Day 49: Pork Tenderloin with Portobello Mushroom Sauce

I've counted it three times, and I come up with the same number every time -- today is Day 49, but tonight's dinner is the 50th recipe!  Woo-hoo!  I finished one day early!

I picked a wonderful recipe for my last meal (so to speak):  Pork Tenderloin with Portobello Mushroom Sauce from A Great American Cook.  I had originally planned on making Warm Cabbage Salad but I'm glad I didn't -- this recipe made more than enough food for us to eat. There were a lot of steps to this dish that kept me quite busy for a couple hours.

I don't know where this guy shops, but the smallest package of pork tenderloin had two pieces of meat, and weighed 4 pounds total.  I was afraid the larger size of the meat might make a difference in the cooking time, but sure enough after 20 minutes I put in the thermometer, and it read 145!  I purchased Crimini mushrooms instead of the Portobello, which were looking a bit, oh, let's say they looked tired.

The pork was so tender you could cut it with your fork.  The vegetables were tasty too, but my favorite part was the sauce.  I put several spoonfuls on my plate.

No question about it -- this recipe is at the top of my favorites list, but I won't be making it too often.  There's 10 tablespoons of butter in this recipe!

Pork Tenderloin with Portobello Mushroom Sauce
A Great American Cook
Yield:  Serves 4

2 pounds pork tenderloin (2-3 tenderloins)
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
A handful of parsley stems
1 cup Merlot
4 new potatoes or other small potatoes
2 medium parsnips
2 medium turnips
1 rutabaga
2 fennel bulbs
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms
3 shallots
6 tbsp olive oil
10 tbsp (1 stick plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth or veal broth

     Remove any silverskin (tough sinew) from the pork.  Slice the onion and put it in a large bowl.  Smash the garlic.  Add the garlic, parsley stems, and Merlot to the bowl and stir well.  Add the pork, turning it in the marinade.  Cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours, turning the pork occasionally.
     Heat the oven to 450.
     Peel the potatoes, parsnips, turnips, and rutabaga and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  Put them in a bowl of cold water.  Trim the fennel, cut lengthwise in half, and remove the cores.
     Stem the mushrooms and place them gill side up on a baking sheet.  Mince the shallots and mix with 2 tbsp of the olive oil.  Spoon the shallot mixture onto the mushroom caps.
     Roast the mushrooms for 5 to 8 minutes, or until hot, so they absorb the flavors of the shallots.  Remove the mushrooms, dice them, and transfer to a medium saucepan.  (Leave the oven on.)
     Melt 6 tbsp of the butter in a small saucepan.  Drain the root vegetables and put them and the fennel in a large bowl.  Toss with the melted butter, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a large baking pan, add 1/2 cup water, and roast for 40 minutes, turning the vegetables occasionally.
     Meanwhile, remove the pork from the marinade and strain the marinade into the saucepan with the mushrooms.  Add the broth, bring to a simmer on low heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until slightly thickened.  Remove from the heat.
     Pat the pork dry with paper towels.  Salt and pepper it, brush it with the remaining 2 tbsp oil, and place on a small rimmed baking sheet.  When the vegetables have roasted for 10 minutes, place the pork in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, turning once, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145.  Transfer the pork to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
     When the pork rests, bring the mushroom mixture back to a simmer.  Stir in the remaining 4 tbsp butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
     Carve the pork into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Place the pork on a platter, cover with the roasted vegetables, and spoon over the portobello sauce.  Serve.

Day 39: Pork Shoulder with Mole Sauce

I usually save the more complicated recipes for Sunday, because Sundays are our take it easy, stay at home day so I have lots of time to cook.  This weekend my brother and his family are visiting from Sequim, and we're all getting together for lunch tomorrow so I decided to make my "big" meal today.

The recipe calls for a boneless pork roast to be cut into 1" pieces, and then marinated for at least eight hours so at 7:00 this morning I went to grab the roast out of the refrigerator and...it wasn't there.  It was still in the freezer.  I forgot to defrost it!  Paul graciously agreed to an emergency run to the store but they didn't have a boneless pork shoulder roast, so he had to buy one bone-in.  Well actually he got two roasts.  Seems that Safeway was running a buy one, get one free deal (yay?).

Anyway, I was an hour behind schedule but I wasn't worried -- we'd just eat at 7:00 instead of 6:00.  I lost another half hour cutting the roast into small pieces (took longer than I thought to cut around the bone) and making the marinade but, okay, we'll eat at 7:30 instead of 7:00.  

