Homemade Bread

Alas living on your own seems to be a more expensive than I had thought. This year I finally took advantage of my own life completely. I had always payed for a lot of things on my own, but this year I fully took control of my own life. Terrifying.


So things have been a little pricey. Getting a house set up to live in can cost some moola. Buying furniture, decorations, groceries... it all adds up over time. We seem to have a firm grasp of our budget now, but we are always looking for ways to save. This is perhaps not the easiest way to save a few bucks, but it should add up over time.

The idea that I am referring to is the making of my own bread. Bread is a pretty cheap item to buy in a grocery store. It comes pre-sliced and in lots of different flavours. So why would anyone make their own anymore?

I make it for three primary reasons. The first I have already discussed... hopefully this will turn into a cheap deal by the end. Of course bags of flour are a little pricey, but you can make several loaves with them, among other baked delicacies.

The second reason I make homemade bread is the smell of freshly cooked bread, especially on a cold winter day. The snow has really been coming down lately, and we are living in a winter wonderland here, so the smell of hot baked bread in the oven helps keep the house nice and toasty! Enjoy the view of our backyard!

And finally... taste. Soft homemade bread, fresh out of the oven, with just a little butter on it? You can't go wrong with that. Maybe with a nice slice of cheddar cheese on top? Heck, slap some meat and lettuce in there and you're locked into heaven.

So for those primary reasons, here is my own bread recipe. Straight from the girlfriends grandma! Enjoy!


Homemade Bread
-Makes Two Loaves

Warm Water - 3 Cups
Yeast - 1-1/2 tbsp
Salt - A few healthy pinches
Unbleached Flour - 3 cups
Multi-grain Flour - 3 cups


In a large bowl, mix the water, yeast and salt. Give it a good stir and allow it all to blend.
Gradually add the cups of flour, stirring constantly. I recommend a good wooden spoon. You want the bread  to be smooth and not sticky when you've finished. You dont have to worry if the flour isn't completely mixed together.

Cover the bowl with a large towel and leave for 1-2 hours for the bread to rise.

Shape the bread into whatever shape that you desire. I prefer two small longer style french loaves. But you can also do it baguette style, small buns or whatever size you want! See the photo for reference! Grease a baking pan or loaf pan and set the bread inside.

Set the oven to 400 degrees and let warm up for about 10 minutes. Place a bowl of water on the bottom shelf of the oven while it warms. Cook the bread for about a half hour to forty minutes depending on the loaf size.
And as the girlfriend's grandma mentioned in her recipe, bring it out and "enjoy your hard work!"

Pita Pizza Snacks

I had a bit of a flashback the other day when we made this treat for a nice night-time snack. I hadn't thought of this particular memory in a long time. It took awhile, but I remembered how this was one of the first recipes that I made.

The recipe itself is fairly simple... I mean, its just miniature pizza's on pita breads. So why was this recipe such a big deal? Grade 8, Home Economics class is where it all began. I wasn't the best student in class and didn't do the best job at paying attention. This class was not a big deal in my school history. I only took the cooking class once, and only because I had to choose between that and a computers class and industrial arts. I hadn't done so well in industrial arts in grade 7, so it seemed like a good option.

The recipes that we learned were all fairly straightforward and simple, but still pretty tasty. We got to take the recipes home to cook for our families, and I remember proudly trying it out at home.

I didn't remember any of the recipes that we made until now, and I dont remember any of the others,  but this one came back to me for some reason. Of course it isn't quite the same thing as it was back then, but it still is a dandy little snack or side dish for lunch.

So while this recipe may amuse fellow cooks for its sure simplicity, it's fun to move down memory lane a little. This particular variety is of the Hawaiian persuasion, but mix it up!


