Milk and Cereal Bars
(Published by Pampered Chef)

2¼ cups Cheerios™

2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

¼ cup honey or agave nectar

½ cup freeze-dried strawberries

½ cup yogurt chips or white chocolate morsels

Combine the cereal and strawberries in a large mixing bowl.

Microwave the nut butter and honey in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for about 1 minute, or until bubbling. Pour over the cereal mixture and mix well to combine.

Use the Large Scoop to transfer the mixture into wells of the Snack Bar Maker and press down with the Mini Nylon Serving Spatula. Chill the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes, or in the refrigerator until the bars are set.

Heat the yogurt chips in a microwave-safe bowl until they’ve melted and drizzle over the bars.

Let the bars set in the refrigerator or on the counter.

Yield: 12 servings of bars

Nutrients per serving: U.S. nutrients per serving: Calories 110, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 50 mg, Carbohydrate 19 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugars 12 g, Protein 2 g

 

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Baking stones.  Either you love ‘em…or you’ve never used ‘em.  I was in the second group until I attended a Pampered Chef party.  I ended up with a couple of cooking stones because I was curious and wanted to try cooking on them. I think the fact that I’m writing this would make you think I’m now hooked…and you would be right!

In this post, I’d like to go over the basics of oven stones and what I consider to be the best oven baking stones on the market!  Buckle up and let’s get this ride started!

What Is An Oven Baking Stone?

An oven stone is a portable cooking surface that is used for cooking and is one of the oldest cooking techniques known to man.  Its history can be traced back to the Early Paleolithic Age between 45,000 to 9,000 BC.  And, although we often think of baking stones as a pizza implement, they were first used to cook flatbreads and are still used for that purpose in many parts of the world.

The types I’ll be talking about here are made of clay but they can also be made of ceramic, cordierite, cast iron or stone.  While most of us use them in our kitchen oven, they’re also suitable for use on the grill or over an open fire.

Baking stones are not good conductors of heat.  This is actually a plus as your food is less likely to burn than when you’re using a glass or metal pan.  They also absorb moisture from the bottom of the food, resulting in a crispier bottom.

But…Back To Me

As I said before, I got some baking stones at a Pampered Chef party.  I was a little skeptical because it just seemed like food would stick.  The consultant assured me it wouldn’t so I went ahead and purchased a stone bar pan.

The first thing I did was to cook some teriyaki steak tips.  That’s a great test, right?   I mean, if anything is going to stick, teriyaki marinade would, right?  Nope.  The steak was delicious and the stone cleaned up with just a few wipes of my dishtowel.

After such a great experience with the new stone, I tried making a pizza on a stone I had been given a while back but had yet to use.  A friend had cooked a naan on it and I was so impressed that she gave me the stone.  I lightly oiled the stone, spread the dough over it and confidently put it in the oven to bake.  It stuck like glue.

Luckily, I was using this pizza dough recipe, which makes 2 thin-crust pizzas so I decided to try again.  After a bit of research, I spread some cornmeal over a piece of parchment paper and molded my pizza while my stone heated up in the oven.  The stone did smoke, perhaps because I had oiled it previously, but it didn’t set off the smoke detectors so it was fine!  I took it out of the oven, spread cornmeal over the hot stone, turned the crust over onto it and carefully peeled off the parchment.  Taking the stone out of the oven would seem to be a no-no from what I had read, but I really didn’t see any other way to do it.  The recommended method of “sliding it onto the stone” is, in my humble opinion, not possible with raw pizza dough.

Anyhow, in it went for a 5-minute prebake.

It came out a bit wonky looking, as you can see, but it didn’t stick so I considered that a win.  Covered it with toppings and back in it went for the final bake!  The finished result was a perfectly crunchy, New York-style crust. 

HowTo Use and Clean A Baking Stone

As you use your stones, they will darken and develop a smooth, nonstick surface.  This is referred to as seasoning.

Using  an oven baking stone is fairly straightforward:

• Always place the stone in a cold oven and allow to preheat before using.
• Never place frozen or very cold food on a hot stone.
• Never place a hot stone on a cold surface.  If possible, remove food from the stone to serve and allow the stone to cool in the oven after turning it off. If the hot stone is removed from the oven, place gently on a room-temperature surface.
• Don’t oil your stone.
• Don’t drop your stone!
• Store stone in a cool dry place.
• Storing your stone in the oven is not recommended.  The repeated heating and cooling of a stone that is not holding food tends to damage the seasoning.

Cleaning my stones depends entirely on what I cook on them.  If I bake something that doesn’t leave residues, such as naan or rolls, I just brush off any crumbs and put it away.

If I’m cooking something a bit messier, I allow the stone to cool and clean it off with water and a dishcloth, using a plastic scraper or kitchen brush when necessary.  I don’t recommend using soap on unglazed cooking stones.

