7-grain bread recipe
Notes:
1. I have a Whisper Mill which makes grinding my own flours from whole grains very easy
2. I also have a Bosch mixer, which does all the mixing & kneading for me.
3. I have adapted this from the recipe that came with my Bosch mixer.
4. Freshly-ground flours are always desirable, but the recipe will work with store-bought flour as well.
5. I don't use any white flour in this recipe.
6. This recipe makes about 6 normal sized loaves of bread (8x4-1/2 loaf pans).
Start with:
3/4 cup each rye, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, oat flours (4 cups total)
About 10 cups of whole-wheat flour
Put 6 cups warm water in the bowl of the Bosch; then add 1/2 cup honey, 3/4 cup oil, 2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 cup gluten, and 8 cups of flour ( the 4 cups of mixed grains and 4 cups of whole-wheat). Mix on Speed 2 of the Bosch for a couple of minutes until flours are all incorporated. Stop and add 4 more cups of the whole-wheat flour, along with 4 Tbsp yeast. Continue mixing/kneading on Speed 2 and gradually sprinkle in more flour until the sides of the bowl come clean. After the sides come clean, continue kneading for about 7 minutes until gluten develops. Gluten development is checked by pulling off a little dough with oiled hands and stretching. Gluten is properly developed when you can stretch the dough almost transparent without tearing. It if tears easily, continue kneading (checking every 3-4 minutes).
When gluten is developed, pour dough onto an oiled surface; shape into a circle and divide into 6 equal pieces. This will make 6 loaves of bread (8x4-1/2); or each piece will make 2 mini loaves or 2 pizza crusts; two pieces will make a 9x13 pan of dinner (or cinnamon) rolls.
Shape dough as desired and place in pans; let rise for about 30 minutes, until volume doubles. Bake 25-30 minutes until tops are nicely browned (dinner/cinnamon rolls take only 15-17 minutes to bake). Cool on racks. Don't store in plastic bags until completely cooled. Wrap tightly to freeze.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Cow vs Soy Milk
Question from a friend: "Which is better for you? Soy milk or Cow milk??"
My response: Neither one is necessarily "better" for you. They are both complete sources of protein - one animal based, one plant based. Both have different fat contents depending on the type you buy but soy milk has less saturated fat and is cholesterol free. If you drink skim cow milk you don't have to worry about that though. Soy also has more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in it. Soy milk doesn't naturally have all the nutrients that cow's milk does so in order for it to be equally healthy in that sense of the word it must be a fortified soy milk. However the calcium in soy milk isn't as easily absorbed as the calcium in cows milk which could be a problem if someone's diet was too low in calcium which is pretty common. Soy can be a controversial thing but is beneficial for people with heart or cholesterol problems and should be avoided by women who have had or are at risk for breast cancer. However cow's milk has who knows what hormones, antibiotics, etc in it so dairy is one of the products that is much safer when bought organic. Bottom line is there isn't one milk that is "better" for you. It kind of depends on your goals and life styles. And some people eat soy and soy protein in so many other things that I wouldn't add soy if you are already doing this. And remember - its always the healthiest to get the lowest fat milk possible...preferably fat free!
Asked my fellow Registered Dietitian friend her thoughts and her response was: I think either are ok in moderation (not 4-5 servings a day). All dairy needs to be organic (due to hormones and antibiotics and fertilizers and pesticides) and soy should be organic (due to the fact that most soy is genetically modified). I don't think soy is appropriate for children and menopausal women (due to the estrogenic effects). So if someone is changing to soy, they should watch how much soy they get because it is in EVERYTHING.
