Soft Pretzels

I love living in the South. The weather is warmer, life moves slower, and the people are a bit nicer. But as much as I love it here, I sometimes long for the food of my childhood. If I could bring cheesesteaks, hoagies, a NY slice of pizza, and soft pretzels to North Carolina the world would be a beautiful place.

As a kid, I thought it was weird that we brought soft pretzels and deli meat with us when we went to visit my uncle in Maryland, but now I understand his pain. I have no deli to turn when I want a warm, salty, soft pretzel. So this past weekend, I turned to my oven to try my hand at making my own soft pretzels. While they didn’t quite meet the glory of my youth, they were still pretty damn good.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

3tbsp brown sugar lightly packed

2tbsp butter - melted

1tbsp active dry yeast

2tsp fine salt

3 cups warm water

1/3 cup baking soda

Pretzel salt (any coarse salt works)

4tbsp butter - melted

To make the dough, warm up the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes and add the 1tbsp of active dry yeast. Gently stir the two together and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the brown sugar and butter before mixing well. Slowly mix in the 2 1/2 cups of flour and add the fine salt. I prefer to add my flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Mix the dough well and knead it for 10minutes by hand or using a stand mixer. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set it in a warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour the mixture should have doubled in size. Punch down the down to remove the excess air and form it into a ball.

Divide your ball of dough into 12 equally sized smaller pieces and roll them out on a well floured surface. Try to make the rolled out dough as thin as possible as it will double in width when we add it to the baking soda solution. To roll out the dough, begin in the middle and pull it gently apart as your roll it back and forth. If a piece breaks off, just stick it back together and keep going.

After you've rolled out the dough, make a circle that is twisted at the top, like shown above. Try to keep the sides even as you twist. Twist the top once more and then fold it down to form the classic pretzel shape. Repeat the process for all 12 pieces of dough

On the stove bring the 3 cups of warm water and the 1/3 cup of baking soda to a gentle boil. When the water begins to boil, turn down your stove to simmer.

Preheat your oven to 450°

Dip each pretzel in the baking soda solution and submerge it in the water for 10-15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or a fork to remove the pretzels from the baking soda and place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Reshape your pretzels if they've come undone in the baking soda solution and prepare your baking sheet. Give each pretzel about 1inch of empty space around it as it will double in size as it bakes. Place your pretzels in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

As your pretzels bake, melt 4-6tbsp of butter into a shallow bowl. As soon as your pretzels are finished baking remove them from the oven, and dip them in the melted butter. Place the buttered pretzels back onto the baking sheet and salt them to your taste using a coarse salt.

Spice things up with a spicy mustard or cheese sauce for dipping, and enjoy!

Chicken Gyros

My Time Hop app just took the time to remind me that at this point two years ago I was preparing for a 10-day trip to Greece. Ten days of sun, swimming, ancient ruins, and gyros. Oh man, so many gyros. I had even researched and made a list of where to find the best ones. I could try to blame this on living in Kyrgyzstan at the time and desperately wanting new food, but honestly, I’d do it all over again. An authentic Greek gyro is a top-5 food on my list. It’s my go to street food. And it’s nearly impossible to find in Burlington, North Carolina.

To remedy my craving, I decided to try my hand at crafting my own gyro. I knew I lacked the vertical spit of questionable meat, but it was the flavor I was going after. Luckily, my March Hatchery Box included a sample of GourmEgg’s Gracefully Greek seasoning and a quick trip to the local Harris Teeter rounded out the rest of my ingredients list.

Ingredients

Pocketless pita bread (any type of flatbread will do)

3 chicken breast

1/2 red tomato - diced

1/2 red onion - diced

Tzatziki sauce (sometimes labeled cucumber vegetable dip)

1/2 lemon

2tsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic - minced

1tsp salt

1tsp black pepper

2tbsp Gracefully Greek seasoning

In a small bowl combine 3tbsp of tzatziki sauce with 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of Gracefully Greek seasoning, 1tsp salt, 1tsp black pepper, and the juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon. This is going to be the marinade for your chicken. Mix the marinade well.

Place your 3 chicken breast in a plastic ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and shake well. Release the excess air from the bag before resealing it and setting your chicken aside to rest. If your chicken is frozen, let it sit out on a cutting board while marinating. If your chicken is not frozen, place the sealed bag in your refrigerator. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 30 minutes to an hour, flipping it over half way through.

