Refreshingly cool raspberry yogurt soup is part chilled soup, part dessert, and all delicious. It also provides more of those fresh fruits we are all trying to get into our diets. Women, especially, will appreciate the extra calcium.

Whip up quick and easy Chilled Raspberry Yogurt Soup in your blender for immediate gratification.

If you are intimidated by making the lavender syrup and candied lemon peel, just make the lemon custard and decorate it with sugared blackberries, a couple of sliced strawberries, whipped cream, etc.

You could also layer the lemon custard with cubes of white or angel food cake in dessert glasses or small bowls, top with blackberries or strawberries, and serve as a sort of parfait.

Chilling time: 5 to 6 hours

Muffins - with flavors from plain vanilla to Jasmine

As with most muffin recipes, you mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then mix the wet with the dry (just until combined,) right before filling the muffin tin and baking.

Basic Ingredients:

Non-changing Dry Ingredients are:

• 1/2 cup sugar;
• 3 Tablespoon baking powder;
• 1/2 teaspoon salt;

Dry Ingredients with options:

• 2 cups flour: you can use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups all-purpose, or substitute 1 to 2 Tbsp wheat germ or wheat bran for an equal amount of flour, etc.; I use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat flour available from King Arthur Flour;

Non-changing Wet Ingredients are:

• 1 egg;
• 1/4 cup honey;

Wet Ingredients with options:

• 1 cup whole milk: this can be made up of a combination of milks with various fat content if you don’t have whole milk, such as 3/4 cup low fat + 1/4 cup cream, or 1/2 cup each low fat and half & half, etc.;
  
• 1/4 cup butter: you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, or 2 Tablespoon each applesauce and melted butter;
  
• 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of your choice: extracts such as vanilla, lemon, orange, almond, various citrus zests, both extract and zest, cinnamon, ginger, etc. See suggestions following directions for inspiration.
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the muffin pan (approx 12 muffin cups) with cooking spray.

If using butter, melt it in the microwave or on the stove top and set it aside to cool. (If you make the tea-flavored muffins described below, this is the time to heat the milk and steep the tea.)

In a medium sized bowl combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. If you are adding dry items such as cinnamon, poppy seeds, wheat bran, etc. add it to this mixture.

Beat the egg by hand in a large mixing bowl and add the milk, honey, and any extract or zest. Add the now-cooled butter or optional applesauce and mix.

Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups (filling about 3/4 of each cup) and bake in preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. Test: if a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, they are done.

Easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Here are some flavor suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

Almond-poppy seed: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds; top with sliced almonds;

Streusel-topped cinnamon muffins : Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the muffin batter. Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly on top of the filled muffin cups before baking.

Blueberry: Add 2 Tablespoons extra sugar to flour mixture, and fold 3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries to the batter just before filling muffin cups;

Lemon: Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to the flour and ½ teaspoon lemon extract to the liquids; try this with the extra sugar and blueberries in the blueberry muffin version above for a real taste treat.

Tea flavored muffins: Warm the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until it is quite hot, but not boiling (130-160 degrees Fahrenheit.) Steep 3 tea bags or 3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea of your choice in the hot milk for approximately 5 minutes. After steeping, squeeze excess liquid out of tea  bags or strain tea leaves out of milk and allow the milk to cool while you mix the other ingredients. Add more milk, if necessary, to make one full cup.

Try teas such as Earl Grey, Green Ginger, Jasmine, green tea, etc., whatever flavor you prefer. Orange extract or zest makes a very nice addition to Earl Grey tea muffins, while lemon extract or zest makes a delicious complement to green or green-ginger tea muffins. Experiment until you discover your favorite combination.

Now it’s your turn to get creative. Let us know what flavor combinations you come up with, and we will share them here.

Serve your muffins warm or at room temperature to lucky recipients. It’s a good thing they are quick and easy to make, because they will go fast.

Don’t worry, these diners are not being tricked into it, they are intentionally ordering offal dishes. (Appropriately enough, some may feel, offal is pronounced exactly the same as the word “awful.”)

Offal includes various non-muscular or non-skeletal parts of beef, veal, mutton, lamb, and pork such as: hearts, livers, tongues, glands, feet, tails, heads, and anything edible, including, of course, the Undead favorite – brains.

In a recent article by Bruce Palling in the Wall Street Journal, Anissa Helou, author of The Fifth Quarter: An Offal Cookbook was quoted as saying:

“These days, any self-respecting foodie will want to eat offal or at least boast of having brains—it is a badge of honor, really.”

