Category Archives: Basics

Basics, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Favorites, Holiday, Quick, Side

Whipped Cream

August 19, 2018 Sam

Print Recipe

Whipped Cream

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Powdered Sugar

Servings: servings

Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

1½ 355ml cups heavy cream
½ cup 60g powdered sugar
1 tsp 5ml vanilla extract

Instructions

Place your metal kitchen-aid bowl in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to chill. Add the heavy cream to the freezer too, but only for 10 minutes at the very most, so it doesn’t freeze.
When ready to make the whipped cream, get the bowl out of the freezer and add the ingredients. Whip using the whisk attachment, starting at low speed and increasing to high speed. Beat until stiff peaks form. Don’t over-beat.
Keep unused whipped cream refrigerated in an airtight container.

Notes

4 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Whipped Cream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 348 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Fat 30g46%

Saturated Fat 19g119%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 23mg1%

Potassium 82mg2%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1238IU25%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 56mg6%

Iron 0.1mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Breakfast

Best Waffles Ever

November 25, 2017 Sam

This simple waffle recipe is perfect for same-day waffles.

Print Recipe

Best Waffles Ever

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Basics

Servings: servings

Calories: 548kcal

Equipment

1 waffle iron

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1¾ cups milk
½ cup canola oil

Instructions

Pre-heat the waffle iron (to 400ºF on "griddle" for the Cuisinart).
In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt
Separate the eggs – put the egg yolks in a large measuring cup and put the egg whites in the stand mixer bowl.
2 large eggs
In the measuring cup, beat the egg yolks a little and then stir in the milk and oil.
1¾ cups milk, ½ cup canola oil
Add the egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).
In the stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up).
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not overmix.
Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it. Cook at 400ºF for several minutes, until the outside is that delicious golden brown color. Eat with abandon.

Notes

Makes about 4 large waffles

Nutrition

Basics, Dairy-Free, Spice Mix

Enchilada Sauce

July 29, 2017 Sam

This recipe contains all of the spices you may want to use to make enchilada sauce. You certainly don’t have to use all of them, but it’s clear that you must use the primary spices.

Print Recipe

Enchilada Sauce

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keyword: Enchiladas

Servings: servings

Calories: 141kcal

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 tbsp ground chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp sumac
¼ tsp harissa
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp vinegar white or apple cide
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Everything comes together quickly, so measure out everything before starting. Place all dry ingredients (flour and spices) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 cups broth near the stove as well.
In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the 3 tbsp oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient.
Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)
Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Enchilada Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 141 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 727mg32%

Potassium 177mg5%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1380IU28%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 27mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Dry Beans, Side

Best Smooth Hummus

June 3, 2017 Sam

This hummus recipe is a lot of work compared to a blend-and-serve recipe, but it’s absolutely worth it for the smoothest, best hummus you’ve maybe ever had.

Make sure to read the steps and ingredients in advance!

Print Recipe

Best Smooth Hummus

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 329kcal

Equipment

Dutch oven
Small food processor
Large food processor

Ingredients

For Lemon-Tahini Paste:

1 whole head garlic broken into individual unpeeled cloves (about 20 cloves)
160 ml fresh juice from 3 to 4 lemons
½ teaspoon ground cumin
300 g tahini paste

For Hummus:

225 g dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda divided
1 small onion split in half
1 small stalk celery
1 small carrot
2 medium cloves garlic
2 bay leaves

For Serving:

Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
Za’atar paprika, whole warmed chickpeas, and/or chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Instructions

For Chickpeas:

Combine the ½ pound of dried chickpeas and 1 tsp baking soda in a large dutch oven and cover with 2 quarts water. Stir to dissolve baking soda.
225 g dried chickpeas, 1 tsp baking soda
For the next steps, add these ingredients as you prep them. Peel and split the onion in half. Clean and cut the celery stalk into a few very large chunks. Clean and peel the carrot, and then cut into a few very large chunks. Add the 2 garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves to a spice bag.
1 small onion, 1 small stalk celery, 1 small carrot, 2 medium cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves
Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF.
Heat the dutch oven on high, with cover on, until it is rapidly boiling. Place in the oven and set a timer for 60 minutes. Check to make sure the water hasn’t cooked down too much, and that the beans are expanding and softening. You will likely need to cook for 2 to 3 hours, so keep checking every 30 minutes. When done, the beans should be completely tender, to the point of falling apart. The beans must be fully submerged at all times. If they’re not, add some warm water.

