Although I’ve posted some avocado toast recipes before, this absolute monster of a breakfast toast carried me through my last semester of 2020. What a year–I can’t believe it’s almost over. We’re nearly free from this absolute catastrophe! It’s hard to fathom that another year has come and gone, while at the same time I feel like I’ve aged a decade since January. I’m sure the feeling is mutual. Despite the chaos, however, I feel like 2020 has been one of my most productive and accomplished years in quite a while, even with what seems like the end of the world constantly looming on the horizon.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Alex and I made some very radical changes in our lives, from larger things changing jobs (him) to entering university (me) to moving even farther south (both of us) to smaller, more individual improvements like switching to a plant-based diet (me), taking up running (him), and making a conscious effort to read more books (both of us). In the grand scheme of things–even our lowest points–I think we have come out of 2020 as better, stronger people.

That doesn’t mean this year wasn’t difficult, however. Our lowest points were indeed low, but I think we’re lucky enough to be able to dwell on not on the negatives but on the positives of 2020 in retrospective. While we will be looking back on this year as a true dumpster fire, I want to try not to forget about the good things that happened in spite of so much strife. I am tentatively putting some of my hopes in 2021, but will be satisfied as long as we make it through intact.

Now, onto a lighter note and the actual breakfast toast recipe…

It is absolutely no secret that I love avocado toast, and this loaded “breakfast toast” version has become my go-to for a late morning meal or brunch if I need something to get me through an afternoon of online classes. The salty-sourness of the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar compliments the relatively sweet feta cheese so well. All of that veggie goodness layered atop protein-packed eggs/egg substitute (like JUST Egg or my tofu scramble) and an avocado chock full of healthy fats makes for a wonderfully nourishing start to the day. Structurally, I’ve found that whole grain or hearty sourdough bread holds up best under all of the weight, but white bread makes for an indulgent and delicious alternative as well. This recipe is so versatile, you can change almost any element and it will still taste great! Also, as an aside–yes, this can be made completely vegan. I’ve recently discovered Violife’s feta alternative (pictured) and I’m obsessed.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices toast, buttered
• 1 cup scrambled eggs, egg substitute, or tofu scramble
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup mini sweet peppers, sliced
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Toast two slices of bread in a pan with butter, under the broiler, or in a toaster. Set aside.
2. Mash 1 fresh avocado in a small bowl with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
3. Prep and cook scrambled eggs, egg substitute, or tofu scramble as desired. Set aside.
4. Heat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Add peppers and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
5. Add mushrooms, onion, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables have browned and most liquid has evaporated.
6. Add spinach and sauté for about 1 minute, or until wilted. Set aside to assemble.
7. Layer toast with avocado, egg/egg substitute, vegetable sauté, feta cheese, and your favorite hot sauce or crema.

Although I wouldn’t recommend storing an assembled toast in the fridge for fear of the bread becoming irreparably soggy, the individual components keep really well on their own. The lemon juice keeps the avocado from becoming brown, and the vegetable sauté can last several days and still taste great. More than once I’ve overestimated how much I want to eat in a single sitting and saved the toppings for another day.

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Loaded Breakfast Toast

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 slices

Calories 490kcal

Ingredients

• 2 slices toast buttered
• 1 cup scrambled eggs egg substitute, or tofu scramble
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 cup onion sliced
• 1/4 cup mini sweet peppers sliced
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Toast two slices of bread in a pan with butter, under the broiler, or in a toaster. Set aside.
• Mash 1 fresh avocado in a small bowl with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
• Prep and cook scrambled eggs, egg substitute, or tofu scramble as desired. Set aside.
• Heat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Add peppers and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
• Add mushrooms, onion, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables have browned and most liquid has evaporated.
• Add spinach and sauté for about 1 minute, or until wilted. Set aside to assemble
• .Layer toast with avocado, egg/egg substitute, vegetable sauté, feta cheese, and your favorite hot sauce or crema.

The post Loaded Breakfast Toast appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

This shrimp crostini recipe was mentioned briefly in my chicken adobo post from June as part of a list of my various lockdown meal experiments. It originally came about after I made the mistake of purchasing pesto in bulk from Costco without any real plans for the massive jar, and everything just sort of spiraled from there. Pesto shrimp, pesto chicken, pesto avocado toast, and so, so many pesto noodles! This crostini, however, was the best of the bunch. Now, many months later and after we’ve settled into our new place, I’ve decided to tackle some of those dishes created in the haze of social isolation, improving upon them with fresh, organic ingredients from our local farmer’s market and co-op.

One of my favorite parts about living in Harrisonburg, VA is our local Friendly City Food Co-Op, a place that has quickly become our go-to grocery store for anything we can’t get directly from the source every Saturday morning. They have such an awesome selection of products that meet almost every possible food and household need, including fresh-baked breads and a prepared food section. I purchased every element of this dish (shrimp excluded–I’ll always be a Costco frozen section lover deep down) warm the same day I made it for dinner, and that helped take this shrimp crostini to a whole new level.

