Rosemary, Flax and Living Simply

I just finished baking a medium sized rosemary and flax boule. If you aren't familiar with the term "boule", it is french for "ball" and is the shape many artisan breads come in. As we near the end of the month, Ken and I are without many typical grocery items, such as milk, eggs and now, flour. We took Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" a little over a year ago, and a big part of the program is learning how to work within a monthly budget. Over the past year, the two of us have saved more money and spent less than I expected. But then of course, being the "Doubting Thomas" I sometimes am, I fought against the idea of "living within one's means" and would gladly have stayed on our previous course regarding money had Ken not kept encouraging me to practice faith and discipline. Now that I am currently unemployed, I am so thankful that we chose that route and pursued it with diligence. And continue to do so.

This brings me to the reason why we are without basic household food items that to the average American may seem essential. Yes, we overspent on our grocery budget. Somehow, our little money envelope dwindled quicker than it could be replenished with a new month's start date. But since we are committed to living within our means, I have been using up some of our bulk items that I typically avoid because they take more work and creativity to prepare and enjoy (i.e. dry beans, farro, whole spices etc.) The bread I just pulled out of the oven was the result of me running out of flour mid-process and knowing beforehand that I didn't have eggs or milk for a richer sandwich bread. The phrase "Necessity is the mother of invention" sure applies to where I find myself right now. Here's to living simply and exploring what possibilities may arise!

My Rosemary-Flax French Bread recipe if you're interested:

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. dried Rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1 1/3 c. to 1 1/2 c. lukewarm water (70 degrees)
2 tsp. instant dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar

Proof the yeast by adding it to the warm water mixed with 1 tsp. sugar. Mix gently until combined. Then set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and chopped Rosemary and pulse until combined. Then add the flax and pulse for 30 seconds. Once yeast is proofed (risen quite a bit and bubbly), add to the food processor and pulse until the dough forms a ball. This should take 30 seconds or so. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the food processor and looks too wet, add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball. Likewise, if the dough looks unusually hard, add a little water, one tablespoon at a time.

In a large greased plastic bowl (I used olive oil), transfer over the contents of the food processor. Cover the bowl loosely with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm area (I put mine by the heater) for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, the dough should be doubled in size. If not, something is wrong. Call me and I'll explain how to proof yeast without killing it. If you have killed the yeast (which must be kept alive to make the dough rise), I can't help you. You can still bake and eat the bread but it may not be what you expected.

If your dough has doubled in size, go ahead and punch it down and then form it into two medium sized boules ("balls") and place on a greased cookie sheet. Try to place a couple inches between them on the baking sheet. Then cover the boules with the same damp kitchen towel you used for the first rising. Place the boules in a warm area for another 30-40 minutes while you heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Note: I like to bake my bread on the third row down from the top of the oven. This allows me to place a 3/4 inch baking pan with boiling water on the lowest shelf while the bread bakes. I've found this method gives me a bread which is perfectly crusty on the outside and moist on the inside.

Bake your boules at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, checking to see if they're done with either a toothpick, knife or thermometer that registers about 210 degrees.

All bread to rest on cooling racks for a few minutes before devouring.
Butter and enjoy!

I Love Sourdough!

It's a little after 8:30 a.m. this lovely Saturday morning and I woke up with a craving for some crusty sourdough bread. Since sourdough bread, from start to finish, can take 3-4 days, I had better start now. Today I'll be working out of Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (2008). I tried to make sourdough starter (and subsequently, sourdough bread) out of a packet from the store but the attempt failed and now I'm left with all this gooey, white substance that will be going down the drain shortly.

Here is an excerpt from Bittman's instructions so that you can acquaint yourself with starter if you're new to it: "Note that the first time you make this will take longer, because you have to create a sourdough starter (unless someone gives you some.) But after that, it's a straightforward and simple process. The starter must be used every few weeks, though, or it will die (I've left mine for a month and it was okay, but I felt it was risky). You can simply feed it some flour and water, but every time you make bread you're replenishing it, so as long as you make bread every now and then it will be fine." (p. 858)

Here's how I used Mark Bittman's recipe (in my own words)...

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. bread or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/8 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 c. all-purpose flour

Three days in advance, mix together 1 1/2 c. of the bread or all-purpose flour, 1/8 tsp. yeast, and 1 1/2 c. warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover loosely, and put on top of your refrigerator or out of the way. Sir every 8 to 12 hours. It will become bubbly and develop a slightly sour smell. After three days, it's ready.

When the starter is ready, the night before you want to actually bake the bread, feed the starter by mixing in the remaining 2 c. flour and about 1 1/2 c. warm water. This can be done in a food processor or a bowl. Mix until smooth. Cover and let it rest overnight; the mixture will bubble and foam.

Then, transfer 1/2 of the mixture to a covered Tupperware and refrigerate until the next time you want to bake bread. With the 1/2 of the mixture remaining, put in the food processor with 1/2 tsp. yeast, the salt and 1 c. flour. Pulse the machine and add a little water at a time until moist, "slightly shaggy but well-defined balls."

