The Humble Kitchen

I’ve been intending to make crumpets for ages, and finally got around to it today. It’s pretty easy, and I believe I have learned a few things for next time. I used a recipe by James Masters, I’d seen him make crumpets on his BBC cooking show, Saturday Morning. I have a few different recipes, but his seems simple, and since I am a visual learner, I chose to go with one I’d seen made, not one I’d just read about. His recipe calls for buttermilk, which I didn’t have on hand, so I mixed a dollop of plain yogurt in with the milk, which seemed to work out.

• 225g/8oz ap flour
• 1 x 7g sachet dried fast-action yeast
• 150ml/5floz buttermilk
• 175ml/6fl oz warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 Tbsp flavorless oil

It’s useful to have rings to form the crumpets, but it’s not necessary. You’ll need a skillet and a sheet pan.

To make the dough stir together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk in the yeast, the buttermilk and water.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave to prove in a warm place for one hour or until at least doubled in volume.

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Heat a frying pan until medium hot then add a little of the oil. Oil the inside of four 8cm/3¼in metal rings then place them in the pan. Ladle batter into each ring to fill not quite half way. Cook the crumpets until the top has completely set, then remove the metal rings, flip the crumpets over and cook for one more minute.

Transfer the crumpets to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately or cool on a wire rack until ready to toast. Alternately you could freeze them for toasting on a later date.

Makes about a dozen.

-Jennifer

Making your own granola is as easy as going to the store and buying some, but it tastes a whole lot better. It makes your house smell good, and fills you with a smug I-made-it-myself sort of feeling. So what are you waiting for?

There are many ingredients you can use for granola. I tend to keep mine simple, using rolled oats, sometimes mixing in other grains such as barley and rye. For sweetener you can use brown sugar or agave syrup, or a combination. Flavorings can be vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, whatever you like. Writing this it occurs to me candied ginger would be a nice addition. You can throw in some sunflower or flax seeds, wheat germ, coconut, anything you like, just don’t forget the nuts.

Preheat oven to 300º. Get yourself a small saucepan, a large bowl and a half sheet pan.

Over medium low heat melt ⅓ cup butter (or warm the same amount of vegetable oil) and add in ½ cup brown sugar (or ⅓ cup agave syrup). Throw in a pinch of salt and whatever flavorings you have chosen. I add a big glug of vanilla and a bit of allspice. Once the sugar has melted allow this to cool slightly while you measure the oats. (By the way, you can omit the butter/oil if you wish and melt the brown sugar or syrup in ¼ cup of water.)

Measure 4 cups of rolled oats and other flaked grains (if using) and pour into a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups of chopped nuts, I like walnuts and pecans. This is the time to add any seeds or coconut you are using. Pour over the warm sugar mixture and mix well.

Spread evenly on a sheet pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until it’s toasted to your liking. Once you’ve taken it out of the oven you can mix in some candied ginger or dried fruit. I tend not to add dried fruit because I often eat this with plain yogurt and stewed fruit or some black currant jam. If I do add fruit I like dried currants or cranberries. This keeps for a few weeks in an airtight container.

-Jennifer

This is the second installment of my new series, “The boy in the kitchen.”  My son has always been in the kitchen with me, sitting on the counter as a baby and now, really interested in recipes, nutrition and cooking on his own. He comes up with some great ideas, like putting the jam on his first breakfast, “egg in a hole.”

I thought it’d be neat to document some of his dishes and the ones he cooks, not only for his reference, but for my own. The one he chose to cook this morning was egg in a nest:

Nest prepared by tearing tiny pieces of bread. He wanted a flat nest.

Place egg styled to your liking in the nest. (Being the typical five year old, he must prepare the lego people prior to him eating.)

He discovered that one of the advantages to this presentation was the "dipping sauce"

As you can see, he did not like this breakfast at all.

