Man'oushe- Lebanese Flatbread with Za'atar

There's this great grocery store that sells stuff from pretty much every place in the near East- including a fantastic variety of fresh breads, such as man'oushe (as it is known in Lebanon, though it is known by other names elsewhere). There's plenty of topping options, but my favourite is the za'atar and olive oil breads (and the miniature ones with cheese and olives... but that's another experiment waiting to happen). I bought a big bag of za'atar in hopes of making my own version, but previous attempts had all been slightly disastrous (read: tooth-chippingly dry and hard). At last, I decided to try again with a new formula that contained such surprising bread ingredients as cake flour and a whole tablespoon of sugar, and finally found success.

 I made some with za'atar and olive oil, and some with a vegetable spread that I thought might go well. I also took care not to overbake them, pulling them out of the oven as soon as they were golden to prevent another bread-frisbee. They came out fantastic, maybe not as good as the professionals make them, but the freshness of home-baked bread is unrivalled. And if they were so good on my first try- I'll be practicing this recipe a lot more often. They're soft and tender and can be topped with vegetables and cheese to make a sort of pizza, as I ate mine. Maybe I'll make some with cheese and olives next time...

Man'oushe with Za'atar
From Rose Water & Orange Blossoms

2 1/2 C. AP flour
1 C. Cake flour
2 Tsp. Salt
1 1/4 C. Water, lukewarm
1 Tsp. Dry yeast, or 15 g. Fresh yeast
1 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Oil
1/2 C. Za'atar
1/2 C. Olive oil

Mix the za'atar and olive oil and set aside.

Mix flours and salt. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 C. of the water and leave for 15 minutes.

Add the yeast mixture and oil to the flour mixture and add the water slowly until a dough forms- you can do this in a food processor, a mixer or by hand. Knead, pulse or mix on medium high until a smooth, elastic dough forms.

Let rise in a covered, lightly oiled bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Divide dough into four pieces and form balls. Let rest on a lightly floured surface, covered, for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 220℃, with a heavy baking tray or baking stone inside. 

Roll out the balls of dough into circles with a floured rolling pin. Rotate as you go to keep it evenly round, until the circle is about 1 cm thick.

Spread about 1 TBSP of the za'atar-oil mixture onto the round with the back of the spoon. Repeat with the other three Use a peel or other thin, sturdy tray to transfer the breads onto the hot baking tray or stone in the oven, and bake for 7-10 minutes.

Sourdough Ciabatta with Olives and Rosemary

This is one of my all-time favourite bread recipes. I sometimes make it with no additions, or with a larger component of whole wheat flour, but it's always beloved by everyone who tries it. It's a wheat bread with character and texture, full of large holes that give it that nice artisanal look, and has plenty of aroma even if you don't add the olives and rosemary. Of course, why wouldn't you? Olives are one of my favourite things, and baked into a fantastic loaf of bread the become even better. The rosemary's herbal, resinous flavour goes well with them, creating a bread good enough to be eaten completely on its own.

It makes a great bread to eat with cheese or herbed olive oil, as well- or for making burgers or sandwiches. You can try it with green olives instead of black, or oregano or thyme instead of rosemary, for a twist. You can substitute 200-300 g. of flour for whole wheat or spelt to give it a more distinct flavour, too.

Sourdough Ciabatta with Olives and Rosemary
Adapted from Ketex

For the Sourdough:
50 g. Whole wheat flour
40 g. Water
5 g. Sourdough starter

Mix all and let sit at room temperature for 16-18 hours.

For the dough:
Sourdough
950 g. Bread flour
30 g. Olive oil, plus more to grease 
685 g. Water
22 g. Fresh yeast, or 7 g. Active dry yeast
15 g. Salt
1 Jar of black olives, drained
2-3 Sprigs rosemary, minced

Dissolve yeast in water along with sourdough. Mix in oil. Add flour and knead for 20 minutes on medium-high using a stand mixer, or until elastic and stringy. Add olives and rosemary towards the end by hand.

Divide the dough into two halves and place each in a ziploc bag greased thoroughly with olive oil. Let rise 1 hour, after each 30 minutes stretching and folding the dough from outside the bag by flipping and twisting it. 

