Potato Bread

I did mention many times that my boys only eat home made bread! Cass is complaining that the store bought one gives him headaches, Brandon doesn't say anything, just, wrinkles his nose, and Alex is the most innocent one he only asks if next time I can make my own bread because he loves it better. I feel like a bad mom and that I let my kids down when I run out of time for baking fresh bread, and time is something, in short supply for me. I'm on a tight schedule everyday. Driving three kids to school,  with different times of starting and dismissal from school, then every afternoon we have sports. 6 days a week. And finishing my house work in between. Yeah... it's a rush.

Potato bread, it's the bread I usually make over the week, in the weekends I go more fancy with herb bread, buttermilk rolls , etc.

This bread is delicious, it could be made white or whole wheat, Great for sandwiches and especially for grilled cheese sandwiches which are Alex's and Cass's favorites. It also freezes well. The recipe is for 2 but I usually make 4 and freeze 2 of them.

Ingredients.

1 medium potato peeled and cut into small cubes

water

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

3 tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast

3 1/2 cups of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) first amount

2 tsp of sea salt

1 1/2 cup of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) second amount

Cook the potato in water and salt in a small saucepan for about 15 minutes until very tender. Drain. Mash very well or, I used a potato ricer. Keep warm into a medium bowl.

Combine the 2 cups of milk, 1/4 cup butter and 3 tbsp of sugar into a small heavy saucepan. Heat and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into an extra large bowl stir to make sure the butter has completely melted. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 10 minutes longer until the yeast is foamy. Stir until yeast is dissolved.

Add the first amount of flour ( 3 1/2 cups)salt, and potato. Mix until a soft dough forms.

Work in enough of the second amount of flour ( 1 1/2 cups) until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 10 minutes adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

Place dough into an oiled large bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let stand in a draft free area for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a clean surface.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.

Flatten one portion into a rectangle. Roll up tightly, starting from the short side facing you. Place into a

9 x 5 x 3 inches greased loaf pan, stretching the dough if necessary to fit, and tucking the ends in.

Repeat with the second portion.

Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until the dough rises to the top of the pans.

Bake into a preheated oven of 400˚F, for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375˚F and bake for 18 to 20 minutes more. Each oven is different, the bread is baked when golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Each loaf cuts into about 16 pieces for a total of 32 slices.

Especially delicious for sandwiches or, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Variation:  you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of flour (from the first amount of 3 1/2 cup) with whole wheat       flour or whole grain flour. You will have 2 cup of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) + 1 1/2 of whole wheat flour. Continue with the recipe as described.

Enjoy!

Squash and Lentil Stew

Time ,time, time! It's something that I've been press of lately. Cass has return to school after almost 2 weeks of absence, and the caching up with his homework has started. We have projects to do and books to read...

 And of course sport every day so it seems like I've been going and going and going just like the energizer bunny ( you know the one from the commercial). Finally today I have some time to finish my posting I am so behind...  :(

This dish, is one of my favorites for the fall, easy, fast and delicious. I found the recipe years back in one of my vegetarian books "foods that don't bite back". All the dishes in the book are simple and very delicious.

Ingredients:

400 gr butternut squash

1 tbsp olive oil

3 leeks chopped

1 pack (320 gr) of italian veggie ground meat ( or the same amount of any ground meat)

1 cup of lentils  ( I used green)

3 cups of vegetable stock

1 tbsp tarragon

salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and the chopped leek and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft.

Add the ground meat and sauté for a couple more minutes.

Add the lentils.

The vegetable stock and tarragon. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Peel and cut the squash into bite size pieces.

After 15 minutes add the squash. Continue to simmer until the squash and lentils are cooked. Approximately 20 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Rosemary Potatoes.

      My son Cass is home sick with chicken pox since monday last week. Not fun! Besides missing a week of school ( he is not to sad about it) he also missed 2 Halloween parties on friday, one at the school, and the most important one at the Dojo where he does Ju-jitsu. Now, that was a problem. His brothers both of them were able to attend and he was not very pleased to be left behind.

Seeing your child unhappy and not being able to do anything about it is the most unsettling felling a mother can have. I had to do something to put a smile on his face (and he has a great smile), so, we decided to have a movie party at home, and he got to choose the menu.

We spend a few hours going over recipes until he was satisfied. I have to admit that I was utterly surprised at his choice of pork sandwiches. Cass doesn't like pork, he never ever eats pork, only chicken and fish. I can count on my fingers how many time a year I make pork. So here is to show you that the expression " We eat with our eyes first " is true! Or how important the pictures of a recipe are, in this case the video.

