Mystery Produce of the Week: Fresh Fenugreek

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Last week, we went back to our local farmer's market. As we strolled through produce stands, I was immediately drawn to this leafy herb. It was very pungent smelling, like I just walked into an Indian restaurant. The vendor told me that this is fenugreek and that we can simply sautee the tender leaf tops, but he also warned that it's "a little bitter."

I'm not easily deterred, so we bought it anyway. Turns out, it wasn't that bitter. I made an aloo methi with the tender leaves and served some homemade roti with it. The stems of fenugreek are really tough and definitely not edible. Despite the pungent smell, it really mellowed out after cooking.

Would I buy this again? Maybe. But only if I figure out what else to do with it besides this aloo methi (although that was pretty good).

Kale Pesto Pizza

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Just to be clear, it's kale pesto pizza and not kale on pesto pizza. Some say you can make anything into pesto -- I don't know about that, but kale definitely works. This kale pesto is surprisingly sweet, not at all bitter. It's green and creamy and works great on pizza. I think it would be delicious on pasta as well. VB said this is one of the best pizzas he's ever had. All I can say is every cook needs someone like him (but he's MINE! Get your own appreciative, complimentary, non-picky eater).

For this kale pesto, you will need:

• 3 cups (packed) kale, cleaned, stem removed and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2-inch strip of lemon peel
• juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1-2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon capers
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Chop kale, cashews, garlic, lemon peel and capers in a food processor. While processing, stream in olive oil until paste becomes sauce. Season with salt. Set aside.

To complete the pizza, you will need:

• one portion of your favorite pizza dough recipe (try this)
• sliced mozzarella
• toppings -- I kept it simple and used young asparagus and sauteed portabella mushroom

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees, preferably with a pizza stone in it. Roll out pizza dough. Place pizza dough on a baking sheet. If you have a pizza stone, place dough on a piece of aluminum foil for easy transfer. Spread kale pesto over the top, leaving 1-inch edge all the way around. Top with a layer of mozzarella slices. Then top with your desired toppings. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until top is browned and bottom is crispy.

Chard Galette

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One of my biggest cooking challenges is how to make vegetables the star of any meal and not just a collection of bit part players. Over the years, I've found that vegetables should be paired with grains, pasta, or just some sort of carb in order to be substantial enough to be the main course instead of a side dish. For this chard galette, I took essentially two side dishes -- mashed potatoes and sauteed chard -- and made a main course by adding a pie crust. This rustic galette is actually really easy to make and quite delicious. The turnip mashed potatoes is creamy yet light and paired extremely well with the earthy chard.

For this chard galette, you will need:

• 1 portion of whole wheat tart crust with olive oil, recipe below
• 2 bunches chard (I used a mixture of Swiss, rainbow and yellow. Other hearty greens like kale and collard greens can also work here), chopped
• 5 small turnips, peeled and quartered
• 1 Russet potato, peeled and medium diced
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

For the whole wheat tart crust with olive oil (adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), you'll need:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 teaspoon active yeast
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Begin by mixing warm water together with sugar and active yeast in a large bowl. Set aside and allow the yeast to foam, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt. Mix together and knead lightly for 5 minutes. Cover with damp paper towels and allow to proof for 45 minutes. Dough should double in size. Punch down the dough and knead a few times. Cover again and allow to proof for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, place potato and turnips into a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Test pieces by piercing with a fork. If fork inserts easily, they are done. If not, microwave on high for 2 more minutes and repeat until done. Mash together. You can use either a masher, a ricer or a food mill. Stir in butter or butter substitute. Season with salt and set aside.

In a large heavy pot, heat up olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chard, season with salt and stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chard should turn dark green and become soft. Strain and roughly chop. Squeeze out any residual liquid. Mix together with toasted pine nuts and red wine vinegar.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Punch down the dough and roll out to a 12-inch round piece. Place rolled out dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread mashed turnips and potato in the middle, leaving about a 2 to 3-inch edge all the way around. Top with chard mixture. Pull the edge up and fold into wide pleats. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Sweet Whole Grain Bread

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Although I enjoy baking once a while, I'm not much of a baker. I tend to think that baking doesn't give me enough room to experiment, since bakers must follow recipes exactly to get the right product. But I'm still going to try to experiment just a bit. I took this whole grain bread recipe and made various substitutions and changes to make my own whole grain bread. And! It turned out great! The smell of sweet yeasty bread lingered for hours.