Preheat your oven to 450°

Remove the chicken from the bag and shake off the excess marinade. Place the chicken on a lightly greased baking pan and place it in the oven for 20 minutes uncovered, turning the chicken after 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it thinly or cubing it.

Dice your red onion and tomato to prepare them for the pita.

I used pita pockets for my chicken gyros, so that I could get more use out of the pack of six. Dollop some tzatziki sauce onto your pita bread, cover it with chicken, and add the tomato and onions as a topping. Finally, fold your pita in half and dream of Santorini.

Kyrgyz Lagman

When I first arrived in Kyrgyzstan, I was baffled by the food choices and not just because I couldn't read the menu. The Kyrgyz food was a reflection of its people: simple, hearty, traditional. Over time I learned to love and appreciate most of the food we ate, but I have a special fondness for Lagman. Lagman is lamb, noodles, and vegetables served in a beef broth. I would order it in every restaurant and repeatedly ask my sister when we would be having it at home.

A key ingredient to Lagman is the noodles. Handmade and stretched out by hand, they are amazing. I loved rolling out the dough and preparing to throw it out between my fingers. It took hours to properly prepare, which severely limited how often we made Lagman at home, but it was so much fun.

This video features Chef Anora Khudayberdeva from Jibek Jolu Restaurant in Chicago, preparing Lagman noodles. The magic really begins at the 2-minute mark

Here in the States and living by myself, making noodles by hand is a bit much, but I was struck by a craving for Lagman this past weekend, so I set out to see if my Kyrgyz skills could be replicated in North Carolina.

Ingredients

1 pack Hokkien Noodles (often in the International aisle)

1 pack of stir-fry beef cubed(about 1lb)

1 yellow or white onion diced

1 Daikon root diced (or root vegetable of your choice)

1 green bell pepper diced

2 large carrots diced

1 14ounce can of diced tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic minced

3 cups beef broth

2tsp Sriracha (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

The first step is to prepare all of your ingredients. Dice the carrots, green peppers, and daikon into small pieces. Make sure you remove the outer layer of the daikon before dicing it. The outer layer has a stringy quality that you want to avoid in your dish. Quarter the carrots before dicing to ensure that the pieces cook down evenly.

 

I used a food processor to dice my onion into small pieces mostly because the tears of fire dripping from my eyes around any sort of onion leave me unable to see where I am chopping. If you can keep your eyes open while dicing an onion, try to make each piece about 1in in length. 

Peel your garlic cloves and give each one a quick mince. This awesome video by Saveur Magazine shows you how to peel an entire head of garlic in 10-seconds. It will change everything you know about garlic peels.

Next, you will want to cube your beef into bite sized pieces. At this time, place a large pot on the stove and begin to heat the 3tbsp of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown it on both sides. 

After the beef has browned on both sides, add in the garlic and onions and allow them to sauté for 5-6 minutes.

As the onions begin to look translucent, add in all of the ingredients except for the noodles. I prefer to add in 2tsp of Sriracha to bring a little bit of heat to the dish, but this is optional. If you choose not to use Sriracha, try adding 3tbsp of cumin seeds or grounded star anise to bring more flavor to the broth.

Lower the temperature of the stove to low-medium heat and allow the soup to cook for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally.

After 30 minutes, prepare your noodles according to the directions on the package and remove the soup from the heat. For added flavor, cook your noodles in a mixture of beef broth and water.

Place the noodles in a deep bowl and spoon the soup over the noodles. 

Sit back and enjoy your Kyrgyz dish!

Pineapple Lemonade

Photo courtesy of the Barbecue Bros (barbecuebros.com)

Several weeks ago I grabbed lunch at the Backyard BBQ Pit in Durham, NC. The Backyard BBQ Pit is a local restaurant with locations in Durham and Morristown. They serve eastern style bbq which, for those of you not from North Carolina, means the sauce is vinegar and pepper based. They've been featured on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food as the only open bbq pit in Durham. The only piece of information I knew before going was that, according to my friend, they have the best cabbage in North Carolina (the cabbage was amazing).

I'm not an expert on barbecue and I prefer the dry Memphis style to either of the Carolina styles, but let me tell you, Backyard BBQ Pit is doing things right. It was A-MAZING. The pulled pork was juicy and I got to choose my own sauce, which was an added bonus. The mac-n-cheese was cheesy and full of flavor, the cabbage was just as good as advertised, and hushpuppies were included. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

But here comes the kicker. My drink was better than anything I ate that day. I had a nice big glass of their homemade pineapple lemonade. Let me say that again, PINEAPPLE LEMONADE. Why hadn't I thought of this before? Tangy and sweet, cold and refreshing, it was delightful. I've been thinking about it ever since and this past weekend I decided to try my hand at making a pitcher of my own.

