March Sourdough Surprises - Choose Your Own Adventure!

You know what's awesome? Sourdough Surprises has reached their third anniversary! That's thirty six months of sourdough deliciousness - and you've stuck along with me for the ride!! How cool is that??

To celebrate the third anniversary, Sourdough Surprises offered participants a chance to choose any recipe we wanted from all those we've made over the last three years - try one we missed, repeat one that we wanted a do-over on... whatever the reason, just choose your own sourdough adventure this month!

With thirty six amazing and varied recipes to choose from, you can imagine how difficult it was to make my final selection. But I based my decision on what my family liked best, and that happened to have been a very recent challenge - steamed buns!

 

Last time I made bacon cheeseburger buns. This time, I tried chicken enchilada buns. The filling was made from shredded chicken smothered in delicious, tangy enchilada sauce.

I made two varieties - without cheese, for little man, and with... for the rest of us. Aside from the fact that the buns lost their shape during the steaming process, these were a fun and delicious take on the Mexican meal.

I can't wait to see what meal I'll turn into a bun next!

So what did you choose? Which sourdough surprise did you attempt this moth? Link up and share!!

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January Sourdough Surprises - Steamed Buns

There are a few dishes that I really enjoy, but, for some reason or another, don't make all that often.  So when Sourdough Surprises chose steamed buns for the January challenge, I was excited. Because that's one of those dishes that I always enjoy, but never think to make.

The first time I made steamed buns (bao) was with the Daring Cooks. I have since made them only a handful of times, and not at all in the last year. So I couldn't wait.

The two toughest parts of this challenge for me had to do with decision making - choosing a dough recipe and choosing a filling.  There are plenty of options for both, but I finally decided on this recipe for the dough and a filling the whole family would enjoy - burgers!  

I started with the dough.  The recipe calls for a preferment to be prepared 8 hours before making the final dough. Since my kids aren't big fans of strong sourdough flavor, I decided to try the recipe with a much shorter prefermentation time - like, only one hour. I used that hour to prepare my filling.

To create the "burger" feel, I sauteed onion and browned some ground turkey, then crumbled some cooked, crispy bacon into the meat mixture.  Then had to stop myself from eating all of it directly from the pan.

While the filling cooled, I finished preparing the dough, and then got down to the nitty gritty of bun-preparation.  The recipe makes enough dough for 24 buns, but I didn't want quite so many, so I divided the dough in half and made 12.  Since little man is allergic to dairy, I filled six with just the meat mixture, and the other six, I sprinkled shredded cheese on top of the meat.

The recipe calls for the filled and shaped buns to rest again - this time for an hour. I rested them for about half an hour, and used that time to set up my steamer basket. And then it was time to steam!

I love this steamer basket. It makes the whole house smell fresh and wood-y.

I steamed my buns for about 20 minutes, and when I opened the basket...

...they looked great!!

And the best part? They tasted even better than they looked. And everyone loved them. My kids didn't even realize they were made with sourdough.

After this meal, I think these might just wind up on the menu a little more often!

So did you steam up some buns this month? Link up and tell us all about them!!

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Steamed Bun (Bao) Dough

(from Loaves and Stitches)

Prepare your starter:

4 ounces 100% hydration sourdough starter

6 ounces water

10 ounces unbleached all purpose flour

Mix above ingredients and let stand for 8 hours or overnight.  It should double in size and become very bubbly.

This dough will still work if you shorten this rest time, but will decrease the full sourdough flavor in the completed buns. I let my dough rest for 1 hour and it was perfect for my family.

For the dough:

Once the preapred starter has rested, in the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, stir to combine:

6 ounces water

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons shortening

15 ounces flour (I used unbleached, all purpose, but the recipe called for bleached all purpose self rising flour- something I never have on hand)

When you have a rough dough in the bowl, mix in the rested starter from the previous step and knead with the dough hook of your machine for 5 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and soft, but not sticky.  Try not to add any extra flour.  My dough was a bit stickier than I expected, but I had no trouble forming and shaping the buns.

