Sourdough Doughnuts

I make doughnuts on Father's Day each year and maybe one other day during the year because I really  do not care for frying things.  It's messy, it's a waste of oil, it's unhealthy, I'm sure you understand.  But, I always make doughnuts on Father's Day.  For the past 5 or 6 years I've been using a perfectly delicious doughnut recipe and I wasn't in search of a new one...but I found myself mixing up a batch of doughnuts just the other day...a day that was not Father's Day.  But that is the kind of thing that happens when you are searching for something on pinterest...something that you didn't think would lead you to doughnuts, but you happened to see a page full of really tempting doughnut pictures plastered across your screen.  You repin one of those pictures and then you see it again and again whenever you log into pinterest and before you know it there you are mixing up a batch of doughnuts.  

Some things on pinterest don't live up to the hype, but these certainty do.  They are super fast to make and completely delicious.  They reminded us of the apple cider doughnuts we get when we take the kids to the pumpkin patch every fall.  Feel free to coat them in cinnamon and sugar, powdered sugar, a sugar glaze, or dip them in chocolate.  You really can not go wrong.  So delicious!!!

They do require sourdough starter though, so if you don't have any you will have to grow one which takes a good week or so...which means that you'd better start now!  By the way, sourdough starter isn't just for making sourdough bread...it makes a mighty fine batch of pancakes, waffles, english muffins, doughnuts, pita bread and more. 

Sourdough Doughnuts
adapted from Under the High Chair - click on the link for a shortcut method to making a sourdough starter if you want to make these but don't want to grow your own wild yeast starter.

1/2 cup sourdough starter
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
oil for frying

Fill a medium sized heavy saucepan with 2 inches of oil.  Over medium heat bring oil up to 360°F.  Line a sheet pan with newspaper or paper towel and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.  In a large bowl whisk the wet ingredients.  Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl and combine until a shaggy dough forms.  Flour the counter and transfer dough onto counter.  Knead a few times until all of the flour is combined and dough is smooth.  Dust the counter a bit more and then roll dough out until it is 1 inch thick.  Cut doughnuts out and reroll leftover dough as needed.  Fry doughnuts until they are a nice dark golden brown, make sure to flip halfway through to cook evenly.  Remove and place on lined sheet pan.  These taste best fresh.

Poached Eggs

I really enjoy a good poached egg.  The rich yolk oozes deliciously over a piece of hearty toast, add a little avocado and it makes the perfect breakfast.  I've poached plenty of eggs in the past, but I learned a little trick that helps the whites to stay together even better than the traditional way of poaching them in water spiked with vinegar.  By simply dropping the whole eggs in the boiling water for 10 seconds the whites firm up inside the shells just enough to keep them together once they are cracked.  Thank you PBS and Julia Child!!

 Perfect Poached Eggs

1 egg
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Heat water in a medium saucepan until lightly boiling.  Add vinegar and lower heat so it is does not boil too hard.  Add egg and slowly count to 10.  Remove egg and gently crack it and add to simmering water.  Simmer for about 3 minutes, or until whites firm up and do not jiggle too much.  Remove with a slotted spoon.

*It also works to poach a bunch of eggs and keep them on a warmed plate.  When you are ready to serve you can quickly slip them into hot water for a few seconds to bring them up to temp.  (Do not try heating them in the microwave or they may explode.  You can microwave a mug of water and then slip the egg into the heated water for a minute.)

Steamed Buns

I made steamed buns once a long time ago and as much as I liked them I completely forgot about them until my daughter came home from preschool asking me to make the kind of buns she saw in a book.  "You know, mom, the kind that are filled with some kind of stuff and then you cook them.  You know what those are right mom?"  So I gave them my best shot that day and presented her with a few plain steamed buns and I filled some of them with a combination of mushrooms, kale, and bok choy.  She was a big fan of the plain buns dipped in asian bbq sauce or soy sauce.  While I liked the veggie stuffed ones, I knew I would really enjoy them with a savory barbecued meat filling.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and I was standing in front of the fridge staring at a container of leftover braised meat I had made for burritos the day before and I knew what dinner was going to be that night.  I love it when something comes together by chance!

Steamed Buns

dough
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons active yeast
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
3 1/2 cups flour

filling
2 cups braised meat, shredded
asian barbecue sauce  (I used a korean bbq sauce which was very good)

Mix cooled meat and bbq sauce together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water, honey, and dry yeast.  Let stand 5-10 minutes, mixture should be foamy.  Add warm milk and flour.  Using a dough hook, mix until dough comes together and forms a ball around the dough hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Add a little more flour if necessary.  Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm, draft free place to rise for at least 50 minutes.
Once dough has doubled, punch dough down and separate into 16-20 pieces and roll into balls and place on floured parchment paper.  Let rest 10 minutes.

Pat one ball out on a floured surface.  Do not roll too thin.  Place a heaping tablespoon of meat and bbq sauce mixture.

Pull sides up and pinch together.

Place bun on a square of parchment paper and cover with a towel.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Feel free to leave some of the buns plain, they taste great dipped in sauce as well.

Place 3-4 in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes.  I steamed these with a mixture of water and milk, which seemed to work really well.
*Use a bamboo steamer basket if you happen to have one, I'm sure it will work better than my vegetable steamer.

