Food

Tom's Food . . .

Tom's Food Archive 2019--2020 Word Document or Tom's Food Archive 2019--2020 PDF File

December 8, 2021 Sourdough Bread Recipe--Baking. Here's is a simple sourdough bread recipe and time schedule. The total time is slightly longer than what was used for the November 29 post. Today's loaf before baking weighed in at 3 lbs., 1 oz. The baked loaf weighed 2 lbs. 12 oz. Actual baking time below (removed from oven) was 58 minutes.

Important: Sixty minutes is just an approximation for me. My style of baking has too many variables that may cause the top or bottom to become overbaked/burned. I keep an eye on the crust as it approaches 60 minutes.

A printable copy of this recipe can be obtained by downloading this PDF file: Sourdough Bread.

[ To enlarge image below click Pop-out or Zoom ]

November 29, 2021 Sourdough Bread--Baking. Featuring a 2 lb. 6 oz. sourdough bread loaf.

Today marks the return of my old Dutch Oven. Last night 4 1/2 cups of unbleached Dakota Maid bread flour, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 cup of homemade active sourdough starter, 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups warmed purified (drinking) water were mixed/kneaded/folded by hand and formed into a ball, The dough was placed in a large floured bowl, covered with a damp towel, and left to rise for 17 hours. The towel was dampened again after 12 hours.

The dough was removed from bowl and pressed down to remove gas bubbles after 17 hours. At that point, the 2 lb. 11 oz. ball of dough was placed on parchment paper returned to its bowl and covered with damp towel to proof for 3 more hours.

In the meantime, the Dutch Oven and conventional electric oven were preheated to 450 Degrees. The dough was scored on top , transferred into the hot Dutch Oven, covered with lid slightly tilted and re-positioned on the center oven rack. A shallow pan of boiling water had been placed on the lower oven rack to provide additional humidity while the bread baked.

After 30 minutes the Dutch Oven was rotated 90 Degrees and more water was added to the pan below. The bread baked an additional 28 minutes before removing the lid. At that point I elected to remove it rather than to bake for the full 60 minutes (see images below).

Today's recipe added olive to the list of ingredients and cut back on the salt. More about Sourdough can be read by clicking my 2019-2020 Food Archive Link at the top of this page.

October 7, 2021 Air Fry Spiral Cut Fries--Cooking. More "Fair Food." Spiral fries were made using the Spiral Cutter attachment for the electric Presto Tater Twister shown in the October 4 post. I fashioned a spiral fry holder for the fry basket using a length of heavy stainless steel wire and covered it with inch wide strips of aluminum foil. The holder's purpose was to separate the potato spirals for better air circulation.

Like October 4, today's air frying was an experiment and the end result was unpredictable. In my opinion, potato spirals for the air fryer should be cut 1/8 inch thick or less and be ready in under 15 minutes. Even though spirals are subject to shrinkage, the few spirals that were cut 1/4" thick were not browned as much as they should be. Frying at 400 degrees for 12 minutes was about right for the thinner cut spirals, but the 1/4 inch fries should have fried 2 or three minutes longer. For best results, batches need to be kept a uniform size and thickness.

Lastly, the end product was edible--with the thickest ones partially raw. In the future I might redesign the spiral fry holder that doesn't require suspending them--it was a bit of a hassle threading the oily potatoes and removing them after they were fried. (I had used a brush to liberally apply olive oil to the outside and in between the spirals before frying.) The October 4 post has more information about air frying potatoes cut with the Presto Tater Twister.

October 4, 2021 Air Fry Curly Fries--Cooking. Today I made some "Fair Food." Instead of deep frying curly fries, I decided to air fry them. Six small to medium russet potatoes were cut with a "Presto Tater Twister" (see below).

I used an electric Presto Tater Twister to cut potatoes (washed). Peeling is optional but I found that peeled potatoes may fall apart when mounted on the rotating base of the Tater Twister. They're more durable if not peeled. Potatoes are processed by mounting them on a spur at the base of the container above the motor.

Two interchangeable cutting attachments came with this machine--A Spiral Cutter that cuts one wide continuous spiral (not used for today's post) and a a multiple blade Cutter (1 horizontal and 5 vertical blades that cut 4 narrower spirals at a time. I thought the narrow curly fries would brown better when using the air fryer.

I also decided to make the fries between 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick for the same reason. Their width appears to be about 3/8" based on the distance between vertical cutting edges that rotate at the top of the potatoes. Depending on how much pressure is applied, the thickness can be varied between very thin (light downward pressure while cutting) or thicker by pressing harder. (After cutting a few potatoes with a Tater Twister, you'll get the hang of it.)

