Grape & Goat Cheese Focaccia

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Hey, guys … big news!

I’m getting my blog redesigned!

It’s gonna be a hotter, cuter version of itself but it’ll still be the blog you know and love on the inside.

I was gonna hold off on posting till the new design went live (around the end of October) but I just couldn’t do it!

I’ve been cooking a lot and I’ve been really happy with some of the recipes so I just decided to share them here cuz ain’t nobody got time to wait for a new design.

This recipe is a twist on the classic grape focaccia from the Italian region of Abruzzo.

I remember the first grape focaccia I had, it was in culinary school and I tried to hide my bitch face as a student from the pastry section (there’s a great divide between the pastry and culinary students) offered me her freshly baked, steaming grape focaccia. “It has grapes in it,” she said. “Grapes,” I murmured as I shoved a piece into my mouth. The crunchy sea salt and olive oil were familiar and comforting flavors, but the pop of sweetness from the grapes were an unexpected delight. “Damn,” I say, my eyes lighting up. “Let me get another piece,” I grab it before she says, “Sure!” I walked away with focaccia crumbs around my mouth and on my chef’s coat, feeling inspired.

Fast forward to a week ago at Whole Foods when I decided I wanted to make bread from scratch at around the same time I saw the prettiest grapes and I remembered that girl from culinary school and her grape focaccia.

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I remembered the salty sweet flavors and the pillowy focaccia and decided I was gonna make my version of grape focaccia.

What goes with bread and fruit?, I thought to myself.

Cheese!

What kind of cheese?, I wondered.

Goat kind!

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And so it began.

I hurried home full of excitement and this is what happened.

I needed flaky salt and an herb, and so I decided to use thyme and some Pinot Noir salt because wine and grapes go together, right?

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Try this salt.

Just try it.

Google it.

Then buy it.

Ok, so the first thing you need to do is activate the dry yeast.

You do this by mixing the yeast with a liquid between 105-115F and some sugar to feed the yeast and activate the beast.

I used water with some milk for richness.

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Once the mixture is at the right temperature, let it it proof in a warm place for about 15 minutes then put it in a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook attachment. (If you don’t have a stand mixer use a bowl and spoon to combine and I will show you the manual kneading process a bit later.)

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With the mixer going on low speed, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and add that to the yeast mixture.

Make sure your husband and husky are slow dancing in the background.

Do not skip this step.

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Once the flour is incorporated the dough will be dry and crumbly, olive oil to the rescue!

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Knead this dough on medium speed for about 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Like this:

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Here is the manual way to knead the dough:

First, place the dough on a floured surface and using the heel of your palm, push the dough forward, fold it over on itself, turn it a little clockwise and repeat.

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Do this for about 7-10 minutes or until your arms fall off.

Once you’re done, your dough should look like this:

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Smooth, shiny and elastic.

Like my butt.

Except it’s not really that smooth.

Shout out to all the cellulite.

Now place the dough in a bowl, coat with olive oil and cover. Allow it to proof and rise for about 45 minutes, it should almost double in size.

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Once proofed, punch it down and place the dough in a liberally oiled baking sheet.

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Now you want to play the piano on your dough to create holes and grooves and crevices and stuff.

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(Disclaimer: The image above is from my first trial of this recipe, that’s why you see little flecks of black pepper in there, I forgot to have pictures taken of this part the second time around but it’s the same exact process.)

Once your dough has been thoroughly poked and prodded, add your toppings and allow it to proof again for about 15 minutes (optional). Then bake it to golden brown perfection.

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Don’t be stingy with the toppings. I did that the first time I tested this recipe and it was a really sad time.

Load it up, like this:

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It looks like too much but when you bake it the bread’s volume increases and the ratio of bread to topping is altered.

See:

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It looks like less toppings when it’s baked.

Also, don’t cut into the bread right away, let it cool a bit.

I know it’s hard but trust me here.

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Look at the fluffy focaccia.

Eat the fluffy focaccia.

Focaccia is life.

RECIPE:

1 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 T sugar
1 T salt
1 package dry active yeast
5 cups of flour
1/2 cup evoo, plus more as needed
1 bunch of grapes
1 log of goat cheese
a few sprigs of thyme
pinot noir salt (optional, use any flake/sea salt instead)

Combine milk, water and yeast and heat until 105F -115F.
Add the sugar and set aside in a warm area for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Once the yeast has had time to activate, combine the salt, flour, yeast and olive oil in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment and beat on medium speed for 6 minutes to knead it until smooth and elastic.
Dust with flour on a board and knead a few times more until the dough is coated with enough flour not to feel sticky anymore.
Coat with oil, place in a bowl and cover to proof in a warm place for about an hour.
Once proofed, punch down and place in a evoo lined baking dish/sheet and make holes/indents in the dough as if you are playing the piano (see photos). Be liberal with the oil here, this is important.
Now add whatever toppings you like, in this case, goat cheese, grapes, thyme and pinot noir salt (yum!).
Proof in the pan again for about 15 mins and preheat the oven to 425F.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Try to wait a bit before tearing into the dough (it’s not easy, I know).
Enjoy with a glass of Pinot Noir!


