Roasted Cauliflower Fried Halloumi Tacos with Spicy Avocado Basil Guacamole

1 large, or 2 small, heads cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced
1 cucumber or zucchini, shredded

Corn tortillas, to serve
 
For guacamole:
1 avocado, halved
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 jalapeno
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Kosher salt and pepper
 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 
On a baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, oil, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, stir in black beans and toss vegetables, and then return to oven to roast for another 10 minutes.  
 
Meanwhile, make the avocado guacamole.  Add half the avocado, basil, pine nuts, jalapeño (remove seeds for less heat), lemon juice and oil to a food processor and pulse until chunky smooth.  Dice the remaining avocado half and stir into the pesto.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.
 
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.  Once hot, add the halloumi slices and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly golden.  Remove and drain onto paper towels.
 
To assemble, layer the cucumber/zucchini, and cauliflower in the tortillas. Top with fried halloumi and guacamole.
 
Serves 4.
 
From Half Baked Harvest blog, with minor change

Molasses Multi-Seed Bread

3/4 cup (170 g) warm milk, 105° to 110°F
1/2 cup (113 g) warm water, 105° to 110°F
2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup (113 g) white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups (300 g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon wheat gluten included)
2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) salt
1/4 cup (85 g) molasses
3/4 cup (129 g) King Arthur Artisan Bread Topping*, divided
 
To make the dough:
In a large bowl or the bucket of your bread machine set on the dough cycle, combine all the ingredients except the bread topping.  Mix and knead until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms, adding a tablespoon of flour if needed.  Knead in 1/4 cup of the topping.
 
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until puffy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
 
To shape the bread:
Deflate the dough and divide it in half.  Roll each half into a 12” rope.  Roll one of the ropes in the remaining topping.  Pinch the ends of the ropes together and twist one over the other, pinching them together at the opposite end.
 
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased tea loaf pan or similar long loaf pan (12" x 4").  Cover and let rise until the bread domes 1” above the edge of the pan, about 1 hour.  Toward the end of the rising time, heat your oven to 375°F.

To bake the bread:
 Uncover the loaf and bake it for 32 to 36 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the center registers 190°F.
 
Remove the bread from the oven and place the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.  Tilt the bread out of the pan and return it to the rack to finish cooling completely.
 
Store bread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
 
*If you don't have Artisan Bread Topping, use a combination of 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, and 1/4 cup each of two of the following: sunflower seeds, flax seeds, poppy seeds, onion seeds (kalonji).
 
Makes 1 loaf.
 
From King Arthur Flour

French-Style Chicken and Potatoes

Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup:
20 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
Large pinch of onion powder
Large pinch of garlic powder
Large pinch of dried thyme
Large pinch of salt
 
French-Style Chicken and Potatoes:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken thigh cutlets (with skin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, sliced
1 cup dry white wine (or substitute additional chicken stock)
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
3 carrots, cut into thick batons
500 grams baby potatoes, halved
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme), plus extra to serve
 

Make condensed chicken soup: 

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour.  Stir to create a paste.  Cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in milk until mixture forms a smooth and thick paste.  Gradually whisk in stock, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme and salt until mixture is smooth.  Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 F.

Make chicken:

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy-based flameproof ovenproof dish over high heat.  Add chicken, skin-side down.  Cook for 3 minutes or until skin is light golden.  Turn.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

Carefully drain any excess fat from dish.  Return to heat.  Add garlic and onion.  Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add wine.  Simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.  Add Condensed Chicken Soup, ½ cup of water, stock, mustard and sugar.  Stir to dissolve mustard.  Add carrot, potato, rosemary and thyme.  Stir to combine.

Return chicken to pan.  Cover.  Transfer to oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove lid.  Bake for a further 20 minutes or until chicken is dark brown and cooked through.  Stand 5 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with extra thyme

Serves 4.

From Taste.com.au

Hot Caramel Milk

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk

Put sugar in small saucepan over medium heat.  Shake pan gently to distribute sugar as it melts.  Meanwhile, microwave the milk to warm it.

