Happy New Year foodie friends! Welcome to 2021.
Starting a new year is filled with so many possibilities. It’s like opening a new recipe book. There are so many things to try, learn, experience, taste and enjoy. On the other hand, there’s the reality of it flopping, failing and recipes not turning out like you thought or below your expectations.
“The year is yours. What will you do with it?” — Unknown
Not everything can be peaches and cream, but we must look at the glass half full and be optimistic moving forward – even with our recipes. We can ease ourselves into it.
If you think I’m going to start 2021 with one of those, “how to lose the Christmas weight in 10 days”, or “cut out carbs in 2021”, you’re sadly mistaken. Remember, we have to be optimistic and most certainly realistic. Why deprive yourself of good things? Remember, everything in moderation — including those ever loved carbs!
“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.” — Joey Adams
I absolutely love bagels. I could easily eat a half dozen Georgetown bagels toasted with butter and jam. I’m drooling, again. Ugh! Why do I do this to myself every darn time I write this blessed column?
Point is, I’ve always wanted to make them but I thought it was too daunting. Why? Perhaps the many steps got to me as I like to keep things simple and quick. However, baking is truly a whole other realm. You have to have patience. Ahhh … Now it makes sense. Yes, patience.
OK, so I don’t have an abundance of patience as I mentioned above, I’m going to ease into it with a simple recipe that my lovely colleagues Iwona and Jill shared with me.
What I really enjoy about this recipe is that it’s fool proof. I mean, if you’ve looked at a regular bagel recipe, you probably felt the same as me, but a quick Google search for Greek yogurt bagels and you’ll be surprised at just how many recipes there are that don’t involve boiling or yeast.
You can find the recipe I’m using today on skinnytaste.com. It calls for five simple ingredients. You’ll need one cup of flour, two teaspoons baking powder, three quarters of a teaspoon of kosher salt, one cup of Greek yogurt and one egg white or whole egg.
“You’re the cream cheese to my bagel.” — Unknown
First things first, preheat your oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with a small amount of oil.
Like most baking recipes, you’re going to start with the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then, add the yogurt and mix until it looks like small crumbles. Dust your work surface lightly with flour and knead the dough until it becomes tacky. When you pull your hand away from the dough, it shouldn’t stick.
Divide the dough into four balls, roll them into ropes and join the ends so they form a bagel shape. Then, brush your egg wash over the bagels and sprinkle your toppings. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes and voila! You just accomplished your first bagel making experience.
The bonus of making your own bagels is you can make all different flavours. Similar to baking a cake, consider this as your base and decorate it however you’d like. You can sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top, poppy seeds or sesame seeds. How about grated cheese, dried garlic or onion? Yum.
If you’re like me, these bagels aren’t going to last long. Especially when served with a cuppa. But, if you’re trying to be good, you can freeze them by pre-cutting and freezing them individually so they’re easy to take out and defrost.
“You’ll never get bored when you try something new. There’s no limit to what you can do.” — Dr. Seuss
I hope you give these bagels a try as they’re definitely fit to eat. It can be your first foodie “try something new” for 2021. Enjoy to the fullest and we’ll see you again next week.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Instagram: @erinsulley.
