Pretzels

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I never thought making pretzels would be so easy and so much fun. I decided to make them for a German party last weekend and didn't have any idea what to expect. It turned out it was pretty straight forward to make and relatively fast too (there is a 1 hour resting time, but I suppose this could be shortened with quick rising yeast). The pretzels were delicious especially when still warm. My friend had some German sweet mustard that was wonderful with the pretzels. Now that I made my first batch of pretzels, I am thinking about experimenting and making sweet ones (I always loved the cinnamon and sugar ones at the mall...) or perhaps adding raisins to the dough, who knows.

Be sure to salt it well before the pretzels hit the oven otherwise then can come out quite bland in taste.

Pretzel Recipe:

makes 8 large or 16 small pretzels

You will need:

1 1/2 cups of warm water

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

7 grams of active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

2/3 cup of baking soda

egg wash (egg and water beaten together)

salt (I don't have pretzel salt, so I used kosher salt)

Make the dough:

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if making pretzels by hand), add the sugar, salt, warm water and yeast. Mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it begins to foam. Add the butter and flour and mix (use the dough hook) until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it looks uniform. Turn it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rest in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in volume.

When the dough is almost done resting, bring 2 quarts of water along with the baking soda to a boil in a large pot. You will boil the pretzels in it before they go in the oven, so make sure it's a pot large enough to hold one large pretzel at the time. Preheat the oven to high (450 degrees).

Lightly spray two baking sheets and a clean work surface with oil. Turn the dough into the oiled surface and dived it with a sharp knife (8 large ones or 16 small ones). Make a long log by rolling the dough back and forth on the surface with the palms of your hands. For large pretzels, it should be about 24 inches long and 12 inches if making small ones. Shape the pretzels by holding each end, twisting in the middle and attaching the ends to the bottom of the pretzels. Place pretzels in the oiled baking sheet. Carefully place one pretzel at the time in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Do not leave the pretzel in the water for more than 30 seconds or they will start falling apart.

Transfer each pretzel back to the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt and bake each baking sheet for about 10 minutes, or until pretzels are brown and puffed.

Enjoy warm with some sweet mustard!

Vietnamese Tofu Sandwich

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This sandwich is inspired on the Vietnamese summer rolls, that's why I call it a "Vietnamese Sub". I love the summer rolls but they can be quite time consuming to make, so I decided to put some of the flavours that I like from the rolls in a sandwich. One of the things I love about the fresh salad rolls is the peanut dipping sauce that comes with them, so I made my own Asian-peanut spread for the sandwich by combining peanut butter, hoisin sauce and mayonnaise. I added carrots, jicama and daikon as well as baked tofu. For extra crunchiness, I put some chopped peanuts inside the sandwich. Fresh cilantro adds to the theme, making this a one of a kind sandwich.

Vietnamese Tofu Sandwich Recipe:

makes 1 sandwich

You will need:

1 tablespoon of peanut butter (room temperature is best)

1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons of vegenaise (or regular mayonnaise)

1 baguette about 8 inches long

1/2 block of (1 piece) of baked tofu of your choice

1/2 carrot, peel and cut into thin strips

1/4 jicama, peeled and cut into this strips

1 small piece of daikon, cut into strips

a handful of fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon of peanuts, roughly chopped

Mix the peanut butter with the hoisin sauce. Add the vegenaise until you get a creamy consistency. You might use more or less mayo depending on how you like the spread to taste.

Slice the bread lengthwise and spread the peanut-mayo on both sides.

Layer all the other ingredients to make your sandwich.

Enjoy it!

This month's Weekend Wokking (not so) secret ingredient is cilantro, so I am submitting this recipe for it. This edition of Weekend Wokking is hosted this month by Blazing Hot Wok.

If cutting vegetables is not your thing, use the large holes of a box grater to shred the carrots and jicama.

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf with Prunes and Brazil Nuts

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I made this banana loaf out of nostalgia, really. It's what I call "hippie food "and it reminds me of the times my parents were on a macrobiotic diet. All natural, whole wheat, "no-white", strange types of sweeteners, home made yogurts, the whole nine yards. This loaf is exactly the type of food we would bring home from the natural food store my mom used to shop at. It's great for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a mid afternoon snack with a dollop of yogurt on the side.

