South Western Style Eggs Benedict with Creamy Avocado Hollandaise

Eggs Benedict has always and will always be my favorite breakfast. I'll never forget the very first time I had it in a little cafe in the Lamplight district in San Fransisco. It was the most indulgent breakfast I'd ever had and I was surprised at how much I looooved the warm, oozy yolk as it drizzled out of the egg and soaked into the toast. I have never been a fan of eggs in general and still don't care for boiled eggs or scrambled eggs unless made my way (pushed to the center of the pan till just cooked and with veggies). 

After this life changing breakfast in San Fransisco I did duly note how heavy my tummy felt and the slight but noticeable 'icky' feeling I get whenever I eat something that is loaded with fat. I came up with a much lighter version many years ago and have made it so many times now that it's my go to weekend breakfast or brunch. 

My simple starter Hollandaise is fat free by using plain, fat free Greek yogurt instead of mayo and egg and has plenty of 'bang for your buck' flavors going on. 

By adding half of a California avocado you'll get an even creamier texture, added flavor and super good for you fatty acids and vitamins.

To make the Hollandaise sauce appealing to the spice lovers palate, add 1/2 of a minced jalapeno and a dash of Spanish paprika or chili powder.

TIME  10 MINUTES        SERVES    4
Ingredients:

4 Organic, free range eggs
4 slices Canadian bacon
1/2 California Avocado
4 slices Ezekiel sprouted bread or English muffin
1/2 jalapeño, minced
dash Spanish paprika or chili powder
1/3 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
dash of soy sauce or tamari
squeeze of lemon juice
1 teaspoon spice mix ~ make enough to save in a small jar for future use.
(equal parts: ground cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne powder)


 In a small food processor, mix together avocado, yogurt, Dijon, tamari, lemon and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Blend till smooth. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to desired consistency. Add the minced jalapeno and pulse a few times.

In a small pan add enough water to 1- 1/2" depth. Heat over medium-high heat till just  starts to boil.
Gently crack eggs, one at a time and slowly drop into water. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a very gentle boil. Cook eggs exactly 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs and place onto toasted bread with a slice of Canadian bacon (I like mine heated on a cast iron skillet).

Spoon the sauce over the the egg and bacon. Sprinkle with Spanish paprika and serve immediately.



Notes: Serve with mango, grapes, grapefruit or your favorite fruit.

This post is linked to Cookin Canuck  ~ Wake Up w CA Avocado

South Western Style Eggs Benedict with Creamy Avocado Hollandaise

Posted by admin

Eggs Benedict has always and will always be my favorite breakfast. I'll never forget the very first time I had it in a little cafe in the Lamplight district in San Fransisco. It was the most indulgent breakfast I'd ever had and I was surprised at how much I looooved the warm, oozy yolk as it drizzled out of the egg and soaked into the toast. I have never been a fan of eggs in general and still don't care for boiled eggs or scrambled eggs unless made my way (pushed to the center of the pan till just cooked and with veggies). 

After this life changing breakfast in San Fransisco I did duly note how heavy my tummy felt and the slight but noticeable 'icky' feeling I get whenever I eat something that is loaded with fat. I came up with a much lighter version many years ago and have made it so many times now that it's my go to weekend breakfast or brunch. 

My simple starter Hollandaise is fat free by using plain, fat free Greek yogurt instead of mayo and egg and has plenty of 'bang for your buck' flavors going on. 

By adding half of a California avocado you'll get an even creamier texture, added flavor and super good for you fatty acids and vitamins.

To make the Hollandaise sauce appealing to the spice lovers palate, add 1/2 of a minced jalapeno and a dash of Spanish paprika or chili powder.

TIME  10 MINUTES        SERVES    4
Ingredients:

4 Organic, free range eggs
4 slices Canadian bacon
1/2 California Avocado
4 slices Ezekiel sprouted bread or English muffin
1/2 jalapeño, minced
dash Spanish paprika or chili powder
1/3 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
dash of soy sauce or tamari
squeeze of lemon juice
1 teaspoon spice mix ~ make enough to save in a small jar for future use.
(equal parts: ground cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne powder)


 In a small food processor, mix together avocado, yogurt, Dijon, tamari, lemon and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Blend till smooth. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to desired consistency. Add the minced jalapeno and pulse a few times.

In a small pan add enough water to 1- 1/2" depth. Heat over medium-high heat till just  starts to boil.
Gently crack eggs, one at a time and slowly drop into water. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a very gentle boil. Cook eggs exactly 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs and place onto toasted bread with a slice of Canadian bacon (I like mine heated on a cast iron skillet).

Spoon the sauce over the the egg and bacon. Sprinkle with Spanish paprika and serve immediately.



Notes: Serve with mango, grapes, grapefruit or your favorite fruit.

This post is linked to Cookin Canuck  ~ Wake Up w CA Avocado

Best Banana Bread

Isn't it so true that "necessity is the mother of invention"? That's been the case with me as I've started to change my diet to become sugar free six days a week. I've literally been on a rampage to convert a lot of the recipes that I love to eat to be sugar free so that I can still enjoy them. It's been a lot of fun. Today I'm sharing with you a recipe that I've made and loved for a long time, and just recently converted to be sugar free.

This recipe comes from a good friend and roommate of mine in college. She made this ALL the time and every time I make it, it reminds me of that happy time and how good it tasted to us. She called it "Best Banana Bread" and it really is. I've been making it whole grain for several years now, and really, why not? The whole grains found in it make it so delicious and flavorful, not to mention making it healthier. I love it. And I hope you enjoy it too.

Best Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2 Loaves

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 Cups Whole Grain Flour (I use Wonder Flour)
1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 
1/8 tsp. salt 
½ Cup butter 
1-1/4 Cups sugar (I use 3/4 Cup honey)

¾ Cup sour milk (3/4 Cup milk with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar) 
2 beaten eggs 
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Set aside. In another medium bowl, blend the butter, sugar (or honey) and milk, until creamy. Add the beaten eggs and banana pulp and stir until thoroughly mixed in. Then add the combined dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Dollop the batter into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans. Bake in the center of the oven 45-50 min. Do not overcook. The bread is done when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Lavinia

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Best Banana Bread

Posted by admin

Isn't it so true that "necessity is the mother of invention"? That's been the case with me as I've started to change my diet to become sugar free six days a week. I've literally been on a rampage to convert a lot of the recipes that I love to eat to be sugar free so that I can still enjoy them. It's been a lot of fun. Today I'm sharing with you a recipe that I've made and loved for a long time, and just recently converted to be sugar free.