You'll need 2 days and the following ingredients:

Starter:

• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water

Soaker:

• 1 1/2 cup rolled whole grain (I used Country Choice Hot Cereal MultiGrain)
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup corn meal
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or poppy seeds

The day before you plan on baking, mix all starter ingredients together. Knead for a few minutes, then place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave overnight. In a separate bowl, soak multi-grain cereal with water. Add salt. Set aside and leave overnight.

On baking day, drain multi-grain cereal of any excess water. Mix starter dough with soaked multi-grain, almond meal, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and yeast. Knead lightly to combine. Set aside, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

On a floured surface, combine dough with all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth. Place dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for an hour.

Cut dough into two equal pieces. Flatten and roll into an oblong oval shape. Mold the dough into a football or torpedo shape by tapering the ends. Turn dough, seam side down, onto a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Gently shake the pan to make sure that the dough doesn't stick to the baking sheet. Cover and allow dough to rise again for 45 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degree. Pour a cup of boiling cup of water into an oven proof pan. Place the pan on the bottom rack. Slit the middle of the dough. Brush on some canola oil or olive oil. Sprinkle on sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake on the top rack for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and allow bread to cool for a few hours before serving.

Despite being whole grain and (mostly) whole wheat. the bread is very tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. It is slightly sweet and yeasty. Totally delicious and not bad for an improvising baker!

Onion Focaccia with Roasted Tomatoes

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I bake when I don't have a lot of fresh produce on hand (too lazy for the grocery store run). For dinner, I had some left over tomatoes and some jalapenos that didn't make it into the pickle jar. So I baked an onion focaccia and roasted some tomatoes with some garlic and thyme from our herb garden. As for the jalapenos, I made some jalapeno poppers with some leftover soy cheese and soy cream cheese.

You can find the onion focaccia recipe in The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook: 350 Essential Recipes for Inspired Everyday Eating. As for the roasted tomatoes, simply combine some diced tomatoes, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt and sugar and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. The jalapeno poppers recipe is the same one as the one that VB made a long time ago. But this time, we have better pictures!

Cheese and Beans Pupusas

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When we're not eating at home, we like to try new things. I especially like to go to one of those authentic hole-in-the-wall eateries with no English on the menu and just point. I'd eat what I end up with -- it could be soup, weird animals parts, whatever. It doesn't matter what ends up on the plate. Chances are, I'd love it (even if I don't, I'll just point to something else next time). Recently, we tried a Savadorian restaurant in Mountain View that is exactly one of those places. And it makes awesome pupusas. So much so that I have random cravings for them. So why not make some at home?

My recipe is pieced together by reading a bunch of recipes online. The technique, however, comes from gawking at the ladies who make pupusas behind the counter.

For these cheese and beans pupusas, you'll need:

• 3 cups masa harina
• about 2 1/2 cups water, divided
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• juice from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon canola oil plus more for greasing the pan/griddle
• about 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix (mozzarella, monterey jack, cheddar or something like that)
• salt to taste

Mix masa harina and 1/2 teaspoon of salt with about 2 cups water. Mix in the water a bit at a time. The texture of the dough should be smooth and easily formed into a ball. If it crumbles or breaks easily, add more water. Knead for 5 minutes and set aside.

Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a medium pan. Add red chili pepper fakes, onion and garlic. Stir frequently until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add beans, oregano, cumin, chili powder, Bay leaf, lime juice and about 1/4 cup water. Season with salt. Stir. Let the mixture cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure there is sufficient liquid at all times to cook the beans. If not, add a little more water. Once the beans are softened, mash them into paste like consistency. Mix well with any remaining liquid. You should have pasty but not runny beans.