Cut 24 3 inch square pieces of parchment (you can use wax paper or foil if necessary).

Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces–about 2 ounces per piece.   Flatten each piece and place about a tablespoon of your filling of choice in the center.  Gather the dough together at the top and pinch to seal.  Or, you can make plain buns by just rounding the dough into little balls.  You can place them seam side down on a piece of parchment for a rounded look or seam side up for a rougher look.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 45-60 minutes.  Place in your steamer tray at least 1 inch apart and steam for 10 minutes for plain and 12 minutes for filled.

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September Sourdough Surprises - Cornbread

I love cornbread.

With chili. With butter or jam for breakfast or snack. As a quick treat. It's just delicious.

So when Sourdough Surprises chose cornbread as the September challenge, I was super excited.

I first thought I'd make a somewhat traditional cornbread, since, well, it's so delicious.

But then I saw a really fun looking alternative called a Johnnycake.  Johnnycakes are kind of like cornmeal pancakes, cooked on a griddle, and they look like a super fun treat.  I decided to take it one step further and turn my Johnnycakes into... Johnny-waffles.

The batter comes together super easily.  And, of course, it all starts with the sourdough starter.

The starter is quickly refreshed with flour... and, in this case, cornmeal! I used more cornmeal than flour, to really kick up the cornbread inspiration.

I was a bit worried that the cornmeal would inhibit or slow the starter's ability to do its job, but it didn't seem to at all!

The rest of the ingredients are mixed in, and then, just to really ramp up the corn flavor, I added... corn kernels!

Then onto the pre-heated waffle iron...

...to produce golden delicious corn-filled goodness!

We actually made these for dinner, and I couldn't resist adding a bit of Mexican flare to these, so I sprinkled mine with shredded cheddar, then added a healthy scoop of sour cream, salsa and a some fresh avocado on top.

The results were colorful, fun, and, best of all, delicious!

So how was your sourdough cornbread experience this month?? Link up and share!

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Sourdough Johnnycake Waffles
(inspired by King Arthur Flour's Corn and Scallion Sourdough Pancakes)

1/2 cup sourdough starter, fed or unfed
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup fresh/cooked or frozen/thawed corn kernels

Combine starter, flour, cornmeal and milk. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
To the starter mixture, add the oil, baking soda, salt and egg, stirring to combine.
Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
Fold in corn kernels.
Cook the batter in your waffle iron according to manufacturer's suggestions (regarding amount of batter and time).
You can keep these warm on a baking sheet in a low oven if you would like to serve them all at once. The batter can hold in the fridge for a day or two, as well.
Enjoy!

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July Sourdough Surprises - Gozleme

This month's Sourdough Surprises theme was brought to us by one of the awesome cooks who bakes along with us each month. I love when that happens for two reasons. First, it's so awesome that we have such great, involved members! Second, it's usually something I never would have thought of before. Or, in this case, something I'd never even heard of before!

According to wikipedia, gozleme is a traditional dish in Turkey, consisting of a pastry dough, rolled out, filled with the toppings of your choice, folded over, and cooked on a griddle. From everything that I saw, the most traditional filling is spinach and feta cheese, but can really be anything.

If you do an online search for "sourdough gozleme," there really aren't many recipes that pop up. Sure people have done it before, and you'll find some great inspiration, but actual recipes for a traditional-style gozleme pastry? Couldn't find one.

Do we let that stop us?? No way!  Time to get creative.

For the pastry, I figured I'd need a flatbread style dough, and hopefully one strong enough to handle being rolled out, shaped and pan-fried.  I chose this sourdough pita bread recipe.

Very simple dough - flour, water, oil, salt, sugar (just a bit!) and starter.

And yes, I am using my soup pot as a mixing bowl. My real mixing bowls were already packed. I told you I had to get creative...

The dough comes together pretty easily, and is then set aside to rest until it's doubled in size.  Once it's ready, it's time to prepare the filling.

Inspired by the spinach and feta idea, but wanting to keep it a bit more... well... something little miss might enjoy, I went for the American version of that - broccoli and cheddar.

