Dutch Oven Bread - Perfected!

We have a few variations on this recipe, but I have finally perfected my go to bread recipe.  Combining my two favorite methods, the end product is so delicious it will be gobbled up in minutes so you might as well make two loaves!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

1. In a small bowl combine yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup warm water.  Let sit until yeast is blooming, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine flour and salt and whisk to incorporate and mix.
3. Add yeast mixture and 1 cup of warm water to the flour mixture.  Let sit 30 seconds.  Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
4. If still dry, add the last 1/2 cup water and stir to combine.
5. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.  Kneed the dough for a minute or two to combine, return to the bowl and let rest until it doubles in size, about 2 hours.
6. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
7. When preheated, put dutch oven in the oven and set timer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove dough from your bowl and form into shape you want to cook.  Let sit on lightly floured counter.
9. After 30 minutes, CAREFULLY remove dutch oven after 30 minutes and put dough in, do not oil or anything!  Be carefully putting the dough in, the dutch oven is extremely hot.
10. Cook 30 minutes with the dough in the dutch oven.  When you are done and remove it from the oven it will look like the picture.  This bread will be devoured in minutes.

Mushroom Bacon Cheeseburger

Ok, I realize the last three recipes include bacon...what can I say?  Safeway had a buy one, get one on bacon and I couldn't resist!  I've made a lot of burgers in my day, but adding bacon to the ground beef really adds a subtle bacon flavor to this burger.  In addition to cooking the mushrooms in bacon grease, the homemade bun recipe from Smitten Kitchen is well worth the extra time if you have it!

Ingredients (4 burgers)

5 slices bacon (4 for the burger toppings, 1 for the patties)
1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 small shallot, diced
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
7 mushrooms thinly sliced
1 sliced tomato
Cheese slices (your favorite!)
Arugula or lettuce
salt/pepper

1. Preheat saute pan to medium high heat, when hot add 4 slices of bacon.  Let cook.
2. While bacon is cooking, take last slice of bacon and chop.  Add to ground beef, shallot, panko, worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with pepper and salt.
3. Mix with your hands and form into burger patties.
4. When bacon is done cooking, put it on a papertowel lined plate.
5. Don't drain the bacon fat, instead add the sliced mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until softened.  Use a slotted spoon to remove.
7. Add burger patties to the pan and cook 7 minutes each side until browned and meat is cooked through.  Top with cheese and let melt.
8. Assemble burgers with buns, patties, mushrooms, bacon, tomato and arugula.
9. Serve with Tim's Cascade potato chips and enjoy your mushroom bacon cheeseburger!

Steak Au Poivre - Anderson Style

There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked steak.  One of our favorite dinners is from David's mom when she makes us steak au poivre (steak with pepper sauce).  It is always our request for birthday dinners.  "Anderson" style means this recipe can be made on a weeknight to provide a quick and delicious meal for you and your family.  Feel free to experiment with side dishes; in this recipe we used roasted butternut squash, parsnip and onion.  

Ingredients (for 2 people)

2 - 5oz filet mignons or other high quality steak
4 strips bacon
salt/pepper (generous amount of pepper!)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and butter.
2. Wrap bacon around steaks and secure with a toothpick or two
3. When butter has melted add steaks to the pan, let cook on each side about 7 minutes for a medium steak.
4. When steaks are done, remove to a warm plate and cover with foil
5. Add beef broth to the pan and deglaze the pan for a minute.
6. Add butter/flour mixture and whisk quickly to incorporate and form a gravy.
7. Serve steaks with gravy drizzled over and a large glass of red wine.

Brussels Spout Saute + Asian Noodles

This recipe will make you never want to order Chinese take out ever again.  The inspiration for this recipe goes out to my friend Betsy who informed me that fish sauce and brussels sprouts were an unbeatable combination.  Intrigued I had to try this combination and put my own spin on it adding some homemade yakisoba noodles.  If you don't have times to make your own noodles then please feel free to pick up some noodles from the grocery store (though you might be slightly disappointed).  Betsy, my hat is off to you!