The curly potato strands should be soaked in cold water for several hours to remove starch. Drain off the starchy water and spread out the cut up potatoes on paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible before air frying (similar to preparing French fries from scratch).

Before placing in air fryer, put them in a large bowl add salt (optional) and two or three Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Toss gently until all potatoes are covered with salt and oil.

Do not overfill the fry basket. I divided the 6 cut up potatoes into 2 batches. Each batch (3 potatoes) makes 2 servings, but batch size will vary depending on the volume of the fry basket.

The potatoes required 10 minutes at 400 degrees in the air fryer. You'll need to use a non-metal spatula to help turn the curly fries at the 5 minute mark (see photos below). They will be more prone to sticking to the bottom of the fry basket if the starch removal step is skipped. Also, refer to the May 6, 2021 post further down the page for more information about the air fryer in use.

July 22, 2021 Access Restored to Tom's Food Archive 2019--2020. I apologize for an error made some time ago while transitioning to the New Google Sites webpage. I had overlooked setting permissions to allow viewers access to the archives linked at the top and bottom of this page.

I am continuing to look for other glitches that may have been inadvertently missed. Thank you for viewing.

July 20, 2021 Tom's Summer Salad--Food. I don't take credit for inventing this recipe. Today's post is a spinoff of a recipe I learned by watching Paula Deen's television show a few years ago. I didn't get all the ingredients written down, but what I got tasted mighty good. I believe she called it Succotash. Here's how I prepared it today.

Ingredients:

1 cup quick barley

1 cup frozen baby lima beans

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup coarsely chopped celery heart (or celery rib)

1/4 cup chopped green and red bell pepper

1/8 cup chopped onion

Add Salt and pepper to taste.

Add Zesty Italian dressing and olive oil to taste when served.

Directions:

1. Boil the barley for 10 minutes. Drain and place in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until cool--stir occasionally.

2. Blanch all vegetables together in a kettle of boiling water for a minute or two depending on boiling intensity in the kettle. Drain and place in the fridge or freezer to cool as before.

3. When cool, combine barley and vegetables. Add salt and pepper and give it a few stirs to mix (See photo below).

4. Serve cold with Zesty Italian Dressing. Add olive oil for more body if desired (6 servings).

July 15, 2021 Sourdough Bread--A New Approach. Last year, many posts described my struggles and successes making sourdough bread (see 2020 Archives at the bottom of this page). Several days prior to ending my six-month calorie counting endeavor last week, I added one cup of water to two cups of flour and began the process of making sourdough starter that is required for baking sourdough bread. I had missed the involved process of baking sourdough bread, baguettes, bagels, and pretzels and was ready to resume with the understanding it would be done on a more limited basis to avoid belly bulge.

This year I'm trying Dakota Maid Unbleached All-purpose Flour instead of Bread Flour. After seven days, the starter was active and ready to go. Two loaves were baked this morning after following the normal routine for mixing, kneading, folding and allowing time for the dough to rise and proof that began yesterday evening.

I dispensed with the large Dutch Oven shown in last year's posts and used a smaller Pyrex bowl with a lid. It was necessary to make a few adjustments.

• Loaf Size. Instead of making one large loaf in the Dutch Oven, two smaller loaves were baked. Since only one bowl was available, the two loaves were baked separately.

• Adjusting Baking Time and Temperature. Each loaf began with 1 1/4 pounds of dough. My intention was to bake the bread for 60 minutes at 450 degrees F. as I had done in the past. After 40 minutes, the first loaf's bottom had begun to scorch. After the loaf had cooled, a thin layer of scorched crust was removed. The loaf was fully baked--a bit moist but, not doughy.

• Further Adjustments. For the second loaf, I lowered the heat from 450 to 400 degrees F. after the first 10 minutes. Twenty minutes later, I removed the lid and allowed the top to brown. At 40 minutes, I removed the loaf and bowl from the oven, set it on the stove top, and replaced the lid for an additional 15 minutes before placing the loaf on the cooling rack (see photos below). The second loaf's bottom crust was dark brown but not scorched.

My mother's home baked bread was made with all-purpose flour. It was delicious. The difference is that today's bread crust, fresh out of the oven, is crunchy with that sourdough taste. Mom's yeast-raised bread made better sandwiches than mine; however, sourdough bread, when toasted, is delicious, too--even when made unbleached with all-purpose flour.

By the way, the sourdough starter made with all-purpose unbleached flour was far more vigorous and was ready several days earlier than what I had made with unbleached bread flour (see March 10, 2019 post in the 2019-2020 Food Archive linked at the top and bottom of this page.) The difference may also be that this month's starter dough was prepared during the hot summer with more active natural/wild yeast floating in the air.