Pita Pizza

Pitas - 2
Tomato Sauce - 4 tbsps
Ham - shredded - 1/2 cup
Pineapple - 1/2 cup
Cheese - Grated  - enough to cover the top
Oregano - a light dash

Assemblage is pretty easy. Lay out the pita's, cover with the tomato sauce, then place on the desired ingredients. Finish with the cheese to anchor it in place and give it a light dusting of oregano. Toast in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is finely melted. Cut and serve hot!

If this is a new recipe for you, I hope that you give it a shot and enjoy my flashback as a new flavour. Delish!

Pasta Purgonara

This was a bit of a different idea. I know it isn't the first time that it was done, but its the first time in my kitchen.

The concept that I am talking about, is the adding of an egg to a pasta meal. When my parents went to Italy, they told me that it is a common thing when an egg is cracked on the top. 

So I planned on having a spaghetti night for myself and giving it a shot. To make it even more interesting, I decided that I would add some bacon to the sauce. Eggs and bacon for dinner? This recipe was becoming more and more like a breakfast by the minute! 

So this recipe is not complicated. In fact, its pretty downright boring. Basically its the classic tomato sauce (With some added bacon), the spaghetti noodles, and an egg cracked on top. However, this recipe does have a bit of a spin. Several Italian chefs (Batali, Rocco, De Laurentiis) have a recipe they call "Eggs in Purgatory". This is where the eggs are placed in the tomato sauce and cook over the top. 

Now I followed David Rocco's recipe, and he doesn't bother to eat it with pasta, but it just doesn't seem to be right then. 

So then comes to the difficulty about what to name this. Do I name it Eggs in Purgatory? Do I name it Pasta Carbonara due to the bacon? So Pasta Purgonara was born!

Pasta Purgonara

Classic Tomato Sauce - Click This Link
Eggs - 2
Parmesan Cheese - 1/2 cup
Spaghetti Noodles

Cook the sauce in a small pot. Once its boiled and ready to go, transfer the amount you want to a oiled frying pan that is already warm. Crack the eggs into the sauce. This recipe is the "Eggs in Purgatory" part. Add some healthy amounts of cheese. I used Parmesan cheese, but cheeses like mozzarella would work well too when they melt inside the sauce. Cover the frying pan until the eggs become poached. I prefer mine a little runny, but that choice is up to you.

Serve over the spaghetti noodles and enjoy! 

Manwich 2.0 - The Philly Cheese-steak Experience

Its been awhile since the last manwich, and it was time to change things up this time. There was an episode of Man vs Food on again, where the host is at a restaurant that serves giant style sandwiches. The one that really stuck out for me had a sandwich stuffed with... macaroni and cheese.

I cant even imagine what that would be like! I cant even imagine who it was that first considered adding that as a sandwich filler, but perhaps im missing out on something great? One thing that I have learned as I have grown in cooking, is that you can't be scared to try new things. However, I think it will be a bit longer before I try a Macaroni and Cheese Sandwich.

Enough talk of sandwiches though! This isn't a blog about a sandwich! This blog entry is all about... The Manwich. My good friend Charles actually came up with the philly cheese steak idea, and I leapt at the chance. Is there another ingredient that is better made for a manwich than steak? We decided not to add too many ingredients, and stuck with the idea of the pure Philadelphia Cheese-steak concept.


Philly Cheese-Steak Manwich

This manwich recipe is my best interpretation of the recipe as possible. There were about seven people all dining on these, so we bought things in bulk. So here is my approximation, but use the amount that best suits you. This recipe is also only for one sandwich, so double ingredients if needed. So while sticking as close to the original as possible, I hope that you enjoy this version of the Manwich!

French Loaf - 1/2

Garlic - 2-3 cloves

Butter

Steak - 1 - cut into thin strips
Green Pepper - 1/2 - long slices
Red Pepper - 1/2 -  long slices
Onion - 1 - long slices
Mushrooms - Button - about 10 large ones
Provolone Cheese - 6 long thin strips
Jalapeno - cut into slices

Cut the French Loaf in half width wise, and then again length wise. Butter one side of the bread. Cut the cheese into long strips and set aside.

