04.03.2009 That’s the way I (relish the) roll.

As the deadline for the first half of the manuscript is fast approaching, I’m finding myself feeling not only a bit scatterbrained, but also re-testing and tweaking old favorites.
Coming up is a list of recipes that have been updated, along with a new one, to put any leftover relish you might not have used for crackers or other tasty stuff to good use.

But first, a few links to the updated recipes. There’s a lot more that have been reworded, though I’m only listing those that even had “new things” done to them. (Sounds dirty.)

- Potato Bread, now made with bona fide potatoes instead of instant potato flakes, as it’s been getting tougher to find them (locally) guaranteed vegan because of the mono- and diglycerides they all contain, which can be either animal- or vegetable-derived; since it’s rarely clearly stated on the package, that means having to make phone calls and I truly, truly hate the phone with a fiery passion from hell. There, I’ve said it.
Cosmo’s has an option, though.

- Butterscotch Pecan Cookies, now made sans the (too often) vilified Ener-g egg replacer thing.

- Butterscotch (or White) Chocolate Fudge Brownies, now made with equal amounts of vegan white chocolate chips, in place of the vegan butterscotch chips if you can’t find them. Honestly, I barely noticed a difference. But then again, I hoovered the pan in ten seconds flat, so…

- Nutty Stuffed Veggies, now made with real vegetables! Kidding.

Okay, let’s get breaded.
Oh, if you don’t have relish, use salsa instead.
Word of caution: the dough should be sticky and wet (yum!), so don’t overdo it when it comes to adding extra flour. If you have a stand mixer, I recommend fitting it with the dough hook and using it to make this recipe.

Horseradish Dill Relish Rolls:

1/3 cup water, heated to 100°F (38°C)
1 tablespoon (21 g) agave nectar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups (180 g) bread flour, plus extra to sprinkle on rolls during second rise
1 1/2 cups (180 g) whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup (168 g) horseradish dill relish
2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil, plus 1/2 teaspoon to coat the bowl for first rise

In a medium bowl, combine water, agave, and yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes: it should foam and bubble up. If it doesn’t, start all over again since your yeast might not be fresh.
In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, relish, and (2 tablespoons) oil.
Stir yeast mixture into flour mixture.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Add more flour, a little at a time, if the dough is really too wet. Shape into a ball.
Lightly coat a large bowl with oil, turn dough around to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
Punch down dough, divide into 4 equal portions. Shape into rolls: again, the dough will be wet, so show them rolls who’s boss.
Place them on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, such as Silpat, on top of a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little flour evenly on top of the rolls.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for another 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
Remove plastic wrap from rolls. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Let cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 large rolls