Kitchen Store and More at Oconee Interiors

Rosemary Olive Focaccia - A perfect spring appetizer Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 8-12... INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup warm water 2 teaspoons honey 1 package active dry yeast 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 teaspoons flaky salt, plus more for drizzling 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 cup olives, pitted (we like Castelvetrano!) DIRECTIONS: 1. To proof the yeast, add warm water and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment. Sprinkle yeast over the top and give it a stir. Let it sit 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy. If it doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast. 2. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour. Once incorporated, add the olive oil and salt. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing for 5 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides add in an extra 1/4 cup of flour and continue mixing. 3. Grease a mixing bowl with olive oil then remove the dough from the mixing bowl and shape it into a ball. Place the ball into the mixing bowl and cover with a damp, lint-free towel. Place in a warm location and let it rise for 1 hour, or until about doubled in size. 4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cover again with the damp towel, and let the dough rise another 20 minutes. 5. Preheat the oven to 400F and transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Use your fingers to press deep dents all the way down to the baking sheet and all over the dough. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt and press in the olives. 6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dough is a light golden color and cooked through. Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve warm #recipe #bread #breadbaking #lakeoconee #KitchenStore

One of our best tips we can give bread baking beginners is to start with something simple! Prep time: 12 hours Cook Time: 40 minutes Servings: 8... INGREDIENTS: 3 cups all-purpose flour (405 grams) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast 1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature DIRECTIONS: 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. Slowly stir in the water until a shaggy, thick dough forms. If there’s still a lot of flour, slowly add in more water by the tablespoon, until there are no dry spots. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest 12-18 hours at room temperature. 2. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450F and put a 6QT dutch oven inside. The dutch oven should heat for about 30 minutes. 3. Gently scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball. Set the ball onto a piece of parchment and cover with plastic wrap while the dutch oven is heating up. 4. Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and lift the parchment and dough into the heated dutch oven. 5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until the outside of the bread is golden brown. Let cool for at least 30 minutes then slice and enjoy. Do you like to make homemade bread? Do you use a bread maker? Let us know below.

Patty Dailey is in the Kitchen tomorrow from 1-4 pm. Stop by for a homemade treat every Wednesday - you never know what's cooking in the kitchen!

Homemade Bloody Mary mix is the perfect way to start off this beautiful weekend. Prep time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 cocktails... INGREDIENTS: 32 ounces tomato juice 8 ounces vodka 1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded 1/3 cup white vinegar 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 1 teaspoon horseradish 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1/4 teaspoon of salt lime wedges kosher salt, for the rim, optional garnishes: celery, olives, pickle spears, olives, pickled okra, bacon and basically anything else you could dream of! DIRECTIONS: 1. In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, lime juice, celery seed, Worcestershire, horseradish and hot sauce. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. 2. Taste and add more hot sauce as desired. Add the black pepper, garlic and salt. Blend once more, adding additional salt as desired. Set aside. 3. If rimming your glasses with salt, run a lime wedge around the rim. Pour salt onto a small plate and roll the edge of the glass around the plate at a 45 angle. 4. Fill each glass with ice and pour in the mix. Stir with a spoon then garnish with a lime wedge and the additional garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately. #recipe #bloodymary #brunch #lakeoconee #kitchenstore

Shakshuka Serve with crusty bread and you’ve got an epic brunch dish! Prep time: 10 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes... Servings: 4-6 INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, dived 1 bell pepper, diced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided 1 teaspoon sugar 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices 2 cups greens (kale or spinach), finely chopped and gently packed 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 6 eggs handful chopped parsley DIRECTIONS: 1. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook 8-10 minutes, until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, sugar and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is starting to thicken. 2. Add the chopped greens and heavy cream, stir, then continue cooking, 10 minutes or so until the greens are wilted. 3. Preheat the oven broiler and make sure you have a rack in the top position. 4. Remove the skillet from the heat and make 6 little holes in the sauce. Crack an egg into each hole, then spoon a bit of the sauce over the whites. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the eggs, then top with feta. 5. Return the pan to the heat over low and cover. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until the egg whites are mostly set but still translucent on top. 6. Remove the lid and transfer to the oven to finish the eggs to your liking. 1 minute for runny yolks, more for a firmer yolk. 7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley. Then serve with crusty bread! #recipes #lakeoconee #KitchenStore #brunch

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." S.D. Gordon