YES….Asparagus bread with Parmesan cheese and Walnuts and uh… Arugula

It’s been a long time that I wrote anything on the blog. Not even posting more photographs of the gnocchi , not posting about the daring bakers and cooks challenges. Past couple of months have been absolutely crazy. It’s an absolute surprise how time flies by, really…….doesn’t the time ever get tired of just ticking. Oh, I get crazy running after it, never really making it. I want to be on top of situations and reach appointments early……….but the reality is …I am mostly running late. If I wake at 5 am in the morning, the day and the task list gets longer……..I start thinking…..”Oh, why didn’t I wake up at 4″ And……I don’t even work outside the house……..I don’t know what is wrong and do I even have the time to think of it…..ha?

Anyway, now that I have opened up my heart, written a full paragraph without interruption……….(ah, lets not count the fact that I have a fidgety 1 year old who landed up on my lap scribbled a little on the table till I actually handed her “writing book”) OK OK……focus, focus………I just had to break my silence on the blog and I have been so excited this past month about the Bread Baking Babes.

I baked the bread they blogged about and it just tasted superb. I had to blog about it and yeah………..today is the last day if I want the badge. I always manage doing things…….it’s ok if on the last minute. A friend a few years back illuminated me about the JIT….Just in Time Theory. Well, I am a perfect practitioner.

Asparagus, walnuts, parmesan cheese and baby Arugula/Rocket

I was going to bake this month’s BBB bread no matter what cause I love baking breads and these folks bake great looking breads:-) . I was out of almost every bread baking ingredient so I bought a lot of stuff. It was fun. Baked the bread yesterday…..and was really thankful that it was not difficult. The only added activity for me was shelling the walnuts but I better use them before they go bad.

The Recipe:

Asparagus Bread (with Parmesan Cheese and Walnuts)

2 small loaves

This bread goes very well with a cold meat and salad buffet.

125 g green asparagus ……..9 pieces for me

25-30 g rocket

50 g walnuts,

50 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

450 g strong bread flour (you can also use half whole wheat and half white or white whole wheat if you can get that)

12 g fresh yeast or 1 1/4 tsp dry instant yeast

250-270 g water

25 g olive oil…….1 1/2 Tbsp for me

10 g (sea) salt………….1 1/2 tsp. for me

• Boil 3/4 liter of water with a pinch of (sea) salt. Clean the asparagus, set two of them aside, cut the rest into 4 pieces. Boil these pieces for 2 minutes in the water, scoop them out (so you can use the water for the rocket as well) and rinse under cold water (to stop them cooking).
• Put the rocket in the boiling water for a few seconds (until wilted), drain and rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Press the water our of the rocket, chop it coarsely and cut the asparagus into 1/4 inch (± 1 cm) long pieces, set aside.
• Crush the walnuts coarsely and grate the parmesan.
• Measure the flour and yeast in a large bowl, mix in most of the water and knead for a few minutes (on low speed), add the olive oil and knead for 10-12 minutes. Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes until very elastic.
• Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Work the asparagus pieces, rocket, walnuts and parmesan in with care so that they’re evenly distributed. The dough should be very supple and elastic, hence the long kneading time. For me the best way to incorporate all the ingredients is to spread the dough out into a large slap, sprinkle all the ingredients on and roll it up. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, press flat and fold… rest 5-10 minutes press flat and fold. Shape into rounds.
• Place the dough in a greased container, cover and let rise for about 2 hrs.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
• Make round balls, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Flatten the balls and fold into taut breads with slightly tapering ends. Lay one asparagus in lengthwise in the middle of the bread and press in slightly. Sprinkle with wheat flour and cover to rise for 70 minutes or until doubled. Before baking you can sprinkle a little grated cheese on the bread if you like (optional).
• Preheat the oven (preferably with stone) to 460ºF.
• Place the loaves directly on the stone. Spray with water (or poor some hot water in a metal container on the bottom of the oven that you preheated to create steam)
• Lower the temperature after 5 minutes to 400ºF. Open the door after another 10 minutes to let some air in. Repeat twice during baking.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

(adapted from: “Artisan Bread” -Jan Hedh)

Original post can be found on the blog “Notitie van Lien” ©2009.

www.notitievanlien.blogspot.com

I used half whole wheat and half bread flour. I followed the recipe exactly except for these changes: Mixed with hands, mixed flour, yeast , salt and water together and then knead in oil.  After letting the dough rest for about minutes, I incorporated the greens and walnuts , shaped the dough and left it to rise. No excessive resting allowed in this house. Next I shaped the bread for final rising on the sheet I was going to bake it in. I do not have a stone, so I baked the breads on a normal baking sheet. Sprayed some water on the loaves before baking and baked for 40 minutes. The bread tasted fabulous. One thing I’d change about my recipe is that I would spread some cornmeal instead of the whole wheat flour I put under the loaves as I was in a rush (always!!)

