Search Results for ‘(“C’
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Search Results
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Topic: Reducing Saturated Fat
My cholesterol was tested last week, and the results left me in shock. My doctor has agreed to allowing me three months to see if I can reduce the bad cholesterol number and raise the good one (which was normal) through diet and exercise.
I've spent this week researching. I also got some help from my college roommate's daughter, who has her M.A. in dietetics--and who recently received her Physician Assistant degree.
Some changes, such as eating oats for breakfast every morning and incorporating more beans into my diet, are obvious and easy to accomplish. A hard look at my baking--and my eating of it--shows that especially in this past year, there has been a lot of baking with butter and cream. That must change. Physical activity (walking) had been better these past couple of months, with better weather and recovering from the plantar fasciitis I developed last year that took a while to heal. I'd even lost five of the fifteen pounds I'd targeted; whatever the results of trying to lower my cholesterol numbers, I anticipate that these changes will help me there.
My friend's daughter suggested I pay attention not to "cholesterol" but to saturated fat and aim for less than 7% of it per day (or even 5 % as AHA guidelines say). My doctor also wants me to increase my calcium intake slightly to hit 1200 mg, so I need to keep low-fat dairy. Certain foods will become rare treats, and in much smaller amounts.
I recall when Mike Nolan had to embark on the low-salt diet. My feelings are similar as I start the journey to cut most saturated fat. I will need to re-focus my baking and cooking, so there will be some interesting experimentation ahead.
I'm never sure where pizza ought to go, but I'll put it here in baking. I wanted to try Pizza Margherita, as we have such nice tomatoes. I looked at the KAF recipe, then I looked at the KAF recipe for sourdough pizza. I decided to use both of those crusts recipes to make my own to fit into a 12 1/2 x 17 1/2 pan. I thought about how Wonky once said that she and I just start experimenting--like we know what we are doing. This is an example.
I wanted more wholegrains in the crust, so I used 3/4 cup KAF unbleached, 1 cup semolina, 1/2 cup durum flour, and 1/4 cup medium rye. I cut the salt to 3/4 tsp. I added 1 Tbs. ground flax meal. I added 2 Tbs. of the KAF special dried milk, as I've been told to increase my calcium intake.
I proofed 1/2 tsp. active yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1/2 tsp. honey. I added 1 cup of my sourdough starter (mine is milk based; it is also of a pancake batter consistency). I then mixed in the dry ingredients. I switched to the kneading spiral. The dough seemed dry. I decided to add 1 Tbs. of olive oil at this point. It took a while to mix it in, and I had to knead at speeds 3 and 2 for about 8 minutes, but it came together as a nice dough. I let it rise for 3 1/2 hours (about 30 minutes too long, as there was some starting to collapse. I oiled my large pan, then spread the dough out, patting and stretching until it was even and it stopped snapping back. I let it rise for 90 minutes more.
I brushed the surface with about 1 Tbs. olive oil. I then arranged slices from 5 tomatoes over the surface. I evenly sprinkled 4 oz. of mozzarella over the surface. I put snips of basil leaves (from farmers' market) on my half, as my husband does not like basil. I baked in a pre-heated 450F oven for 20 minutes, at which time the cheese was melted and the crust golden. The basil did not do so well in the heat, so I need to re-think how I did that. It turned black and had not much flavor at all. Perhaps it needs to be added after the pizza comes out?
We each had a couple of slices, accompanied by some of the lentil soup that I made earlier this week. It was the perfect dinner for this cooler, overcast and rainy day.
This afternoon I baked a new recipe, Whole-Wheat and Oatmeal Zucchini Bread, from Ken Haedrich's The Harvest Baker (p. 50). Instead of using two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans, I used five 6x3-inch smaller ones and baked for 35 minutes. I used THE GREASE, and it worked as spectacularly as always. I used the quick oats option, as I have a lot more of those on hand. I made a few changes as well:
I reduced the salt by half (from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp.)
I added 1/3 cup powdered milk (for nutrition)
I added 3 Tbs. ground flax meal
I used buttermilk.
I deleted the citrus zest (Comments on zest in a previous week led me to that decision.)
I used pecans instead of walnuts, because I still have a lot of pecans.We cut a warm one for dessert tonight. I will definitely bake this recipe again. I plan to freeze two or three of the loaves.
I've now baked four of the recipes in this baking book, and I'm impressed--although I do make some changes.
Chocomouse and Len--When we vacationed in Florida last January, we had to buy bread at the grocery. While friends raved about Publix's bread, I was VERY unimpressed. The loaf from National Bakery, however, was wonderful.
