WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD WITH VARIATIONS

Oil two bread pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Yield: 32 slices

3-cups warm water

2-tablespoons agave nectar, or maple syrup, or molasses

3-teaspoons yeast

5 to 6-cups whole-wheat flour

3-teaspoons salt

optional: sprinkle on top sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds

Zap water in a cup for 30 seconds.  In the standing mixer bowl whisk together the water agave.  If comfortably warm to the touch, whisk in the yeast. 

Place the yeast mixture in a turned off microwave oven for 10 minutes. 

Add the flour, salt and knead with the dough hook for 10 minutes. 

Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a wet cloth, and place in a turned off microwave oven for 40 minutes until double in size.    

Punch down dough and knead on a floured surface for a few minutes. 

Divide the dough and place in two oiled bread pans or place on an oiled baking sheet to make one large round load.  A pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal can be used.  Let rise for 40 more minutes in a turned off microwave oven. 

When double in size, bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden.

VARIATIONS

After making this basic bread, experiment by replacing 2-cups of whole-wheat flour with oatmeal, cornmeal, rye flour, soy flour, rice flour, rice, buckwheat, wheat germ, soy pulp, potato flour, leftover mashed potatoes, overnight soaked seeds, other veggies and herbs.  If adding extras, use 1-cup of gluten flour. 

To add seeds to the top, moisten with water, nut, rice, or soy milk, agave nectar or maple syrup.  Press the seed in before you let it rise for the last time.  

 This recipe makes two loafs or  one big round.  Cut it in quarters, use one, and freeze the other three.  This is the homemade bread round that I take to a potlucks,  It is always welcome and popular.  

MANGO CASHEW OIL FREE  DRESSING

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1-cup

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/4-cup white vinegar

1/4-cup raw cashews

stevia to taste

Blenderize all ingredients and toss with salad greens and veggies. 

Homemade whole wheat bread and a salad is dinner!  The salad is composed of Romaine, cucumber, celery, tomato, and diced cooked beet tossed with the dressing, salt, and pepper to taste.  

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Yield: 3-dozen cookies

¾-cup agave nectar

½-cup canola oil or coconut oil

¼-cup ground flaxseed

1-cup peanut butter

2-teaspoons baking soda

3-cups oat flour*

½-teaspoon salt

optional: add chopped salty peanuts to the top and press in before baking or chocolate chips

In a standing mixing bowl mix together the agave, oil, flaxseed, and peanut butter.

In another bowl whisk together the baking soda, flour, and salt. 

Add the dry to wet and mix until uniform.  

Roll dough into a 3-inch roll. 

Slice into coins.

Place on parchment covered baking sheets.  Make the traditional sign of peanut butter cookies by taking a fork and pressing the tines into the cookie tops. 

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until lightly golden.  If coconut oil is used, it increases baking time by 3 to 5 minutes longer. 

* Make the oat flour by blenderizing 3-cups of whole oats into flour.  The flour will be more than 3-cups, but use all of it in this recipe.  

PUDDING-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 container (12.3 ounces) silken tofu, extra firm

¼-cup agave nectar

1-tablespoon canola oil

¼-cup cocoa

1-teaspoon vanilla

or

1 container silken tofu, extra firm

½-cup vegan chocolate chips (melt by zapping for 1 minute, stir, repeat until melted)

¼-cup agave nectar

1-teaspoon vanilla

or

1 container silken tofu, extra firm

3-pieces (1 ounce) unsweetened baking chocolate (melted as above)

1/3-agave nectar

1-tablespoon canola oil

1-teaspoon vanilla

optional: replace agave with stevia to taste for fewer calories, add a ripe avocado for a richer creamy texture

Blenderize all the ingredients together until smooth.  Chill before serving

Plastic Film Tip:  When putting plastic film on small individual servings, line up the containers; place a large rectangle of the film over all the containers.  Cut the film in place to save time.  

Vanilla Mousse Parfaits with Seasonal Fruit

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1½-cups

1 container (12.3ounces) silken tofu

¼-cup agave nectar

2-teaspoons vanilla

2-tablespoons oil

Blenderize all ingredients until smooth.  Place a layer of the mousse in a parfait glass, add fruit, layer of mousse, and top with fruit.  Chill and serve or cover with plastic film to serve later.  

Time Saving Tomato Cutting Tip

Time Saving Tomato Cutting Tip:  If you need to cut cherry tomatoes in half save time by cutting them all at once instead of one at a time.  Take two plastic coffee can covers and place the cherry tomatoes between the two tops.  Put a small amount of pressure on the top and slide a sharp knife through the center cutting the tomatoes in half.  This is a real time saver.

ISLAND SALAD

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Yield:  4 servings

Romaine lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups)

1 mango, ripe, sliced

1 apple, sliced

1 avocado

1-cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1-tablespoon olive oil

2-tablespoons white vinegar

stevia to taste

salt and pepper to taste

  On a large platter toss the lettuce with oil until coated, but there shouldn't be any extra oil on the bottom of a large plate.  Add more if needed.  Before serving, toss with salt, pepper, stevia, and vinegar.  Arrange areas of mango, apple, avocado, and tomatoes on top the lettuce and serve.  