Yes, my graters were packed, too. So I had to chop my cheddar.

I rolled out circles of the dough, then piled on my toppings.

Then just fold them up and crimp the edges!

They kind of reminded me of calzones at the point, which I thought was pretty cool. But instead of baking these on my pizza stone, I cooked them in a pan right on the stove top.  About 10 minutes per side to make them nice and crispy.

And the results?

I definitely needed more filling, but other than that? These are awesome. Seriously. I don't know that the dough was as strong as it needed to be to hold up to the rolling, filling, crimping and movement to the pan, but it wound up flaky and delicious, with a slight sourdough tang, and the whole thing together, with the flaky crust and fun filling - it was great. I will definitely be making these again, and will try other fillings, too. I bet it would be tasty with all kinds of meats, veggies, cheeses... you name it!

I can't wait to see what everyone else chose!! So link up!

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Sourdough Gozleme
(dough from food.com, method inspired by The Witches Kitchen)

for the dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sourdough starter, freshly fed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4-1 cup water

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in oil and starter.  Slowly add in the water, about 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, kneading until the dough is soft and elastic.
Grease a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover dough with a dish towel and allow it to double in volume.

For the filling:
Get creative! I used broccoli (about 1/2 cup, total) and cheddar (about 1/4 cup, total) to fill mine (I filled only three, and made the rest unfilled), but I think they definitely needed more filling than that - so be creative and generous!

To make the gozleme:
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into approximately lemon-sized portions.
Roll each ball out into a circle about 8 inches around.
Put a generous scoop of filling onto one half of each round, then fold the un-filled half over the filling and crimp the edges to seal.
Heat a griddle or pan over medium heat and cook each pastry for about ten minutes per side, until they are golden brown.

Enjoy!

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June Daring Bakers' Challenge - Cinnamon Rolls

This month the Daring Bakers kept our creativity rolling with cinnamon bun inspired treats. Shelley from C Mom Cook dared us to create our own dough and fill it with any filling we wanted to craft tasty rolled treats, cinnamon not required!

Hey - no need to click that link this time - you're already here!

This month I took a turn hosting the Daring Bakers, and dared the group to make a treat that, if you've been around for a while, you know I love - cinnamon rolls. And, as you probably already know, I love getting creative with my cinnamon rolls, sometimes skipping the cinnamon altogether and going for all kinds of creative fillings.

As examples for the group, I provided links and recipes to many of the varieties I've made over the years, including Peter Reinhart's traditional cinnamon buns, roasted banana cinnamon rolls, pumpkin brown butter apple cinnamon rolls, sourdough cinnamon rolls (of course! I borrowed Jenni's here because hers came out so much better than mine!), and, for anyone nervous around yeast, I even included my unyeasted sweet cinnamon biscuits.

But those were just examples! I then asked this creative group of bakers to be... well... creative! To make whatever dough they wanted, fill it with whatever sounded good. roll it up and bake it!

Now, the more creative submissions that rolled in on the forums, the more I craved rolled goodness. So I had to make a few too.

I started with these mixed berry rolls:

(I used Peter Reinhart's dough recipe and whipped up a mixed berry compote for the filling).

A week later, at the urging of little man, I made traditional cinnamon rolls, but immediately gave half the batch to a friend.

After that, I decided to test my own creativity and made a dinner version:

Pizza! I used pizza dough (I'll share that recipe later - it's worth its own post!) and rolled it with sauce and cheese.  Messy. But super fun!

I wanted to make more. In fact, I really, really wanted to make another batch yesterday.  But I held off. For now. Trust me - another batch is coming soon.

So, if you feel like it, check out the full challenge as the group saw it (here).

And thank you to everyone who baked along with me - your creativity and excitement were contagious and it was truly an honor to see all of the deliciousness that you created this month!

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June Daring Cooks' Challenge - Haggis

Oh yes, you read that title correctly.

The June Daring Cooks Challenge was hosted by Ruth from Makey-Cakey. She brought out the Daring-est of Daring Cooks and challenged us to make real Scottish Haggis.