I love Brazil nuts and I try to use them whenever I can. They are full of mood-boosting selenium and lend a great crunch to this recipe (just look at them poking out of the loaf in the photos...) Any other nut would work well too. The prunes, on the other hand make the loaf moist and with chewy bits of natural sweetness. If prunes are not available, raisins would be a good substitute.

I used a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and later the butter, but it can be made without one, just whisk dry ingredients and then cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or two knives. The muscovado sugar can be lumpy at times and that is when the processor comes in handy.

Whole Wheat Banana Loaf Recipe:

makes 1 loaf (9 x 5 )

1 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour

2/3 cup of muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup of ripe, mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of prunes, chopped

1/2 cup of Brazil nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (or spray) a standard 9 by 5 inches loaf pan. Set aside.

In a bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg just until combined. Add the butter and pulse again until you have small pea-size crumbs. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in the bananas and eggs and stir to combine. Add the prunes and nuts and mix until well combined, do not over mix it.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake it for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Wait 10 minutes to unmold and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy it!

Note: For those who can read Portuguese and have a Google account (necessary to view the page), here is the recipe that inspired me to bake this loaf:

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=72472&tid=2557974664148461437&kw=bolo+de+banana+e+ameixas

On another note...

Last week I received a blog award from Sally of Pink Bytes. Yes, we have almost the same blog name! Sally blogs from Australia though, a place I can only dream of visiting some day...

This is the first Blog Award I receive so I want to thank Sally (Thank You!!) and pass it on to a few other adorable blogs:

Wandering Chopsticks

Life's Ambrosia

Not Another Omnivore

Pig Pig's Corner

Closet Cooking

Keep making yummy foods, our eyes and our tummys say thank you too... :)

Chocolate-Banana Panini

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After I made those yummy potato-buttermilk rolls I decided to used them for a sweet treat as well. Bananas and chocolate are a great combo, so why not put them together in a bun? Super easy to make, this is a quick recipe that can be made at any time of the day. I used the rolls I had at home but brioche would be a good choice too.  Basically any bread that is plain (no olives, herbs).  Here it's how it's made:

 

Chocolate-Banana Panini Recipe:

makes 2 panini

 

1 banana

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

cinnamon

chocolate chips

2 rolls

 

Peel the banana and slice it lengthwise then crosswise, making 4 pieces. Melt the butter in a skillet and sprinkle it with cinnamon. Add the bananas ad cook them just until they are browned but sill firm, turning once. Set aside, do not clean the skillet (just yet).

Split buns open and wipe the skillet's butter with them (now you can wash the skillet...).   Divide bananas into buns and top it with chocolate chips, as much as you want. Close sandwiches, butter outside of buns and place them on a hot panini maker. Grill them until chocolate has melted. Serve warm, it goes really nice with a glass of cold milk, yum!

Enjoy it!

Potato-Buttermilk Rolls

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The reasons that lead me to bake or cook something are many, but very often it is to use up ingredients that are becoming long-stay guests of  my pantry or fridge. I had  an open cartoon of buttermilk in my fridge that I don't even remember what I bought it for originally. I also have a 10 pounds bag of russet potatoes that were on sale last week. I normally don't buy that much potatoes, but for less than 2 dollars a bag,  I couldn't pass on it. Although this recipe only uses 1 large potato (or 2 smalls), I thought it was a perfect opportunity to try it out. Oh my, I am so glad I did! I loved this rolls so much. They are soft, airy, and not that hard to make actually. It just requires a little time and patience for the few risings to take place.  Using a stand mixer with a hook attachment makes it that  much easier as well.  I made larger rolls and used them to make sandwiches.

 

This recipe is from the book Essentials of Baking from Williams-Sonoma which was a great bargain I found at a discount store a while ago. It's a great book, but I don't really pay full price on books, specially cookbooks. The link shows a new version though, the one I have is an older one.