This recipe comes from a good friend and roommate of mine in college. She made this ALL the time and every time I make it, it reminds me of that happy time and how good it tasted to us. She called it "Best Banana Bread" and it really is. I've been making it whole grain for several years now, and really, why not? The whole grains found in it make it so delicious and flavorful, not to mention making it healthier. I love it. And I hope you enjoy it too.

Best Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2 Loaves

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 Cups Whole Grain Flour (I use Wonder Flour)
1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 
1/8 tsp. salt 
½ Cup butter 
1-1/4 Cups sugar (I use 3/4 Cup honey)

¾ Cup sour milk (3/4 Cup milk with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar) 
2 beaten eggs 
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Set aside. In another medium bowl, blend the butter, sugar (or honey) and milk, until creamy. Add the beaten eggs and banana pulp and stir until thoroughly mixed in. Then add the combined dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Dollop the batter into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans. Bake in the center of the oven 45-50 min. Do not overcook. The bread is done when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Lavinia

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Cinnamon Swirl Bagels

What a great recipe I ran across for homemade bagels, the other day on this blog. I made them and yum, they are really really good. I did make a few adjustments as always. I used less flour than the recipe called for in mine so just be aware of that. I used quite a lot less (the first time I made them they were too dry). But without as much flour, they were really moist and yummy - not crumbly at all like other bagels I've made. I'll definitely be experimenting with the other kinds. So far I've only tried the cinnamon and the plain. Both were very tasty! Thanks Elizabeth for a great recipe!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bagels

1½ C. hot water (heated for a couple of minutes in the microwave)

2 ¼ C. freshly ground white wheat flour
1 Tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. dough enhancer (optional)

2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1/2  to 1 C. white flour 

Directions   

In a Bosch mixer add water, whole wheat flour and yeast. Mix with a dough hook for a couple of turns. Let this mix stand for 15 minutes. Then add salt, sugar, dough enhancer and gluten flour.  Add enough white flour until the dough just pulls from sides of the bowl. Mix for at least 6 minutes.  Remove dough and divide into 10 pieces and form round balls. Cover the dough balls and let rise for 12 minutes. Shape the bagels by pushing thumbs in the center of the dough balls to form a hole in the center. Place each bagel on a parchment lined baking sheet to rise for 20 minutes. While bagels are rising, preheat your oven to broil.  Then bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pan. When the bagels have risen, broil bagels about 2 minutes on each side, but do not let them get brown. After they have broiled, change oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Place the bagels in boiling water, about 3 at a time, and then turn stove top down to simmer.  Cook them 1 minute on each side. Set them on paper towels to drain.  After they have drained put them on a floured cookie sheet. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Variations:

See her recipe for other yummy variations!

Cinnamon Swirl Bagels

Posted by admin

What a great recipe I ran across for homemade bagels, the other day on this blog. I made them and yum, they are really really good. I did make a few adjustments as always. I used less flour than the recipe called for in mine so just be aware of that. I used quite a lot less (the first time I made them they were too dry). But without as much flour, they were really moist and yummy - not crumbly at all like other bagels I've made. I'll definitely be experimenting with the other kinds. So far I've only tried the cinnamon and the plain. Both were very tasty! Thanks Elizabeth for a great recipe!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bagels

1½ C. hot water (heated for a couple of minutes in the microwave)

2 ¼ C. freshly ground white wheat flour
1 Tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. dough enhancer (optional)

2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
1/2  to 1 C. white flour 

Directions   

In a Bosch mixer add water, whole wheat flour and yeast. Mix with a dough hook for a couple of turns. Let this mix stand for 15 minutes. Then add salt, sugar, dough enhancer and gluten flour.  Add enough white flour until the dough just pulls from sides of the bowl. Mix for at least 6 minutes.  Remove dough and divide into 10 pieces and form round balls. Cover the dough balls and let rise for 12 minutes. Shape the bagels by pushing thumbs in the center of the dough balls to form a hole in the center. Place each bagel on a parchment lined baking sheet to rise for 20 minutes. While bagels are rising, preheat your oven to broil.  Then bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pan. When the bagels have risen, broil bagels about 2 minutes on each side, but do not let them get brown. After they have broiled, change oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Place the bagels in boiling water, about 3 at a time, and then turn stove top down to simmer.  Cook them 1 minute on each side. Set them on paper towels to drain.  After they have drained put them on a floured cookie sheet. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Variations:

See her recipe for other yummy variations!

Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna

I have to tell you - I have been looking for a recipe like this for a long, long time! I finally created it myself! :) We love vegetable lasagnas but we don't usually write down the recipes and sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. Well this one was amazing, even if I do say so myself! :) The nice thing about it is that it's very versatile and you can use whatever veggies you have in season (it is perfect for this time of year with all the fresh veggies around). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)
Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna
2 C. spaghetti sauce
4 small tomatoes cut into eighths
1 C. chopped vegetables (squash, corn, turnips, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ tsp. dried
1 C. uncooked red quinoa, cooked
1 16-oz. carton cottage cheese
1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste (penzy’s tuscan sunset is wonderful)
2 C. Shredded Jack or Mozzarella cheese
¼ C. Shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ -1/2 C. water, optional
14 lasagna noodles, cooked till they barely bend but are still very hard (do not overcook!)

In a medium saucepan, add spaghetti sauce, chopped tomatoes, vegetables, and thyme. Simmer on medium-high heat until vegetables are tender. In a bowl, mix cooked quinoa with Italian seasoning and cottage cheese. When sauce is done, combine the sauce with the quinoa mixture. If sauce is too thick, add ¼ C. to ½ C. water until you reach a runny consistency (not necessary if tomatoes are really juicy).

In a 9 x 13” pan, add a little sauce on the bottom. Layer four lasagna noodles, sauce, and jack or mozzarella cheese. Do two more similar layers using three lasagna noodles. Use the remaining four lasagna noodles for the top layer, adding the sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese on the very top. Cover with tin foil. Put in oven and turn on to 350 F (no need to preheat). Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove foil and broil until the cheese on top is bubbly and brown. Serve warm with corn on the cob and fresh bread.

Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna

Posted by admin

I have to tell you - I have been looking for a recipe like this for a long, long time! I finally created it myself! :) We love vegetable lasagnas but we don't usually write down the recipes and sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. Well this one was amazing, even if I do say so myself! :) The nice thing about it is that it's very versatile and you can use whatever veggies you have in season (it is perfect for this time of year with all the fresh veggies around). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)
Red Quinoa Vegetable Lasagna
2 C. spaghetti sauce
4 small tomatoes cut into eighths
1 C. chopped vegetables (squash, corn, turnips, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ tsp. dried
1 C. uncooked red quinoa, cooked
1 16-oz. carton cottage cheese
1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste (penzy’s tuscan sunset is wonderful)
2 C. Shredded Jack or Mozzarella cheese
¼ C. Shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ -1/2 C. water, optional
14 lasagna noodles, cooked till they barely bend but are still very hard (do not overcook!)

