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Breads
and Sauces
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These
are some things that may help you regarding
breads, gravies and sauces. There's just
a few tips here, but I am sure you'll appreciate
them. Good Luck!
Breads
To
store fresh bread, leave it at room temperature
in a paper bag, or if cut, leave the cut
side down on a bread board or shelf. The
crust will stay firm and the inside soft.
Always
turn the bread and slice it on it's side.
This is the proper way to slice bread.
After
two days, you may wrap it in a plastic bag
to maintain freshness. To refresh the loaf,
sprinkle or mist lightly with water and
place it in a preheated 400° oven for
6-8 minutes or until crusty. You may also
choose to slice and toast the bread for
delicious results.
Refrigerating
and micro-waving bread is not recommended.
Freezing:
Bountiful Breads also freeze well wrapped
in plastic, then wrapped in foil. Defrost
at room temperature inside the plastic,
then refresh as described above before eating.
Gravies
and Sauces
There
are several methods we can use for thickening
gravies and sauces. These are two of the
most common ones:
1.
Make a roux (pronounced "roo")
by combining equal amounts of flour and
butter, oil or shortening and cooking over
medium heat in a skillet until well blended.
It may be browned, if desired, to add richer
flavor to beef gravy and other deep-colored
sauces. Whisk the roux into hot broth or
pan drippings and simmer until thickened
and the starchy taste cooks out. Each tablespoon
of roux will thicken approximately 1 cup
of hot gravy, sauce, or soup.
2. Stir or shake together cornstarch and
cold water until the cornstarch dissolves.
Slowly stir the mixture (1 tablespoon cornstarch
and 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water per 2
cups hot liquid) into hot sauce, gravy or
soup. This mixture works best for thickening
fruit sauces and glazes since it leaves
them clear and glossy.
More
Gravy Tips:
•
Want to make your gravy richer-looking?
Add a drop or two of bottled browning and
seasoning sauce.
•
Want to add more flavor? A few bouillon
cubes will do the trick.
•
To prevent a layer of skin from forming
on sauce as it cools, place a circle of
waxed paper flat on the sauce. It works
like a charm!
Here
are a few recipes for breads and sauces.
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Argentine
Chimichurri Bread
Ingredients:
1
cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped onions
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons wheat bran
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Directions
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread
machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Select Basic or White Cycle; press Start.
If you do not have a bread machine, need it
by hand and let rest for an hour an a half.
Chimichurri starts with the common kitchen
ingredients of oil, vinegar, parsley and oregano.
From there, the recipe can vary as much as
its use.
Finely chop the parsley and oregano. Mix all
ingredients. It's best favored when allowed
to refrigerate overnight.
Tips:
Marinade shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, or fish
for half an hour - then grill, or...
Marinade portabella (or other) mushrooms and
vegetables - then grill, or...
Pour as a sauce condiment on any meat or vegetable
dish, or...
Use as a salad dressing, or...
Use as a sauce to spice up your favorite sandwich.
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Old
World Italian Bread
(makes one loaf)
Ingredients:
1
cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)
2 packages Fleishman yeast, or 1 cake compressed
yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups of sifted flour
Directions
Pour the lukewarm water over the salt and
the granular yeast, or the crumbled yeast
cake. I let the yeast grow at this point then
I add the flour. Add enough flour to make
a soft dough - until the dough breaks away
from the side of the bowl and can easily be
handled. Turn onto a floured board and knead
until smooth- about 10 minutes and also is
elastic to the touch. Place in a greased bowl,
covered with a damp, warm towel and place
in a warm, dark place. I usually put it in
the oven (make sure it is not on). Let rise
for about 2 to 2 and a half hours.
Pull out the bread, punch down, and place
back in the bowl, letting it rise until double
in bulk for another hour and a half. Now,
take it out of the bowl onto a floured board
and let rest for 15 minutes. Then roll it
out at approximately 1/4 inch or thinner in
a rectangle. Like you are going to make a
pizza. Then, roll away from you like a jelly
roll, crimping the edges in until it is completely
rolled. Place this on a cookie sheet and let
sit for another hour and a half.
Make diagonal slits about 3 1/4 inch long
along the top of the bread. Bake in a preheated
oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes brushing
every 10 minutes. I have a water bottle sprayer
that works mighty fine.
I love the aroma's in my home while baking
bread and/or pastries. Now all you have to
do is pull it out, let it cool for 10 - 15
minutes, and serve with your dinner. This
is a great holiday surprise for your family
at the big dinner. Fresh, and I do mean, fresh
Italian or French Style Old World Bread.
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Marinara
Sauce
Italian
Pear Tomato Meatless Sauce ( you can use regular
tomatoes also)
Ingredients:
In a 2-3 quart pot, heat 1/8 cup of olive
oil on high then put in the following ingredients
and reduce heat to medium.