June 15, 2021 Veggie Drinks Re-invented--Food and Nutrition. Homemade veggie/blender drinks consumed immediately after they're made really gives a person a boost. Unfortunately, I can't remember the last time I made one until today's.

Ten years ago, we invested in a Magic Bullet and a few years later, upgraded to a Nutri-Bullet. Both were used primarily for making blender drinks--milk shakes, smoothies, and most frequently, veggie drinks. They were also used from time to time for grinding grains, coffee, dried orange peel, flax seed, etc.

The Nutri-Bullet was also capable of crushing ice with a bit of water added, but I thought that was asking too much of it to grind up large ice cubes. Therefore, I usually wrapped them in a towel and gave them a few whacks with a hammer before putting ice in the blender.

Eventually, the preparation and cleanup was a hassle and blender drinks became a passing fade. As I recall, during the time I included veggie drinks in my daily diet, my health and vitality improved. For that reason, I'll once again add them as a low calorie and nutritious supplement. Admittedly, the hassle still exists, but the benefits derived may be worth it.

Re-invention #1: I used to fill up the blender's largest vessel with all the ingredients and end up with more than I could chug down. Today, I used the smaller container capable of blending about 2 cups which is plenty for a single serving. By the way, homemade blender drinks should be consumed immediately. If not, the added ice loses it's effect and they begin to taste yucky the longer they stand.

Re-invention #2: One of the hassles is assembling, washing, and cutting fresh vegetables to fit inside the blender so they blending properly. I can reduce the work load 50% by cutting up enough for two blender drinks--one for breakfast, and one for lunch or supper, for example. They can be stored in a baggy or sealed container and refrigerated (see below).

Re-invention #3: Kale was always the backbone of my veggie drinks because of its nutritional value. Sometimes, it is bitter or displeasing to the taste. Since I didn't have kale on hand today, I substituted romaine lettuce with no offensive taste.

Re-invention #4: Tom's Recipe: The baggy below contains the following ingredients: 1/2 leaf romaine lettuce, 1/2 small carrot, two small florets of cauliflower, 1 small floret broccoli, 1/2 rib of celery, and 1 thin slice each of red and green bell pepper. Other ingredients: Liquid: 2.75 oz. tomato juice (one half of a small 5.5 oz. can instead of using out of a large can or bottle that never got fully used and became outdated), 8 oz. bottled water from freezer with ice chips beginning to form. Seasoning: A dash or two each of: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, hot sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Makes 14-15 oz.

Here's a link to my 2016 Veggie Drink Recipe: Healthy Veggie Blender Drink.PDF from 2016 for comparison.

May 19. 2021 Wok- and Air-Fry Dandelions--Cooking. It seems like any time of the year, except when the ground is covered with snow, we have dandelions. Spring usually has the best crop available for eating, that is, if you don't saturate your lawn with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers.

We've never applied chemicals for weed control, etc.--we deal with them the old fashioned way--either dig 'em up or mow 'em down. Because of that, I will occasionally prepare a salad using some of the tender dandelion leaves. Today was the first time I've tried cooking the tops, that is, the blossoms/flowers. Last summer I deep fried some Summer Squash blossoms that weren't too bad (See July 31, 2020 post in Tom's Food Archive 2019-2020 at the top or bottom of this page.)

A simple batter was used: 1/2 cup flour, salt, 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, a 1/2 tsp. baking powder, several dashes of salt and pepper. I also added a pinch of paprika and pizza seasons. I didn't expect the dandelions to contribute much in the way of taste.

Our back yard had an adequate supply of dandelions. I plucked the tops off 4 dozen of the little rascals above the stems, gave them a rinse, and gently stirred them in the batter. I heated 3/4 cups of olive oil in the wok and fried them in 4 separate batches, dragging them out of the hot oil after they had browned, and into a bowl lined with paper towels.

They weren't very crisp after deep frying. Therefore, I poured them into our air fryer and heated them 2 more minutes at 360 degrees. That did the trick--a nice and crispy outer coating. I ate some of them plain with a bit more salt. A dipping sauce would have definitely enhanced their flavor. Here is a recipe I found after the fact that explains more and includes nutritional information at All Recipes.com Deep Fried Dandelions.

Our dandelions appear to be smaller compared to previous years. We are in a drought at the present and vegetation is somewhat stunted (See photo below).

May 17, 2021 Homemade and Ready to Heat Food--Air Fry Update. Our new air fryer has given us a change of pace over the past week and a half. Besides breaded cauliflower and a couple batches of delicious French fries, we've air fried four frozen breaded fish fillets and two 5 oz. pkgs. of frozen breaded chicken cordon bleu. Both browned nicely. The fish was done at the recommended time but we fried the chicken cordon bleu two extra minutes to insure the centers and outer chicken wrap was well done.