In a medium saucepan, add spaghetti sauce, chopped tomatoes, vegetables, and thyme. Simmer on medium-high heat until vegetables are tender. In a bowl, mix cooked quinoa with Italian seasoning and cottage cheese. When sauce is done, combine the sauce with the quinoa mixture. If sauce is too thick, add ¼ C. to ½ C. water until you reach a runny consistency (not necessary if tomatoes are really juicy).

In a 9 x 13” pan, add a little sauce on the bottom. Layer four lasagna noodles, sauce, and jack or mozzarella cheese. Do two more similar layers using three lasagna noodles. Use the remaining four lasagna noodles for the top layer, adding the sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese on the very top. Cover with tin foil. Put in oven and turn on to 350 F (no need to preheat). Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove foil and broil until the cheese on top is bubbly and brown. Serve warm with corn on the cob and fresh bread.

Asian Rice Salad with Broiled Tilapia

Well I've been cooking a lot lately, but haven't had much time to blog about the finds I've made. Here's an asian rice salad that I found on this site that is great!

Sorry my picture is a bit blurry...We served the rice salad on a bed of lettuce fresh from our garden (don't mix the lettuce in - just put on plate and scoop salad on top and broiled tilapia. Yum.

Broiled Almond-Crusted Tilapia
Printable Recipe

*4 light servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 4-oz. tilapia fillets
1/4 Cup butter, melted
Seasoning salt
1/2 Cup ground almonds (pulsed in a blender)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat Broiler. Place tilipia fillets on a broiling pan or cookie sheet. Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with seasoning salt, to taste and ground up almonds. Broil for 6 minutes or until tilipia is tender and flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Asian Rice Salad with Broiled Tilapia

Posted by admin

Well I've been cooking a lot lately, but haven't had much time to blog about the finds I've made. Here's an asian rice salad that I found on this site that is great!

Sorry my picture is a bit blurry...We served the rice salad on a bed of lettuce fresh from our garden (don't mix the lettuce in - just put on plate and scoop salad on top and broiled tilapia. Yum.

Broiled Almond-Crusted Tilapia
Printable Recipe

*4 light servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 4-oz. tilapia fillets
1/4 Cup butter, melted
Seasoning salt
1/2 Cup ground almonds (pulsed in a blender)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat Broiler. Place tilipia fillets on a broiling pan or cookie sheet. Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle with seasoning salt, to taste and ground up almonds. Broil for 6 minutes or until tilipia is tender and flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Easy No-Knead Refrigerator Crescent Rolls

I love this recipe from hillbillyhousewife.com. Do you have recipes that use refrigerator crescent rolls (like pillsbury) and cringe every time you use them at the unhealthiness, expensiveness, etc? Well here's a great substitute for those. I've made them twice and have been amazed at the simplicity of them. They were especially perfect for Father's day yesterday when I needed a roll recipe that I didn't have to spend a lot of time with because we were at church. Wonderful recipe (with half whole-wheat flour!)

Here's what my dough looked like when I put it in the refrigerator. I love that I don't knead it and it turns out so wonderful! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Easy No-Knead Refrigerator Crescent Rolls

Posted by admin

I love this recipe from hillbillyhousewife.com. Do you have recipes that use refrigerator crescent rolls (like pillsbury) and cringe every time you use them at the unhealthiness, expensiveness, etc? Well here's a great substitute for those. I've made them twice and have been amazed at the simplicity of them. They were especially perfect for Father's day yesterday when I needed a roll recipe that I didn't have to spend a lot of time with because we were at church. Wonderful recipe (with half whole-wheat flour!)

Here's what my dough looked like when I put it in the refrigerator. I love that I don't knead it and it turns out so wonderful! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Honey Oat Wheat Bread - OH SO YUMMY!

Have I ever told you how much I love bread? Oh my, it's my weakness. Especially when it comes out of the oven all fresh and delicious smelling and IRRESISTIBLE! I've made homemade bread just about every week (or more) for several years now. My tried and true whole-wheat bread recipe is here and I mostly make this one because it's fast, dependable, healthy and very tasty. Well, I've been branching out a little bit trying to get some variety to our diet. Here's a variation on my tried and true recipe that I made today - the thing I loved about it most was how easy it was - as easy as putting in one more ingredient in it and how yummy it turned out. Just a slightly lighter taste than my every-day bread recipe. So good....in fact, it has all the necessary qualities to become another tried and true bread recipe. Enjoy!!

Honey Oat Wheat Bread

Printable Recipe

*Makes 3 loaves of bread

*Helpful Hint: If you put the oil in the 1/3 cup measuring cup first and then reuse it to measure the honey, the honey won’t stick.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups hot water, microwave on high 2-3 min or until quite warm ( >110° F)
1/3 Cup oil
1/3 Cup honey
1 Tbsp. salt (put in first before adding yeast)
½ Cup quick or old-fashioned oats
3+ Cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat)

½ Cup gluten flour*
2 Tbsp. yeast on top of flour

DIRECTIONS:
Combine above ingredients in order in a Bosch mixer with dough hook and mix. Add more whole wheat flour until the dough pulls away from the side. Then mix for an additional six minutes. Divide dough into 3 loaves (the dough will still be VERY sticky - so sticky that you won't be able to form your loaves without putting oil on your hands). Put dough in oiled pans. Turn the bread over in the oil and top with a light sprinkling of oats. Let rise until double or until the bread fills the pans. While bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the bread has risen, bake it at 400 deg. for 5 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25 min or until done.

*NOTE on the Gluten flour: I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour that I buy at WinCo foods in their bulk bins - or you can get a 25 lb. bag of it there if you order it. I think you can also get it at Walmart in smaller quantities - like 22 oz. pkgs. You only use 1/2 cup for 3 loaves so it lasts a long time. It allows you to make the bread with whole-grain flour and still have it light and fluffy and stick together. This really is not an optional ingredient - you can try to leave it out, but you will end up with denser bread, that is crumbly, doesn't have as long of a shelf life and really is not as enjoyable to eat. Another option (if you're looking for one) is to use a good quality, high gluten white flour instead of some of the whole-wheat flour (experiment with how much - maybe 2 cups or more to get it to a good stick-together consistency). I'd rather spend a little more for the gluten flour because you can use less of it (which means more whole-grain flour which is better for you) and still have a great textured, tasty bread.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Honey Oat Wheat Bread - OH SO YUMMY!