Unfamiliar with haggis?  It's a traditional Scottish dish, a meat pudding of sorts, made from organ meats.  Usually containing sheep heart, liver and lung. And encased in the sheep's stomach.

Yeah.

I have never wanted to try it.

Daddy actually tried it once. In Scotland. It was on the breakfast bar where he was staying. And he said it wasn't bad!

But I still have the truly American  squeamishness about organ meats, so I've never been brave enough to try it.

So when our hostess suggested that this would be the challenge she would like to host, I actually told her that it was a great idea.  I mean, we call ourselves daring, right? It's right there in the title every month!

But then... I chickened out.  And decided to make the vegetarian version.

Now... I don't know that you can rightfully call a vegetarian dish "haggis," but it is definitely inspired by the real thing, with the flavorings and process or preparing it.

It was quite simple to make, with a lot of fun flavors and textures.

It started with onion...

...then carrots...

...and then some protein. The recipe calls for ground hazelnuts and peanuts, but with little man's allergies, I substituted sunflower seeds. And there's also mashed kidney beans.

Everything is cooked together with some broth, some lentils and a delicious blend of spices...

...and then you add steel cut oats to bind everything together.  This is cooked on the stove top to soften up the oats...

...and then placed into a loaf pan to be finished off in the oven.

Little man actually loved it right at this stage, and gleefully chowed down on the bits that were left in the pot as I snapped a few photos.

The resulting dish is toasty golden brown on the outside and full of delicious flavors.

It made a very hearty side dish - it could probably stand all on its own, what with the lentils, beans and nuts (seeds for me).

This was definitely a fun dish, and I'd really like to make it again. I think it needed a bit more broth than I used, but it had tremendous flavor and was very enjoyable.

And I am seriously considering getting over myself and trying a more authentic version.

Maybe.

To see the most daring of Daring Cooks, check them out here.

And to see the full challenge, as wonderfully prepared by Ruth, check it out here.



Vegetarian Haggis
(from allrecipes.com)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
5 fresh mushrooms, finely chopped (I didn't have mushrooms, so I omm=itted these)
1 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken broth, making this not truly vegetarian...)
1/3 cup dry red lentils (I used regular lentils)
2 tablespoons canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed, and mashed
3 tablespoons ground peanuts (I used sunflowers, ground in the food processor)
2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts (again, I used sunflowers, ground in the food processor)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice (I used salt, pepper and garlic powder)
1 egg, beaten
1 1/3 cups steel cut oats

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion 5 minutes, until tender.
Mix in carrot and mushrooms (if using), and continue cooking 5 minutes.
Stir in broth, lentils, kidney beans, nuts (seeds), soy sauce, and lemon juice. Season with thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and mixed spice.
Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in oats, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
While this simmers, preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Quickly stir the egg into the saucepan, then transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.
Bake 30 minutes, until firm.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Tikka Masala

I've been on something of and Indian food kick recently.

Okay, I can't, in all fairness, call it a kick... but it might be turning into one! We've had a few Indian Daring Cooks' and Bakers' challenges, which all sparked my interest. But, particularly since the biryani challenge, I've really wanted to try more Indian cooking.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, daddy and I wound up at a new Indian restaurant on date night.  And it was delicious.

So when I came across a (very simplified) recipe for chicken tikka masala, one of the dishes that daddy and I had enjoyed on our date, I knew I wanted to try it.

As I said, it was super simple. The main ingredients were coconut milk and tomato sauce. And spices. Actually, just a few. Curry powder, a touch of salt and then some heat. Cayenne, to be precise.

Not sure if you can tell from the photo above, but the cayenne came out a little faster than I wanted it to.  Oops.

The whole thing cooks down and comes together nicely.

And that was the sauce! So all that was left was the meat. As it so happens, I threw some boneless, skinless chicken breast in the crock pot that morning.  All I had to do was cut it up...

...and add it to the prepared sauce!

