Monthly Archives: July 2020

Homemade Naan Bread

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Prep Time1 hr 30 mins Cook Time25 mins Total Time1 hr 55 mins Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp dry active yeast 
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup water 
  • 2 1/2-3 cups flour, divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 cup olive oil 
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 large egg 

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. Once frothy, whisk in the oil, yogurt, and egg until evenly combined.
  • In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, pour the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).
  • At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. You’ll end up using between 2.5 to 3 cups flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky. Avoid adding excessive amounts of flour as you knead, as this can make the dough too dry and stiff.
  • Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 1 hour). After it rises, gently flatten the dough into a disc and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball.
  • Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Stack the cooked flat bread on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm as you cook the remaining pieces. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!

Notes

TIPS: For the most bubbles, don’t roll out the ball of dough until just before it is ready to be placed in the skillet. I experimented with different skillet temperatures and found that a medium heat produces the most bubbles in the dough and does not burn the surface.

Steak Sandwich a la McAnally

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Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • Large loaf of sourdough or rustic bread
  • 1 lb skirt steak
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, loosely packed
  • 3-5 sprigs worth fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 sage leaves, chiffonade
  • 12 oz stout or brown ale
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbs minced garlic
  • 2 shallots
  • 4-6 white mushrooms
  • asiago cheese
  • salt/black pepper
  • cooking spray
  • unsalted butter

Instructions:

  1. The day before you plan on cooking, put together the marinade in a ziploc bag – garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, olive oil, and beer. Seal bag and marinate in fridge overnight.
  2. Take marinade bag out of fridge at least one hour before cooking. In the meantime, peel and finely dice shallots, slice enough bread for 2-4 sandwiches, slice mushrooms.
  3. Start heating cast iron griddle and pan on high heat. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
  4. When the butter melts, add the shallots to the pan and allow to cook. Remove steak from marinade, do not discard the bag yet. Season both sides of the steak with black pepper and a generous amount of salt.
  5. When the griddle is hot, place the steak on it. Pour a big splash of marinade over the shallots, add the mushrooms to the pan and stir. Flip the steak when it has browned with a little char.
  6. Cook steak to rare or medium rare doneness, allow to rest for at least 15 minutes on a cutting board.
  7. When most of the liquid has cooked off of the shallots (they will start smelling sweet and fragrant), remove pan from heat and set aside.
  8. Lightly toast the bread in the toaster or toasted oven. Distribute shallot and mushroom mixture on one half of each sandwich.
  9. Slice asiago cheese and melt on top of the other sandwich halves under a low broil in the oven or toaster oven.
  10. Slice steak on the grain, and layer however much you like on the shallot and mushroom sides. You will most likely have leftovers.
  11. Top with asiago halves and serve.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

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Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Time: 30 minutes Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (about 2)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 C cold water
3 Tb rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chicken bullion
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tb canola oil
3 Tb honey
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 Tb hoisin sauce
1/2 C cold water + 1 heaping Tb cornstarch
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tb minced garlic
1 1/2 C shredded carrots
1 (10 ounce) package snow peas
1 C salted cashews

Directions:

1. Into a hot skillet place 2 Tb olive oil. Cut 2 chicken breasts into small chunks and add them to the hot pan. Sprinkle  with salt and pepper.

2. Stir the chicken occasionally and allow it to cook and get a nice brown sear on the outside. Should take about 10 minutes. When it’s done cooking carefully place the chicken on a plate and set it aside.

3.While the chicken is cooking assemble the sauce by placing 1 C cold water, 3 Tb rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp chicken bullion, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 Tb canola oil, 3 Tb honey, 1/8 tsp garlic salt and 1 Tb hoisin sauce into a small sauce pan. You can find Hoisin sauce in the Asian Food aisle at your local grocery store.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, while stirring occasionally.
4. Mix 1/2 C cold water and 1 heaping Tb of cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour it into the simmering sauce and stir well.  Allow it to come to a simmer again and cook for about 2 minutes, while you stir it occasionally. It should thicken up nicely for you. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Set the sauce aside.

5.Grab your veggies. I have been loving these shredded carrots lately. They are so convenient to keep on hand to toss into salads, soups or stir frys.

6. To the pan (the same one you cooked the chicken in) add 1 Tb olive oil and 2 Tb minced garlic. Toss in 1 1/2 C shredded carrots and 1 (10 ounce) package of snow peas. Sprinkle it all with salt and pepper. Allow the veggies to cook over  medium-high heat (closer to “high” than to “medium”), stirring occasionally. They should be crisp tender after only about 5 minutes.

7. Add the chicken to the pan and pour the sauce over everything. Give it a nice stir to combine.

8.Grab 1 C salted cashews and toss them into the pan.

9.Give everything a nice stir.

10.Serve immediately over brown or white rice.