Posted by admin

Have I ever told you how much I love bread? Oh my, it's my weakness. Especially when it comes out of the oven all fresh and delicious smelling and IRRESISTIBLE! I've made homemade bread just about every week (or more) for several years now. My tried and true whole-wheat bread recipe is here and I mostly make this one because it's fast, dependable, healthy and very tasty. Well, I've been branching out a little bit trying to get some variety to our diet. Here's a variation on my tried and true recipe that I made today - the thing I loved about it most was how easy it was - as easy as putting in one more ingredient in it and how yummy it turned out. Just a slightly lighter taste than my every-day bread recipe. So good....in fact, it has all the necessary qualities to become another tried and true bread recipe. Enjoy!!

Honey Oat Wheat Bread

Printable Recipe

*Makes 3 loaves of bread

*Helpful Hint: If you put the oil in the 1/3 cup measuring cup first and then reuse it to measure the honey, the honey won’t stick.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups hot water, microwave on high 2-3 min or until quite warm ( >110° F)
1/3 Cup oil
1/3 Cup honey
1 Tbsp. salt (put in first before adding yeast)
½ Cup quick or old-fashioned oats
3+ Cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (ground from hard white wheat)

½ Cup gluten flour*
2 Tbsp. yeast on top of flour

DIRECTIONS:
Combine above ingredients in order in a Bosch mixer with dough hook and mix. Add more whole wheat flour until the dough pulls away from the side. Then mix for an additional six minutes. Divide dough into 3 loaves (the dough will still be VERY sticky - so sticky that you won't be able to form your loaves without putting oil on your hands). Put dough in oiled pans. Turn the bread over in the oil and top with a light sprinkling of oats. Let rise until double or until the bread fills the pans. While bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the bread has risen, bake it at 400 deg. for 5 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25 min or until done.

*NOTE on the Gluten flour: I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour that I buy at WinCo foods in their bulk bins - or you can get a 25 lb. bag of it there if you order it. I think you can also get it at Walmart in smaller quantities - like 22 oz. pkgs. You only use 1/2 cup for 3 loaves so it lasts a long time. It allows you to make the bread with whole-grain flour and still have it light and fluffy and stick together. This really is not an optional ingredient - you can try to leave it out, but you will end up with denser bread, that is crumbly, doesn't have as long of a shelf life and really is not as enjoyable to eat. Another option (if you're looking for one) is to use a good quality, high gluten white flour instead of some of the whole-wheat flour (experiment with how much - maybe 2 cups or more to get it to a good stick-together consistency). I'd rather spend a little more for the gluten flour because you can use less of it (which means more whole-grain flour which is better for you) and still have a great textured, tasty bread.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

YUMMY YUMMY CREPES!!

So one of the problems with touting healthy food is that sometimes people start to think you never eat unhealthy food. Which in our case is just simply not true. We love our treats and junk food. But...If you make it yourself, you can make it a lot more healthy (and most often a lot better tasting) than the grocery store (or restaurant) counterparts.

So with that introduction, I'm going to tell you about another one of our most favorite things that we ate on our trip. We actually had these in London on Portabello road. We had these for breakfast. These crepes were so big. They had this extra large crepe maker thing that they made them on right there on the street.
We had nutella and strawberries and yum it was good. So we've been wanting to make them at home ever since. I've made crepes for breakfast for several years now using this recipe. I'll copy it for you at the end in case the link gets broken. The recipe is wonderful. Make sure you spray your pan before each crepe or they will stick to the pan. First mix your batter. Then pour about 1/3-1/2 Cup of batter on a very large frying pan. Lift pan and kind of swoosh your batter around to make a very thin pancake.
Turn it over carefully when bubbles start to form all over. Then spread nutella on it right on the pan (if desired). It melts and makes it really yummy.
Then add your strawberries, bananas and whipped cream. YUM! This is so good. I could eat it every day, except it's not really all that great for every day, but you get the point. Okay, go make some! And enjoy!
Whole-Grain Crepes
Printable Recipe

*Makes 14-16 small crepes

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ Cup wonder flour (or 1/2 Cup wonder or whole-wheat flour and 1/4 Cup white flour sticks together a little better)

1 Cup milk

½ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients very well until smooth. Heat griddle or frying pan on medium heat. Spray cooking spray or use a small amount of oil. Ladle batter onto griddle. Flip onto other side when bubbles form. Make sure to spray before each crepe or they will stick to the pan.

Serve filled with peaches, strawberries, low-sugar jam, nutella, bananas, whipped cream, or other fillings. You can also make savory crepes for lunch or dinner.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

YUMMY YUMMY CREPES!!

Posted by admin

So one of the problems with touting healthy food is that sometimes people start to think you never eat unhealthy food. Which in our case is just simply not true. We love our treats and junk food. But...If you make it yourself, you can make it a lot more healthy (and most often a lot better tasting) than the grocery store (or restaurant) counterparts.

So with that introduction, I'm going to tell you about another one of our most favorite things that we ate on our trip. We actually had these in London on Portabello road. We had these for breakfast. These crepes were so big. They had this extra large crepe maker thing that they made them on right there on the street.
We had nutella and strawberries and yum it was good. So we've been wanting to make them at home ever since. I've made crepes for breakfast for several years now using this recipe. I'll copy it for you at the end in case the link gets broken. The recipe is wonderful. Make sure you spray your pan before each crepe or they will stick to the pan. First mix your batter. Then pour about 1/3-1/2 Cup of batter on a very large frying pan. Lift pan and kind of swoosh your batter around to make a very thin pancake.
Turn it over carefully when bubbles start to form all over. Then spread nutella on it right on the pan (if desired). It melts and makes it really yummy.
Then add your strawberries, bananas and whipped cream. YUM! This is so good. I could eat it every day, except it's not really all that great for every day, but you get the point. Okay, go make some! And enjoy!
Whole-Grain Crepes
Printable Recipe

*Makes 14-16 small crepes

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ Cup wonder flour (or 1/2 Cup wonder or whole-wheat flour and 1/4 Cup white flour sticks together a little better)

1 Cup milk

½ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients very well until smooth. Heat griddle or frying pan on medium heat. Spray cooking spray or use a small amount of oil. Ladle batter onto griddle. Flip onto other side when bubbles form. Make sure to spray before each crepe or they will stick to the pan.

