I’ve had avocado toast before, but this is a new and better spin on what most people think of. In this recipe, the avocado is the main ingredient. Top it with an egg, lettuce, tomato, onion, and breakfast is served.
My garden did really well last summer. As a result, I have had an abundance of butternut squash that I’ve needed to use. Recently, I stumbled onto this recipe that proved to be a hit with a group of folks I had for an herbal workshop. It was so attractive in the dish, how could it not be tasty too? Eat the rainbow…this dish checks that off! Enjoy!
Looking through my recipe blog, you may notice how many different soups there are. Soups are a great way to get nutrition into the body. I run cold, so consuming these warm bowls of deliciousness makes me feel good. Be sure to check out where I buy
Mushrooms have moved up in the culinary space with their many uses! Mushrooms like shiitake, oyster, and lions mane are showing up at farmer’s markets, restaurants, and even perhaps your kitchen table!
At a recent stroll through a farmer’s market, I was captivated by the wonderful display of medicine that lay before my eyes! Since COVID, I’ve battled off and on with brain fog. I have found lions mane mushrooms to really be a supportive ally in this regard.
As a recovering vegetarian, I'm super picky about what meats I will consume. Not all meat is the same. While I try to eat local, I have found a wonderful company who has sustainable practices and is free of the “Big 8” allergens. Let me just say…yum! If you want to know more about this company, you can find out more here.
With tomato season here, I’m looking for ways to use these wonderful fruits. This recipe is super fast and easy especially on a work night. Don’t forget the parmesan cheese!
I don’t know about you, but one zucchini plant can yield more product than I can deal with. As a result, I end up both giving it away and looking for creative ways to use it.
Recently, I stumbled across this combination and with with a few “tweaks” it ended up being a dish my guests kept coming back for!
There is nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread. The pleasant smell that permeates through the house makes my mouth water. With my full time job taking me away from home during the day, it's difficult to find the time necessary to bake fresh bread. I try to give myself time during the weekend to bake several loaves of bread and then freeze at least one for a time when life gets too busy. I first heard about 5-Minute Artisan Bread from a patient who tried to stay away from processed foods. This is quick and easy recipe that works well during a busy week. The longer it sits in the refrigerator the more "sourdough" it tastes.
![IMG_9767[1]](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/580f7c6ee4fcb54017efc28f/5810c01a1dd45429ef605292/5810c01e1dd45429ef605383/1477492766978/IMG_97671.jpg?format=original)
Yield: 4 (1 pound) loaves
Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. With cold water it will need 3-4 hours.
Add the yeast to the water in a 5 quart bowl or, preferably, in a re-sealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.
Mix in the flour and salt - kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don't press down into the flour as you scoop or you'll throw off the measurement. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you're hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don't knead, it isn't necessary. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. It takes a few minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.
Allow to rise. Cover with lid (not airtight or it could explode the lid off). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approx. 2 hours, depending on room temperature, and initial water temperature longer rising times, up to 5 hours, won't harm the result.
You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature.
On Baking Day:
Prepare your loaf tin, tray, or whatever you're baking it in/on. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with four. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit-size piece of dough (about 1 lb), using a serrated knife.
Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off - that's fine, it isn't meant to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will sort itself out during resting and baking.
The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 - 60 seconds.
Rest the loaf and let it rise in the form, on the tray/pizza peel, for about 40 minutes Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period. That's fine, more rising will occur during baking.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
Dust and Slash. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a quarter inch deep cross, diagonal lines, or tic-tac-toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.
After a 20 minutes of preheat, you're ready to bake, even though the oven thermometer won't be at full temperature yet. Put your loaf in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water (from the tap) into the broiler tray and close the oven to trap the steam (this is what makes the crust hard and the inside moist.)
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.
Store the rest of the dough in the fridge in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The flavor and texture improves, becoming like sourdough. Even 24 hours of storage improves the flavor.
Adapted from www.recipes.com