1
green pepper diced fine
1 medium white or yellow onion diced fine
2 carrots diced fine
2 stalks of celery diced fine
3 cloves of crush garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes Directions
Sauté until a little translucent (
about 15-20 minutes). Then add, crushed from
your hands in a bowl first, 2-12 ounce cans
of peeled Italian pear tomatoes (regular tomatoes
will do)reserving juice, straining it to catch
any seeds and stir in 1 can of 6-8 oz.. Of
tomato paste.
Add
1-12oz. Puree. Hey, look out, we have it going!
Add:
1/8 cup chopped basil
1 tsp. oregano (some people don't use this
in their sauce)
2 tsp. thyme
a small pinch of sage
1 tsp. nutmeg (secret)
3 tbs.. Sugar
2 tbs.. Salt
2 tbs.. Pepper
Add strained tomato juice to thin this out,
a little, not too much. Bring the heat up
to high, until semi-boiling. Then reduce,
cover and simmer for about an hour. Then add
1/2 cup of red wine and simmer for another
15 minutes. Taste this and see if this is
up to your standards. If not, you may want
to readjust to your taste with a little pinch
of salt and pepper, or really any of the ingredient's
from above. But be careful though, never add
not too much of one thing! When cooking, you
never want to add too much of this or that
because, all the ingredient's have to taste
and come together as one. Not one item over
powers the other. If you really want to be
a little daring, drop a few (2 or 3) anchovies
in with the olive oil before sautéing
vegetables! They will disintegrate and become
part of the dish. And everyone will say, "
oh my God, this is really good and there is
a flavor in there I can't put my finger on!"
And if they knew you put a couple of anchovies
in there, they probably wouldn't believe it
and definitely not put their fingers on them
(I LOVE THEM)! Again, the secret to anything
you are cooking is not letting one thing over
power another. I can't stress this enough.
Store
this in a container in your refrigerator for
use in the recipes I will give you throughout
the week,or store, in portions in containers,
and put them in the freezer, or go ahead and
boil some pasta and just add some sauce, chopped
fresh parsley and some grated cheese and enjoy.
Finally,
if you have your family coming home from work
and/or play, be sure to move anything that
might be in their pathway to the kitchen.
You don't want anyone to hurt themselves when
they get disoriented! They may fall over something
because their noses will be in the air following
that troppo romantico aroma. You will dizzy
their first step they take inside your home
with aromas that have permeated Italian homes
for centuries! They might even begin to sing
Oh Sole Mio!! Ya never know, Mama Mia!!!
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Great
Italian Pesto
In
a blender, put 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil leaves,
2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1/4 cup of pine
nuts and blend together until it forms like
a thick puree. Then add 3/4 cup of fresh grated
Parmagiano cheese. Drizzle in slowly but constantly
about 3/4 cup of olive oil until it becomes
creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and you
have it! Spoon this pesto into a container
and drizzle a little olive oil over the top
-- a little! Then cover and refrigerate! Mama
Mia! Kieto's Presto Pesto!!
If
you want add two anchovies but lighten up
on the salt. This great on crustini (slice
your bread thin and either grill, brown in
an oven or pan, or toast! Spread freely and
enjoy! If you present a bowl of this with
crustini gathered around the bowl, slightly
rubbed with fresh garlic, and maybe a platter
of mixed fruits, cheeses and vegetables with
some light, easy listening background music
and candles, with a gentle breeze flowing
through the house on an early autumn evening
where the only sounds you hear are the soft
sounds of the music and the popping of the
cork on the bottle of Merlot, then I guess
me coming over with my accordion is out of
the question!
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White
Wine Sauce
In
a sauce pan, on low heat, melt 4 Tbs. butter,
1 Tbs. Olive Oil and 4 good sized clove of
crushed garlic. Sauté briefly until
there is a bit of a sizzle and the garlic
becomes yellow. Add the juice of 4 medium
lemons.
Add
1/4 cup of dry white wine at this point and
bring the heat up to medium. Reduce by stirring
occasionally, if not constant so not to boil.
Add a pinch of nutmeg and 2 tbs.. of chopped
fresh parsley. Add a pinch of salt and white
pepper if you have it. Black pepper works
fine, but you will have the black pepper speckles
in it. Now taste it and it should be very
flavorful at this point. This is good on just
about anything except ice cream! Works the
best on broiled chicken or fish.
Make some spaghetti and mix it with this sauce
and sprinkle on Parmagianno or Romano cheese.
Broil some chicken breasts and cut up in small
pieces and toss that in with that pasta! Holy
cow! Steaks.....OH MY GOODNESS! Add some chopped
mint to this as a different, flavorful, delicious
sauce to your favorite cut of meat! There
are so many things you can do with this sauce!
Just use you imagination! Be creative! Have
fun!
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Zucchini
Bread
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup nuts, chopped
Directions
Combine eggs, sugar, and oil; blend well.
Combine dry ingredients and add to egg mixture
along with zucchini. Add vanilla and nuts;
mix together. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.
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