Serve filled with peaches, strawberries, low-sugar jam, nutella, bananas, whipped cream, or other fillings. You can also make savory crepes for lunch or dinner.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Pancakes with No-Sugar Pineapple Topping

I've been cooking up a storm lately, trying all kinds of new recipes. Most have been wonderful and I'm so excited to post them on this blog. Of course because I've spent so much time cooking (and gardening and recovering from our trip, etc, etc, etc), I haven't had time to post much...and so the balance of life continues.
But anyway, here's a great one for you to try for breakfast. The pancake recipe comes from my dear sister-in-law Lisa. I've been looking for a recipe for pancakes exactly like this one that she posted on her wonderful food blog. It really is as good as it looks - her picture is much better than mine so go look at it if you want an even more appetizing shot.

The no-sugar pineapple topping comes from the hillbilly housewife blog. I enjoy a lot of recipes from this blog. It's great and there's NO SUGAR!! Yeah! I've been trying to cut out sugar as much as I can so this is a good one!

There you have it - a perfect, healthy breakfast for your family. Enjoy!

Pancakes with No-Sugar Pineapple Topping

Posted by admin

I've been cooking up a storm lately, trying all kinds of new recipes. Most have been wonderful and I'm so excited to post them on this blog. Of course because I've spent so much time cooking (and gardening and recovering from our trip, etc, etc, etc), I haven't had time to post much...and so the balance of life continues.
But anyway, here's a great one for you to try for breakfast. The pancake recipe comes from my dear sister-in-law Lisa. I've been looking for a recipe for pancakes exactly like this one that she posted on her wonderful food blog. It really is as good as it looks - her picture is much better than mine so go look at it if you want an even more appetizing shot.

The no-sugar pineapple topping comes from the hillbilly housewife blog. I enjoy a lot of recipes from this blog. It's great and there's NO SUGAR!! Yeah! I've been trying to cut out sugar as much as I can so this is a good one!

There you have it - a perfect, healthy breakfast for your family. Enjoy!

Mozarella Cheese Sticks

I have been having a hard time finding dinners to make that my kids like. We go through these spurts it seems and we're into one now. I've been going "back to the books" to come up with new ideas that they might like. It's hard. They're a tough crowd to please. Here's a new recipe I came up with today that met with good reviews. I'm encouraged.


I used a variation of my breadstick recipe for this one.

Mozarella Cheese sticks

Printable Recipe

*Makes 12 Cheese Sticks

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. SAF instant yeast

1 1/2 Cup warm water

1 Tbsp. powdered milk

1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Cups + more freshly-ground wheat flour

1/8 Cup Gluten flour

12 Cheese sticks (Mozarella or other - I made my own, but you can use the prepackaged kind too)

DIRECTIONS:

Place hot water (cook for 2 min microwave), salt, milk, and sugar in Bosch mixer. Add 2 C. wheat flour and gluten flour and yeast on top. Set mixer at 2nd speed and mix adding more wheat flour until barely begins to pull from sides. Mix to let gluten work in for about 6 min.

Roll out dough not too thin and cut into 12 squares. Put a mozzarella stick inside and roll up the dough around it. Place on greased cookie sheet and brush tops with melted butter. Allow to rise 15-20 minutes (although change in size is not evident). Bake at 400 degrees about 10-15 minutes.

My kids liked them dipped in plain tomato sauce. I think pizza sauce would be tastier.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Mozarella Cheese Sticks

Posted by admin

I have been having a hard time finding dinners to make that my kids like. We go through these spurts it seems and we're into one now. I've been going "back to the books" to come up with new ideas that they might like. It's hard. They're a tough crowd to please. Here's a new recipe I came up with today that met with good reviews. I'm encouraged.


I used a variation of my breadstick recipe for this one.

Mozarella Cheese sticks

Printable Recipe

*Makes 12 Cheese Sticks

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. SAF instant yeast

1 1/2 Cup warm water

1 Tbsp. powdered milk

1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Cups + more freshly-ground wheat flour

1/8 Cup Gluten flour

12 Cheese sticks (Mozarella or other - I made my own, but you can use the prepackaged kind too)

DIRECTIONS:

Place hot water (cook for 2 min microwave), salt, milk, and sugar in Bosch mixer. Add 2 C. wheat flour and gluten flour and yeast on top. Set mixer at 2nd speed and mix adding more wheat flour until barely begins to pull from sides. Mix to let gluten work in for about 6 min.

Roll out dough not too thin and cut into 12 squares. Put a mozzarella stick inside and roll up the dough around it. Place on greased cookie sheet and brush tops with melted butter. Allow to rise 15-20 minutes (although change in size is not evident). Bake at 400 degrees about 10-15 minutes.

My kids liked them dipped in plain tomato sauce. I think pizza sauce would be tastier.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Bunny Buns

These are NOT healthy, but they are cute for Easter and oh, so very, very delicious! I got the recipe from the friend magazine. I adapted it a little for use with my Bosch mixer. Enjoy!

Bunny Buns
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (very warm)
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour, sifted
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

In Bosch mixer combine ingredients in this order: water, milk, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, orange juice, orange peel, half of the floor with the yeast on top. Turn on mixer and mix, stirring in flour a half cup at a time until dough barely starts to pull from the sides of the mixer. Mix 6 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.

Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.

Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.

For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.

Bunny Buns

Posted by admin

These are NOT healthy, but they are cute for Easter and oh, so very, very delicious! I got the recipe from the friend magazine. I adapted it a little for use with my Bosch mixer. Enjoy!

Bunny Buns
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (very warm)
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour, sifted
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

In Bosch mixer combine ingredients in this order: water, milk, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, orange juice, orange peel, half of the floor with the yeast on top. Turn on mixer and mix, stirring in flour a half cup at a time until dough barely starts to pull from the sides of the mixer. Mix 6 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.

Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.

Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.

For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.

Carrot Bran Muffins

I made this carrot bran muffin recipe this morning. They turned out really good. Thanks Emily for a great recipe! I didn't modify the recipe too much except I left out the raisins (our fam is not a fan of cooked raisins) and left in the nuts (I loved the nuts - I would have added more if I had known). She mentioned that they turned out really moist so I left out maybe an 1/8 of a cup of milk). They turned out PERFECT! Not too sweet and moist enough, but not too moist.

Carrot Bran Muffins

Posted by admin

I made this carrot bran muffin recipe this morning. They turned out really good. Thanks Emily for a great recipe! I didn't modify the recipe too much except I left out the raisins (our fam is not a fan of cooked raisins) and left in the nuts (I loved the nuts - I would have added more if I had known). She mentioned that they turned out really moist so I left out maybe an 1/8 of a cup of milk). They turned out PERFECT! Not too sweet and moist enough, but not too moist.