So now it's 7 1/2 hours later, and I start chopping the veggies.  Paul was a big help roasting the peppers (there's 2 pasilla, 2 serrano, and 1 habanero chile in this stew!).  As the veggies were cooking I went to remove the pork from the marinade.  Now the recipe said to chop cilantro stems for the marinade so I did.  I chopped them into about 1/2" pieces, and so now I had 1" pork bits covered with a zillion 1/2" cilantro stems.  Took about 20 minutes to clean them all off.  (Next time I'll just chopping the stems in half!)  Okay, so maybe dinner will be at 8:00 instead of 7:30.  

So, 8:30 rolls around, and we are finally sitting down to eat.  The pork is tender and delicious, and the sauce is good -- not too spicy.  I like it best with the rice, pork and mole sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla.  My only complaint is the sauce is a little too chocolate-y.  It was definitely worth all the time and effort, and I'll make this again but maybe next time I'll only use half the amount of chocolate.

Pork Shoulder with Mole Sauce
A Great American Cook
Yield:  6 to 8 servings

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
12 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 cups sake
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 serrano chiles
1 habanero chile
2 medium onions
1/4 pound thick-cut bacon
4 ripe tomatoes or drained canned plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Kosher Salt
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup basmati rice
Freshly ground black pepper

For finishing the stew:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Warmed corn tortillas or corn bread for serving.

At least 8 hours or the day before, marinate the pork.
     Cut the pork into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl.  Smash 2 of the garlic cloves.  Remove the leaves from the cilantro and reserve them for garnish.  Chop the cilantro stems and add them to the pork, along with the smashed garlic.  Pour in the sake and stir well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight, turning the pork occasionally.

Make the stew:
     Soak the pasilla chiles in warm water until soft, about an hour.  Stem, seed, and finely chop them.
     Meanwhile, roast the serrano and habanero chiles over medium high heat on the stove top or under a hot broiler, turning occasionally, until blackened and blistered all over.  Place the chiles in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 15 minutes.
     Peel the roasted chiles with your fingers (do not rinse); stem, seed, and finely chop them.  Mix all the chiles together.
     Chop the onions.  Mince the remaining 10 garlic cloves.  Cut the bacon into 1x1/4 inch strips.  Core, seed, and chop the fresh tomatoes, or seed and chop the canned tomatoes.
     Place a large enameled cast iron casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the bacon until it renders some of its fat, about 5 minutes.  Add the onions, garlic, half the chiles, and the tomatoes and saute until the onions are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer the bacon and vegetables to a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the pot.
     Remove the pork from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and pat it dry with paper towels.  Season it with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in the pot and brown the pork, in batches, over medium high heat using 1 more tbsp butter if needed.  Transfer the pork to a plate as it is browned.
     Strain the marinade and deglaze the casserole with the marinade and chicken broth, stirring to scrape up the browned bits.  Return the pork and bacon mixture to the casserole and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a quiet simmer and cook, covered, for 2 hours, or until the pork is very tender.
     Meanwhile, about 20 minuets before the pork is cooked, rinse the rice three times and place it in a medium saucepan with 2 cups cold water, the remaining 1 tbsp butter, and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook the rice for 20 minutes, or until it is tender.  Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Finish the stew:
     Chop the chocolate.  Mix the 2 tbsp butter with the flour in a small bowl, blending it well with your fingers, then mix in the reserved chiles.  Whisk the butter mixture into the stew.  Add the chocolate, increase the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.
     Spoon the rice onto six to eight plates, top with the stew, and garnish with the reserved cilantro leaves.  Serve with warmed tortillas or corn bread. 

Day 38: Skirt Steak marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts, and Potatoes and Garlic Baked in Parchment

I love skirt (or hanger) steak.  ( Asado's in Tacoma makes a great hanger steak.)  I've never cooked it, and it's probably because I couldn't find it in any store (I went to four).  So I improvised, and picked up some thin cut beef that had a sticker that said, great for marinating.  Can't remember what kind of steak it was though.  This is a very quick meal to put together -- the sauce was the hardest thing to make!

I'm behind a couple recipes so I decided to also make New Potatoes and Garlic Baked in Parchment.  Except I didn't have any parchment paper so I used aluminum foil.  And I didn't have any new potatoes, so I used red potatoes and diced them.  And I thought baking the garlic with their skins on seemed weird so I peeled them.  Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly!

