Yeast Water and Making Bread

I like to create cookbooks. For myself. To give to a friend or two. Nothing commercial. I was in the process of finishing up a fairly large book of bread. Bread in all senses of that word, including muffins, quick breads, pancakes, yeast breads, flavored yeast breads, sourdough. And as I was finishing up my very long task, of course something new popped up on my horizon. Yeast Water. 

Yeast Water

My First Yeast Water Bread

Okay, I have been making yeast bread, mainly one recipe, since I was about 23. I am now 75. Somewhere around 2014, I was introduced to sourdough in a new way. I had tried it before, became disenchanted, let it lapse. Now I had a book by Peter Reinhart called The Baker's Apprentice, and he explained things in a way I hadn't ever understood before. I made sourdough from scratch. Perfect. Made bread. Sometimes it was great and others, well, definitely not. Ultimately, this also lapsed, as I grew tired of constantly tossing out starter to make new batches. And I know, nowadays there are recipes that abound for using sourdough discards. Some years ago, these were nowhere apparent. 

So, while looking for something else online, the words "yeast water" called my attention. This had nothing to do with what I was looking for, so I count this as pure serendipity. As I looked up yeast water, I found that there are possibly as many ways to make it as there are people and ideas. and what brings me here to write about it is simply because I read an article from King Arthur Flour about testing yeast water, and the comment that it takes longer to make than a starter with sourdough starter. 

I will disagree with this, simply because I have been following a method shown online in a video from a German woman and I have followed that as a pattern for all yeast water breads since. In all the places, at that time about 3 years ago, that I read of how to make yeast water, they all stated to use water as per your need, with extra to begin a new batch, add a teaspoon of sugar and some dried fruit. I have used dates, raisins, dried cherries and dried figs at different times, to date. I usually use three dates to approximately 3 to 4 cups of water. All these suggestions said that as soon as the fruit all floated, the yeast water was ready to use. 

The only other thing the German woman stated was that yeast water should be used in place of ALL water or liquid called for in the recipe. This means that if I use some of the yeast water to make a "starter," I need then to refresh the yeast water again to make enough for any other liquid called for in the recipe. The already live yeast water ferments again (with another teaspoon of sugar and another couple of dates) overnight very easily. Of course this all works best it it is made in a warm place. In summer my house is set at 79 or 80 degrees F. In winter, the oven with light on is a good substitute.

Creating a Starter

Flax Sunflower Yeast Water Bread

In general, I like breads that take many days to make. I realize this is not feasible for everyone. But between Peter Reinhart's information and other places I have read over these intervening 10+ years, long rises are what give flour time to absorb liquids better and coax out flavors that would never be there if making a bread all in one day. Plus, slow rising at room temperature brings out different flavors from those unlocked in a long, slow, cold-rise. I am no expert on the chemical processes taking place and why. But I can with great authority state that the flavors of some of these breads have been phenomenal.

So if a bread recipe calls for using a starter, prep your yeast water (1 to 2 days in a warm place, if it is with a batch you've kept in the fridge. Longer if it is starting from scratch. Shorter if it is mid summer and you're sweating standing still!) Just keep in mind about 4 cups water all total to begin, whether fresh with fresh water of part yeast water, part water. Add a teaspoon of sugar and 2 - 3 dates, cut up in chunks, or a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit. Stir this well. It is best to keep in a jar without a tight fitting lid. I have some bail wire jars, and remove the rubber gasket. Then, stir the mixture several times a day, or whenever you think about it. Once all the fruit rise to the surface, it is ready to use. 

Save the fruit! In any bread you're making, the fermented fruit can be added back into the bread dough and during kneading, it all but disappears. It adds a gentle fruitiness, but does not jump out with its flavor.