JUNE COMMENTS

"Love this!

You are so smart.

I will try to make your bread soon."

"I have copied down some of your recipes already.  Chuck is a diabetic so they come in very handy.  For the sticky buns, I will use the Sugar Free maple syrup.  Eating foods to stay healthy has become a way of life.  Cholesterol and sugar are both down as is his weight.  Dr. is very pleased so far."

"I am so proud of you for starting your Blog.  Modern times and all.  Keep up the good work."

"What is that big thing by your head in your blog photo?"   The size of the photo makes it unclear, but that big thing is a homemade loaf of bread. 

"Your blog is terrific!  I really liked the Island Salad!  

Not sure how to blog as I have never blogged."

I received an email from someone making her favorite POPPY SEED COOKIES in the May achieves.  I checked the ingredients, and everything was exactly the way I made them.  The difference was location and the variation in whole wheat.  When a cookie is short, or the crunch is derived from the mixture of flour and oil, adding liquids makes a chewy cookie.  My friend was making the cookies in London, and they wouldn't hold together.  The solution was to add small amounts of water a teaspoon at a time to make up for the moisture difference.  The cookies finally held together, were baked, and delicious. 

The difference in milling and moisture content is most obvious in baking bread.  If you ever have the opportunity to make bread with someone with experience, take advantage and observe the texture and quality of the dough.  A good bread baker knows what to look for at every stage of bread making.  I've made bread for decades so I never follow a recipe.  I throw it together and make adjustments.  I start with my basic bread recipe ingredients, but if I add mashed potatoes, I know I need to add more dry flour.  If it's raining, I might throw in whole oats to make it dryer. 

"I did what you said and added a bit of water and that did the trick.  Yes, I did have to bake them for about 5 minutes longer, but I really like the coconut flavour, so will stick with that instead of the canola. 

Anyway, success and they are delicious.'

"Thanks for the link to your blog.  I will look into some foods I would enjoy.  I know I enjoyed the food you gave us in FL was wonderful."

I received an email off-blog on the EASY FROZEN BANANAS ON A STICK.  They were made with home grown bananas as an activity with grandchildren.  They thought the recipe was delicious! 

I received another off-blog about the PIZZELLES COOKIES saying they looked simple and easy to make, but did you have to have a pizzelle maker?  I said yes.  I can't imagine how to make them without one.  I think it would be a bother.  I make them while I'm in the kitchen doing something else.  I put a timer on for the 2 minute cooking time so I'm not distracted and burn them.  Maybe some of you have some ideas.

 I found traditional pizzelles at the store that contained eggs and sugar: which were only 23 calories.  This recipe would be lower since there isn't any sugar or eggs.  That's a great deal to get a little treat for so few calories. 

An Italian friend mentioned that in her childhood they were sifted with confectioners' sugar.  This would make them look like a fancier treat and not much sugar to make a difference in the calories or harm your body.  The powdered sugar being on top the cookie would give you more of a sweet punch than if it was in the dough. 

Another off-blog comment loved the POPPY SEED COOKIES and will make them for guests.  

Many thanks came in off-blog for the PESTO PASTA SAUCE.  Everyone appreciated the great flavor, and that it's non-dairy.  More and more people are looking for recipes to lower their cholesterol or lower calories.  Some mentioned craving the taste.  I think the craving is for the Nutritional Yeast that is high in B vitamins in the yeast.  

STICKY CINNAMON BUNS

Oil parchment and place in baking sheet or pie pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2-dozen (depends on the size)

optional: 1/4-cup smashed pecans or walnuts (hit with something heavy in a plastic bag)

2-teaspoons yeast

1½-cup warm water

1-tablespoon agave nectar

¼-cup oil

2½-cups whole-wheat flour

½-cup gluten flour

1-teaspoon salt

cinnamon to taste

1/4-cup room temperature

Zap (microwave) water in a cup for 30 seconds.  In the standing mixer bowl whisk together the water agave.  If comfortably warm to the touch, whisk in the yeast.  The mixture should look like the yeast blossomed and is foaming.  If not, your water was too cold or your yeast inactive.

Place the yeast mixture in a turned off microwave oven for 10 minutes.  The turned off microwave is a good environment for the yeast to grow.  If your oven has a bread proof function, place it in the oven on bread proof. 

Add the oil, flour, salt, and knead with the dough hook on your standing mixer or knead by hand for 10 minutes. 

Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a wet cloth, and place in a turned off microwave oven or bread proof oven for 40 minutes until double in size.    

Punch down on a surface sprinkled with flour roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness into a rectangle.  Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon and roll in the cinnamon with the rolling pin.  With the longer size of the rectangle facing you roll the dough loosely into a thick rope.  Pinch the edge of the dough into itself to close the rope of dough. 

Cut the dough into rolls 1/2-thick or larger.   Place oiled parchment paper in a baking dish or rolled sheet pan.  If you want to add nuts, place them on the parchment paper. Press the dough into the nuts so they stick to the dough. 

pie pan, oiled parchment paper, and pecans

press rolls into pecans

Oil a baking sheet, cover, let rise for 40 minutes.  Pour room temperature maple syrup over the risen buns. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. 

