Swedish limpa bread

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (plus extra, as needed. You'll see)
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tbp sugar
• 1.5 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp crushed caraway seed
• 3/4 cup water (plus 4 tsp, for later)
• 3 tbp molasses (plus 1 tbp, for later)
• 2 tbp butter
• 2 tsp coffee
• 1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp whole caraway seeds

Combine the all-purpose flour, rye flour, yeast, sugar, orange peel, salt, and crushed seeds in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup water, 3 tbp molasses, and 2 tbp butter over low heat until it reaches about 120-130 degrees F. We just guessed on this one. Heat it for about 5 minutes or something. Stir in the coffee.
Stir the water/molasses/butter/coffee mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. The resulting dough will be very sticky. Very sticky. And it won't look like bread dough. Add extra all-purpose flour until it does look like bread dough.
Turn in out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes. Cover with an inverted bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
Continue kneading the dough for another 5-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape dough into a ball, place in a large greased bowl (we used pam) and also pam the top of the dough. Loosely cover with greased plastic wrap.
Do the microwave trick and let the dough rise in the microwave for 75 minutes.
Turn dough out onto counter. Using your hands, press the dough down into a rectangle. Use your knuckles to dimple the bread. Fold the bread in thirds (the short way), press it out again with your hands, then fold it in thirds in the other direction. Pinch the seams shut. Drop this rectangle into the bread pan.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and do the microwave trick again. Let it rise for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Stir remaining 4 tsp water together with 1 tbp molasses. Set aside.
After an hour, uncover the bread and make 3 diagonal slashes in the top of the dough. Use a bread knife or steak knife for this or else it won't work. Trust me. I've tried.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take bread out of oven and brush the top liberally with the molasses mixture. Sprinkle the top with the whole caraway and fennel seeds.
Bake for another 10 minutes. Take bread out of oven and brush top with molasses again. The top should be starting to look pretty dark at this point. This is normal. It is not burned.
Bake for another 10 minutes. Take the bread out. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Turn the bread out and let cool for another 5 minutes. Eat it.
Ok. I'll just tell you right now. We skipped 2 out of 3 of the final steps. Can you guess which ones?

Thoughts: This was pretty sweet. And also delicious. I was worried that the amount of molasses in the bread would make it totally gross, but you can't really even taste it. The caraway and fennel are killer. Dan can't think of anything to add. We bought WAY more rye flour than we needed for this recipe, so chances are, we'll make this bread again, but using a different recipe. More to follow.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Meatballs

This is based off of a Rachel Ray recipe.

Ingredients

• ~2 lbs ground chuck/beef/sirloin/whatever. You could even use turkey.
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tbs dried parsley
  
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Mix all ingredients together with your hands in a largish mixing bowl.
Make balls of about 1/2 inch and place on non-stick cookie sheet.
Bake in oven for about 10 minutes.

Thoughts: This recipe was ridiculously easy and quick. And it was also delish.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• milk, until it looks right

Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, honey, vanilla, and peanut butter.
Add the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and stir well. Slowly start adding milk until it looks right. Stir until smooth.
Make pancakes.

Thoughts: Rather than serving these with syrup, I recommend serving them with jam. What you can do is this: scoop out as much jam as you need, put it in a saucepan, and add a little water (a few tablespoons). Cook on medium heat until the jam starts to break down and get more liquid-y. You will need to stir constantly because it will be sticky. Once most of the lumps are out of the jam, remove it from heat and pour it over the pancakes. Nom nom nom.
I could personally use more peanut butter in these things, but Dan seems pretty happy with the flavor.

Disaster Index: 1-2/10

Bread from a Sponge

This is Alton Brown's recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb flour
  
• 10oz water
  
• 1tsp yeast
  
• 2tsp honey
  
• 2tsp salt
  
• 1tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/6c water
  

Mix 5oz flour, all the water, .25tsp yeast, and all the honey in a container. This is called a sponge. Cover it and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours (or, for a stronger flavor, as far as I can tell, DON'T refrigerate for 8-12 hours). At the end of this period, mix the flour, salt, and remaining yeast in the bowl of a kitchen aid. Add the sponge and, using a dough hook, mix until combined. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes, then start mixing the dough again with the dough hook to knead the dough, alternating between low and high speed for about 10 minutes - until you can pull the dough into a thin sheet you can almost see through without it breaking.

