MUSES in the Kitchen: Pickles, Breadsticks & Chicken Skewers!

We brainstormed about typical snack food favorites and came up with today's menu as a result.

Our bread sticks are made with whole wheat flour and loaded with sesame and sunflower seeds. Instead of deep fried chicken wings, smothered in hot sauce, we made chicken skewers marinaded in a sesame-honey glaze.

To top it all off, our refrigerator is loaded with cucumbers from the garden so the campers learned how to make their own homemade pickles!

Whole Wheat Seedy Bread Sticks (Makes 2 dozen)

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 tsp honey, agave nectar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/3 cups AP flour

1/2 cup sesame seeds

2 tsp sunflower seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the honey, agave nectar, malt extract or rice syrup. Let stand for five minutes. Stir in the olive oil.

2. Combine the whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of the unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of the sesame seeds and the salt. Add to the liquid mixture. If kneading by hand, stir until you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and worktop.

If using an electric mixer, mix at medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour as necessary so that the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be elastic and just slightly sticky.

3.Lightly flour your work surface or brush with olive oil. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 14-by-4-inch rectangle. Make sure there is enough flour or oil underneath the dough so that it doesn’t stick to the work surface. Brush the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until nearly doubled. (If you need the workspace, lightly oil the underside of a sheet pan and place the dough on top.)

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the racks positioned in the middle and upper thirds of the interior space. Brush sheet pans with olive oil. Cut the dough crosswise into four equal pieces. Brush each piece with beaten egg white, then roll each piece in 1 tablespoon of the remaining sesame seeds, until coated. Cut each piece crosswise into six equal pieces. Roll each between the board and your hands as if you were making a rope until it is as long as the baking sheet. For a tighter strip, twist the strands from one end to the other. Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets until you’ve filled two baking sheets. Continue to shape the remaining bread sticks while the first batch is baking.

5. Place in the oven, and bake 15 minutes. Switch the pans top to bottom and front to back, and bake another 10 minutes until the bread sticks are nicely browned (they will be darker on the bottom). Remove from the heat, and cool on a rack. Shape and bake any remaining dough as instructed.

Sesame-Honey Glazed Chicken Kebabs (Serves 8-10)

4 each chicken breast, cut into ½ inch thick strips

1 TB amino acids

1 TB olive oil

1 TB honey

1 TB sliced green onion

1 tsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish

8-10 wooden skewers

Place the wooden skewers in a water bath to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat flattop or grill. In a small bowl, combine the amino acid, olive oil, honey, green onion and sesame seeds.

For each wooden skewer, thread on one strip of chicken. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with marinade, being sure to coat all side of the chicken, but leaving the wooden skewer clean. Place the tray in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Cook the chicken skewers on the flattop or grill 8-10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the juices run clear. Garnish with extra sesame seeds.