How many times have you opened the fridge and noticed that your fresh herbs have wilted or are brown?
If you’re like me, too many to count.
How can we easily prep and store our fresh herbs to last?
So, how do we store fresh herbs to last 2 weeks? It all starts with cleaning, prepping, and storing them appropriately. The key is understanding the difference between leafy and woodsy herbs, and how the environment affects them. Once you understand all of this, then you can easily store fresh herbs to last 2 weeks or more.
Let’s start with cleaning and storing leafy stemmed herbs.
Leafy herbs
Leafy stemmed herbs have delicate leaves and include parsley, cilantro, and basil. When you’ve returned from the store with your bounty of herbs, you need to rinse them off well, spread them out on a towel, and pat them dry with a paper towel. The secret to preserving leafy herbs is to treat them like flowers. Yes! Prepare them in the same way you would freshly cut flowers. To do this, you need to trim off the stem ends to expose them more easily to water. Then, place the bunch in a glass with about 1-inch water (see pic below). You should store them in the fridge being sure to change out the water daily. You should also seal them in a closed container or zip-top bag to limit too much oxygen exposure. These steps can buy you time in using them, and they’ll easily last 2 weeks or longer.
Leafy greens stored in water
Basil has slightly different rules
Basil out of the fridge
For basil, prepare as above except leave the bunch in the glass on the counter because the refrigerator cold will turn the leaves brown.
Keep in mind… too much moisture on the leaves makes them wilt, too much light turns the leaves yellow, and cold or excess oxygen can turn the leaves brown… fine line to follow.
What about cleaning and storing woodsy herbs like rosemary and thyme?
You have all these herbs you bought on sale with the intention of using them in the near future. First, you should rinse them well and pat them dry with a paper towel. Next, you should wrap them in a moist paper towel (not wringing-out wet) and place them in a sealed bag to store in the fridge.
What if you know you’re not going to us them for weeks or so down the road?
If you know you’re not going to use your herbs for a long time, once you pat them dry ensuring there’s absolutely NO moisture, mince them with a knife, and put them in a labeled zip-top freezer bag until you need them. Moisture free herbs are necessary when freezing herbs because moisture will produce a wilted herb when thawed. After frozen, these herbs will be great used in baked dishes, soups, and chilis.
What’s the proper way to chop or mince all these herbs?
Italian Parsley
Parsley: I prefer Italian parsley over curly parsley. Italian parsley has less of a bitter flavor. To mince parsley, you simply cut the stems and leaves since both add flavor. Parsley stems are thin enough that after they are chopped, they blend in with the leaves and provide a good parsley flavor with the leaves.
Thyme
Thyme: Most of the stems on thyme are thin enough to eat; however, some are yet too thick and need to be discarded. For thick stalked stems, use your non-dominate hand and place those fingers at the top of the stalk. Place your dominate hand fingers just below the other on the stalk and while going against the grain, rub your fingers down the stalk removing the leaves away from the stems. Then, with a good sharp knife, just mince the leaves to your preferred size.
Rosemary
Rosemary: Most of these stems are more like stalks. They are too thick to eat. You’re going to follow the same steps to remove the leaves as with the thyme. Just grab the top section with your non-dominate hand fingers and place your dominate hand fingers just below the other. Then, rub your fingers down the stalk going against the grain to pull the herbs away from the stems. Then, just chop away with a good sharp knife.
For visuals of this process, see my YouTube video on Prepping and Storing Fresh Herbs.
Looking for dishes that incorporate fresh herbs? Check these out.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Catch you soon!
What if you could make one base mashed potato recipe and turn it into two?
Look no further! Your problem is solved with my recipe for “Sinfully Rich and Silky 2 Way Mashed Potatoes” with variations to accommodate simple and mature taste buds alike.
Our lives are so much easier when we can multi-purpose anything. So, why not food, too? While the holidays are a joyous time, they can also be very stressful. Food is not something we want to add to that stress. Not only that, but what if we could cut corners and indulge at the same time?
Many Tries by Me so You can Enjoy your Holidays with Ease.
After many tries and changes, I developed this amazing recipe that I can’t imagine substituting with any other. In addition, I provide some substitutions and suggestions to enhance your own recipes.
Realty is…
Good homemade mashed potatoes consist of only four ingredients: potatoes, butter, cream, and salt. But sometimes, maybe you just want something a little different. Maybe for the holidays or a special occasion you want to enhance your potatoes and make them extra special. I’ve got you covered!
What are these Sinfully Rich and Silky 2 Way Mashed Potatoes?
Imagine the base consisting of potatoes, roasted garlic, butter, salt, sour cream, cream cheese, and half & half. I didn’t say these potatoes are healthy; they are meant to be indulgent. Now let’s zhuzh them up, each with something a little different to create two different dishes. Imagine one topped with cheddar cheese and baked until ooey, gooey with crunchy edges and a soft, silky interior. The other is so light and fluffy, you almost confuse it for homemade whipped topping, but it’s salty and rich with a drizzling of sage-infused butter and topped with crispy, fried sage.
What about Some Enhancements?
To the Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole, you could add crumbled, fried bacon on top or as a condiment when you serve it. Sounds a bit like a baked potato, right? But, oh no! It’s so much more. Kids and adults alike would enjoy this version. For the kiddos, you could leave out the roasted garlic in the initial prep.
To the Sage-Infused Butter Topped Potato, you could also top them with crispy, crumbled pancetta for a little Italian flare. Ooohhh… now we’re talking!
How Exactly do you Make these Sinfully Rich and Silky 2 Way Mashed Potatoes?
Check out my recipe below with notes and my YouTube Channel with a video of the process and tips!
If you make these potatoes, I truly hope you enjoy them as much as we do. They are a favorite of mine and Scott’s, and we eat them every year either at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
My Cooking and Baking Philosophy
I follow the cooking mentality that recipes are a guide. I usually make them exactly as stated the first time, and then I go through with a pen and mark them up. Check out any of my cookbooks; you can always tell which recipes I enjoy making… they look like a teacher graded them. 😊 I think recipes are meant to provide a path to something great, but since we are all different, we may choose slight variations. So, adjust recipes to fit your preferences and taste buds. If you live by this philosophy, you will always enjoy what you create and eat.
Looking to elevate your mashed potatoes? These rich, creamy, light, and fluffly potatoes have a single base that turns into two different mashed potato dishes. In addition, there are suggested ingredients and modifications to appeal to all taste buds, adults and kiddos alike.
Prep Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10-12
Author: Summer
Equipment
potato ricer (necessary for the lightest and fluffiest potatoes)
toaster oven (not necessary if using oven)
crock pot / slow cooker (necessary if making ahead)
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Base (for both potato dishes)
1wholegarlic bulb
1tbspolive oil for drizzling
5 lbspotatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)peeled and diced
1stickbutterroom temperature and cut into pieces
8oz cream cheeseroom temperature and cut into pieces
1-3tspsalt adjust salt based on preference; start with 1 tsp and taste, then add more
1cupsour cream
¼cuphalf & half or milkheated prior to adding to the potatoes
Preheat oven or toaster oven** to 400˚F / 204˚C and prepare garlic bulb. Remove majority of the external paper covering the bulb.*** Cut about ¼-½ inch off from the root end of a garlic bulb to expose most of the cloves underneath. Discard the cut root end and any loose paper. Place bulb on a sheet of foil and rub the exposed cloves with olive oil. Sprinkle with course salt. Seal with foil. Place in oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Check after 30 minutes and decide how caramelized you would like them. Leave them in for longer if you desire more and check every 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool to touch.TIP: Roasting garlic in a bain-marie (hot water bath) prevents the garlic from "burning" to the foil. To do this, place water in the pan and then sit the foil covered garlic in the water. The foil opening should to be at the top and NOT sitting in the water.
