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Simple Home Cooking for Busy Cooks

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  • Black Currant Buckwheat Buns

    Because black currants were banned in the United States in 1911, we don’t have a lot of black currants featuring in our baked goods. You might be wondering why black currants were banned, so let me take you down the rabbit hole a bit. Black currants, along with other plants, are a host for white pine blister rust, a type of fungus that kills white pine trees. White pine trees were a valuable resource for the timber industry, and it was decided that it would be easier, and more profitable, to ban the cultivation, sale, and transportation of black currants in the United States. The federal ban was lifted in 1966, but many states continue to ban the fruit. Black currants are high in vitamins and antioxidants, and they are a deliciously tart berry that freezes well.

    In this bun, I paired the black currant puree with sweetened cream cheese which balances the acerbic and tart berry. Additionally, I substituted 20% of the all purpose flour for buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is not actually a type of wheat; it’s a seed. It’s gluten free, high in fiber and several minerals, and contains high levels of rutin, a compound that could make blood vessels stronger and more flexible. It’s more commonly used in Eastern European cuisine and is also found in soba noodles and galettes in the Brittany region of France. I love it for its earthy, nutty flavor.

    I based my recipe on two different recipes. One is from Sally’s Baking Addiction, which you can find here: Easy Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch and the other is from North Wild Kitchen, which you can find here: Black Currant Sweet Buns.

    Ingredients

    Dough

    • 68 grams of buckwheat flour
    • 276 grams of all-purpose flour
    • 50 grams granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp of salt
    • 180 ml 2% milk
    • 43 g unsalted butter
    • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
    • 1 large egg, room temperature

    Filling

    • 200 g black currants
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tbsp water
    • 200 g cream cheese
    • 1 c. powdered sugar
    1. Prepare the filling. Place the black currants, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a low simmer and cook just until the berries have softened and the sauce thickened a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    2. Make the dough: Whisk the flours, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
    3. Combine the milk and butter together in a small saucepan on low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is between 105-110 degree F. Whisk in the yeast until it is dissolved. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg, and stir with the paddle attachment of your mixer on medium speed. Mix until a soft dough forms.
    4. Switch your paddle for a dough hook and knead on medium for 5 minutes. You want to have a smooth ball of dough. If your dough is super soft or stick, you can add a little more flour, about one to two tablespoons at a time. I do find with the buckwheat flour that it tends to be a stickier so you may need to add more all-purpose flour. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest for about ten minutes while you prep the cream cheese filling.
    5. Make the cream cheese filling. In your stand mixer with your paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar.
    6. Fill the rolls. After ten minutes, roll the dough out in a 14 x 8 inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese filling on top. Spread the black currant compote on top of the cream cheese.
    7. Gently roll the dough horizontally, from left to right to form a log. When you have finished rolling, use a piece of unwaxed floss or a sharp knife and cut 10-12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9- or 10- inch round pie dish or square baking pan.
    8. Rise. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the rolls to rise in a relatively warm environment for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
    9. Bake the rolls. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 24-27 minutes or until lightly browned. The internal temperature should be around 195-200 degrees F. Honestly, my oven is on the cooler side, so I had to bake mine for about 35 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack.
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  • Herbed Lemon Grilled Tofu and Rice

    I suppose I could start this blog with a diatribe about how healthy, versatile (it can be baked, grilled, sauteed, scrambled, blended into smoothies, or made into desserts), nutrient packed (tons of essential nutrients like iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous), and environmentally friendly (it uses less resources than animal-based protein) tofu is, but that would be preachy and boring. Maybe I could bring up how much more affordable tofu can be than meat, especially in our current economy, or how much quicker it can be to cook tofu. You don’t have to worry about if tofu is cooked all the way like you do with chicken. But mostly, I just like tofu because it’s a great vehicle for sauce, marinades, rubs, and spices.

    This grilled tofu dish packs a lot of tangy flavor with both lemon and balsamic vinegar. The avocado lends creaminess and the shallots bring sweetness to balance out the acidity of the lemon and balsamic vinegar.