Home made Stromboli is a favorite of mine. There was a recipe given in the accompanying recipe book, but I changed the ingredients for the filling--just about anything you like will do fine. Here are the ingredients for our third Stromboli meal. There were a few glitches along the way with this one:

This is not a recipe as such because equipment can vary considerably.

I used 4 slices of Swiss (or equal amount of Mozzarella) and 1/3 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese, 4 thin slices cooked ham or (4 slices of Canadian bacon), 3 oz. ring sausage slices, 8 pepperoni slices, four teaspoons of pizza sauce, 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion, 3 or 4 oz. well-drained sauerkraut, 1/4 cup equal parts of cut-up ripe olives and mushroom pieces.

The sauerkraut, minced onions, olives, and mushrooms, etc. can be omitted--it is an individual's personal preference. Including all of them, however, produces a flavor explosion.

Actually, mine was not that good--as shown in the first photo below, I stinted on the cheddar cheese and sauerkraut. This was only a sprinkling of cheese, not 1/6 of a cup. I also used a half ounce of sauerkraut--2 ounces would have tasted better.

Cooking Blunder #4,025: As usual, my good intentions often take a wrong turn. This time (third photo below) I got the brainy idea to apply the egg and milk wash on a paper plate. To avoid getting my hands messy, I applied it to one side, rolled it over, and then coated the other side. I repeated this on the second Stromboli and was now ready to set both in the frying basket. Big Mistake.

In the meantime, the egg yolk, milk, and dough adhered to the paper plate like Elmer's School Glue. Eventually, I straightened out the mess, but my crust was sort of mangled. My wife was able to salvage hers more successfully.

Lesson learned--Don't use a paper plate. Place the crust on a lightly floured surface before adding filling and sauce. After folding and sealing crust, coat the top side only with egg yolk and milk wash. Lift the Stromboli, turn it upside down, and place it in the frying basket--wet side down. Carefully apply egg yolk and milk wash to the tops inside the frying basket. Better yet, just dip each in the the egg wash, let drip for a few seconds, and put them in the frying basket. It shouldn't have been that difficult, but I made it so.

The Crust: To begin, two 4 oz. rectangular crusts were rolled out from bread dough and filled with ingredients on one half of each with some pizza sauce applied on the empty halves (first image below). The halves with the light coating of sauce were folded over and sealed by pinching.

Two 6--8" long Stromboli pockets fit in our fry basket which allowed room to turn with a spatula or tongs. Each Stromboli was coated with an egg yolk and milk wash mixture and placed inside the unheated fry basket (their slippery and delicate, use your hands). It's necessary to turn each two or three times during air frying. The recommended Air frying temperature and time: 360 degrees F for 15 minutes.

If preparing the Stromboli in a conventional oven, I would have rolled out two round crusts (4 oz. each). This would be similar to making 1 small/medium pizza, except there is a top crust which is pinched to seal. Also, since it would not be turned (flipped) during oven baking, vent holes can be made similar to baking a pie. Only apply egg wash to the top crust. When done, allow time to cool slightly and cut into wedges or rectangles (makes 2 servings). Whatever cooking method you choose, Stromboli is a great comfort food.

May 15, 2021 Pasta Salads from a Box--Quick Tip. If you serve pasta salad that comes in a box, you will want to prepare and refrigerate it several hours before the meal.

Impatient as we sometimes are, we'll boil the pasta, mix in the dry ingredients and mayo, and begin our meal a few minutes later. We always find that the pasta tastes bland and the herbs, spices with mayo added are overwhelming. We discovered the secret is to prepare it in the early morning, refrigerate, and serve it for lunch or supper. You will be pleased with the results.

May 6, 2021 Cooking with Hot Air--Food. Air Poppers: My first experience with using hot air for cooking was with a Presto air popper purchased over 20 years ago. Depending on the type of popcorn, it would often scorch popped kernels because it would get stuck instead of blowing out the chute. I had many years of service from it making low-calorie snacks.

Ten years later, we purchased another air popper--an Air Crazy by West Bend which we still use. This was a new and improved air popper with a vibrating feature that kept the un-popped kernels rotating at the bottom of the popping chamber. This eliminated the clogging and scorching problem that was common with our older air popper. Virtually every kernel pops with the exception of a few un-popped kernels that blow out when some of the lively popped kernels push it out the chute and into the bowl. Several shakes of the bowl after popping has finished makes un-popped kernels settle to the bottom.

With regard to popcorn that is best to use--I look for the cheapest store brand yellow popcorn in 2, 3, or 5 lb. bags. It pops tender, light, and fluffy without many sharp hulls to contend with which, for me, is my beef with microwave popcorn.