Place prepared potatoes in a large pot. Cover them with COLD water (hot will cause them to cook unevenly). Add 1¼ tbsp of salt (add enough salt to where the water tastes like the sea). Taste the water to ensure enough seasoning (potatoes absorb more salt when boiled and results in less salt needed at the end). Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low/medium and set the timer for 15 minutes. Then, check the largest pieces of potato with a knife for tenderness. When tender, drain well in a colander to remove as much water as possible.
Prepare a large bowl for the potatoes. Place cut up butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350˚F / 177˚C and set the Crock-Pot or slow cooker to warm.
Rice the potatoes and roasted garlic. Use your ricer and rice potatoes on top of the butter and cream cheese (the heat will melt both). As you work in batches, squeeze out the cooled garlic from any intact skins and rice it along with potatoes.
Add the rest of the base ingredients. Pour in the warmed half & half, scoop in the sour cream, and add the salt. Carefully, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole Finishes****
In a greased 1.5-2 quart casserole dish, scoop in half of the potatoes. Brush on melted butter and top with desired amount of cheese.
Place potato casserole in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and crispy around the edges. Remove when ready and enjoy.
Sage-Infused Butter Topped Potato Finishes
If you are not ready to eat the potatoes after they've been mixed. Then, you need to keep them warm in a Crock-Pot or slow cooker until time.
Prepare fried sage. For the fried sage, in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, add olive oil and allow to heat up for 30 seconds. Place one sage leaf in the oil to check the temperature. If the oil sizzles around it, the oil is ready.**** If not, remove leaf, wait a few more seconds and try again. Allow leaf to cook for 5 seconds, turn it over with tongs and allow to cook another 5 seconds. Remove the leaf from the oil and place on a paper-lined plate to drain. Repeat with other sage leaves working in batches of 3-4 at at time. You only need to fry 5-7, just enough to decorate and crumble over the potatoes.
Prepare the sage-infused butter. In the same small saucepan, heat butter until melted and sizzling. Add the chopped sage and allow to infuse the butter for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and pour into a measuring cup.
Transfer potatoes from slow cooker to a 1.5 quart serving dish. Use a spoon or knife to create swirls on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the sage-infused butter into the crevices. Decorate the top with the crispy fried sage leaves and crumble any extras on top to add more color and texture. Eat and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*If you only want to make one of these potatoes, just half the base recipe and follow the ingredients and directions for the finishing preparations of that dish. If you want to make the full recipe using only one of the dishes, double the finishing ingredients for that dish.**Roast your garlic in a toaster oven to save on oven space and heating up your home.***You can roast peeled garlic cloves in the same way. Just decide on the number you would like and prepare them as suggested without any extra effort of removing garlic paper or skins.****If you are ONLY making the Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole, you can prepare it 1 day ahead of time, refrigerate, and set out for 30 minutes before baking.*****If the sage begins to turn brown, the oil is too hot, reduce the heat. The sage should be a bright green.Extra special additions:-Add cooked crumbled bacon to the Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole upon serving.-Add crispy cooked pancetta to the Sage-Infused Butter Topped Potatoes upon serving.For an Italian flare, make the following adjustments:-Keep ingredients the same except use 3 lbs of potatoes, replace cream cheese with 8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese, decrease butter to 1/2 stick, increase sour cream to 1 1/2 cups, adjust half & half/milk as needed, and top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Bake as directed for the Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole.
Looking for additional dishes to bake this holiday season? Check these out.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes and dishes. Shorter videos on kitchen hacks and tips coming this week. Stay tuned!
Try this gluten or gluten-free rich and flavorful stuffing alternative. NO one should sacrifice.
Do you have gluten and gluten-free eaters for your holiday meal?
I do! Since I have recently discovered a gluten intolerance, I decided NOT to sacrifice my love for bread and holiday favorites. While I’m still learning how to bake gluten-free bread, I have found some good store-bought gluten-free versions to incorporate in my favorite bready dishes. I have simply taken my favorite holiday “stuffing” that is herby, cheesy, custardy, and moist and turned it into a gluten or gluten-free rich and flavorful stuffing alternative. Oh, so tasty!! My mouth is watering as I sit here thinking about it.
My traditional holiday savory bread pudding has taken on a new identity this year.
While I posted the details of the gluten version of this recipe and how it came about last November (see my post entitled Holiday Stuffing or Dressing? Why not Bread Pudding?), this year I wanted to figure out how to make it so I could eat it, too. After some pondering, it came to me. Why NOT take my recipe and simply divide it into two separate casseroles and use two different breads? The key here was making sure not to cross-contaminate the breads with unclean utensils, containers, and hands. One casserole has a traditional crusty French bread and the other has crusty gluten-free baguettes. Yum! Gluten or Gluten-Free Rich and Flavorful Stuffing Alternative… DONE!
Questions were…
Will it work successfully?
Can you tell a difference?
Final answer…
YES, it worked successfully.
NO, you can’t tell a difference.
Can you see the difference? Which is gluten free? Both breads are crusty, herby, and toasty.
Gluten free on the left and gluten on the right. Same amazing taste!
Absolutely and unequivocally, we had SUCCESS!!
Any gluten and gluten-free eater alike would be impressed with this holiday side, regardless of the bread used. Why is that? Ultimately, it boils down to all the other ingredients. Since both types of bread are toasted and surrounded by many other ingredients, the flavors and textures are the same. Hmm… Gluten or Gluten-Free Rich and Flavorful Stuffing Alternative… yes, please!
NO worries! Versatility is what makes this dish magical. Take the base of this recipe and switch out any of the herbs, veggies, and cheese for what you have in your kitchen or what you like. You might want to add some fresh sage to the herb mixture or your favorite cooked ground meat with or in place of the mushrooms. If leeks are intimidating, just use an onion. Check out my post with video on how to clean and cut fennel & leeks. If you’re not keen on changing your family favorite Thanksgiving dressing or stuffing, then save this one for another holiday.
This savory bread pudding is a stuffing alternative for your holidays. You can make this for gluten and/or gluten-free eaters alike. This recipe is cheesy, rich, flavorful, moist, and full of fresh herbs and garlic. Being such a versatile dish, you can sub any herbs, veggies, and mushrooms for your preferred options. Try adding cooked sausage, bacon, or pancetta. Prepare a day ahead and bake before consuming.
⅓cupPecorino Romanofinely grated (plus more for topping)
Instructions
Herbed Bread
Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare pans. Preheat oven to 375˚F / 191˚C and grease baking dish(es) using cooking spray or butter. Use one 4 qt dish for one casserole using a pound of all gluten or all gluten-free bread. Use two 2 qt dishes for two casseroles with one gluten version and one gluten-free version.
