[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, 3 months 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, 3 months 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.

[BakerAunt]

Apparently, the new version of the GBBO will come to the U.S. via Netflix:

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/great-british-bake-baking-show-netflix-2018?xid=NL_DISH082918&utm_source=foodandwine.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-dish&utm_content=2018082920PM&eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22Ebt4mF9KGSAyq6yldRzVww%3d%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22WI%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22Newsletter%22%2c%22UID%22%3a%22WI_DSH_6DF4D82E-1A80-4617-ADC8-29E4CD9A7378%22%2c%22SUBID%22%3a%2274099137%22%2c%22JOBID%22%3a%22865987%22%2c%22NEWSLETTER%22%3a%22THE_DISH%22%2c%22ZIP%22%3a%2279413%22%2c%22COUNTRY%22%3a%22USA%22%7d

[BakerAunt]

When I was forced to start thinking about changes in how I cook and bake, I knew right away that I would not be happy with most recipes that try to be "healthier" by substituting in another ingredient, as most of the time, the result is disappointing, because taste and texture are nothing like the original recipe. Sometimes changes work--less butter in waffles--and sometimes they don't. I once tried a waffle recipe that used applesauce instead of butter. I was, shall we say, unimpressed with the soggy result.

I'm approaching the change for me by concentrating first on recipes that I already have and enjoy--such as lentil soup and my steel-cut oats--that fit within my new dietary parameters. Secondly, I'm looking at it as an opportunity to try a variety of new recipes and techniques. Thirdly, if diet and exercise can get the numbers under control, I can look forward to the occasional, now forbidden, treat.

[BakerAunt]

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-quinoa

I'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.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by BakerAunt.

[BakerAunt]

It's so nice to read about everyone's baking!

Welcome back, Wonky! The apple bread looks wonderful.

Chocomouse--it's always fun to pull out an old recipe. I hope it tastes as good as you remember--or even better!

Joan--Isn't it great to be baking bread again? You chose the perfect recipe.

Today I baked the Chia Energy Bars from the KAF website. I had tried them once before, but I had substituted cracked wheat for the quinoa, and they were soggy. This time, I had quinoa left over from another recipe (see cooking thread). I'd found the quinoa at T.J. Maxx when we were in South Bend about a month ago. (The brand is Pereg, and I've had great experiences with their bean mixes, and the price is good.)

I used the peanut butter option, and the old-fashioned peanut butter. I also elected to use 1/2 cup of KAF mixed dried fruit and not any nuts. I did reduce the honey to 1/3 cup, as several commentators mentioned that the bars were a tad sweet. I lined my pan with parchment. I cut the cooled bars into 12 pieces, and they held together well. I ate one for dessert, and they are certainly worthy of a place in my repertoire. My husband liked them also. I'll probably try then with almond butter next time.

[BakerAunt]

It was 88F with heavy humidity here.

For dinner on Monday, I made Chicken and Brown Rice with Yogurt-Dill Sauce. It is my adaptation of Jane Brody’s “Chicken and Rice with Curried Yogurt” in Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet. My husband does not like curry, so I improvised this recipe back when we were dating to accommodate his more sensitive digestive system. I’ve not made it for a while, because it has more steps than just throwing the chicken pieces on a sheet pan. I also do not like to skin chicken--and truthfully, I prefer the flavor with the skin. However, as I need to reduce saturated fat in my diet and increase calcium, it was time to turn again to this recipe. In some ways it is an excellent company dish in that there is time to clean up between the two stages of preparation

I tinkered with my recipe a bit more. I only had nonfat Greek yogurt on hand, so I used a cup of that with ½ cup 1% milk rather than 1 ½ cups of regular yogurt. I reduced the dill from 4 tsp. to 3, reduced the garlic from 3 to 2 minced cloves, added ½ tsp. dried chives, ¼ tsp. dried onion, and some freshly ground pepper. It came out well. I might experiment a bit more with the spices.

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