Strawberry Pimm's Cup Cocktail

Trust me, you want a double.  

INGREDIENTS:

For the Strawberry Syrup:

16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and rinsed

1 cup granulated sugar

For the Drink:

Ice

2 ounces Pimm's No. 1

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce Strawberry Syrup

2 ounces 7UP or ginger ale

Sliced cucumber, strawberries and fresh mint to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Strawberry Syrup: Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and measure out 1 cup of the strawberry puree. Add it, along with the sugar, to a small saucepan and bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. (The strawberry syrup can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.)

2. Make the Drink: In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the Pimm's No. 1, lemon juice and 1 ounce of the strawberry syrup and shake. Strain into an ice-filled glass and top with the 7UP. Garnish with sliced cucumber, strawberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

NOTES:

• The garnish is not necessary for the flavor, but smelling that cucumber and mint with each sip adds a surprisingly wonderful-ness to the drink.
• We happened to have a bottle of lemon sour open, so we used that instead of sprite.  It's a solid choice.
• When I made the strawberry syrup, I strained it through my wire mesh strainer and very little was strained out.  (Some of the seeds, probably not the majority.  I'm not convinced this is a necessary step.)
• Thanks to Brown Eyed Baker (my new hero)

Bacon Cauliflower Salad

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen peas (fresh would be awesome!)
1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
1 cup Miracle Whip
2 to 4 teaspoons sugar

NOTES:
Very good.  Instead of starting from scratch on the bacon, I just used this secret ingredient.  It's very nice to have around for salads, omelets, etc. and since people are using is with a decent amount of restraint, I can justify keeping a package around for random bacon needs.  (You know ... "needs.")

Basic Sandwich Loaf

Adapted from this recipe.

yield: two 8"x4" loaves

Dough Starter (Sponge)

• 12 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (2¼ cups plus 2½ T)
• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cups water, room temperature
• 1½ ounces honey (2T plus 1 tsp)
• ¾ tsp instant yeast

Flour Mixture and Dough

• 11 ounces whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour (2 cups plus 3 T)
• ¾ tsp instant yeast

• ½ cup butter
• 2 tsp salt

Scald the milk by microwaving it for 1 minute on high. Meanwhile, combine the white flour, honey, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Combine the water and milk, and whisk into the flour mixture briskly until smooth, to incorporate air into the starter.

Sprinkle half of the whole wheat flour over the sponge, sprinkle the yeast over the flour, then add the remaining flour in an even layer. Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature one to four hours. Set out the stick of butter to soften.

Add the salt and butter, and work the dough together in the bowl with your hand. When it comes together, knead for a few more minutes (five total). The dough will be quite sticky, but try not to add too much flour. Form the dough into a ball on the counter and turn the bowl upside down over it on the counter. Let rest 20 minutes, then knead for five more minutes. (The dough should be easier to handle this second time). Return the dough to the bowl, flatten the surface, cover tightly and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1½ hours.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and flatten gently into a rectangle, without squishing out too much air. Fold it in thirds like a letter, turn and fold in thirds again. Flip it over, return it to the bowl, and gently flatten. Let rise again until doubled, about an hour.

Turn out the dough and cut it in half. Shape each piece by pressing or rolling it into a rectangle with the long side facing you, deflating any very large bubbles with your fingertips. Fold one side in to the center, then fold the other side to meet or slightly overlap it. Starting at the top, roll up the dough, pulling on the roll to stretch it slightly as you roll. Seal the edge, and if necessary, roll the loaf under your hands until it is as long as your loaf pan. Place the loaves into greased pans, cover and let rise until the center is 1" above the top of the pans.

Set an oven rack in the lowest position. If you have a baking stone, set it on the rack. Preheat the oven to 350º. Set the bread pans on the stone and bake 50 minutes, turning halfway. (When done, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf should read 210º.) Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Notes: Measuring by weight instead of volume guarantees consistent results with minimal effort, but if you don't have a scale, reserve a half-cup or so of the flour and add later as needed to get the texture right.

I use a Pyrex 8-cup measuring cup for the mixing bowl. It has a lid so you don't need saran wrap, it's easy to keep an eye on progress with the markings, and this recipe is doubled just when it reaches the lid for the first rise, and when it starts to lift the lid off the bowl for the second rise.

If you prefer, you may substitute water for the milk and add ¼ cup dry milk to the whole wheat flour.

This recipe stores well for about a week.

Crock Pot Lasagna

I used a 3 cup package of my own sauce plus a 15 ounce can of Hunts tomato sauce to make this recipe.

It's good and easy, and I'd definitely make it again.  The only difference I'd make (besides the sauce) is to add an extra layer of noodles.  Even after sitting with the lid off for 10 minutes, it's still a little soupy.

Crock Pot Lasagna 

1 pound Lean Ground Beef

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce

2 cups Cottage Cheese

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Shredded

6 whole Lasagna Noodles, Regular, Uncooked

¼ cups Water

 

• In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat.
• Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended.
• Line bottom of crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine).
• Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture.
• Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Bacon Dill Tea Sandwiches

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1/3 c mayonnaise
5 slices bacon (finely chopped)
1 tbls green onion (chopped)
1 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c. toasted slivered almonds

Mix ingredients until well combined.  Spread half of the bread with a think coat of mayo.  Spread the other bread with the cream cheese mixture.  To make each sandwich, cut off crusts, and cut into three parallel sections, or four triangles.

NOTES:
I made this for the 2012 tea but served openfaced on thin rye bread.

Homemade Cheez-its

Makes about 1 quart

3 T boiling water
1 T annatto seeds (optional), coarsely ground
6 ounces (1½ cups) finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 T (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
2 T cornstarch

If using annatto, combine water and annatto seeds. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and discard seeds. Put annatto seed water in ice bath until cool.

Using stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine cheese, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until combined and starting to stick to sides of mixing bowl, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cornstarch and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of annatto seed water or plain cool water and mix until dough ball forms, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon water if needed. Transfer dough to floured counter and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap dough onto well floured counter and roll to 1/16 inch thickness. Cut into 1-inch squares. Using the blunt end of a skewer, poke a hole in the center of each square. Transfer to baking sheets. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bake until light golden around edges, about 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cool completely on baking sheets. (Crackers can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days).

Notes: These baked up crispy and very tasty, if a tad greasy. My crackers were plenty orange without the annatto. Make sure you roll these quite thin (the dough should be translucent) as they rise about 4x in the oven. I did one pan where I spread the crakers out a bit, and one where they were left next to each other on the baking mat. The former baked up crisper.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
Salt and pepper, to your taste
1 cup chicken broth

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.