Step 2: Prepare the bread crumbs. Cut bread into ½ inch cubes. You can decide whether or not to cut off the crust. The crust will produce a chewier bread pudding. If using both gluten and gluten-free bread, separate into two separate bowls. If using only one kind of bread, place all cubes in a large bowl.
Step 3: Infuse garlic and herbs in olive oil. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Heat for 5 minutes allowing the olive oil to be infused with the garlic and herbs.
Step 4: Coat and toast the bread crumbs. Add oil mixture to the bread (be sure to half the mixture for two separate bowls of bread.) Toss to coat. Spread cubes out on rimmed foil lined cookie sheet. If making gluten and gluten-free versions, be sure to use two separate cookie sheets. Sprinkle salt & pepper over bread crumbs on cookie sheet(s). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until crunchy (stir about the 10-minute mark). Remove the cookie sheets and return the bread cubes to their respective bowl(s).
Sautéed Veggies
Step 5: Cut and prepare the veggies. Wash, cut, and slice all veggies. For any whole mushrooms, it is recommended not to wash them. Simply brush off the visible dirt using a small kitchen brush or paper towel/napkin. Then slice them for the recipe.
Step 6: Sauté the veggies. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter sizzles, add mushrooms, leek, celery, and pepper. Sauté all veggies for about 15 minutes until they are soft, tender, and juices have evaporated.
Step 7: Add veggies to the bread cubes. Mix sautéed veggies and parsley in the bread cube bowl(s). Be sure to divide the veggie mixture between the two bowls, if making a gluten and gluten-free version. Mix thoroughly.
Custard Mixture
Step 8: Prepare custard. In a large bowl, whisk together half & half, broth or stock, eggs, salt, pepper, and most of the cheese. You will likely need to shred and grate more for the top. Pour custard into the bowl(s) of bread. Be sure to divide the custard in half, if making both gluten and gluten-free versions. Mix well.
Transfer mixture(s) to prepared casserole dish(es). Sprinkle with remaining and extra cheese (to your preference).
Bake uncovered in 350˚F / 177˚C oven for 1 hour. If the tops begin to brown too quickly during the last 20-30 minutes, lightly cover dish(es) with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
-You can make this 1 day ahead of time through Step 8 except to reserve 1/2 cup of custard to pour on top just prior to baking. Continue with recipe.-Sub any of the ingredients for others you prefer. For example, you can add fresh sage to the herb mixture. Consider adding cooked sausage, bacon, or pancetta with or in place of the mushrooms. Use your preferred cheese.
Looking for additional breads to bake this holiday season? Check these out.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes. Shorter videos on kitchen hacks and tips along with other holiday dishes coming very soon. Stay tuned!
My annual making and baking of “The Berry Rolls” is here. No, this roll doesn’t have any fruit berries in them, they are simply traditional southern American yeast rolls named after my grandparents for all of their siblings and descendants.
While these rolls are my maternal grandma’s recipe, they are named after her family, or rather my grandpa’s family name. “The Berry Rolls” are the family’s signature bread as many, if not all, of us remember them well. The Berry family consists of many of my grandparents’ siblings along with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a whole host of other relatives. So “The Berry Rolls” should belong to all of us Berry family members.
Last year,
I posted my family memories of these southern American yeast rolls along with details, pictures, and directions. See the post entitled “Berry Family Tribute via the Matriarch through Bread”, for the aforementioned information.
This year,
I’m focusing on the 20 years of changes and modifications of this bread. It’s been years of trial and error to attempt to resemble the rolls of before. For the past 5 years, these rolls have been consistently the same for me; light, fluffy, rich, and buttery traditional southern American yeast rolls. YUM!! Following my recipe will elicit the perfect roll every time. Check out my video on making and baking these rolls and see the recipe below for the ingredients and directions.
Looking at “The Berry Roll” Past: Southern American Yeast Rolls
My grandma didn’t have a written recipe for her rolls, as many didn’t of her generation. She made them so frequently she didn’t need one. Over the years, my mom and aunts took it upon themselves at different times to watch and measure as she made the rolls. While they each had slightly different measurements that produced very tasty rolls, they all still lacked something.
I honestly don’t remember where my current ingredient list and measurements came from, it was either Aunt Wanda or Aunt Sharion, but regardless the ingredients are NOT what changed in the 20 years I’ve been making them; it was technique.
How can bread turn out so differently based on technique alone?
I honestly don’t know the answer; however, I can tell you that the difference in my rolls 20 years ago and today can be compared to cars… cars from the 80’s, because I’m a child of the 80’s and these are my memories. 😊 Imagine driving an old 80’s Chevette (my Mom’s old car) versus a new 80’s Cadillac (another set of grandparents’ car). They both drove, had all the necessary parts to run, and served the same purpose. BUT one drove better, one had better quality parts, and one was visually more appealing… much like my versions of grandma’s rolls.
The most interesting discovery…
What I found most intriguing in the modifications was NOT the ingredients themselves. That’s right! The ingredients were and are the same as they’ve always been. The changes lie in the technique of making these rolls.
How different are the rolls today? While the recipe I use has never changed, the rolls I made 20 years ago were dense. They tasted good, but the texture was all off.
What’s this magic new technique that produces the perfect traditional southern American yeast rolls?
I discovered over time to…
1. limit the flour
Use as little flour as possible during the kneading stage. The more flour you add, the denser the bread. So, how do you avoid this?
1a. Use a good kneading surface, one that doesn’t move while you’re kneading, and one that doesn’t easily stick to dough.
1b. Understand the difference between dough that’s tacky and dough that’s sticky.
When kneading, add just enough flour so that the dough is tacky (elastic like), but not sticky.
Difference?
Tacky = slight stick to the touch, but dough doesn’t separate and remain on the skin when pulled away.
Sticky = some dough is pulled away and left on the skin when you touch it and remove your hand.
When kneading: if tacky, DON’T add flour; if sticky, add a LITTLE flour.
2. sift the flour
Sifted flour is so light and fluffy that it resembles powdered sugar or freshly fallen snow. This light and fluffy texture carries over into the rising and baking stages.
3. use a small biscuit cutter
A small cutter will produce smaller rolls that allow for more space around them to rise.
4. allow space between the rolls for the rise
Don’t overcrowd the pan. You want your rolls to touch when they rise, so give them space, but not too much.
5. be patient
Making and baking bread is not for the impatient. When the recipe says to set aside the dough until doubled in size, do that. Only use the time frame as a guide.
6. don’t skimp on the 2nd rise
The 2nd rise is necessary as is provides additional time for the gluten to develop and the gas from the yeast to build up and flow through the gluten threads.
7. ensure you include the most important ingredient
I know this sounds crazy, but purposeful baking with a positive emotional intent can be tasted in your food. I think you need to understand the “why” before you delve into baking. If you’re going to devote time to it, make sure you feel it’s worth it. What does that mean? BAKE WITH LOVE…
You should bake…
-when the mood strikes,
-for the atmosphere… the smells, the memories, etc.,
-when time is not of the essence,
-with goodness all around; play music, bake with a friend or family member, etc.
-for people you love and be mindful of them as you’re mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough. (This is the reason I bake).