Let rise another 45 minutes, then stretch and fold again. Empty bags onto a floured surface and either cut into buns or allow to remain in one piece. Let rise covered for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 220℃. Bake for 30 minutes for buns, or 44-55 for a whole loaf, spraying the interior of the oven with a spray bottle of water each 10 minutes. 

Vermillion Veggie Burgers, Cinnamon-Cumin-Ginger Sweet Potatoes & Nutty Garlic Sauce

I've been experimenting with TVP recently- it seems like such a retro, hippie, first-wave vegetarian thing, but it's rightful in its longevity. It's very versatile and adds texture and protein to any number of vegetarian foods, including veggie burgers.

I made these with leftover pink beans, some TVP and quinoa flakes for a high-protein burger. I can't stand it when a meat substitute lacks any of the protein of the original thing- so I continue my search for how to make more sustainable protein-rich foods. These burgers also contain grated carrots for moisture and colour, which in combination with the paprika makes them vermillion-hued. I topped them with breadcrumbs and hazelnut flour for some crispiness and toasty flavour.

Instead of buns, I used slices of sweet potato roasted with cumin seeds, lemon olive oil, ginger and cinnamon to layer over and under the burgers. Even without the burger, though, they're a delicious side dish. Then again, I love all things cumin.

I also made a sauce from almond butter, vegan nut-based yogurt, and garlic to give a cool, creamy, tangy condiment to go with the burgers. It goes very well with the burgers, provided you can find nut yogurt. If not, you can use regular yogurt, or premade vegan mayonnaise. I also served them with red onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, olives and hot peppers for a complete meal.

While my search for a replacement for the classic burger continues, these are delicious, colourful, healthy fare. They look nice when composed, too.

Vermillion Veggie Burgers

1 C. Pink beans or pinto beans
1/2 C. Quinoa flakes or quick-cook oats
1/4 C. TVP
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Egg, or equivalent egg replacer (to make it vegan!)
1/4 C. Water
1 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 TBSP Smoked paprika
1 Tsp. Coriander
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
1/4 Tsp. Cayenne
1/4 Tsp. Mustard
1 1/2 C. Grated carrots
2 TBSP Ketchup
1 TBSP Vegetarian hoisin sauce or 1 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 C. Olive oil
1 TBSP Ground flaxseed
1 Medium onion, diced
3 Cloves of garlic, minced

Soak beans overnight in 6 C. of water. Cook for about an hour, until completely tender.
Mix all and mash together with a potato masher, or by hand, until a somewhat sticky mix forms. Shape into 9 patties and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 230℃.

For the Topping:
1/4 C. Hazelnut flour
1/4 C. Breadcrumbs
Oil, to brush
Salt and pepper, to taste

Brush patties with oil and sprinkle with hazelnut flour and breadcrumbs. Add a quick dash of salt and pepper. Bake until the topping is browned, about 20 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes with Cumin and Ginger

4 Large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into slices 1 cm thick
1 TBSP Cumin seeds
1 TBSP Lemon-infused olive oil, or 1 TBSP olive oil and the zest of half a lemon
1 TBSP Ginger, grated finely
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 TBSP Canola or safflower oil

Mix all but the sweet potatoes and 1/2 TBSP of the canola oil. Use the reserved oil to coat a aluminium foil lined baking tray. Preheat the oven to 230℃.

Use a silicone brush to coat the sweet potatoes evenly with the spiced mixture. Try to arrange on the baking tray for minimum overlap. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Nutty Garlic Sauce

2 TBSP Roasted almond or hazelnut butter
1/2 C. Nut milk yogurt, or plain yogurt
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP Lemon juice, or 1 Tsp. Rice vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
Black pepper and salt, to taste
Spring of thyme, minced

Whisk all together until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

American-Style Pizza Crust- Or, Soft and Thick Pizza Crust for an All-Star Pizza

Hey now, you're an all-star.

Everyone needs to have at least one good pizza recipe in their repertoire. It's an incredibly convenient and universally beloved food, welcome at almost any occasion, and then there's that awesome feeling when someone goes "wait, you made this?" I live for that feeling.

