I have a sensitivity to wheat products. When I eat wheat it gives me a stuffy nose, so I've been working on a new bread recipe. I started with the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book recipe for Whole Wheat Bread. I made that once by the book just to see what it was like. Then today, I tried something new. I cut the recipe back so I could just make one small loaf at a time. I introduced some alternative flour as well to see what it did.
In a large bowl, sift or stir tigether:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c rye flour
1/2 c rice flour
1 1/2 t yeast
3/4 t salt
In a saucepan, heat to 130 degrees:
1 c water
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/8 c oil
Pour warmed liquid into dry mixture and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Into another bowl, measure out:
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
With a wooden spoon, stir as much of the all purpose flour into the dough as possible. Then remove the dough ball from the bowl and knead in as much of the remaining flour as possible.
Place the dough ball in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise until it doubles in size. A sunny window sill works well.
Punch the dough down and remove it from the bowl. Press it flat and let it rest for a few minutes. Then roll the dough like a jelly roll, press it into a greased, 8-inch loaf pan, and let it rise until it is ready to bake.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
"Caramel" Brownies
When I was a wee child...my mom sometimes made these miracle caramel brownies that were just to die for. Before this week, I thought she slaved over a hot stove all day doing this. Come to find out...it's a freaking cake mix. The hardest part of the whole thing is peeling the caramels.
Well, as usual, I didn't stick to the recipe...once on purpose and once by accident. The caramel got replaced by Andes Mints (that was the deliberate part). My reading skills seem to have been lacking that day since I also made some inadvertent changes to the liquid ingredients. I remade the brownies today with only intentional modifications and they seem to have turned out much better.
Here's what I did today:
Mix together:
1 German chocolate cake mix
3/4 c butter, melted
1/3 c evaporated milk
Yes...count them...3 ingredients. Jeez...they were simple enough I could have made them myself at age 5. Spread half the batter evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake this for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
In the meantime...take the wrappers off of
30 Andes Mints
Side note: Since one box of mints consists of 28, the number 30 deserves an explanation. I did this because I wanted my brownies to come out approximately square, so I needed a 6 x 5 grid and thus required 30 mints rather than 28. Had I used 28 mints, resulting in a 4 x 7 grid, my brownies would have turned out more oblong and I just couldn't take it. Thus I purchased an entire additional box of mints just to get the extra 2.
When the bottom layer comes out of the oven, carefully place on top of it the 30 mints in a 5 x 6 grid. Then crumble the rest of the batter over the top as evenly as possible. It thickens up and gets crumblable during the 6 minute waiting period. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. To me that means approximately 19 minutes and that seems to have worked great.
If you want to make them the caramel way, melt 14 oz. Kraft caramels in a pan with the other 1/3 c of evaporated milk from a 5 oz can. In place of the mints, sprinkle 6 oz. chocolate chips and drizzle the caramel. Then crumble on the rest of the batter and bake. One could definitely get pretty adventurous with this thing. I'm sure there are tons of candy options for what to put in the middle.
The original recipe also calls for 1 c chopped nuts mixed into the batter, but I left that out since I'm baking for other people.
Well, as usual, I didn't stick to the recipe...once on purpose and once by accident. The caramel got replaced by Andes Mints (that was the deliberate part). My reading skills seem to have been lacking that day since I also made some inadvertent changes to the liquid ingredients. I remade the brownies today with only intentional modifications and they seem to have turned out much better.
Here's what I did today:
Mix together:
1 German chocolate cake mix
3/4 c butter, melted
1/3 c evaporated milk
Yes...count them...3 ingredients. Jeez...they were simple enough I could have made them myself at age 5. Spread half the batter evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake this for 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
In the meantime...take the wrappers off of
30 Andes Mints
Side note: Since one box of mints consists of 28, the number 30 deserves an explanation. I did this because I wanted my brownies to come out approximately square, so I needed a 6 x 5 grid and thus required 30 mints rather than 28. Had I used 28 mints, resulting in a 4 x 7 grid, my brownies would have turned out more oblong and I just couldn't take it. Thus I purchased an entire additional box of mints just to get the extra 2.
When the bottom layer comes out of the oven, carefully place on top of it the 30 mints in a 5 x 6 grid. Then crumble the rest of the batter over the top as evenly as possible. It thickens up and gets crumblable during the 6 minute waiting period. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. To me that means approximately 19 minutes and that seems to have worked great.