If my stone needs a deeper clean, I make a baking soda paste (½ cup baking soda to 3 tbsp water) and spread it over the surface of the stone.  I allow it to sit for 15 minutes then scrape off the paste and rinse with warm water.

Always allow your stone to dry completely before using or storing it

10 Best Oven Baking Stones

The Pampered Chef stones that I’ve recommended below are made with a StoneFusion Formula. I love them because they’re nonporous so foods and liquids won’t soak in.  Once cool, they’re also dishwasher safe, although cleaning them this way will take longer for a seasoned surface to develop.  I, personally, clean them in the same way that I clean my unglazed stones.

10” Pampered Chef Round Pizza Stone

Pampered Chef Stoneware Loaf Pan

Pampered Chef Stoneware Mini Loaf Pan

Pampered Chef 15” Pizza Stone

Pampered Chef Medium Stone Pan 11½” x 7¾”

Pampered Chef Rectangular Stone 12” x 15”

Pampered Chef Large Round Stone with Glazed Exterior

Pampered Chef Large Round with Handles

Pampered Chef Toaster Oven Stone 8.75 x 6.5

Pampered Chef 13” Pizza Stone

Time To Get Your Bake On!

If you haven’t tried oven baking stones, I hope you’ll take the plunge and choose one of these stones to begin your new adventure!

If you already use baking stones, please share your experience in the comment section below.

All my best,

Cynthia
cynthia@cynthiaeats.com

Asian Cold Noodle Salad

(Courtesy: Yuhong Sun)

1 lb spaghetti or dry noodle

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cucumber

Sauce:

1 green onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced (3 tsp)

1” knob fresh ginger, minced (1 tbsp)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp dark (Chinese) vinegar

2 tbsp chili sauce

Pinch of salt

 

Cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Stir in olive oil. Allow to cool or chill in the refrigerator.

Peel the cucumber and cut into 2” matchsticks.

In a small bowl, combine green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, chili sauce and salt.

Assemble salads by placing 1 cup cold noodle in a bowl. Top with cucumbers and 1-2 tbsp sauce. Serve immediately.

 

8 servings, 275 calories per serving

Hack: Chop leftover green onions and freeze in a sealable freezer bag or container for future use. While they won’t retain the crispness that would make them suitable for salads or garnish, they will be fine for cooking.

Hack: Do you know that you can freeze fresh ginger root? Grating it in it’s frozen state is easier than grating it fresh and, if you choose organic ginger, you don’t have to peel it! Simply place in a sealed freezer bag or container and pop it in the freezer.

 

 

 

Authentic Naan Flatbread

 

1 ½ cups warm water (115℉)

2 tsp yeast

2 tsp salt

3¼ cups flour

1 tbsp oil or ghee

Fit stand mixer with a dough hook.  Place water and yeast in the bowl.  Add salt and flour, mix on low speed until all ingredients are well incorporated.  The dough can be mixed by hand if preferred.

Transfer dough to a storage bowl and cover.*  Note: This will not have the consistency of regular bread dough.  It will be thinner and will easily and quickly mold to the shape of the bowl.

Let dough rise until it has risen and then begins to fall.  This will take at least 2 hours but can take longer depending on the room temperature.  Bread can be left at room temperature for up to 5 hours without any ill effects.

Transfer the bowl of dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 36 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and cut off ¼ of the dough.  Return the rest to the refrigerator.

Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal onto a piece of parchment paper.  Shape dough into a ball and, using a rolling pin and your hands, roll dough into an 8” circle on parchment paper/mat.  Use oil or cooking spray on the rolling pin and hands if the dough is too sticky.

Preheat oven to 450℉.

Transfer the rolled dough, on parchment paper, to a cooking sheet and put it in the oven.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or until browned around edges.

Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter, if desired.

Repeat with the remaining dough to make 3 more naans or leave the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to make as needed.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

*Cover on the bowl should not be airtight.

 

4 servings, 360 calories per serving

 

Hack:  Cooked bread will remain fresh for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.  Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Hack:  Naan dough will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Hack:  Naan bread can be used as a side for saucy meals, soups or stews.  It can be used for fillings in a similar fashion as tortillas or wraps.  Flatbread pizzas are also a popular item!

 

 

Curry Barley with Cranberries, Raisins and Pecans

 

1 tbsp olive oil

¾ cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)

1½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup dried pearl barley

⅓ cup cranberries

⅓ cup raisins

⅓ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.

Stir curry, turmeric, allspice, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

Add barley, cranberries and raisins.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until barley is tender and all water is absorbed.

Remove from heat and allow barley to stand, covered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in pecans and serve immediately.

6 servings, 200 calories per serving

Hack:  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or frozen for up to 3 months.