To make pupusas, you'll need to the masa mix into balls that are a bit smaller than tennis balls. Mold the masa mix into a cup shape by pressing the middle of the ball with your thumbs. Add cheese and bean mix. Push the sides together and form a ball. Pinch off any excess masa mix. Pat the ball lightly into a pancake by transferring them back and forth between two hands. Place pupusas into hot pan or onto hot griddle greased with a bit of canola oil. Flip pupusas over when browned, about 5 minutes. Serve with cabbage slaw, sliced avocados and/or salsa.

The cabbage slaw is traditionally served with pupusas. You just need some shredded cabbage and carrots, white vinegar, salt, sugar, dried oregano and cloves. I sort of just threw it together without measuring, but it tasted like what was served at the restaurant. The cabbage slaw is best if made a bit ahead of time and allowed to marinate.

Chives and Tofu Pan-Fried Buns

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Chinese food showcases chives as a star ingredient. Mature chives have fairly pungent, garlic-y, onion-y flavors -- they really stink up the fridge. I had some chives left over and had to use them quickly so I can stop smelling them all the time. So I made these delicious chives tofu pan-fried buns.

To make these savory buns, you'll need --

• 2 cups chives, finely chopped
• 4 blocks five-spice flavored baked tofu, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• pinch of salt 
• canola oil
• 1 recipe of Chinese sweet yeast dough, below

For the Chinese sweet yeast dough, you'll need --

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon soybean powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoon active yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• pinch of salt

To make the dough, combine flour, soybean powder, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve sugar and active yeast in water. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Knead lightly until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside  for 15 to 20 minutes.

In the meantime, combine all ingredients for the filling. Set aside. Heat up a teaspoon of canola oil in a non-stick skillet fitted with a lid.

Punch down the dough and divide into 20 equal pieces. Roll out one piece and add about a tablespoon of filling in the middle. Gather dough edges into pleats and twist. Place bun into hot pan immediately. If you cannot cook buns immediately, freeze them right away. Allowing them to sit on the counter will make them soggy.

Place about 5 buns inside the pan with plenty of space between them. Allow the buns to sizzle in the pan for a couple of minutes. Add about 1/4 inch of water into the pan. Cover pan immediately with lid. Allow buns to steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let any remaining water evaporate completely. Buns should be easy to remove from the pan once water evaporates. The bottom should be golden brown and crispy. If not, add more water and repeat the process. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

These buns are pretty darn tasty. Sure, it's kind of a lot of work, but so good! Chances are, you'll have plenty left over. They can easily be frozen for another day. And you'll be happy that they are there when you don't have time to cook.

Flat Bread with Roasted Garbanzo Bean Puree

Pin It I feel like I'm stuck in a bit of cooking rut. Even when I crack open a cookbook, I'm not excited by any recipes. When I get stuck in a rut, I go to my local market and see if anything inspires me. I found these fresh garbanzo beans and felt that maybe I can make something delicious out of them.

These garbanzo beans came with their shells, which are tough and takes a bit of time to remove. But once you crack open those shells, you'll see gorgeous pale green garbanzo beans. I quickly blanched them and then tossed them in a hot pan with some olive oil, whole peeled garlic, salt and some cayenne pepper. I then roasted them for 25 to 30 minutes in a 425-degree oven. The roasted garbanzo beans and garlic are then processed into a puree with some water, olive oil, and lemon juice.

I also made some simple Indian flat bread (chapati), smeared some garbanzo bean puree on top and added sliced tomatoes and fresh arugula. Just a bit of cracked black pepper and you've got a nutritious hand roll/sandwich thingy. Fresh garbanzo beans taste more green than dried beans, which are nice and creamy but sometimes can be a bit flavorless. The young beans taste a bit like fresh peas -- crunchy and juicy. So, next time, try some fresh garbanzo beans if you see them at your local market!

Paratha Stuffed With Spicy Cauliflower

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I tried making paratha, stuffed Indian pancakes, a while ago. They turned out pretty good, but they took a ton of time. Being lazy as I am, I haven't attempted making paratha again... until now. I got this recipe from World Vegetarian, one of the cookbooks that I got as a Christmas present. It is chuck full of delicious and exotic vegetarian recipes from all over the world, but there's definitely an emphasis on Indian cuisine.