To make the starter, use about half yeast water and half flour, whether bread flour, whole wheat, rye or whatever you are working with. Stir well, cover and set aside in a warm place. It should be well risen by the following day. Meanwhile, use the remaining yeast water, add in more water, enough to cover any more liquids called for in the recipe with some left over, another teaspoon sugar and more fruit. Stir well. Shake or stir various times during the day, and by the following day it too should be ready to use. 

Sometimes recipes call for a soaker as well, so this can be made at the same time and both set to do their thing overnight. 

Making the Bread

When making your bread recipe, follow the instructions, simply substituting the refreshed yeast water for the liquid called for. To date, all the yeast water breads I have made have been ones calling for various rises, and taking three or four days to make in total. Warm rises, cold rises, great flavor and beautifully risen loaves. Most have been baked in my Dutch Oven. To date I have had zero failures. Best of all, no throwing sourdough starter discards down the drain.

Yeast Water Rye with Dried Cherries and Pumpkin Seeds

Here is a recipe that is a mashup of a couple of recipes I found online (not yeast water recipes) that I altered and mixed together to something that sounded really good to me. As it turned out, it is a fabulous bread, nicely dense and chewy as I love, wonderful alone, slathered with butter and/or jam, made into a sandwich, or a nice open-faced sandwich as it is hefty enough. It is easy to slice thinly if preferred (I do). Oh! And grilled cheese! It makes fabulous grilled cheese.

Yeast Water Rye with Dried Cherries and Pumpkin Seeds

Makes one loaf

DAY 1: Refresh Yeast Water
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
your existing yeast water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 - 3 chopped dates (or substitute 3 tablespoons dried tart cherries)

Stir this mixture often, over 12 to 24 hours and keeping in a warm place. Mixture should end with small bubbles and all the fruits floating.

DAY 2: Pre-Dough

150 grams bread flour

250 mL refreshed yeast water (about 1 cup)

Stir together until no dry ingredients remain. Cover and set in a warm place to ferment overnight. Meanwhile feed the yeast water again, to build up what will be needed for the main recipe.

DAY 3: Early morning: Main Dough - Autolyze

- all the pre-dough (above)

200 grams bread flour

200 grams sifted whole wheat flour

110 grams sifted rye flour

125 mL yeast water (scant 3/4 cup)

Place all these ingredients in a heavy-duty mixer or a bowl to mix by hand. Stir well until no dry ingredients remain. Cover and set aside 1 hour.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon gluten

1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder

2 tablespoons powdered milk

- the cherries from fermenting the yeast water, if they were used

3 tablespoons molasses

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

100 grams yeast water (about 1/2 cup)

During the autolyze period, measure out the 5 dry ingredients and set aside. Place the dried cherries and pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the yeast water to soak and soften.

Once ready to make the dough, add first the dry ingredients and begin mixing on low, then add in the leftover fermented cherries, yeast water-cherry-seed mixture and molasses. Mix slowly until the liquids are absorbed, then mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes.. Rest the cough, covered, for about 20 minutes. Turn out to a greased surface and perform a stretch-and-fold: take the dough from one edge and stretch upwards, lengthening the dough and then folding it back onto itself. Turn the dough 1/4 way around and stretch and fold again. Turn 1/4 more, stretch and fold, then one more 1/4 turn and stretch and fold. This begins to form the gluten without over mixing. Grease the dough, cover and rest 20 to 30 minutes and repeat this same stretch and fold. Then rest and repeat stretching and folding twice more, a total of 4 times altogether.

Now turn dough over, seam side down, and beginning with cupped hands behind the dough, begin dragging the dough towards you, tightening the dough from its base. Turn the dough a little, and repeat the cupped hands, dragging the dough towards you from each side. This makes the dough very taut, and helps it to create a nice high rise.