You may think this is weird and over the top, but I’ve heard time and time again that love can be tasted in food. Why do you think our positive food memories from our family members have such a place in our hearts and minds? Anyone could have made those dishes, but it was our moms, grandmothers, significant relatives, or friends.
If you bake this holiday season, keep these thoughts in mind. Put aside the frustrations and struggles in life and bake while thinking about those who mean the most. You just might find your food tastes a little better, a little lighter, and life can seem a little brighter.
My final thought on these southern American yeast rolls:
The ingredient of love is added through the baking process not the result; thus, bake for the process not the result.
There's no better American yeast roll than the one grandma made approved by kids and adults alike and beloved by a town. This is that recipe; created by a woman who baked with love, my grandma. Search no longer, this is the roll recipe for all.
Prep Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Rising Time2 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 60small rolls
Ingredients
15g(2 pkgs / 4½ tsp) active dry yeast
38g(3 tbsp) granulated sugardivided
590ml(2½ cups) waterdivided
23g(1 tbsp + 1 tsp) salt
100g(½ cup) shorteningdiced
2largeeggsroom temperature
840g(7 cups) all-purpose flour, siftedfluffed, scooped, and leveled off if using a measuring cup
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix yeast and 13 g (1 tbsp) sugar. Pour in 118 ml (½ cup) of warm water 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Stir and set aside until doubled, bubbly, and frothy.
Meanwhile, boil 472 ml (2 cups) of water over the stove or in the microwave. In a large bowl, place diced shortening. Pour the boiling water over the shortening. Allow time for the shortening to melt and the water has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
To the melted shortening, add the remaining 25 g (2 tbsp) of sugar and the salt. Stir so the sugar and salt dissolve. Stir yeast mixture into the shortening mixture.
In another small bowl/cup (reuse the yeast mixture bowl), beat 2 eggs slightly and add them to shortening and yeast mixture. Stir well.
Sift flour and add about 480 g (4 cups) of the sifted flour to the mixture and whisk or stir well. Add remaining 360 g (3 cups) of sifted flour and mix well. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.
Cover dough with a towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set dough aside in a warm area (over an oven set at 200˚F / 93˚C). Allow dough to rise, double in size ~ 1 hour).
Grease two to four casserole dishes that are 8×8, 7×11, or 9×13 inches using butter or cooking spray. You could use 3+ 8×8-inch pans, two 7×11-inch pans or a 9×13 and another smaller size.
When dough has doubled in size, scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead ~ 10 minutes adding enough flour during kneading until dough is no longer sticky. Dough should be tacky but not stick to the surface. Dough has been kneaded enough when pressed and the indentation fills back quickly. If the indentation remains looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading.TIP: Because this is a wet dough, you may need as much as 1 cup of additional flour when kneading. That's OK as long as you stop adding flour when the dough becomes tacky and no longer sticking to your hands or the work surface.
Divide the dough in half. Knead each half separately for a couple of minutes until elastic and not sticky. Let dough halves rest a few minutes.
Roll or push out each dough half to ~ ½ inch thick. Use a small, ~2-inch biscuit cutter (~2 inches) to cut out rounds. Place each dough round in greased pans allowing the rolls to touch . You can get 16 small rolls in an 8×8-inch pan. Continue rolling, patting out dough, and cutting out rounds until all dough is used.
Cover rolls with plastic wrap or a towel and place pans in a warm area to rise 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) during the last 30 minutes of the rise.
Bake pans of rolls together or separately for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. You may need to move the pans around during baking if baking more than 1 pan at a time so the rolls brown evenly.
After removing baked rolls from oven, brush tops of rolls with salted butter. Cut and serve while hot with more salted butter.TIP: To easily butter tops of rolls, cut a tablespoon and stab it with a fork. Rub the butter over the tops of the rolls and watch it melt and ooze. You can also take a stick of butter holding half of the butter in the wrapper and just rub the other end (wrapper pulled back) along the tops of the rolls.
Video
Notes
-If going to eat baked rolls within 2-3 days, don’t freeze, just keep them sealed in foil and in a gallon-size zip top plastic bag on the counter. Don’t open until ready to reheat. Remove rolls from zip top plastic bag still wrapped in foil, heat foil wrapped rolls in oven 325°F-350°F (177˚C) ~15 minutes, until heated through. They will still taste fresh… careful not to dry them out in the oven.-A small 2-inch biscuit cutter yields ~60 rolls and will require 3-4 pans (3-4 combination of 8×8 & 7×11)-Once rolls are baked and cooled, remove them from the pans, cover them in foil tightly (while still connected to one another), place in gallon-size zip top plastic bag, and freeze until ready to eat. Rolls baked in 8″x8″ pans fit perfectly wrapped in foil and placed in gallon size bag. Rolls baked in 7″x11″ pan will need to be divided in half, covered in foil, and placed in gallon-size bag.-If frozen, remove only the number of bags of rolls from freezer that you intend on eating and thaw on the counter (~1 hour). Remove foil wrapped rolls from gallon-size plastic bag. Keep rolls tightly sealed in foil (or they’ll dry out) and heat in oven 325°F-350°F (177˚C) ~15 minutes, until heated through but not dried out.
Looking for additional breads to bake this holiday season? Check these out.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes. Shorter videos on kitchen hacks and tips along with other holiday dishes coming very soon. Stay tuned!
The Mexican Bolillo is the perfect fall tailgating sandwich bread and chili dunker.
Forget the fancy, dainty croissant rolls. Fall and football need a standout bread or roll to resemble the season and withstand fall flavors and hearty dishes.
For this post, I wanted to revisit the Mexican Bolillo and add some highlights since it appears to be the perfect fall bread. The recent drop in temperatures warrants soups and chili in my household. I have made several pots of soup these past couple of weeks, When I think of soup, I think of bread. Actually, when DON’T I think of bread; it’s consumes my thoughts!
I was reminded of my post on Bolillo (Let’s all Remember Like Mexico Part 1) this time last year and my husband referring to them as footballs. It was clear the Bolillo is THE bread to make right now and add a video to enhance it. Check out that previous post for details about this bread, recipe, pictures, other authentic Mexican dishes, and Mexico. The recipe is also included in this post.
With so many people working from home and limited in carrying out a “normal” routine, it seems that comfort food is what we all want. The Bolillo is unique and can easily fit into our lives.
As you’re thinking about making that 10th loaf of sourdough or a Thanksgiving roll, give the Bolillo a try!
My Bolillo highlights: The Bolillo is…
-seasonal for Americans as it resembles footballs.
-a “clean” bread, as my husband, Scott refers to it in the video. Watch to learn more.
-preservative free, no sugar!
-individually sized… no spreading germs!
-multi-textured with a crunchy exterior and soft interior.
-hearty enough to eat as sandwich bread or use to sop up food juices.
-simple enough to eat sliced with butter or for a snack with nut butter and jam.
-the nostalgic joy filling our houses with bakery smells.
-comfort food with that longing for simplicity in life.
-a multi-cultural connection to others.
In looking at the highlight list, it’s as though the Bolillo has taken on its own “emotion” or adjective. It needs its own word that encompasses happiness, longing, comfort, familiarity, social connection, and even safety and health (to some degree). Ok, so maybe I took this a little too far, but you get the idea, The Bolillo is just one of those breads we could use in our lives at the moment. If nothing more, you’re graced with a morsel of joy in a single bite.
