Oven Roasted Cabbage
Another simple side dish that is great to serve alongside Asian dishes.
Oven Roasted Cabbage
Prepare sheet pan with parchment, set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Thoroughly wash:
1 head of cabbage
Drain.
Cut four 1/2" thick slices, generally from the center of the head.
Place on prepared sheet.
Brush with:
Olive oil
Lightly season with:
Salt
Transfer pan to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, turn each cabbage slice over.
Roast additional 5-10 minutes, until slender leaves of cabbage begin to blacken.
Serve hot as a side to anything.
Window to B’s kitchen…
Before roasting
After roasting
Pan Roasted Cauliflower
This simple side dish is particularly great to serve alongside Asian dishes.
Pan Roasted Cauliflower
Thoroughly wash:
1 head of cauliflower
Drain.
Set skillet over medium heat.
Separate florets:
Break apart by hand OR
Slice entire head in 1/2" slices and each slice into 1" wedges.
Add to heated skillet:
1 T oil or butter
Cauliflower florets
Lightly season with:
Salt
Garlic powder
Periodically turn the cauliflower, to allow browning on all sides.
Cook 5 minutes for crisp
Cook 10 minutes for tender (much longer it’ll be mush)
Serve hot.
Brenda’s tips:
Serving size: 4 servings
Substitute other herbs or spices for the garlic as desired
Pan roasted cauliflower is particularly great as a side dish for:
Rice
Learn how to cook rice 4 different ways: on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, in a slow cooker, and in the oven.
In the 2.5 years together we ate SO MUCH RICE. In our view, it’s the perfect side dish for most meals.
Today, Brenda’s showing us her 4 go-to ways to cook rice: on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, in a Slow Cooker, and in the oven.
Rice - Stovetop
In a rather deep pot, combine:
2 cups rice, rinsed
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
Bring to boil. Stir. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Cook 20 min. Fluff with fork. Serve hot.
Rice - Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)
In the removable pot of the pressure cooker, combine:
2 cups rice, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
Put pot in pressure cooker and lock lid in place. Select the "Rice" cycle. Once complete, allow the natural release for 5 minutes. Release remaining pressure (carefully) and fluff rice with a fork. Serve hot.
Rice - Slow Cooker (Crockpot)
To the bowl of a slow cooker, add:
2 cups rice, rinsed
3 3/4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
Cover with lid. Select "high" and cook 2 hours. Fluff rice with fork. Serve hot.
Rice - Oven
In a greased casserole dish, combine:
2 cups rice, rinsed
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 350F for 45-55 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Serve hot.
Alternate: Use boiling water and bake for 20 minutes.
Brenda’s Tips:
The serving size on a rice package often shows 1/4 cup dry. Brenda generally plans 1/2 cup dry per adult.
Brenda fluctuates between using butter or olive oil, both work great.
Brenda generally uses inexpensive long-grain rice. Rinsing the rice helps get great results every time.
Steam is the most important element for great rice. That's why each of these recipes recommends a lid or cover while the rice is being cooked. If you remove the lid while it’s cooking, the steam will be released and the rice may not cook properly.
Brenda often uses basic rice as a side to round out dinner. Chicken broth or beef broth can be substituted or spices and herbs can be added to enhance flavor. Brenda will eventually share a few of her favorite methods.
Ovens, slow cookers, pressure cookers, pots, and pans are not all consistent. You may find that you need to adjust cooking times slightly for perfect results. Brenda expects that you use her recipes + know your own kitchen = optimal deliciousness.
French Bread
This recipe can be done by hand but it turns out even better using a bread maker.
Brenda experiments with cooking new foods in phases. For example, she spent 3 months perfecting sourdough bread. Her Brenda Cookies took 2 years to perfect. And, I think she spent 6 months on meatballs.
For this French Bread I’d bet she was born with this recipe ingrained in her being. To say it’s second nature is an understatement. She taught countless roommates, friends, and strangers how to make this bread. Each time, she made it look effortless.