Caramelize the sugar; cook to a deep amber.  Be careful not to let it burn.  

When sugar is ready, remove from heat.  Add milk in a steady stream as you stir.  The sugar will seize up and there will be sizzling, but keep stirring.

Place pan back over lower heat.  Make sure to keep the heat sufficiently low that you don't boil the milk.  Continue stirring until all the caramelized sugar is melted into the milk.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 2 cups.

From ContemplatingSweets.com, with minor change

Pot Roast Chicken with Apples and Cider (and optional cabbage)

2 tablespoons butter, divided
3 1/2 to 4 pound chicken
7 ounces (200 grams) bacon, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 onions, cut in half-moon slices

1/2 green cabbage, cut into ribbons (optional)
1 cup cider
Salt and pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
A little granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Heat the oven to 325 F.

Melt half the butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other heavy, oven-safe pot into which the chicken will fit snugly.  Season the chicken and brown it gently on all sides, turning it with two big wooden spoons to keep from piercing the skin.

Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.  In the same pot, cook the bacon until golden on all sides, then add the onions and cook for a few minutes more, just to get them nice and buttery.  Add cabbage, if using, and cook for another few minutes.

Put the chicken back in the pot on top of the bacon mixture and add the cider.  Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.  Season with salt and pepper and add the sprigs of rosemary.  Cover the pot.

Cook chicken in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours.  When it is cooked, the juices between the leg and the main body of the chicken should run clear when pierced at the thickest part.

While waiting for the bird to finish cooking, quickly sauté the apples in the remaining butter until just tender, sprinkling them with a little sugar to give sweetness and help them color.

When the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot, cover with tin foil, and keep warm in a low oven.  Bring the juices in the pot to boil and add the cream and mustard.  Boil until you have a sauce that will just coat the back of a spoon.  Check the seasoning, and add the cooked apples.  Serve the chicken, either whole or jointed, with the sauce.

Serves 6-8.

From Roast Figs Sugar Snow by Diana Henry, with a few changes

Vidalia Onion Pie

1 recipe pie crust
1 medium Vidalia onion (or substitute another sweet onion variety)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream (omit the cream and use more milk if you prefer)
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 heaped cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, preferably white
 
Heat oven to 400 F.  Prepare pie crust.
 
Peel and slice the onion 1/8-inch thick.  Cut most of the rings into halves or quarters, while leaving a few slices whole for topping the pie.
 
Gently whisk the eggs to break them up, and whisk in the milk and cream.  Season with onion salt and pepper.
 
Spread the cheese out onto the pie crust, and then follow with most of the onions, reserving a few rings for the top.
 
Pour the egg and cream mixture into the pie crust; it should just fill it to the top.  Arrange a few whole onion slices over the top of the pie.  Put the pie on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to transfer to the oven) and bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until the pie is risen and golden brown.  If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the pie halfway through.
 
Let the pie cool slightly and serve it nice and warm, or enjoy it at room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, it reheats well in a low oven or in the microwave.
 
Serves 8-10.
 
From The View from Great Island blog

Cinnamon (and maybe Raisin) Sourdough Bread

Dough:
1/2 cup (113g) sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard
3 cups (361g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
1 large egg
5 tablespoons (71g) butter, softened
2/3 cup (152g) lukewarm water
 
Filling:
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup (74g) raisins (optional)
 
To make the dough:
Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.  Place the dough in a lightly greased container, and allow it to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
 
To make the filling:
While the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
 
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.  Roll and pat the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 6" x 20".  Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle it evenly with the filling and raisins, leaving a bare strip about 1" wide along one short edge; this will make the log you're about to roll easier to seal.  Starting with the short end that's covered with filling, roll the dough into a log.  Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed.  Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan. Cover and allow the bread to rise until it's crested about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.
 
While the dough is rising, heat the oven to 350°F.
 
Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 to 20 minutes.  The bread's crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on a digital thermometer.  Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges.  Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust.  Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

From King Arthur Flour