Here’s the promised couscous to accompany that beef and butternut squash tagine. It could also be paired with this recipe. Or serve as a bed for just about any grilled/roasted meat, fish, or vegetables. Or eat it on its own, just as is. If you make the full recipe (which, DISCLAIMER, makes much much more than pictured above), you’ll likely have enough to be eating it all of these ways over the next week. (I do prefer it with the tagine though, as it soaks up all the juices and the spices compliment each other nicely.)
We’re heading to Oregon for Christmas in a few days. (Flying on Christmas Eve actually- this makes me nervous.) If I don’t get a chance to check back in before then, please have a Merry Christmasand wonderful rest of the holidays!
Spiced Citrus Couscous with Almonds and Currants
INGREDIENTS
2 cups couscous, cooked according to package directions (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced (or a shallot, minced)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used ~1/2 tsp. kosher salt)
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Spread cooked couscous out on a baking sheet and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the currants, almonds, parsley, and green onions. Stir in the cooled couscous.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, coriander, and allspice. Pour over the couscous and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
NOTE: This dish can be made ahead of time. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I bring you another Sunday morning breakfast pancake- this time with pumpkin! It is November, so if you’re not stuffing yourself with pumpkin cookies and muffins and pie then something is wrong. Perhaps, like Dustin (my husband), you don’t like pumpkin. Which is sad. But you should probably make these anyway. At least make someone else seriously happy and you never know- you might find yourself taking a bite of these perfectly sweet and fluffy pancakes and change your mind. Dustin devoured a plateful so I’m questioning his pancake hatred. Either he’s been lying to me or they’re just that good.
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil or melted butter (or unsweetened applesauce)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate large bowl, whisk to combine the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, oil/butter/applesauce and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just incorporated (a few lumps will remain).
2. Preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat (I heat my griddle to 350 F). Grease the preheated pan with butter or cooking spray. Pour batter by 1/3-cup-fulls on to the pan and bake until the bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on the top. Flip and cook several minutes on the second side until golden and cooked through. (NOTE: Cooked pancakes can be kept warm on a sheet pan in a 200 F oven until ready to serve.) Serve with butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, etc.
These are the go-to dinner rolls in our family. It’s the same dough (with the addition of some whole wheat) used in my cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, and lemon sticky buns. They’re soft and buttery and sweet. And you’ll eat way too many.
I don’t typically use instant yeast when I make bread. But in this case it’s great because it means you only have to let it rise once. After you make the dough you immediately shape it into rolls and let them rise in the pan for an hour or so. (NOTE: I’ve done it both ways- two rises and one- with success. Go with whatever is most convenient. If you’re not ready to bake the rolls in an hour, let the dough complete an initial rise in the bowl. You can even make it the night before and stow it in the refrigerator.)
I made them a few days ago for a baby shower and whipped up the simplest honey butter to serve alongside. Here’s the recipe : 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (softened to room temperature) + 3 Tbsp. honey + pinch salt (if your butter is unsalted like mine). Use a spatula to combine until smooth. Spread over warm rolls and be happy.
Buttery Sweet Whole Wheat Rolls
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 -2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, whisked
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. warm milk
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Pour in butter, egg, and milk. Stir until ingredients form a thick paste. Continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding enough flour to prevent sticking, until smooth, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 12 even portions and form into rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until they are light golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and remove from the pan to let cool on a wire rack.
Makes 12 rolls.
(Adapted from a recipe my mom received at a church function many years ago.)
I created this pizza dough recipe almost five years ago and have been using it regularly ever since. Haven’t you noticed? I post pizzas constantly. (There are, um, more than 30 pizzas in the index!!) Obviously, we love it! I decided it was time for a few updates (I just streamlined some of the instructions) and to be re-shared.
If you’ve never made your own pizza dough, you must! A puffed and chewy homemade crust is worth the little effort. I promise it’s easier than you think. And after a few times it’ll be second nature- you’ll probably even have the recipe memorized. If you’ve never worked with yeast, don’t be intimidated- this recipe is a great place to start.
A few notes before you begin: (As always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and I will try to respond to you as soon as possible.)
on yeast– Here I use active dry (I’ve never tried this dough with instant yeast, if I do someday I’ll update with the results), which needs to be proofed in warm water before adding the other ingredients. Adding the sweetener (honey or sugar) to the water just speeds up the process as yeast thrives on sugar. Water temperature is important: too hot and you’ll kill your yeast, too cold and it won’t activate properly. You can use a thermometer to be exact, but I usually test the water with my finger and aim for what feels hot but not scorching (if I have to pull it out quickly, it’s too hot).
sugar vs. honey– Either will work. I just prefer the flavor and health benefits of honey. Before my daughter turned 1 made it with sugar and hardly noticed a difference.
about the flours– Why bread flour? Because it has a higher gluten content and creates a chewier puffier crust. All-purpose can be used instead but the final result won’t be quite the same. Why white whole wheat flour? Well, because I like to use at least some whole wheat flour for nutrition and white whole wheat is ground finer resulting in a less dense texture and lighter taste. You can use regular whole wheat flour and the dough will be a bit tougher. You can use all white flour (bread or all-purpose) and you’ll just need to add more of it during the kneading process (white flour doesn’t absorb as much water as whole wheat).
pizza stones– To achieve a perfectly puffed, crispy-bottomed crust you need to use a pizza stone. Round or square- I don’t care as long as it’s HOT. Preheat to 450 F (or even 500 F if your oven runs cool) for a good 30+ minutes before baking. (I’ve detailed your options for transferring your crust to and from the oven in the directions below.) And remember to carefully follow any directions for cleaning your stone. Soap should not be used- only hot water.
letting the dough rest– This step might sound unnecessary and inconvenient, but I promise it makes a huge difference. After your dough rises and you punch it down, let it rest for at least 5, preferably 10 minutes before forming your crust. I’ve been in a hurry many times and immediately tried to shape my crust and always end up tearing holes in the dough. I don’t know the science behind it but letting the dough rest makes it stretchy and pliable and so much easier to work with.
making the dough ahead of time: If you need to make your dough ahead of time (earlier in the day) it can be refrigerated after step 4 (placing it in a bowl and covering it) and then taken out of the fridge to warm up about an hour before you’ll be using it. It will rise slightly in the fridge, but needs to warm to room temperature and finishing the rising process before it is ready to handle. I’ve never refrigerated it overnight and don’t think it would hold up very well. I have heard that you can freeze pizza dough for later use, but haven’t tried it yet myself.
