Focaccia with Olive Bean Spread

Focaccia with Olive Bean Spread

There is nothing like freshly baked bread right out of the oven. Making yeast based baked goods used to be my bête noire, but now it is my friend... or I should say child. When you bake bread, it is like watching your kid grow up. Also included in this blog post is an easy accompanying spread.

Focaccia

This recipe started from here, but was highly altered: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-simple-herb-and-salt-focaccia-186606

Ingredients:
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 3/4 cups warm water (what temperature you would shower with)
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cups semolina flour
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 tablespoons (approximately) good extra virgin olive oil, divided 
fresh rosemary
Sea salt
Cheese 

1. Start by activating your yeast. Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a clear cup.

Wait about 5-10 minutes until you see some foaming or bubbling.

If your yeast does not activate, start again.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the flours, and 2 teaspoons of salt with the dough hook.

3. Add in the yeast water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix by hand with the dough hook until you can't mix anymore.

4. Put the dough hook on the mixer and mix on low for about 10 minutes. By then the dough will have sunk to the bottom of the bowl.

5. Shape the dough in a ball and place it on plastic wrap and clean out the mixer bowl. Add one tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl. Put the dough into the bowl and use the dough to spread around the olive oil. Make sure the dough is coated with oil. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge overnight. If you really need to rush it, you can let the dough proof at room temperature for a couple of hours, but overnight proofing is better.

My baby is all grown up!

6. Take out a jellyroll pan, spread 1 more tablespoon of olive oil on top. Dust with some semolina flour. Roll the dough out onto the pan into a thin rectangle almost fitting the entire pan.

7.  Place fresh rosemary, sea salt, and cheese on top. Brush the top of the bread with the rest of the olive oil. Make several holes into the bread with your fingers that go all the way down to the pan.

8. Cover the dough with a towel and let it proof for 1 more hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the bread has proofed, put the dough in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Start checking the bread after 15 minutes. My bread took 40 minutes.

The bread should of browned, but not too dark.

Tuscan Bean & Olive Spread

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe/147

1.  Rinse a can of Cannellini Beans with a sieve. Most people don't rinse there beans, but they should!

2. Add the beans, 1/4 cup of chopped Kalamata Olives (regular will not work!), 1/4 cup of olive oil, 3 large cloves of garlic, 1/2 a lemon worth of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

3. Put the dip in the fridge overnight to set.

Fennel Soup with Gnudi

Fennel Soup with Gnudi

Things I love... Soup, fennel, ricotta. What has that all... this recipe. This is a relatively easy, healthy, and gluten free recipe to make. Find the original recipe here: http://luckypeach.com/recipes/fennel-soup-with-peas-and-ricotta-dumplings/

Vegetable Stock

The start of any great soup is a great stock. You can use store bought vegetable stock or make your own with the left over trimmings from the vegetables you'll be using for the soup. I made the stock the day before.

1. Combine the below in a pot:

• The stocks (the skinny part) of two fennel bulbs
• The light-green part  and roots of two cleaned leeks
• Tips and leaves from a piece of celery
• Parsley stems
• 6 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt

Do not worry about cutting everything up 

2.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for around 30 minutes.

3. Put a sieve over another pot and strain out the trimmings. The vegetables absorbed a lot of water so press the vegetables against the sieve so you get all of the delicious liquid out.

 

Gnudi

 Before you start the soup, get the ricotta in the oven.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.

2. Spread a pound of ricotta cheese evenly in a small baking dish. I used non-fat ricotta and it still tasted great! 

 

3. Add fresh thyme, fennel speeds, and red pepper flakes on top. Drizzle some olive oil on top and spread it all over the ricotta.

4. Bake for 40 minutes until the edges are browned.

Soup

1. Chop up:

• 2  fennel bulbs
• 2 leek white
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 tablespoon of parsley

 

2. Melt a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a pot.

3. Once the butter and oil are melted together, add the chopped vegetables and a little salt, and saute for about 5 minutes.

4. Add in the vegetable stock (and extra water if desired). Bring to a boil then cook for 20 minutes. During the last 4 minutes, add 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas.

 

Assembly

1. Ladle some soup in a bowl.

2. Scoop some of the ricotta with a spoon to form Gnudi and place directly into the soup. The Gnudi are delicate, so be careful.

3. Garnish with more parsley and fennel fronds.

Polenta Tart (Gluten Free)

Polenta Tart (Gluten Free)

With spring almost gone and summer almost here, why not take advantages of fresh basil and tomatoes. This recipe is not only easy, it is gluten free!. Find the original recipe here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/polenta-tart-tomatoes-and-goat-cheese

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of finely ground dry polenta (not the tube!)
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 a cup of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces of soft goat cheese (I used 5) at room temperature
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1/4 cup of julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1/4 cup of loosely packed fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips (chiffonade)

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combing 1.5 cups of uncooked polenta (not the tube) and two cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil. 

3. Before the mixture starts to boil, spray a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom with non-stick spray.

4. Once the mixture is at a boil, mix it continuously for 5 minutes.

5. Add 1/2 a cup of Parmesan or Romano Cheese to the mixture and keep mixing for 5 more minutes.

 

 6. Once most of the water has been absorbed, take the polenta off the heat.

7. Press the the polenta into the tart pan so that the bottom and sides are about a centimeter thick. I used a cup to help. There will be a little extra polenta, so enjoy it as a nice snack.

8. Trim the excess polenta off the sides with a knife or offset spatula.

9. Bake the polenta for 30 minutes by which time the polenta should be set and dried. I gave mine a little extra time.

10. Spread the goat cheese evenly on the tart using an offset spatula.

11. Add the cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

12. Cook for 10 more minutes.

 

Enjoy!