Mini french baguette

This is my first try at baking a baguette. Some of my experiments turn out wonderfully - some not so much.

I used the recipe I found here. I did cut the amounts in half and I still ended up with 4 mini baguettes.

And heads - up - the video seems to be for full size loaves NOT the mini loaves so FYI.

I won't list the recipe because you can get it from the link but I will tell you what I had trouble with.


I think I made the loaves a little too small because when I put them in the 500 degree oven (with the pan full of water) they browned up in 10 minutes. 


Not a good sign.


I turned the oven down to 400 and let them cook another 20 minutes. 


They ended up being a bit over cooked. This was not that big of a deal but they also turned out a bit bland.


But that didn't stop my from having a taste.

Even though they were over cooked, they were crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. A good first try methinks.


I think I will punch up the flavor on the next batch and adjust the cooking temps for my furnace of an oven.

As I am writing this the dogs are staring me down trying to levitate my body to get them more bread - so the recipe was a win for them.


But, hey, they enjoy eating, um, all kinds of unseemly things so I wouldn't take their word for it...

Oatmeal risotto with peaches. Parmesan and sage

Yes, I know it shouldn't be called a risotto if it isn't made with rice.  But after you eat a bowl of this you won't mind a bit.

This dish turned out stunning. It had the perfect creamy texture of a classic risotto. And the combination of the nutty bite of the Parmesan along with sweet, caramelized peaches and the savory kick of the crispy sage? Wow!

The recipe started with one peach and some sage leaves.

I put 1/4 cup of steel cut oats in a sauce pan with 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and set it to simmer.

Then I melted a pat of butter in a skillet over medium low heat and added the chopped sage.

Cook the sage until it becomes very fragrant and begins to crisp (about 5 minutes). Add in the chopped peaches and let them cook until they begin to caramelize.

I was looking for more a grilled peaches taste in this dish - if I tossed them in with the oatmeal right away it would of been more of a peach soup.

The peaches nicely caramelized with crispy bits of sage.

I stirred in 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan into the oatmeal (I kept a little back to sprinkle on top at the end).

When the oatmeal is almost done (25 - 30 minutes), I added in the peaches and sage.  I let it cook for another 7 minutes until all of the flavors had a chance to combine.

Oatmeal Risotto

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 cups of water
1/4 cup of steel cut oats
1 peach, pitted and chopped
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 pat of butter
1 pinch of salt
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Place the water, oats, pinch of salt and black pepper into a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.

Pit and chop one peach and finely chop 4 sage leaves.

Set a skillet on med-low heat and add in the pat of butter. When the butter has melted, add in the sage and allow to cook until fragrant and crisp.


Then add in the peaches and continue to cook until the peaches are slightly brown on both sides. When the peaches have caramelized take them off the heat and set aside.


When the oats have cooked for 20 minutes, add in most of the Parmesan and stir to combine.


When the oats have finished cooking (25 - 3- minutes) stir in the peaches and sage. If they oats begin to look dry add in a bit more water. You want a creamy consistency to the oats.


Cook another 7 minutes or so then take it off the heat. Ladle the oatmeal risotto into a serving bowl and top with the rest of the Parmesan.


Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese and why manicures make me cry

I love getting manicures.

I love the idea of perfect nails.


Does my love for either one of those things bring me joy? No. It only brings about an initial state of euphoria followed by tragic heartache and tears.

Which results in the need for comfort - cue the Mac & Cheese...

To fully understand my sorrow take a look at my nails during my euphoric stage:

Semi-pristine looking nails.

I was blissfully cooking away when I noticed this:

*gasp* Oh, the horror!!

The camera kept focusing on my middle finger - I suspect my camera has a hidden, cheeky sense of humor. 

And, no my hands usually don't look so crone-like - but they did after my desperate attempt to remove the yellow stains. Tumeric (or yellow mustard - I am not sure which) and manicures do not go together.


So now you know why I needed -

Why only two shots of the Mac&Cheese? Because it is really hard to photograph things when dogs are in your face.


Example 1:

Abby with schmutz on her muzzle.

Connor - who has added a nice tone of agita to his 'in your face' technique.

  
Oh, and before I type out the recipe - I bit the bullet and made an About page. Eeek! Check it out at the top of the page:-)




Mac & Cheese

Serves 1-3 depending on your need for comfort.

Ingredients:

2 cups of pasta (any kind) cooked al dente

2 pats of butter

1 tsp. of AP flour


1 cup of chicken broth


1/2 cup of milk


2 cups of nutritional yeast


1 pinch of tumeric


1/2 tsp. of yellow mustard


1 dash of powdered garlic


1 pinch of salt


cracked black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. of lemon juice (fresh or bottled)


Directions:

Cook 1 cup of dry pasta in 1 quart of salted water until al dente, drain and set aside.

Put a saute pan on medium heat. Add the two pats of butter into the pan. When the butter is melted, add in the flour and stir for a few minutes.

Add in the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer (you may need to turn the heat down to low at this point) until the sauce is thick and bubbly. 

Pour the cooked pasta into the saute pan and mix well with the sauce. Pull the pan off the heat and let the pasta hang out with the sauce for a couple of minutes. 

Grab a plate and enjoy!