In the spirit of total honesty, I didn’t actually eat any of the shrimp this go-around. As I mentioned briefly in my last post, I’ve been eating almost fully plant-based (vegan, basically) since mid-May, so I left the seafood off my portion of crostini for this dish. Even with just the pesto, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, and garlic as the main flavor elements, I demolished half a platter in minutes–it was that delicious. It’s been incredibly fun finding vegan alternatives to things Alex enjoys eating so that we can we can still sit down to dinner together, and I feel like I’m learning more about nutrition and sustainability with every new deep-dive into the world of plant-based lifestyles.

I’ve been a vegetarian on and off throughout the years, and this feels like the logical culmination of both my lifelong dislike for how meat tastes (seriously, ask my parents) and my genuine interest in living and ethical and sustainable lifestyle. I won’t stop posting omnivore recipes on this blog, just as I won’t stop cooking them for Alex and anyone else who happens to visit. There will be a noticeable uptick in vegan and vegetarian meals, however, as I continue to learn and grow as a more plant-forward home cook.

This recipe makes 12 crostini.

Ingredients:

• 12 shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/2 large baguette
• 3-4 whole roasted red peppers (from jar)
• 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes (from jar)
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp divided
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp italian seasoning (see my recipe here)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combing shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, italian seasoning, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to coat and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
2. Roughly chop roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes, combine, and set aside.
3. Slice baguette into rounds approximately 1/2 inch thick. Combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. On a large baking sheet, lay out baguette rounds evenly and brush both sizes with the garlic/oil mixture.
4. Place baking sheet in the oven and set to BROIL (or preheat oven to 525F). Let roast for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned around the edges. Remove, flip baguette rounds, and return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
5. Heat a large dry pan on medium-high. When hot, add marinated shrimp, ensuring that they are evenly spaced and do not overlap. Sear for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Sear for an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove.
6. Lower heat to medium-low. Add roasted red pepper and sundried tomato mixture to the still-hot pan, and warm through for about 5-7 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Remove.
7. Assemble crostini by layering a toasted garlic oil baguette round with 1-2 tsp pesto, 1-2 tsp hot pepper/tomato mixture, and 1 shrimp.

This recipe can be served warm, room-temperature, or cold. We ate our crostini at room-temperature while sitting outside on the porch in fairly hot Virginia August weather, and it was both delicious and refreshing. All of the elements for this shrimp crostini can be made ahead of time if you plan to use this recipe as an appetizer for a party, but I would recommend storing them separately and assembling the day-of to prevent the baguette rounds from becoming soggy. As always, I do not really recommend reheating shrimp in the microwave, but the vegan (no-shrimp) version can definitely be warmed up if you want to eat these hot–just be aware that the bread will likely soften a bit.

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Lemon & Pesto Shrimp Crostini

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 crostini

Calories 302kcal

Ingredients

• 12 shrimp peeled and de-veined
• 1/2 large baguette
• 3-4 whole roasted red peppers from jar
• 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes from jar
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp divided
• 2 tbsp garlic minced
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combing shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, italian seasoning, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to coat and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
• Roughly chop roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes, combine, and set aside.
• Slice baguette into rounds approximately 1/2 inch thick. Combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. On a large baking sheet, lay out baguette rounds evenly and brush both sizes with the garlic/oil mixture.
• Place baking sheet in the oven and set to BROIL (or preheat oven to 525F). Let roast for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned around the edges. Remove, flip baguette rounds, and return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Heat a large dry pan on medium-high. When hot, add marinated shrimp, ensuring that they are evenly spaced and not overlapping. Sear for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Sear for an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove.
• Lower heat to medium-low. Add roasted red pepper and sundried tomato mixture to the still-hot pan, and warm through for about 5-7 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Remove.
• Assemble crostini by layering a toasted garlic oil baguette round with 1-2 tsp pesto, 1-2 tsp hot pepper/tomato mixture, and 1 shrimp.

The post Lemon + Pesto Shrimp Crostini appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

Like any good, self-respecting millennial, I am obsessed with avocado toast. After figuring out the trick to keeping avocados fresh for a few weeks at a time (the fridge, you fool!), I took it upon myself to end every Wegman’s trip with enough unripe organic avocados to shame even the most dedicated of Portland hipsters. What can I say? I’m a woman of taste, and that taste revolves almost entirely around mushy green superfoods. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a midnight snack–if there’s a slice of bread and half of one of Mexico’s greatest agriculture contributions to the modern world rolling around in plastic wrap (I know, not the most environmentally friendly; I really need to get some of that cool beeswax paper), I’ll have my hands on a slice of avo-toast the minute hunger hits.

