Rosemary Focaccia

This is a recipe from the Stanley Tucci cookbook. I made this as a trial run for my cookbook dinner for next week.

Ingredients
 
1 package dry yeast
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c bread flour
4 t kosher salt [divided]
1 c milk
5 T oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
Leaves from one 5-inch fresh rosemary
 
Directions
 
In a measuring cup, stir the yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the all-purpose and bread flours with 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix at low speed until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 5 minutes.
 
(To mix by hand: Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour and the 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. Mix with a fork while adding the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to form a soft, dry dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue mixing it with your hands. Knead until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 8 minutes.)
 
Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and drape a dish towel over the bowl. Set aside in a warm place and allow to double in size, about 2 hours.
 
Lightly grease a large baking sheet (about 9 x 15-inch). Gently punch down the dough. Place it on a baking sheet and roll it out to fit evenly on the sheet. Cover with a dish towel and the dough to rise for 20 minutes.
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Use your fingertips to make random indentations in the dough. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and the rosemary leaves. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving warm.
 
Variations
 
Before baking, top the focaccia with any combination of the following ingredients:  1/4 inch thick slices ripe plum tomatoes, 24 pitted Kalamata olives, 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion, 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese; 1/4 inch thick slices peeled eggplant; 1/4 inch  thick slices zucchini; 1/4 inch thick slices peppers; 1/3 cup pesto.
 
For a sweet variation on this recipe, gently 1 cup dried fruit such as raisins, cherries or blueberries, or 1 cup chocolate chips; into the rolled and risen focaccia. Brush with 3 tablespoons melted butter and bake.
  

  

  

  

My Notes
 
I mixed by hand, as I didn't have an electric mixer.

The dough more than doubled the size. Next time check at 1 hour 40 minutes.
 
I used a 10 x 15 baking sheet.
 
I used a teaspoon of kosher salt on the top.
 
I added Kalamata olives and red onions with the rosemary.  Next time I won’t slice the onions so thinly.
 
Next time I’ll check the bread in the oven at 20 minutes. I looked through the oven door and it didn’t seem baked long enough. It came out a little more than golden brown, but it came out very good.
 
I served with some olive oil for dipping.

26 June 2024:

I made this again for tonight's cookbook dinner. I added sliced cherry tomatoes along with red onion, Kalamata olives and rosemary. It came out great.

 

 

Crostini

This is super easy to make these crisp toasts for appetizers.

Ingredients

1 French-bread baguette, sliced 1/4" thick

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing

1 Garlic clove, whole

Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F

Lightly brush both sides of each side with olive oil using a pastry brush – just a thin layer of olive oil.

Place the slices in a single layer on two baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper.

Bake on middle rack for about 8 to 10 minutes until golden; then turn them over and bake the second side, about the same time. Keep an eye on this so they don’t burn.

Once removed, rub the garlic clove on each slice and lightly sprinkle with salt on top.

Notes:

The crostini can be made a few days ahead of time as long as you keep them in an airtight container. I prefer to make them the same day that I serve my appetizers.

My Seared Scallops

I made seared scallops last night (10 June 2024), which I served with a side of broccoli, and a mushroom and spinach risotto.

 
Serves 1
 
Ingredients
 
5 large sea scallops
Salt and pepper
All-purpose flour

2 T  avocado oil
1 T butter
Squeeze of fresh lemon
1 T or so white wine
 
Instructions
 
Pat dry the scallops with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
 
Place the scallops onto a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then lightly coat with the flour.
 
In a skillet on medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Once hot, add the scallops in one layer (don’t move them until ready to flip over) and cook for 90-120 seconds; flip over and cook for another 90 seconds until they are golden brown.  You don't want to overcook the scallops. the center should be translucent. 
 
Remove the scallops to a serving dish and deglaze the pan with the wine scraping any bits to get all that yummy flavor to make a sauce. Pour over the scallops and squeeze lemon over the top.
 

Service right away with your favorite sides.

Notes:

I made a delicious mushroom risotto with spinach and parmesan to go with the scallops: 

https://sunbasket.com/recipe/mushroom-risotto-with-spinach-and-parmesan

I cut the recipe in half, which still made a lot, so have leftovers. 
 
I added one clove of garlic, chopped, when I added the onions to the pan.
 
I used chicken broth instead of water.
 
I did not add any additional salt and pepper when I added the parmesan cheese at the end (missing in the instructions).
 
What I really liked about this recipe is that it calls for adding all the water (broth) at one time, rather than a traditional risotto recipe where you add the broth a little a time until it's all absorbed. 

Italian Shrimp Salad

My friend Jackie made this excellent, healthy shrimp salad for our book club evening (5 June 2024). I really loved it, so I made it for a BBQ.

The recipe is from Skinny Taste: https://www.skinnytaste.com/italian-shrimp-salad/

6 Servings (about 7 cups)
 
Ingredients
 
1 1/4 lbs cooked (peeled and deveined jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp, tails-off, halved (20 ounces total))
1 cup sliced celery
1 1/3 cups good quality mixed Italian pitted olives (such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata Olives, halved lengthwise)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 small lemons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper (to taste)
 
Instructions
 
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
 
Refrigerate a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.

My Notes:

The only thing I did a little differently was to cut the shrimp into chunks. 

I added some lemon zest. 

I used 4 cloves of garlic. 

I let the salad marinade in a zip lock bag for 5 hours.

Homemade Hummus

Hummus Recipe Using Dried Chickpeas

My recipe, adapted from a few other recipes found online over the last few years.

8 oz dried Chickpeas, rinsed and sorted through to pick out any bad ones
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Ice cubes
1/4 cup Tahini (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)
3 T Extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper
 
Garnishes: Cooked reserved Chickpeas, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac.
 
Warm pita bread, cut into wedges and/or fresh vegetables (sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, etc.)
 
Directions:
 
Soak the chickpeas overnight in a pot that’s filled about 2” above the chickpeas (at least 12 hours).
 
The next day, strain the chickpeas in a colander; rinse well. Add fresh water to the pot, covering 2” above the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. (The last time I made this, I had to simmer for 2.5 hours – it just depends on the age of the dried chickpeas).
 
Rinse and cool the chickpeas (reserve about a cup of the simmered liquid).  Set aside a handful of the chickpeas to use as a garnish.
 
Remove the outer skin. This is time-consuming but this what makes the hummus super creamy. If you leave the skin on, you’ll end up with a grainy texture. When the chickpeas are simmering, some of the skins will float to the top, so you can take them out with a strainer.  
 
Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the garlic, ice cubes, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. You may need to use a spoon to scrape down the sides. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If it’s too thick for your liking add some of the reserved liquid.
 
Serve:
 
Place in a bowl and either serve right away; or refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) until ready to serve.
 
When serving, top the hummus with the reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac, and the pita bread and/or vegetable.
 
Note:
 
You can use canned chickpeas, but you need to simmer them for about 20-30 minutes.  Then continue the recipe, to include removing the outer skin.