No Kneed Bread

This recipe is AMAZING!  I've made 2 loaves this week...and another to share with the neighbor.  So easy and so yummy.

Tonight's loaf I added rosemary to it and topped with olive oil.
I saw a version with cranberries and orange zest.  I also want to try cinnamon raisin.

This is tonight's loaf getting ready to go in the oven:

Ready to eat...the cut piece is buttered...the picture makes it look greasy

Basic No-Knead Bread

6 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface  (I used all purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast

2 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 2/3 cups cool water

* In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.

* Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.

* Generously dust a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel as it rises; place dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Cover with the edges or a second cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

* After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top towel from dough and slide your hand under the bottom towel; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

* Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. 

* Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Chinese Style Steamed Chicken

Chalk this one up as super easy, super quick, and super yummy! 

 I did this in my rice cooker with the steamer basket, but a steamer basket in a pot with boiling water would work as well. 

Chinese Style Steamed Chicken (South Beach Diet Cookbook)
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger (fresh or powdered)
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups broccoli florets

Fill bottom of steamer bowl with an inch of water and bring to a boil.  Combine chicken with garlic, ginger, soy sauce & red pepper flakes.  If you have time, let marinate for 30 minutes or longer.  Place chicken in steamer basket, pour remaining soy sauce over the chicken, close the lid and let cook for 5-7 minutes (the breasts I used were about 6 oz each and they took closer to 7 mins a side). 

Turn the chicken, add the broccoli, and steam for another 5-7 minutes.  Definitely use a meat thermometer if you can, the chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees. 

The chicken turned out super moist and yummy, I was amazed at how easy this was!  Maybe next time I'll try steaming some rice at the same time....  as you turn the chicken and add the broccoli, leave the lid closed as much as possible so the heat does not escape.