The meal was a big hit, except now we all have a severe case of garlic breath!

Skirt Steak marinated in Soy, Ginger, and Lime with Red Onion Toasts
A Great American Cook
Yield:  Serves 4

2 lbs skirt or hanger steak
One 2 inch piece fresh ginger
1 lime
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves
1 cup dry red wine
3 shallots
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion
4 slices sourdough bread

     Pat the steak dry with paper towels and place it in a nonreactive baking pan.
     Peel and grate the ginger.  Juice the lime.  In a small bowl, mix the ginger with the lime juice and soy sauce.  Smash 2 of the garlic cloves and add them to the marinade.  Pour the  mixture over the steak, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
     Remove the steak from the marinade and place on a platter.  Discard the garlic and ginger and reserve the marinade.
     Bring the red wine to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Chop the shallots and add them to the wine.  Boil to reduce the wine to 1/4 cup.  Stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
     Meanwhile, heat the broiler.  Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with the reserved marinade and broil the onion until tender and dark brown, about 10 minutes.  Be careful not to burn it.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Leave the broiler on.
     Place the steak on the broiler pan and broil, turning once, just until medium rare, about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely to keep warm.
     Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler.  Meanwhile, reheat the sauce over low heat.
     Split the remaining garlic clove in half and rub the slices of toast with the garlic.  Place a slice of toast on each plate.  Divide the onion among the toasts.  Slice the steak and place on the plates.  Top the steak with the red wine sauce and serve.

New Potatoes and Garlic Baked in Parchment
The Greens Cook Book
Yield:  Makes one packet; serves one.

1 sheet baking parchment, approximately 11 by 16
4 to 5 small new potatoes (about 5 ounces total)
4 to 5 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
Small branch of rosemary or several thyme branches
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
  
     If the potatoes are really small, an inch across or less, keep them whole; otherwise cut them into pieces that are more or less the same size, slightly smaller than an inch square.  Leave the skins on if the potatoes are fresh.
     Preheat the oven to 400.  Fold the paper in half to make a crease; then open and lay the potatoes on the lower half.  Tuck in the garlic cloves and the rosemary or pepper.  Bring the top side of the paper back down; then roll tightly along the edges to form a pouch, giving a firm final twist at the end to hold the package closed.
     Bake the packages for 30 minutes, and serve immediately, while they are hot and inflated.  Instead of individual packages, you can also make a single large one, from which people can help themselves.

Tomorrow night:  Pork Shoulder with Mole Sauce!

Day 36: Late Autumn Vegetable Casserole

It's been such a busy week.  Monday was Valentine's Day, Tuesday my book club met, and tonight I'm going to a surprise birthday party.  I skipped making dinner Tuesday, so I wanted to make sure to leave the boys something to eat tonight.

Late Autumn Vegetable Casserole from A Great American Cook looked like a tasty, fairly quick dinner to make.  Unfortunately I had to leave before Paul came home, and he was already in bed by the time I got back so I haven't had a chance to ask him how he liked it.  It sure smelled good!

The vegetables totally filled the pot as it was cooking, and even though they cooked down in the oven there was still a big pot of food for us to eat!  I'm going to warm some up for lunch today.

Update:   Paul called this morning, and I asked how he liked the casserole (expecting him to say it was good like he always does), and he said, well...I liked everything else you've made from this book, and I managed to eat a whole bowl, but I didn't like it.  After heating some up for breakfast I have to say I totally agree with my husband, AND I commend him on eating a whole bowl of this stuff -- I barely managed three spoonfuls!  Hopefully I make it up to him with tonight's dinner!

Late-Autumn Vegetable Casserole
A Great American Cook
Yield:  6 to 8 hearty side dish, or 4 to 6 main dish servings

3 pounds Hubbard or butternut squash
3 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for rubbing the squash
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white button mushrooms
2 medium onions
6 garlic cloves
4 large leeks
2 small celery roots
1 cup assorted fresh herb leaves, such as sage, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, chives, and basil
3 drained canned plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

     Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
     Split the squash lengthwise in half and remove the strings and seeds.  Rub the flesh with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place the squash on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender.  Set aside to cool slightly.  Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
     Meanwhile, clean and chop the mushrooms.  Chop the onions.  Smash the garlic.  Trim the leeks, split lengthwise, and wash them well, then chop.  Peel and chop the celery root.  Chop the tomatoes.  Chop the herbs.
    Heat the 3tbsp olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, leeks, and celery root and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until tender.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.  Scoop out the squash in tablespoon sized chunks and add to the casserole.  Add the tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper.
     Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top and bubbly.  Serve.