Anyways, pizza has come a long way in America, and has changed into something quite different from its Italian predecessors. Its crust is thicker, chewier and holds up a much heavier weight of toppings- and while it gets a lot of flack for that, it makes it a lot easier to add vegetables as well. By doing that you can make what is often relegated to the junk food category into a complete meal

And pizza can be any meal! Have it for lunch or dinner, eat the leftovers for breakfast or in the middle of the night should you want a quick midnight snack. Eat it hot or cold. Have it on its own or with a thick layer or your favourite hot sauce. I've even seen people roll it up of flip two slices together to make a sandwich. Pizza has become a part of who we are, at least here in Canada. And out pizza tends to be of the American variety (though Italian-style, thin and simple pizzas are rising in popularity).

I was worried I couldn't make a good pizza without a real pizza oven (or, for that matter, a pizza stone) but this recipe has changed my fortunes. It's a very simple dough that has that nice chewy, soft texture you'd expect from an order-in pizza with a bit more flavour. And once you've got a good crust recipe, you're really free to go wild with the toppings.

Seriously. Above is my attempt to make an eggplant parmigiano pizza, with panko breadcrumbs on the thin eggplant slices. It might be a Frankenstein-like fusion of Italian dishes, but it is delicious. Once you unlock the secret of the crust, no longer will you be forced to pay exorbitant amounts for mere sprinklings of extra toppings- a few sad presliced bell peppers, spongy white mushrooms, and so on. Nor will you need to pay the premium for "artisan" pizzas that aren't all that spectacular. You know, like pizza with pesto or more than two kinds of olive? People will put the word "artisan" on anything and punch up the price. But you are free from that sort of corporate tyranny now. The world of pizza is yours.

 I list recommended ingredients for one of my favourite arrangements of a pizza, a simple celebration of the flavours of mozzarella and tomato, accented with oregano, garlic and peppery arugula. Of course, basil is very nice, but somehow the one in my garden refused to take off and I'm too stubborn to go an buy it. So for the time being, arugula it is.

Make sure you use a good-quality mozzarella- many have a chemical aftertaste from the brine they sit in, and the ones that are shrink-wrapped aren't an improvement. Bocconcini are a very good way to have your cheese in convenient pieces- just halve them and arrange. As for any other toppings, make sure not to overload- if you must, add some more separately cooked toppings after baking. A pizza with too many toppings won't cook properly, and you didn't wait that long for a mushy mess. Stick to thin, evenly distributed slices, especially with toppings that release a lot of water.

That's about it. Get your game on, go, bake!

American Style Pizza Crust
Adapted from Annie's Eats
1/2 C. Warm water
2 1/4 Tsp. Active dry yeast, or 22 g. Fresh yeast
1 1/4 C. Room temperature water
About 4 C. (22 Oz.) Bread flour, or 3 C. Bread flour and 2/3 C. Whole wheat flour
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Extra oil and semolina or flour, for the pans

Recommended Toppings for All-Star Pizza
About half of a large bottle of tomato passata, (2 C.)
4 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 Large shallot, thinly sliced
1 Large ball of fresh mozzarella, or 1 container of bocconcini (about 300-350 g.), in slices
1 Large sliced fleshy tomato
2 C. Shredded provolone (or for something with more American flair, Cheddar)
1 C. Sharp grated cheese, such as romano, asiago or parmesan
Assorted vegetables in thin slices- e.g. cremini mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, olives (!!!) (Optional)
1 C. Chopped basil leaves or arugula, optional
Black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water and yeast and let sit 5 minutes. 

Add the flour and room temperature water and knead until a cohesive mass forms. Add the salt and oil and continue kneading until stretchy and elastic, when the dough no longer sticks to the inside of the bowl. 

Let rise in an oiled bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Oil two large metal baking trays or pizza pans and sprinkle with semolina or flour.

Preheat the oven to 250℃. Divide the dough into two balls and let rest 10-15 minutes. Stretch out to fit onto the pans, taking care not to tear the dough- if it does not want to stretch, cover with a cloth and let rest another 10 minutes.

Spread each pizza evenly with tomato passata. Sprinkle on the garlic and sliced shallot. Arrange the vegetables, if using, without making too thick or heavy of a layer (this makes the dough underneath raw and soggy).

Arrange the slices of mozzarella and tomato. Distribute a layer of the grated cheeses and sprinkle with the oregano. Add a dash of black pepper to each.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cheese is beginning to brown. If using basil or arugula, add to pizza and give one more minute in the oven.