I let the whole thing simmer lightly for half an hour, and then we were ready for dinner.

Authentic? Not so much. But I have to say - it was delicious. And flavorful. And, yes, a bit hotter than I usually go for (though, to be honest, I'm a bit of a heat wimp, so it's good to spice things up once in a while... literally...), but the flavor was good. And daddy and I both enjoyed it very much. It was actually even tastier the next day, too.  We offered the kids a taste, but were prepared (rightly so...) when they declined. Their loss. Hopefully when they get a little older they'll give it a shot.

So hopefully this is just the start to a new culinary adventure! Can't wait to try more!


Chicken Tikka Masala
(slighlty modified from A Happy Lass)

1 onion, sliced
1 can coconut milk
1 cup tomato sauce (I used canned crushed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
a dash of cayenne pepper or 2-4 green chiles, cut into strips
approximately 2 pounds cooked chicken, cut into about 1 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, lightly sautee the onions in extra virgin olive oil until softened and translucent.
Add coconut milk, tomato and spices. Stir to combine.
Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil.
Add cooked chicken, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve over cooked rice.

Enjoy!

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May Daring Cooks' Challenge - Maftoul

The May Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by the incomparable Sawsan from chef in disguise. Sawsan challenged us to try our hands (literally!) at making maftoul - hand-rolled Palestinian couscous that is as versatile as it is tasty!

Did you read that?  It said couscous.  Our challenge was to make couscous. 

What?? You can do that??

Well, according to Sawsan and this challenge, you certainly can!

The key ingredient, which makes the core of the coucouc, is ground bulgur.  I couldn't find that, but I did find bulghur wheat grains, which is, as far as I know, the same thing, just not ground.

But I can  handle that part.

Making the couscous (maftoul), requires only the ground bulgur, salt water, and a combination of flours (half all purpose, half whole wheat).

The process involves wetting the bulgur and building it up with the flour by swirling things with your fingertips, adding water and flour alternately.

It sounds complicated, and it's a bit confusing, but it makes sense once you get started.  And after a few iterations, believe it or not, it actually starts working!

Now, my maftoul granules weren't as consistent or nicely shaped as many others' who shared their results on the forum, but they weren't too shabby, especially for a first effort!

I had a little trouble steaming them, too, because I don't have a good pot/colander setup (there is a traditional couscous pot that is used for this, with a colander type top over a larger pot, double boiler style), so it needed a little extra help after it's initial steaming.

So I chose to cook it further and turn it into a side dish with our chicken dinner inspired by a Lebanese rice and lentil dish called mujadara. Lots of caramelized onions, lots of yummy spices and...

Yum! The further cooking of the maftoul was exactly what it needed, and the resulting dish was super yummy. 

I definitely want to try this again - I feel like trying it once and reading about other peoples' experiences on the forums will definitely help to make my next effort a bit more successful.

Sawsan, you are awesome and I am so amazed by what you do. Thank you for this super challenging challenge.

To see the full challenge as Sawsan presented it to us, check it out here.

And to see the impressive results of the other Daring Cooks, check them out here.

Maftoul

(from the Daring Cooks' Challenge)

1 cup fine bulgur (I found bulghur wheat, which I ground myself)

1 tablespoon salt

2-3 cups water

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 cups all-purpose flour

Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve the salt (I usually do this in a measuring cup for easy pouring) set aside.

Mix the whole wheat and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl, set aside.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the bulgur.  Rub the water into the bulgur with your finger tips just enough to moisten the bulgur granules to allow the flour to stick to them.

Sprinkle the bulgur over the bottom of a wide tray, pan or large bowl. (You want something large, with a rim and a flat base)

Sprinkle half a cup of the mixed-flour over the bulgur.

With your finger tips start swirling the bulgur granules in a circular motion. The aim is to evenly coat the bulgur granules with flour. Keep swirling until all the flour is taken up by the bulgur. If you get any big clumps, break them down by gently rubbing them between your finger tips.

Collect the bulgur to one side of the pan.

Pour 1/4 cup of water in the empty side.