If you want to make them the caramel way, melt 14 oz. Kraft caramels in a pan with the other 1/3 c of evaporated milk from a 5 oz can. In place of the mints, sprinkle 6 oz. chocolate chips and drizzle the caramel. Then crumble on the rest of the batter and bake. One could definitely get pretty adventurous with this thing. I'm sure there are tons of candy options for what to put in the middle.
The original recipe also calls for 1 c chopped nuts mixed into the batter, but I left that out since I'm baking for other people.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Chile Relleno Egg Souffle (or something)
A friend gave me this recipe after I had the opportunity to taste it at her house one fine Saturday. I decided that I would make it for the UU congregation to enjoy the next time I provided hospitality goodies. So here's how that actually went down..
I never actually read the photocopied recipe after I brought it home. On another fine Saturday, the one before my big day, I found myself, rather unexpectedly, at the grocery store with a different friend (I know...wild...I have two). I decided that it would be best to shop for my ingredients then so I didn't have to ride my bike out again later that day. At this point, I realized that I would just have to make guesses about ingredients based on my memory of the flavors. I was close...and I'd say close enough.
What I ended up making goes like this...
Prepare
1 28-ounce can of whole green chiles, seeds removed
6 corn tortillas, cut into wide strips
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
In a greased pan, perhaps upwards of 100 square inches, layer half the green chiles, half the tortilla strips, and half the cheese...then do it again. Based on the fascinating properties of fractions, you should have none left at this point.
Next, whisk together
12 eggs
3/4 c milk
1 rounded teaspoon each of salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder
Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layers of delicious other stuff. Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes. I actually made a recipe and a half, so I wasn't so sure of the cook time. I sort of timed and checked, timed and checked, and eventually lost track of how much time I had accumulated. When it's done, the middle will be puffed up and set...you know...like a quiche.
This turned out wonderfully, but there are a couple of differences between this and the original recipe. First, it calls for jack cheese, not cheddar, but I think it's a matter of personal preference. it also calls for three times as much cheese as I used. That's bogus...this is plenty cheesy. No need to give yourself heart disease. The final difference is that it calls for one large tomato, sliced and deseeded, sandwiched between the first cheese and the second chiles. The tomato was not included in the recipe that I tasted originally and I didn't put one in because I didn't have one, but I think next time I will include it so that I can see what it adds.
I never actually read the photocopied recipe after I brought it home. On another fine Saturday, the one before my big day, I found myself, rather unexpectedly, at the grocery store with a different friend (I know...wild...I have two). I decided that it would be best to shop for my ingredients then so I didn't have to ride my bike out again later that day. At this point, I realized that I would just have to make guesses about ingredients based on my memory of the flavors. I was close...and I'd say close enough.
What I ended up making goes like this...
Prepare
1 28-ounce can of whole green chiles, seeds removed
6 corn tortillas, cut into wide strips
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
In a greased pan, perhaps upwards of 100 square inches, layer half the green chiles, half the tortilla strips, and half the cheese...then do it again. Based on the fascinating properties of fractions, you should have none left at this point.
Next, whisk together
12 eggs
3/4 c milk
1 rounded teaspoon each of salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder
Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layers of delicious other stuff. Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes. I actually made a recipe and a half, so I wasn't so sure of the cook time. I sort of timed and checked, timed and checked, and eventually lost track of how much time I had accumulated. When it's done, the middle will be puffed up and set...you know...like a quiche.
This turned out wonderfully, but there are a couple of differences between this and the original recipe. First, it calls for jack cheese, not cheddar, but I think it's a matter of personal preference. it also calls for three times as much cheese as I used. That's bogus...this is plenty cheesy. No need to give yourself heart disease. The final difference is that it calls for one large tomato, sliced and deseeded, sandwiched between the first cheese and the second chiles. The tomato was not included in the recipe that I tasted originally and I didn't put one in because I didn't have one, but I think next time I will include it so that I can see what it adds.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Almost Fat Free Cream of Asparagus Soup
Asparagus was SUPER cheap last week and I bought three pounds. I steamed one pound and then I decided to make cream of asparagus soup. Never done this before, but I was up for an adventure this afternoon. It turned out so good I'm struggling not to eat the entire pot. Hence this internet distraction.
In a saucepan, boil until dissolved:
1 cube Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon (This is what I had...you can use whatever brand you want.)
