Simple Bread
Serves 16 | Prep time 15 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 4⅓ cups bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- 2 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt.
- Add the warm water, and with a rubber spatula, mix until well-combined.
- With plastic wrap, cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature for about 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- To the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of oil over the dough.
- With oiled hands, shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough into the oiled skillet and loosely cover it with a towel.
- Set it aside at room temperature for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Drizzle a little more oil over the top of the bread, and with a knife, create an X or a few slices across the top.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the top becomes golden-brown.
- Set the oven to the broiler.
- When the broiler is ready, broil for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the skillet onto a wire rack to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Invert the bread onto the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
- With a sharp knife, cut the bread into desired-sized slices and serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 147, fat 3 g, carbs 26 g, sugar 0 g, protein 3 g, sodium 176 mg
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken
Serves 4 | Prep. time 5–10 minutes | Cooking time 12 minutes
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple tidbits with juice, drained
- ¾ cup sweet-and-sour sauce
Directions
- Add the oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat it over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken; stir-cook for 5–6 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the bell pepper and sauce; stir-cook for about 4 minutes until the pepper turns tender.
- Add the pineapple and stir-cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 420, fat 15 g, carbs 34 g, protein 36 g, sodium 400 mg
Mushroom Beef Stroganoff
Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound thinly sliced beef
- 6 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ¾ pound dry pasta, cooked and drained
- 2 (10¾-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water and while the beef and mushrooms will be cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and fry until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the beef from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the mushrooms can fry until slightly golden, about 4-6 minutes, taking care of letting all the water evaporate.
- Add the garlic powder and soup to the mushrooms; simmer for about 8–10 minutes while stirring.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat well.
- Stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 679, fat 40.5 g, carbs 48 g, protein 28.5 g, sodium 660 mg
Cod in Lemon Sauce
Serves 4 | Prep time 15 minutes | Cooking time 14 minutes
Ingredients
For the lemon sauce
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the flour mixture
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the cod fillets
- 4 (4-ounce) cod fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup flat-leaf leaves, chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- For the lemon sauce, in a shallow bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce except for the garlic. Mix well
- For the flour mixture, in another shallow bowl, stir together all the ingredients.
- Dip each cod fillet in the lemon sauce, then coat with the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour from each fillet.
- Reserve the lemon sauce.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sear the cod fillets for about 2 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, add the garlic into the owl of reserved lemon sauce and stir to combine.
- Drizzle the lemon sauce over the cod fillets and immediately transfer the skillet into the oven.
- Bake for about 10 minutes
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 405, fat 31 g, carbs 10 g, sugar 0 g, protein 22 g, sodium 557 mg
Creamed Spinach
Serves 6 | Prep time 10 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Vidalia onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 15 ounces fresh baby spinach
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Stir in the heavy cream and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir in the spinach and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 105, fat 8 g, carbs 6 g, sugar 1 g, protein 2 g, sodium 137 mg
Blueberry Cobbler
Serves 8 | Prep time 15 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, then place the skillet in the preheating oven for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, lavender, and salt. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of sugar along with the milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until well-combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the blueberries and remaining sugar. Toss to coat well.
- Carefully remove the hot skillet with the melted butter from the oven.
- Evenly pour the flour mixture into the buttered skillet. Top with the sugared blueberries.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the flour mixture has risen around the blueberries.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and place it onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories 294, fat 12 g, carbs 44 g, sugar 30 g, protein 3 g, sodium 243 mg
All the recipes can be found in Louise Davidson’s book No-Fuss Cooking Cast Iron Cookbook. To learn more, click here or on the cover.