Now, the process is the same as when making a typical loaf of bread: place the dough into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit until it doubles in size (about an hour or so).

Punch down the dough and shape into a large loaf, small loaves or rolls on a greased baking sheet(s). Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the bread is ready to be placed in the oven, drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees and proceed with baking. Bake until the crust is "golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread is at least 210 degrees."

Well, here goes...I'll make the starter today and upload pictures of the bread making process and final product in three days. Check back to see how it turns out!

Fasting Food (not to be confused with "Fast Food")

I realize that one of this blog’s goals is to highlight great food and how I’ve created it or copied it from others, but I’d like to share on another topic today. The topic is fasting. Ironically, I just got home from eating a wonderful meal with one of my friends. She served us a superbly seasoned fillet of some type of white fish, most likely halibut or tilapia. The lemon and dill flavors were delightful and perfectly complimented the leftover lasagna I brought over as my contribution to the meal. (Sarcasm intended. Her fish definitely overshadowed my meager offerings.) But enough talk about sharing food, I want to delve into the practice of withholding it.

As a child, I had mixed views on fasting as a spiritual discipline. The large pentecostal church my family called home highly encouraged fasting. I remember calls to “10”, “30” or even “40 Days of Fasting”, which typically meant abstaining from a particular food category such as meat or dairy, or the occasional highly-restrictive liquid-only diet of soups and teas. I don't think I ever participated. Growing up, I treasured every meal we shared as a family. My Dad was an amazing chef and my mom's occasional roasted chicken with vegetables or black bean burritos with sprouts, were hearty and satisfying. At times, when finances were tight, even a simple meal warranted a spirit of gratitude. I suppose the idea of fasting seemed so foreign because I knew how every meal I enjoyed wasn't guaranteed and that sense of insecurity pushed me to live in the present and what little control I had. I wasn't going to miss out on food. Let alone initiate the loss.

Fast forward to college. I attended a private Nazarene university in Southern California. While there, I actively participated in the campus prayer group. I think the idea of fasting occurred to me one day, after reading multiple verses in both the Old and New Testament on the topic. I was fascinated. Stories of Moses fasting for “40 days and 40 nights”, David fasting for deliverance and begging God to spare his firstborn son, the prophets fasting in the sight of the Lord, petitioning His favor. Those are just a handful of the people throughout the Bible who honored and drew near to God through this act. I was intrigued at the thought of what fasting signified and more importantly, how it felt. I wanted to know what true hunger for Christ was like, in being able to surrender my natural desires and needs in the moment—even if that “moment” was just for a day. So, I curiously and also deliberately sectioned out time when I could “fast.” I think the first time I fasted, my roommate participated with me. I remember us drinking a lot of tea that day. What I prayed for, I honestly don't recall. I do remember feeling an incredible amount of peace though, amidst the hunger pangs.

My second experience in fasting was a stark contrast. The events that unfolded during it are the main reason why yesterday, January 25, 2012, was such a breakthrough for me. I'll start at the beginning. It was my sophomore year in college and I had been feeling God's call to fast. During my spring break, my roommate and I had the opportunity to house sit for a friend in the church. I was a tag-a-long, really, but it was a great excuse to spend time away from school enjoying a house all to ourselves. While there, I set aside a day to fast. I had a day of prayer lined up, and splurged on herbal teas during my breaks. I felt so much peace, as if Christ was speaking directly to my heart that day. The next morning, I awoke early and prepared a sumptuous feast of eggs, fruit and pancakes for my friend and me. It was delicious. And deadly, I soon realized. We quickly devoured the meal since we were heading out the door. Once in the car, I started to sneeze a lot. And then cough. And then my face swelled up. We were barely minutes into our drive, when I shrieked, “Hospital! We haaave to go to the hos-pi-tal!”

My body was going into anaphylaxis, the ER doctor later told me. My body experienced a severe allergic reaction to something I came in contact with. It caused my face and throat to swell. One shot of epinephrine, two prescriptions of steroids and a few hours later, I was out the door. The recovery process—not as short. I woke up many nights following the “incident” with panic attacks and couldn't eat eggs, bananas or pancakes for months after. They scared me. And fasting, well, that fear has taken longer to mend.

Here I am, a couple months shy of seven years since my last fast. I am pretty amazed at how God works in my life, constantly pursuing me and nudging me to go “deeper” in my faith. I am also very impressed with His timing. A couple days ago, during my 'quiet time', I heard God bring up the topic of fasting. I had been sharing with Him my excitement over this new blog idea I was pursuing. How I would need His help with story and recipe ideas. I got carried away, talking at God. Then I fell silent. He answered back to me and shared with me how important He wants to be in my life. How, yes, the blog was great, but He wants to be even greater. God asked me to “sacrifice thank offerings as a means of honoring Him.” (Psalm 50:23) He asked me to set aside a day for Him. To fast. To pray. And that's what I did. Yesterday, I obeyed what I heard God say, and I was scared. My fears about what happened the last time I fasted threatened to consume me, but God spoke healing words deep into my soul. He told me how much He cares about me, about my friends (and even people who aren't my friends!) He loves me so much, and there are so many distractions that keep me from experiencing Him a lot of times. He told me that my focus needed realignment. Kind of like how a chiropractor might “realign” a client's spinal cord for better circulation. I told God that I would like that. I want to pursue Him and live in faith, not in fear. I'm so thankful for Christ's presence in my life. He's my “daily bread” and the hope I cling to as I pursue my calling in life.

