Mediterranean Bread

Every Saturday, I head down to the farmer's market to pick up some fresh produce and my favourite Mediterranean bread.  This bread is full of Italian seasonings and olives and sends a warming herbaceous scent through the house when I toast it up each morning for breakfast.  When I get it home from the market, I immediately slice it, divide it up into pairs, bag it, and freeze it.  That way, it's ready to be quickly tossed into the toaster each morning and lasts all week (well, that is unless Scott decides he's going to indulge).

Unfortunately, this week I was forsaken by my favourite baker when I showed up in the bitter cold to find out that the last of the Mediterranean bread was gone. Alas, what was a poor, breadless girl to do?  Well, the only thing she could do, roll up her sleeves and bake her own - the travesty!

This recipe is adapted from one by the bread god Peter Reinhart.  The dough is super easy to make, does not require a huge commitment, can be stored in the fridge for up to four days before baking, and produces two bakery-quality loaves.  If you've never baked your own bread before, now is the time to try.  If you just want a regular white French loaf, omit the herbs and olives.  This can also be made into buns, but will require less cooking time.

Before you begin, read through all the directions.  It looks as though there are many steps, but it is actually quite simple.

Makes two loaves.

Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups of bread flour
 2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp instant quick rise yeast
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 to 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water (about body temperature)
1/4 cup chopped olives (mixed varieties for better flavour) tossed with 1 Tbsp flour

Directions:

Preparation:

1. Mix the flour, salt, yeast, and spices together in a bowl.  Add 2 cups of the water and stir with a spoon.  Continue to add up to a half cup more water until the dough has formed a shaggy ball that is tacky but not sticky.  Stir for one minute.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.

2. Take the dough out of the bowl, place on a lightly floured surface, and knead for 3 minutes.  While you are kneading, work the olives into the dough by adding them to the middle, folding the dough over to cover them, and kneading more.  Add more flour if necessary, but keep it tacky.  Do not over flour.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl, which has been lightly oiled.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

Baking:

1. Remove the dough from the fridge at least 2 hours before you want to bake it.  Gently divide it in half being careful not to burst the air pockets that have formed inside the ball.  Turn each half over, fold the top and bottom towards the middle of the ball and pinch the seam closed.  Turn it back over and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover with the lightly oiled plastic wrap.  Let rise until it is 1 1/2 times its original size.

*Note: In order for the dough to rise, the room needs to be warm.  Since Scott and I are in a constant battle to control the temperature of the house (he opens the windows, I close them; he turns down the thermostat, I turn it up), I put the dough in the oven with the light on to rise.  When I baked these loaves, I actually let them rise for about four hours because I did not feel that they had risen enough after two hours.  Our house was pretty chilly this morning...

2. Place one of the oven racks on the very lowest shelf and the other one on the middle shelf.  On the lower rack, place a metal tray or lasagne pan.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Fifteen minutes before you want to bake, remove the plastic wrap from the dough.

4. Immediately before baking, pour one cup of water in the tray in the oven, and gently make four slashes on each loaf with a bread knife. Place the loaves on the middle rack.

5. As soon as the loaves are in the oven, turn the temperature down to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. After 15 minutes, turn and rotate the pans and bake for approximately 12-15 more minutes.  You will know when the bread is done because it will sound hollow when you tap the bottom of it.

7. Immediately remove the bread from the baking tray and place on a cooling rack for at least an hour before slicing.

8. The bread will keep for about a day if wrapped in a kitchen towel, but as mentioned above, I prefer to slice and freeze it for maximum freshness.  (This way you also don't feel tempted to inhale an entire loaf of bread in 24 hours!).  Enjoy!

Now, to figure out how to add some whole wheat flour and still get the same amount of rise...

Shopping Tips:

1. It is important for yeast breads to use bread flour and not all purpose flour.  The percentage of gluten is higher, which results in a higher rise.

2. Select a combination of olives that taste good to you.  I chose Kalamata and pink olives, which are both quite fruity, but my favourite baker uses a mixture of green and black.  If they don't taste good before you bake them, they certainly aren't going to taste good after you bake them.  Save yourself the headache, and buy olives that are already pitted.  If for some reason you don't, simply smash each one with the side of your knife to remove the pit with your fingers before chopping them.