One of the best things about avocado toast–like all bread-based, sandwich-adjacent foods–is its unending versatility. You can literally open your fridge or pantry, stack whatever you find onto the bread/butter/avocado base, and end up with something absolutely delicious. Over the course of my whirlwind romance with The Reason Millennials Can’t Afford to Buy Homes (Fox New’s finest piece of journalism to date, for sure), I’ve indulged in everything from The Basic Bitch (simple salt and pepper, maybe a bit of lemon juice) to God’s Greatest Mistake (leftover Chinese take-out on sourdough, smothered in a runny fried egg), and every iteration I’ve devoured has been undeniably delicious. Just before sitting down to type this out, even, I took a break to feast on two slices of my current favorite combination, I Wouldn’t Put Effort Into This Even If You Paid Me (feta cheese and chipotle mayo, a bit of lime juice if I’m really feeling zesty) just to set the mood.

Truly, avocado toast has come to define the American millennial generation more than any other cultural touchstone in the last fifteen years. More controversial than Britney Spears, more despised than Twilight, more universal than the iPhone, and more uniting than the PSL (seriously–everyone loves those things), it is the stuff of legends. Every decade has a defining moment, a cornerstone that lingers beyond the test of time to become some immortal thing still playing an active role in people’s lives today, so many years after its heyday. The 1960s had The Beatles, the 1970s had high-waisted jeans, the 1980s had Super Mario Bros, the 1990s had Friends, and the early 2000’s had The Greatest American Financial Crisis Since World War II. And I believe the 2010s will be remembered for one thing and one thing alone: our Lord and Savior, avocado toast.

So, without further ado, I present three easy and delicious versions of this most blessed dish: I’m Only Dedicating Ten Minutes To My Lunch, Just A Little Bit Pretentious, and The Hangover: Part IV.

I’m Only Dedicating Ten Minutes To My Lunch

Ingredients:

• 1 slice bread
• butter (to toast)
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/3 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• lime juice (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
2. Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
4. Top with cheese, bell pepper, and chili powder. Return to oven and broil on LOW for additional 2-4 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
5. Garnish with lime juice and enjoy while warm.

Just A Little Bit Pretentious

Ingredients:

• 1 slice bread
• butter (to toast)
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup raw, fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• lemon juice (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a nonstick skillet heated to medium-high, add mushrooms, spinach, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Pan fry for 5-7 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and mushrooms have browned. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
3. Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
5. Top with sauteed mushrooms/spinach, feta cheese, and lime juice. Can be enjoyed either warm or room-temperature.

The Hangover: Part IV

Ingredients:

• 1 slice bread
• butter (to toast)
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2-3 slices raw, thick-cut bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp chipotle mayo
• 1 tsp chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tsp cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, pan fry 2-3 slices thick-cut bacon until crispy.
2. Without removing any rendered bacon fat from the pan (no matter how much is left; Kirkland Signature usually yields about 1/4 cup per 5 slices of bacon), crack one egg directly into the hot pan and position so that the how oil pools across the top of the whites. Fry until bubbling and crispy on the bottom, then repeat with the second egg.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
4. Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
6. Top with bacon, fried eggs, chipotle mayo, hot sauce, and cilantro. Serve immediately, while eggs are still hot. (Best eaten with a knife and fork.)

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Avocado Toast: I’m Only Dedicating Ten Minutes To My Lunch

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 toast

Ingredients

• 1 slice bread
• butter to toast
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/3 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• lime juice to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
• Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
• Top with cheese, bell pepper, and chili powder. Return to oven and broil on LOW for additional 2-4 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
• Garnish with lime juice and enjoy while warm.

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Avocado Toast: Just A Little Bit Pretentious

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 toast

Ingredients

• 1 slice bread
• butter to toast
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup raw fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• lemon juice to taste

Instructions

• In a nonstick skillet heated to medium-high, add mushrooms, spinach, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Pan fry for 5-7 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and mushrooms have browned. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
• Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
• Top with sauteed mushrooms/spinach, feta cheese, and lime juice. Can be enjoyed either warm or room-temperature.

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Avocado Toast: The Hangover: Part IV

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 toast

Ingredients

• 1 slice bread
• butter to toast
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2-3 slices raw thick-cut bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp chipotle mayo
• 1 tsp chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tsp cilantro

Instructions

• In a large nonstick skillet, pan fry 2-3 slices thick-cut bacon until crispy.
• Without removing any rendered bacon fat from the pan*, crack one egg directly into the hot pan and position so that the how oil pools across the top of the whites. Fry until bubbling and crispy on the bottom, then repeat with the second egg.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly mash 1/2 ripe avocado.
• Generously coat one side of the bread slice with butter. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and broil on LOW for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven, flip, and spread avocado on the soft/untoasted side of the bread.
• Top with bacon, fried eggs, chipotle mayo, hot sauce, and cilantro. Serve immediately, while eggs are still hot. (Best eaten with a knife and fork.)

Notes

*No matter how much is left; Kirkland Signature usually yields about 1/4 cup per 5 slices of bacon.

The post Avocado Toast Three Ways appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

In the spirit of complete and total honesty, I have a confession to make. After I finished taking a few pictures of this buffalo chicken dip appetizer, I sat on the floor for a solid fifteen minutes shoveling bread-fulls into my mouth while it was still so hot my tongue nearly melted off. Not my finest moment for sure, but–seriously–it tasted that good. I’ve been plowing through the leftovers over the day or so since I made this recipe, munching on bagel chips because I’m too lazy to remake the garlic crostini. The next time we have friends over, I will definitely be making this!

