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The grocery had pork tenderloins on sale this week, so for Friday’s dinner, I made my Maple-Glazed tenderloin roast. To accompany it, I made mashed potatoes from Deseree potatoes (apparently the most popular variety in Europe) that I bought at the farmers’ market on Tuesday. I made rough, mashed potatoes and left the skins on. I used just a bit of butter and half and half. Steamed green beans and sliced tomatoes rounded out the meal.
Note: I've corrected the name of the potato in this post.
I made a new recipe on Wednesday, Ensalada de Quinoa, that landed in my in-box a couple of weeks ago from Bob's Red Mill:
https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/ensalada-de-quinoaI've wanted to try quinoa, although I've been wary because of all the hype, and it can be expensive. I was fortunate to find the Pereg brand at T.J. Maxx. I discovered the quinoa is easy to cook. The recipe specifies fresh or frozen corn and lima beans, but it did not say whether they should be cooked. I elected to use frozen and to microwave, then cool. I used feta cheese, as it is easily available, and I deleted the salt, since cheese has plenty. I also deleted the cilantro. I do not have white wine vinegar, so I used white vinegar. 1 Tbs. of the lime juice came from one of the limes from my tree, which had come off when my husband was re-arranging it; the other was my last store bought lime. I made the salad early in the day and refrigerated it.
I had it as my entrée, while my husband finished the last of the Dilled Chicken and Rice, although he tasted it and pronounced it good, which means I can use it as an entrée later in the week. We also had steamed green beans and sliced tomato.
It's a gluten-free recipe, and while I do not need to give up gluten, it's nice to have one in my repertoire, as one of my nieces cannot tolerate gluten. It's also vegetarian, although not vegan.
Oh, that it would work for me! Clearly, I've been eating too much of what I bake with butter.
I stopped using Crisco for baking early this year. I use it only to grease pans and to make THE Grease for coating pans. I don't use margarine for baking or eating and do not plan to start. My pie crusts are now made with all butter. I'll save the butter crust for special pies and occasions--and maybe limit the pie baking as well--although the KAF 200th Anniversary Baking book does have a deep dish oil pastry, and I know that there will be Granny Smith apples at next week's farmers' market from the honey people.
After my shock last week, I did not make the peach hand pies I had been anticipating. I ate the peaches as is, which was fine, as they are wonderful peaches. Instead, I baked the recipe for five small loaves of zucchini bread that uses oil and three eggs. I froze two, and my husband has helped me eat the other three, so I am within parameters.
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.