Prepare a banneton with a mix of half flour and half rice flour, or heavily dust a smooth tea towel lined bowl. Set the loaf into the prepared banneton or bowl with the seam side upwards. Set the bowl into a food safe large plastic bag and close it off with plenty of air inside keeping the top from touching the dough. Place in the refrigerator overnight

 

DAY 4: Bake

When ready to bake, place an enameled cast iron Dutch oven with its lid on into the oven and set to 450F. Time this for 30 minutes to get the pot screaming hot.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator just before the pot is ready. Place a large sheet of parchment over the banneton/bowl. Set a pizza pan over top and invert the dough with the parchment onto the pan. Score the top of the loaf with a baker's lame or razor blade or a very sharp knife. A simple pound sign will do.

With heavy oven mitts, remove the Dutch oven to the stove top. Remove lid and set aside on another burner. Lift the dough into the pot by holding the parchment at its corners and place into the pot, parchment and all. Cover with the lid and back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how dark you like your loaves. Once done, Remove the pot carefully with oven mitts. Use a long metal spatula to help lift the loaf out; set it onto a rack to cool at least 2 hours before slicing.

Things to do with Radishes and Dates

. . . . but not together!

Spicy Pickled Radishes

I have a couple of recipes to share today, completely separate, disparate recipes. The only similarity is that they are both condiment types.

The first one is for quick Pickled Radishes. Radishes have never, ever, been a favorite of mine. Though, made just the right way, I can enjoy them. Those who sprinkle on some salt and crunch into them? Nope, not me. To date, and I say this from the vantage point of 70 years on this planet, there has been only one way I have eaten radishes and enjoyed them, and I discovered these at age 20, in Guatemala. I should say two ways, because the Guatemalan recipe for Picado de Rabano (Chopped Radish Salad) can also be used added in to chopped roast beef and a whole new dish is created, called Salpicon. I love both of these. I have made them a fair number of times over the intervening years. My husband will not eat these dishes, not even after 30 years together. Oh well.

So one day I was perusing the web and came upon this recipe for pickled radishes. The sound of it intrigued me, so I saved the site, waiting until I grocery shopped and came home with a single bunch of radishes. The recipe I found was on this site, and is called "Sweet and Spicy Pickled Radishes." When I came home with one single bunch of radishes, which, once I removed all the greens, weighed in at 5 ounces worth, and the recipe called for a pound of radishes, I had to do some quick recalculating to get the amounts to function. Plus, I added in some shallot and garlic, just because everything is better with garlic, and I love shallots. The amount of salt was too much for my taste, even cutting the amount by a third. So, with my own adjustments, I went ahead and made my own little 12 ounce jar of these and I have to say, they are really good!  So, here is my revised and smaller, version of the recipe:

Radish mixture packed in jar

Spicy Pickled Radishes

Makes one 12-ounce jar

5-ish ounces cleaned, de-stemmed radishes
½ - 1 Jalapeno or Serrano pepper
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove fresh garlic, thinly sliced
⅓ - ½ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1½ teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

Once radishes are clean and trimmed, it is best to use a mandoline - very carefully! - to slice the radishes extremely thinly. The same should be done for the shallot and garlic, with even more care. The Serrano (or Jalapeno) pepper can be sliced leaving seeds in or removing seeds and slicing finely. Mix the sliced radishes, shallot, garlic, Serrano and cilantro together in a bowl, then pack the mixture tightly into a jar. I used a jar I'd washed and kept, which has a 12-ounce capacity.

In a small saucepan, heat to boiling the vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds. Once boiling, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then pour over the radish mixture to cover (the vinegar mixture can be cooled more rapidly in the fridge if needed). Cap the jar tightly and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature before use. Store in the fridge and eat within a week or so.

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The next recipe is a variation on Imli / Tamarind Chutney in my Indian Recipes in the Recipe Index of this blog. Often this Tamarind Chutney has dates added, either as the main event or as half and half. The result, to my taste, is not all that different, but if you happen to have dates around that need to be used, then by all means try this recipe. I had some exceedingly soft Medjool dates given me and they were so very moist they started getting a fermented smell, so I used most of them in this chutney (the cooking time stopped the fermentation!) and refrigerated the remainder, which will soon go into Date Nut Bread!

