Friday Plan

Okay we have several things going on today. I can not stress enough to relax and enjoy what you are doing in the kitchen making meals from scratch. I must confess though that one major reason I can relax more in the kitchen is I have a wonderful husband that does the dishes. I was talking with a friend one day when it dawned on me that many times when I think I look like I am doing good or have it all together it is because of him. My husband, he makes me look good. So there, I confessed it and I agree with it. On to the food ~



So today we are:
roasting fresh garlic
making hummus
making pita bread
making spaghetti
making garlic bread


Now that we know what we are doing we can prioritize. First things first, I already have a bag in the freezer of stewed tomatoes from the garden so I need to pull that out to defrost.

Now we need to drain the beans add them to the crock pot and fill with water. Turn on high add 2 tbsp sea salt and turn on high.

You can go ahead and roast the garlic in the morning too. That way maybe the heat from the oven will get the chill out of the air, because I refuse to turn the heat on just yet. Turn the oven on 400 and cut the top off of a whole head of garlic. Yes the whole thing and if they are small do two of them. Just leave the cloves attached and take a little off the top with a sharp knife to expose the garlic. Pour a little olive oil on top and wrap in foil. Set on rack in oven and roast for about 30 minutes. Pull them out and leave them on the counter to cool until later. Simple eh? Wait until you taste it though...

Now if you are able just to take advantage of the heat factor you can do the pita bread. Here is the recipe~

Pita Bread
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups wheat flour
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Preparation:Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.Combine white flour, wheat flour, and salt in large bowl. Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.Slowly add warm yeast water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until dough becomes elastic.Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded. Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated with oil. Allow to sit, covered, in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat non stick skillet to almost smoking. Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick. Place each circle in skillet one at a time turning once until the bread puffs up.



Hummus
31 oz. chick peas, drained but keep the juice to use some
1/4 cup Tahini
2 teaspoons salt and a little
3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually like roasted garlic here instead and use a whole head of it)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Add all but a few chickpeas (save a dozen for presentation) and all ingredients into food processor to create a smooth dip. Use some of the water the beans were cooked in if it is to thick. Just add a little at a time. Hummus is thick.
Place mix in serving bowl. Hummus can be served in a deep dish, or more commonly on a shallow dish, spreading the hummus around to cover the plate.
Pour extra olive oil on hummus dip to create pockets (do not cover completely).
Add several of the saved fresh garbanzo beans to the the center.



Garlic Bread
Cut in half lenghtwise a good loaf French Bread. Turn broiler on. Butter lavishly both sides of bread. Take roasted garlic head and squish out the cloves into a bowl. Smash all together and spread on top of butter on bread. Broil for about 3-5 minutes keeping a close eye out not to burn it.

Spaghetti Sauce
Last month when I had some fresh tomatoes I just washed them, took the top off and stuck them in my crock pot. I cooked them for about 8 hours on low skins, seeds and all. I then salted it, added fresh basil and oregano and whizzed it with my handy hand held blender stick until smooth and stuck it in the freezer. For spaghetti sauce I will simmer it with a can of tomato paste more herbs like basil, marjoram, oregano, garlic, thyme. Then I will add to it 1 pound cooked ground beef cooked with an onion and a few carrots sliced thin (cook until soft). Serve it over noodles and grate fresh REAL Parmesan cheese.