Monthly Archives: May 2015

Homemade Pita Bread

It’s summer and one of the perfect canvases for a summer meal is the reliable pita bread! Let’s all remember my mother is Greek!! Last weekend, I decided to tackle homemade pita bread, thinking it was a big chore and difficult to do, much to my surprise it was super easy. I know you’re thinking really how is this easy? It’s 5 steps –  measure, mix, rise, pull and grill. If you are like me , how many times have you watched Bobby Flay make flatbread or pizza or pita on the grill and wonder how is this not a mess. I’m here to tell you , Bobby speaks the truth when he says it’s easy. The key is to put  the dough on the grill and let it bake a a minute or two.  The dough pulls away naturally once it’s baked.  The taste of home made pita is so superior to store brought you will want to give this a try!  I’ll have a few recipes coming up that is the perfect complement to homemade pita! Yum!!

From by the bay, wishing you perfect pita food memories!

Maryann

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Home made Pita Bread

Adapted from mygreekdish.com as posted by

 

Ingredients

  • 17 1/2 ounces  all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon dry yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 glass of lukewarm water (40C)

 

Instructions

  1. To prepare this pitta bread recipe start by sieving the flour into your mixer’s bowl. Add the yeast, sugar and salt and blend with a spoon.
  2. Add a little bit of water and start mixing, using the dough hook. Pour in the water a little bit at a time, at a steady stream, whilst mixing. Wait each time for the water to be absorbed and continue adding some more.
  3. Depending on the flour, the dough may or may need a little bit less water than this pita bread recipe calls for. After mixing for a while, the dough for your pita bread should become an elastic ball. If the dough is still crumbled, you should add some more water. If it becomes too sticky, this means that you added more water than needed. In that case, add 1 tsp of flour and continue mixing.
  4. When done, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place, for at least 1 hour, until it doubles its size. This is an important step for this pita bread recipe, so that the pita bread becomes fluffy and soft.
  5. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead a little bit with your hands. Split in 6 evenly sized portions.
  6. To form the pita bread, you can either use a rolling pin, or stretch it with your hands for a more rustic look (and my preference actually ), about 1/4 inch thick.
  7. Heat an outdoor grill.  Put the stretched dough on the grill and close the cover. Let bake a minute or two and flip the bread. Grill another minute and remove. If you don’t want to use the grill – heat a non-sticking frying pan to medium-high heat (with no grease) and fry each pita bread for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until slightly colored and still soft. To give more color, push the pita bread with a wooden spoon on the pan. Remove the serve.
 

Green Tea ( Matcha) Pound Cake

During my recent trip to Thailand , I came across desserts using powdered green tea or matcha. Matcha has been used over the years as a mood enhancer. It is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Using the powdered green tea as an ingredient to my pound cake lends a light green color to the batter. Once the pound cake is baked it lends slight acidic yet sweetness to the cake. The results using green tea in my pound cake result is a cake that is beautiful to look at and delicious to eat!

From by the bay, wishing you green tea food memories!

Maryann

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Green Tea ( Matcha) Pound Cake

Ingredients cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon matcha ( powdered green tea)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Ingredients Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 5 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon matcha ( powdered green tea)

Directions
Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Coat a 9x5x3″ loaf pan with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.Whisk 2 cups flour, salt,  matcha and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1–2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Add milk and vanilla; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled) 2–3 minutes. Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan. Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake. Cool. Combine ingredients for glaze in a bowl and mix until smooth. Drizzle on top of cake. Let glaze harden and serve. Store airtight at room temperature.

blog green tea cake

Jalapeno Kale Coleslaw

blog jalapeno slaw

I’m getting ready for the summer and grilling season, which has me in the kitchen testing new light side dishes. Here is a delicious new take on a favorite classic, coleslaw. My slaw adds some shredded kale, the dressing is light and bright using fresh lime juice along with fresh jalapeno and olive oil. Using the food processor ensures that the jalapeno flavor is subtle and it doesn’t add much heat but lots of flavor. You’ll love to add this dish to your summer meals.

From by the bay , wishing you bright summer food memories!

Maryann

 

blog jalapeno slaw 2

Jalapeno Kale Coleslaw

Serves 6

Ingredients for salad

1 head of green cabbage , finely shredded

1 cup of kale, remove ribs and finely shredded

1/2 cup red onion finely sliced

Ingredients for dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 4 limes

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 small jalapeno seeded and chopped

Directions

To make dressing combine all the ingredients in a food processor and first pulse and then mix until emulsified. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.