~Sarah

Step #1 Find recipe

Step #2 Get bread

Step #3 Get Eggs

Step #4 Select green egg

Step #5 Stir egg becuase you do not prefer a soft boiled egg

Step #6 make hole in bread

Step #7 Place bread in buttered skillet, fry for a moment on each side, then pour mixed (or unmixed) egg into the hole

Step #8 Remove from pan and say, "oooooo"

Step #9 Add some homemade nectarine and thyme jam on top

Step #10 Eat!

~Sarah

Trader Joe’s had organic, red quinoa on sale so I bought some. I had halfheartedly been looking for it, just for a dash of color in my dishes. Most grains are tan or creme so this is a lovely change. I keep having ideas for gratins because I really am on the quest for different and healthy breakfast options that still allow for some creativity.

Because of this new book I purchased titled Nourishing Traditions, I first soaked 1c. of the quinoa overnight in 1c. of water with 2T liquid whey. It definitely zaps some of the bitter taste from the quinoa and supposedly, some of the anti-nutrients as well. All I know is the kids and I eat it and it tastes yummy. To this soaked quinoa I added  an additional cup of hemp milk and some salt. I simmered it, covered, for around fifteen minutes and when the water was almost absorbed, I stirred it and shut off the heat.

Since I was keeping this as close to vegan as possible (in all honesty I forgot about the whey), I made a vegan chocolate pudding as a second layer:

In my saucepan that I have now decided I totally and completely DISLIKE and want to throw out a window, I whisked 2T of Green and Black’s cocoa powder with 2T maple syrup and a few grains of salt. When that was mixed well, I added 1c of hemp milk. In a little cup I dissolved about 2t of cornstarch and 1/3c of hemp milk and added it to the pot. I brought this mix to a boil in the evil saucepan and simmered until slightly thickened.

In the bottom of the ramekins, I placed about 1t of maple syrup and then filled it 2/3 full of quinoa (despite this photo not reflecting that amount).

A thin layer of pudding sauce was added next and then I topped it with pistachios that I had lightly toasted hoping that they’d get, well, toasty. (Never did, they did burn the first time in the other evil pan)

After my son declaring that he only “likes chocolate pudding without nuts” and deeming whipped cream a necessary  condiment, the resulting gratin was a HUGE success. Spider-Man approved even.

I brought it to work to share with my pals MEM and EM and they both really liked it. MEM and I usually sit around contemplating my next creation and also brainstorming how the one at hand could be made better (EM usually leaves at this point or drifts in and out of the conversation). She and I agreed that this needed fruit of some sort and a crunchy layer would have been welcome. I agreed wholeheartedly, but said that I was tired of putting almonds in everything.

I then suggested “hazelnut and apple compote with a fun spice on the bottom” to which MEM chimed in “and orange zest.”

This, my friends, is the next gratin creation…Red quinoa and chocolate pudding gratin with apple-hazelnut compote. I can’t wait.

~Sarah

I am not sure how this keeps happening, but for whatever reason people keep giving me old bananas.

First, I gave myself old bananas by not eating them, then my Mother drove them 150 miles to me, then my neighbor, then the ex when he brought the kids back. All of them alluded to the fact that I “could make banana bread or something” to which I replied, “There is only so much banana bread a person can eat you know.” But, not wanting to waste the food, I had to find another use for all these poor, unloved bananas.

Enter banana and rice gratin with coconut and cardamon.

I had my little pods of green cardamom, split them open and revealed their sweet-spiciness. The littlest chef lent her tiny hands to help to grind them with the mortar and pestle.

After some work with the spice and the reminder talk about sneezing into food one cooks, she determined the work would make her sneeze too much so she set off in search of something more princess-like to do. I continued on.

I made these with my friend Miriam in mind, but I also wanted the kids to have something different for breakfast. As much as we all love pancakes, one should not eat them everyday. Same goes for eggs, oatmeal, cold cereal, it all gets old after awhile…

This was a neat detour. Ultimately this gratin was based on two recipes from Gluten Free French Desserts and Baked Goods.

In a small pot, cook 1/3c of rice semolina with 1c of hemp milk over low heat for about 7 minutes. Distribute evenly on the bottom of your ramekins or bowls.

