March 15th Bread Braid with HBin5 Part Doce (II)

Assignment: 1/2 recipe of Avocado-Guacamole Bread, pgs 160-161
1/2 recipe Pesto Pine Nut Bread, pgs 98-99,
We can make substitutions, but share what and how we substituted with the group in our blogs.
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Pesto Pine Nut Bread
Substitutions:
4c AP, 1 c WWW (white whole wheat for whole wheat)
2c Spelt flour
1½ Tbsp kosher salt
Did NOT add ½ c pine nuts (not at the price they are right now!)

For the first version of this dough I used my homemade pesto which had pine nuts in it, and the in the second batch I used a commercially made pesto (Classico Pesto) which contained pine nuts.

As I’ve said in the previous post, I did a full recipe of the dough for the Pesto dough which calls for spelt flour as well as whole wheat and all purpose. After mixing the dough, I then split it apart, in ½ I added the pesto and in the other I added the guacamole which I made by mashing an avocado and adding a cup of chipotle salsa I bought at Sam’s. I was very surprised that the avocado stayed bright green. Yet, the pesto (homemade last summer from basil I grew) turned brown due to oxidation.

With that 1/2 batch of Pesto dough I made pita pockets. It took a bit of practice to get them just right, and the first three ended up way to thin and stretched out. So I only got 3 usable pita pockets out of the first batch.

But I decided to give this dough another try and made a full batch this time. I have a question for you readers…does your dough talk to you? Does it tell you WHAT it WANTS to be? Well, mine do. This one though was acting like a person with multiple personalities! It wanted to be this, it wanted to be that!

So I listened and here’s what I made:

Chicken Pesto rollups:
I deboned the thigh and leg of a roasted chicken, chopped the meat up and added a few ounces of some smoked turkey that a friend had given me. I mixed that up with the last of pesto in the jar (the pesto for this full batch was a commercial pesto). After flattening out a section of dough, I cut it into 4” wide strips, and put about 3 heaping soup spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on the dough. I folded the short ends inward, then carefully pulled the long ends toward the center and pinched them shut. Then I carefully picked it up and turn it over and placed it on the oiled cookie sheet. I repeated this process until I had used up all of the filling. But the last one I formed more like a Stromboli, or pocket sandwich or empanada…whatever you want to call it. Then I set those aside to rise for about 30 minutes.

 

Personal Pizza:
Next I rolled out about 5 ounces of dough into a personal pan pizza size. Using my Misto, I misted the dough with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), and sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese. Thinly sliced tomatoes and sliced black olives went on next and I finished with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt. That went into a 500 degree oven for 25 minutes or so. It made a delicious breakfast for me and brought back wonderful memories of my time in Seattle!

I used to order pizza from Pagliacci’s and it was delicious! During Pesach, many of us Jews do not eat anything that is leavened, so no bread, no pasta, etc.  At the end of Pesach (Passover), I think every Jew was calling Pagliacci's for rapid delivery! We’d practically yank the pizza out of the poor delivery person’s hands when he/she showed up at the door! LOL.

http://www.pagliacci.com/index.shtml

Ciabatta:
Finally, I decided to wrap mozzarella with dough, making a healthy snack, but the last section of dough spoke to me…it REALLY wanted to be ciabatta! So I rolled out a big rectangle, and placed it on the last oiled cookie sheet. But I wanted a few sandwich buns so made four of those as well! Since I ran out of room on the cookie sheet, I pulled out two of my large muffin size silicone forms and put the last of the dough in them. I set those aside to rise also for about 30 minutes. I flattened all four sandwich rolls down to spread them out more and make them more sandwich roll shape instead of dinner roll shape.

By now it was time to pop the Chicken Pesto rollups in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. First I brushed them with beaten egg. I’ve had this type of treat at Sam’s and Costco for lunch before and felt that I could do better, and frankly, I did! LOL. The rollups and the Stromboli came out wonderful!

Next it was time to prepare the Ciabatta for the oven. I again spritzed the ciabatta with EVOO, then taking just my fingertips I quickly and forcefully poked indentations in the dough. This time I did not put anything else on top, no salt, no olives, no rosemary. The four rolls I brushed with beaten egg and then using a scissors, I cut into the dough for an area for it to bloom. I often use scissors like this if the dough is not high enough for me to slash with a serrated knife.

The ciabatta and sandwich rolls came out great!

While I like this dough, I think I would be more inclined to make the guacamole and salsa dough on a regular basis. The guac-salsa dough delivers more of the flavor.

But the sandwich rolls I made with the Pesto dough will make a delicious sandwich with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and thin slices of tomatoes…which is one of my favorite summer sandwiches!

Since Pesach is rapidly approaching...it's time for me to switch gears and work with a libation. 

Watch for my next post on making Pesach Mead, a great substitute for beer during Pesach.

Easy Recipes using Roasted Chicken from grocery stores

Part I

One of my favorite meals is to buy a roasted chicken from Wegman’s, Sam’s, Costco (all are usually just under $5.00) or even from our local grocery stores (usually less than $9.00).

