Yom Kippur Wrap Up

I cannot believe the weather!!! Usually the day of Yom Kippur I am counting down the hours until I can break the fast and dig into the chicken soup and honey cake that I made the day before. Well, this year there was no way I was turning on the oven or using the stove for that matter. My easy no cook break fast dinner went as fallows.

We had Udi's multi grain bagels. I really don't ever eat grains anymore, but I figure heck, why not it is a Holiday and once in a while cannot hurt.                                                     I paired the bagels with the usual suspects:

-sliced Heirloom Tomatoes sprinkled with garlic black pepper
-fresh yummy cream cheese sprinkled with dill
-beautiful Wild Smoked Sockeye Salmon
-sliced red onions
-would have added capers, but Ben hates anything briney or pickled.

I paired the bagels and lox with a simple butter lettuce, radish and yellow summer squash salad that was tossed with my go to dressing:

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup or so of white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp of Herbs De Provence
2 tbsp of EVOO
1 pinch of Kosher Salt

Shake it up in a glass jar and toss into salad.

We had chocolate dipped Macaroons via Wholefoods.

If we where having people over I would have chilled a nice Rose' wine but I already had opened Driven's Tempranillo and had that instead.

Also if we had company I would have probably served some strawberries(yes because of the weird season are still great and coming in the by the truck loads around here) and Heirloom Melon slices, some different olives and a crudite platter with lemon Hummus. It was just Ben and I this year which was fine too hot for company anyway.

I hope everyone had a easy fast and a meaningful Yom Kippur.

Gluten Free Chocolate Babka for Lekach on the eve of Yom Kippur

On the Eve of Yom Kippur most Jews are stuffing their faces in preparation for the 25 hour fast for the day of Yom Kippur. Lekach is a traditional sweet honey spice cake that symbolises a sweet year that is from a parent or someone that you look up to. So I am making my own and since I already made a honey cake I am making Chocolate Babka!

Now this is not a easy feat to make gluten free people! I think I have been messing around with making Babka, cinnamon rolls and bread in general for years!!! I have a couple of gluten free baking books, but they are more into using bread machines. This is a great method, but I do not eat bread enough to spend the money on a machine.

Also what bugs me about the recipes in these books is they do not have you proof the yeast before you use it. This is critical because your yeast may not react! Even if you just bought it from the store and the expiration date is not even close, it may not work.

A lot of GF recipes have you mix all your dry ingredients together and add the packet of yeast and then let it rise. I cannot tell you how many batches have not risen at all! They sell yeast in packs of three so what I did was go back and test the yeast after my last batch went no where fast. Well, what do you know? The yeast was inactive and then I tested the third pack again inactive! So you could waist a lot of expensive ingredients if you do not proof the yeast first. This is also helpful to know for making non-gluten breads and babka as well.

Everything you need for the recipe, but I forgot to put the cinnamon in the shot!

Tools:
1 cutting board
some parchment paper
scissors
2 basting brushes
a couple of spatulas
a baking loaf pan any type, non stick, regular or Pyrex
2 medium mixing bowls
1 large mixing bowl
a hand mixer or stand mixer
3 small mixing bowls
measuring cups
measuring spoons
paper towels
tape
cooling rack
candy thermometer
*a big glass of red wine to get you through the proofing!!!!:):):);)

1. First turn your oven to Warm(if it is a cool day). If it is hot out do not bother.

Proofing:
1 packet of active dry yeast (they come in trios, so buy two trios because you may go through a few)
1 tbsp of sugar
3/4 cup of milk warmed to 105 to 110 degrees (you can use regular milk to)

2. Place milk in a sauce pan and turn burner to medium heat (gas range turn to low)

3. Heat milk to 105 to 110 degrees check with a thermometer. If it goes over 110 go ahead and mix with sugar but do not add yeast until it is at 110 to 105 degrees!

4. Pour into small mixing bowl and add sugar incorporate then sprinkle yeast packet on top mix so everything is incorporated and now walk away for 5 to 10 minutes.
*This may take a few tries until you get one batch to proof.

This is no joke with the temp it must not be cooler then 105 and not hotter then 110 degrees. Watch it like a hawk.

 After you mix the sugar, yeast and milk together in about two or three minutes the above pictures should start to happen. You will see little bubbles form first though.

After about 7 minutes maybe 10 the mixture will look like this. If it does not throw it out and start over again. The yeast is dead from any number or reasons. I try to buy yeast that expires two years from the current year. It is the freshest.

The Dough:
one whole egg room temp
one egg yoke room temp
3/4 cup of agave nectar (or 3/4 cup of granulated sugar)
3 cups of flour mix (1 cup of fine brown rice flour, 1 cup of oat flour, 1/3 potato starch, 1/4 tapioca starch) you can also omit the one cup of oat flour and use two cups of fine brown rice flour
1 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum
1 tsp of salt
1 stick of butter a 1/2 cup (or 1/2 cup of coconut oil) cold.

