*** OKIES in the BYC ***

[al6517]

Sooner's comfort food recipe day.................. Here is one from me, it's a doozy. The best thing about this dish is it's Aroma that's the comfort part, it wakes the sences. I created this dish with spring/summer in mind but it also is great on snowy day's like now.

AL

Spring Zupe
An early spring day chilly yet the sun fills the sky and the sights, sounds and scents of spring are all about, is the inspiration for this soup, light and clear with aromas and flavors that delight the senses.

Ingredients :

5 cups chicken broth or light clear chicken stock
1/2 to 3/4 lbs cooked crab meat chunky
7- 8 stalks fresh green onions
rice noodles or rice sticks will do but must be thin, and must only be 2-3in long
2 whole cinnamon sticks cut in half's
1 tsp anise seed
2 tbsp whole cloves

serves 6 medium bowls

In a medium sized stock pot, put in the chicken broth and chunk chopped cooked crab meat, then chop all of the green onions into small bits and add them to the pot.
Next put the anise seed, cloves, and cinnamon sticks into a steeping pouch or make one with a simple square of cheese cloth tied with cotton twine.
Heat the pot to steeping temp but never boil as this will bruise the herbs, just heat to very hot and steamy, steep this for 15 min then add the rice noodles just a handful or two not to much and cook till tender. remove steeping bag and set aside you should store it in any soup leftover.
Serve hot with a twist or two of the pepper mill if you like.

Additional Tip's

Use only very thin rice noodles ( white )
Cooked chicken white meat only may be substituted for crab meat
For a slight kick add some red pepper flakes to the steeping pouch
Never use ground spices as this will cloud and clump up the clear broth
Resist the urge to use to much meat and or noodles to this soup remember light and clear.

This dish is well suited for spring and summer dinners and lunches, served in small portions as a starter course prior to the main meal. when served hot the strong aroma is the first thing you notice then very light delicate flavors surprise your guest and set the tone for a wonderful meal and the spring season.

Inspired and created by Al Seminerio



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[Teach97]

City...That isn't gonna pass as cooking...

The sun is shining..that is a great sign....

I am going into full out protect water mode this weekend...if I get real crazy I might rig something for all the birds...

 

[GracefulBantams]

Quote:
That's so nice, Coral! Thanks for sharing!

This morning my ducks (their siblings) happily ran out as usual....thought about it for a moment....then went back inside!

 

[GracefulBantams]

Quote:

That is a very good idea, though!

 

[Sooner]

Thanks guys, I almost forgot!!!

Bread in an hour

Recently, a friend remarked that I was “amazing” when she heard that I usually keep my house stocked with homemade, whole wheat bread. I assured her it was not such an amazing feat and then let her in on my secret – one simple recipe from a wonderful neighbor who was willing to share in order to make my life a little easier.
I was given a recipe from my neighbor Sandy Barker. It’s an old family recipe but I’m not sure how old. Sandy’s family has lived on the same ranch for at least 100 years! Regardless, this recipe is a modern time saver for me. I can produce 4 loaves of delicious whole wheat bread in 1 hour start to finish!
Here, I’ll pass it along in hopes it will help another busy mom as it has helped me.

Fool Proof Whole Wheat Bread

by Sandy Barker

Two Loaves:

3 T. (or 3 packages) yeast in 1/2 c. warm water

2 1/2 c. warm water

4 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. oil

1/3 c. honey

1 T. salt

2 – 3 c. white flour




Four Loaves:

3 T. yeast in 1/2 c. warm water (same as 2 loaf recipe)

5 c. warm water

7 c. whole wheat flour

2/3 c. oil

2/3 c. honey

2 T. salt

5 – 6 c. white flour



Directions: Sprinkle yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Don’t stir. Combine water, oil, honey, salt, and 4 or 7 cups flour. Beat at low to medium speed in a stand mixer with dough hook for 2 – 3 minutes. Alternately add yeast mixture and remaining flour until dough cleans bowl. Knead 5 – 10 minutes in mixer until elastic. Grease pans. Grease your hands and form loaves. Allow to raise while oven preheats. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Put butter on top of loaves while still warm. Hide bread from your family if you want to eat any yourself!

