Memorial Weekend Cooking 2010
Once I started I was a little worried, the dough seemed soft, I couldn't see how it would work, but it did, it was wonderful dough and everything worked like the recipe stated.
I made 10 individual balls of dough and let them rest for about 1 1/2 hours. It isn't a yeast dough but the recipe said "rest". I also made the pesto like filling and crumbled the cheese.
After the resting period I just followed the recipe: Grilled Naan filled with Herbs and Cheese from Fine Cooking May 2010.
1 Ib. 7-1/2 oz. (5-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
4 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 large egg
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil; more for brushing
1-1/2 cups roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup unsalted cashews or blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbs. peanut or canola oil; more as needed for the grill
2/3 cup farmer cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (3-1/2 oz.)
Melted butter for brushing
Kosher salt for sprinkling
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Whisk the yogurt and egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in 1-1/2 cups of lukewarm water and the oil. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft, sticky dough starts to clump around the hook, about 5 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, add more flour, 1 tsp. at a time. Line a baking sheet with parchment and dust lightly with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and arrange them on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the dough with oil, cover with plastic, and let rest at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours before shaping.
Combine the cilantro, mint, nuts, garlic, ginger, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the bowl, turn the processor back on, and pour the oil through the feed tube, mixing until incorporated. Transfer to a medium bowl.
On a lightly floured surface, roll a dough ball into a 5-inch circle. Spread about 2 tsp. of the filling in the center, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter 1 Tbs. of the crumbled cheese over the filling. Gather the border to form a pouch, pinching it to seal in the filling. Turn the pouch pinched side down and, using very light pressure, roll it into a 6-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue filling and shaping the dough, layering parchment between the breads if you stack them.
Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill fire. Brush the grill grates with a stiff brush, then wipe with a lightly oiled paper towel. Grill the breads in batches pinched side down, covered, until they look puffy and the undersides brown lightly in places, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side, covered, until grill marks form and the breads are cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Just before taking them off the grill, turn the breads pinched side down and brush lightly with the butter. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cut each bread in half and serve warm.
I made mine on The Big Green Egg. I love that grill! Mine cooked a little less evenly than they might have with a gas grill, bit the smoky flavor is terrific.
Saturday I made another easy dinner and used the Egg again. I smoked some salmon, had salad with it, some angel hair tossed with pesto and grape tomatoes and fresh blueberry cobbler.
Yesterday while dinner was cooking I made breakfast for today. I love stratas and had a new recipe I wanted to try. This was called Kentucky Hot Brown Strata from the cookbook Real American Breakfasts by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. This is one of my favorite cookbooks and the strata was perfect.
Kentucky Hot Brown Strata
- 1 (1-1 1/4 lb) country bread or sourdough bread, crusts removed if thick (1 loaf)
- 6 ounces chopped smoked turkey or roast turkey
- 6 ounces bacon, finely chopped and cooked crisp
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 3/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated (medium or sharp)
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups milk or half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Oil or butter a deep 9- or 10-inch baking dish.
- Slice the bread about 1/2-inch thick; arrange 3 equal alternating layers of the bread, turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese in the baking dish.
- Cut or tear the bread slices if needed to make snug layers.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, sage, salt, and cayenne.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the bread mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight.
- Remove the strata from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you plan to bake it.
- Preheat oven to 350°; bake the strata for 50-55 minutes until puffed, golden brown, and lightly set in the center; serve hot.
No cooking tonight. I made two appetizers this morning while the strata was baking and am taking them to my friend Rosemary's house for dinner. It will be a nice relaxing evening with good food and good friends.
Tomorrow I'm cooking for a customer, also Tuesday and then I'm headed to Washington DC!
