Alright, so here's the story behind this recipe. The past two summers I lived with my dad down in sunny Foster City, CA, about thirty minutes south of San Francisco. My dad looooves to grill. More specifically, my dad loves to grill meat: steak, burgers, chicken, shark (yes, he made me eat shark one time). You name it..if it's meat, he'll grill it. Imagine his surprise when I decided to become vegan. So, he needed something to grill that I could eat. Solution? Portobello mushrooms! They hold up great on the grill and make an excellent meat replacement between some bread. Slap some condiments on it and you got a meal. So, here it is, grilled portobello mushrooms with grilled onions and arugula on garlic and green onion focaccia. Now, don't feel like you have to make your own bread in order to enjoy this...your favorite store bought focaccia, sourdough, wheat bread, hamburger bun, pita, etc. will work just great—but this focaccia is super easy, super good, and totally worth a shot.
Green Onion and Garlic Focaccia:
Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ¾ cups warm water (should feel warm to the touch, but not hot)
about 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green onion
2 cloves garlic
1. Mix 4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 1 ¾ cups warm water slowly while mixing.
3. Using your hands mix the dough in the bowl, folding it over into itself. If it sticks to your hands so much it barely comes off, add a bit of flour. Too dry? Add a bit more water.
4. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let sit in a warm place for an hour, or until it's about twice its original size.
5. Grease a baking dish (any shape baking dish will do, I use a rectangular 8x11—I think) with about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. The bottom and sides should be WELL COATED.
6. Put dough in baking dish. Spread it out evenly in the pan the best you can. Cover again and let sit in a warm spot for another 30 minutes.
7. After the 30 minutes is up, use your finger to poke several (7-10) dimples into the dough. Now, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. While the oven is preheating, slice the green onion and finely chop the garlic. Place it in a bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix.
9. Using your hands, spread the onion mixture over the dough. Lightly press it into the dough, but don't press too hard or else it'll deflate the risen dough.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on the top.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich:
Suggestion: keep in mind the size of your sandwiches and plan accordingly. If you’re making this as a main dish, be generous with the mushroom. I’d go with one per serving. If you’re serving this as part of a meal (ie with soup or salad) I’d use about ½ a mushroom per serving.
Ingredients:
About 1 portobello mushroom per serving (if you leave the mushroom whole, use one per person. If slicing, about ½ per serving)
1 slice of red onion per serving
arugula
salt
pepper
olive oil for drizzling
Focaccia (see recipe above) or bread of your choice
Veganaise (vegan mayo—can be found at Whole Foods and most local organic/health food stores) or regular mayo
1. Prep all your ingredients. Slice the onion. Clean the mushrooms using a damp paper towel and lightly brushing off any dirt. Running mushrooms under water gives them a tough texture.
2. Lightly drizzle the onion slices and the mushrooms with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
3. Turn on your grill, George Foreman, grill pan, or plain old skillet.
4. Grill mushrooms until the juice starts running out of them-you'll know when this happens. Grill the onions until they are tender and have some nice grill marks. If using a George Foreman type grill, you won’t need to flip it. If not, start the mushrooms with cap side down. Flip when the mushrooms start to flatten out.
5. Slice the bread.
6. Spread the mayo.
7. Place the arugula on the bread.
8. Slice the mushrooms and put it on the arugula. Or leave it whole, it's up to you.
9. Put the onions on.
10. Top with the other bread.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
But really, let's get serious here...it's a sandwich. Ingredients between bread. Want to put the mushroom on first? Go for it. This is the way I did it, but feel free to make it your own. Just remember: the key to good sandwich construction is using the mayo or other condiments as the glue to hold the ingredients in.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
How to Make Sourdough Bread
First, I want to address a question that arose when I was making bread: what the heck is the difference between cake flour, bread flour, and all purpose flour?? Does it matter which one I use?