Speaking of getting together, it’s been an incredibly busy week here in Northern VA. The good kind of busy, I promise! A group of us met up this past Saturday and learned how to make authentic tamales from my friend’s mother. It was such a fun experience, and I’m really hoping to do a write up on the whole fiasco soon. I spent so long trying to take a time-lapse video of the squad trying and failing to spread the masa on corn husks that I only ended up with a few pictures of the process itself, but the fact that I now have sixty pictures of our slightly out-of-focus confused faces more than makes up for it. Probably.

Tonight, too, I’m getting together with the same group to celebrate another friend’s birthday with pizza, games, and a slow-cooker-kept-warm batch of my chicken fra diavolo alfredo pasta. He’s a huge fan of pasta, so I thought it might be fun to bring an extra treat to the evening. I’ll be making a few tweaks to my original recipe, too. For example, instead of 2 cups of parmesan cheese, I plan to split it 30/30/30 with Gruyere and Asiago. But! That’s an experiment I’ll write more about in another post. On to the bacon buffalo chicken dip that I know you’re here for!

Like the last recipe I posted, this is actually my second attempt at making a delicious buffalo chicken dip. The first iteration was a somewhat-classic (if there even is such a thing) slow-cooker version that I made for the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate release day party we held last year. It was a huge hit, but tasted more than a little bland to me. I like my food rich and spicy! This version ticks all of those boxes. It’s smoky, salty, spicy, creamy, and oh so delicious. And as soon as I finish typing this up, I plan on eating all of the remaining leftovers for lunch.

This recipe makes 8-10 servings.

Bacon Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs/2 lbs shredded rotisserie chicken
• 8oz cream cheese
• 6-7 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, yellow
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, white
• 1 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp minced onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Shred cheese as needed, combine, and set aside.
3. If using raw chicken, poach chicken thighs in a large pot of salted boiling water for 20 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Alternatively, add chicken to an Instant pot with 2 cups water and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Shred with two forks and set aside.
4. In a nonstick skillet, add bacon slices and fry on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until browned and crispy, flipping every so often to ensure both sides have cooked evenly.
5. Remove bacon from pan and set aside to cool. When handle-able, roughly chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
6. In a large pot, add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, wing sauce, dill weed, onion powder, minced onion, parsley, black pepper, and salt. Heat on medium/medium-high until cream cheese has melted and the sauce has become almost entirely liquid, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.
7. Reduce heat to low and add shredded chicken, chopped bacon, and 3/4 of the shredded cheese mixture, stirring until everything is completely coated with the sauce and the added cheese has melted.
8. Transfer dip to a roasting dish and top with the remaining 1/4 of the shredded cheese. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes, then broil on high for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the layer of cheese on top has browned lightly. Remove and top with chopped green onions; serve with garlic crostini.

Simple Garlic Crostini

Ingredients:

• 1 soft baguette
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch thick rounds, taking care to keep the sizes relatively even.
3. Spread rounds on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp garlic powder onto the bread, flip each piece, and repeat with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp garlic powder.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping each piece halfway through.

This recipe–both the dip and crostini–keeps well in the fridge for several days. The dip reheats marvelously in the microwave when covered with a bit of plastic wrap, and, as I mention earlier, I have been eating the leftovers for most of the week since making this dish. So good!

The post Bacon Buffalo Chicken Dip with Simple Garlic Crostini appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

Like I mentioned a few posts ago, pizza night is likely going to become a regular thing in our household, like the late and great Monday curry dinners. It’s fun and delicious, and one of the few things Alex and I can really sit down and do together amid our increasingly busy schedules. He’s also been a great sport about helping me take pictures of things–holding lights, adding a glass here or plate there, straightening the garnish–and I’m grateful for all of his help. What a guy! Plus, he gets delicious food out of the whole thing, so everyone wins!

This recipe makes eight pieces of pizza.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pre-made, uncooked pizza dough
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
• ½ cup buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1/3 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
• ¼ cup soft goat cheese
• ¼ cup minced sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. If using frozen dough, let sit out at room temperature to thaw and rest.
2. Preheat oven to 450F.

3. On a clean, cool baking sheet, add a layer of 1 tbsp olive oil. Gently flatten and spread out your pizza dough until you have a thin sheet on your pan, roughly ¼ inch thick.

4. Top pizza with majority of the buffalo sauce as the base, add salt and garlic, then layer on shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes, and sliced red bell pepper. Top with mozzarella, goat, and blue cheeses.
5. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until crust has browned and cheese has melted. Serve with remaining buffalo sauce drizzled on top.

This recipe keeps for about 24hrs and reheats just about as well as any other store-bought or homemade pizza. I recommend setting your oven to 400F, layering some fresh cheese on top, and baking it for 3-5 minutes for the best second-day results. You could also add fresh cheese and broil it for a few minutes, as well!

