Food Week: Fantastic Day Four

Good Morning!

I was obviously in a cooking mood yesterday because I went all out. First, I tackled this spectacular Mediterranean stew that has been in my "Recipes To Try" book for a few years now. Then, I made a fresh loaf of whole wheat french bread to go with it.

The stew was AMAZING. I didn't know what to expect because it was quite different from what I would usually go for (I found it when I was going through a vegetarian phase). It is very flavourful. If you don't really like pepper, I'd suggest cutting the amount back a bit because it's pretty powerful by the end.



So first things first: Yeast bread takes a while, and therefore must be started first!

Whole Wheat French Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast (half of a packet)
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp margarine, melted
2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in the first 1/4 cup of warm water. Add sugar, salt, butter, and 1/2 cup water. Mix thoroughly then add flour. Mix until dough becomes smooth (no kneading required). Cover the bowl and let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Flour your work surface, place dough on work surface and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Roll  out into a rectangle (about 10x8 inches). Roll the dough up (from the longer side) like a jellyroll and squeeze the ends together to seal it up. Place it on a greased & floured cookie sheet (with the "seam" on the bottom) and let it rise for another 45 minutes - 1 hour.

When it's done rising for the second time, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make a few diagonal slices across the top and bake it for 20-30 minutes, until it's lightly browned. Let it cool for a while before slicing.

Next, you have to tackle the stew (and a MASSIVE amount of chopping).

Mediterranean Vegetarian Stew

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 cups zucchini, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add tomato, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, red pepper and 1/4 cup water. Simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Add eggplant, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add zucchini, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in basil leaves just before serving for best flavour. Garnish bowls with parmesan cheese.

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