5. Mix together you dry ingredients the rice and oat flour, zanthan gum, potato starch, the tapioca starch and the salt together in a large mixing bowl or you stand mixer bowl.

6. Crack one egg into the yeast mixture and then take another egg and crack over a small bowl separating the egg yoke from the white and set aside.

7. Add your agave or sugar to the egg/yeast mixture and whisk together.

8. Combine and mix slowly with your hand mixer or stand mixer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Then add one tablespoon of your butter at a time mixing slowly. Stop when they are completely combined and the dough is thick but not tough.

9. Turn oven off(if it is hot out you do not have to do this step)

10. Put some flour in a small bowl and generously sprinkle on a cutting board.

11. Take a spatula and dump the dough on the floured cutting board.

12. Carefully knead and form the dough into a ball. Add flour as needed.

 

 13. Place the ball in a glass or metal bowel and place in warmed oven and shut the door. Now if it is hot day just cover bowl with a towel and place in oven. MAKE SURE OVEN IS TURNED OFF!!!

  

14. Do not open the oven door once you have closed it. Set timer for a hour and a half.

 15. Butter your bread pan. Even it is non-stick you must do this. Then cut your parchment paper and line the bread pan. AGAIN, you must do this even it is a non-stick pan!

Cashmere was at my feet meowing for me to play mouse with him while I was proofing. So I took a break and we played for a bit. It wore him out I think;)

The Swirl:
1 large heaping cup of semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp of either cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or both mixed together;)
1/2 a stick of butter room temp (this is optional)
1/4 stick of butter cut into small cubes (this is not optional) or you can use coconut oil
1 egg white(from before)

16. If you have a food processor add the chocolate chips, sugar, spices and the butter(this is optional) and press chop a few times. If you do not have one combine all ingredients in a bowl and take two knives and cross them several times back and forth to cut the butter into the sugar, chips and spices.

17. Take a good size piece of parchment paper and lay it out on your counter. Tape it the corners down. Sprinkle some flour on the paper.

18. Take your dough ball out of oven and drop it down on the parchment paper and set the oven to 350 degrees.

19. Now put some flour on your hands and press the dough out as far as it will flatten without breaking and being too thin. Do not try to roll with a rolling pin it is just one more thing to wash and your hands will be kinder to the dough then a rolling pin.

20. Take your basting brush and brush your egg mixture along the edges of the dough.

21. Reserve about four tablespoons and sprinkle rest of the sugar,chip, spice and optional butter mixture over the dough leaving a inch boarder all around. Add more egg wash if needed to edges.

22. Take the tape off the corners of the paper. Then pick the edges of the parchment paper off and role the dough over. Keep pulling the paper up and helping it roll. Once it gets to the end and meets the other side put the paper down and press the edges of the dough along the length and the ends of the dough firmly so it will be sealed.

23. Pick up the parchment paper and literally just slide it in the bread pan and just shove it in to fit. Do not worry if it does not fit the length just make it fit and if the dough brakes just pinch it bake together. The more twisted and shoved the prettier the babka will look when cut.

24. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with the rest of the sugar, spice and ship mixture. If you did not add the butter to the filling, add the cut up pieces of the 1/4 stick of butter to the top of the sprinkled dough.

25. Place the now Babka in the oven on the center rack. Close the oven door and set timmer for 55 mintues. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR once you have closed it (I did and mine did not rise to its fullest potential). Once the timer goes off turn the oven down to 325 degrees and let bake for another 20 to 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR until timer goes off. Check the babka at the 20 minute mark through the oven window. If it looks pretty golden brown take out of oven.

26. Now waite about 15 minutes and lift the babka out by the parchment paper and place on wire rack and let cool another 20 minutes.

We could not wait till the next day to cut it so we did and it was so chocolaty!!

The next day it looked more like a true Babka and it was great in the morning with our lattes!!!

Enjoy and good luck! Email me with any questions you may have on the recipe:)

Orange Honey and Rosemary Chicken

Something sweet for the new year! How about chicken baked with Orange, Rosemary and Honey!