Remove from the oven.  Place a serving plate on top of the buns.  Invert and the pecans will be on top like the top photo.  

A NOTE ON MY BUNS-DO NOT BE AFRAID

I make all our breads, buns, rolls, and breakfast rolls.  Don't be afraid of making yeast products.  It gets so easy that you will be able to make buns or bread and so effortlessly that it will be easier than going to the store and reading all the labels looking for a pure organic sugar free good quality bread or roll.  Is there anything better than the smell of baking bread in a home?

It's really very easy.  You start off adding yeast to water and something sweet so the yeast can grow.  I don't use sugar so I prefer molasses, agave nectar, or maple syrup. 

After you have proof that the yeast is growing, add the dry ingredients, knead, rise, punch down, knead again, and then form into bread, rolls, or buns. 

Do not be afraid of gluten flour.  Gluten is the protein part of the flour that is stringy and makes the bread chewy.  Most people do not have a diagnosed gluten disease and a gluten-free diet is not a good weight loss plan. 

It looks like it takes a long time to make bread, but it doesn't.  You have to be around for about 3 hours, but the actual hands on is 10 minuets if you are using a standing mixing bowl.  A standing mixer is worth every penny, because it frees up your hands to do another part of the recipe or clean up as you go. 

Why 5 hot dog buns?  In the photo of my buns you see 2 burger buns, 5 hot dog buns, and some STICKY CINNAMON PECAN BUNS.  With this recipe you can make all hot dog buns, all burger buns, or make a variety of rolls.  I like things fresh so I make a combination since it's the same dough cut differently or with things added to it.  There are

5 vegan hot dogs in a pack so I make the amount needed for one pack.  Even if you aren't vegan, try the vegan hot dogs.  They don't have cholesterol and they won't come up on you.  It's a processed food so it's not used often, but being an American, summer, and baseball demands that even vegans 

BUNS OR ROLLS

Oil a baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Yield: 8 hot dog buns, 6 burger buns, or 16 rolls

2-teaspoons yeast

1½-cup warm water

1-tablespoon agave nectar

¼-cup oil

2½-cups whole-wheat flour

½-cup gluten flour

1-teaspoon salt

optional: flaxseeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds

Zap (microwave) water in a cup for 30 seconds.  In the standing mixer bowl whisk together the water agave.  If comfortably warm to the touch, whisk in the yeast.  The mixture should look like the yeast blossomed and is foaming.  If not, your water was too cold or your yeast inactive.

Place the yeast mixture in a turned off microwave oven for 10 minutes.  The turned off microwave is a good environment for the yeast to grow.  If your oven has a bread proof function, place it in the oven on bread proof. 

Add the oil, flour, salt, and knead with the dough hook on your standing mixer or knead by hand for 10 minutes. 

Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a wet cloth, and place in a turned off microwave oven or bread proof oven for 40 minutes until double in size.    

Punch down, pat or roll the dough into a rectangle to make 8 hot dog buns.

Or

Roll the bun flat to cover and wrap the dough around a vegan hot dog.  Seal the edges with water.

Or

Roll dough ½-inch thick and cut into rounds for burger buns.

Or

Form into dinner rolls by rolling into balls or cutting rectangle into 16 buns.

Brush tops with water and press in seeds. 

Oil a baking sheet, cover, let rise for 40 minutes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. 

SMOOTHIES WITH VARIATIONS

Preparation time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

1-cup juice, nut, or rice soy milk

½ to 1-cup frozen fruit

stevia or agave nectar to taste

optional: 1-tablespoon flaxseed chia seeds or a vegan protein powder

Blenderize all ingredients. The frozen fruit makes it thick.  Add more liquid if needed. Taste and then add stevia or agave.  Fruits vary in sweetness. 

This is another fun creative way to start the day.  There are many smoothie recipes but basically you freeze fruit, add to liquid.  Choose the liquid, fruit, extracts, and spices of your choice.  This is a great first cooking experience for children.  If a thicker drink is desired, add ice cubes or use the SHAKES WITH VARIATIONS*. 

VARIATIONS

Banana

Banana with vanilla, nutmeg, or cinnamon

Banana, peanut butter

Pineapple, orange juice, banana

Banana, strawberry

Pineapple, banana

Pineapple, coconut

Banana, dates, vanilla

Dates, vanilla

Strawberries, raspberries, banana

Blueberry, banana

Cherry, almond extract

Peaches, almond extract

greens-collard, kale, spinach

PIZZELLES COOKIES

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2-dozen cookies

2-cups whole-wheat pastry flour

½-cup agave nectar

2-cups water

optional: 1-teasepoon vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground anise seed, ground fennel seed, or ½-cup coco powder

Blenderize all the ingredients.  Drop 1-tablespoon of batter on a sprayed pizzelle maker.  Open after 2 minutes and remove. 

The cookies can be placed on a form when still warm and flexible to make cones or dishes.

Note:  If in a tropical high humidity climate, place in a dehydrator for 15 minutes to return the pizzelles to their original crispness.