Family Sized Apple Puffy Oven Pancakes

I posted this few-serving puffy oven pancake recipe a while back, that we love and make all the time. My husband made it this morning using a super-family-sized variation and it was so good I have to share it with you. If you like breakfast for dinner, this is really good!!

Apple Puffy Oven Pancake {Family Sized}
Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 cube butter
8 large eggs
2 C. wonder or whole-wheat flour
2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/3-1/2 C. packed brown sugar OR 1/4 C. agave or honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 apples, sliced thin (okay to leave skins on) - or you can used sliced peaches

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in 9x13" caserole dish, in oven; Spread butter to cover sides. Sprinkle 1/3-1/2 C. packed brown sugar (or for sugar free use 1/4 C. agave nectar or honey) and 1 tsp. cinnamon evenly over melted margarine in casserole dish Arrange thinly sliced peeled baking apples (or sliced peaches) over sugar. Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, milk and salt just until mixed (do not over beat). Pour into casserole dish. Bake at 400 F for 40-45 min or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Love!!

Family Sized Apple Puffy Oven Pancakes

Posted by admin

I posted this few-serving puffy oven pancake recipe a while back, that we love and make all the time. My husband made it this morning using a super-family-sized variation and it was so good I have to share it with you. If you like breakfast for dinner, this is really good!!

Apple Puffy Oven Pancake {Family Sized}
Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 cube butter
8 large eggs
2 C. wonder or whole-wheat flour
2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/3-1/2 C. packed brown sugar OR 1/4 C. agave or honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 apples, sliced thin (okay to leave skins on) - or you can used sliced peaches

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400 F. Melt butter in 9x13" caserole dish, in oven; Spread butter to cover sides. Sprinkle 1/3-1/2 C. packed brown sugar (or for sugar free use 1/4 C. agave nectar or honey) and 1 tsp. cinnamon evenly over melted margarine in casserole dish Arrange thinly sliced peeled baking apples (or sliced peaches) over sugar. Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, milk and salt just until mixed (do not over beat). Pour into casserole dish. Bake at 400 F for 40-45 min or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Love!!

Melt Down Dinner Moments

I have a confession to make. Some days I dread dinner time. I think I've got breakfast and lunch figured out, but some days dinner is just - AAaah! The problem is that it's hard to please everyone. The kids are happy if what we have involves plain pasta that they can put plain tomato sauce on (like out of a can - no flavor at all). Of course for the adults that just doesn't cut it. I get tired of hearing "What are we having for dinner?" especially when I don't know! I've only got a handful of meals that my kids are happy with. We've tried the whole "eat that or else" approach and it's just another battle to deal with. Some days we don't need any more battles if you know what I mean. Well today was one of those days. You probably guessed from the tone of this post. It was actually C's day to make dinner which usually means he makes a pot of pasta and a can of tomato sauce and something for the adults to put on their pasta and maybe a veggie or two. It gets old, believe me! :/ I wasn't going to do it today especially since we've had pasta every night this week thus far. So I put my foot down. Of course as a result I ended up making dinner. Well breakfast is always a winner, right? Here's what I made - I'm sharing in case you're having one of those melt-down dinner moments like I had earlier today.

The first recipe comes from my dear sister-in-law Lisa. Thanks Lisa, you saved the day. These were so easy and delicious. I used wonder flour for the flour and it worked great! Everybody liked them. They were especially good with my mother-in-law's homemade mixed berry jam. :)

GERMAN PANCAKES
Butter a large cookie sheet.

6 Eggs (Beat Well. Then add to the whipped eggs.)
1c Milk
1c Flour
1/2tsp Salt

Mix well. Pour batter onto the buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

The side dish was cottage fried potatoes that I posted here. I love that recipe. It comes from a dear friend and I've used many of her recipes when I'm having a melt-down dinner moment.

What about you? What do you make when your having a melt-down dinner moment? What recipes are your kid's favorites?

Melt Down Dinner Moments

Posted by admin

I have a confession to make. Some days I dread dinner time. I think I've got breakfast and lunch figured out, but some days dinner is just - AAaah! The problem is that it's hard to please everyone. The kids are happy if what we have involves plain pasta that they can put plain tomato sauce on (like out of a can - no flavor at all). Of course for the adults that just doesn't cut it. I get tired of hearing "What are we having for dinner?" especially when I don't know! I've only got a handful of meals that my kids are happy with. We've tried the whole "eat that or else" approach and it's just another battle to deal with. Some days we don't need any more battles if you know what I mean. Well today was one of those days. You probably guessed from the tone of this post. It was actually C's day to make dinner which usually means he makes a pot of pasta and a can of tomato sauce and something for the adults to put on their pasta and maybe a veggie or two. It gets old, believe me! :/ I wasn't going to do it today especially since we've had pasta every night this week thus far. So I put my foot down. Of course as a result I ended up making dinner. Well breakfast is always a winner, right? Here's what I made - I'm sharing in case you're having one of those melt-down dinner moments like I had earlier today.

The first recipe comes from my dear sister-in-law Lisa. Thanks Lisa, you saved the day. These were so easy and delicious. I used wonder flour for the flour and it worked great! Everybody liked them. They were especially good with my mother-in-law's homemade mixed berry jam. :)

GERMAN PANCAKES
Butter a large cookie sheet.

6 Eggs (Beat Well. Then add to the whipped eggs.)
1c Milk
1c Flour
1/2tsp Salt

Mix well. Pour batter onto the buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

The side dish was cottage fried potatoes that I posted here. I love that recipe. It comes from a dear friend and I've used many of her recipes when I'm having a melt-down dinner moment.

What about you? What do you make when your having a melt-down dinner moment? What recipes are your kid's favorites?

Healthy Homemade Crackers

I found this cracker recipe at kitchen stewardship the other day and made them and WOW - these things are sooo good!! They are a wheat thins style cracker.

Crackers aren't the easiest things to make on the planet - they do take some time, but they are so good and it's nice to know you're not getting all the preservatives and junky fats that are not healthy for you.

A few notes about the recipe:
I rolled them out thin the first time, but not thin enough. The perfect thickness I think is as thin as you can possibly make them (I know - very specific). That way they are crispy and perfectly crunchy!

I scored my crackers rather than cutting them all the way through (see the video below for a demonstration of what I mean by scoring). It seems to work a lot better that way because then your crackers aren't floating all over the paper, falling into the bottom of the oven and starting a fire (believe me - been there, done that!). I used parchment paper for mine and cooked them on my baking stone. I found that 400 F was too hot, but 300 F was just about right. At 400 the sides burnt a little, but at 300 F they came out perfectly. You have to cook them about 15-20 minutes if you cook them at 300 F. I didn't use salt on mine - just plain and they turned out delicious! Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Crackers

Posted by admin

I found this cracker recipe at kitchen stewardship the other day and made them and WOW - these things are sooo good!! They are a wheat thins style cracker.

