I've been missing in action for awhile!  I've just been so occupied with scratch cooking, baking and managing several Facebook groups I've neglected this blog!  I thought it was long overdue to give this blog some attention!  I have several entries in mind that I will try and post in the near future!  Today I would like to do a book review!

I have a pretty extensive cook book collection.  That's even after I went through and purged books that I haven't looked at in years!  Some don't even relate to my cooking preferences now.  It's always a good idea to review what you have on your bookshelves and if you have books that are not useful, pass it on to a cook who will make good use of it.  I donated quite a few to our local library used book sale.  I am sure there were customers there that were glad to buy them at bargain prices and the library will benefit from the sales too!

Making room on the shelf gave me more space for my personal recipe collection.  I blogged in the past about creating a legacy cookbook.  Collect favorite recipes in binders (or you can make them as a digital collection if you prefer).  I have so many great recipes found online and received from friends.  Organizing them into binders has helped me so much.  I actually have several in different categories.  http://malekmusings.weebly.com/blog/creating-a-legacy-cookbook

The cleared space on the shelves also allowed me to expand my book collection more related to my current passion, baking bread.  I have a few that I bought new, but most I've found second hand in thrift stores and online.  Even bread machine recipe books have great recipes!

Today's book review is for a favorite of mine.  Bread (A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes) 2nd ed. written by Jeffrey Hamelman.  I bought this book new after having a chance to review it when I checked it out from my local library.  It's not a beginner's book.  If that's what you are looking for, check out a book by Josey Baker.  http://malekmusings.weebly.com/blog/josey-baker-bread-a-book-review . If you are looking to expand your baking knowledge and already have a good grasp of the basics of yeast baking...give this one a look. It could be for you!

Jeffrey Hamelman is a well known and respected baker.  In fact, according to the book jacket, he is the bakery director at King Arthur Flour Company and teaches professional level classes there.  He has written a very useful and thorough book that is well worth the investment. 

This book has several "Parts".  Part One covers ingredients and techniques.  Part Two has recipes for a great variety of breads, from straight yeast baking, preferments, sourdough,  and other types of breads.  He also has great diagrams for braiding techniques and shaping methods. I made a handful of recipes from this book, and so far, they have turned out great!  There is also  very useful information on a variety of topics included in the book's appendix.

If you can get this book from the library first, do it.  You can look it over and see if you are ready to move on to this moderate to advanced level of baking.  If you like it, buy it.  It's well worth having.  It is available in your choice of digital or print format.

Visit Amazon for a sneak peek look inside.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B29XZVY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1#reader_B00B29XZVY

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1118132718/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Here's some of my breads made with recipes from the book.  Some are made as written and some with a bit of creative license.  I like to use organic ingredients too.

It's been awhile since I've blogged.  I'm still cooking and baking.  I just haven't tried much new to blog about!  Today is different.  I have a great soup recipe that I made today and I want to share it with all of you.

My family loves Pea Soup.  We also like Butternut Squash Soup.  This recipe blends the best of both giving you the delicious flavor of pea soup along with the orange/gold color of squash soup.  It's very simple to prepare and needs relatively few ingredients. 

I made this full recipe as written (link appears below) except for the following changes.

1.   I sauteed the onions in some olive oil.

2.   I used powdered ginger vs. fresh because that's what I had handy.  I didn't measure, I just sprinkled it over the onions,
      maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. 

3.   I added salt and pepper to taste (salt and pepper are not mentioned on the ingredients list)

4.   I used homemade vegetable broth I had in the freezer vs. the water called for in the recipe.

I have a blog entry telling you how to make homemade vegetable broth!  Visit this link:  _http://malekmusings.weebly.com/blog/make-your-own-vegetable-stock-with-a-peel

This blends smooth very easily using a stick blender as directed in the recipe.

Be sure to serve it with Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) sprinkled on top.  They compliment the soup and provide a nice crunch to the pureed soup.  If you use darker fleshed Garnet vs. Jewel sweet potatoes, the orange color will be richer.

Here is the link to the recipe.  Enjoy!
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/yellow-split-pea-and-sweet-potato-soup

I received this recipe years ago from a coworker and it has been a staple in our dinner rotation since then.  I modified the original recipe to meet our tastes and to make it more balanced with some vegetables.  I also use organic ingredients, but that is certainly optional.

This is a very easy and simple recipe, and a family favorite.  I have even served it at larger family gatherings with positive feedback (double or triple the recipe).  The sauce is creamy with nice flavor.  I've spiced it up with red pepper flakes.  I am sure other stir fried vegetables would also work with this dish.  Feel free to experiment! 

The recipe as written serves my family of 4 with hearty appetites.

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream
1 cup sherry
6 boneless chicken breasts (I cut them in half crosswise if they are large)

1 lb package of pasta (prepared as directed on package)

Large onion, sliced half and then sliced thinly
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (Or more if you like.  I like using Crimini/Baby Bellas)
4-6 oz fresh baby spinach (or more if you like)
olive oil

Parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes (opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix both soups (undiluted), sour cream and sherry until blended.

Place chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Pour sherry/soup sauce over the breasts.

Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

While chicken is baking, prepare pasta according to package directions and drain.

In large fry pan, saute sliced onion in olive oil until tender.

Add sliced mushrooms and saute until nearly tender.

Add fresh baby spinach to mushroom/onion mixture and saute until spinach is wilted.

Serve chicken and sauce on top cooked pasta with sauteed vegetable mixture.

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with crushed red peppers.

Today, I'm sharing a great recipe for Flax Bread that I recently tried.  Flax seed has good health benefits.  Flax seeds are a source of good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber.  There are many other health benefits connected to the consumption of flax seeds and you can find out more information easily via a Google search.

We like a hearty bread for toast in the morning.  I found that this bread is pretty easy to make, is delicious and makes great toast. 

Below is the link to the recipe.  It is made in a bread machine but is baked in the oven.  I think you could bake it in the machine if you wanted to, using the whole wheat cycle.  But since I didn't try it myself, it may take some experimenting on your part to get a good bake using the bread machine.  You can also make this dough by hand or with a mixer able to handle bread dough.

I prepared my dough in my Zojirushi bread machine on the dough cycle, then removed it for shaping and the final rise before baking.

I also tweaked the recipe a bit to suit our particular tastes. I used organic ingredients where possible.  Instead of whole wheat flour, I substituted am equal amount of HI-Maize High Fiber Flour that is sold by King Arthur Flour.  I also added a seed soaker made of 1 Tbsp. of dark flax seed, 1 Tbsp golden flax seed, and 1 tsp of poppy seeds.  I covered them with water to soak.  The seeds will absorb the water and the mixture will thicken.  Because seeds absorb water just adding dry seeds to the dough would require additional water to compensate.  Using a seed soaker will help keep the dough hydration where you want it.  However, as always, when making yeast dough, you may still need to increase/decrease flour/water amounts depending on your environment.  Another change I made was to brush the top of the baked loaf with butter after I removed it from the pan.

http://www.food.com/recipe/flax-seed-bread-bread-machine-143230

King Arthur Flour Hi-Maize High Fiber Flour
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/hi-maize-high-fiber-flour-3-lb

I love the summer because of all the great produce that's in season!  Today's Musing is about a new use for carrots.  Between sale pricing and coupons, I have a bountiful supply of organic carrots to use.  I love to steam them, put them in soup and of course make baked goods with them.

I decided to try using carrots in yeasted bread instead of traditional carrot cake, quick breads and muffins.  I found a recipe to try and it turned out great!  It's a sweet dough with raisins and shredded carrots.  It makes a delicious sandwich bread and we will be enjoying this toasted with morning coffee.

The recipe has directions for several loaf sizes.  I made the large loaf version and baked it in my airbake loaf pan.  It baked into a very large loaf.  I think next time I will divide it into two loaves.  We love raisins, and I think next time I will add more raisins than the recipe calls for.  I might even increase the shredded carrots somewhat and maybe add some chopped nuts.

I mixed this dough in my bread machine, on dough cycle.  After the first rise in the machine, I shaped the loaf and placed it in the pan for the second rise.  I then baked it in the oven as directed.

I think this bread is a nice, and a healthy, alternative to traditional raisin bread.  Give it a try!

http://redstaryeast.com/carrot-raisin-bread/

Who doesn't like appetizer dips?  There are so many to enjoy.  Today's Musing is about a particular favorite in the Malek house.  Trader Joe's has a great Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip.  It's delicious and we love it. 

I like being able to make my own recipes, though.   like having control over what ingredients I use (preferably organic) and I like being able to reduce the sodium content.  Enter this recipe for Kale-Spinach dip.  It's a copycat recipe that I found online.  I decided to give it a try and it's unbelievably good.  Of note is that I say this before I even put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow it to mellow  and for flavors to blend.  It's good now, and it will only be better in a few hours.

I made the recipe as written except that I cut the salt in half.  Water chestnuts and chopped marinated artichoke hearts are listed as optional.  I did not use them because I didn't have any in the pantry.  Next time I will add the water chestnuts, as I like the little crunch they add to the dip.  As always, I use as much organic ingredients as is available.

Give this a try!  It uses very healthy Greek yogurt and just a bit of mayonnaise. 

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/11/spinach-and-kale-greek-yogurt-dip/