After doing some research, I found this:
"The primary difference between different types of flour are the quantity of the wheat germ and bran that are milled with the flour, and the type of wheat used for the flour, and the relative protein content of that wheat...Additionally, different varieties of wheat contain different amounts of protein, and the more protein is contained in the flour, the higher gluten it has.
Gluten are the strands of amino acid proteins that bind together in a bread dough after the mixture of water, and the creation of longer and stronger chains of gluten through mechanical mixing (kneading). The higher the protein content, the more gluten can be developed. These chains of gluten are important for bread, as they are what allow the dough to capture the created gasses during the cooking and leavening processes, and expand from dense to light. High gluten is not considered an asset when making pastries, pie crusts, biscuits etc, as the gluten can make these tough and chewy.
The protein contents are approximately:
Cake flour:7-8%
Southern all purpose flour:7.5-9.5%
Northern all purpose flour:11-12%
Bread flour:12-13%
There is a difference between all purpose flour from the southern climates, and that from more northern climates, and the more northerly grown the wheat, the higher the gluten content."
(courtesy of http://tinyurl.com/2xubmq)
I also read that for the most part, all purpose flour (as long as it's from northern climates) is perfectly fine for making bread. Bread flour and all purpose flour are close enough in protein content for all purpose flour to work for making bread.
So, with all purpose flour in hand, here is the recipe I followed:
Basic Sourdough Bread
First, you have to make a starter. From what I understand, if you keep maintaining the starter, it can last forever...or somewhere close.
Here’s a timeline so you know how long this endeavor will take (it’s not time consuming, but the bread sits several times before baking):
Making Starter: 10 minutes
Starting Sits: 8-12 hours
Mixing Dough: 10 minutes
Dough Sits: 1-1½ hours
Knead Dough: 5 minutes
Dough Sits…again: 1 hours
Dough Bakes: 1 hour
Bread Cools: 30 minutes
Bread Starter:
Ingredients:
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F—in other words, it shouldn’t be cold, but it shouldn’t burn your hands to touch)
1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour (for this, bread flour is not specified)
1. In large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Mix together and let sit for about five minutes until it is foamy on the top. If it doesn’t foam, it means the yeast isn’t going to work—so grab some more yeast and start again.
2. Then, add the flour and mix really well. Cover it with a dish towel and let it sit in a warm place for 8-12 hours. Yes, hours. I left the bowl on top of my stove near the pilot light. You could also put it in an oven that’s off, or just on the counter if your kitchen is really warm. Don’t put it in a sealed container of any sort—the yeast releases gases (which makes it foamy) and if the mixture is in a closed container, the gases will build up and could cause the container to burst!
3. After 8-12 hours, your starter should be very bubbly. Use it right away, or cover it loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.
Preserving/Caring for your starter:
Each time you remove a portion of the starter for a recipe, reserve at least 1/4 cup and replace the amount you have taken out with equal amounts of flour and water. Does a recipe call for 1 cup of your starter? Take out a cup of starter for your recipe, and then mix 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water into the original starter. Combine, but don’t mix until it’s completely smooth, recover with plastic, and keep it in the fridge.
Also, the starter must be maintained by feeding it every few days (sounds kind of like a gremlin). Refresh by removing 1 cup of the starter (give to a friend or discard it) and adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water. Stir until blended but not smooth. Cover loosely and return to the fridge.
Okay, so you have your starter. Now for the bread.
Sourdough Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1 ½ cups sourdough starter
¾ teaspoon salt
1. Combine flour, starter and salt. An electric mixer with a dough hook is handy, but I just kneaded it with my hand. (see pictures and description following the recipe if you don't know how to knead) Warning: The dough will be VERY dry. This is when I had my “uh-oh” moment. It will, however, all come together after a bit of kneading.
2. Next, spray your bowl with some cooking spray and put the dough into the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours until it has doubled in size. Again, it should be in a warm place.
