This week I had the opportunity to do something a little different. I broke out of my comfort zone and did a little recipe demonstration this week. It’s not the first time I’ve done such a thing, but let me tell you, it was much easier to do it for a group of friends than it was to do it for a TV camera. It was fun, and for my demonstration, I decided to make all-purpose marinara. What I love about marinara is how multi-purpose it truly is. Sure, you can use it straight up to top pasta, but you can also use it to top pizza, dunk bread-sticks in, or in our case, you can use it to dunk focaccia in. You can also use it with some chicken broth as an amazing base for a vegetable soup, or you can use it as an added layer of flavor for a pot roast. Or you can adjust your marinara. You can add some chopped kalamata olives and oregano and you have a Greek-inspired sauce. Toss in some red pepper flakes and you have more of an arrabiata- perfect for simmering some shrimp in. You can add some browned ground beef or turkey for a bolognese and serve it up with some polenta. Marinara can literally be used for anything.
Which brings me to the other multi-tasker, the focaccia. If you’ve never thought of focaccia as a multitasker, let me tell you, you are missing out. First of all, if you don’t give your focaccia it’s last rise, you have an excellent pizza dough. But let’s say you’ve followed through and now you have a sheet of focaccia. What can’t it be! You can cut it into strips for dunking in marinara or cheese fondue. You can top it with garlic and cheese and make garlic bread. The focaccia can be cut into squares, and then divided horizontally for some of the best sandwich bread you’ve ever had. Ever had a hamburger in a focaccia bun? Yum! Especially if you have some of that all-purpose marinara on hand! Foccaccia also makes some of the best croutons, hands down. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making croutons, how about simply cubing it up and tossing with some vegetables and a vinaigrette for a terrific panzanella. Slices of focaccia are also excellent toasted up and smeared with an herbed cream cheese for a take on crostini. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Simple Marinara
Serving Size : 8-10
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions — finely chopped
2 garlic cloves — finely chopped
2 stalks celery — finely chopped
2 carrots — peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves, whole
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent, about another 5 minutes.
Add the celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. They will start to look a little golden when ready.
Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, basil, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. If you like a thicker marinara, simmer uncovered, watching carefully so it doesn’t bubble and splatter.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste if needed.
Focaccia (or Pizza Dough)
1/4 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees) 2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (1 packet) 1 teaspoon sugar 4 cups bread flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water 2 Tablespoons olive oilCombine 1/4 cup water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to combine, and set aside for 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix with a whisk to evenly incorporate the salt. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water,and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon as long as you can, and then use your hands to bring the dough together. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth. This should take between 3-5 minutes. Place in a bowl that has been oiled, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
Punch the dough down, knead it briefly, and cover again. Let rise for 30 minutes.
Turn the dough out of the bowl onto your work surface. If you are making pizza, this is the time to stretch the dough to fit your pan, add your toppings, and bake at 500ºF for 10-15 minutes.
If you are making focaccia, gently stretch your dough to fit in your pan- I use a half-sheet pan. Use your fingers to press into the dough and put little dimples in the whole thing. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with any toppings you’d like. You can use fresh herbs, dried herbs, coarsely chopped olives or garlic, Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc. The only must is that you must sprinkle it with salt and pepper at the very least.
Cover your focaccia dough and let it rise again for 1 hour. When there are about 15 minutes left, preheat your oven to 500º so it is good and hot when the focaccia is ready.
Bake the focaccia for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it. You want to bake it until it is golden brown. If it is browning unevenly, rotate your pan or move it to a different shelf. Cooking at 500ºF will make the inside of the dough nice and fluffy while the outside gets crispy.
If desired, after you pull the focaccia out of the oven, you can brush it again with olive oil or melted butter.