    4 servings
    Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes tofu pressing time) Cook Time: 30 minutes (includes rice cooking time)

    • Ingredients
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1/4 c. lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
    • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
    • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1 tsp. honey
    • 1 tbsp. dried basil
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1.5 c uncooked rice
    • 2 c. water
    • handful of basil
    • 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
    • 2 tsp. lemon zest
    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • 1 avocado, sliced
    1. After draining and pressing your tofu, slice the block into 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a shallow bowl good for marinating in.
    2. Make the marinade. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, honey, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Pour over tofu and marinate for 20 minutes.
    3. Cook your rice. Heat grill pan to medium. Once your tofu is done marinating, add it to the pan and cook for about four minutes on each side.
    4. Mix basil, cilantro, lemon zest, and garlic with the cooked rice. Serve tofu and avocado on top of the rice.
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  • Vegan Pasta e Ceci or Pasta & Chickpeas

    Recently, we’ve been watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy. While I find the show a bit pretentious and it doesn’t quite scratch the itch that Anthony Bourdain left behind, it does make me want to eat more Italian food. One of the episodes focused on “cucina povera” or “the poor cuisine”, which is a style of Italian cooking that originated in central and southern Italy, where rural populations were large. This style of cooking is characterized by dishes made with inexpensive, filling ingredients, such as pasta, bread, and polenta, along with seasonal vegetables, fruits, and legumes. It’s the art of making do with what you’ve got.

    At any given time, I am likely to have tomato paste, some type of pasta, and chickpeas in my pantry, Better than Bullion vegetable base in the fridge, and garlic cubes in the freezer. That’s all you need for this recipe: pasta, chickpeas, vegetable broth, tomato paste, and garlic. You could replace the vegetable broth with water if you like. You could replace the chickpeas with beans and get pasta e fagioli. You could use any shaped little pasta or broken long pasta. It’s an incredibly versatile dish. I saw some versions with blended chickpeas. That texture is not for me – I find it gloopy in an unpleasant way. You can add a rind of parmesan if you’re not keeping it vegan. You can add anchovies if you’re not keeping it vegetarian.

    I’ve been keeping dinners vegan recently, and this is an incredibly delicious, filling, cheap, and easy vegan dinner. No tofu, no meat substitutes, no cashew cheese. Just simple straightforward ingredients.

    This recipe is primarily inspired by Smitten Kitchen. You can find that version here: Quick Pasta and Chickpeas.

    Ingredients for Vegan Pasta e Ceci

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (I use the frozen garlic cubes from Trader Joe’s)
    • 3 tbsp tomato paste
    • kosher salt to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (from one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
    • .5 cup uncooked, pearled couscous or any small, dried pasta
    • 2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth
    • Handful of chopped basil (optional)

    Process

    1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-large, heavy-bottomed saute pan until it shimmers. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook, stirring until it becomes lightly, barely browned but very fragrant.
    2. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook them with the garlic for 30 seconds or so.
    3. Add the chickpeas, pasta, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the pasta is cooked and much of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes (this will depend on the size and shape of your pasta).
    4. Taste and adjust seasoning and ladle into bowls. Add chopped basil to finish.
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  • A Year of Bread – #4 Focaccia Barese

    Focaccia Barese is a traditional Italian flatbread that originates from the city of Bari in the Puglia region of southern Italy (imagine the ankle of the boot). It is a type of focaccia, which is a flat oven-baked bread that is similar to pizza dough. Focaccia Barese features tomatoes and green olives as traditional toppings.

    Bari, Italy

    I looked at a few different recipes and YouTube videos to learn about Focaccia Barese. A lot of them called for finely ground semolina flour and 00 flour, but there were a couple that called for mashed potato and all-purpose flour. While I mostly followed this recipe, I ended up using mish-mash of recipes to create this bread. I went with 00 flour, which is made from soft wheat and has a high protein content and low gluten. This results in a chewy crust and soft interior. Mashed potato further adds to the softness by adding starch without gluten. Because I used both the 00 flour and the mashed potato, I ended up with a bread with a very fine, soft crumb.

    I baked my focaccia Barese in a cast-iron skillet, though traditionally this is made in a pan that is somewhat closer to a paella pan. I even looked into paella pan for this project, but I didn’t want to spend the money on a piece of equipment that I wasn’t likely to use very often. Cast-iron worked just fine here. I used torn up Campari tomatoes, Chalkidiki olives, and oregano as toppings.