The one big different between these paratha and the ones that I made was that this paratha is made of half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, which makes the dough more elastic and easy to work with. The previous recipe used half chickpea flour and half all-purpose flour.  The chickpea flour makes the dough tougher and harder to work with. I had a bunch of tears in my dough last time. This time, I was able to roll these paratha much thinner without tearing the dough.

Although I'm not a big cauliflower fan, I don't mind it here. The stuffing is spicy and flavorful, which means it didn't taste like cauliflower at all. Thank goodness for that.

Goat Cheese, Roasted Piquillo Peppers and Tomato Focaccia

Pin It You know how sometimes for weeks, you wake up looking like crap and there's nothing you can do about it? Well, the same thing happens to me when it comes to cooking. There are weeks when I can't make an edible meal to save my life. I burned two pots recently -- first, I melted a silicone steamer right into a pot that I've had since college. Then I burned the replacement pot after reducing poaching liquid for way too long. The enamel at the bottom of the pot came up with the black burned on mess. I'm still having trouble saying goodbye to my almost brand new but now toxic and useless pot.

After professional athletes get out of a slump, they always look back and define the turning point of the season -- the one key event that brought their groove back. I think I've hit my proverbial turning point. I made some easy mac-n-cheese plus corn muffins for a friend's early Thanksgiving dinner. Both items came out pretty good. Then, the very next day, I made this --

Hellllllloo, Good Looking! I'm really pleased with how this turned out. And it was pretty easy to do with a bit of planning ahead.

You'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cup of warm water (80 - 100 degrees)
• 2 teaspoons (one envelope) of instant yeast
• 2 teaspoon of salt, divided
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 jar of roasted piquillo peppers (or roasted red bell peppers would be fine too), drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 medium/large beef steak tomato, sliced thin
• 2 ounces of goat cheese
• 5 to 6 sprigs of thyme

Add yeast and olive oil to warm water and set aside until yeast dissolves. Mix together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. While the mixer is on low, slowly pour in the warm water mixture until dough comes together. Replace paddle attachment with hook attachment and knead for 4 minutes on medium-low.

Spray large prep bowl with olive oil and then transfer dough into the prep bowl. Turn the dough once over to ensure it is well covered with olive oil. Cover the dough with wet paper towels and set aside for 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. Punch down the dough and then spread it flat into a baking pan greased with olive oil. Cover with wet paper towels and set side for another 1 1/2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

While the dough is rising, combine piquillo peppers, garlic, red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Process the mixture until it becomes a smooth sauce using either stand blender or immersion blender.

Once the dough has risen, dimple the dough in two inch intervals. Season with salt. Spread enough of the piquillo pepper sauce to cover most of the focaccia dough, leaving about one inch all the way around. You may have leftover piquillo pepper sauce, which can be served as dipping sauce. Add tomato slices on top. Add nubs of goat cheese and sprigs of thyme on top. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top. Bake for 25 minutes until the bottom of the focaccia is crispy and the edges are golden brown. Serve with extra piquillo pepper sauce on the side.

The piquillo peppers really add a nice balance to the tart tomatoes and the creamy goat cheese. (Yes, that tomato was from our "harvest".) Watch out, I may have gotten my cooking groove back.

Summer Panzanella

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Californians are absolutely spoiled rotten. While the rest of the country sweat it out in record heat waves, we've been enjoying temperate and comfortable weather all summer long. It's 76 and fabulous every day here. Another great thing about California is the quality and abundance of fresh produce. Since moving back to the Peninsula, we've been reunited with my favorite local grocery store -- the Milk Pail in Mountain View. It is always well-stocked with the freshest local produce and some exotic finds as well.

(Now if we can just do something about the horrible traffic, high cost of living and state budget shortfalls...)

When you have access to amazing produce, dinner practically cooks itself. I made this super simple panzanella with the freshest seasonal vegetables and added some canned ingredients. This dish offers so many different textures and tastes -- each bite has a different combination of the sweet tomato, crunchy cucumber, tangy lemon vinaigrette, creamy cannellini beans and fragrant basil.