Coarsely chop about a cup of almonds and make a layer of those in the ramekin, reserving some for the banana mixture and the top of the finished gratin.

In a medium bowl, coarsely mash up four bananas and add about 6T of coconut cream. Mix well.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 4T of rice flour with 2/3c of hemp milk and heat until thick. Then add 4T maple syrup. Pour this into your banana-coconut mix and add about 2-3t of ground cardamom, depending upon your preference and 3T of chopped almonds.

This is the third layer of your gratin. Sprinkle with almonds and cardamom and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so. Alternatively you could use the broiler, I just happened to already have the oven on. Enjoy while they’re warm.

~Sarah

It’s rainy here in Northern California, the perfect time to go mushroom hunting. A friend and I took a walk around Mount Tamalpais last week, and found a selection of wild mushrooms. We are novices, and do our best to identify what we find, but we like our livers too much to dare eat anything.

Though last year I was fortunate to have a lion’s mane pop up in my front yard. After showing it to several mushroom experts, I brought it in the house and cooked it up. Delicate & delicious, these can often be found at Whole Foods and other specialty markets.

There are so many mushrooms available in the markets, though most often I go for the crimini, or baby portabellas. I love their flavor and versatility. I do keep various dried mushrooms on hand, they last forever, and add instant depth of flavor to savory dishes. One of my favorite breakfasts is sautéed mushrooms on toast. Jamie Oliver’s book Jamie at home has an excellent recipe that I base mine on.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 handfuls crimini and/or mixed wild mushrooms, wiped clean
2 cloves of garlic, 1 peeled and finely chopped, the other halved
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
A few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher or coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fresno red chili, minced
A small knob of butter
1 lemon
2 slices of pain au levain, or your favorite crusty bread

Put a large heavy frying pan, big enough to hold all the mushrooms in one layer, over heat and add a couple of glugs of extra virgin olive oil. Depending on the size of your mushrooms, leave any small ones whole but tear, break or slice the larger ones up. Add them all to the pan and give it a shake to toss the mushrooms in the oil.

Add the chopped garlic and thyme and shake the pan again. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and the minced chili and leave to fry gently for a few minutes. If the mixture becomes dry, pour in a little more oil.

Once the mushrooms have got some color going on, after about 3-4 minutes, add the butter and a small squeeze of lemon juice, you don’t need much — and toss again.

To finish this off and make it into a lovely, creamy sauce, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of water into the pan. Simmer for a little longer, until you have a lovely simple sauce that just loosely coats the mushrooms. Now toast your bread.

When toasted, rub the bread with the cut side of the remaining clove of garlic. Place each slice on a serving plate, pile the mushrooms and the creamy juices from the pan on top, and sprinkle with parsley. Eat immediately.

-Jennifer

This oven baked pancake is simple to prepare, and stunning to boot. My parents often made it on weekends when we were kids, and it is as impressive to me as an adult as it was when I was little. The name alone is intriguing. I have to assume the Dutch comes from it being German, or Deutsch, but how the baby got there is anyone’s guess.

You’ll need a blender for this recipe, though my parents made do with a hand mixer. It’s best made in a cast iron pan, which gives it a wonderfully crisp bottom. The tender custard interior and craggy surface can be achieved in any shallow oven ready pan.

I use a 12″ cast iron pan, but if you are using a smaller pan click the photo below to see appropriate quantities.

Turn oven to 425º and assemble the following ingredients.

½ cup unsalted butter

6 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ cups flour

pinch of salt                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Place the butter in your pan and set in oven to melt. Crack eggs into blender and whirl at high speed for one minute. With motor running gradually pour in milk, then slowly add in the flour. Continue to blend for 30 seconds, and throw in your pinch of salt. Pour batter into hot pan with melted butter. Bake 20-25 minutes until puffy and brown. The edges should curl like a tidal wave. Cut and serve immediately with lemon wedges and generous amounts of powdered sugar.