    As usual, my bread took about ten minutes longer than the recipe specified (my oven runs cool). I liked the tender crumb, crispy crust, and the olives. I don’t like tomatoes, so I honestly removed them from my slice. I think this would be delicious as bread for a sandwich or dipped in soup or a mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was easy to make and bake, and I would likely make it again. I’d be interested to try it with a longer cold ferment in the fridge and the finely ground semolina flour.

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  • A Year of Bread – #3 Marraqueta

    Marraqueta is a crusty white bread popular in Chile where it’s eaten countless ways at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You will also find marraquetas in Bolivia and Peru, and it’s similar to the pan frances of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Marraquetas are known for their signature four-segment shape, and it is in shaping the bread where I found the first challenge.

    I tried making this bread two different with two different recipes. For the first go, I used a recipe from Cairnspring Mills, which you can find here: https://cairnspring.com/blogs/recipes/chilean-marraqueta-bread. This recipe calls for a kilogram of all-purpose flour, salt, dry active yeast, sugar, and water. I used King Arthur all-purpose flour for this. It’s a fairly standard white yeast bread recipe. For this recipe, I mixed and kneaded the dough by hand. It was a great feeling dough: soft, springy, and supple, exactly what you are looking for in a dough. The initial shaping of the dough balls went well; and, yes, they do look like butts.

    You let the dough rise after this initial shaping. After that you shape again by splitting the dough down the middle the other way with the handle of a spoon or another round stick-like implement and press down hard. After that, the bread needs a second rise. And here is where things started to go a little hairy for me. My rolls didn’t rise much in this second rise. They grew a lot in the first rise but barely puffed again for the second.

    Now, let’s get on to the baking. For the first recipe, the oven rolls are baked at a temperature of 425 degrees F. I baked them directly on my non-stick baking sheet, which was my second mishap but more about this later. I did as the recipe directed and sprayed water into the oven every three minutes for the first ten-minutes to create steam. I think this was my third mishap. Each time I opened my open, I not only lowered the temperature of the oven, I released more steam. The steam is necessary at the beginning to create a crispy crust. My rolls didn’t maintain their “split” shape, and they had a very soft crust. Because my oven had lost so much heat, I ended up having to bake these for about ten minutes longer than the recipe called for.

    We made Barros Luco sandwiches with the first batch. The Barros Luco sandwich is named after former Chilean president Barros Luco. It’s a simple beef and cheese sandwich (we used havarti). They were absolutely delicious, and the bread had a great flavor. My main gripes were they didn’t rise much in the oven and were a little flat, the crust was soft, and shaping were not what I wanted. I decided to give it another go the next day.

    For the second recipe, I used a recipe from Breadtopia. This recipe called for a half and half mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill bread flour and King Arthur all-purpose flour. This was a smaller batch of dough so I used my stand mixer. After making the dough, I let it go for about two hours of a bulk rise, which is different from the first recipe which had me shape the dough before rising. After the bulk rise, I shaped into the rolls, let it rest for a bit, and then split the buns in half the other way. It goes for a second rise, and this recipe has you split it again to maintain the shape while baking.

    The baking for this batch was slightly different from the first. First, the temperature was set for 450 degrees F. Then, I used an aluminum baking tray with a small hole poked in it and filled it with boiling hot water to create steam. The oven was only opened up once to turn the rolls and let the steam escape. For this batch, the rolls puffed up nicely, but they still didn’t achieve the crispy crust that I was looking for. Furthermore, they didn’t taste as good as the first batch and still didn’t maintain their shape. We made ham and butter sandwiches with tomato soup for this batch.

    Baking this bread has got me thinking that I need to invest in a baking stone. A baking stone will maintain heat for longer than a baking sheet and will help me achieve a crispier crust. I think I also need to get an oven temperature gauge because I believe that my oven runs cold. Overall, I would say I wasn’t fully happy with either batch, and I wanted more out of myself and this bread. I did very much enjoy the process of kneading, shaping, and baking both batches though.

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  • A Year of Bread – #2 Garlic Butter Naan

    Garlic butter naan is a type of Indian flatbread that is flavored with garlic and butter. Naan is a leavened bread that is traditionally baked in a tandoor, a clay oven. The addition of garlic and butter enhances the flavor and gives the naan a rich and aromatic taste.