Fergus Henderson, British chef and author of  The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating believes more people easily will be converted to indulging in offal dishes:

“All it really takes is common-sense cooking. It is nothing to do with challenging your culinary boundary’s blood lust—offal is just nutritious, delicious, wonderful stuff.”

We always knew the Undead were cool and hip! If you want to get in on this trend you can visit one of the ritzy restaurants near you serving offal dishes, or check out one of these new cookbooks that will tell you all about how to prepare your own offal food:

There seems to be no end to the creativity you can lavish on this recipe, so try a few of these variations and let us know how it turns out.

*** ***

NO-KNEAD BEER BREAD

Many people report that substituting beer for part of the water and adding a touch of vinegar add a lot of flavor to the loaf. Make the loaf as usual following the basic no knead bread recipe with these changes:

Use only half the amount of water and replace the other half with mild flavored beer and  1 Tbsp. white vinegar.

Use only half the amount of water and replace the other half with lager and 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH BUTTERMILK OR WHEY

Substitute whey or buttermilk for some or all of the water.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH GARLIC OR HERBS

Many report the addition of garlic is wonderful. The strong flavor of garlic tends to be neutralized by baking, so if you love it don’t be afraid to add quite a bit.

Add chopped garlic and/or fresh or dried herbs to the flour and then follow the basic recipe as usual. Use herbs such as: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, coarsely ground black pepper, dried Italian herb mixes, citrus peel, cinnamon, poppy seeds, etc.

Suggested herb combinations:

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

***

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. chopped lemon zest

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH FRUIT, NUTS, OR SEEDS

As with traditional breads, mix in fruits and nuts when you shape the dough before the second rise.

Try adding dried fruits in small pieces such as raisins, apples, cherries, apricots, orange or lemon peel, etc.

Chopped nuts and seeds also work well: almonds, walnuts, poppy seeds, flax seed, etc.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH CHEESE

Depending on the size of the cheese bits and the moisture they contain, you can add cheese to the flour before mixing in the liquid, or add it during the shaping before the final rise. Cheeses such as grated or shredded Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano should be fine when added to the flour.

Keep in mind that if you follow the basic recipe directions you will be leaving the dough out at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, so don’t add anything that you believe will go bad during that time period. Alternatively, you can place the dough in the refrigerator, rather than leave it out on the counter. In that case, you will probably want to allow it it to sit for at least 24 hours. Allow it to sit at room temperature for the second/final rise before baking.

If you want to use larger chunks, or maybe have Cheddar or Gruyere cheese oozing out of your freshly baked bread, I recommend adding the cheese chunks during the folding and shaping process before the final 1 to 3 hour rise.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH VEGETABLES

Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced Jalapeno peppers, spinach, grated carrots, black or Kalamata olives, and more can be added to the basic no-knead bread recipe to liven it up. Most of these would be added during the shaping before the second rise, with the exception of the spinach. Try blending frozen spinach with the water and adding it at the beginning.

NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH EXTRA GRAINS

Many are thrilled with the result of adding various grains to no-knead bread. Some of the most popular additions are old-fashioned or steel cut oats (not quick cooking oats,) wheat bran, wheat germ, one of the many 6 or 7-grain cereals on the market, etc.

Try adding just 1/2 cup of  any of these for a flavor and texture boost. You may have to increase the liquid content slightly for the added grains. Mix it up and add an extra Tablespoon of liquid at a time until you reach the consistency you are used to. Remember, it should be sticky.

MIX IT UP – COMBINATIONS

Now that you have a few ideas try combining the above for taste treats.

Some of my favorite combinations: dried cherry-almond no-knead bread; sun dried tomato-marinated artichoke heart-provolone cheese no-knead bread

Additional combinations to try:

• dried cherry-semi-sweet chocolate chip bread;
• sun dried tomato-olive-Parmesan cheese bread;
• apple-raisin-cinnamon bread;
• spinach-sun dried tomato-Gruyere cheese bread;
• apple-oatmeal bread;
• Jalapeno pepper/Cheese bread;
• rosemary-garlic bread;
• dried cranberry-pecan bread;

You get the idea …

DRESS IT UP

If you want to give your no-knead bread a little glitz try dressing it up with a sprinkling of oatmeal, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, or a combination, etc. just before baking. You can spray a little water on top of the loaf and sprinkle on the decor, or apply it before the second rise.