Now set the dough in a humid environment to rise until doubled, about an hour. I like to boil water in the microwave and then set the bowl in there. When it's doubled, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Press into a rectangle with your fingers and fold in three, like a letter. Press it out again and fold it in the other direction (again, in three parts). Now draw the corners into the middle and turn it over in your hand. Now there are four "new" corners (what were previously the middle of each edge before you drew the corners the first time). Draw each of those into your hand to tighten the smooth side of the dough. Now, on a lightly floured surface pass the ball around in a circle between your hands, keeping it upright, to tighten the top and smooth out the bottom (as far as I can tell).

Set the dough on a surface well floured with cornmeal and cover for another hour. Preheat oven for 400. After the hour, paint the dough with the corn starch mixture, and then slash the dough a couple of times using a serrated knife. Place the dough on a pizza stone (or if you don't have it, a baking dish, I guess) and bake for 50 minutes, until brown. Let sit 30 minutes before slicing.

Thoughts: This recipe is amazing. I've had some difficulty with "kneading" the bread in the kitchen aid, but this may be related to the age of my appliance. Is it from the 1970s? Appearances say yes. Anyway, next time I make it I may knead it with my hands after combined. The hardest part so far has been transferring the completed bread to the pizza stone, which needs to be hot. Not sure what to do there. Suggestions?

One of our favorite breads after making it only twice.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Crust for Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/3c flour
  
• 1 stick butter
  
• 3.5tbsp cold water
  

Cut the butter into the flour. Add the water and mix as best you can with the knife. Using your hands, work the mixture into a dough. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. When dough is done chilling, roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper and place in a pie tin or something equivalent. Patch any obvious cracks and holes.

Using a fork, poke a ton of holes in the bottom of the crust and along the edges. If you want, you can flute the edges of the crust, too. Cover the crust with tin foil, and weight the dough down with dry beans or spare change from a change jar.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil, and then bake for another 5-15 minutes, until somewhat dry and lightly golden. Let it cool, and it's ready.

Thoughts: I think this turned out really well. If I were to make quiche again, I would use this recipe exactly for the crust, though I might bake it a little longer.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Spinach, Shrimp, Asparagus, and Bacon Quiche

Compiled from a recipe by "Carissa Seward" found on Food Network and "Donna's Shrimp, Bacon, and Asparagus Quiche" apparently from the "Channel 3000" web page.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
  
• 1.5c skim milk
  
• 1/2tsp dill weed
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 2-3 strips of turkey bacon
  
• 2c asparagus, chopped to 1.5-2" stalks
  
• 1.5c (precooked) shrimp, tailed
  
• 10oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed out
  
• 4oz mozzarella
  
• 1 recipe quiche crust
  

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl with the dill and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a pan, crisp the bacon. Remove and crumble or chop. Add bacon to custard mixture and grate in 1/2 the cheese. In the vacant crust, distribute the asparagus, shrimp, and spinach. Pour custard mixture into crust and grate the remaining cheese over the top. Place in the oven until the cheese on top is browned and the custard is set. Took us about an hour. Let it sit 10 minutes before cutting.

Thoughts: Claire felt it needed more seasoning, and next time we should use non-skim dairy, like 2% or cream (like the original recipes called for). I suppose that I agree. I liked the flavor, though.

Disaster Index: 2-3/10 - good flavor, though the texture was SLIGHTLY off.

Basic Tomato Sauce

For serving with stuffed pasta shells.
Ingredients

• ~35oz San Marzano tomatoes
  
• 1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1/2c fresh basil, chopped
  
• 1tbsp dried parsley
  
• olive oil, salt, pepper
  

Just sauté the onions in some olive oil. When they're translucent, add the garlic. Let it cook for 30 more seconds, and then add everything else. Let it simmer for five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. If you used whole tomatoes (as I did), break them down a little with the edge of your spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want a smooth tomato sauce, put it in the blender.

Thoughts: You could add any number of other seasonings or ingredients. This is pretty much what it sounds like: basic. I used San Marzano because I discovered my local grocery has 35oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes for ~$1.50. So.

Disaster Index: 2/10 - Something of a workhorse, but it's nothing special.