-Jennifer

My brother warned me that I would love these bagels when he took me to St-Viateur Bagel in Montreal. As usual, he was right. When I got home I started my search for a recipe, because you can’t get anything like a Montreal bagel around here. This is the first recipe I tried, and it turned out to be the best.

1 ½ cups warm water

5 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 (8 g) package dry yeast (not instant)

1 Tablespoon beaten egg

1 Tablespoon Malt syrup  (I buy this at Whole Foods)

4 ½ cups ap or bread flour, maybe more

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup poppy seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

6 quarts water

⅓ cup honey

In the warmed bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, sugar, canola oil, yeast, egg and malt until the yeast dissolves. Stir in salt and one cup of the flour. Once incorporated turn on mixer, with dough hook attachment, and slowly add in three cups of flour. Dough should be soft but not too sticky. You may need to add another half cup or so of flour. Knead in mixer for at least five minutes until dough is elastic. On floured board knead by hand for a few minutes, roll into a smooth ball and place mixer bowl over the dough to rest for ten minutes.

Divide dough into twelve bagels. I cut 3 oz. pieces with a bench scraper, roll them into balls and set aside until all dough is divided. Then I flatten the dough slightly with my palm and push my thumb through to create a bagel shape. Or roll each piece into a 10″ rope, wrap around your hand and press the ends together.

Set bagels on baking sheets lined with a Silpat or parchment, cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and stir in the honey. Preheat the oven to 425º. When the honey-water has come up to the boil, drop in bagels, two or three at a time, and boil for about 90 seconds, turning only once. Drain your bagels on clean, dry tea towels. Put sesame seeds on a plate, dip both sides of each bagel in the seeds. Bagels should be generously covered in seeds on both sides. Once the sesame seeds are used up do the same with the poppy seeds. Lay out the bagels on the lined baking sheets. Place your bagels in preheated oven and bake until golden in appearance, about 20 minutes, turning once.

Montreal bagels differ from standard bagels in several ways, they are smaller, sweeter, and not as chewy. The malt gives them a wonderful flavor. I like them best with a bit of cream cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber and black pepper. My daughter likes hers with tzatziki. We also like this roasted vegetable cream cheese.

-Jennifer

What I mean when I say proper scones, is the sort you might find at a nice hotel that serves afternoon tea, not the enormous things sold at cafés. Not that those enormous things can’t be tasty, I just wish we had a different name for them. They are somewhere between a muffin & a scone. Muffone? Maybe not. I prefer a small, plain, tender and crumbly little vehicle for double cream and lemon curd (or in this case cranberry curd) with a cup of milky tea.

When making scones, think of biscuits. What you want is bits of cold butter throughout the dough which puff up in the oven to create soft and flaky layers. You want to keep the dough rather dry. I pat it out between sheets of plastic wrap, just as I do pie dough. This seems to help all those scraggly bits incorporate.

2 cups ap flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

8 tbsp (1 stick) cold (even frozen) butter, cut into cubes

½ cup buttermilk

3 tbsp sugar

optional: ¾ cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 425º. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to incorporate and get rid of any lumps. Cut in the butter. You can do this with a pastry cutter, two forks, or just rub it between your fingers until the whole thing resembles coarse meal. If using currants, now would be the time to stir them in.  Pour in the buttermilk and stir until a crumbly dough is formed. You may need just a tiny bit more buttermilk to bring it all together, but add only a tiny bit, the dough should never feel wet. Now dump it out on the counter. You may wish to do this on a large sheet of plastic wrap, which helps to form it into a round, and keeps you from needing to flour the board. The dough is dry enough as it is. Either roll or pat the dough into an 8″ round. At his point either use a 2 to 3 inch cutter for round scones, or simply cut the 8″ round into 8 wedges. Place your scones on a lined baking sheet, brush the tops with cream, buttermilk, or egg wash, whichever is handy. Sprinkle a little sugar on top if you can be bothered. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden. Eat immediately with double cream and lemon curd. Being the fortunate recipient of some cranberry curd for Christmas, I have used it in place of the more usual lemon curd.

-Jennifer