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Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough uncooked
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 cup rotisserie chicken shredded
• ½ cup buffalo wing sauce divided
• 1/3 lb mozzarella cheese sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
• ¼ cup soft goat cheese
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes minced
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

• If using frozen dough, let sit out at room temperature to thaw and rest.
• Preheat oven to 450F.
• On a clean, cool baking sheet, add a layer of 1 tbsp olive oil. Gently flatten and spread out your pizza dough until you have a thin sheet on your pan, roughly ¼ inch thick.
• Top pizza with majority of the buffalo sauce as the base, add salt and garlic, then layer on shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes, and sliced red bell pepper. Top with mozzarella, goat, and blue cheeses.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until crust has browned and cheese has melted. Serve with remaining buffalo sauce drizzled on top.

The post Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

I have decided to get back into meal planning. Things fell off a little bit over the summer when I was unbelievably busy, and when I went grocery shopping every two weeks I found myself just shoving things into the cart without any real intention to make something specific. This led to an almost bi-weekly fridge purge, and I ended up throwing away half of the things I bought because they went bad before I had the chance to use them. Meal planning helps mitigate that, and it’s nice because then I don’t have to think too hard about cooking. Anyway–we decided to do a pizza night sometime this week, and this was the result.

This recipe makes two to four servings, or eight pieces of pizza.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pre-made, uncooked pizza dough
• 2 cups fresh arugula
• 2 red bell peppers
• ½ lb mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup pesto
• 2 tbsp minced sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp parsley
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• ¼ salt
• ½ black pepper

Directions:

1. If using a frozen ball of dough, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 mins to thaw and gently rise. 
2. Slice stems and remove cores from red bell peppers. Cut each pepper in half top-to-bottom so you end up with four large, relatively flat pieces of bell pepper. 
3. Lay pepper halves on a baking sheet skin-side up. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened and begun to blacken. Remove from the oven and slice into thin strips. 
4. Preheat oven to 450F. 
5. On a clean, cool baking sheet, add a layer of 1 tbsp olive oil. Gently flatten and spread out your pizza dough until you have a thin sheet on your pan, roughly ¼ inch thick. 
6. Top pizza dough with pesto as a base, and add spices (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper). Layer on cheeses, arugula, sliced roasted peppers, and minced sun-dried tomatoes as desired.
7. Bake pizza for 15-17 minutes, or until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted. (NOTE: Depending on the age and quality of your oven, you may need to rotate the pan to ensure even baking on both sides.) Remove carefully, slice, and enjoy!

This recipe keeps for about 24hrs and reheats just about as well as any other store-bought or homemade pizza. I recommend setting your oven to 400F, layering some fresh cheese on top, and baking it for 3-5 minutes for the best second-day results. You could also add fresh cheese and broil it for a few minutes, as well! 

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Arugula and Roasted Red Pepper Sheet Pan Pizza

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough uncooked
• 2 cups arugula fresh
• 2 red bell peppers
• ½ lb mozzarella cheese sliced into rounds
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup pesto
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp parsley
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• ¼ salt
• ½ black pepper

Instructions

• If using a frozen ball of dough, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 mins to thaw and gently rise.
• Slice stems and remove cores from red bell peppers. Cut each pepper in half top-to-bottom so you end up with four large, relatively flat pieces of bell pepper.
• Lay pepper halves on a baking sheet skin-side up. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened and begun to blacken. Remove from the oven and slice into thin strips.
• Preheat oven to 450F.
• On a clean, cool baking sheet, add a layer of 1 tbsp olive oil. Gently flatten and spread out your pizza dough until you have a thin sheet on your pan, roughly ¼ inch thick.
• Top pizza dough with pesto as a base, and add spices (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper). Layer on cheeses, arugula, sliced roasted peppers, and minced sun-dried tomatoes as desired.
• Bake pizza for 15-17 minutes, or until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted.* Remove carefully, slice, and enjoy!

Notes

• * Depending on the age and quality of your oven, you may need to rotate the pan to ensure even baking on both sides.

The post Arugula and Roasted Red Pepper Sheet Pan Pizza appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

For better or worse, we were hit with another snow storm today, so I’ve been stuck inside cleaning. Now, I say “snow storm,” but because we live in the south it’s more like “an inch of snow was enough to shut down the entire city”. Either way I didn’t have much to do. I was struck with the desire to make something while waiting out the excitement of dumpling hot pot for dinner tonight, so I decided to try my hand (again) at baking bread. Until I figure out what went wrong last time, though, I’m not going to mess with yeast for a while. Thus, beer bread was the perfect answer. I actually made two loaves–this and a “regular” beer loaf (see image below), but this one was by far my favorite. 

This recipe makes about 7-9 slices, depending on how thick you cut it. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup minced pickled jalapeños
• 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1 can (12oz) beer or soda
• 4 tbsp (about ½ stick) butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Grease edges and corners of 8×4 bread pan
3. Melt 4 tbsp butter in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder until combined. Add cheese and jalapeños and mix until combined.
5. Add beer and stir with a large spatula or spoon until a wet, sticky dough forms.
6. Transfer dough to greased loaf tin and evenly spread so it covers all corners.
7. Pour melted butter over the dough in the pan. 
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife stuck in the dough comes out clean.
9. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with butter and enjoy!