French Bread
This recipe can be done by hand but it turns out even better using a bread maker.
To the bowl of a bread maker, add (in order):
1 cup (8 oz) warm water
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
2 3/4 cup (14 oz) flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
Set bread maker to “dough” setting and select start. The machine will complete mixing, kneading and rising cycles. Remove dough from machine and divide into two equal parts. Form loaves, 13-16” long, placing on greased jelly roll pan or baguette loaf pan. Brush with egg whites and score diagonally with sharp knife.
Proof loaves 40-60 min, until fingerprint stays. Bake 400F for 13 min, slide loaves out of the pan onto the oven rack and bake 2 min longer. Remove from oven and let cool 5 min before serving.
Alternate directions if no bread maker:
Add ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order listed above. Mix the ingredients with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough begins to form. Then use one hand to knead. Set aside to rest 45 min. Remove from bowl and divide into two equal parts. Form loaves, 13-16” long, placing on greased jelly roll pan or baguette loaf pan. Brush with egg whites and score diagonally with sharp knife.
Proof loaves 40-60 min, until fingerprint stays. Bake 400F for 13 min, slide loaves out of the pan onto the oven rack and bake 2 min longer. Remove from oven and let cool 5 min before serving.
Brenda’s Tips:
Serving Size: 2 loaves.
Brenda makes this bread regularly for BLT's, French Toast, John's lunch sandwiches, etc. She prefers fresh so whenever she doesn't use it up quickly, she makes bread crumbs ... great for breading chicken.
Brenda makes this so often that she’ll use one egg white to brush a few batches. Simply separate the egg into a resealable container and store in the fridge between uses. While egg yolks spoil quickly, an egg white easily lasts a few weeks.
Whenever feeding a crowd, Brenda will make a few batches earlier in the day. About 15 minutes before dinner, she’ll slide the loaves back into a hot 400F oven for 2-3 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes and then slice for a very fresh, crisp loaf.
Window to B’s Kitchen…
How to form loafs:
Brush with egg white, score and proof loaves:
Mashed Potatoes
Looking to up your Mashed Potato game? Brenda recommends adding any of the following: mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, sour cream, paprika, and/or more butter.
Chances are if you had an extended conversation with Brenda while she lived in NYC you’d learn 2 things:
Brenda has a deep love of cooking, especially baking.
Brenda grew up on a farm in Eastern Oregon. A farm that grew onions, corn and potatoes.
Come to think of it, every conversation she had she’d somehow find a way to mention these two things. They’re the essence of Brenda; the structure of her soul.
I think that’s why even the simplest of dishes she creates (like Mashed Potatoes) are insanely delicious. It reminds her of home and is her way to build community wherever she lives.
Mashed Potatoes
To a large pot add:
1-2 cups water
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
1/2 tsp salt
Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain completely.
Add:
Milk, 1/8 cup increments
Mash together. Top with pats of butter and serve hot.
Brenda’s Tips:
Serving Size: 4
Technically you can cut raw potatoes any size (or shape), but be consistent for even cooking, which will result in a smooth mash.
Do not make mashed potatoes with an electric mixer - it is too easy to turn the potatoes to glue. Mashed potatoes should retain the aura of flakiness natural to a potato. This requires a bit of muscle and a wire masher. Worth it.
ALWAYS salt potatoes while cooking - salt will enhance the natural flavors and is more effective when added early. That means you can use less salt and get great flavor.
You can prepare potatoes for boiling in advance, just be sure to completely submerge in water to avoid oxidation. Ready to cook? Drain, leaving about one to two cups of water for cooking. This can be done up to 24 hours in advance but be sure to refrigerate. Much longer and the natural potato starches will start going haywire.
Freshly harvested potatoes will cook faster (in any preparation) than stored potatoes. Consider this when cooking with potatoes.
Other great add-ins for a delicious mash: mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, sour cream, paprika, more butter
Window to B’s Kitchen…
How to mash potatoes: