AMAZING SOURDOUGH BREAD

120 grams active starter (1/2 cup)

310 grams warm water (90F)

500 grams bread flour (4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons)

16 grams sea salt (2 teaspoons)

Mix together.  Cover 1 hour.

1. w/ damp hands: 4 stretch & folds; cover 1 hour.

2. w/ damp hands: 4 stretch & folds; cover 1 hour.

3. w/ damp hands: 4 stretch & folds; cover 6-12 hours.

Dust countertop & banneton.

Lift dough from bowl, let fold over in half.

Fold corners to center, flip over;

Push/Pull into tight ball; Dust.

Flip into banneton.

Cover 12-36 hours in fridge.

When ready to bake, remove loaf from fridge. Uncover and lightly flour the loaf. Invert into cast iron or loaf pan. Use sharp knife to make shallow cut down length of the loaf.

Cook 450 degrees in dutch oven with lid on for 30-35 minutes.  Turn oven down to 400-425 degrees, remove lid and bake additional 5-10 minutes until desired crust darkness is reached or internal temperature is 195-205 degrees F.

On wire rack, cool completely before slicing.

THAI COCONUT SHRIMP CURRY

 SHRIMP:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

 
COCONUT CURRY:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 bell pepper, sliced
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons mild red curry paste
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk, full fat
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
Handful of torn Thai basil
Toppings: scallions, cilantro, fried onions, chili pepper

1.    Get all the prep done before you start cooking.  Add shrimp, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, turmeric, garlic powder and white pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine, set aside.

2.    Grate the ginger and garlic cloves.  Finely chop the shallot and slice the bell pepper.

3.    Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over high.  Place shrimp in a single layer.  Sear, 1 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet.

4.    In the same skillet, add bell pepper.  Sauté for 5 minutes, or until it starts to soften.  Add garlic, ginger and shallot.  Cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Deglaze with chicken broth, simmer for 2 minutes while stirring and scraping up the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.

5.    Stir in red curry paste.  Add brown sugar, turmeric, cumin, coriander, white pepper, soy sauce, and fish sauce.  Cook for 1 minute, stir frequently.  Pour in coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.

6.    Add lime juice, sriracha and Thai basil.  Stir to combine.  Toss in shrimp, simmer for no longer than 1 minute.  Top with cilantro leaves, fried onions and chili pepper.  Serve with a crunchy cucumber salad and steamed rice.

SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 ¾ cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix butter, 1½ cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.

Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.

Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.***

Meanwhile, mix 3 Tbsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.

Scoop 1-inch balls of dough into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Coat by gently rolling balls in the mixture.

Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.Remove from pan after 1 minute.

***I chilled 2 cookie sheets. One would always be in the fridge chilling while the other was baking. Make sure dough stays chilled as well.

WINTER WHITE CAKE COOKIES

1 box white cake mix

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
colored cake decorating sprinkles (optional)

Using a Kitchen Aid*, mix first four ingredients  together.

Fold in white chocolate chips and add colored sprinkles if desired.

Drop by tablespoon on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350E for about 10-12 minutes if using air-bake cookie sheets, or about 7-8 minutes if using a regular cookie sheet.

*(A hand mixer will not be strong enough for this thick dough recipe).

CHILI-SEASONED POTATO WEDGES

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-8 large baking potatoes
2 Tbsp. canola oil

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soup mix, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Cut each potato into wedges; place in the bag and shake to coat.

Arrange in a single layer in a greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan. Drizzle with oil.

Bake uncovered at 425º for 12-20 minutes on each side or until crisp.