Warm Halloumi Salad

Several years ago when we lived in England, Scott discovered donair kebabs (pronounced donner  kebahbs, for some reason).  These are not kebabs as we Canadians know them, but are actually donairs.  At the time, I was a fish-eating vegetarian (otherwise know as a pescetarian) and couldn't eat the meat donairs that he was eating; however, there was one little Lebanese shop down the street from us that served vegetarian halloumi donair kebabs.  I had never heard of halloumi before, but it is a wonderfully mild cheese that you can grill because it doesn't melt.  Depending on the kind you buy, it can be a bit salty and might need to be rinsed, but otherwise it is a great addition to many savoury meals.  This recipe is a healthy way to incorporate halloumi into a warm salad that makes a very filling meal.

Serves two as a main or four as a side.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole grains (spelt, wheat berries, farro)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste
1 large or 2 small leeks, cleaned and sliced into half moons
1 tbsp ready-to-eat sun-dried tomatoes (or packed in oil)
6 kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 clamshell of baby spinach, chard, kale
juice of half of one lemon
1 tsp honey
4 1/4 inch slices of halloumi
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp fresh basil
pepper

Directions:

1. Cook whole grains ahead of time.  Most will need to be soaked overnight.  I used spelt for this recipe.  Because I forgot to soak it, I poured boiling water over it and let it sit for two hours, did the same thing again, and then cooked it for about 25 minutes.  However, it can take up to 60 minutes of cooking time.  For that reason, it is always easier to cook whole grains ahead of time and then throw them into boiling water for 30 seconds when you need them.  You can even freeze them and then throw them in the pot, frozen, when you need them.

2. In a dry medium pan, toast pine nuts.  Keep an eye on them.  You want them to be brown, but they burn quickly.  Set aside to cool.

3. In the same pan, sauté oil, red pepper flakes, and leeks until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, olives, garlic, and basil.  Slice the halloumi and rinse, if needed.

5. When the leeks are tender, add the garlic and baby spinach.  Continue cooking until the spinach has wilted.  Add in the lemon juice, honey, and a bit more oil, if needed.  Add pepper but do not add salt as the olives and haloumi are both salty.

6. Add the cooked spelt to the leeks and spinach.  Toss to coat with the dressing in the pan.  Add in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

7. Heat a small pan.  Brush both sides of the halloumi with oil and sprinkle each piece with the Italian seasoning.  Grill the cheese in the hot pan on both sides until it is brown.  Place on top of the salad and top with fresh basil.  Enjoy!

This salad is great warm, cold, or room temperature although the cheese is best served hot.

Shopping Tips:

1. Halloumi is not sold in all grocery stores.  It is sold at Superstore as "halloom".  This is what I buy as it is not as salty as the haloumi that I have bought from specialty stores in the past.  They also sell a herbed version if you do not have Italian seasoning.

2. I buy the plastic clamshells of mixed baby spinach, chard, and kale, but if you can only get spinach, that's perfectly fine.

3. Whole grains are becoming more available, but I make a special trip to the organic store to buy them in bulk.  I then store them in 1L canning jars.  If you are going to use them quickly, you can store them in the pantry, otherwise, you can keep them in the freezer to keep them from going rancid. The same goes for nuts.

Michael Smith's Mediterranean Salad

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Happy New Year!

If you are like me, you are a few dollars lighter and a few pounds heavier after the holiday season.  Around this time of year, I really feel the need to detox and lighten the load some.  For me, that doesn't mean juice cleanses or leek broth diets, it means eating lighter and including more fruits and vegetables at every meal - something that is very important for keeping your energy up for the final push through winter.

This salad is a great way to do that because it is full of several ingredients that will boost your energy and keep you going.  One of the problems I have with salads is that they are too light - they don't keep me filled.  But this one eats like a meal, and the chickpeas and olives provide healthy fibre and fat that keep me satiated.