Tonight:  Soupe Au Pistou, and Cottage Cheese Bread!

Day 25: Warm Sweet Onion Tart

I know, I know, and you're right -- I did say in yesterday's post that I'd be making pizza tonight, but later that night I received an email from my friend Jennevieve inviting us over to a last minute dinner party.  There is no way I'm missing dinner at Jennevieve's, let me tell you!  She's a fabulous cook and a great hostess.

Now you're probably thinking, here she goes skipping another night of cooking, right?  WRONG!!  I'll be bringing an appetizer from A Great American Cook, Warm Sweet Onion Tart.

Starting to cook onions

The recipe calls for puff pastry as the crust.  I didn't have any on hand (have never used it) so off to the store I went for a tart pan, and some puff pastry.  I followed the recipe religiously with disastrous results -- at least as far as the puff pastry was concerned.  It pulled away from the edges, and puffed (I suppose I should have blind baked it)!  I didn't have enough time to defrost the other sheet of puff pastry, so I pulled out my handy-dandy Pillsbury pie dough.  Now one day I will learn how to make pie dough, but until then I will use this dough, it's my favorite.  I carefully pressed the dough into the pan, and popped it in the fridge to chill a bit.  This time I lined it with foil, filled with my bean "weights" before I baked it.

After cooking 30 minutes on low.

Now the onions were only supposed to take 30 minutes, but it was probably closer to an hour (maybe I had the flame on too low).  Luckily I started cooking early so I had some wiggle room.

Warm Sweet Onion Tart
A Great American Cook
Yield:  6 servings

2 large sweet onions, such as Vidalia
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound puff pastry, preferably an all-butter brand such as Dufour (or 1 sheet pastry from a 17 1/4 ounce package)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 few thyme blossoms or 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

     Slice the onions crosswise as thin as possible.  Place a large skillet over very low heat.  Add the butter and when it melts, stir in the onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the onions are very soft and deep golden brown.
     Add the vinegar to the onions and cook until it is has reduced and slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool, then season with salt and pepper.
     Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
     On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry 1/4 inch thick.  Using a pot lid or a plate as a guide, cut the pasty into a 10 inch round.  Fit the pastry onto an 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Trim the edges of the pastry if necessary and prick it all over with a fork.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.  (Don't be afraid that the tart shell will burn later when it is baked again -- the filling will prevent that from happening.)  Take the tart shell out of the oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
     Whisk the eggs lightly in a medium bowl.  Add the cream and thyme and blend well, then season with salt and pepper.  Spread the onions evenly in the tart shell.  Pour the egg mixture over the onions and stir gently with a fork so the custard mixture spreads evenly in the tart shell.
     Bake the tart for 25 minutes, or until just set.  Remove and let cook on a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Update:  I had baked the tart for 20 minutes since the instructions said 25 minutes or until eggs set (the eggs seemed set).  It wasn't cooked all the way through so Jennevieve had to pop it into her oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.  That little snaffu aside everyone seemed to loved the tart.

Day 13: Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach, and Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

How can you resist a recipe that has the word "perfect" in the title?  Now, I've tried making a roast chicken a few times over the years, and they never seem to come out right -- it's either dry, or tasteless.  So I had hoped that Jonathan Waxman could show me what I'm doing wrong as I followed his recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach.  I loved how his recipe makes a complete dinner since he added instructions on a starch and veggie dish too.  Unfortunately I had to deviate from the starch.  As much as I love mashed potatoes (and his recipe sounded delicious), I had a little catch-up to do in the recipe department, and so I cooked my first make-up recipe today:  Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" from The New Whole Grains Cookbook.  I've typed the recipe for the chicken dinner as shown in A Great American Cook but I'll only be cooking the chicken and spinach portion.

The title was no empty promise, let me tell you.  The chicken was moist, and so delicious.  The only problems were every time I opened the oven to baste the chicken the smoke made my eyes water, and set off the smoke alarm.  Also the instructions said to cook until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165.  I'm a little nervous about undercooked chicken, but this guy is a famous chef so he should know, right?  Anyway, the last time I checked the temp the gauge registered 175 so I pulled it out of the oven, and guess what?  Underdone chicken!  The white meat was fine, but the red meat was still...well it was still red, so Paul cut off the thighs and drumsticks, and I put it in the oven for another 15 minutes, and it was perfect.  