Air Fryer: Now that I'm calorie counting, I still have a yearning for greasy food--not too much though. Our newest kitchen acquisition is a 5.3 quart digital Power Air Fryer XL (as seen on TV). In an effort to cut out some of the fats, this seemed to be the best route to go.

Tom's Air Fried French Fries (4 servings): Instead of deep frying homemade French fries, olive was used to lightly coat the fries before placing them in the frying basket. Two tablespoons of olive oil was used to coat 26 1/2 ounces of cut up russet potatoes (skins on) that had been soaked in water over night, rinsed twice, and blanched for 2 minutes, patted dry, and cooled in the freezer for 30 minutes. The fries were place in a bowl, oil was drizzled on, and the potatoes were tossed until they were uniformly coated.

At this point they were dumped in the frying basket. After securing the basket in the air fryer, the preset for French fries was set to 400 degrees for 18 minutes. There was an instruction to remove the basket at mid point and toss the fries--I used a spatula. There was also an instruction to remove the basket and give it a shake periodically--I did so at 3 minute intervals, thereafter.

At the end of the frying cycle, I removed them only to find they were not done. I started with 775 grams of potatoes, and their cooked weight at this point was 515 grams. Since I had started with very cold fries, the preset time was insufficient to fully fry them. I immediately dumped them back in the fryer for another 6 minutes using the same preset. At this point they appeared to be golden brown and seemed to sound crisp when shaken.

I weighed them again and found they were now 385 grams--or 48% of their original uncooked weight. I also factored in 26.6 grams for the weight of 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.

With my kitchen scale at hand, I weight out 87 grams representing 1 serving, (350 Cal.) I ate a few more stretching it to 1.15 servings or 100 grams, (402 Cal). They were too hard to resist.

Besides my departure from potato preparation as given in the accompanying recipe book, I also did not add salt or pepper before frying. A light sprinkle of salt at meal time was sufficient.

Clean up was easy. After the unit had cooled, I washed the inner and outer fry baskets in warm soapy water. There were only a few potato crumbs that had fallen through to the bottom of the outer fry basket and a drop or two of residual oil. Overall all, the air fryer exceeded my expectations.

Here's my Second Try at Air Fry:

Tom’s Air Fried Breaded Cauliflower Appetizers (18 pieces). Cut or separate 18 florets (about 9 oz.) from a head of cauliflower. Leave a portion of the stem attached. Note: I did not blanch; however if you do so, it should only be a quick dunk in boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Otherwise, smaller portions of the floret may become overcooked and fall apart.

Use 3 bowls for the following ingredients:

Bowl 1: ¼ cup of all purpose flour.

Bowl 2: 1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp. 2% milk.

Bowl 3: 1 ½ cups bread crumbs –Preparing bread crumbs. Pour 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a 9” frying pan and heat on low-medium. Use a spatula to spread the oil. Next, sprinkle enough bread crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan and use the spatula to mix in the olive oil. Once combined, pour in the remaining crumbs and continue to mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

Breading Cauliflower: Each floret is individually dredged in flour; egg mixture; and bread crumbs in that order. Place in the fryer’s basket as shown below—do not overcrowd. If your fryer does not have the capacity to hold 18 florets, fry them in separate batches.

The air fryer shown below uses the preset for French fries, however, the time must be reduced to 6 or 7 minutes—any longer and they will burn. The result is a nicely browned outer coating, crunchy, but not raw cauliflower, with only a hint of fried/oily taste--which is either good or bad depending on your perspective.

Weight loss of the cauliflower morsels is negligible because of the added coating and short frying time. This recipe makes three - 3 oz. servings (6 florets).

Breaded Cauliflower can be seasoned with a variety of blends in addition to salt and pepper. Pizza seasoning, for example, gives them a bit of a zing.

Calorie information per serving (approximate):

9 oz. Cauliflower 63 Cal. / 3 = 21 Cal.

¼ Cup Flour: 114 Cal. Less spillage and leftover = 90 / 3 = 30 Cal.

1 Large Egg: 78 Cal. / 3 = 26 Cal.

2 Tbsp. 2% Milk: 18 Cal. / 3 = 6 Cal.

1 ½ Cups Homemade Bread Crumbs (7 slices dry bread): 490 Cal. Less spillage and leftover = 408/ 3 = 136 Cal.

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil: 119 Cal. Less spillage and leftover = 99 Cal./ 3 = 33 Cal.

Total (Approx.): 252 Calories/ 3 oz. Serving

Parting Comment--Another title for this recipe could have been: How to make a low-calorie food such as Cauliflower, not-so-low calorie.

