Sweet Potato Brownies (Vegan)

As much as Bacon, I equally love my veggies too. I've learned that there are alternatives to cooking, and many ways to substitute ingredients to find that loophole in eating treats. This is a fantastic way to disguise some extra nutrients in your brownies. You get some extra protein (5.6 grams per brownie) iron from the cocoa, with a vegetable serving, all at the same time. I call that a WIN!

3/4 cup Garnet Yam or Sweet potato, mashed

1 cup peanut butter
 (creamy or chunky, they both work)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

1/3 cup AP flour (You can substitute Oat or gluten free flour)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips + more for the top, optional

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt

Mix Peanut Butter, Yam and vanilla extract. Stir in dry ingredients until well incorporated. Spread evenly on a 8x8 Brownie pan and Bake at 325˚ for 20min, until the middle is no longer gooey. (Yes, that's a technical term). Here's the hardest part. WAIT until cooled to cut and eat.

Scallion Pancake

It's about time I post how to make these. As much as Thanksgiving Turkey is a tradition, so is Turkey Jook and Scallion Pancakes the next morning. My Aunt used to make these for the family and was the Master Chef and never measured a thing. For all the in between time I wanted them, I started making them as well. I also don't measure anything while making these, so here goes some approximations with pictures.


Ingredients
3 c AP Flour
1 c water
4 tbs Vegetable Shortening or Lard
1.5 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
5 stalks scallions, chopped (1.5c)
Vegetable oil or Bacon renderings for frying.

The dough is 2-2.5c AP flour to 1c room temperature water. Mix until it's a soft shaggy ball and cover. Let rest for 4-12 hours.

On a well floured surface, roll out the dough. 

Spread a thin layer of lard or vegetable shortening (crisco) evenly. 

Add a thin layer of sesame oil. Sprinkle salt and scallions. Roll up the dough and cut into 2.5-3in pieces. 

Pinch both ends closed, flatten and roll out into a pancake. Add a little vegetable oil to a pan and fry on a medium heat until browned. (Tip when it begins to be translucent, flip).

Let cool until you no longer burn your mouth and EAT!

Milk Bread

Asian stlyes milk bread is another favorite. Soft and moist, but not too sweet. This makes the BEST french toast, PB&J's and a mean base for cinnamon raisin bread (pictured left). 

Tangzhou
1/2c Milk
2 Tbs Bread flour

Dough
2 1/2c Bread Flour
2 tsp Yeast
1 egg
1/2 c Milk
2 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Kosher Salt

Heat up Milk and Bread Flour, whisking to create the Tangzhou. This

comes out like a Roux. Set aside to cool and whisk in the egg.

In a bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients. Warm your milk and butter to lukewarm and add to the bowl with the Tangzhou. Mix until it becomes a ball. Cover and let sit until the dough doubles, about an hour depending on your room temperature. Punch down and let the dough rise again.

Cut dough into quarters. Flatten, fold into thirds. Roll out and then roll into a ball in the pan. Let proof for 30 minutes. Brush with an egg wash and Bake at 350˚ for 15-18 minutes, until browned on top.

Chex Mix

A favorite snack back in the Hawaiian Islands and crowd pleaser at parties, at the beach, or by yourself on the couch bingeing on Netflix.

Sauce Base
1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup light corn syrup

2 tbs Shoyu sauce


Snack Mix
2 (12oz) packages crispy corn and rice cereal (Chex, Crispex, etc)
2c pretzels
1.5c Roasted Peanuts

optional
additional mix ideas (Cheerios, honeycomb, bugels) 
1 (1.9 ounce) bottle aji nori furikake

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).

Melt the butter and sugar together in a small sauce pan over low heat. Remove from heat, then stir in the corn oil and corn syrup. Place the cereal on a large baking sheet. Pour the butter mixture over the cereal, then sprinkle the furikake while tossing the cereal to coat.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cereal is dry, stirring every 15 minutes to keep cereal from browning too quickly. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Bobka!

Fred's Bakery  has the best bobka on the west side of LA. This doesn't quite compare to theirs, but you can't go wrong with chocolate and bread.

Bread

1 packet 7g Active dry yeast
1/2 cup Whole milk
3 Tbsps Sugar
2-3/4 cup  All purpose flour (OR 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat flour)
3 Eggs
1 Yolk
2 tsps Kosher salt
7 ounces Butter, softened

2 eggs Whisked, for egg wash

Chocolate Bobka filling
4 ounces Chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces Butter
1/3 cup Cocoa powder
1/2 cup Powdered sugar 

Directions
Place the milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand.

Add the flour, eggs and yolks and salt and mix for about 6 minutes with the dough hook.
Check for a windowpane and add the butter until incorporated. 

Cover the dough and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

To shape, first flour your work table and a rolling pin. Grab your babka filling and a spreading spatula or spoon. 

At this stage, you can choose to either make one large babka (in a 10" round cake pan or large loaf pan) or split the dough into two smaller babkas in regular rectangular loaf pans. Line the loaf pans with parchment paper. 

Roll out the dough into one large rectangle (about 10"x15") or two smaller ones. The rectangle should be wider from side to side. Spread the babka filling everywhere except the last 1" on the top of the rectangle. Roll the rectangle up in a tight log and pinch the naked edge up into the exposed dough. 

Divide the roll in two and twist them together. Place the dough into your pan(s). Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours. 

Preheat your oven to 375F. Brush the top of the loave(s) with egg wash. Place in the oven and turn the heat down to 350F immediately. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before unmolding. 

Mix it all together.

Pickled Onions

A simple but excellent garnish to so many dishes. I like them on Avocado Toast, Tacos, and in sandwiches.

1/2 c Vinegar
1/2 c Water
1 tsp Salt
1 tbs Sugar
1 large Red onion, sliced.

Place all ingredients in a Mason Jar and let sit in the refrigerator for a week before eating. You'll know they're ready when the onion color in the jar is uniformed. The jar will last for months, well, they'll be good to eat for months if they don't make it that long.

Crusty Boule

With lots of time on my hands, it's back to baking basics. My dutch oven is a staple in the kitchen not just for stews and soups, but soft crusty bread. It traps steam in while the bread is baking, creating that crusty outside. Carbs, Omnom nom nom...

Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (active dry or highly active dry work best)
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water


Optional ingredients for a variation on your loaf. Pictured is a bacon & onion loaf.
- garlic & rosemary
- caramelized onions and bacon
- olives

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast.
Add the water and stir using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a shaggy but cohesive dough.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 8-24 hours. Dough will bubble up and rise.



About an hour before you want to bake the bread, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your Dutch oven, uncovered, into the oven to heat up to temperature.
 
While your Dutch oven preheats, turn dough onto a well-floured surface and, with floured hands, form the dough into a ball. I cut a round piece of parchment and place the dough on it and cover with an upside down bowl to let rest for 45 minutes to proof.

After your dough has proofed, carefully remove Dutch oven. Score the top and place the bread dough into it. This will be easier to maneuver with the parchment paper under the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove cover and bake for 7-15 minutes more, uncovered (just keep an eye on it as cooking times will vary).
Remove the bread and place on a cutting board. Try not to eat the entire loaf in one sitting by yourself.