For Lemon-Tahini Paste:

While that cooks, make the lemon-tahini paste. Break the head of garlic into cloves, but leave the skin on. Juice the lemons until you have ⅔ cup (160 ml) lemon juice. Combine the cloves and lemon juice in a small food processor. Pulse until a pulpy puree is formed, about 15 short pulses. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Press out as much liquid as you can with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, then discard the solids.
1 whole head garlic, 160 ml fresh juice
Add ½ tsp cumin and 1 cup (300g) tahini paste to the lemon/garlic juice and whisk to combine. The mixture will seize up and turn pasty. Add very cold water a few tablespoons at a time, whisking in between each addition, until a smooth, light sauce is formed. The tahini sauce should very slowly lose its shape if you let ribbons of it drop from the whisk into the bowl. Season with a little bit of salt and mix. Refrigerate until the beans are done.
½ teaspoon ground cumin, 300 g tahini paste

Back to the Chickpeas:

When done, discard the onion halves, celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaves. Reserving the cooking liquid, transfer the chickpeas, while still warm, to a large food processor with just a tiny bit of the cooking liquid.
The total processing time should be about 2 minutes. While processing, you may want to stop to use a spatula to move the ingredients down and around. You also may want to add some of the cooking liquid.
Transfer hot chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in tahini sauce. Whisk in salt to taste. Transfer to a sealed container and allow to cool to room temperature. It should thicken up until it can hold its shape when spooned onto a plate.
Serve hummus on a wide, shallow plate, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar, paprika, whole warm chickpeas, and/or chopped parsley. Leftover hummus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Extra-virgin olive oil, Za’atar

Notes

Makes about 8 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Best Smooth Hummus

Amount Per Serving

Calories 329 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 157mg7%

Potassium 441mg13%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 48IU1%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 85mg9%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Dairy-Free, Side

Saffron Quinoa

November 5, 2016 Sam

Simple and delicious compliment to other dishes, especially Mediterranean Tomato Lima Beans.

Print Recipe

Saffron Quinoa

A perfect, flavorful side

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Quinoa

Servings: servings

Calories: 157kcal

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch saffron about 20 threads
1 cube vegetable bouillon or 1 tsp

Instructions

First, heat just a bit more than 2 cups water in a medium saucepan, until it's fairly warm, but not boiling. Turn off the heat.
Crush the saffron on a plate or non-porous surface, then add to the water and let it steep for 5 minutes. Add the bouillon cube and stir.
Add the 1 cup quinoa and bring to a rapid boil and add a little pepper. Cover and turn the heat to very low. Let this sit for 15 minutes or so, and then stir and check that most of the water has been absorbed. If the qunioa is cooked, but there is some water left, you can leave the lid off and allow moisture to evaporate.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Saffron Quinoa

Amount Per Serving

Calories 157 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 13mg1%

Potassium 239mg7%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 9IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 24mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Favorites, Projects, Weekend Dinner

Classic Semolina Pasta

December 24, 2014 Sam

This classic pasta recipe is just about perfect. One batch is enough for skillet lasagna or about 4 servings, approximately.

Print Recipe

Classic Semolina Pasta

Fresh pasta that can't be beat

Prep Time2 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Basics, Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 297kcal

Equipment

Pasta press (e.g., Kitchenaid attachment)
Rotary cutter
Noodle rack

Ingredients

1 cup semolina flour
1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold water