I have a jar of tamarind concentrate which is like a thick sauce, that has already been strained and is completely smooth. If you have only fresh tamarind pods or a tamarind "block" (which usually has fibers and seeds embedded into it), you will need to take similar steps as with the dates - softening the tamarind in hot water and straining through a coarse strainer. See this blog for some info on Tamarind.

Khajur Imli Chutney

Khajur Imli Chutney or Date Tamarind Chutney

Made three 6-ounce jars

½ cup dates, preferably soft, de-seeded, rough chopped

Khajur Imli Chutney or Tamarind Chutney

1½ cups water
----
½ cup tamarind paste or concentrate (pre-strained)
½ cup water
----
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon hot Indian chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon black salt or regular salt
½ cup brown sugar or jaggery

Cook the chopped dates with the 1½ cups water for about 15 minutes or longer, as needed to soften the dates enough to press through a larger sieve. Use the back of a spoon to get as much of the puree as possible. 

Combine the date puree with the tamarind concentrate and the ½-cup of water in the saucepan, adding in all the remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce the mixture to simmer and cook for 15 minutes to meld flavors. Pour into a clean jar with tight fitting lid. Allow to cool, then store in the fridge for up to a month.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Long Time Favorite Cake is Back

First off, I hope everyone enjoyed a lovely Valentine's Day. It doesn't matter if you sat at home with someone you love doing nothing at all spectacular, or whether you went out and splurged big time, or if you chose to catch up on some "me" time. The idea is that you enjoyed the day, however it was celebrated. 

My husband and I were invited out to dinner at the local Country Club by two people fast becoming very good friends. Since my husband and I generally stay at home rather than try and fight crowds, and I cook something really special for dinner, it has been about 26 years since we last braved a night out on Valentine's Day. That made yesterday's evening a true delight. As much as I love to cook, it is a tremendous joy for the cook to have a night out! I thank Ty and Ann Hanson with all my heart for having us as guests.

A night off was not in the cards for the cook at the country club, Jake Collins. He was on duty manning the kitchen, and produced a most excellent menu for a large crowd. Considering the tremendous amount of dishes that needed to be served at the same time, he made miracles happen. We know Jake from the past four years of Winefest Renaissance, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen. This year marks the fifth annual Winefest Renaissance (which appears to be called "Renaissance Festival," this year), to be held on April 8th.

Fresh Apple Pecan Date Cake

So, on to the cake. This cake recipe is one that I have been making for about 33 years or so. Originally I cut the recipe out of the "Orlando Sentinal" newspaper's Thursday food edition. It called for using cooking oil in the batter, and raisins. I prefer to use melted butter, for the flavor, and do not care much for cooked raisins, so I switched the raisins out for chopped dates. It was the most amazing cake, outside of a Carrot Cake, for lovely flavors and moistness beyond compare. My version of this cake is called Fresh Apple Pecan Date Cake. The recipe I have used for carrot cake is also, coincidentally, from an Orlando Sentinel newspaper clipping and from around the same general time. I will have to post it!

Fresh Apple Pecan Date Mini Cupcake

Interestingly, in all the years I have been making both these cakes, I had never gotten any good photos of them, so last year I made it a point to make the cakes and take photos. Last year, however, was one crazy thing after another, between cataract surgeries for both my husband and me, and then various medical procedures and crises for my husband. It kept us on our toes. I didn't get to write many blogs. I do have a bit of a backlog of recipes to eventually get into this blog. 

I have also made this Fresh Apple Pecan Date Cake recipe to use as mini cupcakes with great success, as seen in this photo left. Tiny little two-or-three-bite mini cakes are cute as can be and delicious when set out on an appetizer type party spread.

Fresh Apple Pecan Date Cake

Serves 12 to 16

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Fresh Apple Pecan Date Cake

½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups sugar
4 cups fresh apples, peeled, grated
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
2 eggs
1 cup butter, melted (or use melted coconut oil or cooking oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir in apples, pecans, and dates. Add eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 3 minutes.