My response: Neither one is necessarily "better" for you. They are both complete sources of protein - one animal based, one plant based. Both have different fat contents depending on the type you buy but soy milk has less saturated fat and is cholesterol free. If you drink skim cow milk you don't have to worry about that though. Soy also has more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in it. Soy milk doesn't naturally have all the nutrients that cow's milk does so in order for it to be equally healthy in that sense of the word it must be a fortified soy milk. However the calcium in soy milk isn't as easily absorbed as the calcium in cows milk which could be a problem if someone's diet was too low in calcium which is pretty common. Soy can be a controversial thing but is beneficial for people with heart or cholesterol problems and should be avoided by women who have had or are at risk for breast cancer. However cow's milk has who knows what hormones, antibiotics, etc in it so dairy is one of the products that is much safer when bought organic. Bottom line is there isn't one milk that is "better" for you. It kind of depends on your goals and life styles. And some people eat soy and soy protein in so many other things that I wouldn't add soy if you are already doing this. And remember - its always the healthiest to get the lowest fat milk possible...preferably fat free!
Asked my fellow Registered Dietitian friend her thoughts and her response was: I think either are ok in moderation (not 4-5 servings a day). All dairy needs to be organic (due to hormones and antibiotics and fertilizers and pesticides) and soy should be organic (due to the fact that most soy is genetically modified). I don't think soy is appropriate for children and menopausal women (due to the estrogenic effects). So if someone is changing to soy, they should watch how much soy they get because it is in EVERYTHING.
Some favorite dressings
Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette
This is my #1 dressing of choice for my salads at home, I'm absolutely in love with it! Besides green salads I love it on fruit. For a snack I cut up a pear and a green apple then coat with a little of this dressing. For a dish I've used this as the dressing for a fruit salad.
Newman's Own Light Lime Vinaigrette
I love marinating my chicken in this! I marinate it overnight or even for a few hours and it leaves it super flavorful. I also use it to make limey green beans (instead of the traditional lemony green beans) and they're delicious!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Chicken Spaghetti
One of the meals I crave all the time is the chicken spaghetti from Orlando's. Since moving from Lubbock I had been on a mission to find or make a comparable recipe that could help me with my cravings. I'm surprised I've forgotten to share this recipe before but I made it last night for my sister and nephew so I was reminded to post it. I've played around with this and I'll admit this isn't Orlando's chicken spaghetti but it's the best recipe I've made so far. And I do like the fact that I actually know what goes into it so I'd actually bet that my chicken spaghetti has less calories and fat then the drooled about restaurant meal. Vegetarian feel free to omit the chicken and the recipe will still be just as delicious!
Chicken Spaghetti
2 chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium/large onion, diced
1 can Campbells Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbells Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
3/4 can Ro-tel (tomatoes and green chilies)
splash of tomato sauce
1/2 package of spaghetti noodles
shredded cheddar cheese
Cook spaghetti until al dente, pasta will continue to cook some in the oven and you don't want it too mushy. Meanwhile saute chicken, peppers, and onion until chicken is cooked throughout and vegetables are softened. Add soups, Ro-tel, and tomato sauce. I typically just adjust the Ro-tel and tomato sauce to preferred taste, and I always make sure to get out all of the green chiles from the Ro-tel. (When using Healthy Request you might need to add a touch of salt to the sauce.) Simmer until sauce is completely mixed and warm throughout. Mix sauce and spaghetti together in casserole dish. Or I find it easiest to mix together in the pot I cooked the noodles then transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
Chicken Spaghetti
2 chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium/large onion, diced
1 can Campbells Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
1 can Campbells Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
3/4 can Ro-tel (tomatoes and green chilies)
splash of tomato sauce
1/2 package of spaghetti noodles
shredded cheddar cheese
Cook spaghetti until al dente, pasta will continue to cook some in the oven and you don't want it too mushy. Meanwhile saute chicken, peppers, and onion until chicken is cooked throughout and vegetables are softened. Add soups, Ro-tel, and tomato sauce. I typically just adjust the Ro-tel and tomato sauce to preferred taste, and I always make sure to get out all of the green chiles from the Ro-tel. (When using Healthy Request you might need to add a touch of salt to the sauce.) Simmer until sauce is completely mixed and warm throughout. Mix sauce and spaghetti together in casserole dish. Or I find it easiest to mix together in the pot I cooked the noodles then transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
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