carrot-y goodness.

i had too many carrots in the fridge. initially, i thought that i would make a carrot cake of some sort. But that seemed a little boring and since it was just going to be me eating this, a whole lot of cake didn't seem like a good idea. So i went looking for a carrot quick bread to make instead. unfortunately, all the recipes i found involved tons of sugar and was pretty much a cake rather than a quick bread. *sigh*

then i had a brilliant idea...! what if i caramelized the carrots like i would onions and put it in a regular bread?! The idea of a savoury carby treat instantly got my attention and decided to see if there was any recipes i could try. Surprisingly, i didn't really see anything that came close to what i was looking for...apparetly caramelized *onions* is a more common thing in bread than it is carrots. :/ So, i decided to turn to my go-to bread recipe and try to make one myself.

what i ended up getting was a nice and slightly savoury bread with a chewy crumb texture similar to french bread. The crust was nice and crunchy without being too crusty. also, the bread left a pleasant carrot-y aftertaste that went well with a strong, aged white cheddar that i happened to pair it with. Munchity happiness! This would be an awesome vehicle for a kick-ass sandwich or served plain alongside a fruit/meat/cheese platter. what a fantastic experimental success!!

No-Knead Caramelized Carrot Bread
(makes one large loaf)

3 cups grated carrots
1 tsp sugar
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 or so cups warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
olive oil

On medium-high heat, warm oil until hot. Add the grated carrots and sprinkle sugar on top. Cook carrots until soft and slightly browned. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, then cover and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water (about 100 degrees in temp) and mix to create a shaggy dough. If the dough is too dry, add water little by little until the dough is no longer dry but still sticky and shaggy. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Prepare a sheet of parchment paper to use for the dough later on.

When doubled, add the caramelized carrots and knead the dough in the bowl just until the carrots have been incorporated into the dough. Transfer to the parchment paper, cover and let rise again until doubled (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, ready a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven on the middle rack and preheat to 450 degrees. Once the dough is ready and the oven is hot, carefully place the dough and parchment paper in the cast iron and cover immediately with the lid. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 425 degrees, carefully remove the lid, and bake an additional 20 minutes until top is golden brown. Once done, transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

rockin' the boat.

spaghetti squash is pretty awesome. it's definitely not something that i ate growing up. But ever since i tried it a couple of month ago, i've really started to like it. i had it microwaved the first time and it was okay. But this time around, i got off my lazy butt and roasted it in the oven. it turned out ten times better, got caramelized around the edges, and was fantastically awesome! bye bye, microwaved squash and hello oven-roasted goodness!!

Sausage, Kale, and Spaghetti Squash Boats
(from Paleo Grubs)

1 medium spaghetti squash or 2 small spaghetti squash
1 1/2 lbs. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. Using a sharp knife cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the halves, with the cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until you can poke the squash easily with a fork. Let cool until you can handle it safely.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing the center stems and either tearing or cutting up the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken sausage and break apart with a spatula to crumble. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Add the kale and stir. Cook for a few minutes more to wilt the kale. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Once cooled, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash with a fork to shred the squash into strands. Transfer the strands into the skillet with the sausage and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the squash shells, and then top with pine nuts and parsley to serve.