Sausage and Red Pepper Braid

Sausage and Red Pepper Braid.

Ingredients:

Flour for dusting
No Knead Dough base OR

1 tube refrigerated Crescent Rolls
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
5 ounces cooked Italian sausage
1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
1 teasspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup pasta sauce
olive oil for brushing
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Dust work surface with flour. Roll out dough to a 10x12-inch rectangle. Transfer to a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper; brush with olive oil. 

Layer dough with half the mozzarella, cooked sausage, roasted red pepper, thyme leaves, and finish with the remaining mozzarella. Drizzle with pasta sauce. 

Cut eight evenly spaced horizontal slices toward filling along each side. Starting from top of 12" piece of dough, cross strips over top of the filling. (Strips should cross each other about 1 1/2 inches from ends.)  I cut strips 3" angeled toward center which makes the center for the filling to small  I recommend a 2 1/2" strip angled.

Do not stretch strips too much or they may break during baking. Repeat for all strips, folding last two under loaf.

Place braid on parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Let rest 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush braid with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 1 braid.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Tartines

Asparagus And Prosciutto Tartines

Please leave a comment to show your appreciation for my efforts!

Ingredients:

serves 6

2 cups frozen peas

1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1 cup canned cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips

6 slices crusty country bread, toasted

Directions

Preheat broiler. 

In a large saucepan cook peas in a small amount of boiling water 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peas to a bowl of ice water to cool quickly. Remove peas from ice water; drain well. 

Place asparagus in a steamer basket; place basket in saucepan over the boiling water. Cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Transfer asparagus to the ice water to cool; remove and pat dry with paper towels. Cut asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a food processor combine peas, beans, basil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, the paprika, and salt. Cover and process until nearly smooth.

In a bowl combine asparagus, cheese pieces, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the 2 teaspoons oil, and the pepper. In a large nonstick skillet cook prosciutto over medium heat until crisp, stirring frequently.

Spread pea mixture on bread slices. Top with asparagus mixture. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until toppings are heated and cheese starts to melt. Top with prosciutto strips. If desired, sprinkle with cracked black pepper.

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella

Makes about 1 pound of mozzarella
Adapted from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
1/4 rennet tablet or 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (Not Junket rennet, see note below)
1 gallon milk, whole or 2%, not ultra-pasteurized*
1 teaspoon kosher salt

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Equipment
5 quart or larger non-reactive pot
Measuring cups and spoons
Thermometer
8" knife, off-set spatula, or similar slim instrument for cutting the curds
Slotted spoon
Microwavable bowl
Rubber Gloves

*

Directions:

Prepare the Citric Acid and Rennet: Measure out 1 cup of water. Stir in the citric acid until dissolved. Measure out 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl. Stir in the rennet until dissolved.

Warm the Milk: Pour the milk into the pot. Stir in the citric acid solution. Set the pot over medium-high heat and warm to 90°F, stirring gently.

Add the Rennet: Remove the pot from heat and gently stir in the rennet solution. Count to 30. Stop stirring, cover the pot, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Cut the Curds: After five minutes, the milk should have set, and it should look and feel like soft silken tofu. If it is still liquidy, re-cover the pot and let it sit for another five minutes. Once the milk has set, cut it into uniform curds: make several parallel cuts vertically through the curds and then several parallel cuts horizontally, creating a grid-like pattern. Make sure your knife reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan.

Cook the Curds: Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and warm the curds to 105°F. Stir slowly as the curds warm, but try not to break them up too much. The curds will eventually clump together and separate more completely from the yellow whey.

Remove the Curds from Heat and Stir: Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring gently for another 5 minutes.

Separate the Curds from the Whey: Ladle the curds into a microwave-safe bowl with the slotted spoon.

Microwave the Curds: (No microwave? See the Notes section below for directions on making mozzarella without a microwave.) Microwave the curds for one minute. Drain off the whey. Put on your rubber gloves and fold the curds over on themselves a few times. At this point, the curds will still be very loose and cottage-cheese-like.

Microwave the Curds to 135°F: Microwave the curds for another 30 seconds and check their internal temperature. If the temperature has reached 135°F, continue with stretching the curds. If not, continue microwaving in 30-second bursts until they reach temperature. The curds need to reach this temperature in order to stretch properly.

Stretch and Shape the Mozzarella: Sprinkle the salt over the cheese and squish it with your fingers to incorporate. Using both hands, stretch and fold the curds repeatedly. It will start to tighten, become firm, and take on a glossy sheen. When this happens, you are ready to shape the mozzarella. Make one large ball, two smaller balls, or several bite-sized bocconcini. Try not to over-work the mozzarella.

Using and Storing Your Mozzarella: The mozzarella can be used immediately or kept refrigerated for a week. To refrigerate, place the mozzarella in a small container. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a cup of cool whey and pour this over the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate.

Additional Notes:
• Making Mozzarella Without the Microwave: Instead of microwaving the curds to make mozzarella, warm a large pot of water to just below boiling (about 190°F). Pour the curds into a strainer and nestle the strainer into the pot so the curds are submerged in the hot water. Let the curds sit for about five minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, fold the curds under the water and check their internal temperature. If it has not reached 135°F, let the curds sit for another few minutes until it does. Once the curds have reached 135°, lift them from the water and stretch as directed.

• Milk for Mozzarella: Almost any milk can be used for making mozzarella: whole, 2%, skim, cow, goat, raw, organic, or pasteurized. Pasteurized milk is fine to use, but make sure that it is not ultra high temperature (UHT) pasteurized. The proteins in UHT milk have lost their ability to set into curds.

• Melting Homemade Mozzarella: I've found that homemade mozzarella doesn't always melt as completely as store-bought mozzarella, especially if I've overworked the cheese and it has become very stiff. If you're planning to make pizza or something else where melting is desired, use a whole-fat milk and make extra-sure not to overwork the cheese. It can also help to grate the cheese rather than slice it.

• Using Junket Rennet: Junket rennet is less concentrated than other kinds of rennet and isn't ideal for making cheese. If this is all you have access to, try using 1-2 whole tablets to achieve a curd.

• Using Leftover Whey: Making mozzarella leaves you with almost 3 1/2 quarts of whey! You can use this whey in place of water in bread recipes and other baked goods, mix it into smoothies, or add it to soups.

The California Sandwich

The California Sandwich

Last week while grocery shopping I thought I would check the meat counter for an Easter ham. There was not one in the counter yet. Pork is not the usual offering here. Yes they do sell pork but in very limited cuts.

Beef is very available. The most common meats served and eaten in California are chicken breasts, fresh fish and seafood selections. If you are having a sandwich you will find the upscale restaurants serve turkey breast along with the usual beef selections, or the typical California sandwich which is an avocado, fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, sprouts and maybe romaine lettuce. Californians are very health conscious. I attribute it to the fact the weather is always so beautiful and being outdoors allows one to be physically active. Exercise and diet make a healthy lifestyle.

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The California Sandwich is a very healthy staple in many restaurants. It requires very few ingredients but is a great source of nutrients.

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Ingredients:

2 slices multi-grain bread

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese

1 ripe avocado

mixed sprouts

salt and pepper and red pepper flakes

Directions:

Halve the avocado and spread the avocado pulp onto a slice of the bread. Slice the ball of mozzarella cheese and arrange it over the spread avocado. Season with Salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes if you wish. Arrange the sprouts in an even layer and top with remaining slice of bread.