We cooked the steak in an electric frying pan, so just toss in the slices and cook over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Add salt and pepper as well.

Saute the Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms together until soft.

Now, the assembling of the sandwich! Turn on the broiler in the oven and lightly toast both sides of the bread. Rub the garlic cloves on the buttered side of the bread. Do so until all the bread surface has shredded garlic on it. Pile on the steak, veggies, cheese and jalapeños. I also wanted to splash in some ranch, but that's just a personal preference of mine. I also top mine with a good handful of crushed kettle chips, and then you are almost there!

Once the sandwich has been assembled, add to the oven again and let the cheese melt. Once that has been completed, you are good to go! Of course I didn't finish the whole thing, but it still makes good leftovers even if the bun gets a little soggy! I hope you like it!

French Vanilla Ice Cream

Dont get excited, I have no idea how to make ice cream. I dont really believe its possible now, or in the future, to own an ice cream maker. That is unless I come into a great deal of money and a much larger kitchen.

Owning an Ice Cream maker would be pretty sweet though. I wonder what sorts of flavour combinations I would come up with. Everyone has favourite flavours of ice cream, most of which are only available in supermarkets. Occasionally, people get to make the trip to an actual ice cream parlour and enjoy the flavours held within.

Hopefully in the future, I'll be able to go to one of my favourite establishments, Mackays Icecream in Cochrane. It has so many different flavour options and its all homemade. Delicious!

Anyway, the point that inspired this discussion... French Vanilla Ice Cream. It isn't sexy, it isn't the most original, but its delicious. I had never been a big ice cream fan before, but for some reason, I am addicted these days. Subtle flavours, cool sensations and not healthy for me, its the perfect snack.

This was just a quick blog entry to get the thought off my mind and to do some writing. Its a good night time activity that helps me calm down. I guess the whole point of this writing was simply to talk about the merits of Vanilla Ice Cream and to try to share how a simple mundane food item can suddenly become a whole lot more.

Funny how that works out.

Fall Harvest Squash Soup

When did recipe names start to lose their attractiveness? It seems that these days everyone names their recipe by simply listing what is inside of it. For example, the food blog site A Hungry Bear Won't Dance has a recipe posted with the title "Oven-Baked Butternut Squash, Purple Kale, Crimini Mushrooms and White Beans with Nutmeg Bechamel Pasta Recipe". (The recipe can be found Here)

I have tried this recipe, and it certainly was delicious. The title still makes my stomach grumble and I can already imagine the flavours.... but was it really necessary to throw in all of those extra words? Why not a simple or original title for this recipe?

I can comprehend naming a recipe as such in order to let people know what they are digging into, but why do they do the same thing at restaurants? Restaurants already have a blurb under the recipe in order to explain exactly what is inside the dish that you are eating, one of my favourite parts of looking over the menu. But when you name your food "Pomegranate Chicken with Spinach and Goat Cheese" and the blurb reads something like "Cooked Chicken Breast in a Pomegranate sauce, served with Spinach and Goat Cheese"... its completely pointless and depressing.

I made an amazing soup today with the rather long winded title of "Roast Honey crisp Apple, Onion, and Squash Soup with Maple Soy Glaze". I got it  from the  Flavours of Prince Edward Island cookbook, an outstanding collection of recipes that make my stomach happy. I dont really mind the title that much at all, and it does make me raise an eyebrow in culinary curiosity, but it just seems a bit over-extended. So even though I honour the original recipe, I wanted to rename this recipe the Fall Harvest Squash Soup. We will have to see if it attracts any attention!


Fall Harvest Squash Soup

Butternut Squash - 1 (About 2lbs)
Onion - 1 diced
McIntosh or Honeycrisp Apple - 3 diced
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
Canola Oil - 2 tbsps
Thyme - 1 tbsp
Apple Juice - 1 cup
Chicken Stock - 1 cup
Whipping Cream - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsps
Tabasco Sauce - dash
Salt and Pepper - dash of each

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and place in a large roasting pan. I just used a large 9x13 casserole dish which worked just as well. Place in the oven for about 4o mins.