I may have gone overboard. This recipe yields 2 pitchers of lemonade. I promise you, you'll drink it all.

Ingredients

1 can (48ounces) pineapple juice

1/2 cup Country Time lemonade mix

3 cups water

1 fresh pineapple (mashed and strained)

1 12ounce can Sprite

1 12ounce can Ginger Ale

2tsp brown sugar

In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup CountryTime lemonade mix with the 3 cups of water and 2 1/2 cups of pineapple juice.

Cut up the pineapple (use this video to make cutting your pineapple a breeze) into bite-sized chunks and use a blender to liquify the fruit. Strain the liquified fruit into your bowl.

Add the sprite, ginger ale, and brown sugar and stir well.  

That's it. You're done! Pour the pineapple lemonade into a large pitcher and let it chill before serving. For an adult version of the lemonade try adding Pineapple Coconut Rum.

Baked Cheesy Broccoli Fritters

I had a difficult time deciding what to label this recipe as. Can you call a food a fritter if it hasn't been fried? I say you can. These baked cheesy broccoli fritters are delicious and can be used in so many different ways. I love eating them on their own, dipped in marinara, over rice, over pasta, mixed in with veggies, and you get the picture.

These fritters come together easily with fresh broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, eggs, minced garlic, and breadcrumbs to hold it all together. Even better, they crisp up nicely when baked in the oven without all of the extra calories and fats from frying oil.

I like to make a big batch of these and spend the week eating them in all of their glorious fashions. As a kid who avoided all green foods for a majority of my life, this is a major endorsement. These are a permanent addition to my recipe book.

Ingredients 

2 bunches of fresh broccoli (or a 16ounce bag of frozen)

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I prefer to use Italian)

3 large eggs

1 handful of shredded parmesan cheese

1tbsp minced garlic

2tsp salt

2tsp black pepper

1tbsp garlic powder

2tsp onion powder

Preheat your oven to 400°

If you are using fresh broccoli, rinse the broccoli well and remove the stems. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. 

If you have a steamer, place the broccoli in and allow it to steam. If you are using frozen broccoli, prepare it according to the directions on the package and drain it well.

If you do not have a steamer, fill a large pan or pot with 1/4 cup of water and bring it to boil. When the water boils, place your broccoli in the pan, cover it with a lid and allow it to steam for 4 minutes.

If a microwave better suits your needs for steaming, WikiHow has a great article on how to steam broccoli without a steamer.

Set the broccoli aside and allow it to cool for a few minutes. After it has cooled, place the broccoli in a food processor or a blender in batches and chop until you have fine pieces.

In a large bowl, mix the chopped broccoli with the rest of the ingredients. As you mix the ingredients they should begin to hold in a dough-like consistency. If your mix isn't holding, add 1 more egg and 1/4 of breadcrumbs. You should be able to fold the mixture into a patty that holds its shape.

Create broccoli patties from the mixture and place them on a lightly greased non-stick pan. Arrange the patties on the pan 1"-2" apart until you have used all of the mixture. The thickness of the patties is left open to your preference. I like mine on the thin side because they crisp up better. If you are making thicker patties, add 2minutes baking time to each side.

Place your baking pans into the oven and allow them to cook for 30minutes, flipping the patties halfway through. Flipping the patties halfway through allows both sides to crisp up and bakes the fritters through evenly.

Place your baked cheesy broccoli fritters on a plate and enjoy. I love adding a light coating of marinara sauce to bring out the flavor of the Italian breadcrumbs. These fritters will last well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Freezing them is not recommended.

Pan Fried Steak

Growing up, my family was always divided over our preferences for steak. My dad and I love it, my mom and sister could go the rest of their lives without eating another piece. So steak was always the special food that I was allowed to order when we went out to a nice dinner. 

As I moved out and started dining on my own dime, I realized a steak dinner isn't very affordable on a student budget. I set out to learn how to make a restaurant quality steak on my own. It was easier said then done.

Without a grill, grill pan, or a cast-iron skillet, I thought I was out of luck. Nearly every recipe I found called for cookware I don't own. But with time, experimentation, and persistence, I have found a sure-fire way to make a high quality steak in a non-stick pan and I am happy today to share that knowledge with you.