Crackers aren't the easiest things to make on the planet - they do take some time, but they are so good and it's nice to know you're not getting all the preservatives and junky fats that are not healthy for you.

A few notes about the recipe:
I rolled them out thin the first time, but not thin enough. The perfect thickness I think is as thin as you can possibly make them (I know - very specific). That way they are crispy and perfectly crunchy!

I scored my crackers rather than cutting them all the way through (see the video below for a demonstration of what I mean by scoring). It seems to work a lot better that way because then your crackers aren't floating all over the paper, falling into the bottom of the oven and starting a fire (believe me - been there, done that!). I used parchment paper for mine and cooked them on my baking stone. I found that 400 F was too hot, but 300 F was just about right. At 400 the sides burnt a little, but at 300 F they came out perfectly. You have to cook them about 15-20 minutes if you cook them at 300 F. I didn't use salt on mine - just plain and they turned out delicious! Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Crackers

I found this cracker recipe at kitchen stewardship the other day and made them and WOW - these things are sooo good!! They are a wheat thins style cracker.

Crackers aren't the easiest things to make on the planet - they do take some time, but they are so good and it's nice to know you're not getting all the preservatives and junky fats that are not healthy for you.

A few notes about the recipe:
I rolled them out thin the first time, but not thin enough. The perfect thickness I think is as thin as you can possibly make them (I know - very specific). That way they are crispy and perfectly crunchy!

I scored my crackers rather than cutting them all the way through (see the video below for a demonstration of what I mean by scoring). It seems to work a lot better that way because then your crackers aren't floating all over the paper, falling into the bottom of the oven and starting a fire (believe me - been there, done that!). I used parchment paper for mine and cooked them on my baking stone. I found that 400 F was too hot, but 300 F was just about right. At 400 the sides burnt a little, but at 300 F they came out perfectly. You have to cook them about 15-20 minutes if you cook them at 300 F. I didn't use salt on mine - just plain and they turned out delicious! Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Crackers

Posted by admin

I found this cracker recipe at kitchen stewardship the other day and made them and WOW - these things are sooo good!! They are a wheat thins style cracker.

Crackers aren't the easiest things to make on the planet - they do take some time, but they are so good and it's nice to know you're not getting all the preservatives and junky fats that are not healthy for you.

A few notes about the recipe:
I rolled them out thin the first time, but not thin enough. The perfect thickness I think is as thin as you can possibly make them (I know - very specific). That way they are crispy and perfectly crunchy!

I scored my crackers rather than cutting them all the way through (see the video below for a demonstration of what I mean by scoring). It seems to work a lot better that way because then your crackers aren't floating all over the paper, falling into the bottom of the oven and starting a fire (believe me - been there, done that!). I used parchment paper for mine and cooked them on my baking stone. I found that 400 F was too hot, but 300 F was just about right. At 400 the sides burnt a little, but at 300 F they came out perfectly. You have to cook them about 15-20 minutes if you cook them at 300 F. I didn't use salt on mine - just plain and they turned out delicious! Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

This recipe for Pita Bread is delicious! Enjoy...

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread

Servings: Makes 8 (6-inch) pita loaves.

1 tsp. honey
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F)
3 cups whole wheat flour (can use a mixture of milled flax, bran)
3 Tbsp. vital wheat Gluten
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
Could add thyme, or sesame to dough
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheet.

Here's what I do:

Put in the first 7 ingredients in bosch mixer in order. Note this is very important - and make sure your water is very warm (put it in the microwave for a bit). Add any additional flour if needed. Mix with mixer for about 6 mins.

Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

Here's a couple of great filling ideas:

#1: Chicken Salad
2 1/2 cups, cubed, cooked chicken breast (about 1 lb)
1 c matchstick cut carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill
1 8oz can crushed pineapple drained
8 romaine lettuce leaves

Cook chicken. Combine all ingredients, except lettuce. Fill a half Pita with mixture add lettuce and enjoy.

#2: Falafel Tacos - This recipes comes from a great friend who is a vegetarian - for some reason it wouldn't let me link the exact recipe, but you can do a search for vegetarian recipes and find it and a lot of other great ones. We had these the other night and they were really good!

#3 Rice Salad - this or another rice salad would make a great filling for these pita pockets.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Posted by admin

This recipe for Pita Bread is delicious! Enjoy...

Whole-Wheat Pita Bread

Servings: Makes 8 (6-inch) pita loaves.

1 tsp. honey
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F)
3 cups whole wheat flour (can use a mixture of milled flax, bran)
3 Tbsp. vital wheat Gluten
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
Could add thyme, or sesame to dough
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheet.

Here's what I do:

Put in the first 7 ingredients in bosch mixer in order. Note this is very important - and make sure your water is very warm (put it in the microwave for a bit). Add any additional flour if needed. Mix with mixer for about 6 mins.

Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round to 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with 2 clean kitchen towels (not terry cloth) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Set oven rack in lower third of oven and remove other racks. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

Here's a couple of great filling ideas:

#1: Chicken Salad
2 1/2 cups, cubed, cooked chicken breast (about 1 lb)
1 c matchstick cut carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dill
1 8oz can crushed pineapple drained
8 romaine lettuce leaves

Cook chicken. Combine all ingredients, except lettuce. Fill a half Pita with mixture add lettuce and enjoy.

#2: Falafel Tacos - This recipes comes from a great friend who is a vegetarian - for some reason it wouldn't let me link the exact recipe, but you can do a search for vegetarian recipes and find it and a lot of other great ones. We had these the other night and they were really good!

#3 Rice Salad - this or another rice salad would make a great filling for these pita pockets.

Delicious, Delicious, Delicious Rice Salad

I read about Josey's Rice salad a while ago, but today I made it for lunch. Oh my - I'll definitely be making it again - Ssoooooo Yummmy!!! It's very filling and has simple ingredients. My kind of recipe. We're trying to eat healthier - more veggies, less sweets, more whole-grains. This kind of salad is perfect for that kind of diet because it add interesting flavor and texture to a basic grain and veggies.


Josey’s Rice Salade

Printable Recipe

*Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked brown rice, cooked and chilled)
1 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, unthawed)
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
2 green onions, sliced thinly or 1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
5 small tomatoes, chopped or 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
5 leaves of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

French Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Combine French dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. Stir in chilled rice, corn, celery, onions and egg slices. Refrigerate until serving (best chilled for at least an hour). Serve salad on a bed of romaine lettuce and sprinkle tomatoes on top.

