Chef Heather

These Black Sesame Shortbread Cookies have a unique, not-too-sweet flavor that make them the perfect cookie with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Directions: (use a stand mixer if you have one)
Mix together 2 sticks softened, unsalted butter with the sugars, salt, egg yolk and anise extract. Mix in the black sesame seeds, then all of the flour. Mixture will be quite dry & crumbly like pastry dough. Gradually mix in 3-5 T of ice cold water until dough holds together. Press dough into slice & bake rolls. Wrap and chill 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice cookies 1/2 inch thick and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a bakers rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

I finally figured out how to make a soft, fluffy, buttery cinnamon roll with sourdough starter - no commercial yeast whatsoever. They just taste better!!! Dough ingredients: 2 cups whole milk (room temp), 1/3 cup organic sugar, 1/2 stick softened organic unsalted butter, 1 cup active sourdough starter, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 5 cups King Arthur bread flour, 2 tsp salt. Mix together and knead 8 minutes in the stand mixer. Transfer to bowl, cover and proof overnight for 14 hours.

It’s been a good day so far…how’s yours going?

One of my favorite make-ahead dishes…Chicken Marsala
RECIPE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lFrq7bY5vzmMsrFLVlZlFSJyRIJCsTcFEAenDKvBXIo/edit?tab=t.0

Made a wonderful loaf of whole grain sourdough yesterday. I used whole grain sourdough starter and whole grain flour made from ground wheat berries. I’m grateful to have a VitaMix to grind my own flour. This loaf is very satisfying!

Oatmeal Raisin Bran with Walnuts

Baked Meatballs that are so tender & flavorful. My secret is the slow cooking overnight in marinara sauce.
RECIPE (yields 12-16 meatballs depending on how big you make them)

1 lb. good quality grass fed ground beef (85/15%)
3 large Italian sausages (uncooked, casings removed)
2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs soaked in 1/2 cup water or milk until softened
1 T dry Italian seasonings (i.e. thyme, parsley, rosemary, oregano)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 heaping tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp fennel powder (optional)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Put some gloves on and mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl until everything is evenly incorporated. If you are using leaner ground beef, add 1 T olive oil to the mixture.
Pre-heat oven to 385 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium size ice cream scoop to make even sized meatballs. Then wet hands with water and and roll meatballs to make them uniform. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet (scrape off any congealed liquid or fat from bottom of meatballs). Place meatballs in a slow cooker with 1-2 jars of your favorite marinara / spaghetti sauce. Make sure the meatballs are submerged in the sauce. Slow cook overnight for 10-12 hours. ENJOY with cooked noodles, gluten free noodles, rice, etc.
NOTE: I sometimes add 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan to the meatball mixture which adds even more flavor. And, if you have fresh parsley, add a few tablespoons of it, finely chopped.