A new family favorite is my Focaccia-Omelette Sandwich, which makes a tasty breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
While it’s extremely easy to make, the focaccia needs at least 5 hours of rise-time, so planning ahead is crucial. You don’t want to short-change this time period since this is when flavor and gluten development occur.
Note: Use a metal pan to bake the focaccia, if possible, to promote a crispy crust.
FOCACCIA – OMELETTE SANDWICH
- 3¼ cup (400 grams) bread flour
- 1½ tsp (4 grams) dry yeast
- 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 14 oz (1+2/3 cup) (380 ml) water, room temperature
- 1½ tsp kosher salt (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
- 6 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
- toppings such as olives, sliced shallots
- 2 tsp dried oregano, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 10 eggs
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 T fresh basil, chopped
- 3 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 6 oz Fontina cheese, shredded
- 1 large tomato, sliced
Place the flour, yeast, and sugar in the work bowl of your food processor. Turn machine on and drizzle in the water through the pour-spout. Mix for 2 minutes, then let rest for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the kosher salt and run machine for another 2 minutes.
Pour 2 T olive oil into a rectangular or square container with sides at least 3″ high, covering the bottom and sides. (The square corners train the dough somewhat and help it fill the corners of the baking pan. If you don’t have a container like this, just use an oiled deep bowl.) The dough is going to rise very high, then collapse somewhat. Cover container and let rise 5½ – 6 hours. Note the low height of the dough when I pour it in. 
Here’s after 2½ hours:
After about 4 hours it starts to collapse a bit – this is normal. 
After dough has been rising for 5 hours, preheat oven to 500º Fahrenheit, rack in the middle position. If you have a baking stone or steel (I use a steel), place it on rack as the oven preheats.
After dough has been rising for at least 5½ hours, spread 2 T olive oil on the bottom and sides of a metal 9½” x 13″ metal pan. (I know, I know – the pan has, obviously, seen better days!) 
Note how bubbly the dough is: 
Gently pour the dough into the prepared pan, nudging the dough into the corners – try not to deflate the dough. 
If you’re using toppings such as olives or slices shallots, sprinkle them on, lightly pressing them into the dough. Let dough set uncovered for 20 minutes. 
Brush 2 T olive oil over dough, then sprinkle on 1 tsp oregano, pepper, and salt. 
Place in 500º F preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well browned on top and sides have pulled away from the edges a bit. Remove from oven and let rest in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Decrease oven temperature to 350º F, leaving oven door open to expedite the oven temperature drop.
During that 10 minutes, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add in the red pepper, basil, Feta, table salt, and the remaining 1 tsp oregano. Beat mixture to blend. After removing focaccia from pan, line the bottom and sides of the empty pan with parchment. Brush a light coating of olive oil on the parchment, then pour in the egg mixture. Place in the oven at 350º F and bake until egg mixture is no longer wet – about 12-15 minutes.
While omelette is baking, remove focaccia to a cutting board. Using a long bread knife, very carefully slice bread in half horizontally. (Take your time – the edges are crispy, making it difficult. I’ve found it best to cut into the bread only – not in and out, which tends to tear the bread.)
Once the bread is completely sliced through, leave it together to retain its heat.
After removing the omelette, let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes to set. You can use this time to slice the tomatoes and shred the Fontina.
When the omelette has set, remove the top of the focaccia and set it aside, cut side down. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Fontina cheese over the bottom half. (The cheese is going to serve as a glue to hold everything together.) Remove the omelette from the pan by using the parchment to lift it. Set it beside the bottom half of the focaccia, long sides next to each other. Carefully peel the parchment away from the sides – I use a knife help separate the egg from the parchment.
Fold the long side of the parchment that’s next to the bread under to get it out of the way. Using the 2 short sides parchment ears, lift and flip the omelette on top of the focaccia bottom. Peel away and discard the parchment.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the remaining Fontina on top of the omelette. Layer on the sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle on remaining Fontina and cover with the focaccia top.
If you like, you can place the entire sandwich on a cookie sheet and heat at 400º F for about 10 minutes to crisp it up, or you can go ahead and slice it up as is.
This soup started out as a Stuffed Squash recipe I was developing. I had a lot of leftover filling and, as it was on the bland side, knew we weren’t going to eat it. But as regular readers may know – I HATE waste!!! There was no way I was going to throw it out.
Let cool enough to handle. Scrape out and discard seeds and fibers. Cut into 1/2″ slices, then cut away the peel. Cut flesh into 1/2″ cubes. 
While squash is cooking, cook the rice.
Add in shallot, garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes over medium/high flame, stirring often. 
Add in squash, rice, garbanzo beans, cranberries, pecans, thyme, chopped tomatoes and it’s juice, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve.
I’ve rarely met a potato dish I didn’t like. However, I was never very happy with homemade potato cakes. There’s a slight difference between potato patties, latkes, hashbrowns, and pancakes. I’ve tried making them all and never been very happy with any…until America’s Test Kitchen came to the rescue.
Drain, then return potatoes to pot or large bowl. 
Mash potatoes until smooth and let cool about 10 minutes.
Form 8 3″ patties – they’ll each need about 1/2 cup’s worth of potatoes. Make sure to press the patties together firmly so they don’t fall apart. 
Beat the whole egg with a fork and pour onto a plate. Pour the panko onto another plate. Dip each pattie on both sides into the egg, followed by the panko. 
Set all the patties aside for 5 minutes before frying.