For this recipe, you'll need:

• 1 15-ounce can of white navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 3 medium/large ripe tomatoes, diced
• 4 or 5 medium cucumbers, cut into half-inch slices with skin on
• 1/2 cup of basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup of Italian parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of capers, drained
• half a loaf of crusty bread, cut into 1 inch cubes and toasted
• juice from two lemons
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 spring of fresh thyme, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk to combine lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the lemon vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Adjust seasoning. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for half an hour before serving.

Ta-da!

So easy and so delicious. And no stove required.

Potato Chickpea Paratha

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I call this 'paratha', but this bread really defies categorization. Paratha is a kind of Indian stuffed bread, generally filled with potatoes and many spices. I took the idea of paratha and stuffed it with leftover potato chickpea patties with cilantro pesto. It's not a traditional Indian paratha stuffing at all. In fact, I don't really know what it is. Mexican? Italian? Chinese???!?! I have no idea. But I don't feel the need to call it any particular thing. It's just a piece of delicious stuffed flat bread.

To make this bread, you'll need:

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of semolina
• 1/4 cup of rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or clarified butter or canola oil
  
• 1/2 cup of warm water

First, combine all the dry ingredients and add the fat. Stir so the fat is evenly distributed. Pour in the water and knead until smooth. Let the dough relax for at least 15 minutes. Portion the dough into about 10 equal pieces. Form each piece into small balls and then flatten into disks. Place the desired filling in the middle of the disk. Make sure the filling is warm as it helps to form the bread later. Stretch the dough so that it covers all of the filling and form a ball. Pinch the dough shut. Flatten the bread by pulling with fingers or pressing with the heel of your hand. Resist the urge to use a rolling pin, you will break the dough. Work the dough slowly and gently to stretch it into a flat bread. If your dough breaks, congratulations, you're not perfect. But it's okay, just patch it with some scrap dough. As you can see, mine are still pretty thick. I'd rather have thicker bread than spill all my filling. If you have trouble with this recipe, watch this video.

Place the bread onto a hot non-stick skillet that is lightly greased with some oil. Cook over medium heat until crispy, then flip, about 4 minutes on each side.

I'm very happy with this paratha. It's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. We paired it some mint chutney, but I think this would be delicious with some pico de gallo too. I still don't know what kind of food this is, but who cares!!

Caponata with Rosemary Foccacia

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We spent days trying to finish all the food we made for Super Bowl Sunday. We ate a lot of beans and rice burritos doused with salsa and guacamole. Thankfully, it's all over. The fridge is cleared of leftovers and we can finally start anew. What better way to do that than to try a new recipe?

Caponata is an Italian eggplant relish that can be served warm or cold with bread or pasta. Here, I've chosen to pair it with homemade rosemary foccacia. There are a lot of caponata recipes out there. They generally include onion, garlic, eggplant, celery, pine nuts and red wine vinegar. I made mine based on the recipe from Sundays from Moosewood Restaurant, which has all the basics plus tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, and capers. I have also read recipes that call for honey and oregano. That will be for another day.

There is a lot of chopping and dicing involved with this recipe but cook time is fairly short. I like how all the flavors melt together and complement each other. We'll be making this one again soon.

Garlic Rosemary Potato Pizza

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Potato pizza is nothing new. In fact, we shared a potato truffle oil pizza at Pizza Antica recently. I thought I'd make a home version of it, replacing the decadent truffle oil with something more economical but equally flavorful.

• 1 portion of your favorite pizza dough recipe (try this one)
• 1 pound of potatoes (I use baby red potatoes, but baby Yukon potatoes or fingerling potatoes will also work)
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 sprigs of rosemary, divided
• 4 cloves of garlic, divided
• 3 2-inch strips of lemon peel
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Place potatoes in a large pot filled with cool tap water. Make sure that the water is at least one inch above the potatoes. Cover and cook until water boils. Set timer and cook for 5 to 8 more minutes. Insert a paring knife into a potato. The knife should slide in with slight resistance. The potatoes should be about 75 percent cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Set aside and allow potatoes to cool. Once cooled, slice potatoes into thin slices.