One more note about the ingredients: I should admit that I am not an asparagus fan at all and the husband has very limited likes in the vegetable world. But, what do you do if you have an adamant wife determined to put all kinds of vegetables on the plate:-) ? And the husband can’t even complain these days cause the 31/2 year old catches it instantly …….”even Papa doesn’t like broccoli” . So, I these days find the husband eating broccoli and actually saying  that he likes it:-)………even when there are other choices:-). Ok, gist of the matter…..everybody at home enjoyed the bread thoroughly. This is a delicious bread, do try it…..and it’s even good for beginners as the recipe is so simple. Thanks Lien!

After the second rise, before baking

Baked loaves

Pick a slice………….

Expenditure:

Asparagus………………….1.57 lb. …………$3.12 ,        from Busch’s………lots left

Arugula……………………5 oz………………$ 3.99        from Busch’s………lots left

Argentine Parmesan……..0.62 oz……………$5.57          from Busch’s………lots left

Whole wheat flour(KA)…. 5 lb………………..$3.22          from Walmart…….lots left

Bread flour………………..5 lb……………..$2.64         from Walmart…….lots left

——————————————————————————————————–

Total………………………………………….$18.54………..

That’s an expensive bread! The pleasure I got out of baking and eating it……….priceless……

 

Baked Guna

Baked Gunas with a cup of milk and thekuas

Its fun participating in the various events going on this season. That was part of the reason why I wanted to write a foodblog; to be able to participate and chronicle my recipes. So, I have been really excited about participating in the Eat Christmas Cookies event hosted by http://foodblogga.blogspot.com. And, I got a surprising go-ahead from my Doctor when it seems like I am not going to get gestational diabetes this time around. This news definitely called for a celebration!

I have never seen my mother bake a lot except cakes and nan khatai……..the only Indian cookie that could be made at home. But I have seen my mother deep fry a lot of snacks.  As I wanted to try something authentic, I decided to try one of her standard recipes and bake it instead of frying. The result was fabulous, delicious like fried yet healthier.  I also wanted to use a recipe which had whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour and oil instead of ghee which is almost entirely saturated fat.

Though not a regular everyday snack, Guna is certainly made on Hartalika teej in Uttar Pradesh. It is  accompanied by “mathi” which is plain, unsalted form of Guna made using all purpose flour.  Hartalika teej is a 3 day festival which takes place on the onset of monsoon, the third day of first fortnight of ‘Bhadra’ month based on lunar calendar. Its a festival very dear to the womenfolk cause it celebrates them in a way. Rural parts have fairs and make shift swings seem to spring up on every tree. Women adorn themselves with jewellery, new clothes and its basically fun time.  Mythology states that Goddess Parvati had penanced for a 100 years to be able to unite with Lord Shiv. Goddess Parvati is worshipped on Hartalika teej  as her blessings would lead to marital bliss. The difficult part for married women is that they have to fast, without water on the second day. The next day, fasting women break their fast with guna and mathi. As I do not celebrate teej anymore here in  the US, I can certainly make it as a sweet treat for Christmas. The festive spirit’s the same!!

The recipe:
(Makes 50-60 gunas)

Whole wheat flour 2 cups
Almonds 1/4 cup
Walnuts 1/4 cup
Jaggery 1 cup
Green Cardamom 2
Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp.

I have used jaggery in this recipe cause it gives a very distinct taste to the gunas. First wet the jaggery in as little water as possible, just to make it pliable enough to be mixed with flour. Alternatively you can put small pieces of jaggery in a food processor and mix the sticky jaggery with flour. Soaking the processor container in water for 10 mins will clean it without a hassle. Grind the almonds and walnuts along with cardamom to flour like consistency. A few bigger pieces remaining would be fine. Mix all ingredients really well. This is the most difficult and important part: mix everything really well.

Flour, oil and grinded nuts

Mix the ingredients well

If you need to add any water, just keep adding by fistfuls, till you are able to make a hard dough.

Guna Dough

Make 3 parts of the big dough and roll it with hands till you have a thinner, longer dough piece. There will be oil on your hands as well as the rolling board. Having enough oil is the key to making crisp yet not hard gunas. Break it with hands along the cross section into smaller pieces or use a knife to cut. Heat the oven to 350° F. Flatten the small rounds now using a rolling pin. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and keep putting the flattened rounds on it.  Bake it in the oven for 8-10 minutes. The gunas get crisper as they cool.

The gunas are ready!

Another sweet called thekuas can be made from the same dough.

Small rounds are made of the dough. The colander imprint is made by pressing on the colander.

These are baked at 350° F for about 15-20 minutes.
My personal choice are the gunas. Hope you like them too!