No Recipe for Success

Success #1

So, obviously, growing up in a restaurant, I learned to cook at a young age. Something I learned from watching my mom cook is that recipes really never need to be followed. General ingredients should be included, but adding a little of this or a little of that is usually okay. And, even when you are following a recipe, it is okay to add in a touch of your own taste to make it your own recipe. These lessons from my mom weren't really taught out loud, instead, I guess my mom was more of a teach-by-example kind of person.

Well, since leaving the nest, I have learned that I can't follow a recipe even if I try. I get impatient or think the recipe is missing something. Sometimes, based on my input, recipes turn out better than expected and sometimes not. Usually, I just combine a few ingredients that I think will work together and dinner usually comes out pretty well.

My mom always made all of her own dinner rolls, carrot cake, scones and cinnamon rolls at the cafe, so these are the types of recipes that I can just make from memory. But lately, while trying to save some moola, I have decided I will make -- rather than buy -- my own bread. I am not sure if the elevation is just too different in Sacramento or what but my mom's bread "recipe" comes out awfully heavy and takes forever to rise. So, I have been experimenting with some other recipes, making my own adjustments and have finally succeeding in making great homemade bread.

Bread needs six basic ingredients -- flour, liquid, fat, yeast, salt and sugar. Here is the "recipe" for my bread. Try it yourself. Feel free to make any of your own adjustments and see if you can come up with your own "recipe."

You will need:

1 1/2 cups warm water -- not HOT, just real warm

1/2 cup warm milk

1 1/2 Tablespoon yeast

1 stick melted butter 

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

unbleached flour (about 4 cups)

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add a pinch of sugar to the yeast water. Allow to dissolve for about 5 minutes until a little foamy. 

Add the warm milk, butter, sugar and salt. Stir gently until combined.

Add and stir in flour one cup at a time until the ball of dough pulls from the sides of the bowl. I have a kitchen aid, but to cut down on cleaning, I just use a spoon and the same mixing bowl throughout.

After you have a ball of dough, knead it on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough that feels like damp, smooth skin. You can add a little flour while kneading if your dough is ultra sticky.

Put kneaded ball of dough in a buttered mixing bowl (turn ball over to coat both sides). Then lightly cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Put it in a draft-free area for at least an hour (up to 2.5 hours). I put mine in my cool oven to rise, since no air can draft in or out. 

After dough has at least doubled in size, punch once to deflate and then dump in back on the floured surface and knead for another  5 minutes. Then divide into loaves or rolls. This recipe makes two small loaves, one small loaf and 15 rolls, or 30 rolls. 

To divide. I just make a nice round ball and cut it in half with a knife. There you have two loaves.  If making rolls, then just cut the halves by making 2 cuts in one direction and 4 cuts in the other direction and you will have 15 rolls per half batch of dough. I just rolled the dough between my hands to make balls of dough.

Place your rolls or dough in buttered baking dishes and again, cover lightly with plastic wrap and a dishtowel. I just let these rise on the stovetop before I turn the oven on and while the oven is preheating. Let dough rise about an hour, or until doubled in size and you are ready to bake. 

Bake the loaves on 400 degrees for about 20 minutes and the rolls for about 16 minutes. When they are golden brown they are done, or when you knock on them, they sound a little hollow.

To store, I just wrap the loaves in tin foil and leave out for up to two days, or refrigerate.

As far as nutrition facts, I even went the extra mile to calculate them and was somewhat impressed. The recipe makes 25 servings (one roll, or one-tenth of a loaf) 

For one roll, there are: 96 calories, 3 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate, and 2 g protein

For a slice of bread, you are looking at: 110 calories, 4 grams of fat, 16 g carbs and 3 g protein

Success #2

 

I often have cravings for unhealthy sugary snacks and baked goods, yesterday, after my triumph over the bread, I decided we needed a dessert for dinner too. I made a semi-healthy apple crisp using my stepmother's A-mazing apple pie filling (not sure what is in it) and a healthy-er-ish crust. Though, I am sure it is not exactly low-calorie, it was probably lower than apple crisp would normally be. Next time, I will try something different with the filling, perhaps fresh fruit with no sugar added. 

For the crust, I used:

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup Splenda white sugar blend

1/8 cup Splenda brown sugar blend

1/2 stick butter (or lower calorie margarine equivalent -- any fake reduced calorie butter will do)

1/2 quick oats.

I just stirred these until they make a dry dough-like blob, and then evenly spread the mixture over the top of the pie filling. I just baked it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered. It was outstanding, though I am sure it still had a significant calorie content, especially when you add the ice cream. But, even a small serving curbs a persistent craving. But, this was a good example of how making up recipes can work out surprisingly well.