This recipe keeps for a week if covered in an air-tight container!

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Cheesy Jalapeño No-Knead Beer/Soda Bread

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour all-purpose
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup pickled jalapeños minced
• 1 cup colby jack cheese shredded
• 1 can beer or soda
• 4 tbsp butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Grease edges and corners of 8×4 bread pan
• Melt 4 tbsp butter in a small bowl and set aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder until combined. Add cheese and jalapeños and mix until combined.
• Add beer and stir with a large spatula or spoon until a wet, sticky dough forms.
• Transfer dough to greased loaf tin and evenly spread so it covers all corners.
• Pour melted butter over the dough in the pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a knife stuck in the dough comes out clean.
• Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with butter and enjoy!

The post Cheesy Jalapeno No-Knead Beer/Soda Bread appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

This week’s theme for recipes seems to be “you’d have to pay me to go to the grocery store right now–I’ll just do it myself,” which I’m actually pretty okay with. Although snagging a $2 package of 10 store-brand flour tortillas might not break the bank for some, I realized this morning that a 5lb bag of flour costs about the same ($2.50) and you could make about 85 tortillas instead. Granted, you might not need that many, but if you’re trying to stretch your budget this could be a good way to eat something delicious and homemade without spending too much money. Plus, you can use your extra flour to make all kinds of other great things! And as an added bonus double-whammy, it only took me about 20 minutes to make 14 tortillas because there’s no yeast or rising/”proving” involved. Good stuff.

This recipe makes 14 tortillas!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add your dry ingredients (flour and salt) and mix them until the salt is evenly distributed throughout. Add wet ingredients (water and oil) and mix until a lump of dough begins to form.
2. Knead dough for a 5 minutes, adding additional flour (too wet) or water (too dry) a little at a time as needed. Knead until a soft but not sticky dough has formed, about the consistency of pizza dough or slime. It shouldn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it, but if you grabbed half and let the rest hang down it should stretch easily with gravity, if that makes sense. 
3. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan (or well-greased stainless steel/cast iron pan) on medium-high heat. 
5. When your dough has finished resting, tear off a piece about an inch in diameter and roll it in your palm to form a small ball. Flatten it gently, pinching the sides until you have a disc the size of a pizza bagel bite or the bottom of a 1/3 cup measuring cup (those are the best comparisons I can think of). 
6. Place dough disc onto a well-foured surface and roll with a rolling pin, wine bottle, glass jar–whatever–until you have a very thin, vaguely-tortilla-shaped piece of dough about 1/8th inch thick. 
7. Transfer to hot pan and cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles have begun to form on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate.
8. Repeat until you have run out of dough. 

This recipe keeps in a sealed container for about a week in the fridge or up to six months frozen, and reheats well in the microwave. To reheat, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and place in a sealed container (like a tortilla holder or covered glass bowl) in the microwave for about 45 seconds. They should come out soft and steamy and ready to eat! If your tortillas dry out, don’t worry–just cut them up and make tortilla chips by baking or frying them!

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Cuisine Mexican

Servings 14 tortillas

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add your dry ingredients (flour and salt) and mix them until the salt is evenly distributed throughout. Add wet ingredients (water and oil) and mix until a lump of dough begins to form.
• Knead dough for a 5 minutes, adding additional flour (too wet) or water (too dry) a little at a time as needed. Knead until a soft but not sticky dough has formed, about the consistency of pizza dough or slime. It shouldn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it, but if you grabbed half and let the rest hang down it should stretch easily with gravity, if that makes sense.
• Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan (or well-greased stainless steel/cast iron pan) on medium-high heat.
• When your dough has finished resting, tear off a piece about an inch in diameter and roll it in your palm to form a small ball. Flatten it gently, pinching the sides until you have a disc the size of a pizza bagel bite or the bottom of a 1/3 cup measuring cup (those are the best comparisons I can think of).
• Place dough disc onto a well-foured surface and roll with a rolling pin, wine bottle, glass jar–whatever–until you have a very thin, vaguely-tortilla-shaped piece of dough about 1/8th inch thick.
• Transfer to hot pan and cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles have begun to form on the surface. Flip and cook on the other side for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate.
• Repeat until you have run out of dough.

The post Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

I’m a sucker for anything cheesy, and beer cheese is a particularly guilty pleasure of mine. It’s quick and easy to make, and it tastes absolutely delicious with everything from tortilla chips to French fries to the soft pretzels I’ll be posting about today. I’ve already written down a recipe for spent grain pretzels, but this one is for mall-style soft pretzels made with regular flour and is easily accessible for everyone. It’s a great snack to munch on during a video game binge (Kingdom Hearts 3, anyone?) or while watching the Superbowl, and is a definite crowd-pleaser because who doesn’t love bread and cheese? Losers, that’s who. 