Pour mixture into two greased 8 or 9-inch pans, a greased bundt pan or greased muffin pans or papers. If making in an 8-inch round pan, I spray the pan with cooking spray, then trace around the pan onto parchment paper, cut out the parchment rounds and set them into the pans and re-spray the parchment with cooking spray. This ensures that the cake definitely WILL NOT stick to the bottom!

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 50 - 60 minutes for a bundt pan. For 8-inch cake pans, check at about 35 - 40 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto cake plate. For cupcakes, check after 15 to 20 minutes. For mini cupcakes check after 12 minutes.

Ice with Cream Cheese Icing, or sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate with extra pecans.

Cream Cheese Icing

Cream Cheese Icing

Enough to frost an 8 or 9-inch, or 9 x 13 cake

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 - 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions: Mix together on low speed of an electric mixer, and once combined increase speed to high and beat until completely smooth.

If the icing is too stiff, beat in one tablespoon of milk or cream at a time, until of spreading consistency.

NOTES: The longer you beat, the fluffier the icing will become, as air is being incorporated into the mixture. This is wonderful for the fluffy icing of a cake, but trying to decorate with too much air in the mixture will give difficulties when trying to get an even extrusion from a decorating tip. The air bubbles will constantly cause breaks in the flow. If using a hand mixer it would take a long while to accomplish this, but with a large heavy-duty mixer, it would be best to keep the speed at medium, thus lessening the quantity of large bubbles forming in the icing.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

It's that Wine Time of Year

This year marks the 4th Annual Winefest Renaissance, held for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen. This year the Winefest will be held on April 9th, at the Ward Hotel. And, once again, I will be creating foods to pair with wines of my choosing.

Parmigiano Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Medjool Dates

After a brief scan of the list of wines to be available, I opted for an Italian theme, selecting a Roscato Prosecco, a Barone Fini Pinot Grigio, a Chianti and a Secco-Bertani (a mix of Corvina and Merlot). I had never tasted any of these particular wines before, though I have had other Proseccos, Pino Grigios, and Chiantis. The Secco-Bertani was new to me. I had to quickly make a decision on what foods to pair with these wines, so I followed my normal route of first going online to find all the information I could about each particular wine, vintner, flavors, pairings and such. Then I looked through my own lists compiled over the last few years, with a table of the wine varietal and what foods pair well with each. 

I sent in my wine choices and the pairings I had decided on, only to find out that after all, the two reds would not be available. Drat! Meanwhile, I went ahead with my planning for the foods to pair with the two white wines.

Parmigiano Stuffed,
Prosciutto Wrapped Medjool Dates

For the Roscato Prosecco, which is described as "sparkling, fruity with a hint of sweetness," I went through my table list. I felt that dates would provide sweetness, though too much sweetness and the wine will taste sour. A fine balancing act is required. I know that antipasti platters are said to pair well with Prosecco, so I though of wrapping the date with prosciutto. To add balance to those sweet dates, I also combined enough chevre goat cheese with shredded Parmigiano Reggiano to hold it together and stuffed the dates with this mixture. After tasting one made up in this way, I felt that they still needed another component. I happened to have some Blue Diamond BOLD Habanero Spiced Almonds on hand, so I pressed two of them into the cheese stuffed date before wrapping with the prosciutto. This seemed a bit better. I am planning to open a bottle of Prosecco to taste with them, later. Meanwhile, I took a few down to my husband's office for the people there to taste and critique.