Use the circular swirling motion again to wet the bulgur granules.

Sprinkle another half a cup of flour and swirl using your finger-tips again.  You will notice that the maftoul granules will start to grow in size.

Repeat the steps of wetting the bulgur granules, rolling, sprinkle with flour, and rolling again until the maftoul granules are the size you want them to be.

Note:

Please note that the water and flour amounts provided in the recipe are for guidance, you may need more or less depending on how big you roll your maftoul pearls

Cooking the maftoul

There is a traditional couscous pot that is generally used to steam the maftoul. It consists of 2 parts on top of each other. The bottom part is a large pot and the top part is a colander that holds the couscous or maftoul. 

I don't have one of these (nor does our host, who makes this quite often with amazing results). Instead, you can use a regular metal colander that fits over a large pot. Try to find a colander that fits your pot as closely as possible because you don't want any steam to escape between the pot and colander

To steam the maftoul, you will need:

Water

1 stick of cinnamon (optional)

5 cardamom pods (optional)

10 all-spice pods (optional)

2 bay leaves (optional)

Prepared maftoul

In the bottom part of the couscous pan (or in a pot) add 2 inches of water.

Add the spices to the water (if you are using them) and bring the water to a boil.

Brush your steaming colander (or the top part of the couscous pan) with olive oil generously.

Place the maftoul in the colander and then place it on top of the pot with boiling water. Make sure that the bottom of the colander does not touch the water. If you notice steam escaping from the space between the edges of the colander and the pot, use a kitchen towel to seal the edges. Do not cover.

Leave the maftoul undisturbed for 5 minutes or until you see steam coming through.

Using a fork gently stir the maftoul in the colander.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of water over the couscous and continue to gently turn the maftoul bringing the steamed maftoul from the bottom to the top and allow the top granules to steam.

The total steaming time is around 15 minutes. The maftoul granules will change color from white to a light golden color. (My bulghar was darker, so the color was different from this, but it did change!)

Take the maftoul off the heat and empty it in a large pan.  Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil and gently toss the maftoul granules to coat them in olive oil and fluff them.

Allow the maftoul to cool down.

You can use it immediately, store it in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.

Enjoy!

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Navajo Fry Bread

You know what I love?

Any reason to celebrate something with food.

And today being Cinco De Mayo, well, it was a perfect excuse for a foodie celebration. Now, I know that Cinco De Mayo is actually not celebrated much (read: at all) except in the one area of Mexico that was involved in the vicotorious fight against the French, but for some reason, we gringos have latched onto it as a reason to celebrate all things Mexican. So... I go with it.

I have been in something of a creativity rut with food and cooking and blogging... so I was pretty sure I was going to go simple with my Mexican dinner celebration... but I still looked around for potential inspiration... and found some!

My original plan, boring as it is, was tacos. (I say boring... I just mean uncreative. We love them.)

Then I saw these. Navajo Tacos. Meaning... same taco "stuff," but instead of using either a hard or soft tortilla shell, you use Navajo fry bread - a fried, crisp, golden, puffed kind of flatbread.  I know they're not authentically Mexican, but hey - neither is making a big deal out of Cinco De Mayo!  So I went for it.

The process is simple, but takes a bit of time and concentration.

Flour, baking powder and salt are mixed together, and then you dump in one cup of water.

This is then mixed together loosely to form a ver sticky dough.

Very. Sticky.

But you don't want to knead this - it's not "real" bread where you want to strenghten the gluten and develop strong bonds and all that scientific bread-making stuff. You just want to be able to work with it, to shape it into rounds.

Umm... kind of rounds. Close to rounds. You get the idea.

And then, the time consuming and must-be-careful part - you fry.

And they become beautiful and puffy and golden.

And then we just treated them like taco shells!  Well, ones you can't roll up... so... taco bases.

And let me say - they were delicious! SO worth the frying time (and minor burn... who said being a food blogger wasn't hazardous??). Even daddy, who is still doing his low-carb thing, snuck a taste and loved it. I actually am curious what else I can put on these... I bet they'd make a great base for, say, a breakfast sandwich (eggs, cheese and bacon, anyone?) or even for egg salad or something. Or just with some butter next to a salad!

