We were blessed with more snow on Saturday. It foiled our plans to go to a Violin Recital, Dog Obedience Class and Tu B’Shevat Seder at a friends this weekend but allowed my son to have a little snow time fun and me some time for baking. First, I made homemade bread. I haven’t made bread in awhile. It came out great but doing it all by hand made me wish I could find a bread machine that doesn’t have an unhealthy teflon coated pan. Yesterday night, I also made pizza with a homemade crust. Then today I made a great vegetable creams soup with lamb chops.
100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
adapted from a bag of The Old Mill Whole Wheat Bread Flour
2 c warm water
1/4 c molasses
1/4 c honey
2 pkgs dry yeast
2 1/2 t salt
1/2 c oil (I used olive oil)
5 1/2 c whole wheat flour
In large bowl mixed water, molasses, honey and yeast. Let stand until top looks foaming (~5 min). Add salt, oil and 2 1/2 c water. Blend for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining flour. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Knead in enough flour so dough won’t be sticky. Place in greased bowl and cover with damp cloth. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size. Punch down. Divide and shape into 2 loaves. Put into greased pan. Let sit until doubles in size again. Bake at 350o for 30 minutes or until loaves test done.
Followed the above directions but after dividing into 2 loaves I put the loaves in the fridge. The next morning, I took them out and let them warm and rise for 1 to 2 hours then baked for 30 minutes. Came out great but a little bitter when hot. After cooling all day the bitter and yeasty flavor went away.
I wasn’t too happy with my pizza dough. Back to the drawing board on that.
Now for the soup, I created the recipe myself based on some ideas I got from my dad and what I had available.
Cream of Winter Vegetable Soup with Lamp Chops
1 lb Lamb Chops, thawed
32 fl oz MimiCCreame Cream Substitute
1.5 c goat milk (can use fresh for previously frozen)
1 c turnip, cubed
1 1/2 c potato, cubed
4 carrots
1 lg parsnip
6 baby bella mushrooms
1/2 lg purple onion
2 Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon
5 cloves garlic
Rosemary Infused Olive Oil (for cooking lamb chops)
White Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
Add chopped veggies, MimiCCreame goat milk and bouillon to large pot. Brown lamb chops in olive oil and a dash of white wine on iron skillet. Saute mushrooms and onions in same skillet, add oil and wine as needed. Add lamb chops, mushrooms and onions to soup. Simmer 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The lamb was tender and flavorful. The soup base was flavorful, a little sweet (from the parsnips I got from my garden) and quite rich. For soup, would add some broth in the future. However, it worked out. We used the left over cream sauce over mulit-grain pasta to make a sort of Pasta Alfredo the next evening for a quick and easy dinner. Yummy. Later this week, I will use the left over veggies as a side.