Check out my newly uploaded video on making the Bolillo with my cheesy (and some off) football references throughout. Clearly, I never played football! You should see me throw one! SCARY!
If you're looking for the bread of the season, this is it! It's a combination of fall, American football, and food. It's perfect for fall flavors and hearty dishes. This recipe is adapted from https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-bolillos-crusty-rolls/
Prep Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Resting and Rising Time10 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Total Time12 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 10rolls
Author: Summer
Ingredients
Starter
¾cupwater
½tspactive dry yeast
1cupall-purpose flour
Dough
3cupsall-purpose flour
1½tspactive dry yeast
2tspsalt
¼cupshorteningmelted and cooled to below 115˚F / 46˚C
1 cupwarm water100˚F-110˚F / 38˚C-43˚C
Instructions
Starter
Prepare the starter at least 8 hours before using it, ideally the night before.
In a small bowl, whisk together yeast and water. Then whisk in flour.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit on the counter until you need it the following day.
Dough
In a standing mixer, add the starter, flour, salt, yeast, and shortening (melted and cooled to below 115˚F / 46˚C).
Turn on the mixer and begin kneading, slowly add the water and continue to knead on low speed.
Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface, deflate it, and shape it into a ball.
Spray a large bowl (mixer bowl is fine) with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover the bowl with plastic.
Place the covered bowl in a warm space and allow the dough to rise for about 1½ hours or until it is doubled in size.
Deflate the dough and scoop it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. You can use a food scale or eyeball the divisions. Depending on the overall weight of your dough, the individual pieces should weigh 3-4 ounces.
Cover the 10 pieces on the work surface with sprayed plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Form the Bolillos by flouring your hands, flatten each piece of dough with the palm of your hand. Fold ⅓ of dough over and press down with your fingers pinching the fold against the flat portion of the dough to seal it, Then, continue to fold the dough over to the edge pinching the fold to the edge of the dough. Be sure to seal the ends of the roll.
Shape the Bolillos into footballs, place your hands over the dough and press gently but firmly cupping your hands and rolling back and forth. While doing this, press the edges of your hands to leave some dough uncovered to form the traditional Bolillo ears or tapered ends of a football.
Place each Bolillo seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet or greased baking sheet and cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Allow them to rise for 1 to 1½ hours or until they’ve doubled in size.
With 15 minutes left in the rising process, set your oven to preheat at 450˚F / 232˚C. Place a metal pan on the lowest rack level in your oven.
When the rolls have doubled in size, make a deep cut using a serrated knife in the center of the roll in the direction from tail to tail.
Spray the rolls with warm water or use your fingers and spritz them with the water.
Place the rolls in the oven, pour 1½ cups of cold water in the metal pan, and immediately close the oven. The cold water hitting the heat will result in steam causing a crunchy crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the rolls are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Eat and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*Since there’s no sugar in this recipe, there are no preservatives to prolong the freshness. The bread should be eaten within a couple of days or frozen and heated when ready to consume.*To reheat the bread, thaw it, spray it with water, and place it in a preheated 400˚F / 204˚C oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until warm and crunchy.
Pan de Muerto (Mexican Bread of the Dead) for Dia de los Muertos
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes.
Warm spices, sweet, tangy citrus, and freshly baked yeast bread that permeates the house…
The seasons have changed, and the holidays are here. I’ve always considered Halloween the kick-off festivity. Even in countries where Halloween isn’t as prominent, this time of year is as significant all over the world. The end of October and the month of November mark the time for remembrance to include the obvious All Saints’ Day, Day of the Dead, Veterans’ Day, Armistice, and Thanksgiving. Pan de Muerto is just the bread to to begin it all.
I’m jump starting the season with another bake from what seems to be my new fall collection of bread bakes… the Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) from Mexico in honor of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Given the year’s struggles, this bread speaks to me. We’re all tired, stressed, and just over most of what surrounds us. Pan de Muerto provides that comfort, a little joy, and even hope. It’s amazing how food can be so powerful.
Just look at this bread. It screams, “Eat me!” but in a good way. 😊 It’s a beautiful, rich, and sweet looking loaf from the shiny orange glaze and sprinkling of sugar. Of course, it looks interesting with the bone shapes that cover the top and the speckling of orange zest and anise seeds. You can imagine the smells; It fills the house with fall… not to mention yeast… who DOESN’T like the smell of freshly baked bread, particularly during the holiday season!! In addition, it has significant meaning and purpose in life. See my previous post on the history of the bread and the significance of the bone shapes.
The Updates!
For this post, I want to focus on the updates of this bread along with providing a few kitchen hacks. See my YouTube video of the bread bake and some tips. Below are some kitchen hacks to make your life a little easier and less stressful. Who couldn’t use that!!
Having made this bread twice now, I have some new updates and suggestions.
Pan de Muerto Update, Important Steps, and Suggestions…
1. Make sure you have room temperature ingredients including butter and eggs. Room temperature varies, but it usually refers to temperatures between 68˚F /22˚C and 77˚F / 25˚C.
2. Divide the dough into two different loaves. Bake at the recommended temperature of 350˚F / 177˚C but decrease the time to 30 minutes and consider checking the internal temperature which should read between 190˚F / 88˚C and 210˚F / 99˚C.
3. Use bread flour in place of all-purpose flour as suggested in the original recipe. See my post of gluten.
4. Allow bread to rise in a warm space. My fail-safe method is to set the oven at 200˚F / 99˚C and place covered container of dough on the stove above the oven. Turn on undermount microwave light (if you have one) to create warmth from above.
How can you truly know when your bread is completely baked on the inside? Here’s my fail-safe method.
Recipes provide an approximation of the time it should take to bake bread but can vary depending on location, oven, and ingredient temperature. Often times, it’s difficult to know when the bread is done since the exterior appears baked long before the interior. The only way to really know your bread is baked through is to check the internal temperature with an appropriate thermometer.
For soft breads,
the internal temperature should reach between 180˚F / 82˚C and 200˚F / 99˚C.
For denser, heavier breads,
the internal temperature should reach between 190˚F / 88˚C and 210˚F / 99˚C. So, the next you bake a loaf, check the internal temperature before you turn off the oven. You certainly want to be rewarded for all your efforts! 😊
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes.
While many of us have a love/hate relationship with gluten due to gluten sensitivity or other issues, gluten is vital in bread making. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to make a good gluten-free bread; however, unless you are unable to digest the gluten protein, you should be able to eat it. The gluten protein in bread creates the stretchy threads with air holes (gas trapped from the yeast) in a finished loaf. Flours contain different levels of gluten. The higher the gluten content, the higher, fluffier the loaf. However, all flours serve specific purposes and are needed for different types of baking. Let’s look at the typical flours in our homes, how they compare, and what bakes are best used with them.
Flour Chart with Highest to Lowest Gluten Percentages
Flour
Gluten Percentage
When to use it?
Bread
11%-13%
bagels, hearty yeast breads, pasta, pizza, and pretzels
All-purpose
11%-12% (regional brands range 7.5%-9.5%)
biscuits, cookies, cream puffs, less hearty yeast breads, and puff pastry
Whole wheat
11%-12% or a little less than white since heavy wheat kernels take up space
whole-wheat yeast breads and dough but mixed with white flour for a lighter product
Pastry
8%-9%
baked items that aren’t bread, cakes, cookies, pancakes, pastries, pie crusts
Cake
7%-8%
light and dainty cakes, muffins, and pancakes
Why do the percentages vary so much?
