German Apple Tart

The beauty of this recipe is – you can make a crust of your choice, or the one provided below, sprinkle it with lemon zest and any chopped nuts mixture (there are walnuts in this recipe) and the amount of spices (cinnamon, cloves) is totally up to you.

Ingredients:

For the dough

  • All purpose flour – 2 cups (275 gr)
  • Room temperature butter – 1 and 1/4 sticks (150 gr)
  • Confectioner’s sugar – 3/4 cup (100 gr)
  • 1 egg

For the filling:

  • Walnuts – 2-3 tbsp (50 gr)
  • Lemon – 1
  • Cinnamon – tsp
  • Ground clove 1/4 tsp
  • Granny smith apples – 2-3
  • Apricot or any fruit/berry preserve

Directions:

  • In a small bowl make a mixture of chopped walnuts, lemon zest, cinnamon, clove
  • Slice the apples thinly (2-3 mm) and sprinkle with lemon juice
  • Combine all the dough ingredients in a big bowl and kneed the dough with your hands. It will take 2-3 minutes.
  • Roll it into a ball, cover with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour
  • Roll the chilled dough 1/5 of an inch (about 5 mm) thick with the rolling pin
  • Place the dough into a foil form (8 inch diameter)
  • Using your fingers cover the walls of the form
  • Make some holes in the dough with a fork
  • Sprinkle walnut mixture over the dough
  • Arrange apple slices on top
  • Place the tart into preheated to 375°F oven and bake for about 45 min
  • In a small saucepan warm up your apricot or strawberry preserve and glaze the tart
  • Also optional – sprinkle some cognac over the tart

Sourdough Bread with Seeds

At least 12 hours prior to kneading the dough mix:

For the leaven:

  • 10 gr (1 tbsp) of cold starter
  • 70 ml (1/3 cup) room temperature water
  • 70 gr ( 0.5 cup) flour

Makes about 120 gr of leaven

Seeds mixture (you can use any combination if you don’t have these particular seeds):

  • 300 ml room temperature water
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp flaxseeds
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds

For the dough:

  • Water with seeds mixture
  • White bread flour – 400 gr
  • Wholewheat flour – 100 gr
  • Salt – 10 gr
  • Cold water – 25 ml

Directions:

  • If your starter lives in the fridge you will need about 12 hours to activate it by combining 10 grams of the cold starter, 70 ml room temperature water and 70 gr of flour in a glass container, just so you can mark the level and watch it rise. Cover your container and leave it on the counter (temperature should be about 70 °F)
  • After 12 hours (could be up to 16 hours) it should at least double in size.
  • Pour your water with the seeds into a big bowl (you can use stand mixer bowl)
  • Add your activate starter (leaven) to the water, it should flow. If it doesn’t – don’t proceed!
  • Add white bread flour and wholewheat flour and mix to combine. If you use stand mixer use the low (2 out of 10) speed, mix till all the ingredients combined (about a min and a half on a low speed), or 2 min using your hands.
  • Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for almost an hour.
  • After an hour add salt + 25 ml of cold water and knead for about 8-10 minutes by hand or 5 min using stand mixer on speed 4 out of 10.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let to rest and proof for 40 min, the temperature should be above 72°F or 22 °C.
  • After 40 minutes start folding the dough. You can use coil folding or envelope folding.
  • Repeat folding 4 times, maybe 5, leaving the dough to proof for 40 minutes in between. Each time it will feel more stringy and pleasant to touch.
  • After 4 or 5 foldings, load the dough on the floured working surface and shape the bread, it can be done with the same folding and rolling it. Place into a container or bowl flat side down covered with the kitchen towel dusted with flour (rice flour is a good option). Put the container into the fridge for 12-16 hours for the cold fermentation.
  • Place cast iron pan (or dutch oven) into your oven, preheat your oven with the pan inside for 30 minutes to 450°F.
  • Take your bread out of the fridge, place onto a parchment paper. Cut your formed bread on an angle so that it has room to rise. I sprinkle the bread with some bread deep spice mixture (it’s salt with red pepper flakes and herbs).
  • When your oven is preheated – using gloves!!! take the pan out and place the parchment paper with the bread on it inside, cover the lid and quickly place the pan into the oven. Let it bake for 20-25 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes.
  • Using gloves!!!! take the pan out of the oven, transfer the bread onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy the view!

Zucchini Bread, so simple, so good!

I didn’t create this recipe, it is from my coworker Dale Krupla, the great cook and the gardener. He brought this bread to work, I tried a small bite, loved it, asked for the recipe and it became one of my family’s favorite. Of course I cut 1/3 of the sugar from the amount in the original recipe as I always do with desserts, the sugar amount in the recipe here i already cut down, but it’s still sweet.

It’s quite easy to make, and the beauty is – all done in one big bowl, no whipping, no blending – just your hand and a whisker. And the zucchinis.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups shredded zucchini (packed)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 3 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

  • Stir together all wet ingredients. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients till just everything is incorporated.
  • Gently stir in 1 cup of nuts. Batter should be pretty thick.
  • Spoon into greased bread pans
  • Bake at 350 for 50-55 min or check when knife comes out clean

Carrot Soffritto Marinated Fish

Very easy way to transform somewhat plain boring white fish like cod or haddock into delicious colorful dish with a spice level adjustable to your taste. Served cold or room temperature, you can take it to work for lunch, serve at brunch buffet or as a dinner appetizer

Ingredients:

  • White fish (cod, haddock, flounder) – 2 lbs
  • Shallot (or small onion) – 1
  • Carrots – 1-1.5 lbs
  • Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp (you can use fresh a couple of tomatoes, ketchup, some spicy sauce you have or like, and or tomato paste)

Directions:

  • Place your fish into a casserole dish, sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper ( you can also sprinkle some lemon juice)
  • Bake in 375 °F oven for about 30 min till fully cooked.
  • Finely chop shallot (or onion), grind carrots (with manual grinder or in a food processor)
  • Add 3 tbsp light olive oil or some other neutral oil into a heavy pan
  • Start roasting shallot on a medium heat till it is translucent, then add shredded carrots. You might need to add some oil
  • Roast your vegetables till golden color, the add your tomatoes or tomato sauce/paste, season with salt, pepper, add some red pepper flakes if you want to make it spicy.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add 1 or 2 bay leaves, cover your pan with a lid and simmer till your sofrito is fully cooked and soft.
  • Split cooked fish into small pieces with a fork.
  • Load the sofrito on top of the fish, better to do it while it’s still hot or at least warm so that the taste of vegetables penetrates the fish
  • Sprinkle with good olive oil.
  • Let it cool down on counter top and put in the fridge for several hours. Sofrito will “marinate” the fish, adding it a color and spice
  • Serve cold.