NO YEAST BREAD

I could live off of Bread and Bread alone and it is often the way my family starts many meals. This blog is dedicated to my Dad or maybe my Mom since she will be the one in the kitchen doing the cooking. Recently my Dad found out he was allergic to yeast, due to health reasons it was necessary for him to eliminate this from his diet. I wanted to make him a yeast free bread that would satisfy his craving for that starchy carb. So I began researching and found many recipes but I didn't want something similar to flat bread, I wanted a recipe that looked and felt like BREAD.

I came across an Irish Soda Bread Recipe, that used vinegar instead of yeast to get a rise and began trials in my kitchen. The result is this crunch on the outside, soft in the middle perfect substitution for a yeast bread. Hope you enjoy it as much as my Dad did.

YEAST FREE BREAD
4 cups Flour ( I used 1/2 Wheat and 1/2 White, you can do all wheat but I feel the texture is not the same)
1/2 tbsp of Blue Agava or if you prefer 1 tbsp of Sugar 
1/2 tbsp of Baking Powder
1/2 tbsp of Baking Soda
1 1/2 cups of Water
2 tsp Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp of Salt
1 Clove of Garlic
1 tbsp of Olive Oil

Pre-heat your oven to 425. In a large mixing bowl or an electric mixer, Combine water and vinegar. Add dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated, dough should form a ball. Lightly flour your working surface, kneed your dough for two to three minutes. Shape your dough (whether it be round as the picture or long), then with a sharp knife (dipped in flour) cut an X into the loaf . Bake your bread for about 35 to 40 min.

Optional:
35 minutes into baking, take the clove of garlic and gently rub all over the loaf (this gives it a mild garlic flavor with out over powering the bread). Then drizzle olive oil over the top.
*You can also brush the bread with vinegar to get create a nice brown crust.*

This is a very versatile Bread, you can adapt it to your meal or craving by adding herbs and spices. One of my favorite versions is to add Italian Seasonings and freshly grated Parmesan.

Buon Appetito

Crispy Sole

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I sure did! I had way to much pie and enjoyed spending time with family for the first time in many years. As many of you know my husband and I recently moved from sunny southern California to the Windy City. Though it has only been two months, I can honestly say we have fallen in LOVE with the Windy City but of course there are many things we miss from our year in California. So tonight I thought we would remiss and give you my take on one of the best meals I had while in California.

Enterprise Fish Company was one of our frequent restaurants while in Los Angeles, the food was excellent, the drinks were affordable and we always left happy and full. This recipe uses sole one of my favorite types of fish. Sole is very versatile, affordable, mild white fish that is easy to prepare and quick to cook. I usually use panko (Japanese) bread crumbs as I feel it gives the fish a little more texture and much more crunch (without frying) but today all I had was regular bread crumbs in the pantry, so as usual I adapted. 

  

Crispy Sole

6 to 8 Sole Fillets

3/4 cup of Bread Crumbs

1/3 cup of flour

1 egg

Lemon zest of 1 lemon

2 to 3 tbsp of olive oil

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

                                       

Lay sole fillets on your cutting board, season on both side with salt and pepper. Lightly flour each side, just sprinkling the flour on top of the fillet. Beat one egg and tbsp of water in a medium bowl. In a deep bowl or large plate, mix remaining flour, bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Dip the lightly floured fillet in the egg, then in the bread crumb mixture. Then place on cookie sheet or cutting board. Once all fillets have been coated place in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes. In a large non-stick pan add olive oil, once the pan is hot place fillets in pan. Brown on both sides, should take about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, only flipping once.

Have with your favorite side dish and or vegetable! 

Tonight I laid the crispy sole on a bed of wild arugula next to garlic broccoli and risotto (per my husband’s request). 