Raw Summer Squash Salad

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Raw Summer Squash Salad 76

 This salad is a celebration of one of summer’s most abundant veggies.

It’s inspired by the farmer’s market and I hope it gives you ideas for some of the more unusual things you find.

You know how sometimes you see something cool (or strange) at the farmer’s market (or even at the grocery store) and you’re like, “What the hell can I do with this?” 

The answer is nothing.

Just give up. 

Jk. Jk.

Just hit me up in the comments section and I’ll try to come up with something for you.

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Grilled Corn on the Cob (4 ways)

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With Memorial Day around the corner, I had to break out the grill.

I have a grill.

Pan.

I have a grill pan.

If you don’t have one, don’t let it stop you, you can use a skillet or even a griddle.

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Fat Burning Salad Dressing

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 Summer is looming ever closer…

More pressure to burn fat than ever…

I’m trying my hardest, so I came up with a fat burning salad dressing that I could tolerate.

I’ve also included a list of fat burning ingredients to add to your salad to really up your fat burning game.

How many times have I said fat burning?

Too many?

Not enough?

Continue reading »


Gochujang Hummus

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Gochujang hummus.

I’m sure most of you know what hummus is. It’s a Middle Eastern chickpea/garbanzo bean paste that has been all the rage for a minute now. Gochujang, on the other hand, is not so well known. It is a Korean red pepper paste.

It’s basically the new Sriracha.

Except better, because it has such a depth of flavor while still maintaining its heat.

I predict Gochujang will be on the tip of everyone’s tongue soon, and by then you can feed your inner hipster and say, “Oh, Gochujang? Yeah, I knew about it before it was popular. Have you had Gochujang hummus before? No? Oh man, you’re missing out.” Say this as you sip your extra-hoppy IPA and adjust your non-prescription eyeglasses.

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Moroccan Carrot Salad

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 As we all know, summer is fast approaching.

That means short-shorts, tube tops (Do people still wear tube tops? Do we even call them tube tops now? Or are they now known as “shoulder-less blouses?” I swear I’m under 30 years old, I just sound like an old lady.) and of course, the dreaded bikini. 

If you don’t dread bikini season then good for you, bitch.

Anyway, back to the Moroccan Carrot Salad.

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Herb Roasted Radishes

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I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of radishes.

I got a bunch of them in my weekly CSA box and decided to make roasted radishes in the same way I used to roast potatoes. Before the world decided potatoes were evil and I jumped on the bandwagon with my pitchfork in tow.

I miss potatoes.

Like, a lot.

So, I sadly grabbed my bunch of radishes and tearfully placed them on a cutting board. 

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After wiping away my tears, I cut the greens off the radishes.

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I saved the greens and used them as a bed for the radishes. 

Rinse the radishes and the greens, as they can have dirt lodged in the crevices.

(a small price to pay for organic veggies)

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Once you’ve rinsed and drained them, cut the radishes in half.

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I seasoned my radishes with fresh thyme and some Herbs de Provence (a French seasoning blend that can be found at some grocers and at most specialty food stores like Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma. There are some recipes online for making your own mix too, just google Herbs de Provence).

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Place the radishes on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with the herbs and spices, drizzle enough olive oil to coat them and pop them in a 400F oven for 25-30mins.

Oh, and I also sprinkled a few red chili flakes on them to bring out the natural peppery flavor of the radishes. This part is totally optional. I recommend this step if you like spicy food.

Below is a before & after:

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 You can place them on a bare plate: 

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 Or over the radish greens or any other salad green you like:

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And just to make these babies sing, let’s add some parmesan shavings:

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Oh mama.

I almost forgot about potatoes.

Almost.

I want a potato.

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Cucumber & Celery Salad

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So, here it is: the salad I promised to post using my Low-Fat Chia Seed & Cardamom Dressing.

It is so light and refreshing.

It’s also creamy and flavorful, with a hint of spice.

You need a cucumber sliced into half moons:

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A stalk of celery (cut into crescents) and a bunch of chives and parsley (finely chopped):

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Ok, here is where the recipe gets really difficult:

  Place all of these ingredients into a bowl, add a little S&P, a tablespoon or two of the dressing and toss.

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See what I did there? 😉

Under-promise and then over-deliver. That’s my motto in life.

That’s a lie. My motto is over-promise and under-deliver and then over-apologize.

Why are we discussing my life motto? 

Place it into a bowl and enjoy!

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Perfect summer salad for this hot-ass weather.

Help me beat the heat by subscribing to my blog:

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One has everything to do with the other.

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