In the end this was the menu that he decide on.

Pork tenderloin sandwiches

Roasted rosemary potatoes

 Sour cream coffee cake.

Since my first days on the food buzz back in may, I had made many great friends. One of them is Steve who is (what I like to call) an ambassador for Rouxbe online cooking school.  Steve had send me over the months many great posts, I love the videos of the recipes and the daily lessons they have.

The pork tenderloin sandwiches and the roasted potatoes are both recipes from Rouxbe website.

I only made one minor change in the pork tenderloin recipe by adding the smoked paprika and using whole grain baguette, I also used 4 pork tenderloins not only one ( small ones)

I cannot tell you how much Cass loved the pork. It is his favorite "dish" now. And that says a lot!  Cass is picky! This is the child that claimed that the store bought bread gives him HEADACHES !!!!! As a result I should make sure I  ALWAYS  have Fresh home made bread....!!!!!

So, back to the food.

Pork tenderloin sandwiches.

Ingredients:

For brining the pork ( optional, but highly recommended)

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

1 tsp juniper berries ( i didn't have any, couldn't find 'em in the supermarket, so I will say is optional)

1 small bunch fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 clove garlic ( smashed)

3 cups cold water

1 pork tenderloin ( I used 4 small ones)

To cook the pork you will need

extra virgin olive oil ( for the frying pan)

1 tbsp of butter

salt and pepper to taste ( I used sea salt)

about 4 tbsp of smoked paprika ( optional)

To make the sandwiches you will need:

1 or 2  baguettes ( depending on how manny pork tenderloins you use. I would say one per pork tenderloin)

Caramelized onions ( I used 4 big vidalia onions, but I had some left over)

About 400 g thickly sliced cheese. The recipe calls for brie cheese ( I used Swiss cheese for my husband, and creamy havarty for the boys)

 Start by removing the excess fat and the silver skin from the pork tenderloin.

 To make the brine, use a dish big enough to accommodate the pork tenderloin(s), mix the hot water with the salt and sugar. Add the fresh thyme,  the bay leaves, the spices and the smashed clove of garlic.

Let infuse for about 10 minutes. Add the 3 cups of cold water. Mix. Place the pork in the brine making sure is fully submerged. Cover the dish and place in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours.

After 2 hours remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towel. Discard the brine. Slice the pork across into 1/2 thick slices into medallions.

Using the flat side of a mallet, flatten each medallion slightly. Season with sea salt, pepper and smoked paprika if using.

To cook the pork, preheat a large nonstick pan to medium-high heat. When is hot add the olive oil and the tbsp of butter and let it melt. Add the pork in a single layer and cook for about 1 minute until you see a  bit of white around the edges.

Flip it over and cook for about 1 minute longer.

Transfer the pork to a tray or dish to rest ( and keep warm) while you cook the next batch.  Don't forget to add more olive oil as needed it. When all the pork is cooked cover to keep warm .

To make the sandwiches:

Slice the baguettes into 1/2-inch slices ( slightly angled) and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the broil and toast the bread for about 1 minute ( keep an eye on it)

Add a small amount of caramelized onions on each slice of bread.

Add the sliced cheese, and return to the oven for  30 or 40 seconds until the cheese is slightly melted.

Top with one piece of pork, and more onions ( if you like ). Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

If you are interested in seeing the cooking video for the pork tenderloin ( and I fully recommend it) here is the link.

For the roasted potatoes that I served with the pork sandwiches.

 You will need

 About 1.5 pounds small potatoes ( I used a variety pack) or fingerling potatoes.

1 generous tbsp of fresh rosemary finely chopped.

3 tbsp of extra- virgin olive oil.

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Wash and dry the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a big mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil,add the chopped rosemary and season with sea salt and pepper.

Line a baking tray with tin foil. Add the potatoes in a single layer. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, turn the potatoes over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Test the potatoes by inserting a knife into the thickest part. It should slide off easily.

To see the video recipe for the roasted potatoes here is the link( again, you should watch it and browse thru other recipe videos they have on their site.

Serve with the sandwiches, and enjoy while watching a great movie. Contrary to what I expected we had a comedy movie night. Usually we vote for what movie to be watched, this time he got to choose, and I fully expected a Tim Burton movie (Cass is his biggest fan) but he bypass Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Coraline and even The night before Christmas his all time favorite; For National security and Big Momma's House ( with funny Martin Lawrence)

We had a great time! It was a Happy Halloween! Or in Cass's words.

  The Night Before Halloween!