Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Ingredients: (for 1 loaf)

2/3 cup sourdough starter fed or unfed

2/3 to 3/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon olive oi

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup steel-cut oats, traditional or quick

2 teaspoons yeast

OPTIONAL: 1 cup chopped Granny Smith apple (about 1 small apple)

Directions: 

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until a sticky dough has formed. You should be able to pull it away from the bowl.  
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 90 minutes. The dough will become puffy, though it may not double in bulk.  
3. Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.  
4. Gently deflate the risen dough, and shape it into a log. Place it in the pan, cover it lightly, and allow it to rise until it crests at least 1" over the rim of the pan, 60 to 90 minutes 
5. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.  
6. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it with foil after 15 to 20 minutes; it will continue to brown slowly. 
7. Remove the bread from the oven, and after a couple of minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.        

Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 cups finely chopped cabbage
• 1/2 cup grated carrots

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and lemon juice until smooth. 
2. Add the cabbage and carrots and mix until blended with the dressing. 
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Braised White Beans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dried white beans (preferably cannellini, buy navy would work, too)
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped
• 2 bulbs garlic, peeled
• 2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, left whole
• 1 dried bay leaf
• extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Soak beans overnight or do a quick-soak method by placing the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with cold water and a sprinkle of kosher salt.  Bring the beans to a boil.  Boil for one minute. Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid.  Let sit for two hours.  Drain beans when ready to use.
2. In that same Dutch oven, to the beans add the chopped onion, garlic cloves (from the two bulbs), chopped rosemary, whole sprigs of thyme, bay leaf, a bit of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
3. Just barely cover the beans with fresh cold water.  Then add a couple of glugs of olive oil — about 1/4 cup.   Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a medium/low simmer.  Let cook for about one hour, stirring every so often, or until the beans are your desired consistency.  I like mine to be rather soft, but still hold their shape a bit.
4. When they are done cooking, remove from the heat.  Remove the thyme twigs and the bay leaf. 
5. Using an old potato masher or a fork, mash a few of the beans to thicken them up a bit,  3/4 cup or so.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 and 1/4 cup flour (half wheat, half all-purpose)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp honey
• 6 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp blueberry juice (if you have some on hand)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375
• Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients seperately.
• Add blueberries to dry ingredients and gently fold in wet ingredients.
• Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 18 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked chicken, diced
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 unbaked pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Sautee onions and carrots in butter.  Add peas and celery for the last few minutes.
3. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed.  
4. Slowly add broth and milk.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.  Add chicken.
5. Place mixture in pie crust and cover with second crust.  Make several slits in the top.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown.  Cool for 10 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon mixed with 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the boiling water until just combined, the mixture should kind of puff up.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture (don't use it all if you want it less sweet). Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

 

Grilled Trout

Ingredients:

• 2 whole trout, cleaned
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Lemon, thinly sliced
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 close garlic, minced
• 2 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 sprig fresh rosemary

 Directions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
2. Rub each trout generously with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt; sprinkle inside of cavities with salt and black pepper. Place half the lemon and onion slices into cavity of each trout, and place a sprig of rosemary and thyme into cavities.
3. Turn preheated grill down to low (or adjust vents for charcoal) and place the trout directly onto the grill; cook until flesh flakes easily and the skins are browned, 6 to 7 minutes per side, flipping once.