2 cups water
In a stockpot, cook in a small amount of oil until onion is tender:
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
4 large stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Season to taste with:
salt
garlic pepper
(or pepper and garlic salt...whichever you have handy)
Add the prepared broth and simmer vegetables until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
In
1/2 c cold water,
dissolve
4 T corn starch (otherwise known as a kwata cup)
In
1-1/2 c water,
dissolve
1 c instant nonfat milk powder (the 1:3 kind)
(The basic idea with the milk is use 1-1/2 cups of water and twice the usual amount of milk powder...double strength...got it??)
When vegetables are tender, use a food processor to puree about 1 cup and return it to the stockpot. Combine the milk and corn starch mixture together and slowly pour the liquid into the stockpot while stirring continuously. Add a little more water if the amount of liquid seems low. Heat until thickened.
Enjoy!!! Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy...
Now...what to do with the last pound of asparagus...
In a saucepan, boil until dissolved:
1 cube Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon (This is what I had...you can use whatever brand you want.)
2 cups water
In a stockpot, cook in a small amount of oil until onion is tender:
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
4 large stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Season to taste with:
salt
garlic pepper
(or pepper and garlic salt...whichever you have handy)
Add the prepared broth and simmer vegetables until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
In
1/2 c cold water,
dissolve
4 T corn starch (otherwise known as a kwata cup)
In
1-1/2 c water,
dissolve
1 c instant nonfat milk powder (the 1:3 kind)
(The basic idea with the milk is use 1-1/2 cups of water and twice the usual amount of milk powder...double strength...got it??)
When vegetables are tender, use a food processor to puree about 1 cup and return it to the stockpot. Combine the milk and corn starch mixture together and slowly pour the liquid into the stockpot while stirring continuously. Add a little more water if the amount of liquid seems low. Heat until thickened.
Enjoy!!! Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy...
Now...what to do with the last pound of asparagus...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wheat-free Cornbread
Crash gave me the original recipe. He found it somewhere online. I modified it a little to make it slightly sweet and a little moister.
In a small bowl, mix together:
1/2 c corn meal
1/2 c boiling water
Set aside the corn mush and in a large bowl, sift (or whisk) together:
1-1/2 c corn meal
3 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
One at a time whisk into the cooled corn meal mush:
1 egg
3 T cooking oil
1-1/8 c buttermilk
Pour this thin batter into the sifted dry ingredients and stir together just until smooth. Immediately pour into a greased 9 in. round or an 8 in. square pan. Bake at 375 deg. for 25-30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.
The result is a little crumbly, but that is to be expected for any wheat-free quick bread. Crumbly is no problem for me since I usually eat cornbread with chili or bean stew over the top.
The original recipe had only 1 T sugar and 2 T oil. When adding a little more sugar and oil, I decreased the buttermilk from 1-1/4 c to 1-1/8 c. The moisture content seemed just about right.
The original recipe also calls for white or yellow corn meal, but blue works great too. Mixing half yellow and half blue results in an interesting greenish tinted cornbread. Ugly, but very tasty.
In a small bowl, mix together:
1/2 c corn meal
1/2 c boiling water
Set aside the corn mush and in a large bowl, sift (or whisk) together:
1-1/2 c corn meal
3 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
One at a time whisk into the cooled corn meal mush:
1 egg
3 T cooking oil
1-1/8 c buttermilk
Pour this thin batter into the sifted dry ingredients and stir together just until smooth. Immediately pour into a greased 9 in. round or an 8 in. square pan. Bake at 375 deg. for 25-30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.
The result is a little crumbly, but that is to be expected for any wheat-free quick bread. Crumbly is no problem for me since I usually eat cornbread with chili or bean stew over the top.
The original recipe had only 1 T sugar and 2 T oil. When adding a little more sugar and oil, I decreased the buttermilk from 1-1/4 c to 1-1/8 c. The moisture content seemed just about right.
The original recipe also calls for white or yellow corn meal, but blue works great too. Mixing half yellow and half blue results in an interesting greenish tinted cornbread. Ugly, but very tasty.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wheat-free Brownies
A friend gave me a tip on wheat free, gluten free, all natural brownies. She uses Pamela's Products. When she makes them, they are delicious. I hope they are cooperative for me too.
Stir together:
1 Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 egg
1/4 c oil
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c water (this may vary a bit)
Place in an 8 inch or 9 inch pan and bake at 350 deg for about 20 minutes.