This is due in part to the time of year and location the wheat is grown and harvested. For example, winter wheat (sown during the fall and harvested the next) contains higher gluten levels than flour sown and harvested in the spring. Winter wheat is grown in cold places and meant to withstand harsh winter climates. Spring flour is a softer wheat because it is grown in warmer climates and doesn’t need to withstand harsh temperatures. Often, these softer flours are chemically bleached to weaken the gluten even more to make it porous. Thus, the less gluten in the flour, the more porous the flour, resulting in a light and dainty product such as a cake. In general, low protein wheat contains 5%-10% protein while high protein wheat contains 10%-14% protein.
Why do professional bread bakers prefer bread flour to all-purpose flour in baking?
For making hearty bread loaves, professional bakers prefer to use bread flour. The high percentage of gluten in bread flour results in taller, lighter loaves. When gluten interacts with water (liquid), the gluten expands and stretches to create connecting threads. That’s why it’s so important to knead the dough, to disperse the liquid to reach all of the protein threads. When kneaded and heated, the individual threads expand allowing gas from the yeast to flow through thus producing a tall loaf of bread.
Looking for recipes to make with bread flour?
While the following recipes specifically list bread flour in the ingredients, you can substitute bread flour for any hearty bread loaf where all-purpose is listed.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes.
You know the saying, “When life gives you lemons…”
So, here’s my lemonade, I’m back with more and some changes! I took an unexpectedly long break from blogging with my last post at the end of January. I have returned in full force with a new YouTube Channel to go with it. This all started in part from my discovery of being gluten intolerant while baking during the pandemic.
Where have I been for the past 8-9 months? traveling (pre-pandemic), making dietary changes based on the AIP elimination diet, discovering gluten and almond intolerances, self-quarantining for a month, moving to another state, preparing my YouTube Channel, transferring my blog, learning software, developing new ideas for videos and blogs, filming and editing videos…Whew!
So, what does this mean? With an autoimmune disease, there is an increased risk in developing other health issues. Long story short, after a couple of months of being on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) elimination diet due to digestive issues, I discovered that I am gluten intolerant. Of course, this discovery became evident while wanting to bake during the pandemic. As you can imagine for someone who lives on gluten and loves to bake with gluten, this was quite an unexpected and unpleasant surprise.
What now?
With this new discovery of being gluten intolerant, I felt I needed to answer the question… so, now what? I’m learning much about gluten-free baking and experimenting with gluten-free flours and gums. I have opted to continue my original plan of baking the world with the added bonus of turning these recipes into gluten-free bakes. This will occur over time and likely with lots of trials, since gluten-free flours are finicky and require lots of patience and practice.
Not Only that, but…
I have launched my YouTube Channel (Summer Bakes the World) that will feature videos of my blog bakes. You’ll also find additional videos of cooking and baking tips and hacks that will also be added regularly to my blog.
Changes, you say? I will post new videos of bakes from my previously written blogs to my YouTube Channel. Those blog posts will be updated with the new videos and easy-to-view, share, and print recipes for each bake. I will be peppering in new blog posts with the updated ones. Check out my updated first blog post on the Hokkaido Japanese Milk Bread.
Join me!
As always with both the videos and blog posts, I hope to use my knowledge, skills, and teaching expertise to provide you with something useful, inspiring, or new to enhance your life. If nothing else, maybe I’ll just be a welcomed distraction from the day-to-day challenges in your life. 😉
Remember to subscribe, follow, and share my YouTube Channel and blog if you see benefit. Your support is greatly appreciated. Now, go check out my first video on making the Hokkaido Japanese Milk Bread from my first blog post and feel free to comment by sharing your thoughts and ideas. Feedback is important to me as I navigate this new world and look to improve with subsequent videos and blog posts. Thanks again and enjoy!!
I thought I would NEVER get through this meal… preparing it, that is. Don’t get me wrong, the flower rolls, fish, and noddle dish were all good but time consuming (as most of my weekend meals of late have been). Let’s get to the reason for the weekend.
As mentioned and described in detail in my preview Friday post, this past Saturday, January 25th was this year’s official date of Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival; it has many names depending on where it’s celebrated. In China, it’s often referred to as Chinese New Year and in other Asian countries it’s Lunar New Year. It is a week-long public holiday in China (and other Asian countries), but it is traditionally on the first day when the lucky foods are eaten. While modern China, along with other Asian countries, go by the Gregorian calendar, they continue to include and celebrate some of the Lunar calendar holidays like Lunar New Year. With over 4,000 years of Lunar New Year celebrations, it is the most important of the Chinese festivals. It ends this year on February 8 with the Lantern Festival (the day for creating lanterns). Each day between January 24 and February 8, there are specific activities, foods, and superstitions that are appropriate to do, eat, or follow on these days. Check out this link, Chinese New Year Calendar 2020, for details with regard to the different days. For example, today January 27th, is the Day of the Rat (the day rats get married… hmmm, OK…) where people leave crackers and grains in the corners to share their harvest (and go to bed early not to distract the “wedding”) with the rats in hopes of a peaceful year between the two (peaceful rat wedding = peaceful year). Hmmmm… as I said… OK.
Since the food traditions were highlighted in my preview Friday post (a much longer preview post than normal), I will only focus on the ones I selected to bake/cook in this one.
For a new baking and cooking adventure, I chose the steamed rolls (that’s right, NOT baked), steamed whole fish (yes! head with eyes, tails, and more bones than you can count), and homemade noodles (long and fat ones… I want a long and healthy life baby!) with lots of veggies. As usual, I looked at many recipes for each dish before I selected the ones that were authentic, interested me, were a challenge, and contained ingredients I thought I could find in my local grocery store or substitute. Since I temporarily live in Colorado, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to go to a local fish market on the coast, so I had to locate a quality, fresh fish (from a trusty vendor)… concerning at first… wasn’t sure I could do this, but ALAS… whew! it happened… we’re still alive, didn’t get sick, and enjoyed the fish immensely (minus the bones). The meal and recipes worked!
With a baked-focus blog, we’ll start with the beautiful Hua Juan (Flower Rolls). These are called flower rolls because they are rolled and twisted to resemble a flower. The rolls are a basic yeast bread dough rolled out like a cinnamon roll and covered in sesame oil, salt, and chopped scallions and then rolled up and sliced like a cinnamon roll. Cool, right! These are a traditional staple Chinese bread known as mantou (steamed buns). These days, they are eaten as a breakfast item or as a snack. Hey, if .you like this filling option but want to bake the bread, you could use the same dough from the Filipino post last week and add this as your filling. Actually, since this is a traditional bread dough, I’m sure you can just bake these rolls like any other baked bread.
The recipe selected was easy to follow, though I had to look at another for pictures showing how to make the flower after slicing the roll. The process was pretty simple; no artistic ability required, trust me. Thanks to Spruce Eats for the recipe Hua Juan Recipe for Traditional Chinese Flower Rolls. As a Lunar New Year dish, I placed this meal element in the dumpling category, since it’s a steamed dough which represents wealth.