Instructions

Combine the semolina flour, bread flour, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, mix these ingredients together, then using a sifter, sift into another bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and beat well with a fork. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the cold water and mix well again.
Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixer bowl and attach the flat beater. Add half of the sifted flour mixture, turn to speed 2 and mix 20 seconds. Add the rest of the sifted flour mixture and mix an additional 20 seconds.
Exchange flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, until a dough ball is formed. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides as necessary to get it form a ball. Continue kneading for a few minutes. Good pasta dough should be elastic and pliable, but FIRM (not soft like bread dough). It should not stick to your fingers or fall apart. To test for the correct consistency, pinch a small amount of dough together after kneading for 2 to 3 minutes — if the dough stays together without sticking to your fingers or falling apart, it should work well. If too soft, add more flour by dusting the top of the dough and knead some more, continuing to dust the dough with flour until achieving the right consistency. If too dry, sprinkle the dough with a bit of water (less than 1 tsp at a time) and knead some more.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour (this step is very important).
Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes still wrapped. Using your hands, roll dough into a log, about 6-inches long. Cut the log into 6 slices, then flatten each piece slightly. Spread slices out so they aren't touching and cover with plastic wrap. Put out a sprinkling of bread flour that you will use to make sure the exterior of the pasta stays low-friction as it gets compressed by the pasta roller.
Using the widest setting on the pasta press, turn mixer to speed 2 and take one piece of the flattened dough coated in a bit of flour and feed through the rollers. Fold dough in half and roll again. Repeat 3 more times, lightly dusting the sheet of pasta with flour in between each rolling if it feels the slightest bit sticky.
Move adjustment knob to setting 2 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers only once. Continue to increase roller setting until desired dough thickness is reached: 4 for standard egg noodles; 4 or 5 for lasagna noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli; 6 or 7 for tortellini, thin fettuccine, and linguine fini; 7 or 8 for VERY thin "angel-hair" type pasta or a very fine linguine.
Once desired thickness is achieved, place sheets on a flat surface to cut into noodles (if desired) using the rotary cutter. You may need to cut sheets in half if they have grown too long for standard noodle length.
After cutting each sheet, hang to dry on a floured pasta rack. Dry for a minimum of 10 minutes. IMPORTANT: Flour the pasta rack or the plastic hangers before placing pasta on them. ALSO, separate the strips of pasta as best you can, so they aren't touching. This way they won't dry sticking together. If you want to dry the pasta for later use, dry for several hours and then store in airtight containers or bags.
When ready to cook, boil your water and add salt. Fresh pasta will cook faster than commercially bought pasta – about 4 to 5 minutes in vigorously boiling water for al dente.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Classic Semolina Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 297 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 164mg7%

Potassium 127mg4%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 68IU1%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Favorites, Snack

Soft Pretzels

June 5, 2012 Sam

I have been making these for years and adjusting the recipe for a long time. According to Google Drive, my first version of this recipe is from June 2012, so I’m marking that as the date here, even though I’ve modified it since then.

It’s a classic for a reason – these are fantastic soft pretzels!

Print Recipe

Soft Pretzels

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

Course: Bread, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 209kcal

Ingredients

Pretzel

450 g bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
11 g instant yeast
300 g warm water

Water bath

4 cups water
2 tbsp baking soda

Topping

Coarse salt pretzel, flake or kosher salt

Instructions

Measure the dry ingredients into a mixer bowl and mix quickly to combine. Add the 300g warm water while kneading in the stand mixer (add up to 50g more water, or a bit more flour, if needed to form a barely-sticky dough). Knead for around 8 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
450 g bread flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 11 g instant yeast, 300 g warm water
After it has rested, pull a piece of parchment paper the size of the baking sheet. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and cover with a clean towel. You want the dough to rest for about 5 minutes after each is divided, so do this at a reasonably gentle pace.
Once it has rested after being divided, roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about two feet) and twist each rope into a pretzel. Make sure you connect the legs to the frame well, so it does not come apart later. (They should be fairly thin at this step, as they will continue to plump up.) Set aside and cover as you go, allowing them to rise again for 10 minutes under cover. They can be on a sheet pan, if you'd like, but you will be transferring them off before you bake them, so it should be a second sheet pan if anything.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a deep skillet, heat 4 cups water and 2 tbsp baking soda (or 2 cups, 1 tbsp for a smaller pan) until it is barely simmering. Quickly and very carefully boil each pretzel in the mixture for about 30 seconds, placing the completed pretzels on a baking sheet and sprinkling with a very coarse salt as soon as they come out of the boiling pan.
4 cups water, 2 tbsp baking soda, Coarse salt
Bake the pretzels for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Notes

Makes 8 pretzels

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Soft Pretzels

Amount Per Serving

Calories 209 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1410mg61%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.