Potato-Buttermilk Rolls Recipe:

makes 16 dinner rolls or 12 sandwich buns. You can make this recipe without a stand mixer, just knead dough by hand until it is elastic and smooth.

 

1 large russet potato (or 2 small ones), peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

2 packages (5 teaspoons) of active dry yeast

6 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting the rolls

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

 

In a small saucepan bring the water and potato to a boil, cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are soft. Transfer potatoes and water to the bowl of a stand mixer and mash the potatoes with a fork.

Add the buttermilk and check the temperature, it should be close to 110 F/43 C. If it is too hot, let it cool. If it is not warm enough (the buttermilk may have been too cold), take a cup of the liquid and microwave it for 30 seconds, return liquid to bowl and test for temperature again. Once the temperature is right, add the yeast, stir and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the hook dough and knead on low speed. If needed, add more flour a little of the time for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 5-7 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Punch out the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Cut the dough into 16 pieces if making dinner rolls or 12 larger pieces if making sandwich rolls. Cover it with a clean towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before proceeding. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it on prepared baking trays, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cover the trays with a clean kitchen towel and let rolls rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until they doubled in size, about 15-30 minutes. If making sandwich rolls, let the dough rise until spongy and pillow-soft when gently squeezed, 30-45 minutes.

Dust the tops of the rolls with a little bit of flour and bake them until the are puffed and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of your oven you might need to bake it in two batches.  Let it cool slightly before serving (if you can!!!)

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Blueberry Muffins

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I feel really good every time I eat blueberries. Even if they are tucked inside a muffin. And I feel even better if  they are home made muffins. Blueberry is considered a super food due to its high amount of anti-oxidants. I use fresh ones when they are in season  and frozen ones when they are not. In fact, I actually freeze fresh ones during the end of summer when the prices are cheaper and they are abundant.

I guess most people might already have their own recipe for blueberry muffins, but I will share mine anyway. The recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart baking book, surprisingly named Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook :)

Here it goes:

 

Blueberry Muffins Recipe: (makes 12 standard size muffins)

You will need:

 

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)

2 cups of all-purpose flour, or 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 1/2 white

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of blueberries, fresh or thawed if frozen

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of milk (I normally use 2% because it is what I drink)

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin pan by either using cooking spray (I use the butter with flour kind) or by buttering and flouring them, tapping out excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer (with the paddle attachment) beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla.

Turn mixer speed to low and add flour mixture slowly until incorporated. Add milk slowly and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix batter (if you feel you did it, just let it rest for about 15 minutes before moving on).

Sprinkle the blueberries with a little bit of flour, no more than a teaspoon, just to coat them. Shake off excess flour. This step will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Fold in blueberries carefully into the muffin batter. Use your softer spatula and be gentle not to break them.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. (At this point you can choose to sprinkle them with some sugar to give an extra crunch and sweetness to them. I tried both ways and I prefer it without the extra sugar).

Bake for about 30 minutes. Test it by doing the toothpick test, it should come out clean if inserted in the center of a muffin.

Let cool and remove from pan.

 

Note: I am pretty good at planning ahead what I want to bake, but sometimes I still forget to leave the butter outside for softening. On that case, I put it in the microwave and heat it in 5 seconds intervals. It normally takes 3-4 times to get to the right consistency.

Grilled Avocado, Portobello and Pico de Gallo Sandwich or, as I call it: A Mexican Double-Decker

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I believe some of best things in life happen when we don't really plan it. That is exactly the case here. I had some leftover pico de gallo in the fridge and no more tortillas to go with it. A quick look at my kitchen showed me an avocado resting on the fruit basket, a bag of my favourite multi-grain sliced bread on the counter and some sharp cheddar in the fridge.  And like magic, a new sandwich was created!

It was pretty wet outside so I decided to use my indoor grill pan. Frankly I think it is a big pain in the neck because our ventilation system sucks and every time I grill indoors our  entire 700 square feet apartment gets foggy and smelly. It takes hours to "de fog" the place.  So with that in mind, I decided to grill not just the mushroom, but also the bread slices and the avocado as well. Don't ask...

Grilling the avocados make them warm (duh...) and also a little charred, which I love. I grilled the bread slices too because I had this image of nice grill lines on my sandwich so I threw them on the grill too.

