Homemade Soft Pretzels

Thanks to Pinterest, I think I found a winning recipe this weekend that will lead to a lifetime of happiness! This recipe for soft pretzels that may have just changed my life. As with all things bread-related, I assumed soft pretzels made from scratch would be messy and time consuming. Not so, my friends. 

These babies can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your cabinet (except perhaps for a packet of yeast) and take only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Read on to learn the secrets of easy pretzels, just like you would buy at the ball game or theme park.

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Ingredients:

1 packet active yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

1.5 cups lukewarm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Teaspoon salt

4 cups flour, plus up to ½ cup more as needed

1 egg (for basting)

Coarse sea salt or cinnamon sugar for seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheet with parchment paper 

1. Stir the packet of yeast into a bowl (I used a Kitchen Aid stand mixer) of 1.5 cups warm water (stir for about 1 minute, no need to have to water at a specific temperature). Next, mix in the sugar and salt.

2. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix until dough is no longer sticky.  Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.

3. Knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes using your Kitchen Aid dough hook, or simply turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until dough shapes into a ball.  

4. Cut ball of dough into 1/3 cup sections (approximately).  Roll the dough into a rope that is even in diameter and approximately twenty inches long. (Rolling is the hardest part: I put the dough at the top of a cutting board, rolled it down with both hands, and repeated this motion until I got a good long rope).   

5. Once you have your long rope, take the ends and draw them together so the dough forms a circle. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape.  

6. Beat an egg in a shallow bowl, such as a pie plate, and give the shaped pretzel a nice bath on both sides. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt or cinnamon sugar (1 Tablespoon cinnamon mixed with 1/3 cup sugar).

7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F degrees. Turn the oven to broil for 5 additonal minutes (15 minutes in the oven total) to get the tops nice and brown.  Be sure to watch them closely in this step so they don't burn!

 

 

 Serve with mustard or melted cheese...and enjoy any day of the week!

Florentine Kitchen Knives

A long while ago I can across an ad for these beautiful Florentine kitchen knives. When I originally clicked on the link some months back, the site had not been created yet, so I bookmarked it and forgot about it. Well, I just check it and now the site is live!

The knives are all hand made by Tomer Botner, an independent designer who works in Tel Aviv. Check out the photos below for a look at his work, or visit his blog to see additional photos showing the knife-making process. Aren't the colorful handles beautiful?

 

 

Easy Apple Crisp

Costco is a dangerous place. I recently tagged along with my sister and her boyfriend, and ended up purchasing a big flat of Fuji apples. As part of my new year's plan to get more fruits and veggies into my diet, I thought this was a great idea. However, lots of peanut-butter-and-apple snacks later, we still had a ton left, so I was ready to cave in and make an apple crisp. 

I'm so glad I did, because it was absolutely delicious and received rave reviews from Stuart. I also made the delicious discovery that a scoop of leftover apple crisp added to plain Greek yogurt in the morning makes an AMAZING breakfast. Recipe modified from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients:

Filling:

6 cups apples (cut into thin slices, about ½ inch wide)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon sugar

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9-inch pie plate or an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish.

2. Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, oats and nuts) and mix until there are no large pieces of butter visible. You can use a food processor, but I started with two knives and then finished mixing by hand – messy but effective. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

3. Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, and toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

4. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. (If you insert the tip of a sharp knife into a chunk of apple, it should be tender, not too mushy.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

 Shown here with vanilla ice cream, but also heavenly with Greek yogurt for breakfast

The Healthiest Foods

I've never been a big resolution maker. Every time the new year rolls around, I just tell myself to try and stay reasonably healthy, save more money,  and not to take the loved ones in my life for granted. I have the same mentality going into this year, so you definitely won't find me swearing off cookies and candy. However, that doesn't mean that I can't try and add more healthy, nutrient-rich foods to my diet. After doing some research online on the "best healthy foods to eat," I've compiled the below list of foods to guide my trips to the grocery store this year. 

Eggs
Greek yogurt
Salmon
Nuts
Edamame
Oatmeal
Avocado
Broccoli
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Garlic
Blueberries
Apples
Pomegranate juice
Popcorn
Dark chocolate

Already this year I've eaten loads more salad and eggs, along with a near daily dost of oatmeal topped with fruit and pecans. I've left some foods off the list that are purportedly healthy but I'm not that partial to. If you're interested in continuing your own research on powerfully healthy foods, check out the links below!

Prevention.com
EatingWell.com
HuffingtonPost.com

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Happy New Year! Wow, it's hard to believe that 2012 has already come to a close, and that 2013 is upon us. This past year was truly an amazing one, and I have high hopes for 2013. One of my big upcoming life events will be completing my Masters degree in English, *hopefully* traveling to Europe with Stuart, and *possibly* moving back to California. So much is in flux right now, but in the end it is exciting to go with the flow and embrace the moment. 

I figured that with all the healthy new years resolutions that were no doubt made this week, I should take a break from posting anything with sugar and instead post this delicious recipe for tortilla soup that I came upon in my most recent issue of Sunset magazine. I added fresh sliced avocado to the soup before serving, and it was the perfect combo of spicy from the chile and crunchy from the crushed tortilla chips. Yum yum, perfect for winter AND the waistline!

 

Ingredients:

1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs, cubed (I used shredded cooked chicken, such as grocery store rotisserie chicken)

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes

1/2 to 1 serrano chile, halved and sliced

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups coarsely crushed corn tortilla chips, divided

1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese or shredded pepperjack

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Sliced avocado

Lime wedges

Preparation:

1.    Heat broth, covered, in a medium pot over high heat until boiling.

2.   Add chicken, onion, tomatoes, chile, beans, and spices.

3.   Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors.

4.   Stir in 1 cup tortilla chips; ladle into bowls.

5.    Serve soup with remaining 1 cup tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.