Ingredients

Steak 1" to 1 1/2" thick

Kosher salt

Pepper

2 tbsp butter (Oil)

2tsp McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning (optional)

A key to making a great steak is bringing the meat to room temperature before frying. Allow your steaks to rest on the counter for 1 1/2 hours before cooking them to make sure they are at the proper temperature.

Apply your seasoning around 30 to 45 minutes before you are ready to fry your steaks. Coat the meat liberally with salt and pepper. If you have a good cut of meat, there is no need to add any other rubs or spices. Because my steaks have been sitting in the freezer for around 2 months, I added 1tsp. of McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning to both sides of the meat.

Butter up that pan! Because I'm not using a cast-iron pan it is super important to get the pan well oiled. The butter will help increase the heat in my non-stick pan and make for a better sear on the steaks. I used 2 tbsp of butter to coat a medium sized pan.

After the butter rest for 1 or 2 minutes, it's time to put down the steaks. Place the meat in the center of the pan, give it one good pat, and leave it alone. It's tempting to check out how to meat is grilling, but the best thing you can do for your steak is to let it sit and fry. As the juices begin to gather in the pan, use a spoon to drizzle the pan juice back on top of the steak for extra flavoring.

After 6 minutes, flip over the steak. Again, the best thing you can do it to let the meat rest in the center of the pan. Continue to spoon the pan juice over the steak as it cooks.

After 6 minutes, remove the steaks from the pan. Place the steak back on your cutting board or on a clean plate and over them in foil. Allow the steaks to rest under the foil for another 5 minutes. This allows all of the juice to penetrate throughout the meat and locks in all of the flavor.

When the 5 minutes is up, slice the steaks and enjoy!

I love a good steak served with a side of potatoes. Check out the Food Network's Ina Garten's recipe for Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes that will pair perfectly with your pan fried steak.

Hatchery Box- March

During my time in the Peace Corps, I came to love receiving mail. Talking with friends and family through phone calls and emails was great, but letters were even better. Packages were downright amazing. A simple Wednesday was easily transformed by a phone call from the post woman asking me to come collect my mail.

Getting a Hatchery Box is nearly as good as getting a package filled with Hershey bars and Herr’s Potato chips in Kyrgyzstan.

I was so excited to unpackage the March Hatchery Box and I was not disappointed in my finds.

Michigan Apple Pie Drinking Vinegar: McClary Bros. - Ferndale, MI

I'll admit, I was a little put off by the term "drinking vinegar". I wasn't sure what to do with it. Was I supposed to just open it up and knock it back? The answer is no. This drinking vinegar is meant to be mixed with a cocktail or used to braise meat. Once I figured out how this ingredient is meant to be used I was super excited. Now I just have to figure out which way to use it. Should I mix it with my Zubrowka Vodka for a killer cocktail or braise pork chops to bring the spice of apple pie to the meat? So many options, such a small bottle. I might be ordering up the full-sized version of this one.

Gracefully Greek Gourmet Seasoning: Gourmegg - New York, NY

I love Greek food. All of the spices, the light taste, the fresh ingredients - yum! I was delighted to see this seasoning package and the recipe care featured with this month's box looks delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about the chicken souvlaki that awaits me in the future. While this seasoning was originally developed for eggs, it is also recommended for chicken, fish, and lamb.

Sweet and Tangy Mustard: East Shore Specialty Foods - Hartland, WI

Perfect timing! I just bought the ingredients for homemade pretzels this past weekend but haven't had the chance to whip them up yet. Now that this mustard has arrived, I'm even more intent on getting the baking soda going for a soft pretzel bath. I don't eat or cook with mustard often, but there's nothing like the sweet tang of a good mustard on a hot, salty pretzel. East Shore Specialty also recommends using the mustard with sandwiches, pork, and burgers.

Apricot Fruit Spread: Just Jan's - Calabasas, CA

Growing up, I was never a big fan of fruit spreads, marmalade, and jelly. Kyrgyzstan changed my point of view. Hiking into the mountains and picking your own strawberries for jam, makes it that much sweeter. This apricot spread is delicious. I had some on toast for breakfast this morning and I was not disappointed. I have just enough left to top off some pancakes this weekend. I'm so excited.

Sel Gris Caramel Sauce: CC Made - Berkeley, CA

Is there anything more perfect than salted caramel? On ice-cream, apples, brownies -- my mouth is watering. This was the first package that I unwrapped from the Hatchery Box. The Sels Gris Caramel is a little dark for my preferred taste, but it is still a winner. I've used it hot and cold on ice-cream and apples and enjoyed it both ways.