, yes?). I've been through the series so many times that I've had to buy new copies on several occasions, the older ones having worn out. I learned morals and ethics from them. For me, Laura and Ma and Pa and the other people there are just as real as you and me.

Several years ago (several severals of years ago), I was living on the west coast and had managed to become unemployed and rather destitute. I was scraping by on unemployment insurance payments, but it was pretty dicey. My partner D and I were approaching the Christmas and Yule season with as much joy as we could muster. After all, we had a roof over our heads, heat, and each other. It was lean, but love fills a lot of gaps.

Some kind soul had told the local fire department that we were living lean over the season, and a soft spoken gentleman brought us a hamper of food. I tried to protest, but he insisted that it was alright, we weren't taking anything from someone else. I'll admit, once he was gone, I tore into that box like ... well, like it was Christmas morning. D and I went through the rice and pasta, a tiny canned ham, some fresh vegetables, and then at the very bottom we found the single precious can of smoked oysters.

We could have eaten that can of oysters in two seconds. We're both in love with them, their smoky flavor, savory and oily... But I looked at him and ran to the book shelf. I pulled out "By the Shores of Silver Lake" and went skimming through it to find the New Year's Eve scene. There it was, Laura's description of the oyster soup Ma had made for their guests. He and I started laughing, and we recreated that soup for Christmas Eve for ourselves. It was a wonderful meal.

This year, I wanted to make the soup again. I remember how delicious it was way back when I was barely an adult. Tastes change, though, and I wondered if it would still be as magical. I picked up three cans of cheap smoked oysters and sacrificed some of my coffee half-and-half, and made the soup as a starter to our Yule meal last night.

Everyone enjoyed it. I made enough that I assumed there would be much in the way of leftovers, but there wasn't. Barely a drop was left in my soup tureen when we were done! It was just as Laura described it, with the oil and butter, the salty sea taste.

Merry Yuletide, my readers, and Merry Christmas as well. I hope you will enjoy this (terrifically easy) delicious soup as much as I and our guests did.

Oyster Soup

• 6 tsp butter
• 1 cup minced onion
• 3 cans oysters
• 1 to 2 quarts half-and-half
• salt, pepper, paprika  to taste
• parsley and oyster crackers for garnish

In a soup pot, melt the butter. When it is just starting to sizzle and is completely melted, add the minced onions, and cook for two or three minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the oysters, oil and all, and cook for another two minutes. Add the cream and spices, and heat until it just begins to boil. Sprinkle with parsley, stir, and ladle into bowls. Serve with the oyster crackers on the side.

Literally, this soup takes ten minutes to make, but it tastes like you spent hours fussing over it. It also does fine if you make it earlier and then re-heat it just before serving. That's what I ended up doing, because we had too many things that needed to be on the stove top at the last minute. It turned out incredible. Enjoy!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site!
 
You may also be interested in:

Winter is here!
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Got Cheese?
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An apology - Beef Barley Soup

I have let the days get away from me. Between the virtual Advent calendar over on my professional blog and Capturing December on my religious blog, I haven't been making time to write here. I'm profoundly sorry! To make up for it, I'm going to share my easy-peasy recipe for Beef with Barley Soup today!

Assemble the ingredients

This is the world's easiest soup to make that doesn't come in a can (though it CAN be canned!). I make it in the crock pot so that I can put it on during whatever free moment I have, and it is all ready come dinner time. You can make it on the top of the stove, too, but you have to watch it more carefully.

2 lbs of beef

You want to have about 2 lbs of beef to fill a standard crock pot, and that can be chuck meat like I have in the picture above or it can be bones with meat still on them, or a mix of marrow bones and meat. Marrow bones will add a darker look to the broth, and a stronger flavor, as well as adding vitamins and minerals that straight meat does not. However, some children balk at the stronger flavor (and some husbands, too!) so I don't always use them.