April 17, 2021 Homemade Stir Fry--Portion Control Required. This is the first time we've eaten Chinese-style chicken stir fry this year. As it turned out, the calorie count wasn't too excessive. It was getting near the end of the week and calorie counting indicated I had a few extra calories to work with. With reasonably sized portions, the entire meal was 634 calories including a 40 Cal. Hi-C juice box. The breakdown of calories was as follows:

Chicken Stir Fry: 2 oz. fried chicken in olive oil (209 Cal.), 1 cup cooked stir fry vegetables (171 Cal.), 1 cup cooked rice (205 Cal.), 1 Tbsp. soy sauce (9 Cal.), 1 6 oz. hi-c juice box (40 Cal.) = 634 Calories.

Olive oil was used for wok frying the chicken and vegetables. Seasoning was homemade Five-spice powder made from a recipe found on the internet at Feasting at Home. I have used this combination of spices for many years to prepare stir fry. However, you may prefer a different blend of spices. Personally, I also like to add a dash or two of ground crushed red peppers after the stir fry is on my plate. It turns up the heat a degree or two. The grinder attachment on a NUTRiBULLET does an excellent job grinding and blending dry spices.

One cup of rice was cooked separately prior to the busy work involving stir frying. You need to concentrate on the wok and what's inside--the oil is hot and accidents might otherwise happen.

There were no exotic ingredients in today's meal. One-half boneless chicken breast was cut into thin cross sections and sprinkled lightly with Five-spice powder before frying in the wok. Frying in hot oil required only a few minutes. After lightly browning, the chicken was temporarily removed from the wok and replaced with more olive oil (1 or 2 Tbsp. based on quantity of veggies added) followed by the longer-to-cook ingredients such as carrot, cauliflower, and broccoli. A few minutes later, some celery, sliced onion, and romaine lettuce were added. Prior to frying, the veggies had also been sprinkled lightly with Five-spice powder.

After the vegetables became more aromatic, the chicken was put back in the wok with a few more sprinkles of Five-spice powder. It was necessary to always keep the ingredients moving (stirring) using a spatula. Rather than only rotating, it was important to drag the mixture away from the center of wok and onto the sloped sides. This prevented scorching and insured evenly cooked vegetables. (Sample the carrot to see if its flavor is not raw tasting. Also, its texture should not be allowed to become soft, however.)

Over frying, for example, results in onions like those served with liver and onions--you don't want that here with any of the vegetables. Also, the burner should be lowered near the end of stir frying--I like to add a few splashes of soy sauce at that time and continue to keep everything moving. Meanwhile, the rice had simmered for 20 minutes and the meal was ready to serve hot.

o weeks ago, March 31, I shared information on preparing a small pork roast. Last night, I thawed the other uncooked half and brined it exactly as I had explained. After having an excellent roast pork dinner with leftovers for supper, there was 3 ounces remaining--just enough to flavor a kettle of beans.

This evening I got to work quick soaking and cooking 1 lb. 2 oz. (2 3/4 cups) of dried pinto beans as directed on the package. When the beans became tender I added a few ingredients including the leftover roast pork. I think today's bean recipe is the easiest and best one I've posted to date. If you like the flavor of plain homemade pork and beans without tomato, molasses, and brown sugar, etc., this one is for you.

Ingredients:

• • 2 3/4 cups dried pinto beans (follow preparation instructions on package)

  • 2 cups bean water. Reserve about 2 cups of the bean water after simmering beans to their tender stage.

In a separate bowl combine . . .

• • 3 oz. thin roast pork slices cut into approximately 1/2" x 3/4" x 1/8" pieces.

  • 2 oz. chopped celery

  • 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion

  • 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt (personal preference)

  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

When the beans are tender, drain the liquid but return 2 cups of it of back into the kettle (more or less depending on your preference). Mix in the other ingredients and simmer slowly until the celery becomes soft. The mixture will thicken the longer it is simmered--don't overcook.

Remove kettle from heat and allow pork and beans to rest for several minutes. The small amount of roast is sufficient to give the beans a pleasant but not overpowering pork flavor.

Based on the quantity of beans used (2 3/4 cups dried beans), this recipe is supposed to make eleven 1/2 cup servings depending on how long they have simmered and how much liquid remains. Initially, 1/4 cup dry beans = 1/2 cup soaked--depending on who you ask. Some sources state that 1/4 cup dry yields 3/4 cup soaked.

Let me clarify. Cooked beans in this recipe should yield at least 11 one-half cup servings; runny beans, probably a bit more. By volume and weight, one cup of water or one cup of cooked beans are virtually the same, i.e., 8 ounces. If the beans have become too thick/dry from simmering, add a bit more liquid to stretch it to 11 servings without any noticeable loss in flavor.