Alright, that’s it.
Oh, if you’re wondering about the pizza pictured above, I’ll be sharing that recipe next!
Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-120 degrees F, over 120 degrees will kill your yeast)
2 tsp. honey (or sugar)
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup bread flour (+ approx. 1/4 cup more for kneading)
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour*)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. In a glass or plastic bowl (metal can negatively affect yeast), dissolve honey in warm water. Add yeast and let sit (at least 10 minutes) until yeast is active and bubbly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, and salt. Create a well in the center.
3. Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the well in your flour mixture bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Using a spatula and then your fingers, mix the dough until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.
4. Knead the dough on the counter top, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour just until it is no longer sticking to the counter and has a smooth texture. (You can brush a little olive oil onto your fingers for the kneading process.)
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. You can test if your dough has risen enough by poking it with a finger. If the imprint stays, then the dough is ready.
6. Deflate the dough into a ball, and let it rest on your counter for at least 10 minutes before you create the crust.
7. Preheat the oven and pizza to 450 degrees F. This will take 20+ minutes. A scorching hot pizza stone is the key to getting that puffed evenly cooked crust.
8. To shape your crust you will simply use your hands and gravity. DO NOT use a rolling pin- it will press out all of the air that has formed in your dough. Take the ball of dough in your hands and simply begin pulling it around the edges. It should start to stretch easily. Rotate it around your first making sure you are stretching each side evenly, so that you have a round crust. The middle will be fairly thin, and you want to leave the edges thicker so they will puff up.
9. Now you have several options. First is to open the preheated oven, sprinkle with stone with semolina flour or cornmeal, and place your crust directly on the stone. Then add your sauce and toppings and close the oven. This allows a fair bit of heat to escape the oven though so it is not ideal. The second option is to place your crust on a sheet of parchment paper (dusted with cornmeal). You can then add the sauce and toppings. Carry the pizza to the oven and place it on the stone (parchment paper stays beneath it). This makes removing the pizza from the oven easy as well-you simply pick up the parchment paper! (Be very careful though, as it sometimes rips.) Last of all, if you own a pizza peel, you can place your crust directly on the peel (dust it with cornmeal first) or your parchment paper directly on the peel, add your sauce and toppings, then use the peel to slide the crust or parchment onto the pizza stone. Once it is cooked you will slide it off the stone back onto the peel. If you are cooking multiple pizzas the second and third options are best, as they do not require you to remove the stone from the oven and it will stay hot.
10. Bake your pizza for approximately 10-12 minutes, until the crust is puffed and starting to turn golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
11. Once you have removed your pizza from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
*You’ll need to add some extra flour during the kneading process if you use all white flours (because white flour absorbs less water than whole wheat flour does)
I’ve eaten and shared a lot of pancakes with you lately. I’m realizing that much like tacos or pizza there are infinite ways to make them. Some better than others. But many delicious. So it’s OK to have a stack of pancake recipes. Especially if they’re are irresistible, each in their unique way.
Buckwheat has been on my to-cook-with list lately. (I don’t actually have a list. I’m not that organized. I just keep thinking about something and soon enough get around to making it.) Perhaps I’ve been inspired by my brother’s (who is no health food fanatic, trust me) recent obsession with this healthy grain. He spent 2 years on a mission in Ukraine and came back with a love of buckwheat and beets. One time when we were all home he cooked us up a pot of gritty unsweetened buckwheat for breakfast. He was shoveling it down but no one else would touch it. (Except Clara who at that age ate anything.) His buckwheat porridge wasn’t completely horrible- just missing something. Butter? Perhaps sugar?
Which brings us to buckwheat pancakes. With blueberries- because it is still summer and blueberries make life in general better. This recipe uses a combination of buckwheat and whole wheat. You could use all buckwheat I suppose but they would be very strong- definitely not suited for beginners. The sugar (or honey) is optional- I tried them with and without and liked them better a bit sweeter. (Especially if you’re not planning to douse them in syrup.) I always recommend actually using buttermilk. All the substitutions I’ve tried never yield as good a result. And then you can choose between coconut oil and butter. I went with the coconut oil and didn’t regret it. Blueberries in the batter. More blueberries on top. You can’t go wrong.
p.s. Borscht is delicious. He was also right about the beets.
Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I added a few extra Tbsp. because my batter was very thin)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar or honey (optional but recommended)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extra
1-2 cups fresh blueberries
extra butter, for greasing the pan and serving
maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar (if using).
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coconut oil or butter, vanilla, and honey (if using). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined (lumps are OK).
3. Preheat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Grease with cooking spray or rub with butter.
4. Pour batter by 1/4-cup-full onto preheated pan (making sure to leave space between the pancakes as they will spread) and sprinkle blueberries on top. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and bubbles are forming on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for several minutes on the other side until golden and cooked through. (Cooked pancakes can be kept warm in a 250 F oven while you are cooking the rest.)
5. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh blueberries, etc.
/ 1 COMMENT / Share