In a small bowl, mix 2 tsp yeast with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tbsp sugar. Set it aside to bloom (about 15 minutes). Sift 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Once the yeast has bloomed, make a well in the center of the flour and pour it into the well. Stir the mixture to create a shaggy mass. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
This dough recipe has 2 rises back to back with only a punch down between rises. Over a warm oven, the rises only took an hour each instead of 1 1/2 hour each as the recipe predicted.
After the 2nd rise, prepare 2 tsp baking powder mixed with 2 tsp water. Make a little well in center of the dough and add the baking powder/water mixture and kneaded it in. Roll dough out into a “rectangle” like cinnamon roll dough. On the rolled out dough, add sesame oil, sprinkling of 1 tsp salt, and 1 bunch of chopped scallions (scattered).
Rolled up…Sliced into 12 equal portions…Notice the layers of scallions…One roll with chopstick down center and pressed down…Chop stick removed, turned to the side, and dough ends folded underneath and pinched at bottom to create flower…All 12 slices ready…
Detailed look prior to steaming…
Makeshift steamer (large metal Dutch oven with bottom covered with water, metal colander inside just above water line, parchment paper in colander (to prevent particles from falling through the holes), and 4 rolls neatly inside (did this 2 more times with other 8 rolls)…Rolls were covered with a lid and steamed for 20 minutes…Steamed rolls are cooked/baked…Notice the layers of scallions on the inside…
Hua Juan (Flower Rolls) thoughts: This was such an unusually different bread from the westernized traditional baked bread. The bread was soft, fluffy (like a pillow) and had a distinctive sesame taste, very appropriate for a typical Asian dish. Due to the steaming, there was neither browning nor crusty exterior. The bread would go very well with an accompanying soup, though we enjoyed it with a noodle dish and fish. It was also good heated with a pat of butter. I don’t usually think of a baked bread with an Asian meal; however, I can see how this one totally fits the bill. Since I love my bread, I will definitely keep this recipe in mind for future Asian dishes that particularly include a soup. Good bake and a keeper!!
This meal had a 2nd dough… homemade egg noodles. The recipe used is from the website “The Omnivore’s Cookbook”, Fresh Homemade Noodles (手擀面). I really like this website for Chinese cuisine; it’s thorough and the recipes are clear.
Fresh noodle ingredients…
3 1/2 cups bread flour, egg, and enough water to equal 240 milliliters
In a stand mixer mixing bowl, add flour. Use the dough hook and mix on low speed. Add egg and enough water to reach 240 ml (about 1 cup). Knead for 10 minutes on low. Cover the dough and resting for an hour or so as resting causes it to “loosen” up a bit. Cut dough in half and roll one half out flat. Then roll it up like a cinnamon roll, slice the roll, and unroll each noodle. Repeat with other dough half.
1 half rolled up like a cinnamon roll…
Sliced…Each noodle slice unrolled… notice the length… longevity!Both dough halves rolled, sliced, cut, and unrolled… ready for the boiling water to cook…
Time to cook them!
Boil water. Add noodles and cook for 3 minutes.
Noodles added (albeit cloudy)…Cooked for 3 minutes and done!Drained and waiting to be added to broth and veggies…
For the rest of the dish, I used a Longevity Noodle Dish from the website 196 Flavors, China: Long Life Noodles (Chang Shou Mian) using the above noodles in place of store-bought. Since we had fish on the side, I chose to make this dish vegetarian… no chicken but more mushrooms…
Long Life Noodles ingredients:
I didn’t have enough fish sauce, so I used a combination of soy, Hoisin, and fish (worked great!), carrots, 2 packages of Shiitake and gourmet mushroom blend, fresh ginger, sugar snap peas (in place of snow peas), cilantro, scallions, fresh garlic, corn starch, neutral oil
Prepare the Veggies
Trim the sugar snap peas and peel away the string. Boil in water for 1 minute. Drain the sugar snap peas and place them into an ice bath, drain again, and set aside. Heat oil in a large dutch oven, add garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and julienned carrots. Stir. Then add the fish sauce, chicken broth, salt, and cornstarch and mix well. Add the sugar snap peas and scallions.
All veggies are ready for the final ingredient… the noodles!Noodles added and dish is ready!!
Yummy thick and chewy noodles with lots of sauce and vegetables… more please!!
Longevity Noodle Dish thoughts: The homemade noodles were very good, thick, and chewy. In my previous noodle dish from the Japan blog, I had a much easier dough to work with, but I think this noodle recipe was good; I just needed to add more liquid… my fault, not the recipe. I would make this again, but I have a note for myself on the recipe to add more liquid (humidity level makes a difference in amount of liquid needed in dough). I added 3 ounces of veggies instead of the recommended 2 and I used 9 ounces of mushrooms instead of 8 ounces of chicken and only 2 ounces of mushrooms. With the additional veggies and noodles, I increased the sauce to 6-7 tablespoons instead of 4. Overall, the changes I made based on our preferences worked out well. The dish had enough sauce and flavor for the amount of noodles and veggies. This is a great dish if you like pasta and want a hearty meal… a nice change from an Italian pasta dish.
The LAST meal element… the main protein… the FISH. So, who won the staring contest? Well, the Yellowtail Snapper was in the lead, until my second wind and then he lost. Here’s how that went down… it really was questionable for a while!!
I questioned locating a quality, fresh, whole fish in landlocked America. I went to several locations with no luck. While I had access to a local Asian market, I had read some questionable reviews of the fresh fish, so I opted for Whole Foods… I thought, surely… Whole Foods will have a whole fish. Yep! I was right… they had quite a few options. I spoke with the fishmonger who recommended the red snapper (red for Lunar New Year’s); however, I didn’t need a fish that big, so I opted for the Yellowtail Snapper… a nice white fish. One thing to look for in purchasing a good quality fish is the clarity of the eyes! That’s right… clear eyes = fresh fish. You know, people may get freaked out by buying a whole fish, but honestly, that’s the way to go so you KNOW you’re getting a fresh product. Once the head (and eyes) and tail are removed, you have no idea how long that fish has been in the store.
I had never cooked a whole fish before, so I was a bit creeped out by the idea; however, the recipe I used gave me confidence that I could totally make this a success. Thanks to The Woks of Life for the recipe, Steamed Whole Fish-Chinese Style. Here’s Mister Snapper… and the beginning of the staring contest…
Yellowtail Snapper
In addition to the main ingredient… we have…
Sugar, soy sauce, neutral oil, salt, pepper, julienned ginger, chopped cilantro, julienned scallions divided (white and green parts)
Starting with Mister Snapper… he put up a really good fight… I didn’t have a steamer, so I create a makeshift cooking apparatus. It should’ve worked, but it didn’t… here’s my try.
Large skillet with 4 crumpled balls of foil to create space for steaming…Water was added and boiled…Oven-proof glass plate with fish was placed on top of the boiling water separated by foil… like a steamer…
Fish covered with a stainless-steel bowl to create the “steamer” effect… no space for the tail, but that’s OK; we’re not going to eat that anyway…
After the recommended 10 minutes steaming AND an additional 10 minutes… the fish was still translucent… NOT DONE!!
