Vegetarian Harira

Yield:

• 8-10 servings

Time:

• 90 minutes plus soaking time

Difficulty:

• Moderate

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons harissa or dried red chile flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Salt to taste
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups/75 grams), divided
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups/75 grams), divided
• 1 (15-ounce/425-gram) can tomatoes, crushed or diced
• 7 cups (1 2/3 liters) chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups (400 grams) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
• 1 cup (400 grams) green lentils
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons semolina flour 
• 1 large egg
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
2.  Add the turmeric, cumin, harissa or chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. 
3. If using the soaked chickpeas, drain them and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. If using canned chickpeas omit the first 25 minutes of simmering and add with the lentils.
4. Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more and serve, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and parsley. 

Notes:

• Original recipe called for all-purpose flour, only 1 tsp harissa.  Not enough harissa!
• Vary any ingredients to your taste. 
• Serve with pita, dips, and salad

Source:  Joan Nathan, King Solomon's Table, via Epicurious.

Portuguese Rolls (Papo Secos)

Yield:

• 10 rolls

Time:

• Prep 1 hour, cook 20 minutes, total 4 hours

Difficulty:

• Easy 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (105°F to 110°F | 41°C to 43°C)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 5 cups bread flour, plus up to 3 tablespoons more, if needed
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (105°F to 110°F)
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
• Cornmeal (optional)
  

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the water, yeast, and sugar on low speed until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add the flour, water, and butter and stir on low until the ingredients are combined and a cohesive dough forms, 3 minutes. Cover with plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the dough and mix on low (speed 2) for 5 minutes. If the dough rides up the hook, use a spatula to scrape it down.
4. Bump the mixer to medium-high and knead for 2 minutes more. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be slightly sticky. If the dough hasn’t released from the bottom of the bowl, add some more flour—a tablespoon at a time—until it does.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and place in a warm (68°F to 72°F | 20°C to 22°C), draft-free spot. Let the dough double in size, about 1 hour.
6. Reach down 1 side of the bowl and gently but firmly pull the dough up and fold it over itself. Don’t punch it down. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Continue turning and folding 2 more times. Cover and let rest until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
7. Repeat the turning and folding process, cover with plastic, and let the dough rest until doubled in size, about 30 minutes more.
8. Divide the dough into ten equal pieces, about 4 1/4 ounces (120 grams) each. Lightly flour your hands. Cup one hand over a chunk of dough and roll it on your work surface in a circle to tighten the ball. Repeat with the remaining dough.
9. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with a floured non-terrycloth kitchen towel or a baker’s couche. Cover them with a kitchen towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.
10. Transfer the balls to your work surface. Heavily dust the towel again.
11. Flour your hands. Flatten a dough ball into a 6-inch (15-cm) disc. Using the side of your hand, make a deep crease (think karate chop) across the middle of the disc.
12. Grab both ends of the crease and gently tug them to elongate the dough into a slight oval.
13. Fold one half of the dough over the other along the crease. The dough will have a half-moon shape.
14. Twist the ends of the half-moon into fat points and, using your thumbs, flatten them a bit to seal.
15. Gently transfer the papo seco to the towel, seam-side down. As you shape more rolls, arrange them in a row, few inches apart. Pull the towel up between each row to create a ridge that will hold the shape of the rolls during proofing. Repeat the shaping and lining up the papo-secos, folding up the towel between rows.
16. Cover the rolls with a towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
17. Meanwhile, position a rack in the middle of the oven and slip in a baking stone or tiles. Place an empty metal tray on any rack that won’t interfere with the rising papo secos. Set oven to 500°F (260°C).  Have a cup of very hot tap water at the ready.
18. Coat a baking peel or rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Turn a few of the rolls seam-side up on the peel, and transfer to baking stone.  Repeat with remaining rolls. .
19. . Quickly but carefully pour the hot water into the metal tray and immediately shut the oven door to trap the steam. Immediately reduce the heat to 425°F (218°C).
20. Bake the rolls until they’re puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack. 
21. To get that characteristic crusty outside, let the roll sit out several more hours prior to eating.