(Notes: This bread can be kneaded by hand, but it is a very sticky dough, so use oil on your hands and on the kneading surface)

A jumble of my own notes:

Sandy recalls that the recipe has been changed from the original. It used to call for 100% whole wheat flour and no white flour. It still works well as an all whole wheat recipe.
The directions above were written for mixing up the dough in an electric stand mixer but it can be mixed and kneaded by hand, as well. I use a Kitchenaid stand mixer and increased the amount of whole wheat by one or two cups while decreasing the white flour a bit for a total of 14 cups of flour (the maximum mixing capacity of flour for the model I own). Make sure to check the manufacturer’s maximum mixing capacity of flour for the model of stand mixer you own before you attempt to make the four loaf recipe.
This IS a very sticky dough and you might think that you’ve made a big mistake when you’re done mixing but it’s supposed to be this way. I find the dough easier to handle if I dump in out onto a lightly floured surface after kneading in the mixer and then take a knife to cut the big blob of dough into fourths. I then use my oiled hands to pick up each soft blob to shape into loaves by tucking the edges under the dough while holding it in the air, not on any surface. As soon as I’ve got a somewhat thick, cigar shaped piece of dough, I plop in into a pan and begin to work on the next one.
Yes, you read correctly, the amount of yeast is the same for the two loaf recipe as it is for the four loaf recipe. Sandy does not know why. It just works.
This dough ONLY needs to rise for the amount of time it takes your oven to preheat. After mixing, preheat your oven while you’re forming the dough into loaves and putting them in pans. After the oven is ready, just stick the doughy loaves into the oven to bake. No need to wait longer.
The bread in the photo is sliced a little thick but it easily slices up as thin as you like with an electric bread slicer. This bread is excellent for making sandwiches.

 

[vebi]

Quote:
You having water problems ?

 

[GracefulBantams]

I just wanted to share with my Okie friends that I am listing some farm-related books for sale. They would be very easy for me to deliver (instead of shipping) if there is a poultry show or some other event you think we will both be at

Books!!! About Poultry, Rabbits, Horses, and Goats!

 

[Sooner]

Apple dumplings baking now, ham's going in next.

 

[al6517]

One of my all time favorites, I hope you enjoy.......

AL


Carmella's lentil soup
( Lendeeki )

When I am cooking this traditional family dish, my mind wanders back to a bygone time. A time of two young boys, weary from shoveling snowy sidewalks and helping elderly women get their cars free from the snow covered streets. With stiff snow covered pants, we enter Grammas' kitchen, panting, with bright red cheeks stretched to a grin in anticipation of this big bowlful of heaven.

Ingredients :

1- 16oz bag of dried lentils
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2- whole bulbs fresh garlic
2- large yellow onion
1lb bag of thin spaghetti
block of fresh Romano cheese

Start by boiling water in a large stock pot for 1lb of pasta, add salt and a drizzle of olive oil, add pasta and cook to normal softness not aldente, once done leave pasta in the water it was cooking in, ( do not drain ). while pasta is cooking start the next step.
In a second large stock pot fill to 2/3 full with water and add the bag of lentils, bring to med boil and cook till tender, you may have to add some water as it cooks down, cook lentils until soft and tender a small taste test should do it, about 20-25 min, while cooking the lentils start the next step.
Dice up the garlic cloves to med/small and slice the onions into 2in strips= cut onion in half lay on side and slice not to thin though, when finished chopping, combine onions, and olive oil into a frying pan and heat on low until the onions start to sweat clear, then add the garlic, continue to heat briefly until onions sweat clear, be careful not to brown the garlic. then put that into the lentil pot oil and all, stir and simmer on low for 5 min.
If started in a timely manner they should all be finished together.

To serve each person start by adding some pasta to a large soup bowl, then add a ladleful or two of lentils, then lattle in some of the pasta water, finish off the dish with a heaping portion of grated Romano cheese.

This dish is very hearty comfort food served in large portions as the whole meal. Some fresh warm crispy Italian bread is a must have side.

Additional Tip's
Timing is paramount, dish should be ready and served together piping hot.
Any Seminerio should be able to tell if the proper amounts of pasta, lentils and pasta water are in proportion.
The pasta water adds needed starch and flavor, so do not be alarmed at this step.
Garlic is the key to this whole dish, plenty is better.
Do not allow the lentil mixture to boil away, but don't drown it in water either.

Most importantly always think of Granma Carmella while preparing this big bowl of paradise !!!!! .

Written by the keeper of all thing's Seminerio : Al Seminerio jr

 

[Teach97]

Quote:
You having water problems ?

only if you count frozen water an issue...froze up on me while I was fixing a leak...never got it liquid again..hoping it is warm enough today for the lamps to get ahead and allow me to get to work...