Ingredients

Veggie Saute

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/2 pound bok choy
1 medium carrot
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (Rooster sauce!)

Noodles

1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Trim ends off brussels sprouts and remove outer nasty leaves.  Trim ends off bok choy as well.  Peel carrot and roughly chop.
3. Put veggies on a cookie sheet and lightly toss with vegetable oil.
4. Cook 20 minutes until veggies are crisp.
5. Meanwhile combine fish sauce through sriracha sauce in a glass or small tupperware to create your "dressing".  Set aside.  If you are not making your own noodles, skip to step 12.
6. Meanwhile combine flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add eggs and pulse to combine.  If the dough is wet, add a bit more of flour.
7. Kneed dough for a minute or two on a clean counter and let it rest 30 minutes.
8. Using a pasta roller or rolling ping, roll out dough until 1/4 in thick (setting number 4).
9. Heat a pot of chicken stock (4 cups) on the stove.
10. Take rolled out dough and cut into noodle shape or put dough through spaghetti pasta attachment to cut the noodles.
11. Cook the noodles in the boiling chicken broth for 2-3 minutes in small batches until cooked.  Set aside in a large bowl.
12. Combine noodles and roasted veggies in the large bowl and cover with "dressing".  Toss to evenly coat and serve immediately.

Sunchoke and Leek Soup

Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes.  They have an artichoke flavor but are basically the consistency of a potato.  They are perfect in this soup recipe because they add heft to the soup but also add a unique flavor (slightly different than the traditional potato and leek soup).  This recipes calls for lime juice, but feel free to substitute lemon or balsamic vinegar instead.  Serve with crusty bread and cheese for a complete meal.   Another note about the sunchokes and leeks.  Both can be vegetables that still have dirt on them so feel free to rinse in a cold bath of water before hand to get the grime off.

Ingredients

1 large leek, chopped (up to the light green parts)
2 lbs sunchokes cleaned, peeled (if possible) and finely chopped
1 small yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped
1 quart chicken broth
salt/pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. In a large dutch oven, heat a few swirls of olive oil.  When hot, add the chopped leeks and stir to coat with olive oil.  Let cook 3-5 minutes until softened. 
2. Set heavy cream out so it can come to room temperature.
3. Add chopped sunchokes to the mixture and stir well.  Cook another 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
4. Add potato and chicken broth, let cook 30 minutes until all veggies are soft and soup is beginning to meld together.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste then add lime juice and let cook another 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and wait 5 minutes.  Then stir in heavy cream.  You are trying to prevent the cream from curdling here.
7. Serve in bowls with crusty bread for dipping!

Feta and Green Onion Biscuits

I recently purchased a Costco-sized container of feta and with the expiry date looming I decided to make some feta biscuits to accompany a carrot soup.  These are delicious but require no extra salt (feta is already quite salty).

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
2-3 green onions chopped
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup of half and half

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor combine flour, feta, baking powder, sugar and onion.  Pulse until combined, about 1 minutes.
3. Add butter and pulse to combine, another minute or so.
4. With the processor running, slowly add the 1/2 and 1/2, if the mixture seems to dry then add a bit more.
5. When ingredients are wet and combined, move mixture to a floured cutting board to shape into desired biscuit shape,
6. Place biscuits on cookie sheet.  Bake about 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Celery, Raisin and Garbanzo Bean Salad

I needed a protein heavy snack one afternoon and put this together based off something I saw on the menu for "Tavolata".  I've never had their version of the salad, but if it is anywhere near as good as the one I made (and chances are it is better) than I can't wait to get there for a dinner.  If you have pickled celery lying around (we did) then I definitely encourage you to swap it in for the regular raw celery.

Ingredients

1 stalk celery (finely diced)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
pinch of salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir to coat evenly.  Serve immediately or let the flavors marinate for an hour or so.