Easy Focaccia

One of my longtime yoga students, Fahy Bygate, shared this recipe with me years ago. It's super-easy and really delicious.

Note: Instead of using chopped fresh rosemary, which I rarely have in the house when the inspiration to bake focaccia strikes, I stirred a teaspoon of ground rosemary into the dough. It infuses the bread with a delicious flavor.

2 cups lukewarm water (85 to 95degrees F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups flour
2 to 3 t. salt
2 to 3 t. olive oil
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 t. kosher or sea salt

Measure water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Stir in 2 C of the flour and the salt and stir briskly until smooth, about 2 mins. With a strong wooden spoon stir in the remaining 2 C flour for about 2 mins longer, just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the flour is incorporated. The dough will be fairly wet and tacky but when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a loose ball, you'll know the dough has been stirred sufficiently. If it seems too sticky, stir in an additional 1/4 to 1/2 C of flour.

Same day method: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. 30 to 40 minutes. Proceed with the shaping instructions.

Overnight method: Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. The dough will rise in the refrigerator and acquire flavor from the slower yeast action. Remove the dough 2 hours before shaping and let stand, covered, in a warm place. The dough will rise for the second time. Proceed with the shaping instructions.

To shape into focaccia: Preheat oven to 500 F. Oil one or two nonstick 13 by 18 baking sheets. Pour the dough onto the sheets carefully scraping it from the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Brush dough with 2 t. olive oil. To make the traditional focaccia with indentations, dip your fingers into cold water or olive oil and insert them straight down into the dough. Make the holes in the dough by pulling it to the sides about 1 inch at a time. Pull the holes at random to form little craters all over the pan showing through where you have put your fingers. As you work, stretch the dough into a 1-inch-thick-oval. Brush the loaf with another t. of olive oil and sprinkle with the rosemary and sea salt. Focaccia does not need to rise but if you forget it for a few minutes, don't worry. It will bake beautifully despite a little neglect.

To bake: Place pan in the oven and reduce the oven temp to 450F. Bake for 15 to 20 mind until the focaccia has a nice, golden-brown color with a little darker brown around the indented area. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on rack.

Tunisian Carrot Salad

This too is from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. A quick & easy and surprisingly different way to add some color and flavor to a meal.

2 cups peeled and grated carrots
2 Tbsp currants
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (recipe calls for ground, but I used whole)
pinch cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp orange juice

Place the carrots and currants in a serving dish. Warm the oil in a very small saucepan. Add the garlic, coriander, caraway and cayenne and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes -- just long enough to cook garlic and spices. Remove from heat, add the salt and OJ, pour over the carrot mixture and stir well. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Alternative Caesar Salad

I love Caesar salad, but being lactose-intolerant, typically I can't eat it. But I recently discovered this recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Daily Specials, which was easy to modify to vegan. Amazingly, my non-vegan, cheese-loving, sometimes picky family enjoyed it as well. I also switched the crouton bread from baguette to something a little more substantial, mainly b/c that's what we had in our freezer tonight.

SALAD
4-6 slices Trader Joe's multi-grain sourdough bread
2 hearts of romaine, well-rinsed and dried

CROUTON SEASONING
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp ground rosemary
2 Tbsp olive oil

DRESSING
2 sun-dried tomatoes, softened
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp mayo (or vegan mayo)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp capers
1 tsp caper bring
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350. But bread into 1-ich cubes and bake on an unoiled baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until golden.

2. Meanwhile, tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic and rosemary in olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. When garlic is golden, pour oil/seasonings over the bread cubes and toss together right on the baking sheet. Set aside.

4. Drain and mince the softened sun-dried tomatoes. Place half of them and the rest of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and combine until smooth.

5. Toss the croutons and Parmesan with the romaine. Drizzle on the dressing and scatter the reserved sun-dried tomatoes on top.