Either as lunch or as a side to a dinner meal, this is one salad that you will keep coming back to again and again.  It serves 4 - 6.  (I have modified it slightly from Chef Michael Smith's original version).

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp English or Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt

1 - 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 small red onion, diced and soaked in cold water
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 - 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
15 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 romaine lettuce hearts, torn into bits
pepper

Directions:

1. Whisk first six ingredients together in the order listed (this will keep your tablespoon clean - trust me, I first did mustard and then oregano, and it was a mess!).  I like to make dressing in a small canning jar because then I can put on the lid, shake it up, and store the extra in the same jar.  Set aside.

2. In a salad bowl, mix the salad ingredients together except for the lettuce.

3. Toss the salad ingredients with as much dressing as you like and marinate in the fridge for an hour or so, if you have time.  If not, no problem.

4. When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the lettuce with some more of the dressing and then add the mixed ingredients on top.  Finish with the freshly group pepper.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Kalamata olives are the blackish purple ones.  You can sometimes buy them already pitted, but if not, just use the side of your knife to smash them gently and pull the pit out with your fingers.

2. Marinated artichoke hearts are usually sold in jars as opposed to cans.  If you have to use canned artichokes, make sure you rinse them first as they are quite a bit more acidic than the marinated ones.

3. Honey comes either pasteurized or unpasteurized.  I buy unpasteurized because it has more health benefits.  You can also buy different kinds of honey (wildflower, clover, etc.). These are based on the kinds of flowers that the bees were feasting on.  I really like wildflower honey.  I was also told last year that eating local honey can help with seasonal allergies.  Although I was a bit skeptical, I tried eating one teaspoon every day last year and found a noticeable difference…

Options:

1. You could make this with mixed Italian herbs instead of just oregano.

2. White wine vinegar would work if you don't have red wine vinegar.

3. You could also add a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top if you are so inclined.

4. If you are going to have leftovers, just make sure that you keep the lettuce separate from the rest of the dressed ingredients.  By doing so, this salad will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.  You might also want to leave out the tomatoes and add them at the last minute as well…

All in all, this is a great make ahead salad for potlucks, entertaining, or just for weekday lunches.  I have had several people comment that they do not normally like these ingredients separately, but mixed together with this dressing, it works!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Usually when I tell people that I like to cook healthy food, the first thing they ask is for ways to cook quinoa (pronounced keen-wa).  Common complaints are that it is soggy or that their husbands won't eat it.  My first suggestion for non-lovers of quinoa is to eat it cold, in salads, instead of hot and as a substitute for rice.  If you want to make your rice dishes healthier, use brown rice or wheat berries.  When quinoa is cold, it has a better texture and is not soggy.  Also, it tends to be a feature of the salad instead of the focus.  The reason that so many people are interested in eating quinoa is because it is the new fad food of the health world, even though it has been eaten by people in South America for thousands of years.  It is called the "mother grain" (even though it is actually a seed) because it provides all the necessary amino acids to make a complete protein.

On another note, I received a request from my sister-in-law to make something that contains Japanese long eggplant.  She is lucky enough to live in Los Angeles and grow fresh produce in her garden year round.  Apparently at the moment, she has a glut of these in her garden and needs inspiration.  Many of us in the northern parts are dealing with a similar predicament with zucchini and yellow summer squash.  Luckily for everyone, this recipe includes both of those vegetables as well as a couple of other gems from your summer garden.

This salad will serve at least three as a main course or six as a side.  It also saves really well, so you will be able to eat it for lunch the next day, too.

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup of quinoa
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 medium zucchini
1 eggplant (Japanese or regular)
1 Tbsp Italian dried mixed herbs
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup feta cheese
Half an avocado
5 Kalamata olives, pitted
5 medium leaves of fresh basil

Directions:

1. I do not cook quinoa the way most people do.  Most people cook it like rice, but I find that makes it soggy.  Instead, I cook it kind of like pasta.  Put 1/2 cup of quinoa in a medium-sized pot with a pinch of salt and a bunch of water.  Bring the water to a boil, and then immediately lower it to a gentle simmer.  Simmer the quinoa for about 10 - 15 minutes until the little "tails" start to uncurl.  You will know it when you see it.  Taste the quinoa to make sure that it is not hard.  When it has finished cooking, drain it and transfer it to a large salad bowl.  Mix in 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread the quinoa up the sides of the bowl so that it has more surface area to cool down.  This way, the excess moisture will evaporate away.  If you run it under cold water to cool it, it will end up soggy.