    To make garlic butter naan, the dough is typically prepared with ingredients like flour, yogurt, water, and yeast or chemical leavening agents. After the dough has risen, it is divided into portions and rolled into oval rounds. Before baking, garlic and melted butter are often brushed onto the surface of the naan, adding a delicious garlicky and buttery taste.

    Garlic butter naan is commonly served as an accompaniment to Indian dishes such as curries and kebabs. It can also be enjoyed on its own or with various dips. The combination of the soft, pillowy texture of naan with the savory flavors of garlic and butter makes it a popular and flavorful choice in Indian cuisine.

    To make this, I watched several different YouTube videos of people making naan on griddles or tawas, a flat or concave-shaped griddle or frying pan commonly used in Indian cooking. All of these videos showed cooking one side of the naan on the griddle and then flipping it over to cook the other side over the open flame of a gas burner.

    However, I do not have a griddle, and my stovetop is induction. So what did I do? Well, we’re getting a little ahead of things here. Let’s go back to the dough. The dough was straightforward: AP flour (I used King Arthur), baking soda, baking powder, yogurt, sugar, salt, milk, oil, and garlic. A note on flour: Indian recipes for naan will call for maida which is an all-purpose, high gluten flour. From my limited research, maida has an approximate protein content of 11% which is similar to the King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, which has a protein content of 11.4%. I alternate between using King Arthur, Safeway brand, and Bob’s Red Mill for all-purpose flour. There are some recipes that use yeast, but I opted for the yogurt, baking soda, and baking powder leavening option.

    After making the dough, knead it until springy and smooth then let it rest, covered, for several hours. It will puff up a little, but you will see more rising action in the pan in the form of bubbles. Once several hours elapsed, I got my skillet heating on medium (more on this in a moment) while I rolled out my naan and pressed the garlic/parsley (I didn’t have cilantro) into the dough. The rolling and shaping part of making this was super easy, especially when compared to the roti canai I made last week.

    The area where I had some difficulties was in the actual baking of the flatbreads. I struggled with maintaining the correct temperature. At first, my skillet wasn’t hot enough to activate the chemical leavening agents and create bubbles so my first naan turned out a bit underdone. I got a couple of food ones with big bubbles, good browning on the first side, and a bit of char on the second side once I flipped it. Then, my pan got too hot, and one naan was burned so bad it ended up in the trash. I took a few minutes to let it cool down while I made my dhaba-style egg curry. Dhabas are roadside eateries, and they serve hearty, flavorful, rustic food. Once my skillet had cooled down sufficiently, I made the last of my naan. At this point, you should ideally brush garlic butter onto your naan, but I need to buy a new brush so I used a spoon for less ideal results.

    Overall, I was satisfied with how the naan turned out. Were they as good as restaurant naan? No, but according to one of my daughters, they still tasted very good!

  • A Year of Bread – #1 Roti Canai

    Hey cooking buddies! So, I recently decided to tackle Roti Canai, that Malaysian flatbread famous for its layers and flavor explosions. I followed the recipe and method from a video by Sheldo’s Kitchen, and here’s the lowdown on how it went.

    The dough-making part was smooth sailing – just a mix and knead situation. But then, when it came to shaping, stretching, and cooking, that’s where things got a bit interesting. Getting the skillet temperature just right? Let’s just say it took a few tries, and I never quite got the hang of it.

    Now, the best part of the whole process had to be clapping the bread in a towel. We had a lot of fun doing this together, kids included. Seeing those crispy, buttery layers come to life was a win.

    As suggested in the video, I threw in a bit of condensed milk. It not only helped with browning but also added a sweet note that complemented the whole deal.

    Serving it up was the real test. We paired our Roti Canai with Malaysian curry clams, and it was a great dinner. Despite a few hiccups, the end result was a plateful of deliciousness.

    So, if you’re up for a bit of stretching, some trial and error with the skillet, and a whole lot of tasty rewards, give Roti Canai a shot at home. It might not be perfect, but the journey is pretty darn delicious. Happy cooking!

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  • A Year of Bread Project


    Alright, folks, buckle up because I’ve decided to tackle a new challenge – baking a different type of bread every week for a whole year. No frills, no fancy words, just me, my oven, and a whole lot of flour. This project isn’t about reinventing the wheel, but about exploring the basics of bread from around the world. Join me as I share my hits, misses, and lessons learned along the way

    I’ve lined up a mix of bread recipes from baguettes to naan, aiming to cover a wide range of techniques and flavors. No, I’m not trying to be a baking superstar; I just want to get comfortable with dough, experiment a bit, and hopefully end up with some decent loaves.