At this point, I thought Mister Snapper had won, but I didn’t give up. After some research, I finally decided to preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake him (on a foil-lined, oiled pan with more oil on the fish and covered with more foil). It WORKED! So, 12 minutes later he was opaque and the thermometer read 150 degrees (145 degrees is recommended for a perfectly cooked fish). Here he is…
He looks a bit battered… it was a fight!
While Mister Snapper was steaming/baking, the flavorful topping was prepared…
After all was said and done, the fish dish was ready!! Some of the fresh ginger and cilantro were placed over the fish followed by the rest of the cooked topping.
The Final Product… All Together!
Steamed Fish thoughts: My husband and I are not big meat eaters, so this dish was a challenge. In fact, we hardly eat any fish aside from sushi (my favorite kind of fish dish). I was very hesitant about the whole process of buying, prepping, and cooking the fish. In the end, the fish was cooked well, not dry at all, and the topping was salty, sweet, and tangy… pretty much pleasing to all of the taste buds. What we didn’t like about this dish… all of the bones… small fish… lots of tiny bones. I was so afraid I would end up in the ER by accidentally getting a bone stuck in my throat. Remember, I am not a fish connoisseur and really have no experience in eating around the bones or cooking any kind of fish. I will likely not make this again, because it’s not something we typically eat; however, If you’re inclined to eat or try a dish like this, I highly recommend it… it was a really tasty dish. You could probably use the same recipe with a different fish.
Lunar New Year’s Meal Final Thoughts: As I stated when I started this blogging adventure, my goal is to try new baking and cooking adventures getting out of my comfort zone. I guarantee I would never have gone through all of this trouble to cook a whole fish or steamed bread had I not set out to trying something challenging. I’m glad I did as I have confidence to cook with meat and steam food without a steamer knowing that I can “figure” it out when I hit an obstacle… just like the Italian Panettone fiasco, that turned out OK (the 2nd time around). Whether it’s baking or cooking… most things can be salvaged; I think patience, experience, and being resourceful (internet!!) can get us through most anything. These little tips I’m learning through this adventure carry on through future adventures… baking or not. I think life challenges, whatever they are, are simple steps that build and build into making us better problem solvers in all aspects of life. The whole point of being a life-long learner is to try something new and different and know that whatever happens, good or bad, we come out smarter, stronger, and more experienced on the other side… regardless of age. Take that for a New Year’s resolution… try something new!!
Thanks for reading! Please like, comment, and/or follow my blog. I will be out-of-pocket for the next 3 weekends… life’s adventures! My next blog will be at the end of February. Please don’t forget about me; I promise I’ll be back!!
Having taught international middle and high school students over the years, I have come to understand and appreciate the importance of Lunar New Year. From year to year the date changes, but those years when New Year’s Day is held during the workweek, we find our friends native to Asian cultures a little tired, a bit homesick, and certainly giddy inside. Lunar New Year’s Day for our Asian friends is like a westerner’s Christmas or Hanukkah; imagine living in a society where on the most celebrated day(s) of the year, few people recognize it as most see it as a normal day. Now imagine that as a 9th or 10th grader… no family, no traditions, no sharing your culture.
It only took one Lunar New Year’s Day in school as an English teacher to international students to realize I had to make it special. So, over the years I have learned much about the holiday and participated in it to honor my students and their cultures. In the past, we’ve made and decorated my classroom with paper lanterns, combined forces with the Mandarin classes and prepared, cooked, and eaten dumplings, interacted with Chinese expats by celebrating in their homes on New Year’s Day eating hot pot (my favorite Asian dish!), talking, and singing.
One of the most memorable Lunar New Year’s Days for me was when my 9th graders came to class sad and exhausted from being up all night talking to their families and friends (on their phones) bringing in the new year and not being part of any of their family traditions. I was prepared that year… I made goody bags for each of them with little snacks, knickknacks, a Mandarin orange (traditional), and the COVETED 🙂 red envelope. The red envelope traditionally has money inside and is given to children by adults to symbolize the passing on a year of fortune and blessings, aka lucky money. You can also find young people giving out red envelopes to their elders to show gratitude and as a blessing of longevity; however, from a 9th grader’s perspective, it’s all about the getting. 😊 As a teacher, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to give money; however, I gave them each a personalized, hand-written card on which they learned how special they are, what a difference they make in the world, and received encouragement for the new year. They each shared family stories and traditions and then we sat together on the floor and streamed the annual Chinese New Year’s Day gala variety TV show, aka the Spring Festival Gala or Chunwan (春晚—Chūnwǎn). This most watched TV show in China is broadcasted on Chinese TV and is watched by families all over China (my Vietnamese students say they have a similar tradition). It was such an experience for me to see the joy on their faces, hear the excitement in their voices as they voluntarily shared their family traditions, and discuss the culture and humor of the skits on the show. In so many ways, teachers learn as much from their students as students learn from them. I think it’s human nature to be life-long learners… teachers certainly have these learning opportunities everyday, if they choose to embrace them; I know I have.
This is the year of the Rat… so, if you were born in the following years, may this year be the best yet, it is the year for YOU.
License: CC0 Public Domain Karen Arnold has released this “Year Of The Rat 2020” image under Public Domain license. https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=312277&picture=year-of-the-rat-2020
The rat ranks first on the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and is known to be an animal with spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.
While I am neither with my international students nor friends from the east this year (though mostly stationary, my husband and I are on a year-long adventure), we are still celebrating this day in honor of them. Our celebration will be food focused and include 3 of the categories of traditional foods eaten on Lunar New Year’s Day; all of which will be an adventure for me.
I will be knee-deep in kneading, steaming, and having a staring contest with a yellowtail snapper. YIKES! I’m certainly intimidated, but that makes me more determined than ever. I intend to win the battle!! I teach my students to be risk-takers; if I’m not doing the same, then what kind of role-model would I be?
Here’s a quick rundown of the traditional Lunar New Year’s Day food categories and their meanings: The following list is from the website “Chinese New Year Food: Top 7 Lucky Foods and Symbolism” by China Highlights. If you want to know more, check out their website as it is chock-full of details for each of the following and includes cool lucky sayings for each.
Fish (the whole fish is a must with both head and tail) – represents an increase if prosperity
Dumplings – represents wealth
Springs rolls – represents wealth
Tangyuan (sweet rice balls) – represents family togetherness
Good fortune fruit (tangerines and oranges… gold in color) – represents fullness and wealth
Niangao (sticky rice cakes) – represents a higher income or position
Longevity noodles – (uncut, longer than normal noodles that are slurped, not chewed) – represents happiness and longevity
No hints this preview Friday! You are getting it straight. Here’s the menu…
Steamed yellowtail snapper (the whole fish) with ginger, scallions, cilantro, and soy sauce
Freshly handmade longevity egg noodles presented in a bowl of broth, wild mushrooms, peppers, ginger, carrots, scallions, and sauce
And the “bake”… Chinese Flower Roll- a yeast dough that is steamed… not baked (like a dumpling, but with yeast)
This will truly be an adventurous food weekend! Join me next week to see if I did more than survive and whether or not the yellowtail snapper won. 😉
Sinfully Rich and Silky 2 Way Mashed Potatoes
Savory Bread Pudding Stuffing Alternative (Gluten or Gluten Free)
Panettone
Mexican Pan de Muerto
