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!

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.

Skillet Lasagna

A classmate brought pasta for lunch the other day and my plans for turkey burgers flew right out the window. I had to have pasta. Not just any pasta; I wanted lasagna. But, as many of you cooking for one know, lasagna is a big dish for one person. A traditional lasagna can be time intensive and lead to a months worth of left overs that you have no desire to eat. 

Skillet lasagna was my salvation. I turn to this recipe again and again when I want all of those classic Italian flavors with half of the work. Easily prepared in one or two pots, skillet lasagna is the perfect dish to throw together on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients

1 bag of cheese raviolis (12-14 ounces)

1 bunch of fresh spinach (chopped)

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded cheese (Italian blend or mozzarella)

3 tbsp. tea seed oil (olive oil)

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. garlic powder (divided)

salt and pepper to taste

I prefer to start with sauteing the spinach. Usually I use olive oil to prepare my skillet, but I chose to use the Arette Tea Seed Oil that I received in my February Hatchery box. Tea seed oil is an extra virgin oil derived from tea seeds used mostly in the southern provinces of China for salad dressings, sauteing, and in stir-fry. I used the entire bottle (about 3 tbsp) to prepare my pan.

Put your burner on medium-heat and add the fresh spinach to the oil. As the spinach begins to cook down, add the minced garlic and garlic powder to the leaves and mix them well. Place the lid on the pan and allow the spinach to cook down. Make sure you stir the leaves occasionally. After 3-5 minutes, remove the spinach from the skillet and set it aside for later.

On a separate burner, place a pot of water to boil. Add a dash of salt to the water as it heats.

Place the skillet you cooked the spinach in back on the stove and add the ground turkey. Break up the turkey as you place it in the skillet and then use a wooden spoon or spatula to occasionally stir and flip the meat.  

As your turkey begins to brown, add a liberal dash of salt and pepper to the meat.

When the water begins to boil, add your raviolis to the pot and cook them according to the instructions on the package.

In a separate pot (or with the turkey) combine 1/2 cups of marinara sauce with 1 cup of chicken broth and place it on medium heat. If you combine the sauce with the ground turkey at this step, make sure you stir well.

When the ravioli has finished boiling, drain the excess water and return the ravioli to the skillet with the ground turkey. Next, add the spinach back to the skillet.

Add your chosen cheese to the skillet and stir all of the ingredients. After you've stirred everything together, top it with your sauce and stir again.

Turn down the head to low or simmer and allow the dish to cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. After 5 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat, serve in a bowl, and enjoy!

Personally, this serving size creates 4 medium sized meals. This dish stores well in the refrigerator for 48-72 hours. It also freezes well.

Crispy Baked French Fries

For many years, I have been trying to find the perfect baking technique for crispy french fries. I’ve tried parboiling the potatoes, microwaving them in oil, coating them in a multitude of batters, and various combinations of other methods, but nothing has met my expectations. Some have come close, but I was searching for that golden brown crispy outside with the fluffy insides that I was beginning to think could only be achieved by frying them in oil.

I was so close to giving up on my journey for the perfect french fry, until a lazy Sunday morning and bout of boredom led to the holy grail of fries.

The key to the process is a double soak to remove the starch from the potatoes and a second coating of olive oil while baking. It does take a bit of forward thinking, but I promise you the results are worth it. I may or may not have eaten the entire batch in one sitting and I have no regrets about that decision.

Ingredients (2 servings)

1 large potato

olive oil

salt

pepper

chili powder

garlic powder

basil

ancho chili powder

It's very important that you're oven be hot, so don't skip on the preheating process and turn your oven up to 450°

I like to keep the skin on the potato when making fries. If you are going to keep the skin, give your potato a good hard scrub to remove any dirt and residue. If you prefer a cleaner cut, skin your potato before slicing it.

When working with a large potato I find it easier to cut it in half, along it's width, before slicing. It's important to try and keep your slices uniform, so that all of the fries will cook at the same speed. I like my fries just a little thicker than a shoe string cut, so I aim for each slice to be about the width of my pinkie finger.

Again, a uniform cut will save you from a mix of burnt and undercooked fries. On the second cut, I try to cut each piece to 1/4". Using a large potato this will yield about 6 fries from each slice of potato. If you have to decide between a slightly large fry or discarding a bit on the end, I choose to discard the extra potato.

I was in the Kitchen Collection store the other day and amongst an assortment of gadgets I cannot rationalize buying (even though I really want them) was a French Fry slicer by Hamilton Beach that could speed up the slicing process.

This step is where the magic happens. The double soak. Place all of your potato slices in a bowl and completely cover them with cold water. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes before draining the water. You'll notice that the water is a murky grey color, this is the starch being drawn out. 

Fill the bowl again so that all of the potatoes are covered and place the bowl in the fridge for 2-4 hours. I believe 2-4 hours is the optimal time for the second soak, but it can be done in anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on how much time you have available.

After you drain the water from the bowl, use a paper towel to dry the fries. Place them on a towel and use a second paper towel to blot off all of the excess water. Make them as dry as possible, but do not squeeze the water out of them. 

Next, it is time for the spices. I prefer a zesty french fry, but you can use whatever spices you prefer. I use a nickel sized serving of each spice, tossed in a bowl to completely cover the potatoes. After you apply your spices add olive oil until the fries are completely covered.

On a piece of parchment paper, spread out the fries so that none are overlapping and each has some room around it. Use more than one baking sheet if necessary. The extra room will ensure that each piece cooks evenly and achieves the perfect crisp.

Place both baking sheets in the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, removing the baking sheet from the oven. Flip the french fries over and drizzle olive oil over them.

Place them back into the oven for another 20-30 minutes depending on your preference. I like my fries well done, so I place them back in the oven for the full 30 minutes.

Finally, you have the perfect crispy baked french fries. Utter gold. Add your choice of dipping sauce and go to town.