The recommended USDA serving size for cooked pinto beans is 1/2 cup (163 Cal). Total calories for this recipe including the beans, pork, celery, and minced onion is about 185 per serving.

April 2, 2021 Homemade Thick Crust Pizza--Sodium Levels. Since I'm cooking for myself for a few days before Easter, last night's evening meal consisted of a generous portion of homemade thick crust Pepperoni Pizza (1/4 14"inch pizza, 683 Calories) with 5 ounces of apple juice mixed with 7 ounces of water (70 Calories). In recent months, this is a heavy meal but it was still within my daily 1685 Calories/day limit. What was concerning, however, was its high sodium content.

This was a hefty pizza weighing in after baking at 35 ounces. Except for the pepperoni (48 thin slices), the other ingredients were applied sparingly: Pizza Sauce, 2.7 oz., Mozzarella cheese, 4.4 oz., 3 slices of yellow onion, .5 oz., and a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese after it had baked. To make a long story short, the entire pizza contained 8,904 mg of Sodium. The top two ingredients were the pepperoni slices with 1,696 mg and the crust with a whopping 5,752 mg. They alone represented roughly 84% of the total Sodium in the pizza.

Concerns

A 1/4 pizza serving (2 slices) contained 2,226 mg Sodium that represents almost all of an adult's daily recommended allowance of 2,300 mg. The effect of overdosing on salt/sodium was a noticeable rise in my heart rate a few hours later that didn't return to normal until this morning.

Lesson Learned

One of my major flaws as a self-taught cook is experimenting with various recipe suggestions I read on the internet or watch on some cooking video on YouTube. Some suggestions are good while others are not. I've read that adding more sugar, salt, and even throwing in some herbs and spices will make the pizza dough more tasty. Therefore, yesterday, I added 2 1/2 tsp. salt instead of my usual 1 tsp. I also doubled the sugar for activating the yeast by increasing it to 2 Tbsp. That was good--it made the dough rise better and the extra sugar probably helped its flavor. Lastly, I added 1/2 tsp. of anise seeds (crush first with the back of a spoon to prevent them from lodging between your teeth), 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. crushed dried basil, and 1/4 tsp. crush dried oregano. That was just enough to perk up the flavor while masticating my way through all that crust. The dough also consisted of 3 1/2+ cups bread flour and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. The next time, I will sacrifice some of the the salty flavor by using fewer pepperoni slices and just 1 tsp. salt in the crust. I'll also downsize the crust's thickness by about one third.

Baking Method

I assembled and baked the pizza using our Pizzazz Plus rotating pizza oven (see image below). After the pizza dough had risen, it was placed directly onto the removable pizza oven pan (with a light layer of olive oil applied) and spread out by hand. The crust was then prebaked after reattaching the pan to the oven's rotating spindle, plugging it in, setting the timer, and sliding the element control to Dual heat. That was followed by the addition of the sauce and toppings as the pizza continued to rotate and bake as explained below.

Here is my baking schedule for this thick crust pizza. The really thick crust made it especially tricky. One note: The manufacturer states that oven performance may vary from household to household due to electric power output at the wall outlet.

• 1. Prebake crust for 10 minutes on Dual heat (Upper and Lower elements on). Crust will begin to develop small brown spots on the upper crust. Use a piece of paper towel to lightly apply olive oil to interior and outer crust near the end of the 10 minutes.

  2. Switch to Lower element for 10 minutes. Add pizza sauce and topping while lower element is on. By the end of this step, the bottom crust should have begun to brown.

  3. Switch back to Upper element until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown. About 8 minutes.

  4. Unplug oven, remove pan immediately, and slide pizza onto a cutting surface. (Do not cut the pizza on the non-stick baking pan!

  5. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before eating.

  6. The only criticism I have was although the pizza was thoroughly baked internally, the vertical sides of the outer crust did not brown due to heat being directed only from above and below. In a conventional oven, heat radiates from all directions.

Closing Remarks

I'm not sure if this is the right post to attach these words of wisdom, but I thinks these thoughts are worth sharing. If your lifestyle includes an uncontrolled diet, like I experienced for too many years, it's worth mentioning that your food will taste much better if you eat less of it. At the same time, you will begin to feel better and notice that you are spending less money on food and medical bills. Eating wisely isn't something you'll likely be told while watching television commercials. Portion control is up to you.

