[BakerAunt]

Where are those sous chefs when you need them? 🙂

I'm saying that as I prepare to tackle the mound of dishes I left in my wake in the kitchen this morning....

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

When I cook boneless chicken breasts, I halve them, then rub them with low-fat mayonnaise and coat them in a mixture of panko, freshly grated parmesan, and some herbs. Maybe the egg in the mayonnaise helps keep them from drying out? I'm not sure the panko mixture provides that much insulation.

[BakerAunt]

I wanted to do my maple-glazed chicken and sweet potato sheet pan recipe this evening. I experimented with reducing the saturated fat. I spread the sweet potato chunks, rubbed with a little olive oil, on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with rosemary. I put the chicken on a rack in a separate, deeper pan, and drizzled just a bit of olive oil on each (crisp skin would be easier to remove later). I baked the pans side by side in the oven. (I did check first to make sure that both would fit.) The sweet potatoes actually came out superior to my other method because with less fluid, the maple caramelized. I was, however, thankful that I used the parchment, which made clean-up easy. The chicken also roasted well, and I was surprised at how much fat ran off. I’ve heard conflicting information on skinning chicken pieces before roasting, which the American Heart Association endorses, and leaving the skin on to keep the chicken from drying out, then removing it before eating. My take is that unless a coating is added to replace the barrier the skin provides, chicken is best roasted with the skin on but on a rack above any fluids.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks, Joan.

Dinner on Wednesday was Salmon with Dill and Couscous, with steamed broccoli as the side, and sliced tomato.

[BakerAunt]

For lunch on Wednesday, I needed to use up a cup of leftover black beans. I cooked ¼ cup bulgur (dry) and mixed it with the beans. I added drizzle of olive oil, ¼ tsp. of Penzey’s Southwest Seasoning (was a freebie), sliced green onion, and chopped tomato from our garden. It made enough for me to have it again tomorrow.

[BakerAunt]

Bev--Hoping for the best, while you prepare for the storm. Stay safe.

[BakerAunt]

That sounds so good, Chocomouse!

We had more of the leftover pork tenderloin for dinner, and the little that remained of the mashed potatoes, along with steamed broccoli. I felt the need for something more, so I experimented. I had about ¼ cup leftover quinoa, which I decided to add to a bulgur (cracked wheat) salad. I found an online recipe from Ellie Krieger that The Washington Post had printed and used it as my base. I cooked ½ cup bulgur in 1 cup of water. Once it was cooked, I spread it on a plate to cool, then mixed it with the bit of quinoa, some chopped red onion, some chopped tomatoes from our garden, a Tbs. of olive oil, a tsp. bottled lemon juice, a dash of salt, and 1 ½ tsp. of the Penzey’s Sunny Paris seasoning (was a freebie). It was ok, but it needs feta cheese, so I’ll get some at the grocery tomorrow and add it before we re-run it tomorrow. I’m not sure the Sunny Paris made much of an impact in the recipe.

[BakerAunt]

Our farmers' market ends in October, although there has been some discussion about a monthly winter market. I had considered baking for the FM this summer, but repeated delays from our contractor have left us unrenovated. That will change. We asked our architect to recommend another contractor, and we are awaiting his bid. We have high hopes of a start in November--and I really hope that the snow will delay its arrival during the time part of the house is opened.

The baked goods at our FM consist of whatever the Amish family brings, as well as a lady that does muffins, and another who does cinnamon rolls for the Tuesday market (now ended for the season). There is a baker who brings pastries from his place outside Chicago for an occasional stint at the Saturday market. I'm thinking that scones, small Bundt cakes, and some breads might be my niche. Indiana's cottage food law does allow vendors to take orders online, but the baked goods must be delivered at the market, if it comes from an "uninspected kitchen."

[BakerAunt]

On Monday, I again baked my new version of Barley-Wheat Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread—a rather fast turnaround, as I just baked two loaves last Thursday. One was intended for the freezer, but I visited a friend in town in her clothing resale shop on Friday morning, and after a long conversation about myriad topics, including the lack of good bread in town, I looked through the clothes and found Levi men’s shorts in my husband’s size and the style he prefers. (These are even hard for me to find new.) She told me to take them home and either bring them back or pay her when I came by again. The shorts fit, so I asked if she would like the $3 or a loaf of the bread. She texted: “Bread, please,” so I took it to her. She texted me yesterday to say that my bread is wonderful, and I definitely should consider selling it. (One topic we had discussed was Farmers’ Market.) I promised my husband that if I bartered away one of his loaves (Grape Nuts Bread, especially this new version) is his favorite), I would bake it again, and we went through our one loaf quickly.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

I baked the KAF Deep Dark Brownies on Sunday evening. I cut back the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips from 1 cup to about 1/4 cup (30 grams to be precise). This recipe is best if it sits overnight.

My husband has been wanting something chocolate, so I turned to this oil-based brownie. After I cut down the optional chocolate chips--which I've never considered optional, sigh--I calculated that if I cut them into 12 pieces, it's 2.5 grams per piece, which is acceptable.

[BakerAunt]

Joan--It is so neat to cook with tools that have been in the family for so many years. (Hmm--maybe this could be a thread topic?)

I agree with Navlys--your chicken sounds great!

[BakerAunt]

Aaron--I agree with your assessment of the conclusion. It seemed to me that the verdict was based on who was "cutting edge" rather than on who was best baker. That said, I was in awe of the baking talent of all three finalists.

[BakerAunt]

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.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by BakerAunt. Reason: correction

[BakerAunt]

Thank you, Chocomouse.

[BakerAunt]

On Thursday afternoon, I baked two loaves of Buttermilk Grape Nuts Bread. I used the same proportions as last time, except that I accidentally increased the barley flour to 1 cup (moment of inattention), so I decreased the AP flour to 1 ¼ Cup. The bread baked well, so I may incorporate that change as I work to increase the recipe’s whole grain content. I baked to 195F, which works better for a bread with honey.

[Author]

Posts