The millet-cauliflower "mashed potatoes" were not so perfect.  They came out soupy, and tasted more like pureed oatmeal than mashed potatoes -- or cauliflower for that matter.  I even roasted some garlic to add but that didn't help.  Suffice it to say that between me, Paul, Kevin and Celeste all the serving plates on the table were emptied...except the "mashed potatoes".

Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach

A Great American Cook

Yield:  Serves 4

One 3 1/2 to 4 pound free-range, corn-fed, or naturally raised chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the chicken

8 medium Yellow Finn potatoes

8 garlic cloves

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Two 6 ounce bags spinach) or 3/4 pound bulk spinach

Heat the oven to 475

     Remove the gizzards and any extraneous fat from the chicken.  Rinse and pat it dry.  Salt and pepper the outside and inside well, and rub the chicken with olive oil.  Place the bird in a large roasting pan and roast, basting every 5 minutes with the pan juices, for 35 to 40 minutes (about 10 minutes per pound), or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.

     Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes (do not peel) and cut into pieces.  Place in a large saucepan of cold water, add six of the garlic cloves and salt to taste, and bring to boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Return the potatoes and garlic to the pot.  Add 6 tbsp of the butter, the 1/4 cup olive oil, and the reserved potato cooking water.  Mash well, using a potato masher.  Taste and season with pepper, adding more salt if needed.  Cover and keep warm.

     Washing the spinach and cut of any large stems.  Heat the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Discard the garlic, add the spinach to the skillet, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted.  Add a good amount of salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and cover to keep warm.

     When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

     Reheat the potatoes and spinach over low heat if necessary.  Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and spinach. 

Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

The New Whole Grains Cookbook

Yield:  Serves 5

1/2 cup millet

2 1/2 cups water

4 ounces sliced cauliflower stems and florets (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp salt

Butter, roasted garlic, wasabi, horseradish, and/or sour cream to taste (optional)

     Wash and drain the millet, then put it in a 1 quart saucepan with a lid.  Add the water, cauliflower, and salt.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest simmer.  Cover and cook for 35 minutes, checking and giving it a stir after 30 minutes.  The millet will break open and thicken the liquid in the pot.  When the millet is very soft and thick, take it off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

     Use a blender for the smoothest puree, but a food processor will work almost as well.  Puree until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it.  Add the butter or other flavorings, if desired, and serve in place of mashed potatoes.

Tomorrow night it's Lima Bean Soup.  Which reminds me -- I better put the beans into some water to soak!

Update:  I originally added this in the comment section, but maybe it would be better to put it in the actual post.

You know, now that I think about it, in the notes Waxman said he not to truss the chicken, but the legs were flopping all over the place, so I just tied the "ankles" together. And he said to put the bird in a big roaster, but nothing about a roasting rack (I just assumed I should use one). Maybe if I put the bird directly on the pan, and didn't bind the ankles the red meat would not have needed extra time? I'll have to try that next time.

Day 12: Goat Cheese Pizza with Red Onions and Green Olives

Ahem.  You've probably noticed that there was no entry for Friday.  That's because I was sick, and did not make dinner.  In case you're wondering, I am still planning on making 50 recipes in 50 days.  I'll just have to double up on the recipes until I work off the days I missed.

Okay, I've put the Orzo recipe on the back burner because I had scheduled to make pizza today, and I didn't want to miss out on pizza.  Tonight's dinner comes from The Greens Cook Book.  I made Goat Cheese Pizza with Red Onions and Green Olives.  I had originally planned on using the second ball of pizza dough I made for last Saturday's dinner, but since my son and his girlfriend were joining us I decided to go ahead and make a  two pizza batch of dough.

I used the first ball of dough for the Goat Cheese Pizza.  With the second ball of pizza dough I tried to reinvent a potato and spinach pizza I tried at The Harmon Tap Room , and it turned out pretty well.  Maybe after this 50 in 50 challenge I'll try making it again, and post the recipe then.