Recipe Source: Adapted from homeschooling.net

Delicious, Delicious, Delicious Rice Salad

Posted by admin

I read about Josey's Rice salad a while ago, but today I made it for lunch. Oh my - I'll definitely be making it again - Ssoooooo Yummmy!!! It's very filling and has simple ingredients. My kind of recipe. We're trying to eat healthier - more veggies, less sweets, more whole-grains. This kind of salad is perfect for that kind of diet because it add interesting flavor and texture to a basic grain and veggies.


Josey’s Rice Salade

Printable Recipe

*Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked brown rice, cooked and chilled)
1 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen, unthawed)
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
2 green onions, sliced thinly or 1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
5 small tomatoes, chopped or 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
5 leaves of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

French Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Combine French dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. Stir in chilled rice, corn, celery, onions and egg slices. Refrigerate until serving (best chilled for at least an hour). Serve salad on a bed of romaine lettuce and sprinkle tomatoes on top.

Recipe Source: Adapted from homeschooling.net

Applesauce Muffins

We made these the other day. I was looking for a recipe for applesauce muffins because I have some applesauce that I froze and I kinda need the freezer space now...it being Christmas and all when people give you so many treats and you're too kind to throw them away, but can't possibly eat them all up or you'll gain 25 lbs...Yeah. Well anyway, Curious George comes up to me while I'm looking and says, "whatcha doing?" I told him I was looking for an applesauce muffin recipe and he says, "Why don't you just use the one that came in the friend last month." I'm thinking to myself, yeah right, would he really pay attention to a recipe enough to remember that? Well he goes and gets it and sure enough, there it was! Exactly what I needed so we whipped some up and they were GOOD!!

Here's the link if you want to try them. The only changes I made were to use half whole wheat and half wonder flour instead of white flour. Made them much better in my estimation (of course I never tried the originals so what am I saying? :) One other thing I would add would be to add some walnuts (or choco chips for a treat...) to give them a little texture. But if you're a textureless kind of eater, then you'll probably think they're perfect. They're close in my opinion, but I do like texture...Enjoy!

Applesauce Muffins

Posted by admin

We made these the other day. I was looking for a recipe for applesauce muffins because I have some applesauce that I froze and I kinda need the freezer space now...it being Christmas and all when people give you so many treats and you're too kind to throw them away, but can't possibly eat them all up or you'll gain 25 lbs...Yeah. Well anyway, Curious George comes up to me while I'm looking and says, "whatcha doing?" I told him I was looking for an applesauce muffin recipe and he says, "Why don't you just use the one that came in the friend last month." I'm thinking to myself, yeah right, would he really pay attention to a recipe enough to remember that? Well he goes and gets it and sure enough, there it was! Exactly what I needed so we whipped some up and they were GOOD!!

Here's the link if you want to try them. The only changes I made were to use half whole wheat and half wonder flour instead of white flour. Made them much better in my estimation (of course I never tried the originals so what am I saying? :) One other thing I would add would be to add some walnuts (or choco chips for a treat...) to give them a little texture. But if you're a textureless kind of eater, then you'll probably think they're perfect. They're close in my opinion, but I do like texture...Enjoy!

Whole Wheat French Bread

Sorry I've been kind of bad about posting on here lately. I have so many other priorities right now that this blog is kind of been put on the back burner. But here's my latest experiment with healthy cookin':
Whole-wheat french bread! YUM! Here's what I've learned:

1. You have to use more flour for a free-standing loaf of bread than you do with bread that you put into bread pans. The dough needs to be a little stiffer otherwise when it rises it kind of just flops on the pan instead of making a nice formed loaf.
2. To get a crunchy outer crust, spray or brush water on the bread dough after it has risen (a lot of water). This makes the oven humid, which gives a nice crunch to the outer crust when it is fresh.

Here's the recipe I use at the moment. I'm still in the modification process, but I'll post any changes when I get it how I like it!

Whole-Wheat French Bread

1-1/2 C. water, microwaved until very warm (I do about 1 1/2 mins.)
smash 1 Vitamin C tablet in the water (don't ask why cause I don't know - does anyone? It was just part of my recipe and I haven't experimented with why you do this)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
3 C. freshly ground white wheat flour
1/2-1 C. Gluten flour
1 Tbsp. quick acting yeast

In a bosh mixer, add water, sugar, vegetable oil, salt, gluten flour, half of the wheat flour and yeast on top. Mix adding the rest of the wheat flour as it mixes. Then let bosch mix for 6 minutes. Leave bread dough in bosch and mix every ten minutes for 5 times (50 minutes total). This adds air into the bread, giving it the french bread texture inside.

Roll dough into a rectangle (about 8 to 14 inches) then roll it up like a jelly roll and seal the edges with a few drops of water. Score top. Brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp. water). Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise until doubled in size (not just up but all around).

Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes (I'm not sure on the exact time yet). Tap to see if it sounds hollow.

Whole Wheat French Bread

Posted by admin

Sorry I've been kind of bad about posting on here lately. I have so many other priorities right now that this blog is kind of been put on the back burner. But here's my latest experiment with healthy cookin':
Whole-wheat french bread! YUM! Here's what I've learned:

1. You have to use more flour for a free-standing loaf of bread than you do with bread that you put into bread pans. The dough needs to be a little stiffer otherwise when it rises it kind of just flops on the pan instead of making a nice formed loaf.
2. To get a crunchy outer crust, spray or brush water on the bread dough after it has risen (a lot of water). This makes the oven humid, which gives a nice crunch to the outer crust when it is fresh.

Here's the recipe I use at the moment. I'm still in the modification process, but I'll post any changes when I get it how I like it!

Whole-Wheat French Bread

1-1/2 C. water, microwaved until very warm (I do about 1 1/2 mins.)
smash 1 Vitamin C tablet in the water (don't ask why cause I don't know - does anyone? It was just part of my recipe and I haven't experimented with why you do this)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
3 C. freshly ground white wheat flour
1/2-1 C. Gluten flour
1 Tbsp. quick acting yeast

In a bosh mixer, add water, sugar, vegetable oil, salt, gluten flour, half of the wheat flour and yeast on top. Mix adding the rest of the wheat flour as it mixes. Then let bosch mix for 6 minutes. Leave bread dough in bosch and mix every ten minutes for 5 times (50 minutes total). This adds air into the bread, giving it the french bread texture inside.

Roll dough into a rectangle (about 8 to 14 inches) then roll it up like a jelly roll and seal the edges with a few drops of water. Score top. Brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 Tbsp. water). Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise until doubled in size (not just up but all around).

Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes (I'm not sure on the exact time yet). Tap to see if it sounds hollow.