APPETIZER NIGHT

Oh how I love Friday. Friday is my favorite day of the week, it’s the end of the work week, beginning of the weekend and usually means HAPPY HOUR! My husband and I both have a soft spot for a good cocktail and some yummy munchies. So this Friday I decided to have Appetizer night at our house, I chilled a bottle of buttery Chardonnay and began deciding our menu.

After a long week of work, my goal is to have a nice glass of wine and good conversation, so limiting the time in the kitchen is key. As I scan our options I remembered I had some flat bread dough in the freezer (from a few nights back) and some frozen shrimp and so La Robertson Cucina dinner begins.....

FLAT BREAD PIZZA 

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is a yeast free dough, it is a great way to make homemade dough without much prep time. I love the flavor the grill offers the pizza and by placing it under the broiler the last few minutes of cooking I still get that golden brown cheesy topping I crave. Though I have tweaked the original recipe I must give credit where credit is due. I first saw this recipe in Giada De Laurentiis cook book, Giada at Home . Giada is one of my favorite chefs, I find her recipes refreshing and simplistic. We not only share in a love of our Italian heritage but she also believes in local, fresh ingredients.Thank you Giada!

3 ½ cups of flour (I prefer ½ all purpose and ½ wheat)

½ tsp of baking soda

1/3 cup of butter (unsalted, cut into small pieces, room temperature)

1 tsp of Italian Seasoning (optional)

1/3 tsp of Garlic Powder (optional)

1 tsp salt

Combine flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl or standing mixer. Add the butter and mix until incorporated. Once everything is incorporated slowly add approx 2/3 cup of water, you are looking for the dough to form a ball. This is easiest in a stand up mixer though I have down it by hand when in a pinch. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Separate the dough into 4 equal balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 30 min.

Since there are just two of us in my household at this point I freeze two dough balls for later use. Just another bonus, I use the dough for just about anything…pita bread, flat buns, etc. Place dough back on your lightly floured surface and roll to desired thickness. Remember there is no yeast in this dough so it rises very little during cooking. Drizzle olive oil over the dough and place on hot grill, grill on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks appear.

Depending on what type of pizza you're craving and or what is in your fridge at the time this can vary. I made two white pies with a little Lightlife's Gimme Lean fake sausage to top.

PIZZA TOPPING

½ cup of Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

½ cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded

1 cup of Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

1 tsp of Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp of Red Pepper Flake

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 slices of Lightlife’s Gimme Lean Fake Sausage (grilled and cut into small pieces)

Mix salt and pepper, Italian Seasoning and Ricotta Cheese together. Lightly spread across the top of each pizza. Then sprinkle on the remaining cheeses and meat, place under the broiler until cheese has melted and  slightly browned.

CAJUN SHRIMP

Shrimp is one of my go to proteins; we almost always have a bag in our freezer. I prefer to let the professionals peel, clean and devein those little guys making the preparation of the meal that much easier. I love shrimp because of their versatility . Plus, what other protein can you throw a few spices on, throw them on a grill and voila it’s time to eat!

20 Med Shrimp (cleaned and deveined w/ tails on)

½ smoked paprika

½ ground cayenne red pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add garlic and spices over shrimp. Mix together, making sure each shrimp has been coated. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to a medium to high heat. Drizzle olive oil on your pan or use any type of grill spray, place the shrimp on the grill, turning after 3 to 4 minutes. Shrimp should only take about 6 to 8 minutes to cook. When the shrimp turn pink to orange, they are ready to be pulled off. This recipe is for frozen shrimp, if you are using fresh or thawed shrimp adjust the cooking time to 4 to 6 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these Friday night pleasers as much as we did
Salute!


*Please bear with me as I evolve my skills in food photography*

VEGETARIAN NIGHT

Growing up in the Midwest, dinner just wasn’t dinner without some type of meat. When I met my husband he was a Vegetarian and had been for 7 years. It was an interesting concept to me, I mean I love vegetables but never considered a meat free diet.  I dove into the task of creating veggie centered meals and two years later I found myself a vegetarian by circumstance.  As much as I enjoyed being a vegetarian and discovering new foods, I missed the many flavors that a great piece of protein had to offer. So, now as two reformed carnivores, we still incorporate meat free dinners three or four times a week. 

