yes i just made a corny pun.
yes i am obsessed with GIFs.
but it's sunday, so have a sundae.
xo
NO-KNEAD ROSEMARY + SEA SALT BREAD
so a couple weeks ago my mom came up to visit and planted some herb pots for my patio. two types of parsely and basil. within a couple days they had shrivled up and died. a week later she brought me a new planter full of pregrown herbs. a day or two later, these herbs looked like they were about to die too. my mom suggested i try bringing them inside. as i was bringing them inside the pot slipped from my hands and shattered all over my carpet (my pottery barn carpet!!!). i have now come to the conclusion that i am not meant to grow herbs as i have never seen someone fail this many times at keeping them alive! i blame my apartment balcony and its lack of sun light or all the little black bugs that swarm the city on hot days. wait, where am i going with this story? i don't know. long story short, after all my failed attempts i bought a rosemary plant AND IT IS STILL ALIVE. i am celebrating over this no knead rosemary & sea salt bread! it is about as rustic as a loaf of bread can get. you will need a dutch oven to make this as it is what gives the bread its crusty exterior and chewy interior (but you don't need a stand mixer or bread maker, yay?!). make sure to check the temperature limit on your dutch oven before baking the loaf at 450 degrees as they all have different limits. oh yes & happy friday to everyone! start your weekend off right by making this.
ingredients
- 4.5 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour)
- 1.5 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
directions
- in a large glass bowl add flour, yeast and salt.
- pour in water. with a wooden spoon stir until all ingredients are blended and a wet dough forms. seal tight with cling wrap and let rest for 12-14 hours (over night).
- preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the dutch oven inside.
- punch down the dough and shape it into a round loaf. brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, sea salt and garlic (optional). cover and let rise again while oven pre-heats.
- once the dutch oven is piping hot, carefully slide in the dough.
- place in oven with the lid on and bake for 25 minutes. remove lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- slather with butter and enjoy!
PULLED CHICKEN TACOS
taco tuesday.. & wednesday & thursday & oh fuck it taco EVERYDAY. for a long time (too long) growing up, i wasn't into mexican food. maybe it was because i lived in a small italian populated town where taco bell and old el paso was considered mexican. maybe it was because the first thing that came to mind when i herd mexican was beans & cheese (fart). or maybe it was because i was just an ignorant child. luckily moving to toronto has opened up the glory of mexican food to me. torontonians LOVE mexican. tacos, carnitas, burritos, churros! you name it, toronto has it in every form. thanks to toronto, i don't ever want to go a week again without stuffing some sort of taco or burrito (or both) in my mouth. today i am going to teach you how to make one of my favourite restaurant style tacos at home: pulled chicken tacos with guacamole and pickled red onions. remember, you can never put too much guacamole on your taco. if you are feeling lazy and want to buy a roast chicken from the grocery store, go for it. however, in this post i am going to teach you not only how to make the best chicken tacos, but how to roast the perfect bbq chicken for any meal. note: it is important to make the red onions the day before for best results. i often make them a week in advance and use them for various meals.
ingredients
for the chicken
- 1 whole raw chicken
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of your favourite barbecue sauce (i use sweet baby ray's)
for the guacamole
- 2 large (3 small) ripe avocados
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lime, juice & zest
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
for the onions
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
for the tacos (serves 4)
- 8 corn tortilla shells
- 1 roasted chicken, pulled off the bone (see recipe above)
- 2 cups guacamole (see recipe above)
- 1/2 cup pickled red onions (see recipe above)
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced as garnish
directions
- for the chicken: rub chicken with paprika, oregano, mustard powder, pepper, salt, chili powder and oil. stuff carcass with onion, lemon and garlic. in a roasting pan cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. brush with barbecue sauce and lower heat to 350 degrees. continue roasting chicken until fully cooked (approximately 1 hour- 1.5 hours). let rest until cool enough to handle. shred chicken and toss with remaining bbq sauce. set aside until you are ready to assemble tacos.
- for the guacamole: in a mixing bowl add avocados, onions, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, pepper, salt and cilantro. mash until smooth and creamy. stir in tomatoes. set aside until you are ready to assemble tacos.
- for the pickled onions: in a mason jar add sliced onions, sugar, salt, vinegar, garlic cloves and peppercorns. seal lid tight and shake until all the flavours are blended. best to make these in advanced.
- to assemble tacos begin with the corn tortilla. top with pulled chicken, guacamole, pickled onions and cilantro. garnish plate with a fresh lime.