Set oven to 400 degrees

Tools:
cutting board
sharp knife
Micro plane(zester)
2 medium mixing bowls
hand juicer or electric
roasting dish, pan or dutch oven
paper towels
1 large spoon
whisk
basting brush
meat thermometer
aluminum foil or use a dutch oven that has a lid


Ingredients:
4 chicken legs with skin
1 cup of honey
2 oranges zested and juiced
8 sprigs of rosemary cut in half
2 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of old bay seasoning if you have it
6 cranks of a pepper mill
1 tsp of kosher salt
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 yellow or sweet halved and sliced
1 tbsp of Grape seed oil(do not use olive oil it will not withstand the high heat baking temp)

Optional additions to the chicken while it is baking:
2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
or
2 large yams peeled and cut into large chunks
or
4 cups of fingerling potatoes each stabbed with a fork a few times

Optional Side:
Green beans
sweet onion
grape seed oil
thyme
pepper
kosher salt
1/4 cup of chicken broth

Do all your prep. Zest your oranges and juice them. Chop your garlic and the onion. Cut the rosemary branches in half. If using potatoes peel and cut into good size chunks.

 

Combine the 1 cup of honey and the orange juice and zest. 

 

Grab your roasting pan and scatter the onions

 

Place chicken on top of bed of onions. Do not wash before hand. Pat the skin dry with paper towels and throw towels away.

 

Then pick up each chicken leg and peel back skin then put your fingers as far down as you can to release the skin form the muscle tissue being careful not to tear through the skin. 

  

Now stuff each leg with two branches of rosemary, chopped garlic, thyme and sprinkle with old bay seasoning. Wash your hands for 20 to 30 seconds(sing happy birthday to your self twice) with hand soap and immediately put cutting board and anything you touched with your hands or the chicken in the dish washer. (I have a food handlers licence I am very cautious) Remember to clean sink and handles down as well. Just some Hydrogen Peroxide on some paper towel does the job.

If you wanted to also incorporate potatoes in this dish this is the time to add them. Place them around the chicken legs on top of the onions.

Take your basting brush and brush chicken and potatoes and brush with some grape seed oil.

Then pour two table spoons of the orange juice and honey mixture and pour inside the chicken legs. Take remaining orange juice and honey mixture and pour all over out side of chicken legs and potatoes, if adding. Then sprinkle with more old bay seasoning, crank some black pepper and Kosher salt.

Now cover the roasting pan with foil or if you using a dutch oven place lid on. Place in oven for 45 minutes.

After the timer goes off open oven and take off foil off and if you have a turkey baster suck some of the pan juices and squirt on the chicken legs and close oven and bake another 15 minutes. If you do not have a baster just use a long handled spoon. After 15 minutes open oven and pop a thermometer in. If the thermometer does not hit at least 165 degrees. Close oven and turn broiler on and let broil for another 10 minutes.  You may want to take potatoes out of the pan if they are soft and done, if not leave them in. Again, open oven and pop the thermometer in. I usually broil the chicken for about five minutes anyway just to get the skin crispy so it is easier to peel off later.

Once it is ready take out of the oven and let rest and cool for about 15 minutes before serving. When eating pull back the skin don't let you guest cut into it with the rosemary sprigs. You could pull the rosemary sprigs out with a some tongs(to life the skin so you don't burn your fingers) and a pair of needle nose pliers(I de-bone fish with them) before serving that way any skin eaters can enjoy the skin to.

 I made green sauteed green beans with thyme to go with the chicken.

I made green sauteed green beans with thyme to go with the chicken. Ben loves Green beans and likes them with some crunch not stewed down and soft. I cut all the ends off and leave them pretty long. I turn the stove to low medium heat(if you have an electric range do medium).  Add the chicken broth and add the sweet or yellow onions. Let them soften some then add the green beans add a splash of grape seed or olive oil. I saute them and let them get coated and cook for abut 5 minutes. Then sprinkle with the thyme, pepper and kosher salt, cover them for about 10 minutes and take the lid off and saute for another 5 minutes and then they should be done. They should turn a bright green when ready.

I place the green beans first and then a chicken leg. Spoon some of the pan juices on top of the chicken and the onions as well.

Have a great holiday everyone!

Honey Mini Cakes for Rosh Hashanah

Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year."

I love Rosh Hashanah it kicks off the "Days of Awe"(days of repentance) these ten days are where you spend time reflecting on your mistakes from the year and then figure out how to make it better and do it better for next year. Also atone for your sins against another human being and must be done between you and that person and must be done before Yom Kippur. The ten days ends with "Yom Kippur"(day of atonement), we fast for 25-hours and atone for our sins that we commited between us and G-d.  This is the most important time of the year for Jews and now you have learned why.

The first day of Rosh Hashanah I practice the tradition of "Tashlikh" (casting off). I put some rice in my pockets( you are supposed to throw bread crumbs) go to any body of running water I can find and empty my pockets and throw the rice into the water. This symbolizes casting off my sins and watching them wash away. It is like I have lifted a load off my shoulders when I do this. It is a great practice.