This recipe makes 24-28 soft pretzel bites and about 2 cups beer cheese. 

Pretzel Bite Ingredients:

• 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 ¾ cup warm water
• 7 tbsp melted butter
• 5 cups unbleached flour (all-purpose)
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• 10 cups cold water
• ½ cup baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Sriracha Beer Cheese Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp unbleached flour (all-purpose)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup water
• 8 oz (about ¾ 12oz can or bottle) beer, any kind
• ¼ cup sriracha
• 2 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• 1 tsp salt

Pretzel Bite Directions:

1. Add sugar, yeast, butter, and 1 ¾ cup warm water to the largest bowl you own and mix until combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast has formed decent foam raft on top of the liquid.
2. Add flour, and salt. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a smooth dough has formed, about 15-20 minutes depending on how fast you work (aka how strong your arm is). Once the dough gets thick and begins to form a large singular mass, I recommend using a press-and-fold motion, scraping the sides every so often to make sure everything is properly combined. (NOTES: If necessary, add a little bit of water [dry dough] or flour [wet dough] while you’re kneading. You may also want to remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on  lightly-floured surface if you don’t have the leverage to properly knead it in your bowl.)
3. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic, but not sticky to the touch. 
4. Once you have a decent ball, add light oil along the edge of the bowl and roll your dough so that it is coated. Do not knead the oil into the dough! This is only to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bowl while rising.
5. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 1 ½ – 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size. (I usually put mine in the largest sunbeam I can find and move it as the hours go by so it stays warm.)
6. Preheat your oven to 425F.
7. Begin boiling 10 cups cold water in a medium sauce pot.
8. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. Tear off golf ball-sized chunks of your dough and roll into small balls with your hands. (NOTE: Be careful not to crush the dough too much while you’re tearing/rolling, because that will squish out all of the air bubbles that have formed inside the dough and result in a very dense pretzel.)
10. Once the water has boiled, slowly add baking soda ¼ cup at a time. It will foam up, so be careful not to burn yourself!
11. Boil your dough balls in the water/baking soda mixture in small batches for 30 seconds each batch, and remove carefully with a slotted spoon. (Tip: Line up your boiled dough on the baking sheets as soon as they’re out of the water, as they are very susceptible to sticking together when wet!)
12. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs. Brush the tops of your boiled dough balls with the egg wash. Season each with salt.
13. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, checking every so often to ensure that none are burning. The tops should be a nice golden brown!
14. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve while warm!

Sriracha Beer Cheese Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, melt butter until it has completely liquefied, stirring occasionally to ensure it does not burn. 
2. Once melted and lightly simmering, add flour, heavy cream, water, beer, and sriracha, stirring constantly as you add ingredients. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and immediately add cheese and salt, stirring constantly until it has completely melted and the sauce is smooth. 
4. Serve immediately and top with additional sriracha!

The pretzels will keep in the fridge for three days or frozen for up to six months, and reheat well in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel. The beer cheese keeps for up to a week, and reheats wonderfully in the microwave as well. 

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Homemade Pretzel Bites with Sriracha Beer Cheese

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Ingredients

Pretzel Bite Ingredients:

• 1 packet 2 ¼ tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 ¾ cup warm water
• 7 tbsp melted butter
• 5 cups unbleached flour all-purpose
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• 10 cups cold water
• ½ cup baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Sriracha Beer Cheese Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp unbleached flour all-purpose
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 8 oz beer any kind
• ¼ cup sriracha
• 1 cup pepper jack cheese grated
• 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

Pretzel Bite Directions:

• Add sugar, yeast, butter, and 1 ¾ cup warm water to the largest bowl you own and mix until combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast has formed decent foam raft on top of the liquid.
• Add flour, and salt. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a smooth dough has formed, about 15-20 minutes depending on how fast you work (aka how strong your arm is). Once the dough gets thick and begins to form a large singular mass, I recommend using a press-and-fold motion, scraping the sides every so often to make sure everything is properly combined.*
• Knead until the dough is soft and elastic, but not sticky to the touch.
• Once you have a decent ball, add light oil along the edge of the bowl and roll your dough so that it is coated. Do not knead the oil into the dough! This is only to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the bowl while rising.
• Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 1 ½ – 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.**
• Preheat your oven to 425F.
• Begin boiling 10 cups cold water in a medium sauce pot.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Tear off golf ball-sized chunks of your dough and roll into small balls with your hands.***
• Once the water has boiled, slowly add baking soda ¼ cup at a time. It will foam up, so be careful not to burn yourself!
• Boil your dough balls in the water/baking soda mixture in small batches for 30 seconds each batch, and remove carefully with a slotted spoon.****
• In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs. Brush the tops of your boiled dough balls with the egg. Season each with salt.
• Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, checking every so often to ensure that none are burning. The tops should be a nice golden brown!
• Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve while warm!

