I Can Haz Baking?

CHALLAH!!!

... oh yes, I can.

Over the weekend, I was feeling... puny. Weak. All around 'not myself'. By the time Sunday evening rolled around, well, I was wiped.

... and then I felt it.

A hankering for a hunk of challah.

If you haven't had challah (pronounced: HALL-uh) bread before, it is a  loaf of yeast-risen egg bread that is traditionally eaten by Jews on Shabbat, on ceremonial occasions and during festival holidays. Slightly sweeter than other breads, it is also a braided bread... meaning anywhere from 2 - 6 'strands' of dough are braided or twisted together to make this Awesome Loaf of Coolness. Or Hotness, if fresh from the oven.

I decided to make a honey and herb challah loaf, because that just seemed like a great idea, and it was. It really, really was. The soft sweetness of the honey melted through the lemony thyme and fragrant dill, and the little bit of sage I added made the entire kitchen smell like a holiday in the woods.

Braiding the dough was surprisingly easy! The hardest part of the process (aside from using a baby's medical thermometer and praying to the Carb Gods that the water for the yeast wasn't over 110 degrees F because, guess what?!, baby thermometers don't go above a 105) was rolling the three lumps of dough into equal strands. That's it. Then it's just a simple game of pinch/braid/repeat!

This was my first time baking bread on my own. I really enjoyed it!

Here's the recipe I used, with my modifications in italics:  

2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons each fresh thyme, dill and sage, chopped

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
2. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.

Feelin' Quiche-y

 

... as if one slice would ever be enough

Sometimes, you just want to drown your sorrows in a plate of food.
When those 'sometimes' roll around, it's best to (1) step back from the ledge, (2) put down the box of Mac & Cheese, and (3) think 'swimsuit season' before giving yourself a mental shake, and heading to your fridge for reinforcements!

Yesterday was one of my 'sometimes', and THANK GOD I have being 31 weeks pregnant to blame it on. Another thing to be thankful for? An abundance of culinary odds-n-ends in my fridge and cabinets! I instantly knew what I wanted to make... and make it I did.

Ladies & Gentlemen... 

Scrappy Sunday Quiche

Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 Tbsp butter, divided
Pinch of salt
5 eggs
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. 2% milk
1 c. mozzarella & provolone cheese blend, shredded
1 1/4 c. medium cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp black pepper
4 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp dill
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small, sweet onion (or 1/2 large) like Walla Walla or Texas Sweet, chopped large (1'' pieces or so)
6 thin asparagus stalks (or 3 large), sliced on the bias
2 Tbsp lemon pepper
1/4 c. Marsala wine
6 oz. ham, chopped into 1'' cubes (or smaller)
3 green onions, chopped
2 frozen pie shells

Directions
1. Place unpeeled garlic on a square of aluminum foil, and top with 1 Tbsp of butter, and a pinch of salt. Make into a pouch, and place in the oven on 400 F. while preparing the quiche.
2. Combine eggs, cream, milk, cheeses, black pepper, 2 tsp salt, hot sauce and dill in a large bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine, then set aside.
3. Heat vegetable oil and remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add onion. Saute for five minutes before adding the asparagus, lemon pepper, and remaining salt, then saute another three to five minutes until the asparagus starts to soften.
4. Add the Marsala, and turn the heat up to Medium-High to reduce the liquid.
5. Remove the garlic from the oven, and turn the oven down to 350 F. Open the aluminum foil to allow the garlic to cool.
6. Once the liquid has reduced in the pan, divide the onions and asparagus between the two frozen pie shells, being sure to spread the ingredients around evenly.
7. Divide the cubed ham between the two pie shells, reserving ~12 cubes for the topping.
8. Remove the garlic from its skin, and finely chop before adding to each of the pie shells.
9. Divide the egg and cheese mixture between the two pie shells.Top with the reserved cubes of ham and the green onions.
10. Bake in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.