Warmed Camembert With Warm Mushroom Fricassee

 Warmed Camembert With Warm Mushroom Fricassee

This is the original recipe which was the beginning of Dine With Donna!

Ingredients

1/2 cup English walnuts

1 8oz. wheel of Camembert

1 tablespoon walnut oil

3/4 pound fresh wild mushrooms

salt and pepper

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 large sage leaves, minced

Sour dough toasts 

Warmed platter

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet 7 minutes or until lightly browned.

Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Remove Camembert from the box and remove the wrapper. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set on a baking sheet or cake pan to warm. Bake about 10 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile in a large skillet heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes or longer. Add the shallots and cook about 2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the parsley and sage, season with salt and pepper.

Invert the warmed Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon mixture over cheese.

Serve with Sourdough toasts. 

***

My Recommendations: Since this recipe goes together very quickly with minimal effort, I would suggest mincing the parsley, sage, and shallot prior to beginning to prepare the recipe. Serve on a warmed platter (not hot). The walnut oil really enhances the flavors and I would highly recommend not substituting it with vegetable oil. Do not use dried mushrooms reconstituted as they always remain "tough". We also did not toast our baguette and found the thin slices of bread to be acceptable.

Walnut And Dried Fig Bread

Walnut And Dried Fig Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water, warmed to 110 degrees
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Olive oil, for brushing 

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup rye flour
2 cups chopped dried Calimyrna figs (about 10 ozs.)
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts (about 4 ounces)

Directions:
Stir warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush a large bowl with oil and set aside.

• Place flours, 1 cup dried figs, fennel seeds, and salt in another bowl. Add yeast mixture; bring mixture together with your hands. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

  Transfer dough to oiled bowl, and cover loosely with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead in walnuts and remaining 1 cup dried figs (be aggressive with the dough to work in nuts and figs). Shape dough into a ball; pull seams in toward bottom to stretch and smooth top.

  Brush a baking sheet with oil; place dough in the middle. Loosely cover with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.  Bake until bread is light golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

  Loosely tent with foil, and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the bottom of loaf registers 180 degrees and comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Immediately transfer loaf to a wire rack; let cool completely before slicing.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

Cranberry Walnut Bread

 Yield:  Directions for 1 or 2 Large loaves 

Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Cook Time:  45 Minutes

Total Time; 3 hours 45 minutes or more

Sturdy, soft and chewy, this cranberry walnut bread makes for the best toast! And it’s freezer-friendly. So save yourself some money and make this store-bought holiday staple at home!

Ingredients for 1 Loaf: 
3/4 cup warm water (105*F - 115*F)
2 teaspoons dry yeast
about 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or more
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup english walnuts, rough chopped

Directions for 1 loaf:

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,* add the warm water then sprinkle in the yeast. Next, add in 1/4 cup of the flour and mix briefly on low speed to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast. 

Add in the honey, olive oil, salt and cinnamon and mix briefly again on low to combine. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the remaining 2 3/4 cups of the flour, about 1 cup at a time (SEE NOTES**). Once the dough forms a shaggy mass, stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook. 

Knead on low speed for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic (if the dough is too sticky, slowly add in additional flour until it reaches the desired consistency). 

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl. Turn once to coat, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Set aside.
Gently deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead in the cranberries and walnuts by hand. 

Split the dough into two equal sized pieces and form each into a ball about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Place both on the prepared baking sheet, then cover with a damp towel(s) and let rise again for another 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Once the loaves have proofed, sprinkle the tops lightly with flour, then use a serrated knife to cut a cross into the top of each loaf (about 1-inch deep). 

Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom (if you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be about 190ºF). Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool before slicing!

*****

Ingredients For 2 Loaves:

1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 115ºF) 
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
about 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ to 1 cup dried cranberries
¾ to 1 cup chopped raw walnuts  

Directions for 2 loaves:  
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,* add the warm water then sprinkle in the yeast. Next, add in ½ cup of the flour and mix briefly on low speed to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast. 

Add in the honey, olive oil, salt and cinnamon and mix briefly again on low to combine. 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the remaining 5 ½ cups of the flour, about 1 cup at a time (SEE NOTES**). Once the dough forms a shaggy mass, stop the mixer and switch to the dough hook. 