Sriracha Beer Cheese Directions:

• In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, melt butter until it has completely liquefied, stirring occasionally to ensure it does not burn.
• Once melted and lightly simmering, add flour, cream, beer, and sriracha, stirring constantly as you add ingredients. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and immediately add cheese and salt, stirring constantly until it has completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Serve immediately and top with additional sriracha!

Notes

• *If necessary, add a little bit of water [dry dough] or flour [wet dough] while you’re kneading. You may also want to remove the dough from the bowl and knead it on  lightly-floured surface if you don’t have the leverage to properly knead it in your bowl.
• **I usually put mine in a sunbeam.
• ***Be careful not to crush the dough too much while you’re tearing/rolling, because that will squish out all of the air bubbles that have formed inside the dough and result in a very dense pretzel.
• ****Line up your boiled dough on the baking sheets as soon as they’re out of the water, as they are very susceptible to sticking together when wet!

The post Homemade Pretzel Bites with Sriracha Beer Cheese appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.

12/30/20 Update: This post has been updated from the original 2019 version to reflect my current recipe.

My boyfriend runs a small out-of-the-apartment microbrewery in his spare time, so we have a constant supply of spent grain. Usually, it goes straight from the Grainfather to the trash, but this weekend I decided to do something a little different. Inspired by my sister-in-law’s ingenuity in her own kitchen over the holidays, I saved a few cups of a 12:1 Briess 2-Row Pale/Caramel 40L (92% and 8%) mixture from the latest batch of our flagship IPA and dove back into bread-making for the first time in a several years. Honestly, I’d forgotten how fun and easy it is! And it’s always nice when something as versatile as spent grain takes on a new life rather than going to waste.

This recipe makes 28 pretzel bites!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spent grains
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 8 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp honey/maple syrup
• additional salt (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Add sugar, yeast, cooled melted butter, and lukewarm water to a large mixing bowl and stir gently until most of the sugar has dissolved. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until a yeast raft has formed on the surface of your liquid.
2. Add spent grain, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and salt a little at a time to the wet ingredients. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a smooth dough has formed, about 15-20 minutes (or use the dough hook if you have a stand
   mixer). Once the dough gets thick and begins to form a large singular mass, I recommend using a press-and-fold motion, scraping the sides every so often to make sure everything is properly combined. If necessary, add a little bit of water (dry dough) or flour (wet dough) while youÕre kneading to keep it workable.
3. Once you have a decent ball, add olive oil along the edge of the bowl and across the top of your dough ball. Do not knead the oil into the dough. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
4. When the dough has finished rising, divide into golf ball-sized rounds and spread evenly on several parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cover with a dishtowel and let rest for an additional 10-15 minutes to prove.
5. Preheat your oven to 425F, and begin boiling 10-12 cups cold water in a medium sauce pot.
6. When water has begun boiling, carefully add baking soda a little at a time to prevent overflow.
7. Boil dough balls 4-5 at a time in the baking soda/water mixture for about 1 minute, then return to the baking sheet. Repeat until all dough balls have been boiled.
8. In a small bowl, combine milk and sweetener of choice. Brush the tops of each dough ball with the wash and immediately season with coarse salt to garnish.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crusty on the outside.
10. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool and rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with dip of choice.

This recipe goes great with sriracha beer cheese, Heady Topper mustard, sriracha, or your favorite dipping sauce!

The pretzels will keep in the fridge for three days, and warm well in the microwave!

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Spent Grain Pretzel Bites

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

• 2 cups spent grains
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 8 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp honey/maple syrup
• additional salt to garnish

Instructions

• Add sugar, yeast, cooled melted butter, and lukewarm water to a large mixing bowl and stir gently until most of the sugar has dissolved. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until a yeast raft has formed on the surface of your liquid.
• Add spent grain, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and salt a little at a time to the wet ingredients. Mix with aspatula or your hands until a smooth dough has formed, about 15-20 minutes (or use the dough hook if you have a stand mixer). Once the dough gets thick and begins to form a large singular mass, I recommend using a press-and-fold motion, scraping the sides every so often to make sure everything is properly combined. If necessary, add a little bit of water (dry dough) or flour (wet dough) while youÕre kneading to keep it workable.
• Once you have a decent ball, add olive oil along the edge of the bowl and across the top of your dough ball. Do not knead the oil into the dough. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
• When the dough has finished rising, divide into golf ball-sized rounds and spread evenly on several parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cover with a dishtowel and let rest for an additional 10-15 minutes to prove.
• Preheat your oven to 425F, and begin boiling 10-12 cups cold water in a medium sauce pot.
• When water has begun boiling, carefully add baking soda a little at a time to prevent overflow.
• Boil dough balls 4-5 at a time in the baking soda/water mixture for about 1 minute, then return to the baking sheet. Repeat until all dough balls have been boiled.
• In a small bowl, combine milk and sweetener of choice. Brush the tops of each dough ball with the wash and immediately season with coarse salt to garnish.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crusty on the outside.
• Remove to a wire rack, and let cool and rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with dip of choice.

The post Spent Grain Pretzel Bites appeared first on I Forgot Salt!.