Notes:

• If your baking stone can’t fit all of the rolls, bake them in batches. As the Portuguese say, Não faz mal. No problem!
  
• I found the instructions 1-4 to be a bit fussy, and just put all the ingredients in the mixer and kneaded with the dough hook till sticky,  It worked fine.

Source: https://leitesculinaria.com/282693/recipes-papo-secos-portuguese-rolls.html

Home-Style Honey Wheat Bread

Yield:

Time:

Difficulty:

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm milk (about 110 degrees F.)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil or butter
• Melted butter, or egg glaze

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast with the milk and honey in a large mixing bowl; let it proof until foamy. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour,salt and cooking oil; beat until smooth.Stir in remaining flour, 1cup at a time, to make a firm dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured board; coverand let rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking, about 10 minutes.
3. Place in a greasedbowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover and let rise in a warm,draft-freeplace until doubled in bulk (about1-1/2 to2 hours).
4. Punch down the dough. Sprinkle bottom of the cloche dish with wheat germ. Shape dough into a round loaf and place it in the center of the cloche dish.
5. Cover with cloche lid and let rise in awarm,draft-free place until doubled in bulk (about1hour). Brush with melted butter or egg glaze. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped (remove cover for last 10 minutes of baking). Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

Variations:

Source:

Crusty Country Loaf

Yield:

Time:

Difficulty:

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F.)
• 5 cups hard wheat unbleached flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of the water and let proof.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, add the yeast mixture and the rest of the water. Mix thoroughly, adding more water or flour if necessary. Turn out on a floured board and knead for 10 - 15 minutes until dough is soft, silky and elastic.
3. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap andlet rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk (approimately 45 minutes to one hour). Punch down dough, remove from bowl and knead a few times. Let rest for 5 minutes and form a ball.
4. Sprinkle bottom of cloche dish with cornmeal and place the ball of dough in the center. Cover with cloche lid and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk (approximately 45 minutes to one hour).
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slash top of dough with a razor blade or a sharp knife and place cloche, with lid in place, in oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F. and continue baking for another 30 - 40 minutes or until bread is crusty, golden brown and tests done (loaf should sound hollow when tapped). The cloche lid should be removed for the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking.
6. Cool on a wire rack and serve while still warm.

Notes:

Variations:

Source: La Cloche.  (Thanks to Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma for use of this wonderful recipe)

Ingredients:

Directions:

Dal Makhani

Yield:

• 2 quarts

Time:

• 90 minutes plus overnight soaking

Difficulty:

• Moderate

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sabut urad (whole, dried black dal), picked over and washed
• ½ cup dried red kidney beans, picked over and washed
• 1½ t salt 
  
  
• 1 T ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• 2 t cumin seeds
• ½ t turmeric powder
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf 
• ½ t fenugreek seeds 
  
  
• 1 small yellow or red onion, minced
• 1 (1-inch piece) ginger, minced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1-4 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
  
  
• ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
• 2 t garam masala
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 t cardamom seeds, ground (optional)
• 2 T methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  
  
• 1/4 cup cream (optional, can substitute cashew cream for vegans)

Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal and kidney beans together in boiled, hot water for at least 1 hour or in room temperature water overnight. Drain and discard the water. 
2. Add salt and 5 cups fresh water, and cook till soft. [40 minutes will do in an instant pot]  
3. While beans are soaking/cooking, prepare masala. Begin by heating oil, then add hing, cumin seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds turn reddish brown.
4. Add the fenugreek seeds, and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook, as these seeds get bitter quickly.
5. Add the onion, stir and cook for 3 minutes. 
6. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chilis. Stir and cook for 1 minute. 
7. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, ground cumin, coriander, cayenne, cardamom, garam masala, and methi, together with ½ c water.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
8. When beans are done, stir in cooked masala, add water to correct thickness, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
9. If using, gently fold in cream and stir. Serve with basmati rice or Indian bread. .

Source: Based on https://www.indianasapplepie.com