So I hope you had a lovely day, whether you celebrated the faux-Mexican holiday or not. But I'll keep celebrating.

Navajo Fry Bread
(from Tips From A Typical Mom)

2 cups flour (all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup water
extra flour for hands and dusting surface
vegetable oil for frying

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour the water all at once into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until combined.
Flour your hands and continue to squeeze the dough until it’s mixed well. Do not knead the dough or it will be heavy.
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and on a floured surface and press each piece into a flat, circle shape.
In a deep heavy pot, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil on medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees (you can test it by adding a small pinch of dough and see if it bubbles).
Fry the bread one or two at a time until browned on one side, then flip over and repeat.
Remove from oil with tongs and place on double layer paper towels to cool. You can keep the finished breads on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while frying the rest of them and waiting to eat.

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April Daring Cooks' Challenge - Pathiri

I am so sorry I haven't posted in a while! But look at this - two posts in one day? What??

Yup - that's what happens every few months when the posting dates for the Secret Recipe Club and Daring Kitchen collide. I mean coincide.

The April Daring Cooks Challenge was brought to us by Joanna from What’s On The List. She taught us all about Pathiri and challenged us to create our own version of this inspirational Indian dish!

Pathiri was something completely new to me. Pathiri are a type of crepe-like pancake, usually rice based, which can then be used to create all kinds of savory dishes. Our challenge this month was to use these crepes to create a sort of savory crepe cake. Fun!

The given recipe was for a traditional Indian style dish.  Which looked outstanding.

But I only followed the recipe for the crepes.

For my filling, I went with what I had on hand - which happened to be Mexican inspired.  I had some leftover cooked Mexican-style chicken. I chopped the chicken, along with the tomatoes and onions that had cooked with it, and mixed everything together.

To construct my "cake," I spread each crepe with a thin layer of refried beans, then spread on some of the chicken filling.

I repeated these layers until I ran out of filling.

I then smothered the whole thing with a Mexican-spiced tomato sauce, then smothered the whole thing in cheese.

Which baked up...

...perfectly.

The results were super fun to cut into...

...and absolutely delicious to eat.

Well, for me. The kids didn't like it because of the tomato sauce (I made a cheese-free mini-version for little man). But I thought it was really fun and delicious.

Now, I have been wanting to make a (sweet) crepe cake for quite some time, so this challenge  has re-inspired me to try my hand at it, and I definitely want to try another version of the savory version, too, to see if I can find one that is a winner for everyone in the family!

Joanne, thank you so much for introducing me to this fun, delicious dish!

To see the challenge as Joanne presented it, check it out here.

To see the delicious varieties of pathiri cooked up in the kitchen this month, check them out here.


I know I usually put the recipe that I used here at the bottom, but I really just winged my final recipe (and used leftover chicken from a chicken dish that I'd... yeah... totally winged...), so I'll put here the crepe recipe, from the challenge, that I used, and give you a basic overview of the finishing steps.

Pathiri-inspired crepes
(from April Daring Cooks' Challenge)

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon grape-seed oil or neutral-tasting oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
oil for crepe pan (I used non-stick cooking spray)

In a jug or mixing bowl add vinegar to milk; allow to sit for 5 minutes.
In a bowl (or larger jug), combine milk mixture with remaining ingredients; refrigerate for at least one hour.
Heat pan coating pan lightly with oil; remove excess oil with paper towel.
Pour batter to desired size; flip when edges start to lift.
Cook second side until just cooked.

For the final dish, prepare a cooked filling of our choice and allow it to cool. Also prepare a coordinating sauce of your choice.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spoon a bit of sauce onto a baking dish (so the final product won't stick), and alternate layers of crepes and filling. There is no rule for how many layers you need to use, so go with what works for you. Cover all of the layers with sauce.
Bake in preheated oven until heated through.

Enjoy!

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