Stir together:
1 Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 egg
1/4 c oil
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c water (this may vary a bit)
Place in an 8 inch or 9 inch pan and bake at 350 deg for about 20 minutes.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
"Quick" Beans
Cooking with a pressure cooker is not common practice among my generation. I didn't learn to do it at all until I was 22. I'm a big fan for two reasons. First, a pressure cooker does the same amount of cooking with less energy input. Second, it saves time.
You can cook almost anything in a pressure cooker, though my main use is for beans. I eat a lot of beans and rice because it's cheap and easy to cook and I really like it.
Sort and rinse thoroughly:
3 c dry beans
To "presoak," cover the beans with water so that the water depth is about 3 times the bean depth. Bring the cooker up to pressure and immediately remove from heat. Let stand for about 45-60 minutes so that the beans have a chance to hydrate fully. Open the cooker and check that the beans are plump (no wrinkly skin) and that the water level is still about an inch above the beans. And I do not discard the presoak water as long as I washed the beans before cooking.
You have a few options at this point.
To cook plain beans, just close it up, bring it up to pressure, cook at pressure for 6 minutes and cool down naturally. (For smaller beans, shorter cook times may be appropriate.) You can also use the same cook time for the following modifications.
To cook seasoned beans, use anything but salt. I hear salt can cause a firm center in beans, but I've never tested that. Of all the things I've ever seasoned with, I like the original Mrs. Dash best for beans. I like all in one seasonings because I'm lazy, and Mrs. Dash is one of the few that is salt-free.
To cook a more balanced meal, add
1/2 c wild rice (or more if you want)
vegetables of your choice
If you add rice, increase the water a bit. As for veggies, I like to add kale to my beans. It is a hearty winter green that doesn't disintegrate when cooked and adds great flavor. A mix of kale and celery greens makes for a flavorful addition as well. I also add broccoli and/or carrots sometimes.
I prefer wild rice to other types of rice because it doesn't turn to mush when overcooked...and it will be a bit overcooked. Another option is a hearty grain like whole barley or rye.
When you add leafy greens, it's OK to fill the cooker over the max as long as the water level is not over the max fill line.
This makes a lot of beans, but in my experience, they normally keep for 2 weeks.
A warning about lentils. Split lentils tend to disintegrate when cooked. In a pressure cooker, they will settle to the bottom and burn easily, so be careful. Whole lentils may be better, but I'm not sure about that.
You can cook almost anything in a pressure cooker, though my main use is for beans. I eat a lot of beans and rice because it's cheap and easy to cook and I really like it.
Sort and rinse thoroughly:
3 c dry beans
To "presoak," cover the beans with water so that the water depth is about 3 times the bean depth. Bring the cooker up to pressure and immediately remove from heat. Let stand for about 45-60 minutes so that the beans have a chance to hydrate fully. Open the cooker and check that the beans are plump (no wrinkly skin) and that the water level is still about an inch above the beans. And I do not discard the presoak water as long as I washed the beans before cooking.
You have a few options at this point.
To cook plain beans, just close it up, bring it up to pressure, cook at pressure for 6 minutes and cool down naturally. (For smaller beans, shorter cook times may be appropriate.) You can also use the same cook time for the following modifications.
To cook seasoned beans, use anything but salt. I hear salt can cause a firm center in beans, but I've never tested that. Of all the things I've ever seasoned with, I like the original Mrs. Dash best for beans. I like all in one seasonings because I'm lazy, and Mrs. Dash is one of the few that is salt-free.
To cook a more balanced meal, add
1/2 c wild rice (or more if you want)
vegetables of your choice
If you add rice, increase the water a bit. As for veggies, I like to add kale to my beans. It is a hearty winter green that doesn't disintegrate when cooked and adds great flavor. A mix of kale and celery greens makes for a flavorful addition as well. I also add broccoli and/or carrots sometimes.
I prefer wild rice to other types of rice because it doesn't turn to mush when overcooked...and it will be a bit overcooked. Another option is a hearty grain like whole barley or rye.
When you add leafy greens, it's OK to fill the cooker over the max as long as the water level is not over the max fill line.
This makes a lot of beans, but in my experience, they normally keep for 2 weeks.
A warning about lentils. Split lentils tend to disintegrate when cooked. In a pressure cooker, they will settle to the bottom and burn easily, so be careful. Whole lentils may be better, but I'm not sure about that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