2. Cut the zucchini and the eggplant lengthwise into quarters and then slice into crescents.  If you are using regular eggplant, I usually don't use the very seedy part as it can be bitter and it gets soggy (apparently the goal of the day is to avoid sogginess!).  If you are using a Japanese eggplant, you can use the whole thing.  Sauté both in 1 Tbsp of olive oil with the Italian herbs and salt and pepper until they lose their crispiness - about 8 minutes.

3. Remove the zucchini/eggplant from the heat and add 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar to the pan.  Let cool.

4. At this point, you can cut the tomatoes in half, crumble the feta cheese, cut the avocado, dice the olives, and chiffonade (cut) the basil.  To cut the avocado, run your knife around pit lengthwise and then twist both halves to separate them, just like you would a peach.  Save the half that has the pit in it in the fridge for another use (leave the pit in to prevent browning).  Cut the remaining half in half again and then peel the skin away.  If the skin does not peel easily, it is probably not ripe enough, although occassionally you will get one that just has thick brittle skin.

5. Add the cooled zucchini/eggplant to the bowl with the quinoa.

6. Top with the tomatoes and the feta.

7. Add the avocado cubes and the olive pieces.

8. Sprinkle the fresh basil on top.

9. Serve with additional balsamic vinegar, if necessary.  Enjoy!

Options:

1. The first time I made this salad, I did not include avocado.  Then, Scott decided that he wanted to cut dairy out of his diet, so he suggested adding avocado instead of the feta.  Quite honestly, I thought it wouldn't work, but it did.  Then, he decided that he wasn't cutting dairy out of his diet anymore, so we started to include both feta and avocado in the salad.  It's up to you.  Same with any other ingredient - if you don't like olives, leave them out!

2. You can add white beans or cubes of chicken to make this a more substantial meal.

3. You can serve this salad over lettuce greens for even more nutrition (I usually do).

4. You can serve this hot or cold.  If you serve it hot (maybe with chicken), just throw everything together before the quinoa and zucchini/eggplant cool.  You might not want to add the avocado if you are serving it hot.  You can always add the avocado the next day when you eat the leftovers cold.

5. You can make this in advance.  If you are making it in advance, put everything together except the tomatoes and the avocado - add them at the last minute.

Leftovers:

1. With the leftover avocado, you can add it to another salad, or you can make avocado toast: whole wheat toast, mayo, avocado, salt, and pepper - yum.  If you don't eat mayo, leave it out.

Shopping Tips:

1. When selecting an avocado, you want to pick one that is just a bit soft, like a peach.  If they are all hard as a rock, you will have to leave it on the counter for a few days to ripen.  The really hard ones can take 5 days.  Usually, they will ripen in two to three.

2. When picking an eggplant, make sure that it is firm and not soft.  If you are using a regular eggplant, the smaller ones have fewer seeds.  Also, the ones that are longer have fewer seeds.  The ones that are fat have more seeds.  If you get an older eggplant with more seeds, you can just cut them out, or you can get rid of the bitterness by cutting the eggplant in half, liberally salting each cut side, leaving the eggplant at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then rinsing the juice and seeds away.  You will then have to dry it with a paper towel.  Honestly, I have never needed to do this.  I just don't use the seedy part because I usually have more than enough eggplant for this recipe.

3. Quinoa can be white, red, or black.  It doesn't matter which one you use. However, some are pre-washed and some are not.  If you buy in bulk or the package does not say "pre-washed", make sure you rinse the quinoa thoroughly before using.  It is covered with natural saponin (which tastes like soap) so that the plant can protect itself from pests.

Whether you are getting your ingredients from your garden, the farmers market, or the grocery store, this salad is a great way to make the most of your seasonal produce!