3. Then, sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface. Knead the dough again to remove large air bubbles.
4. Shape the dough into a tight ball. The dough won’t come together all the way, so pinch the open part together to create a seam and put it on a baking sheet seam down. Cover with a dish towel and let it ris
e another hour. Towards the end of its rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
5. After your dough has risen, cut an “x” into the top of the dough.
6. Spray the top of your dough with some cooking spray and bake until golden brown, about 60 minutes.
7. Let bread cool for about 30 minutes before eating.
How to Knead:
Take ball of dough. Stretch out the dough slightly. Fold it over. Press down with the palm of your hand. Turn. Repeat.
After doing some research, I found this:
"The primary difference between different types of flour are the quantity of the wheat germ and bran that are milled with the flour, and the type of wheat used for the flour, and the relative protein content of that wheat...Additionally, different varieties of wheat contain different amounts of protein, and the more protein is contained in the flour, the higher gluten it has.
Gluten are the strands of amino acid proteins that bind together in a bread dough after the mixture of water, and the creation of longer and stronger chains of gluten through mechanical mixing (kneading). The higher the protein content, the more gluten can be developed. These chains of gluten are important for bread, as they are what allow the dough to capture the created gasses during the cooking and leavening processes, and expand from dense to light. High gluten is not considered an asset when making pastries, pie crusts, biscuits etc, as the gluten can make these tough and chewy.
The protein contents are approximately:
Cake flour:7-8%
Southern all purpose flour:7.5-9.5%
Northern all purpose flour:11-12%
Bread flour:12-13%
There is a difference between all purpose flour from the southern climates, and that from more northern climates, and the more northerly grown the wheat, the higher the gluten content."
(courtesy of http://tinyurl.com/2xubmq)
I also read that for the most part, all purpose flour (as long as it's from northern climates) is perfectly fine for making bread. Bread flour and all purpose flour are close enough in protein content for all purpose flour to work for making bread.
So, with all purpose flour in hand, here is the recipe I followed:
Basic Sourdough Bread
First, you have to make a starter. From what I understand, if you keep maintaining the starter, it can last forever...or somewhere close.
Here’s a timeline so you know how long this endeavor will take (it’s not time consuming, but the bread sits several times before baking):
Making Starter: 10 minutes
Starting Sits: 8-12 hours
Mixing Dough: 10 minutes
Dough Sits: 1-1½ hours
Knead Dough: 5 minutes
Dough Sits…again: 1 hours
Dough Bakes: 1 hour
Bread Cools: 30 minutes
Bread Starter:
Ingredients:
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F—in other words, it shouldn’t be cold, but it shouldn’t burn your hands to touch)
1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour (for this, bread flour is not specified)
1. In large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Mix together and let sit for about five minutes until it is foamy on the top. If it doesn’t foam, it means the yeast isn’t going to work—so grab some more yeast and start again.
2. Then, add the flour and mix really well. Cover it with a dish towel and let it sit in a warm place for 8-12 hours. Yes, hours. I left the bowl on top of my stove near the pilot light. You could also put it in an oven that’s off, or just on the counter if your kitchen is really warm. Don’t put it in a sealed container of any sort—the yeast releases gases (which makes it foamy) and if the mixture is in a closed container, the gases will build up and could cause the container to burst!
3. After 8-12 hours, your starter should be very bubbly. Use it right away, or cover it loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.
Preserving/Caring for your starter:
Each time you remove a portion of the starter for a recipe, reserve at least 1/4 cup and replace the amount you have taken out with equal amounts of flour and water. Does a recipe call for 1 cup of your starter? Take out a cup of starter for your recipe, and then mix 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water into the original starter. Combine, but don’t mix until it’s completely smooth, recover with plastic, and keep it in the fridge.
Also, the starter must be maintained by feeding it every few days (sounds kind of like a gremlin). Refresh by removing 1 cup of the starter (give to a friend or discard it) and adding 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of warm water. Stir until blended but not smooth. Cover loosely and return to the fridge.
Okay, so you have your starter. Now for the bread.