Knead on low speed for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic (if the dough is too sticky, slowly add in additional flour until it reaches the desired consistency). 

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl. Turn once to coat, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Set aside.
Gently deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead in the cranberries and walnuts by hand. 

Split the dough into two equal sized pieces and form each into a ball about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Place both on the prepared baking sheet, then cover with a damp towel(s) and let rise again for another 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Once the loaves have proofed, sprinkle the tops lightly with flour, then use a serrated knife to cut a cross into the top of each loaf (about 1-inch deep). 

Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom (if you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be about 190ºF). Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool before slicing!

NOTES
*The amount of dough for this recipe works best in a 6 quart stand mixer (or larger). I have made it in a 5 quart stand mixer - although it really pushes the capacity of the bowl. Alternatively, you can mix everything in a large bowl and then knead the bread completely by hand!

**If you find that your dough won't take the full 6 cups of flour that's okay. For most people this recipe works exactly as written, but humidity and other factors in your house can affect the moisture level of the dough. You want your dough to be smooth and elastic after kneading, so add as much flour as needed to reach this consistency (go by feel!). With that said, this dough should be a bit sturdier than traditional bread dough, so keep that in mind when kneading.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

13 Ways With Walnuts. English Walnuts

English Walnuts

You may already know that it’s a good idea to add nuts into your diet (if you’re not allergic, of course!). Studies have found an association between regular consumption of walnuts and peanuts and a lower risk of heart disease, and walnuts in particular contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.

A recent smaller study also found that walnut consumption may be beneficial for gut health. Researchers found that consuming 42 grams of walnuts a day (about 10 to 11 walnuts) affected subjects’ gastrointestinal microbiomes, the collection of bacteria in your gut that help with the function of your immune system, digestive system, and more of your body’s functions. The study authors hypothesized that their results may help start to explain how walnuts help with cardiovascular health. While this was a small study and more research needs to be done, it can’t hurt to work walnuts into more of your meals. Here’s how to do just that all day long:

Have a better breakfast: Make this zucchini-walnut loaf on the weekend and you can grab a slice for breakfast all week. This bread freezes well if you want to make a big batch, too. It’s spiced with mouth-watering flavors like nutmeg and cinnamon.

Jazz up your pasta: Who says pesto needs to be made with basil and pine nuts? Mix it up a little with this parsley-walnut pesto pasta recipe, which gets some heft by using whole-wheat breadcrumbs in place of some of the oil, while the parsley provides vitamin C. The dinner leftovers will be perfect for lunch the next day.

Reach for this amped-up snack: Oatmeal doesn't have to taste bland. In fact, with a little creativity, you can make it taste like cheesecake (really). This recipe—which includes walnuts, reduced-fat cream cheese, dried cherries, and lemon zest—is one that you'll want to make over and over again. You can also big-batch it by making it overnight-oats style.

Add crunch to your stir-fry: Try adding walnuts to a spicy noodle dish with spinach and bell peppers. This vegan main dish will please everyone, even meat eaters, but if you want to add more protein, just throw in tofu or seitan!

Make them the star of taco night: Walnuts in tacos? Yes! This recipe combines ground, toasted walnuts with chopped sautéed celeriac to make a delicious, plant-based main. Put out toppings like corn, radishes, avocado, and salsa, so everyone can customize their plate.

Make the perfect salad: Looking for a healthy, filling, veggie-based side to accompany a roast fish or chicken dinner? Here it is! This dish combines red cabbage, scallions, blue cheese, and glazed walnuts (caramelized in maple syrup) for a sweet kick. Use the shredding blade on your food processor or a mandolin to save chopping time. 

Try this fruity dessert: If you’re looking to make a dessert for a party, try a fruit tart instead of a frosting-laden cake. This blueberry tart swaps in ground walnuts for some of the graham cracker crumbs in the crust; you’ll want to start using this trick every time you bake (say, in this sweet potato tart).

Use them as a topping for more than just brownies: Walnuts add a great healthy crunch to everything from roasted cauliflower salad to white bean salad with cheddar and bacon to green beans, and are even delicious on pizza!