Place on a cookie sheet and keep warm in the 200º F oven. Cook the remaining 4 patties in the same manner. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until ready to eat.
I’ve been on another quest. (For some reason, my quests usually involve chocolate.) This time I was on a search for the perfect brownie recipe.
Immediately pour hot liquid into bowl with chocolate, stirring to melt chocolate completely. Allow to cool 10 minutes, stirring now and then. (You’re going to be adding eggs, and don’t want to cook them.)
Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in approximately half of the eggs and mix in completely. Pour and mix in the remaining egg. Stir in the vanilla.
Add in the flour mixture, pecans, and mini chocolate chips. Mix just until all the flour has been incorporated. 
Pour into prepared baking pan, smoothing batter flat. If desired, sprinkle on fleur-de-sel.
Bake at 325º F for about 28 minutes. (They start to look done at around 25 minutes in my oven, but I let them go a few minutes more – otherwise they’ll sink too much as they cool and be a little too gooey for my taste.)
Remove from oven and let brownies completely cool several hours before cutting. (This takes a LOT of self-control!!) Note: They’ll still sink a little at 28 minutes, but not as much as they would at 25 minutes.
Let me start by pointing out the quotation marks around the word SAUSAGE mean imitation. (For you carnivores, you can use real sausage.)
Add in onion, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes – until onions are softened. 
Add in stock, beans, tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boil, cover, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in spinach off heat and check for seasoning (I add another 1/2 tsp salt). 
Sprinkle servings with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, if desired.
Speedy Thin Crust Pizza has become my go-to pizza recipe not only because I can have it on the table in a little over an hour, but because it’s REALLY good. It’s a very thin pizza with a nice chew.
Set the workbowl on the processor base and run the machine for 10 seconds.
Let mixture set in place for 10 minutes. Add in the salt and process for 30 seconds. 
Empty dough onto a floured counter and fold the dough onto itself a few times to bring the dough together. 
Divide the ball in half and place each one on a piece of oiled (I use olive oil) parchment paper approximately 12″ wide. DO NOT USE WAXED PAPER – IT’S TOO THIN!!!
Rub the tops of the dough with a little more oil then top each with another piece of same-sized parchment. Press down with your hands to smoosh the dough into a square to get it started. With a rolling pin roll both dough balls to about 13″ x 10″ using short strokes, working from the center outward. (I find it easier to keep the parchment from sliding on my counter if I place it on a dry tea towel.) Let set 30 minutes.
Use this time to get your toppings ready.
Carefully peel away and discard the top parchment (which used to be the bottom parchment). 
Top pizzas with your choice of sauce and toppings.
Slide the pizza with bottom parchment onto the preheated stone or steel. 
Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate the pizza 180º, then remove and discard the parchment by securing it in place with a spatula with one hand and pulling out the parchment with the other. (The parchment won’t burn your fingers, so you don’t need to use an oven mitt as long as you don’t touch anything else.) 
Let bake another couple of minutes, until it’s browned to your liking. Remove from oven, let set a minute or two, then slice it up and serve. (This is not the same pizza I placed in the oven in the above pictures.)
Slice sweet potato in half lengthwise and scrap out pulp, leaving a 1/4″ border intact. 
Chop pulp to break up strings, then mash. 
Stir mashed sweet potato into jalapeño mixture along with all but 2 T of the cheese.
Fill each sweet potato shell with the mixture. Sprinkle 1 T cheese on each half. At this point they can be covered and baked just before serving.
Bake at 375º F for about 8 minutes, until sweet potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted. 
Serve immediately.
I’m not sure when it happened but, for better or worse, every year new foods become pumpkin flavored during Autumn.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold to mix.
Empty onto a well-floured counter and knead about 5 or 6 times. (I use a bench scraper to help since the dough is sticky.) 
With floured fingers, pat dough into an 8″ circle (try to keep the dough to an even thickness) and cut into 8 wedges.
Place on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet (I prefer a dark sheet that’s greased.)
Bake at 400º F with the rack in the middle position for about 16 minutes. They’re at their best when they’re slightly dark on the bottom. 
The last time I baked them, I thought I overcooked them (see photo), but they were amazing – a slight crunch on the outside and perfect chew inside. So when you check them for doneness, look for slightly dark sides. 
Then remove from oven onto wire rack to completely cool before icing.
For easier control over the drizzle, pour icing into a spouted cup or a pastry bag with a small circle tip. Design as you wish.
Allow icing to harden before serving.
I love Indian food! In particular, I look forward to the soft chewy naan bread. I previously posted a plain naan bread recipe (
During the half hour wait, sauté the onions: In a skillet put 3 T olive oil, the onions, and salt. 
Over medium to medium/high heat cook until onions are well browned. Adjust heat as necessary. (This step can be done ahead of time.) Remove from heat to cool a bit.
Once the dough has set for 1/2 hour, add in 3 T olive oil, buttermilk, baking powder, onions, and about 125g (1 cup) of the flour. Blend to combine and break down onion somewhat.
Add flour in increments until you get a dough that’s only slightly tacky to the touch. 
Pour dough into an oiled bowl, flip dough so both sides are oiled, and cover. Let rest about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Pour dough onto a lightly oiled counter (not floured). Cut into 8-12 pieces, depending on how large you want them.
As it’s cooking, roll out next dough ball(s).
Remove to a tea towel and wrap to keep warm.
Taste for seasoning, adjusting as needed.
Vegetarian Cooking For Carnivores BLOG 