Sourdough Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1 ½ cups sourdough starter
¾ teaspoon salt
1. Combine flour, starter and salt. An electric mixer with a dough hook is handy, but I just kneaded it with my hand. (see pictures and description following the recipe if you don't know how to knead) Warning: The dough will be VERY dry. This is when I had my “uh-oh” moment. It will, however, all come together after a bit of kneading.
2. Next, spray your bowl with some cooking spray and put the dough into the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours until it has doubled in size. Again, it should be in a warm place.
3. Then, sprinkle some flour onto a flat surface. Knead the dough again to remove large air bubbles.
4. Shape the dough into a tight ball. The dough won’t come together all the way, so pinch the open part together to create a seam and put it on a baking sheet seam down. Cover with a dish towel and let it ris
e another hour. Towards the end of its rising, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.5. After your dough has risen, cut an “x” into the top of the dough.
6. Spray the top of your dough with some cooking spray and bake until golden brown, about 60 minutes.
7. Let bread cool for about 30 minutes before eating.
How to Knead:
Take ball of dough. Stretch out the dough slightly. Fold it over. Press down with the palm of your hand. Turn. Repeat.
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Breakfast Project: Vegan Lemon Scones
Assignment: Make a breakfast item. Share it.
Vegan Lemon Scones with Lemon Glaze
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Makes: about 12-15 scones
Ingredients:
Scones:
-2 cups all purpose flour
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-4 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup margarine (I like Earth Balance, but use whatever vegan butter-like stuff you have)
-1 lemon zested and juiced
-1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla or plain, whichever you like)
-1/2 cup water
Glaze:
-3/4 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 lemon zested and juiced
-2 teaspoons soy milk
Kitchen Stuff:
A big bowl
A fork
Cooking Spray (Pam or another non-stick cooking spray)
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking sheet or Pyrex-like baking dish
Microplane (fancy word for cheese grater with small holes)
A wire rack is helpful, but not necessary
Before you begin: preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray baking pan of your choice with cooking spray.
1. Mix the 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons baking powder in a big bowl.
2. Add 3/4 cup margarine. Using a fork, mash the margarine into the flour mixture until it is in small crumb-like pieces.
3. Using the microplane, zest one lemon into the bowl. Avoid the white part (the pith) because it's quite bitter. Then, roll the lemon on the counter under yo
ur palm--it makes it easier to juice. Cut lemon in half and juice lemon halves into the bowl. (Squeezing it cut side up can help keep the seeds out the bowl!)
4. Add 1/2 cup soy milk. Mix well. If the dry ingredients are not all mixed in, add the 1/2 cup of water a little bit at a time. You probably will not need the whole 1/2 cup. The dough should be sticky.
5. Spoon the dough onto your greased pan in scoops a little bit bigger than an egg--about 1/4 of a cup. The size is up to you, but try to keep them similar in size so cooking time is the same. Make sure to leave at least an inch between each scone because they will spread out as they cook.
6. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown around the edges. I found that 13-14 minutes was about right, but all ovens are different so keep an eye on
them.
7. While the scones are cooling, mix 3/4 cup powdered sugar with the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add 1/2 teaspoon of soy milk at a time until the glaze is the consistency of maple syrup. It usually takes 2 teaspoons.
8. Spoon the glaze over the scones on a wire rack. (a plate works just fine for the glazing process, but any glaze spilled over the side will cause scones to stick to the plate a little bit--I speak from experience) Tip: If you glaze the scones when they're too warm, the glaze won't stick as well.
Feeling adventurous? After adding the milk and water, add 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds, some blueberries, nuts, or whatever you think would taste good!
Enjoy!