You can find ready-made pico de gallo in many groceries stores. I make my own and I added the recipe at the end of this post.

 

The result was one big, yummy and even nutritious sandwich that I am sure I will be making again.

Mexican Sandwich Recipe:

What I used,  for one huge double-deck sandwich

 

About 1/2 cup of picco de gallo (recipe follows)

1 Hass avocado

1 Portobello mushroom        

2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese

2 slices of multi grain bread

 

                       

Drain the pico de gallo of any excess liquid, set aside.

Heat grill to medium-high. Clean mushroom and remove the stem. Brush it with oil and grill it until tender and cooked, turning once. Remove and slice it.

Peel and cut the avocado in half. Spray the grill with cooking oil and place avocado halves, being careful not to "break" them. Leave it on the grill until you get nice marks, about a minute or so. You may try and turn them, but I found it to be a little bit messy. Remove from grill and slice it.

Grill the slices of bread.

Put the sandwich together buy layering the avocado slices, the pico de gallo, cheese slices and the portobello mushroom.

Enjoy it!

 

Pico de Gallo Recipe:

5 ripe tomatoes

1/2 red onion

1 handful of cilantro

1/3 of a jalapeno pepper

Chop al ingredients and season with salt, pepper, olive oil and a dash of lime juice. For best results, let it rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to blend.

As an alternative for the sandwich, you can always just use good old sliced tomatoes and onions, but keep in mind that if you don't add cilantro you will be missing out on a major Mexican flavour.

Bruschetta 2 Ways (both are easy and affordable)

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As promised, here are the first of the appetizers we served on our Holiday Party last week. Bruschetta (Brew-Ske-Ta ) is quite a popular party dish these days, maybe because it's so easy to make and it allows the cook to create so much with the concept. Think about it, toasted slices of bread topped with whatever... That's bruschetta, in a nutshell ( I hope I didn't offend any gourmets out there by simplifying it this way. But then again, I don't believe there are any gourmets reading this anyway....:) )

So here they are:

The base is always the same, just bread (day old id fine), sliced and lightly toasted in the oven (350 for 10 minutes will do it). I used regular old French baguette because it was cold and rainy and that's what the closest supermarket had that day. But a nice crusty bread would be even better.

Peas & Mint Bruschetta

Those two guys (the pea and the mint) seem to really like each other ( think peas and mint soup), so this is another way of using this combination.

You'll need:

Peas ( frozen is fine)

Fresh mint, roughly chopped

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Just mash the peas with a fork * , add the mint and combine. Stir in olive oil until you see it's enough to give it a light moist texture to it. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This can be done in advance, just keep it in the fridge. In fact, you'll notice more the mint if you leave it to rest overnight.

* You can also use a food processor to mash the peas, specially if you are planning on making large quantities. On that case, I suggest pulsing it quickly a few times to avoid processing it. I like it with a few whole pieces of peas, it lends some texture.

Blue Cheese, Honey and Fig Bruschetta:

If you never tried the combination of blue cheese and honey I urge you to do so. It is heaven!

You'll need:

Your choice of Blue Cheese

Honey

Dried figs, quartered or roughly chopped **

Start with a slice of cheese, drizzle some honey and top with a piece of fig. How easy is that?

** For this particular party, I used dried figs that I quartered and top the bruschetta with it. But you could use fresh figs too, it would be delicious. Or even use a fig jam on the bottom of the toast, and then topping it with the cheese. On that case I would taste it first before adding the honey, as the fig jam is pretty sweet already.

I also topped a few of them with chopped candied walnuts.

Pear Brie and Walnuts Panini

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December is definitely the official party month of the year. I have to prepare a couple of dishes for a potluck this weekend, and then next week we are hosting a holiday party here at home for about 20 people.

Then there are the preparations for Christmas Eve meal (which I like to make really special), and let's not forget all those cookie swaps...With so much going on in our social lives it can be easy to forget about all the regular meals we still have to eat everyday.

Having good, nutritious meals will give energy to survive all the office parties, cookie-baking, eggnog- drinking, sales-shopping that this season brings...