    I’ll be keeping it real with you each week, sharing the nitty-gritty of my baking journey. Expect to hear about dough disasters, oven mishaps, and hopefully a few victories. I’m no pro, just a regular person with an oven and a craving for fresh bread.


    Sure, I’ll dive into the cultural side of things too. We’ll chat about where each bread comes from, why it’s a staple, and maybe throw in a fun fact or two. But don’t worry, it won’t be a history lecture – just enough to spice up our bread chat.


    At the end of this carb-filled adventure, I’ll put together a straightforward guide with all the recipes, tips, and shortcuts that saved my sanity. It’s not a cookbook – more like a cheat sheet for anyone else wanting to try their hand at bread without the fuss.


    So, there you have it – a year of weekly bread-making experiments, all shared right here. No lofty goals, just a bit of flour, some yeast, and a whole lot of trial and error. Let’s see if I can pull it off, and maybe you’ll get a few laughs or useful tips along the way. Stick around for the carb coma; it’s going to be a bumpy, dough-covered ride!

  • Creamy White Bean and Beet Green Quesadillas

    I feel like beets are one of those vegetables that people either love or hate, but even the people who love them don’t always know what to do with them. This recipe would be a great idea for people who love beets but don’t want to waste the greens and for people who hate beets (just use the leftover beetroot in a chocolate beet cake).

    If you struggle with eating greens or have people in your family who need to eat more vegetables, using them in between crispy tortillas and melted cheese might be a good way to introduce them more into your dinners. The key is to remove the ribs and chop the greens very small so you don’t end up with stringy greens. These vegetarian Creamy White Bean and Beet Green Quesadillas are a great mix of flavors and textures: creamy white beans, melted cheese, and slightly bitter greens.

    This recipe is based on a recipe from Budget Bytes: Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas.

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked white beans (1 15 oz. can)
    • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1 bunch of beet greens, chopped and sautéed
    • 4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 4 8 inch flour tortillas

    Directions

    • Mix together beans, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
    • Add cooked beet greens, cheese,
      and sour cream. Stir to combine.
    • Divide the bean mixture across the
      four tortillas. Place beans on one
      half of the tortilla and fold over.
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  • Roasted Plumcots with Salted Honey Rosemary Whipped Cream

    There is something lovely about the availability of fruit and vegetables throughout the summer. We have stone fruit, berries, corn, zucchini, and much more filling our refrigerator. While summer produce lacks the initial excitement that spring produce brings for me, I look forward to the sheer variety at the farmer’s market and grocery store. I have been picking up flats of stone fruit, particularly peaches and plumcots. If you’re not familiar with it, plumcots are a mix of apricot and plum. While I do not particularly like eating stone fruit fresh, it is lovely to bake with.

    This baked fruit dessert is simple and elegant, celebrating the plumcot and highlighting the absolutely delicious rosemary honey salted whipped cream. Whipped cream might appear basic at first glance, but if you have a dessert that you want to take to the next level, one way to do that is to add a flavored whipped cream. Adding flavoring to whipped cream is simple to do. Whip the cream to just under what you would want for whipped cream and add your flavorings. I mostly use honey to sweeten because honey can be infused with a wide variety of flavors, especially woody herbs.

    Ingredients

    • 6 plumcots
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 2 tablespoons Salted Rosemary Honey Syrup
      • 1/2 cup water
      • 1/2 cup honey
      • 3 sprigs of rosemary
      • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    1. Make the rosemary honey simple
      syrup. Bring the rosemary, honey,
      and water to a boil and then turn
      the heat to low. Cook for 15
      minutes. Let everything cool down
      completely and remove the
      rosemary sprigs.
    2. Whip the cream into soft peaks
      then add the rosemary honey
      simple syrup and salt and whip
      until stiff peaks but not butter.
    3. Heat the broiler and broil the
      plumcots for about seven minutes.
    4. If you don’t care about your
      whipped cream melting
      everywhere, then add the whipped
      cream now. If you want it to be
      prettier, put the plumcots in the
      freezer for a couple minutes to
      cool quickly and then add the
      whipped cream. Add more syrup to
      serve.
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