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
Vegan Lemon Scones with Lemon Glaze
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Makes: about 12-15 scones
Ingredients:
Scones:
-2 cups all purpose flour
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-4 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup margarine (I like Earth Balance, but use whatever vegan butter-like stuff you have)
-1 lemon zested and juiced
-1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla or plain, whichever you like)
-1/2 cup water
Glaze:
-3/4 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 lemon zested and juiced
-2 teaspoons soy milk
Kitchen Stuff:
A big bowl
A fork
Cooking Spray (Pam or another non-stick cooking spray)
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking sheet or Pyrex-like baking dish
Microplane (fancy word for cheese grater with small holes)
A wire rack is helpful, but not necessary
Before you begin: preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray baking pan of your choice with cooking spray.
1. Mix the 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons baking powder in a big bowl.
2. Add 3/4 cup margarine. Using a fork, mash the margarine into the flour mixture until it is in small crumb-like pieces.
3. Using the microplane, zest one lemon into the bowl. Avoid the white part (the pith) because it's quite bitter. Then, roll the lemon on the counter under yo
ur palm--it makes it easier to juice. Cut lemon in half and juice lemon halves into the bowl. (Squeezing it cut side up can help keep the seeds out the bowl!)4. Add 1/2 cup soy milk. Mix well. If the dry ingredients are not all mixed in, add the 1/2 cup of water a little bit at a time. You probably will not need the whole 1/2 cup. The dough should be sticky.
5. Spoon the dough onto your greased pan in scoops a little bit bigger than an egg--about 1/4 of a cup. The size is up to you, but try to keep them similar in size so cooking time is the same. Make sure to leave at least an inch between each scone because they will spread out as they cook.
6. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown around the edges. I found that 13-14 minutes was about right, but all ovens are different so keep an eye on
them.7. While the scones are cooling, mix 3/4 cup powdered sugar with the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Add 1/2 teaspoon of soy milk at a time until the glaze is the consistency of maple syrup. It usually takes 2 teaspoons.
8. Spoon the glaze over the scones on a wire rack. (a plate works just fine for the glazing process, but any glaze spilled over the side will cause scones to stick to the plate a little bit--I speak from experience) Tip: If you glaze the scones when they're too warm, the glaze won't stick as well.
Feeling adventurous? After adding the milk and water, add 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds, some blueberries, nuts, or whatever you think would taste good!
Enjoy!
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
And So It Begins
Day 1. The Blog experiment. I have never once blogged...okay, that's a lie if having a xanga in the 7th grade counts. I'm taking a class that Professor David Silver has susinctly described as follows:
"Green Media is a special topics production class devoted to making media about making food. Throughout the semester, students will plan, plant, tend, and harvest a veggie plot in USF's organic garden; research, cook, and share a selection of seasonal, regional recipes; and eat, experience, and experiment with real food. Further, using social media like twitter, flickr, facebook, blogs, and video, students will make and share media about growing, cooking, and eating food. Finally, students will work collaboratively to design and build two food-related exhibits in Gleeson Library."
Now, for a Media Studies major, I'm not too advanced in terms of social media. I'm not big on twitter and Facebook is beginning to drive me crazy with all the games and apps. Blogging, however, is a good platform for sharing my experiments with food. But I don't want to limit myself just to that. Pictures, cool links, upcoming events around San Francisco--I want to share whatever I feel like, and lucky for me it's my blog and I can do whatever I want!
"Green Media is a special topics production class devoted to making media about making food. Throughout the semester, students will plan, plant, tend, and harvest a veggie plot in USF's organic garden; research, cook, and share a selection of seasonal, regional recipes; and eat, experience, and experiment with real food. Further, using social media like twitter, flickr, facebook, blogs, and video, students will make and share media about growing, cooking, and eating food. Finally, students will work collaboratively to design and build two food-related exhibits in Gleeson Library."
Now, for a Media Studies major, I'm not too advanced in terms of social media. I'm not big on twitter and Facebook is beginning to drive me crazy with all the games and apps. Blogging, however, is a good platform for sharing my experiments with food. But I don't want to limit myself just to that. Pictures, cool links, upcoming events around San Francisco--I want to share whatever I feel like, and lucky for me it's my blog and I can do whatever I want!
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