Bread Machines For Dummies (35 page)

Read Bread Machines For Dummies Online

Authors: Glenna Vance,Tom Lacalamita

Making Bread Bowls and Salads to Put in Them

Call us copycats, that's okay. Why reinvent the wheel? We had salad in a bread bowl and thought, “Aha, this would be simple to do.” And it is. We use a basic, no-fat, low-sugar bread recipe to create salad bowls. You can also use these bowls for soup.

The first recipe in this section shows you how to make the bread bowls. As a bonus, we throw in some of our favorite salad recipes. We wouldn't want you to have bread bowls with nothing to put in them.

Bread Bowls

Glenna likes to bake the dough in a ball shape and then hollow out the baked bread, forming a bowl. Tom prefers to shape the dough before cooking so that the bread bowls are ready for filling when they come out of the oven (and have cooled a bit). It's chic to serve your soup or salad in an edible bowl, and either method works.

Preparation time:
Approximately 3 hours

Yield:
3 bowls

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons white cornmeal

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 Be sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before you place them in your bread pan in the order listed. Select the Dough or Manual setting and press Start.

2 After the machine has completed the cycle, remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

Glenna's method:

3 Divide and shape into three round balls and place the balls on a greased cookie sheet covered with cornmeal.

4 Cover and let rise until an indentation remains after touching.

5 Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Spray or brush the loaf with cold water several times during the first ten minutes of baking for a crisper crust.

7 Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

8 Cut a thin slice off the top and then hollow out the inside, leaving half-inch sides. Place the bowls in a 300° oven for ten minutes to dry the inside and prevent premature soaking from the salads or soups.

Tom's method: Follow Steps 1 and 2 above, and then do the following:

3 Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll or pat each part into a circle 1/4-inch thick.

4 Lay the dough over the outside of well-greased ovenproof bowls, place the bowls upside-down on a cookie sheet, cover, and let rise for only 15 minutes.

5 Bake in a preheated 425° oven for approximately 20 minutes. Allow the bread to remain on the ovenproof bowls for at least ten minutes before inverting them onto a cooking rack.

Per serving:
Calories 480; Protein 19g; Carbohydrates 105g; Dietary fiber 5g; Total fat 0g; Saturated fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 790mg.

Large Bread Bowl

Form the dough into one large salad bowl for family-style dining. A large bread bowl also makes a beautiful and impressive presentation on a buffet table for picnics or pitch-ins.

Preparation time:
3 hours

Yield:
1 bread bowl

1 Shape the dough into one round loaf and place it on a greased cookie sheet covered with cornmeal.

2 Cover and let rise until an indentation remains after touching (approximately 30 minutes).

3 Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Spray or brush the loaf with cold water several times during the first ten minutes of baking for a crisper crust.

4 Remove the bread from the cookie sheet and cool (approximately one hour).

5 Cut a thin slice off the top, and then hollow out the inside, leaving half-inch sides.

6 Place the bowl in a 300° oven for ten minutes to dry the inside and prevent premature soaking from the salad or soup.

7 Spread the inside of the bread bowl with a thin layer of mayonnaise to prevent the bread from absorbing moisture from the salad or drying out. Then line the bowl with lettuce leaves.

Per serving:
Calories 480; Protein 19g; Carbohydrates 105g; Dietary fiber 5g; Total fat 0g; Saturated fat 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 790mg.

Glenna's Toss Salad

Glenna's everyday Toss Salad looks special served in a large bread bowl or small bread bowls. If the cucumber is really fresh, do not peel it. Make breaks in the skin by drawing a fork down the length of the cucumber before cutting it into chunks. You can use the Italian dressing recipe below or your favorite bottled dressing.

Preparation time:
20 minutes

Yield:
6 servings

1 head of leaf lettuce

1 red onion, sliced thin, or an equal amount of chopped green salad onions

1 fresh cucumber, chunked

5 radishes, sliced thin

Toss together and divide into bread bowls.

Italian Dressing

1/2 teaspoon crushed basil leaves (use fresh basil if you have it)

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano leaves (use fresh oregano if you have it)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 hard-cooked egg

1 Shake or rapidly whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

2 Pour the dressing over the salad in the bread bowls.

3 Slice the hard-cooked egg and use it as a garnish.

Per serving:
Calories 110; Protein 2g; Carbohydrates 4g; Dietary fiber less than 1g; Total fat 10g; Saturated fat 1.5g; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 15mg.

Taco Salad

If your family likes quesadillas, empanadas, or tacos from Mexican cuisine, this salad will be a hit with them. Serving it in a salad bowl makes it quite practical (a one dish meal).

Preparation time:
30 minutes

Yield:
6 servings

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 package taco seasoning mix

3/4 cup water

4 cups shredded lettuce

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper (optional)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Taco sauce and sour cream (optional)

1 Brown the ground beef and onions over medium heat in a 10-inch frying pan until the meat has lost its pink color and the onions are soft.

Although it isn't necessary, we drain the fat off the browned ground beef before adding the taco seasoning mix and water by dumping the mixture into a colander or wire strainer that has been placed over a shallow pan or dish to catch the drippings. We return the meat and onions to the frying pan before continuing to the next step.

2 Stir the taco seasoning mix and water into the ground beef and onion mixture; simmer for 25 minutes.

3 Toss together with shredded lettuce and tomatoes and, if desired, the chopped peppers.

4 Place in bowls, top with the cheddar cheese, and pass the taco sauce and sour cream, if desired.

Variation:
You can also make bread bowls especially for taco salad by adding 1 cup of crushed corn chips and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped onion to the dough. The corn chips may absorb too much water and cause the dough to be somewhat dry. Check the dough consistency as it is kneading.

Per serving:
Calories 250; Protein 21g; Carbohydrates 11g; Dietary fiber 2g; Total fat 13g; Saturated fat 7g; Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 730mg.

Spanish Salad

Since Tom married his Spanish sweetheart many years ago, he returns to Spain every summer. This is a common recipe in the household of his in-laws.

Preparation time:
30 minutes

Yield:
6 servings

5 ounces ham, cubed

5 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed

3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

1/2 cup whole black olives

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup cooked corn

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 Put aside a few olives, four egg quarters, and four or five cherry tomatoes.

2 Toss the remaining salad ingredients together.

Dressing

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 Whisk together the ingredients and add the dressing to the salad.

2 Place the salad in a large bread bowl and garnish with the reserved olives, egg quarters, and cherry tomatoes.

Per serving:
Calories 420; Protein 15g; Carbohydrates 12g; Dietary fiber 2g; Total fat 35g; Saturated fat 6g; Cholesterol 140mg; Sodium 640mg.

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