March 31, 2021 Brined Pork Roast--Easter Treat. Easter Sunday is just a few days away. Rather than spending the holiday in the kitchen preparing the Easter Meal, I thought we would enjoy the traditional meal early. Since calorie counting is now a way of life for me, I scaled down the roast size to 16 oz. We had purchased a 2 lb. roast, cut it in 16 oz. sections, and froze half in a freezer bag. Last night, I prepared a 2 cup half-strength brine solution and soaked it overnight. Here is a detailed account of how I brined, cooked the the pork roast, and prepared a delicious pork roast gravy.

Brining

Two cups of brine solution was required to cover this boneless 1 lb. lean pork roast. The following ingredients were added to a mixing bowl and stirred until blended:

• • 2 cups cold water

  • 1 Tbsp. sea salt

  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

  • 2 tsp. molasses

  • 2 tsp. honey

Place rinsed roast in 7" diameter bowl with a lid. Pour the brine solution over the pork roast, cover, and place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, drain and discard the brine. Use paper towels to absorb any excess brine on the surface of the roast. Cover, if necessary, and return it to the fridge if roasting is to be done later in the day or evening--do not over brine. Your other option is to brine early in the morning and roast at 5:00 or 6:00 o'clock p.m., for example.

Searing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Before roasting, place 1 or 2 Tbsp. olive oil (or vegetable oil) in a skillet. Heat oil at Medium temperature on stove top burner. Lock in the juices and absorbed brine by searing all sides for a minute or two on each side depending on the burner and skillet temperature.

Seasoning

After searing, place the pork roast in a small roaster or baking dish (see image below). Add the following ingredients to the skillet drippings:

• • 2 Tbsp. butter

  • 2 tsp. soy sauce

  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tsp. mild yellow mustard (not dry mustard)

  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (optional)

Stir ingredients and drippings with a spoon at warm heat until blended. Pour over pork roast and cover.

Roasting

Place covered pork roast in oven for 30 minutes. At that point, remove the cover and baste with butter and seasoning in the roaster or baking dish. Leave the cover off and roast for another 30 minutes and baste at 10 minute intervals. The pork roast is considered "roasted" when its internal temperature is 145 degrees--pink stage. Note: My wife and I prefer all cooked meats well done. Our rule of thumb is to extend the time by another 20 minutes. For this roast, except for the brown outer layer, this roast was white through and through. The meat was tender and juicy.

Place the pork roast on a platter or some other dish to rest. This small roast should rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. It will cool relatively fast due to its small size.

Pass the Gravy Please

The wonderful flavoring that remains in the baking dish and other drippings from the roast as it cools will make a heavenly gravy. Here are the ingredients:

• • drippings left in metal roaster or transferred to a sauce pan (see image below)

  • any other juices that can be collected while roast is resting

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (reserve 1/4 cup)

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup water (more water added later)

  • salt and pepper to taste

The burner temperature should be set at low.

• 1. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour into meat drippings in metal roaster or sauce pan. Stir until blended.

  2. Add 1/4 cup milk and stir until blended.

  3. Bring it to a bubbling stage and add another 1/4 cup flour and stir until blended--mixture will become thick and lumpy.

  4. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir until it begins to bubble again. The mixture will also thicken again.

  5. Add another 1/2 cup of water and stir for few more minutes until most lumps have dissolved.

  6. If the gravy remains too thick, gradually add more water until the desired consistency is reached.

  7. Further simmering and stirring will continue to thicken it.

  8. When the gravy is smooth and creamy, it is ready. Salt and pepper to taste.

Have patience making gravy. The juices and flavoring when blended with milk, flour, and water take time to cook. There should enough meat drippings to produce a rich, meaty flavored gravy. Keep stirring to prevent scorching.

Calorie Count

4 oz. Pork Roast: 280 Calories

2 oz. Pork Roast Gravy: 115 Calories

March 26, 2021. Food Preparation--Calorie Counting. Like many people, when the New Year rolled around I found myself making an effort to lose some extra weight. As a result, my ambitious bread baking mania came to a halt. There hasn't been much excitement in the kitchen while adhering to calorie counting. Home cooked recipes and meals have been more focused on low calorie food. Although the preparation time is about the same and the meals are palatable, they lack extravagance when compared to cooking without dietary restrictions.

I have been posting information about dieting and weight loss on the homepage and will occasionally include an image of a tasty, low calorie dish. As the year progresses, I hope to do more experimentation with meal preparation. For now, I find it difficult to dwell on the subject of food and maintain some level of self-discipline at mealtime and in between. Planning what to eat has become more of a priority than preparation and consumption of mass quantities.

Please Note: Effective Today, December 7, 2020, all food-related posts made to this page between January 27, 2019 through December 7, 2020 have been archived and will now be available in Word Document and PDF formats. These files can be accessed by following the Archive Links below.

Tom's Food Archive 2019--2020 Word Document or Tom's Food Archive 2019--2020 PDF File