Pour 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil into a small sauce pan. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and 3 strips of lemon peel. Place sauce pan over low heat. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and steep. Once the oil is cool, remove rosemary, garlic and lemon peels.

Roll out the pizza dough. Brush on garlic rosemary infused olive oil. Sprinkle on 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 sprig of minced rosemary leaves. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with a single layer of potato slices. Brush the potato slices with more garlic rosemary oil. Bake in 500 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

The garlic and rosemary add wonderful flavors to the pizza. Because I roll the pizza dough super thin, the crust is crispy. Also, since not a ton of cheese is used, the pizza is relatively light despite the potatoes.

Nutella Swirl Toast

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One of my favorite fast, no-cooking breakfast is Nutella on toast. It's simple but so delicious. The creamy and chocolaty Nutella melting over fluffy warm toast is so good that I sometimes have it for lunch and dessert as well. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water.

What could possibly be better than that? Unless.... the Nutella is baked into the bread! It's so genius I wish that I had been the one who thought of it first. Unfortunately, I can't claim any credit for it. Happy Home Baker made a Nutella milk loaf using her breadmaker and posted tips for other bakers, like myself, who do not own a breadmaker. I followed those tips and made this wonderful Nutella swirl toast. I modified the instructions so that bakers who have a stand mixer can easily follow along.

• 250 grams (or 2 1/3 cups) of bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 25 grams (or 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) of fine granulated sugar
• 5 grams (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
• 143 grams (or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of milk
• 35 grams (or 1 large) egg, beaten
• 38 grams (or 2 1/2 tablespoons) of butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
  

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast. Mix well and set aside. Combine milk and egg. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, combine mixture with dry ingredients until barely mixed. Add butter. Process until the dough becomes tacky and elastic. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Using the hook attachment on medium speed, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and not sticky, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for an hour.

On a floured surface, roll out the rested dough into a large rectangle. Spread Nutella onto the middle of the rectangle. Be sure to spread Nutrella all the way to two side edges. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough into a log and seal the seams. Cut the dough into sections equal to the width of your loaf pan. Place each section, seam down, into the loaf pan with the cut sides against the lengths of the pan. Let dough rest for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Bake in 360 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is browned and the Nutella caramelizes. Remove bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

The best part is the crunchy caramelized Nutella bits. It's like a warm cinnamon sticky bun but made with Nutella. Next time, I may add some chopped hazelnuts for some crunch and even more flavor.

Pan-Fried Tofu Bun

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There are a few basic types of dough common to Chinese baked goods. For example, the cold water dough used in the scallion twist recipe can easily turn into pan-fried tofu buns.

For the dough:

• 2 cups (or 300 grams) of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (or 6 grams) of soybean powder
• 1 teaspoon (or 3 grams) of baking powder
• 1 cup (or 150 grams) of water
• 2 teaspoons (or 6 grams) of dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (or 30 grams) of sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (or 20 grams) of canola oil, divided
• white sesame seeds for garnish
  

Sift together flour, soy bean powder and baking powder. Set aside. Combine water, dry yeast and sugar until sugar and dry yeast dissolve. Pour liquid into dry ingredients until barely mixed. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. Knead dough until it becomes smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into thin flat discs.

For the filling:

• 1/2 a block of extra firm tofu (or bean curd), drained and finely chopped
• 1/4 of a head of napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

Mix one teaspoon of salt with chopped napa cabbage. Allow cabbage to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Wrap shredded cabbage with cheese cloth and wring out any excess moisture. Add the remaining ingredients.

Place a small spoonful of filling in the middle of the dough disc. Leave some room around the edges. Gather the edges with your fingers. Pinch together and twist. Press down to secure. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on top.

In a large lidded skillet, add 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Turn the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the buns. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the bottom is golden brown, crispy and not sticking to the skillet. Add enough water so that there is about 1/8- to 1/4-inch of water at the bottom of the skillet. Be careful when adding water to hot oil. Cover the skillet and cook until all the water evaporates and buns are steamed through. Add more water if necessary.