Goat Cheese Pizza with Red Onion and Green Olives
The Greens Cook Book
Yield:  one 12 inch pizza

1/2 recipe Pizza Dough (one ball of dough)
3 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated or thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese
12 to 18 Nicoise or California green olives, pitted and halved
2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into narrow strips
Fresh herbs: mostly parsley and thyme with some rosemary, finely chopped

Place pizza stone in oven (if using) and preheat oven to 500

     Prepare the pizza dough and set it aside to rise in a warm place.
     Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide skillet and saute the onions for 3 minutes, or until they turn translucent.  Add the garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, lower the heat, and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.  Check the seasoning and set the onions aside.
     Shape the dough, and place it on a well-floured peel or pizza pan.  Brush it with olive oil, and cover it with the sauteed onions and the mozzarella cheese.  Distribute the lumps of the soft goat cheese, the olives, and the sun-dried tomatoes over the pizza.
     Slide the pizza onto the stone or bake it on it's pan in the upper third of the oven for about 8 to 12 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are well browned.  Remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with fresh herbs.

Variation:  Rather than sprinkling the pizza with herbs after baking, finish with Pesto.

What's for dinner tomorrow?  Perfect Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach.  Although in order to catch up a bit on my missed days I'll be substituting the mashed potatoes with Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" from The New Whole Grains Cookbook.  I used the word "substituting", but I guess I could have typed "replacing" instead.

Speaking of substituting, a friend of mine called me on the carpet for my seeming inability to use all of the ingredients as listed in the recipe.  She felt that if my goal was to try 50 recipes in 50 days that I should use the exact ingredients called for in the recipe.  Being a good friend I listened to her criticism, thought about it for a bit, and then decided that she was...WRONG!  My substitutions were either sanctioned by the recipe itself, or a minor substitution of, say, a dried herb instead of a fresh herb, but I do appreciate her input.

Day 5: Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

Pizza and bacon -- doesn't get any better, folks.   I was excited to try this pizza, and it did not disappoint.  The dough makes two pizzas, and since it was just Paul and I tonight I decided to experiment by freezing one of the balls of dough.  And, obviously, I cut the amount of the toppings in half.  I meant to use canned diced tomatoes, but forgot to add them to the pizza.  I did add minced garlic, because as far as I'm concerned it ain't pizza if there ain't garlic.  I think the next time I'll add some shredded mozzarella.   I have a pizza stone and a pizza peel, but I'm not very good at getting the pizza off of the peel onto the stone so I used my Air Bake pizza sheet.  I served the pizza with a mixed green salad and homemade ranch dressing.  The ranch dressing recipe comes from one of Tyler's Ultimate shows.  I made it from memory since I never wrote it down, and I can't find the recipe online.  I substituted half of the mayo with Greek yogurt.

Pizza with Bacon, Scallions, Parmesan, and Tomato

A Great American Cook

Yield:  Two 12" pizzas

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably organic, plus extra for rolling

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or one 1/4 ounce pkg)

Sea salt

1/4 pound thick-cut bacon

1 bunch scallions

4 medium ripe tomatoes (see note)

1/4 cup freshly grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano

Freshly ground black pepper

     In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, the honey, 2 cups warm water, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and the yeast. Mix well.  Let this sponge sit in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 hour, or until doubled. 

     With a wooden spoon, stir the remaining 3 cups flour and 2 tsp salt into the sponge.  Knead for 10 minutes in the bowl or transfer to the counter and knead, adding a little more warm water if necessary; the dough should be moist, not dry.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

     Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees.  If you have a pizza stone, place it on the oven rack to preheat for 30 minutes.  If not using a stone, lightly oil two pizza pans or baking sheets. 

     Dice the bacon.  Slice the scallions.  Core and dice the tomatoes. 

     Divide the dough in half.  Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round.  If using a pizza stone, dust a baker's peel (or a rimless baking sheet) with flour and place the dough on it.  Sprinkle with half the bacon, half the scallions, half the tomatoes, and 2 tbsp of the Parmesan.  Drizzle with a tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and slide the dough onto the hot stone.  Or, place the dough on one of the oiled pizza pans or baking sheets, add the toppings, and place the pan in the oven. 

      Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, assemble the remaining pizza.  Cut the baked pizza into wedges and serve hot.  Bake the remaining pizza and serve. 

Ranch Dressing

Tyler's Ultimate

1/2 mayonnaise

1/3 cup buttermilk

3 scallions rough chopped

2 garlic cloves rough chopped

Place ingredients in food processor and blend.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomorrow?  A favorite from my childhood -- Tamale Pie!