You'll also want on hand some olive or other healthy oil, a large onion, a small turnip (and/or parsnip), two or three carrots, a potato or two, a couple stalks of celery, some butter, and your spices (I use salt, pepper, and Nature's Seasoning). You can add fresh minced garlic or a bit of garlic powder. As I didn't have fresh on hand, I used the powder, but I prefer it with real garlic.

Bob's Red Mill Barley

When it comes to barley, you have many choices. If you're going to can, use Bob's Red Mill hull-less barley, as it holds up better during the heating process. Otherwise, use what ever form you like! There's pearl barley (the standard in most grocery stores), as well as some colored versions (my favorite is purple barley, which gives your soup a really exotic look!).

All the ingredients in the pot

Turn on your crock pot and let it start heating up. Add a tablespoon or so of butter to the bottom. When it begins to melt, put in the meat (in one piece - don't cut it up) and then start chopping up your veggies. The onion, turnip and/or parsnip, and potato should be diced into small, bite-size pieces. If your family dislikes anything, dice it up really fine as it will likely turn to mush in the pot and disappear, thereby adding the goodness without the complaints. The carrots and celery should be coined into thin slices. Pour in the barley, and the garlic goes on the top, whether in powder or minced form.

As each vegetable is processed, put it in the pot. At the end, add a tablespoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and as much other spices as you like (though don't overdo it, as it's easy to add spices at the end if the soup needs it). Drizzle 2 tbsp oil over the top of the whole thing. Fill the crock pot with water until it's about an inch from the top. All your ingredients should be submerged beneath the water. Put the lid on, crank the pot up to high, and forget about it for an hour.

Just enough water

If you're going to be home, keep it on high and check it each hour. If you're going out, put it on low, just to make sure it doesn't over-cook. Stir it once an hour so long as it's on high, and once the meat is fully cooked, you can pull it out and let it cool on a plate. Bones should be removed as well, and any meat removed from them and set to cool. Some people like to poke out the centers of the marrow bones if they haven't already fallen out but I'm not one of those.

When the meat is cool, cut it into bite size pieces and toss back in the soup. If it was not on low, set it to low or even warm, and let it continue to simmer until you're ready to eat. This tastes wonderful served up with a buttered bit of bread or a salad. It takes almost no effort to make, either, and left-overs can easily be frozen or canned (pressure canning only, by the by).

Simmering on high

You can also mix up the ingredients in this soup fairly easily. If you like cabbage, toss some in for the last hour of cooking. Turnip and parsnips are good, but you might like the deeper flavor of rutabaga, or maybe you have some Jerusalem artichokes to use up. Don't be afraid to experiment a little bit!

To make this soup on the stove-top, use a large stock pot and cook on a medium high heat (a 6 or 7 on my electric stove) until the meat is done. After that, lower the heat to a medium low setting (about a 2 or 3) so that it barely simmers but does continue to cook. The cooking times will be much reduced on the stove top. You could also make this in a dutch oven over a camp fire, or on a wood stove, or in your oven!

Beef with Barley Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef and/or bones, whole
• 2-3 carrots, coined
• 1-2 celery stalks, sliced thin
• 1 turnip, diced small
• 2-3 small potatoes, diced
• 1 medium-large onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• spices to taste

Turn the crock pot on high and add the butter. Layer the meat on top of it, then add each of the vegetables as they're processed. Add your spices, then drizzle with the olive oil. Add water to within an inch of the crock pot rim, and cook on high for one hour.

Stir once an hour until the meat is done, then remove the meat (and bones, if you used them) and turn the crock pot to low. When the meat is cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces and return to crock pot. Continue to simmer on low, or turn to the 'warm' setting until dinner time.

Serve with a side salad and fresh bread!

Check back often for information on canning, preserving, general homesteading and more. If you have questions or comments, please write to me below. I love to answer questions! You can follow the blog via Network Blogs and Google Friend Connect (see the left hand column for the button). If you purchase items I have linked through Amazon or the ads on my site, I receive an affiliate portion of the sale. If you find the items are useful, please purchase from my site!
 
You may also be interested in:

Got Cheese?
Rendering turkey fat
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Creamy Potato Soup