As I surveyed the options I decided on Chickpea burgers, though my husband knows them as Veggie Burgers due to his weird aversion of chickpeas. Call me sneaky but he loves these burgers and wouldn’t even give them a try if they were labeled “Chickpea”, so that can be our little secret. 

I love these burgers due to their versatility; I make 6 burgers at dinner and can have lunch or even a re-purposed dinner with the leftovers throughout the week. Enjoying them as a burger on the first night, on top of rice the next and possibly even in a soup or veggie stew. These little patties are packed with protein and are a great meat replacement.

Veggie “AKA Chickpea” Burgers

1 Can (15 ounces) of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1 ½ Carrot

2 cloves of Garlic

¼ of a large Onion

3 or 4 springs of Thyme (removed from stems)

1tsp of paprika

¼ cup of Bread Crumbs

½ cup of Flour (plus extra for forming patties)

¼ cup of fresh parsley or cilantro

1 Egg

Begin with heating up your grill pan, thinly slice carrots and onion and place on grill pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill for about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and place in a food processor or blender. Add all remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and pulse. I prefer a rather chunky burger, so pulse is a better option for me but feel free to blend/process to your liking. If your mix seems too runny, add flour a tablespoon at a time until you reach your preferred consistency. Lightly flour your working space, form 6 burgers, lightly flouring each side. This makes it much easier to form as well as stay intact during cooking. Lightly drizzle your grill pan with olive oil or spray with a cooking spray. Cook on each side for 5 to 7 minutes at medium heat or until you have nice grill marks and the burger is warmed all the way through. Once you have flipped your burger you can add the cheese of your choice.

Before removing the burgers lightly toast your buns. I then top the burgers with our favorite Verde Salsa from Trader Joe's but the other options could be; avocado, lettuce, tomatoes. 

*This recipe is very adaptable, I often substitute the carrots with red peppers or any other vegetable I have on hand at that time. Keep your burgers on the thin side about ½ inch or the texture will be a little off.*

I hope you enjoy this light alternative to a heavy burger.

BREAKFAST CRAVINGS

Saturday and Sunday in my house means a homemade Breakfast! Though this can sometimes be a difficult task for me because my husband will NOT eat eggs, which can really limit the options. This morning as I scanned the  fridge and cupboards and noticed 3 bananas a little past their prime. So Banana Muffins it is! This is a basic recipe with a simple twist, to lower calories and keep me full. They are easy, yummy and done in no time. I have removed the sugar and substituted Blue Agave.For those of you who don't know Blue Agave is a low glycemic natural sweetener great for diabetics, people watching their calorie intake or who just want to reduce the amount of refined sugar in their diet. I hope you find these as yummy and moist as my husband and I......ENJOY

EASY BANANA MUFFINS 
3 to 4 Bananas (I prefer 4 for a stronger banana flavor)
1/4 cup of Blue Agave (you can use 1/2 cup of sugar instead)
1/4 cup of Ricotta (this is optional, I like to add it for moisture and little protein) 
1 Egg
1/4 cup of butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Flour (make the 1/2 cup heaping to even out the addition of the Blue Agave)

Preheat over to 300 degrees F. Mix all the wet ingredients together banana, sugar, eggs, ricotta and butter. Then in a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Then combine the dry into the wet ingredients. Either spray your tin with a cooking spray or lightly grease, then pour your batter into the muffin tin. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. This recipe makes 12 muffins. *The low heat is due to the Blue Agave, if you use regular sugar adjust cooking temp and time to 350 degrees F for 20 min.*

Additions: Personally, I would love to add chopped walnuts, dried cranberries or even chocolate chips but my husband likes his sweet and simple. If any of you are more adventures please let me know what you added and how they turned out.