I swear they must be putting something addictive in these chickens! The flavor is delicious, the skin is crispy and one chicken will last Ken and I through 3 or even 4 meals. 

The price, if I buy it from Wegman’s, Sam’s, or Costco is less than if I bought a whole raw chicken and baked t myself. I’m also now in the habit of calling my neighbor’s Wayne and Wanetta to see if they need me to pick up one for them. I brought them home one about 6 months ago and that was all it took! Now they usually want me to pick them up one when I buy for Ken and I.

Wegman’s is my favorite place to buy them since they have them in a variety of flavors including lemon, and barbeque! But alas, it’s a longer drive than I want to do at the end of a busy work day. I usually buy one a week at Sam’s.  But Wegman's also has Kosher roasted chickens!   They are a bit more expensive but even better!  

I stopped in on Sam’s on Wednesday night to pick up a prescription and decided to pick up a chicken for us due to the big storm coming in. It was a party while more than a dozen of us waited for the chickens to be taken out of the roasters! Conversations buzzed with, not the impending storm, but how good the chickens are and what we do with them! LOL.

Here are two examples of my favorite uses for the roasted chickens. First let me say that in my house these chickens get divided perfectly. Ken loves breast meat, and I love the dark meat. Ken eats ½ chicken breast for a sandwich or just with some steamed veggies for dinner. I’ll warm up a thigh or leg and do up a wrap for lunch.

After about the second day I start picking the meat off the bone for the recipes below. Oh, by the way, I cook up the bones and make extra broth and use it in soups.

Enchilada Suizzas

We first had this recipe in Acapulco, Mexico. We were stuck in the bay on our sailboat waiting out the storm season after a very scary aborted attempt to get to Hualtulco, Mexico, which is below the hurricane belt. 

After a full day’s attempt, during which we ran into a very bad storm, and lost the ability to use our rudder, we ended up back in Acapulco Bay looking for repairs. Also at my insistence, we were looking for another person, with sailing experience, to travel with us for a bit. This is when we met Jon, an Acapulco University student who wanted to learn English. I talked about him in an earlier post.

We had to put Cadenza up on the hard, (positioned on stands on land) for repairs at the Acapulco Yacht Club. In search of an inexpensive meal one day we stumbled on Mama Mia’s just a few blocks from the Yacht club. 

What a find it turned out to be! For $2.99 a person we got a soup of the day, an entrée, and a beverage! So the three of us could eat for under $10.00. What made it even better and more worthwhile was that the food was cooked fresh, was very tasty, and served on the patio of the owner’s home. We were shaded by trees, had just enough of a breeze and the gals who cooked and served were always a delight to talk to!

Their enchilada suizzas were new to us and we quickly learned the best day of the week to find them on the menu. As is usually the way with us, we analyzed what was in the dish so I could recreate it when we were no longer in Acapulco.

The main ingredient is salsa verde made with tomatillos. 

If you are not familiar with the name tomatillos, you probably have seen them near the tomatoes or in the exotic fruits and vegetables section of your grocery store. Tomatillos are in the shape of tomatoes but are green with a papery husk around them. You peel off the husk and there is a bit of a sticky substance on the skin. Wash that off and you have a wonderfully citrusy vegetable that looks likes a green tomato.

I’ve often made my own salsa verde because most of the commercials versions have so much vinegar and lack any other flavor that I can’t stand them. So when I can find tomatillos at a good price, less than $2.00 a pound, I’ll buy a couple of pounds and make the salsa and then can or freeze it.

But I’ve also learned that there is one brand that is excellent. It’s imported from Texas to Brown’s Orchard, here in York and Loganville, PA. Bless this store! It’s expensive at $6.99 a jar, but great to have as a backup when I don’t have any homemade on the shelf or in the freezer!

I haven’t written down the recipe at this point, so will have to do that soon. In the meantime, buy or order a few jars of D.L. Jardines Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. It is worth the price! http://jardinefoods.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=35719&cid=2871

Let’s finally get started with this recipe!

8’x8’ cake pan coated with Pam on the inside

1 jar of D.L. Jardines Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or 2 c of your homemade Salsa Verde

Shredded 4 blend Mexican cheese (variety of brands in the stores) or a blend of shredded jalapeno jack cheese and cheddar cheese and Queso Mexican cheese

Shredded roasted chicken with skin removed

½ chopped white or Spanish onion

6 corn or flour tortillas

Warm up the salsa in the microwave on the stove. If using corn tortillas you want it very warm. Pour the salsa onto a plate of pie pan.

Put a tortilla into the salsa to coat it on both sides. Lay into the cake pan and put in a Tblsp or two of chicken, onion, and then cheeses. Roll up enchilada style. Push over to the corner. 

Repeat for all 6 tortillas. Pour left over salsa over the rolled up and stuffed tortillas. Sprinkle the leftover cheeses on the salsa and left over onions.

Bake for 20 or 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or microwave at 70% for 10 minutes or so.

Let sit for a few minutes. Serve with a salad on the side, chips and any salsa you want.  This is just as good reheated as well!