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To go with leftover turkey and steamed green beans (done in the microwave) for Thursday dinner, I made scalloped potatoes, following the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Complete Step-by-Step Cook Book (1978), pp. 130-131. This cookbook was an Easter gift from my godfather when I was in graduate school. I don't think that I've made scalloped potatoes before, and I chose this recipe because instead of making a white sauce, the flour is sifted over each of the two layers of potatoes and a bit of onion, then the milk is poured over it all. It baked very well and reminded my husband of the potato casserole he recalls his mother's making. My only change to the recipe was to sprinkle dried chives on top before baking. I will make this recipe again.
Note: The barley flour substitution in the Bischofsbrot worked well, and I will do it again.
Temperatures have soared to 41F but it is very cloudy and looks like possible rain. It's time to head into the kitchen and bake! On Wednesday afternoon, I'm baking two loaves of my Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread. I'm substituting in 1/2 cup of barley flour, along with the 1 cup of whole wheat flour. I'll reduce the AP flour that I use in combination with bread flour. I'm also going to cut the salt to 2 tsp.
Note: The bread is fine with less salt. I also like the flavor of the barley flour and will use it again.
Tuesday night, I boiled up the last of the package of lemon pepper linguini and made a sauce with mushrooms sautéed in grapeseed oil, along with broccoli florets and some of the leftover turkey, then added the rest of the not overly thick gravy that I made last Saturday. The combination worked well, and there is enough for a second meal.
I only have one package of specialty pasta left. I need a trip to Tuesday Morning next time we are somewhere close to one so that I can stock up on that and some other food items.
On this Monday of snow showers, I'm baking Bischofsbrot (recipe on this site). I substituted in, by weight, 1/2 cup of barley flour. I also increased the maraschino cherries from 15 to 20 (they seemed rather puny), and used a cup of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (large ones). We will try it out for dessert tomorrow.
I'm also baking Semolina Rolls from the KAF website, which go into the oven as soon as the Bischofsbrot comes out. We were invited to dinner in the mid-afternoon, and that was one recipe I knew that I could do relatively quickly with the bread machine doing the mixing and kneading while I worked on the other recipe. I substituted in 1 cup of buttermilk and reduced the salt from 1 1/2 to 1 tsp. The warm rolls will go with us to dinner.
Addendum: The rolls are great, and I'd bake them with these changes again.
Second Addendum: The Bischofsbrot stuck in two places, although I let it rest in the pan for 15 minutes after coming out of the oven. I had used the grease. I think that it was the chocolate in those two places, and I'm thankful that the sticking was minor. Next time, I will also use parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan, and will grease it as well.
With temperatures this morning below freezing, and only slightly higher now, my husband fired up the wood stove. I seized the opportunity and am making minestrone on top of it. I use my own turkey/chicken stock. My basic recipe is from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook. I've replaced the basil with Penzey's Tuscan Sunset (salt-free) and added a yellow bell pepper. I plan to omit the macaroni. It will make a nice warm lunch on a cold day of mixed snow and rain.
I baked a new recipe this afternoon, the KAF Maple Doughnuts. It makes six, and they are smaller than other baked doughnut recipes. I think that they would fit nicely in the Nordic Ware six-well, heart-shaped doughnut pan. I used the six-well, conventional-shaped Norpro pan, which probably holds about 2-3 tsp. more batter and has center posts that rise above the level of the pan, so that the hole stays open. I also made the maple glaze, although the microwave I'm using is rather old, so it is hard to figure our how long to microwave the glaze ingredients.
Instead of using a piping bag to put the batter in the molds, I used a miniature spoonula and dropped in four "blobs" per doughnut, and smoothed them on top. Next time, I'll smooth them out a little more, as they had a "rugged" top, but it may help them hold the glaze more efficiently. I'll add a note after dinner tonight on what we think of the recipe.
Verdict: The maple doughnuts are ok, but they are nothing special, and I'm unlikely to bake them again.