Also I love me some HONEY CAKE!!!! This a pretty traditional thing to eat. In Rosh Hashana we have apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. So the honey cake has honey, of course, and apple sauce in a very heavy type of loaf cake. The first couple of times I made this I used the recipe from Gluten Free by the Bay's Blog. Great recipe I just loved it but I ended up making some changes to it and pretty much re-writing the recipe to serve my taste and also make little mini cakes instead of one cake. This is a super moist cake! Pretty much like a chiffon or a sponge cake. The best GF cakes use stiff peaked egg whites. They really make the cake moist and bouncy and not crumby like most rice flour GF cakes. Also I use Oat Flour in my mix and that takes most cake recipes to a whole other level.

Tools:
two cupcake pans (Or one full size Bunt Pan, or a multi mini Bunt Pan is supper cute to)
cup cake liners
a hand mixer or a stand mixer
three large mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
a zester(micro plane)
big spoons
cutting board
knife
either hand juicer or electric

Ingredients:
4 cups of my flour blend(recipe below)
1/2 cup of almond meal
2 cups of honey
3 tsp of baking powder
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of xanthum gum
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/2 cup of apple sauce
1 tbsp of grape seed oil (EV olive oil works to)
4 oranges (zest two of them and juice all four)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg


Flour mix:
1 1/2 cups GF oat flour
1 1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/2 cup of potato starch
1/2 cup of tapioca starch

Turn oven to 375 degrees. Zest two oranges and juice all four.

Separate your eggs. Yokes with the orange juice and zest and yokes in another bowl by themselves. Keep the egg white covered. You don't want any other ingredients to accidentally mix with the yokes. They won't become stiff with anything foreign add except.

Wisc together egg yokes, grape seed oil and orange juice and zest.

Combine your flours. 1 1/2 cup of oat flour+1 1/2 cup of brown rice flour+1/2 cup of potato starch+1/2 cup of tapioca starch and go ahead and add the rest of the dry ingredients. 2 tsp of zanthum gum+3 tsp of baking powder+1 1/2 tsp of baking soda+1/2 cups of almond meal

Measure out your honey. 2 cups.

add honey to the orange juice/oil/zest/egg yoke mixture and stir until completely combined. Then pour at about a cup at a time of the dry ingredients until combined. Lastley add your apple sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg and combine.

This is what it should look like.

Now make sure your mixing bowl for the egg whites is squeaky clean(dish washer clean) and made of glass or steel only. Any trace of any oil, fat or grease will keep your egg whites from forming stiff peaks and becoming stiff. Also make sure the egg whites are not strait out of the refrigerator they need to be room temp. You will notice I separated my eggs at the beginning of the recipe for this reason. If this is your first time making stiff egg whites add about 1/2 tsp of Cream of Tartar to the egg whites before you start mixing. I set my mixer to high and just walk away. If you only have a hand mixer set to high and move the mixer in a circular motion on high. If they turn out a little spongy that is fine usually that is a humidity issue in the air. 

Combine with the Honey/Orange mixture. Now fold to combine do not over mix. It is ok if it is not 100% combined. You do not want to break down the egg whites. You need them to still be stiff to help this very heavy batter rise.

Scoop into your cup cake cups, butter or oil the bunt pans large bunt or mini bunt pans. Even if they are non-stick bunt pans still butter or oil them. I did one tray of cup cakes and then used my large bunt pan for the left over batter. I could not find my medium size bunt pan so the large will work it will just not fill the bunt and be as tall.You can put them in the oven at the same time. I would set the alarm for 20 minutes and then once it goes off and you take the cup cakes out then set for another 20 minutes if you do what I did with the left over batter.

Cup cakes and medium and small bunts should take about 25 minutes to bake. Check with a tooth pick. Just push the tooth pick into the cakes and if it come out clean and the cakes are slightly golden they are ready. Now they will de-flate a bit do not be surprised that they do. Let the cool for about 15 in the tin and then pull them out and let cool more on a rack.

Large bunts even if they have half the batter will take about 40 to 45 minutes. Check with a tooth pic at 40 minutes and see if it comes out clean and if it does and the top is not brown enough let bake for five more minutes. Take the bunt out of the oven when done and let sit for about a half an hour. Take a knife and just release any of the edges of the cake that look stuck to the pan.  Then place a plate over the top and grab the plate and bunt pan and flip over. It should slide right out if not just let it sit until it does. If you want to move the bunt to another plate later I would put a piece of parchment paper on the plate before you flip it to make it easy to move from plate to cake plate or pedestal.

Take cup cakes out to cool. Top cup cakes and bunt cakes with a mixture of honey and a little orange juice maybe some zest if you have another Orange handy then sprinkle with sliced, slivered or chopped almonds.

So I have a person that I won't name that literately ate half the cup cakes and the about half of the bunt cake by the next morning so this is what is left:)