That have been said, I try to make good but simple meals for lunch and dinner. This is definitely not the time to try a new, complicated recipe (unless it's a cookie one....)

Grilled paninis fit the bill perfectly. I find them to be very satisfying and filling. This one combines brie, pears and walnuts. The pears lend a sweet taste, the brie brings its sharp, specific flavour, and the walnuts add a crunch to this sandwich.Served with a light salad it's a complete meal that takes no time to make, leaving us with more time to bake more Holiday cookies!!!!!!!

Pear, Brie & Walnuts Panini Recipe:

For each sandwich, you'll need:

Good, sturdy bread such as ciabatta or French baguette

2 slices of brie

1/2 a pear, sliced (it can be any kind of pear)

a handful of walnuts, chopped

butter

Make the sandwiches with a thin layer of butter, the slices of pears, the walnuts and the brie. Butter the outside before placing it on the panini maker. Alternatively, you can make them on a hot pan. Just make sure to apply some pressure by topping the sandwich with something heavy, like a saucepan with cans on top, and flip them half way trough.

Sourdough Vegetable Sandwich

Pin It Here in Seattle there is a place that is famous for their Chowder in a Sourdough Bowl. I remember when I first came across the concept of soup in a "bread-bowl". It was a long time ago in Brazil. I think it's a great idea, and so why not doing the same for sandwiches? If I had to take lunch to work, this would be the kind of meal I would make often. It's travels well, it can be made in advance, and most important it is a wholesome, healthy meal.



Now, of course, you can change the ingredients to fit your taste. You can make it with meat too, such as sliced meats or a sliced turkey or chicken breast. My version is vegetarian and I used what I had in hand (mushrooms, zucchini, mozzarella).

The sky is the limit when it comes to the filling, but the only think to keep in mind is to avoid items that tend to loose liquid because it will make the sandwich soggy. That is why I used fresh mozzarella that is not packed in water, and squeezed all excess oil from the sun-dried-tomatoes.

Sourdough Vegetable Sandwich Recipe:

Cut the top of a sourdough bread and remove the insides of the bread, leaving a small border.

Start layering with all your favourites. For this one I did:

Grilled sliced zucchinis

Pesto

Mozzarella (not packed in water, or if not possible, squeeze all excess liquid)

Sun-dried-tomatoes (excess oil removed)

Sliced white mushrooms, cooked in olive oil.

Continue layering until the bread is filled. Brush the lid with pesto and close the sandwich. Wrap it in plastic and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins

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I think there is something special about upside-down desserts. I am not sure exactly what is it. Maybe it's the suspense on the time you remove it from the pan (there is always a little hesitation.... is it going to be just perfect? Is it going to fall apart?) Or perhaps it's the fact that you can see the main ingredient right on top, on this case, lemons.

These muffins are better served warm, and of course, upside-down. The lemon slice on the top (or bottom?) is edible, but some people might not like it. On this case, it can simply removed. I suggest trying it, the lemons are super sweet and just melt in your mouth.




And since this month's challenge from Leila and Cris is about muffins and cupcakes, I am submitting these little guys!

Upside-Down Lemon Muffins Recipe: (this recipe is adapted from an old Williams-Sonoma book I have called Muffins & Quick Breads)

3 lemons

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teasp baking powder

1/2 teasp baking soda

1/2 teasp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400'F. Spray a standard 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Finely grate the zest of the lemons, removing only the bright yellow portion. Set lemons aside.

Combine the zest, water and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the butter and stir until it' s melted, about a minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove all the remaining peel from the lemons (just like you would do with an orange or a grapefruit). Cut crosswise into slices, you will need 12 slices. Pour about a teaspoon of the remaining sugar on the bottom of each muffing tin and top it with a slice of lemon.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and reserved lemon mixture until smooth. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, bake for about 15-20 minutes. Immediately invert muffin pan into a wire rack and lift it away.