Now the recipe would like you to wait for the squash to return to room temperature before you peel the skin off, however, I just took a knife and carved it off. Remove the seeds as well, but keep the flesh.

Peel the apples and chop into small bite size pieces. Place with the diced onion in a  small bowl. Add the minced garlic cloves, the canola oil and the thyme. Give it a quick toss to make sure they all blend together and add the the now vacant squash roasting pan. Place in the oven for 20 mins, still at 350 degrees.

Once the apple mixture has finished, place in a large pot along with the squash. Add the whipping cream, apple juice and whipping cream. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

Puree the mixture with an immersion blender. Add the lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and the salt and pepper. Give the mixture another quick stir.

Now the soup is finished. Its perfectly fine all on its own, but if you are interested you can add the Maple Soy Glaze. Recipe as follows.

Maple Syrup - 1.2 cup
Soy Sauce - 3 tbsps

In a small sauce pan bring the maple syrup and soy sauce to a simmer. Let reduce by half, then allow to cool to room temperature. Add to the top of the soup


What a great recipe! It really has a ton of unique flavours that spring on you and it really does summarize the fall. Be really careful adding the glaze as it can overpower the soup if too much goes in. I would suggest a tbsp only. I also pureed this recipe until it was smooth, but you can leave a few chunks if you would like as well. Its one of my favourite recipes of the year so far! I hope you like it!

Spicy White Bean Dip

This was the recipe that I made for the Halloween party that we through at the house. Eat it with pita's or chips.

Its a pretty healthy tasty snack thats got some good kick to it! I found this recipe on the blog Never Enough Time. Once I saw this recipe, I just had to add it to the list of recipes to cook! It does make a fairly large portion, but I plan on using it in omelets, wraps and as a dip for my nachos!

Spicy White Bean Dip

Olive Oil - 3 tbsps
Onion - 1 diced
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
White Beans - 15oz can
Lemon Juice - 3 tbsps
Rosemary - 1/2 tsp
Salt - healthy pinch
Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp

In a large frying pan, heat the Olive Oil over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and remove from the heat.

Transfer to a large bowl and bust out the immersion blender. Puree the mixture until creamy. Place the bowl in the fridge and leave in there for at least a half hour. Lana's blog suggests that the dip tastes even better the second day after it has mellowed for awhile. Im interested in giving it a shot though!

Halloween Antics

This Halloween was very different than the other ones or me. It marks a change in an era for me. The first Halloweens were of course the candy collecting years. Ah... Those were the days. Bulky costumes, door to door begging, and the amassing of piles of loot that I could stash away in my room.

After that came the young teenage years. These years turned into me staying home and helping hand out the candy to the next younger generation. Of course in my teenage angst years, this would seem like a fairly good idea. But looking back now, what the heck was I thinking? How boring were those times!

Then came the party years. Dressing up became cool again, but this time it was better spent at bars and friends houses. Candy was less important, but this was definitely more exciting than the teenage years!

I wouldn't change a think about any of those ways that I celebrated Halloween, but im happy to be living in my current era! I mean... a plethora of appetizers? Who wouldn't love a night like that? I made a White Bean Dip, and I shall follow this post with the recipe. Other people brought some fairly interesting items themselves! A roll of beef wrapped in prosciutto, taco parcels wrapped in won-ton shells, and mini cheesecakes dipped in milk chocolate. Now THOSE were probably the highlight of the evening. We also got the classics of toasted pumpkin seeds and dressed up cupcakes. 

It was a pretty good evening, and it always helps to bury my face in mini cheesecakes when zombies are dining on peoples intestines. No matter how you decided to celebrate the holiday, I hope you had a happy Halloween!