Muesli

Muesli is another great option for a make ahead breakfast that is portable and perfect to eat on the go.  The first time I made this I was skeptical about the cold soaked oats and I was about halfway into it before I started to enjoy it.  These days, though, I actually look forward to it and start to crave it when I know I have one prepared and waiting for me.  I layer mine with yogurt, fruit, and granola in the morning like a parfait.  Stewed berries would also make a nice addition and I will be trying it soon.

 Muesli

1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup apple juice (or other mild juice)
plain yogurt
fruit, fresh or dried
granola or toasted nuts

Combine oats and juice in a bowl or jar and let soak at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge.  Top with a generous amount of yogurt, fruit, and nuts.  Add a drizzle of honey, if desired.

*I make three or four jars at a time and keep them in the fridge.  They easily keep for a couple of days.  I top them with yogurt and fruit once the oats are soaked sufficiently.   I add the granola just before eating.
*You can make them smaller or larger, just remember to mix equal parts oats and juice.

Strawberry Salad

This fresh Strawberry Salad is among my list of favorite salads.  I like that it is crisp, tender, crunchy, chewy, tart, and sweet all at the same time.  It is also so easy to prepare and there are so many variations on this salad depending on what you have in the fridge and pantry.

Spinach Salad

Spinach
Granny Smith Apple or Pear
Strawberries or Raspberries
Almonds, Walnuts, Candied Walnuts, or Chow Mein Noodles
Raisins or Cranberries
Balsamic Vinegar

Toss your favorite mix of ingredients together and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and enjoy.

Crunchy Asian Salad

This Crunchy Asian Salad is light and refreshing and the perfect side salad to take on a picnic or serve at a bbq.  Here I substituted chow mein noodles because I had them but I normally serve it with crushed ramen noodles for even more crunch.  

Crunchy Asian Salad

1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1 package chow mein noodles (chicken flavor)
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Sauce
1 package chicken flavor packet from ramen noodles
1/3-2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Toast almonds in a pan over low heat, remove from heat and let cool.  Mix cabbage, onion, pepper, carrot, noodles, bacon, and toasted almonds together in a large bowl.  Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and pour over salad.  Toss to coat.  Serve.

Chicken and Rice

I've been making this Chicken and Rice dish for a few years now and it has become a go to on nights when there isn't much left in the fridge and I'm looking for a quick one-pot wonder.  I always have chicken breasts in the freezer and I like to add leftover sausage when I have it on hand, but it isn't necessary.  We like to eat it with lots of hot sauce on top!

Chicken and Rice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
4 cooked sausages, I used Italian style Chicken Sausages*
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a tablespoon of oil and the butter in a dutch oven or oven safe pot and saute onions for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and chicken, season with salt and pepper. and cook 4-5 minutes more.  Add all remaining ingredients and bring up to a boil.  Cover and transfer to hot oven.  Cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is tender.  Remove from oven and fluff with a fork, remove bay leaves, and serve with hot sauce.

*I've found that I like the added flavor from grilled sausages, but I have also added raw sausage in at the same time as the raw chicken and it worked just fine as well.

Blueberry Muffins with Yogurt and Flaxseed

My son and I made these muffins together one early morning and they were such a treat.  We substituted whole white wheat flour and added ground flaxseed and wheat germ to up the nutrition value and they were a delicious breakfast that I felt good about serving.   The kids are a little persnickety about "healthy" whole wheat versions of things like pancakes, but these passed the test and they devoured them.  They still have a good bit of sugar in them, but at least they are perfectly portioned so they can have one with a banana or pear to round out their meal.

Blueberry Muffins with Yogurt and Flaxseedmakes 10-12 muffins

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain traditional yogurt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole white wheat flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries tossed with 1 tbsp

For the Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Whisk the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and yogurt in a large bowl.  In a sperate bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk together to get out any lumps.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine, do not overmix.  Toss frozen blueberries with a tablespoon of flour and gently fold into the batter.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins or tin lined with muffin cups.  Combine crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with fingers or a fork until sandy.  Generously sprinkle on each muffin and then bake for 20-25 minutes.  Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

I posted a version of this recipe in 2007 and it is still one of our very favorite soup recipes.  I make it at least once a month and it is always gobbled up at the dinner table.  My daughter, who doesn't really care for tomatoes, says she loves them in this dish.  It makes a great meal with a slice of crusty bread or a handful of crackers.

Lentil Soup

2 T olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (14 ½ oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 ¼ cups lentils
8-10 cups water
4 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until all the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Carefully break the whole tomatoes up with your hands as you add them to the pot with their juices.  They will burst and shoot seeds and juice everywhere if you're not careful.  Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add 8 cups of the water and stir. Remove the thyme leaves from the branches and add them to the soup along with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, about an hour.  I often start this early in the day and cook it until the lentils are tender and then turn the heat off and let it set for an hour or two to let the flavors develop.  I reheat just before serving.

Chili

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This is a pretty basic chili recipe that we have been making for years.  The kids love the beans so I always make sure to add plenty if I have them.  This time around I added a pinch of freshly ground chili pepper which gave it some kick, but just enough.  My daughter, like most kids, has a pretty low tolerance for any heat, so I was pleased when she ate her whole bowl.  And then promptly chased it down with two glasses of milk!

Chili
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry garlic
1 48 ounce can tomato juice
1 can medium chili beans
1 can kidney beans
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot and add the beef, onion, and celery.  Sauté until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.  Add a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper and all remaining spices and cook 1 minute more.  Add all remaining ingredients and bring up to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer  for at least 1 hour.   Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.