Basil and Blueberry Cornbread

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Susan from FoodBlogga had posted this quick bread recipe a short time ago. I love anything corn, and cornbread is definitely on my favourites list. I found myself with some blueberries and basil seating in my fridge for a while. I never seem to use my basil fast enough, it gets dark so quickly...
Anyway, I thought it would be a perfect time to try Susan's cornbread recipe. I normally bake some sort of bread (quick or yeast ones) or some kind of muffin every other week (I would like to do it every week, but my jeans wouldn't like that so much....)


This recipe is very easy, and you know that's my kind of cooking. I never thought of mixing blueberries with basil, but the result was great, and the basil was very subtle.
I didn't change a lot of things from the original recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients on the list. The main thing I made different on my bread was probably not using lemon extract and using some lime juice instead. I suppose if you used extract you would get a lot more of the lemony taste.


Also, Susan suggested a basil butter to go with it. As much as I like compound butters (or just butter in general), my jeans again reminded me that perhaps I could skip that... The recipe for the basil butter as well as the original cornbread recipe post from Susan and can be found here.

This was a great bread to have around the house and snack on it in the afternoon, eat it for breakfast or serve with coffee to a friend. Thanks Susan!


Basil and Blueberry Cornbread Recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup medium coarse stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk **
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
2/3 cup fresh blueberries (dusted with some of the flour mixture)
1/3 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk it.

In a separate bowl, whisk oil, butter, buttermilk, eggs, lime juice and zest. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture in batches, combining well before each addition. Don't over mix it. Fold in blueberries.
Pour batter into buttered and floured loaf pan and bake it at 375' for about 35 minutes, until cake tester comes out clear.
Let cook 5 minutes and invert it into a cooling rack.

** I don't normally have buttermilk at home, and I don't like buy something just for one recipe, specially if it is an item I know I won't use it again so soon. Because of that, often times I use the "dry buttermilk" (which I keep in the fridge) and follow the instructions on the package when needed in a recipe.

Raw Beets and Carrot Sandwich

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This is a really simple and delicious sandwich idea, perfect to take to work. Sandwiches like this one are really common in Brazil but I find that most people here in Seattle prefer to use cooked beets and even then they are not very present in sandwiches.

For this recipe, two types of raw beets plus carrots are shredded and then combined with goat cheese and herbs. The mayonnaise is used here to moisten the sandwich. You can add sliced tomatoes if you like.

Raw Beets and Carrot Sandwich Recipe

makes one sandwich

You will need:

2 slices of whole wheat
1/4 cup shredded raw carrots

1/4 cup shredded raw, peeled purple beets

1/4 cup shredded raw, peeled golden beets

3 tablespoons goat cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives or parsley or a combination of both
1 tablespoon eggless mayonnaise (vegennaise) or regular mayonnaise

Coat bread slices with mayonnaise and goat cheese, sprinkle the chives on top, top it with the vegetables and close. This sandwich can be made in advance, wrapped in plastic or foil and refrigerated.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread

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Bread is one of those things that for the most part I preffer to buy it than make it at home. This loaf is one of the few exceptions, it's made with oats and molasses which gives the bread a nice flavour and this dark colour. It is easy to make and tastes realy good. It's a good bread for sandwiches and toast, but most of the time I have it just plain with some saffron honey on top.

Oatmeal and Molasses Bread Recipe:
addapted from Willians-Sonoma Essentials of Baking Cookbook

makes 2 loaves

You will need:

2 1/2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup molasses
2 packages (1/4 oz/7 g each)dry active yeast
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

Bring water to a boil and pour over oats. Add butter and molasses and let mixture cool to warm.

Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt. In the bow of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm oats mixture and wait 5 minutes. Knead on low speed with the hook attachment. Add remaining flour as needed for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl after a few minutes of kneading (I use normally between 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour, but it varies each time). Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Butter 2 (9x5 inch/23x13 cm) loaf pans. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface (it may be sticky). Cut it in half. Form an oval log with each half (by rolling and sealing the dough). Place the logs seam side down in the prepared loaf pans. Press on them to flatten them evenly into the pans. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let it rise again in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mist the tops of the loafs with water and sprinkle with extra oats. Bake until golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when tapped on top, 40-45 minutes. Let them cool completely on wire racks before slicing.