This recipe can easily be modified for carnivores. Replace tofu with ground pork and add some grated ginger and you've got pan-fried pork buns. For me, it is not worth the time and effort to make pork buns at home because they are readily available in many Chinese restaurants and Asian supermarkets. But vegetarian buns are harder to find, which makes this home-made version even more special.

Scallion Twist Two Ways

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It's been awhile since I baked bread. My kitchen scale was unfortunately on the fritz (again) so I couldn't try recipes from the five cookbooks that I bought in Taipei. Yes, I bought five cookbooks. One replacement nine-volt battery later, I'm now in business again and itching to get baking. My first recipe to try is scallion twist two ways.

• 2 cups (or 300 grams) of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (or 6 grams) of soybean powder
• 1 teaspoon (or 3 grams) of baking powder
• 1 cup (or 150 grams) of water
• 2 teaspoons (or 6 grams) of dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (or 30 grams) of sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (or 20 grams) of canola oil, divided
  
• 4 scallions (white and pale green part only), chopped small
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt
  
• 1 teaspoon of white sesame seeds

Sift together flour, soy bean powder and baking powder. Set aside. Combine water, dry yeast and sugar until the sugar and dry yeast dissolve. Pour liquid into dry ingredients until barely mixed. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. Knead dough until it becomes smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Brush 1 tablespoon of canola oil on top. Sprinkle salt and chopped scallions on top. Roll dough into a long strip and seal the seam. Trim off the ends. Cut the dough into 3/4-inch pieces. Take two pieces and turn them sideways so that the scallion pieces are shown and facing up. Using a pair of chopsticks, pinch the two pieces together in the middle so that the dough forms four petals. Twist two petals at where the chopstick pinches. Let sit for 5 minutes.


For baked scallion twists, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scramble one egg with a dash of water and brush onto the top of the scallion twists. Scatter sesame seeds on top. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the bread is brown.

For steamed scallion twists, omit the egg wash and scatter sesame seeds on top. Steam in a steamer or rice cooker for 10 to 15 minutes.

The scallion twists are soft, pillow-y and just a little chewy, like Chinese steamed buns. Personally, I prefer the steamed version better because I can really taste the creamy sweetness of the bread. The baked version is more fragrant because the sesame seeds become aromatic after toasting. Either way, I will have an excellent breakfast tomorrow.

Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Roll

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I finally successfully made cheddar cheese pretzel rolls! The key is to bake the rolls whole for 6 minutes, remove and score them open, add cheese and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes. I liked how the soy cheddar and soy mozzarella cheeses melted, so all the cheeses used here were non-dairy.


Look, I also made non-monster normal pretzels! Yay. They look so much better than my first attempt. I'll never buy pretzels again now I can make these at home.

Kalamata Olive Bread with Herbs

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This is a variation on Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread. We gobbled that down pretty quickly, so it's time to make another loaf. I take no credit for this one. It's the brainchild of the other chef in the kitchen. He replaced 1 cup of all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and added chopped Kalamata olives and 1/4 teaspoon each of dried thyme, marjoram and oregano.

The resulting bread is denser with nice herb flavors. The savory bites of Kalamata olives are nice and refreshing. We'll probably be making another variation of this bread soon.

Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread

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Ever since we got this recipe, we've been wanting to try it. But we didn't have the proper equipment to bake the bread. That is, until now.

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of active yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  
• 1 1/2 cups of water

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl until combined into a shaggy dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. Scoop the wet dough onto a floured surface. Fold twice and let rest for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and shape the dough into a saggy ball and let rest for another 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place heavy Dutch oven or other oven safe lidded pot in oven. Heat pot for at least 30 minutes. Tip the dough into the hot pot. Sprinkle with salt or seeds (we used sesame seeds), cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pot and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes until browned as desired.

The crust is nice and flaky and the bread itself is chewy and tender. The bread is paired with some homemade kumquat marmalade. Mmm, delicious.