And yes, as I have recently found out, fasting does have its place as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Lemony Cranberry-Almond Muffins

 

(I concocted this recipe earlier today.)

Ingredients:

½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 c. unsweetened apple sauce

1 ¾ c. sugar

3 tbsp. honey

3 large free range eggs

1 ½ tbsp. pure lemon extract

1 tbsp. grated orange peel

4 c. flour (I recommend all purpose unbleached flour or whole wheat flour)

1 ½ tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 ¼ c. fresh or dried (Craisins) cranberries

1 ½ c. chopped raw almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using dried cranberries, place them in a medium size bowl and add warm water. Let them sit 10 minutes to rehydrate a bit. Then drain and set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter, sugar and honey for 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add eggs and beat until combined. Mix in apple sauce, lemon extract and grated orange peel. Pour in flour mixture, stirring until combined. Add cranberries and chopped almonds.

Bake at 350 degrees in large muffin tin or loaf pans for 20-25 minutes or until done (toothpick inserted comes out clean). Let bread cool for 5 minutes in baking tin before moving to cooling rack.

Once cooled to desired temperature, enjoy!

+++

It’s Wednesday afternoon here in Seattle and I’m baking my second batch of the Lemony Cranberry-Almond muffins I just posted. My oven bakes things much quicker than other ovens I’ve used, so I set the temperature to 350 degrees and this second batch of bread is about done. (Note: if you make this recipe, keep in mind that the average size loaf pan will take longer to bake than muffin tins.) Since I ran out of toothpicks weeks ago, I keep rewashing the same little knife to check the bread. I’m hoping the bread bakes perfectly because I’d like to bring some to a friend’s house tomorrow. She just announced that she’s pregnant with her second child and it’s very exciting. I thought of her today, actually, and how if I was pregnant, I would crave bread. Lots and lots of bread. Moist, sweet bread. With cranberries and almonds in it. Hmm…I hope she appreciates these flavor combinations as much as I hypothetically would in her shoes. The timer’s going off. I better head out now. I’m looking forward to trying this new recipe I made.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread and New Perspectives: My Intro Blog

Today is the start of my new blog, "Lettuce Give Thanks: A Blog About Food & Life." I'd like to thank my incredibly witty husband Ken who came up with this title following our church service yesterday on "pursuing your calling." The title highlights two components of my online journal--the desire to share recipes with you (ones that I will try concurrently with the writing of this blog) and offer stories of thanksgiving in my life. In recent weeks, I have heard the words of Psalm 50:23 play repeatedly in my head: "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me." Honestly, how have I been cultivating a spirit of gratitude in my life? How can I move in this direction now? These are the questions that come to mind when I ponder what my 'calling' is.

For some background, I'm 26 years old and fall within the "newlywed" category of marriage. Ken and I have been married for almost 1 1/2 years and my anticipation toward the 2-year mark is growing each day. I love being married to this guy. We met in October of 2008 and among other things, I admire his zest for life, spirit of adventure, perfectly-timed wit and passion for good cooking. He has inspired me this last year and a half of marriage with homemade yogurt, sauerkraut, bread, soy milk and stir fry. The two of us probably appreciate good food equally. But since Ken is halfway through completing his engineering degree, he doesn't have as much time to play around the kitchen as I do.

This brings me to my next thought. For the most part, cooking and baking are really fun to me. I enjoy the creative and therapeutic outlet these become. At the same time, though, both these acts can become exercises in planning, timing and execution. I will admit that I got pretty burnt out last Friday, when I decided to bake a giant loaf of cinnamon raisin bread and rolls in the morning without giving much thought to the dinner guest we had arriving that night. Around 5 p.m. panic set in, as I calculated the timing for the pecan-crusted salmon and mustard-braised brussel sprouts and spring rolls. I hadn't thought through everything. I got caught up in the excitement of baking more bread and then was hit with the reality of poor scheduling. Needless to say, around 6:15 p.m., as I frantically paced around the kitchen, banging pots and pans, muttering frustrations under my breath, our dinner guest called to cancel. She had incorrectly scheduled her time. While Ken and I sat around the table later that evening, enjoying our supper of decadent morsels, I realized that I had forgotten to give thanks. Not just a prayer of “grace” said prior to our first bites--I had lost sight of how blessed I am, how blessed we are. I want to give thanks as a natural outpouring of who I am and who God has called me to be. Being grateful does, at times, seem like a “sacrifice” as Psalm 50:23 describes it. I think I understand that. It's hard to give thanks when you've lost of sight of what really matters.


With that said, here is my go at practicing thankfulness...