The Scratch Corner

[chuck83]

I wanted to start something for us all because food is hard. I'm a common sense food person. I'm not dogmatic. I cook a lot of refresh food from scratch. I can make a poor man's spaghetti with nothing but spices and herbs or rich and refreshing with fresh herbs. I support all diets and idea that are chemical free. I believe when you add a factory or mass industrialization between you and your food... you risk food quality and your health. So let's all share something we make from scratch and have discussions on how to make them cleaner, taste better, etc. I love food and Jehovah gave us so much variety!

 

So I'm starting with my favorite and the base for just about everything I make. It's tomato paste. This is something I use to make Mexican, Mediterranean/Persian, and Italian food. It's also how I make my ketchup, chipotles in adobo, and BBQ sauce. 😃  

 

There is no set receipt for tomato paste honestly. It's just a "process". Just know you need a lot of tomatoes because tomato paste is a concentrate. I hope this helps you guys.

 

FRESH TOMATO PASTE

 

What you'll need:

Baking dish

Oven

Food mill or Blender

Jars

 

1) 10-15 pounds of tomatoes 

2) Single Origin Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

3) Sea Salt (Optional)

4) Lemon / Bottled Lemon Juice

 

What I do is take about 10-15 pounds of a variety of tomatoes and boil them in a dutch oven with EVOO. The water content of the tomatoes cook out over time until they boil themselves. It takes about 30-40 minutes or so. While that going I preheat the oven to 400-425. Once the tomatoes are done I take them to a food mill where I separate the skin and most of the seeds from the pulp and other juices into a bowl. If you don't have a food mill, you'll have to hand peel off the skins and use blender or immersion blender. Skins must go though. 

 

Then pour the tomato pulp in a 9x13 glass pin or tin. Add a teaspoon or less of salt, tablespoon or two of lemon juice and EVOO. Cook for 3-4 hours until it's a soft paste with no water. You'll have burning around the tin or glass. That's fine. But make sure you stir every 20-30 minutes. The goal is to dehydrate the pulp without burning it too much. 

 

This lasts 7-10 days in the fridge if stored properly.

If you know how to can food or want to start:

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/how-do-i-can-tomatoes/tomato-paste/

 

This is obviously vegan, low carb, and gluten-free.

 

Edited October 30 by chuck83

[chuck83]

Last one for today...  It's the Cheesecake Factor Brown Bread. I take no credit for this copycat recipe but I do for making it Gluten-free and vegan. This recipe is what I use for gatherings when bread is wanted. I make gluten and gluten-free version at a minimum.

 

This is the original recipe: https://www.kitchentrials.com/2017/12/18/cheesecake-factory-brown-bread/

 

Here is my adaption to preserve the nutty flavor of wheat while still "trying" to balance the crumb texture. Don't be afraid to play around with the recipe and adjust for your tastes going forward. I also have a gluten free Italian bread I made I'll post soon. After this you'll realize that store bought GF bread is actually garbage.

 

GLUTEN-FREE CHEESECAKE FACTORY BROWN BREAD

 

Yield: 6 mini loaves

 

Ingredients

 

• 1½ cups warm water (105ºF)

• 1 tbsp local raw honey (to activate yeast) (* see notes)

• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast

• 1 cup millet flour (replaceable with quinoa flour*)

• 1 cup buckwheat flour (replaceable with quinoa flour*)

• ½ cup amaranth flour (for added depth; adjust quantity if needed)

• ½ cup sorghum flour (optional, or use additional millet)

• 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder

• 1 tsp grass-fed gelatin powder (* see notes)

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

• 2 tsp espresso powder (you can use coffee be I think espresso is better.)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter, softened (* see notes)

• ¼ cup local raw honey (* see notes)

• 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

• ¼ cup cornmeal, for dusting (optional, for bottom of loaf)

• Oats, for dusting (optional, for top of loaf)

 

Instructions

 

1. Activate Yeast: In a medium bowl, mix warm water, honey, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes until foamy.

2. Prepare Dry Ingredients: In your stand mixer bowl, combine millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and sorghum flours with psyllium husk, gelatin powder, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt.

3. Combine Ingredients: Add the yeast mixture, softened butter, honey, and molasses to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-low speed until combined. The dough will be tacky but should hold together.

4. Knead the Dough: Using the dough hook, knead on medium speed for 8-10 minutes. If too sticky, add more millet flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s tacky but not sticky to the touch.

5. First Rise: Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 2 hours until doubled.

6. Shape the Loaves: Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into mini-baguettes (about 6” long and 2” wide). Dust bottoms with cornmeal (optional) and place on a lined baking sheet with space between each loaf. Lightly moisten tops and dust with oats.

7. Second Rise: Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until nearly doubled.

8. Bake: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190ºF. The crust should be soft to the touch.

9. Cool: Let loaves cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

 

This gluten-free adaptation will offer a nutty, hearty flavor with a soft crust, and maintaining the comforting qualities of the original Cheesecake Factory bread! 

 

*Notes

- If you use all quinoa flour it could alter the flavor. The grains chosen balance the flavor and structure of the crumb.

- Use maple syrup instead of honey for vegan.

- Use Agar powder as a 1:1 replacement or 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water for every teaspoon of grass-fed gelatin for vegan.

- Replace grass-fed butter with refined coconut oil (more neutral taste) or extra virgin olive oil for vegan.

Edited October 30 by chuck83