Ever since I first got brave enough to try making yeast bread, I’ve loved perusing the King Arthur Flour website and finding recipes I wanted to try. I won’t say too much in the intro, because the recipe is pretty long, but, mmmm, these are delicious! Go make some right now!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Buns Adapted from a recipe by King Arthur Flour 3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/3 cup dried potato flakes 1/2 cup Rye Flour 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast 1 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) water 1 large egg 2 Tbsp olive oil 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 2-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup (4 ounces) feta cheese 1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped pitted black olives 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese

Start the bread: Whisk together, in a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer, all of the dry . . . → Read More: A New Bread Experiment: Feta and Spinach Stuffed Buns]]>

Ever since I first got brave enough to try making yeast bread, I’ve loved perusing the King Arthur Flour website and finding recipes I wanted to try. I won’t say too much in the intro, because the recipe is pretty long, but, mmmm, these are delicious! Go make some right now!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Buns
Adapted from a recipe by King Arthur Flour
3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup dried potato flakes
1/2 cup Rye Flour
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) water
1 large egg
2 Tbsp olive oil
10-oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) feta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped pitted black olives
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese

Start the bread: Whisk together, in a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer, all of the dry dough ingredients. It’s important to whisk the potato flour or flakes so they won’t clump when the liquid is added. Add the water, egg and olive oil, then mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, if you have the time; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead. Knead the dough with the dough hook for about 10 minutes; it should feel firm and smooth.

Put it into a greased bowl, turning to coat, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it’s almost double in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (The amount of time this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.)

While the dough is rising, make the filling: Thaw and squeeze dry the frozen spinach. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the spinach and stir well.

Heat through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve the feta cheese and olives to layer onto the dough when filling, and the mozzarella to sprinkle atop the shaped rolls. I just realized I did this wrong — I added the mozzarella in with the feta and sprinkled about a tablespoon of Parmesan on top of the rolls.

To assemble: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Fold it over once or twice to gently deflate it. Roll the dough into a rectangle of about 16 x 18 inches. First sprinkle the dough with the cheese and olives, then top with the spinach.Starting with the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge and ends. Use a bench knife or serrated knife to cut the log into 1 to 1 1/4-inch slices.

Grease or line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay the buns on the pan, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Sprinkle them with a little Parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Cover them lightly with greased plastic wrap or a dough cover, and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they’re puffy.

Baking: Bake the buns in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until their tops and bottoms are lightly browned.

Check the buns after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if they’re browning too quickly on the edges. Yield: about 12-18 buns, depending on how thick you slice them.

I loved this week’s French Fridays with Dorie, but in truth fish en Papillote is something I’ve made many times before. It’s such an easy, healthy way to make salmon or halibut or almost any kind of fish. I think I first saw it in a cookbook a few years ago, using the paper parchment heart method for cooking. That’s what I used below just because I’m used to doing that.

Okay, here are my notes from this week’s FFwD:

1. I switched it up a bit and did a Mediterranean theme with some spinach leaves down first, then the fish, diced red onion, chopped garlic tops, kalamata olives, lemon slices, feta, dried dill and dried oregano (I would have used fresh herbs but I didn’t have any on hand). Plus a squirt of lemon juice, a lemon slice or two, and a drizzle of olive oil. 2. . . . → Read More: FFwD: Salmon en Papillote]]>

I loved this week’s French Fridays with Dorie, but in truth fish en Papillote is something I’ve made many times before. It’s such an easy, healthy way to make salmon or halibut or almost any kind of fish. I think I first saw it in a cookbook a few years ago, using the paper parchment heart method for cooking. That’s what I used below just because I’m used to doing that.

Okay, here are my notes from this week’s FFwD:

1. I switched it up a bit and did a Mediterranean theme with some spinach leaves down first, then the fish, diced red onion, chopped garlic tops, kalamata olives, lemon slices, feta, dried dill and dried oregano (I would have used fresh herbs but I didn’t have any on hand). Plus a squirt of lemon juice, a lemon slice or two, and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. I had parchment paper so I used that. I folded a piece in half and cut out a heart shape. Then repeated. I placed all the ingredients for a packet to one side of the fold, closed it over and then folded around to seal.
3. My chinook salmon fillets were about 6 oz each, so I gave the packets about 15 minutes (14 probably would have been fine).
4. This was a great Wednesday night dinner.

Okay, on with the pictures!

One of the parchment hearts, cut out and waiting.

All of the veggies and what-not that will go in with the salmon.

Chinook salmon! And look, there’s a bone I missed…

Ready to fold up and put in the oven.

Cute and delicious little packages.

After baking and on the plate.

Voila! Mediterranean Salmon en Papillote!

I am always looking for something quick and relatively tasty that I can whip up after work for either dinner that night, or to have for lunches the next day. This was a lunch-the-next-day dish and it worked really great for that.

This is a good amount for two people. Double it up if you want more than that. It’s great with whole wheat (or regular) couscous on the side.

Chicken with Warm Green Olive and Shallot Vinaigrette Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breast(s), sliced into strips (If you’re lucky, this will just be one huge chicken breast…this is how it worked out for me) 1 medium shallot, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup halved pitted green olives, chopped small handful golden raisins 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel . . . → Read More: Chicken with Warm Green Olive and Shallot Vinaigrette]]>

I am always looking for something quick and relatively tasty that I can whip up after work for either dinner that night, or to have for lunches the next day. This was a lunch-the-next-day dish and it worked really great for that.

This is a good amount for two people. Double it up if you want more than that. It’s great with whole wheat (or regular) couscous on the side.

Chicken with Warm Green Olive and Shallot Vinaigrette
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 to 3/4 lb chicken breast(s), sliced into strips (If you’re lucky, this will just be one huge chicken breast…this is how it worked out for me)
1 medium shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup halved pitted green olives, chopped
small handful golden raisins
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel (about 1/2 a lemon)

Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in extra-large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Add chicken; brown until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate; tent with foil.

Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to same skillet over medium heat; add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots soften slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add olives; stir until heated, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Add the one remaining tablespoon oil, the golden raisins, vinegar, parsley, and lemon peel. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken on two plates and spoon the warm vinaigrette over the chicken and serve.

Yes, I am still on a Mediterranean kick. This is a great side dish or appetizer-ish snack. Even a tapas, if you will. I added the zucchini to the original eggplant only dish and I liked it a lot. Personally, I do enjoy eggplant but I enjoy it even more when it has a co-star.

The flatbread was really fun to make. I used my pizza stone and it crisped up very nicely. I think I’ll be making the flatbread again. I am even thinking of rolling the dough out and then cutting it into little cracker shapes and just…well, making crackers.

Both of these recipes were in the now-defunct Gourmet Magazine. Thankfully, they were still on Epicurious.com! Hooray!

Marinated Eggplant and Zucchini with Capers and Mint Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds 1 medium . . . → Read More: Marinated Eggplant and Zucchini with Capers and Mint & Crisp Rosemary Flatbread]]>

Yes, I am still on a Mediterranean kick. This is a great side dish or appetizer-ish snack. Even a tapas, if you will. I added the zucchini to the original eggplant only dish and I liked it a lot. Personally, I do enjoy eggplant but I enjoy it even more when it has a co-star.

The flatbread was really fun to make. I used my pizza stone and it crisped up very nicely. I think I’ll be making the flatbread again. I am even thinking of rolling the dough out and then cutting it into little cracker shapes and just…well, making crackers.

Both of these recipes were in the now-defunct Gourmet Magazine. Thankfully, they were still on Epicurious.com! Hooray!

Marinated Eggplant and Zucchini with Capers and Mint
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp small capers, rinsed

I peeled my eggplant, but you don’t have to…

Preheat broiler or heat up a grill pan. Arrange eggplant and zucchini in 1 layer on a large baking sheet (or two baking sheets, if needed) and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes total. If using a grill pan, add the oil-brushed vegetables to the pan and cook on each side until you have nice grill marks and the eggplant and zucchini have softened a bit.

Stir together vinegar, mint, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and toss with the warm eggplant and zucchini.

Marinate at least 20 minutes.

- – - – - –

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine
1 3/4 cups unbleached AP flour
1 tbsp chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Optional: 1 clove minced garlic to add to the brushing olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle. Alternately, you can heat up a baking (pizza) stone.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

I kept my next rolled-out dough covered while the piece before was baking.

Lightly brush top with additional oil (for extra fun, add some minced garlic to the olive oil and brush with this garlic oil…fun!) and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet or stone and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break the baked flatbreads into pieces after cooling a few minutes.

Oh my, these were delicious. I know! Cabbage rolls. Crazy! I deviated a bit from the original recipe by baking mine in the oven (just something about pulling a hot and bubbly dish from the oven really appealed to me) and I added cheese (of course). The verdict? jwa had three helpings. Me, a lady-like two.

The rolling below sounds more complicated than it needs to be. Just slap a leaf down on your work area, add some filling and roll. Place in a rectangular baking dish. Do another one. Another one. Another one, etc…If you cook them on the stove top, as the original recipe did, you may want to seal better (like a burrito), but for baking, I just rolled (because that’s how I roll?). The ends were open but all the filling stayed in and it worked fine. Let’s see, I also swapped . . . → Read More: Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage with Tomato Sauce]]>

Oh my, these were delicious. I know! Cabbage rolls. Crazy! I deviated a bit from the original recipe by baking mine in the oven (just something about pulling a hot and bubbly dish from the oven really appealed to me) and I added cheese (of course). The verdict? jwa had three helpings. Me, a lady-like two.

The rolling below sounds more complicated than it needs to be. Just slap a leaf down on your work area, add some filling and roll. Place in a rectangular baking dish. Do another one. Another one. Another one, etc…If you cook them on the stove top, as the original recipe did, you may want to seal better (like a burrito), but for baking, I just rolled (because that’s how I roll?). The ends were open but all the filling stayed in and it worked fine. Let’s see, I also swapped the parsnip for a green bell pepper, as that’s what I had.

When I baked mine, I did not cover with foil and subsequently, my feta got a bit burned. Next time, I will use foil for the first part of cooking and I’ve added that to the directions below. I think that’s about it. Wow, these were delicious!

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage with Tomato Sauce
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman, via Food Day in the Oregonian…count on anywhere between 4-8 servings, depending on how hungry you are and if you are having any sides…
1 head Savoy cabbage, separated into leaves (note: I had some leaves leftover)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded or diced (I used a handful of baby carrots because it was fridge-cleaning night)
1 green bell pepper, diced
3/4 pound ground lamb
3/4 cup short-grain rice (haha, I used sushi rice because that and brown rice was all I had…I was skeptical about brown rice being soft enough in 45-50 minutes oven-time)
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Add the cabbage leaves to the boiling water a few at a time and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, or until they’re just pliable. Carefully remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander; rinse with cold water. Gently squeeze the leaves to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled.

Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; when hot, add half the chopped onion and half of the minced garlic, along with the carrot and half the the bell pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl along with the lamb and rice. Mix until just combined.

Wipe the pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the remaining onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, red pepper and a good sprinkling of salt; cook over medium-low heat while you prepare the cabbage leaves.

Cut the cabbage leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of the stem, removing the stem in the process; trim the top and bottom so you’re left with a large rectangle. Lay a leaf on a work surface with the wide edge facing you. Put a few tablespoons of the meat mixture in the middle of the leaf, and roll it up. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling. Lay all the leaves into a lasagna pan and spread out as you need to for fit. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Pour the tomato sauce over the rolls, spreading it evenly and making sure some gets down in between the rolls. Sprinkle the feta on top here!

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

These are seriously so good! Better than anything with cabbage as one of the main ingredients should be (!!!)…go make some now.