Pita Bread

From: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pitabread

Makes 8 pitas

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 teaspoons yeast)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface, such as a cutting board, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes (or until your hands get tired). If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. I use canola spray oil, but you can also just pour a teaspoon of oil into the bowl and rub it around with your fingers. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it'll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pitas.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.







If you have a spray bottle in the kitchen, spray a light mist of water onto your baking surface and close the oven for 30 seconds. Supposedly this step reduces the blistering on the outside of your pitas. I've skipped it many times in the past and still been pleased with my breads, so if you don't have a bottle handy it isn't a big deal

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Gluten Free Pita Bread

From: http://www.weareglutenfree.com/gluten-free-pita-bread-recipe/

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon oil or melted butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour, firmly packed – firmly packed is very important
• 1/4 cup almond flour, firmly packed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt – use a good quality salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk together egg, oil and water.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well to form batter.
4. Pour two equal portions onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
5. Spread each pita 5-6 inches round.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Roasting Your Own Coffee

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

• 12 cup almond flour (blanched almonds or 12 cup well ground blanched)
• 2 tbsps nutritional yeast (red star)
• 2 tsps miso (chickpea, master brand is certified by the atlanta kashruth commission)
• 14 tsp salt

--- or ---

• 1 cup nutritional yeast (natural food stores)
• 12 cup almond
• 12 tsp salt

Cheese Spread:

4 tsps sunflower oil (similar)

• 3 pinches sea salt
• 12 garlic clove (peeled)
• 1 oz ground almonds
• 8 drops fresh lemon juice

Vegan Potato Leek Souo

6 tennis ball sized white potatoes (or any equivalent in size and color), washed but not peeled, and diced
2 large leeks, both white and most of the green parts
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons white wine, if you have some
1/2 tsp thyme (fresh would be better)
1/2 tsp rosemary (fresh would be better)
4 cups vegan bouillon (that’s 4 cups of hot water with 2 cubes dissolved in it)
2 cups water
1 tsp salt, or to taste
fresh black pepper to taste
1 cup plain soy milk (make sure it is truly plain!)

Rinse the leeks and slice them thinly. Dice the potatoes. Heat the oil in your large stockpot, saute the leeks for a few minutes. Add the wine if you have it. Saute the potatoes (take care they don’t stick) and onion and garlic.
Add the bouillon, water, salt and herbs. Simmer until the potatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes. Add the pepper.
Use your stick blender to blend it, or a countertop blender.
Stir in the soy milk.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Curry Cauliflower Soup

This soup's secret ingredient—an apple—lends a touch of tangy sweetness that complements the curry’s spice. Letting the soup cool 20 minutes before blending helps deepen the flavors.
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 clove garlic, sliced (1 tsp.)
1 large head cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and golden. Stir in apple, curry powder, and garlic, and cook 2 minutes more, or until curry powder turns deep yellow.

2. Add cauliflower and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Cool 20 minutes, then blend in food processor or blender until smooth. Stir in honey and vinegar, and season with salt, if desired.

Frijoles Charros

Mexican Cowboy Beans with Smoked Onion
Serves 4 / Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free

• 1 cup hickory or mesquite wood chips
• 1 large white onion, small dice
• 2 pasilla oaxaca or other whole dried chiles of your choice
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt (if using Diamond Crystal; start with half as much if using Morton’s)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomato
• 4 cups unsalted home-cooked pinto beans, and 2 cups of their cooking liquid

1. Put the wood chips in a medium-sized saucepan that you don’t mind discoloring. Place a folding steamer basket on top of the wood chips, and put the onion on it. Put the lid on the pot, and place it on high heat. Cook for seven minutes, then turn off the heat. Carefully taste a piece of onion and confirm that it has a good level of smoke. If not, cook for another couple of minutes.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, press the pasilla oaxaca chiles down onto it with a spatula, just for a few seconds on each side. Wearing disposable gloves, remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and crush them into very small pieces.
3. Add the oil to the same skillet, over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the crushed chiles, smoked onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the crushed tomato, the beans, and 1 cup of the bean liquid. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to maintain. Cook for about 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning. Add more of the bean liquid to find the desired brothy consistency. Serve hot.

http://foodgawker.com/post/2011/07/11/111526/