Another method I have not yet tried myself is to spray a bowl with cooking spray, sprinkle in the seed or combination of seeds of your choice, and then place the dough into the bowl for the second rise. It will coat the dough ball with seeds, and then you have only to sprinkle the same seed on the top. This may also help the dough to slip out of the bowl and into the baking dish more easily.  (I will have to try this with my next loaf.)

Others say they love the added kick that comes from a sprinkling of sea salt on top of the loaf just before baking.

CONCLUSION

There is really is no end to the variety that is possible with this great basic recipe. That is one of the things that makes it so great. So, go forth and create your own variation and be sure to let us know so that we can share it here.

I find that, while the process is so easy, or maybe because it is so easy, people tend to complicate it.

Actually, the less effort I put into making a loaf of no-knead bread, the better it turns out. That’s not to say one shouldn’t be creative in trying variations and seasonings, (see No-Knead Bread Variations,)  it simply is not necessary to tinker with the basic method.

Two important things:

Two of the most important techniques to the success of the no-knead process are:

1) a very long first rise period for great flavor – 18 hours minimum is best; and

2) baking the bread in a  heavy, covered baking pot that has been preheated for one-half hour until very hot. (I use my grandmother’s Dutch oven and it works like a charm.)

One other thing I have found helpful is to write down the time that I start the dough. It sits for so long that it is easy to forget what time it was when I started.

Here is the sound-byte version for those who want to get right to baking:

1- Mix 3 cups bread flour, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. yeast, and 1 and 1/3 cups cool water in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

2- Let it sit for 12 to 18 hours – the longer time results in better flavor.

3- When the top is covered with bubbles, shape it into a sort of ball, then cover it and allow to rise again for 1 to 3 hours.

4- Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven or other baking dish (with lid) to 450 degrees F.

5- Put the dough in the preheated baking dish and put the lid on.

5- Bake at 450 degrees F with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes or so until done.

For those who like more detail and photos, here is the full annotated and illustrated version:

No-Knead Bread Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1 & 1/3 cups cool water (55 to 65 °F)
• wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.

Note: Some people have complained that the dough requires more salt. I increased the salt from 1 & 1/4 tsp. to 1 & 1/2 tsp. This tastes fine to me, but you can play around with the amount. For additional flavor enhancements and other ways to jazz it up see No-Knead Bread Variations.

Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to form a wet, sticky dough. Someone people recommend you mix the dough with your hands, but if you do you will covered in sticky dough, which leaves less for your loaf.

If the dough (batter really) is not sticky enough, add a Tablespoon or two of water until it is.

Here is a picture of the sticky batter that you start with.

No-Knead Bread dough sticky batter

First Rise:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean cotton or linen cloth or tea towel and let it sit at room temperature (about 70 degrees F), out of direct sunlight, for about 12 to 18 hours or more. The cooler your room, the longer you will want to leave it.

Note: Some variations on this recipe instruct the baker to place the dough in the refrigerator, either for the entire rising time, or for 12 to 24 hours followed by 12 hours or so at room temperature.

When is it Ready?

The dough is ready for the next step when the surface is covered with bubbles and the dough has doubled in size or more.

The dough will be VERY sticky, but do not add more flour. Use a rubber spatula or scraper to  remove it from the bowl in one piece. When you scrape it out of the bowl you will notice a stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Here is a picture showing the stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Gluten strands in No-Knead Bread dough after first rise

Shape the Dough:

Place the dough on a floured board or piece of parchment (cooking) paper and dust it with flour.

Shape the dough by folding it in on itself to form a ball.

No Knead Bread shaped after first rise

Second Rising:

Take a second piece of parchment paper or a cotton or linen tea towel (NOT terry cloth, unless you like cotton fibers in your bread,) and heavily dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour.

Transfer the shaped dough onto the parchment paper or cotton tea towel. Dust the top of the dough with additional flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. If using parchment paper cover the dough with plastic wrap. If using a tea towel/cloth, cover the dough loosely with a second cloth.

If you use the flour-dusted parchment paper method, set the whole thing -parchment paper and dough- into a large shallow bowl or skillet for the second rise. When it is time to place it in the preheated Dutch oven you can set the parchment paper and the dough into the Dutch oven and then put the lid on. This works just fine. The parchment paper is perfectly safe in the Dutch oven. The only drawback is that this can detract from the perfect “look” of the bread where the parchment paper folds and sort of cuts into the dough while the bread bakes.

Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight,  and allow it to rise for one to three hours until it almost doubles.

Note: During cooler weather this rising time will tend towards the longer time of three hours; if the weather is warmer, the rising time will decrease to more like one hour.

Is it ready?

To test whether the dough is ready to bake, poke it with your finger. If it holds the impression it is ready. If it springs back, wait another 15 minutes and check again.

Preheat oven and Dutch oven:

About one-half hour before you anticipate the dough being ready, move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and place a Dutch oven with lid  or other deep, heavy duty covered casserole dish with lid in the oven.  Pre-heat the oven with the baking dish and the lid in it to 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. (Be sure the handle on your baking dish can withstand this temperature before you place it in the oven. Some baking dish handles cannot take 450F!)

When the oven and covered pot are both completely preheated, place the dough in the hot baking pot and cover it with the lid. If you used parchment paper you can set the parchment paper with the dough in it directly into the baking dish and then cover with the lid.

Baking Time:

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to bake another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered until golden brown.

Notes:

While I was making a loaf of no-knead bread a couple of weeks ago, I only had a minute or two after the dough had completed the first rise to sort of stir the dough (really a batter at that point) around a bit, instead of doing the the “folding it over on a flour-dusted board” thing before the second rise.

When it came time to bake it, I sort of scooped the sticky mess into my Oh-so-hot Dutch oven and closed the lid, then slid it back into the oven. That loaf came out looking just great, and the texture was superb, as always!

Alternatively, I find that after the first rise, if I turn the dough out onto a WELL floured board it is much easier to shape. I wash out the bowl I used to mix it in, dust the inside well with flour, and then place the ball of dough back into the bowl. cover it again with plastic wrap and let it rise for another two to three hours. I up-end the bowl over the Dutch oven and the dough plops in. If it is uneven, the dough will even out while it bakes into a beautiful loaf.

One word of caution: do not allow the bread to over-proof (rise too much) during the second rise period. Placing the dough in the oven before it has completely risen gives it a quick boost in rising when it is first placed in the hot oven and results in a pretty crust with classic cracks on top.

By the way, I do NOT remove the way-too-hot preheated Dutch oven from the oven to place the dough in it. I simply slide the oven rack out far enough to take off the lid, put the dough inside, and then replace the lid.

Who would have thought there were so many recipes that use this not-so-common herb. Now you have a lot of variety to choose from when you have a desire for something zingy, or you have a bad cold and need to clear your head.

Check out the soups here, too; they would be ideal for a cold , wintry night, or when you’re under the weather.  Now, you just have to find someone to make it for you …

Try the recipe below for Bill’s Incredible meatloaf, and check out the link at the end of the recipe for more great horsey recipes.

Bill’s Incredible Meatloaf

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 C. Breadcrumbs

2 Lb. Ground hamburger meat (can substitute pork or veal for ½ hamburger)

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

1 Medium Onion, sliced

1 C. Salsa or chili sauce

1 Tsp. each of garlic powder and celery seed

2 Tbsp. each of horseradish, mustard (dry or wet) and Worcestershire sauce

1 Pinch salt and ground pepper

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Place into a loaf pan or shape into a loaf on a baking sheet. Bake at 400ºF for an hour. Drain, cool and serve.

Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? I’d suggest using the chili sauce rather than the salsa, but that’s just my taste preference. You can find chili sauce in the condiment aisle near the ketchup in most grocery stores.

You’ll find more unusual and zingy recipes featuring that sinus-clearing root at  Horseradish Recipes.

I have always loved the kick that horseradish gives to cocktail sauce, my favorite spicy mustard, and roast beef. Apparently I am following in a long tradition of horseradish lovers, as this excerpt from Ms. Hanst’s article indicates.

Ancient Greeks and Romans knew horseradish by a variety of names and used it as a condiment. It has grown in eastern and central Europe since at least 1,000 B.C. From Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe, it took root in England, where it met success, perhaps even before the Brits were famous for standing ribs of beef roasts. In 1551 it was known by its medieval English name, red cole — a clue to its relationship with cabbages as well as radishes in the mustard Brassicaceae family. By 1597, in John Gerarde’s “Herball,” the plant was called horseradish.

Click here to read the whole article.  Horseradish gives some kick to the Passover and Easter tables.