Parmigiano Stuffed, Prosciutto Wrapped Medjool Dates

Makes 22 - 24

Making Parmigiano Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

12 ounces Medjool dates (about 22 to 24 dates), pitted
2.25 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
4 ounces Chevre or Montrachet goat cheese
45 - 50 Bold and Spicy Almonds (Habanero or Sriracha spiced)
6 - 8 ounces Prosciutto 

Mix together the Parmigiano Reggiano with the goat cheese, to form a thick paste. Divide the mixture into about 3/4-inch diameter balls (weighing approximately 0.25 ounce each). There should be at least enough balls to fill the amount of dates. Be sure your dates are pitted. If not, slice into one side of them down the length to reach the pit and remove. Lengthen each of the cheese balls into logs and stuff them inside the dates. Press in two of the spiced almonds.

Most prosciutto comes in about 4 x 8-inch thin slices. I sliced down the length, making two thinner lengths out of each slice. Roll each of the filled dates with one of these halves of the prosciutto slice and secure with a toothpick, if needed. These may be made ahead a couple of days, if needed.

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For the next wine, a Pinot Grigio, I went with the flavors of lemon, artichoke, parsley and chicken. I made a Lemon Artichoke "pesto," which was absolutely fantastic on its own, and then cooked up a chicken breast, cooled and finely minced the chicken, adding it to the pesto mixture. I set this atop a toasted baguette slice, and Oh My! These are so good - all I can hope is that they do well with the Barone Fini Pinot Grigio at the event. Unfortunately, though these wines are on a list to be available for the event, they are not currently available for sale in the local stores. 

Lemon Artichoke Pesto with Chicken atop Toasted Baguette Slice

Lemon Artichoke Pesto with Chicken atop Toasted Baguette

Lemon Artichoke Pesto
with Chicken atop Toasted Baguette

Makes about 50

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, white pepper and dill for sprinkling
-------------------------
1 packed cup parsley
zest of 1 lemon (save lemon for juice later)
2 - 4 cloves garlic + white vinegar
3 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, in cubes
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon each: salt and pepper
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1 teaspoon capers, drained
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil

A baguette, sliced about ¼ inch
olive oil for brushing

First, set the artichokes to drain in a colander and set aside. Butterfly the chicken breast so it lays flat and about ½ inch thick. Season both sides well with salt, white pepper and dill, and place in a very hot skillet with the tablespoon of olive oil. Fry to a deep brown, then turn and brown the opposite side. The browning provides wonderful flavor, so do not eliminate this step. Lower the heat to low or medium low and allow the chicken to cook through, about 10 minutes, total. Allow the chicken to cool while making the pesto.

Lemon Artichoke Pesto
before adding chicken

Finely mince the garlic into a small bowl. Cover with the vinegar and allow to set for a few minutes. This helps eliminate the strong raw-garlic taste. When ready to use, drain off the vinegar.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, lemon zest, the drained garlic, the Pecorino Romano cubes, walnuts and salt and pepper. Run the processor to finely chop. Stop to scrape down sides, then process until very fine. Add in the drained artichokes with the capers and lemon juice and process to a paste. Add in the olive oil to combine. Pout out into a bowl, replacing the processor bowl.

Cut the cooled chicken into cubes and place in the vacated processor bowl and pulse until the chicken is fine, but not pureed. Fold into the pesto.

To serve, brush the baguette slices with olive oil and set them on a sheet pan. Preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position and broil the breads until nicely toasted, about 1½ minutes. Watch closely! Scoop a small amount of the Lemon Artichoke Pesto with Chicken onto each slice.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Easy and Elegant Pork Dish

Whether you are looking for an elegantly easy recipe for a nice dinner with friends, or just something for any night, these Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke and Capers are just perfect. The idea for these pork rolls came when watching The Chew one day last week. Often there will be a segment where Michael Symon pairs off with Daphne Oz. Michael will make a certain dish in his normal fashion, with no skimping on either flavor or calories. Daphne will make a version of something similar, where she will use ingredients that really amp up the flavor, but tone down calories or excessive fats. It so happens in this particular episode, both the dishes sounded amazing. In particular, Daphne (using chicken breast meat instead of Michael's use of fattier chicken thigh meat) made a wonderful filling with Castelvetrano olives, capers and a few other things. 

Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke Caper Filling

I had some boneless pork loin chops in the fridge, and wanted to try using them this way, pounded thin and stuffed, then rolled. I really liked the sound of Daphne's olive-caper filling. The only difficulty fell in that my husband won't eat olives.

I love olives. Maybe the simple black olives in a can are not my favorite flavor profile, but I will eat them anyway, if they are in a dish. Possibly my favorite olives are Nicoise. I love stuffed green olives, Kalamatas and so many others. I believe I have tried Castelvetrano olives once some years ago, but cannot be absolutely positive at this remove. After researching a bit, I confirmed what Daphne said about Castelvetrano olives being milder in flavor, and less salty. I would have loved to try them in this dish, but I figured that whether mild or not, it still might be too much for my husband's taste. 

So, What Substitutes for Olives in a Recipe?

Browning the Pork Rolls

I spent a while looking online for suggestions to replace olives in a recipe. In most cases, capers were the suggestion. Since capers were already a part of the ingredients, more capers would not be useful. Since most olives are rather salty, some suggested meats such as prosciutto. I know that meats are used as ingredients in a stuffing for another meat, but I didn't want to go with that much meat in this case (the recipe called for a cup of Castelvetrano olives, so a cup of whatever ingredient to sub). Another ingredient in the filling was Feta cheese, and as that is also salty, it seemed to me using too much salty prosciutto would be less palatable. 

And then I found a suggestion for using artichoke hearts! This seemed the perfect solution for the dilemma. Artichoke hearts are mild flavored, enough so to make the bulk of the filling without going crazy on the salt level. Hurrah!


Daphne's recipe for the filling (found here), was used to fill chicken breast cutlets pounded thin. I had pork loin chops. The one thing I really would have added to the recipe I was adapting from Daphne's was fresh rosemary. She was going for Mediterranean flavors, and I liked that profile. Rosemary is also Mediterranean flavor. However, the rosemary I had in the fridge had gone all black, and it was too late to run to the store. The recipe would have to do without, at least this time. Both Michael and Daphne's recipes used cheese in the filling. Michael used goat cheese, which I love, but I wanted to keep Daphne's use of Feta in this recipe. The mixture just sounded so good. For now, the results were marvelous. A little rosemary would have really taken the flavors even more the direction I wanted, but for now, this worked very well.

The last thing I altered was browning the rolls before popping them into the oven to finish cooking. Michael did this with the chicken thighs, but Daphne's version went straight to the oven. I chose the fry first and oven finish method, because I wanted the pork to look golden and appetizing. Twenty minutes in the oven will not brown as nicely as a quick frying will!

Quite on its own, this recipe is also completely gluten free! Michael Symon's recipe used bread crumbs, though bread crumbs can also be made easily from gluten free bread.

Pork Rolls with Feta, Artichoke and Capers

Makes 4 servings

Pork Roll with Feta, Artichoke and Capers

4 boneless pork loin chops
salt and pepper for seasoning
4 ounces grated/crumbled Feta cheese
1 (7-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
¼ cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons small capers, drained
2 cloves garlic
1½ cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (dried is fine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
more olive oil for browning

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chops, one at a time, between plastic wrap and pound them very thin, until they are about 5 x 6-inches. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. If using a block of Feta, grate it on a large holed grater, or chop or crumble finely. Set aside.

Place the drained artichoke hearts, dates, capers, garlic parsley, orange juice concentrate and orange zest into the bowl of a food processor. Process, while adding in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scrape down as necessary to process evenly. Pour out into a bowl and stir in the Feta cheese until combined. Divide this mixture between the 4 pounded pork cutlets. Pat to evenly distribute, leaving the end farthest from you free for about 1-inch. Roll the pork, starting at the end closest to you, without smashing the filling out. Secure the rolls with a toothpick if necessary.

Heat a skillet to high and add a little olive oil. Brown the rolls quickly on all sides, about 5 minutes, total. Set them on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.