Artisan Parmesan Bread

September 26, 2015Kitchen Icons

This was posted on RUTH FOOD BLOG

This is truly the best bread you will ever have. It’s incredibly easy to make. The beauty of this technique is that you never have to touch the dough and get sticky hands. It’s as easy as stir it and forget it! The outcome is truly rustic/European style bread with crusty outside and moist sour-dough texture inside. Additionally, baking your own artisan breads is economical and your guests will be wowed with the aroma. Experiment with different variations and enjoy!

Once you have the technique down, try substituting 1/3 of the flour for whole wheat flour and adding walnuts, dried cranberries, ground cardamom and cinnamon. Another variation is to add Kalamata olives and garlic chunks (dried) along with the cheese. You can also toss in ground flaxseed, rolled oats and a few sesame seeds for part of the flour. Recently, I’ve baked the bread in our AGA TC-3 which resulted in an amazing loaf! Learn more at www.kitchenicons.com

Experiment and enjoy!

Artisan Parmesan Bread (Knead-Free)

3 c. bread flour

¾ t. yeast

1 ¼ t. salt

1/4 t. black ground pepper

½ c. Parmesan cheese, chopped in small chunks (1/4 inch)

1 5/8 c. water (more or less)

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and pepper. Add cheese and use non-stick rubber spatula to stir together. Gradually add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. You may need more or less water depending on type of flour. Spread oil lightly along sides of bowl to prevent sticking and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles and almost doubles in bulk. Lightly release the dough from the edges of the bowl using the non-stick spatula and form it roughly into a loaf. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise again for about 2 hours.

3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (Dutch oven, cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats to 450 degrees. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. (I use oven gloves…be careful pot is VERY hot). Use the spatula to gently loosen the dough from edges of the bowl and turn dough over into the hot pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Sprinkle with cornmeal or bran if desired. Use pot holders to cover with the lid (it’s hot!) and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, or until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Variation note: when using whole wheat flour, you may not need the last 15 minutes of baking. Tap on the top of the loaf to be sure it is golden brown (not dark brown) and firm. The bread will have a sourdough texture and consistency.

Note: It’s important to be very careful with removing the pot and the lid!—it is extremely hot. I always use heat-resistant oven gloves.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Serve immediately or slice loaf and keep in freezer. Pull out by slice as needed and toast

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Life’s a Beach with “Club” Mediterranean Healthy Eating

May 02, 2015Kitchen Icons

Mediterranean-style eating has roots, as you may expect, in the Mediterranean region where tropical blue waters lap on beautiful coastlines. It was found that middle-aged men living in the Mediterranean region, specifically in southern Greece, had lower rates of cardiovascular disease than any other populations studied around the world. The question soon became, what is different about their lifestyle that leads to reduced rates of cardiovascular disease? The answer was diet and an active lifestyle and the beauty of Mediterranean style eating is that it emphasizes what you can eat as opposed to focusing on what you can't eat. There is less focus on simply restricting calories or eliminating foods altogether making it easier to follow and providing long-term results and benefits. Think of traditional European cultural foods from countries like France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Morocco.

The Base of Mediterranean-Style Eating

Fruits and Vegetables: The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that half of your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables, which provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and are low in calories. Roasting vegetables in the oven with a bit of olive oil and fresh herbs, such as Herbs de Provence (a culinary herb blend popular in France and available at your local grocery story) is a great way to enjoy more vegies. Roasting brings out the flavors and if cooking in the AGA range, it means even more flavor—as it locks in moisture through it’s cast iron structure and natural convection method.

Beans, Nuts, and Seeds: These foods are all great sources of plant-based protein, which plays a role in just about every function in your body. Consuming enough protein can help prevent muscle deterioration as you age. Substituting red meat with plant-based foods, like kidney beans, chick peas and almonds, provides all the benefits of protein and fiber without the negative effects of higher-fat animal-based foods.

Fish: Replacing two or three meat-filled meals with fish throughout the week can work wonders on triglyceride levels and with certain types of fish, it may even slow the rate of cognition decline. A few examples of fish available in the Midwest that contain the healthful omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel and sardines.

Olive Oil: What is so special about olive oil? Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids which help lower LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol levels. Compare it to butter or animal fat that is high in saturated fatty acids which can raise cholesterol levels. As with any fat or oil, it is important to remember to use in moderation. The point is not to simply add olive oil in the diet, but substitute or replace fats currently used for the heart- healthy alternative.

Wine: For heart health, it has been shown that one glass a day of wine may actually be beneficial. Wine is rich in antioxidants which can play a role in reducing the number of free radicals in your body (potential cancer-causing agents). Again, moderation is the key and it is important to be aware of the harmful effects of too much alcohol.

The Club Med Plan: Now that you have the basics for Mediterranean eating, why not plan your next meal around a “trip” to the beach. Simple, fresh foods with quality ingredients can make meals more enjoyable and healthful. How about chick-peas tossed with fresh zucchini, red bell pepper, garlic and olive oil. Served with avocado spread, sardines with Dijon mustard and crusty French bread.

Healthy living with a purpose,

Ruth

Ruth Lahmayer Chipps, MS, RDN, CD - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist