Rolling in the dough

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Such a beautiful day. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?" M. Rogers

Well, since it's so beautiful in Austin I thought I'd post a recipe that makes me extra happy! It's a stunner of a loaf and tasty to boot. If you make it, please post your results. I wonder if anyone makes the recipes I share on Foodie Crossing. If not, I can rant about other food things!

Parm, Prosciutto & Olive Bread

3 3/4 cup bread flour
1 1⁄2 tbsp. baking powder
3⁄4 cup light olive oil
1 1⁄4 cups dry white wine
6 large eggs
1⁄4 lb. Prosciutto
1 cup sliced pitted black olives (Gaeta works nicely)
1⁄2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°.

Sift flour and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center and add olive oil, dry white wine, and 1/2 cup water. Stir with a fork until well blended.

Beat eggs in another mixing bowl and stir into flour mixture.

Tear prosciutto into small bits and add to batter with black olives and parmigiano-reggiano. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Dust your hands with flour and form into a nice loaf!

Bake until golden, about 1 hour.

Cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Kare Kare! Lola's "Last Supper"

It's been 3 long weeks of taking care of Lola. I can honestly say I'm going to miss her. I may not miss waking up before there's light out, keeping track of her many medicines to be taken at various times of the day or even the dreaded "diaper duty." But, I will miss her. Brushing her silky gray hair, listening to her stories, watching the Game Show Network (favorites include Card Sharks, Super Password and Lingo), our morning walks, listening to Enya and Josh Groban endlessly, and just getting to spend time with her at this age.

I've done my very best to help nurse her back to her best possible health. She looks stronger, smiles more, naps more peacefully and is now looking forward to a possible vacation later this year. God willing. What else can a grand daughter ask for ? After I gave her a bubble bath this morning, she said, "Myrna, you have done the most excellent job taking care of me. No one could have done what you have done for me." WOW. WOW. WOW. That pretty much says it all. It had me all choked up.



She requested for her "last supper" with Foti and I, that I make a Filipino favorite, Kare Kare. I managed to find one Filipino grocery market here and get the few special ingredients needed to make this as authentic as possible. It took a lot of love and time to make, but Lola seems pleased with the first tasting. That makes it all worth it. She'll eat this favorite dish with fresh steamed jasmine rice. For dessert she'll have a black bean cake. Yum. Spending this time with her has definitely help me relearn some Filipino classics. Who can complain about getting more in touch with their roots?




Ku ma in Ka Na
(Let's Eat)

Ingredients:
1 pound beef (round or sirloin cut) cut into cubes (for a more traditional kare kare, use oxtails)
3 cups of peanut butter
1/4 cup grounded toasted jasmine rice
1/2 cup cooked bagoong alamang (anchovies)
1 piece leeks, sliced
3 heads of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons atsuete oil
4 pieces eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick
1 bundle of sitaw (string beans) cut to 2" long
1 chinese eggplant, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup light olive oil
8 cups of vegetable broth
Salt to taste

Directions:
In a stock pot, beef/oxtails in broth for an hour or until cooked. Strain and keep the stock.
In a big pan or wok, heat oil and atsuete oil.
Sauté garlic, leeks until lightly golden.
Then add the stock, toasted rice, beef/oxtail and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Add the eggplant and string beans. Cook the vegetables for a few minutes.
Serve with bagoong on the side and hot jasmine rice.

Lemon Kissed Shrimp a la Whole Wheat Spaghetti

I think the foodie bug has officially bitten my best girl friend from college, Chelsea. 

Chelsea is going through a challenging time right now. She's giving up her, "Eat Everything in Sight" card, just in time for the holiday season. This is arguably, the best time of the year for food lovers alike. Does she honestly think she'll be able to resist my coconut cream cheesecake or gingersnap-pumpkin trifle at my uncle's yearly, christmas bash? Poor girl. I will support her until she cracks.

First, she wanted to learn about spices. Now, she's moving on to actual recipes. She asked me for a sample of some healthy recipes to hold her over until my cookbook comes out. So I left a packet of recipes from my last cooking class at Central Market in Houston.  There were at least 5 delicious fall recipes, which included personal tips and handwritten notes from my class. Nevertheless, she left the packet on her bedroom floor. Did I mention, she adopted a new dog named Jackson who isn't potty trained? I'm sure you see where this is going. She's now high and dry. No recipe packet to get her started. 

 

So like the true friend that I am, I'm posting this recipe for Chelsea and those like her. 

Bon Appetite!

Lemon Kissed Shrimp a la Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Lemon Oil: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil & 1 medium lemon-zested (combine and set aside)

Pasta Ingredients: 

1 pound of Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of chili flakes

1 small shallot-minced

1-3 cloves of garlic-minced

1 pound of fresh jumbo shrimp(raw, peeled and deviened)

3 cups of baby arugula or spinach

3 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley

1.First cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. (7-9 minutes)

2.Drain and reserve 1/3 cup of starchy liquid.

3.In a large, stainless steel skillet warm the lemon oil over medium-high heat.

4.Next add shallots, and garlic and cook for 1 minute.

5.Then season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.

6.Cook for 3-5 minutes or just until shrimp is pink on all sides. DO NOT OVER COOK!!!

7.Mix cooked spaghetti, lemon juice, lemon zest, chili flakes and season with additional salt and pepper.

8.Turn the heat off and add arugula or spinach and toss until evenly combined.

9.Add chopped parsley at the end. 

10.Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL: ( ADD :freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or 1/3 cup of heavy cream for the real version!)

There you have it. A healthy and tasty meal for 2 in under 20 minutes!