Bread Recipes for Meghan

Very Special French Bread

Sift together:
4 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 pkg. dry yeast

Add 1 cup warm water and mix.  Add more water (just a scant cup) to make a soft dough.  Dough should never be so stiff it cannot be stirred with a wooden spoon.  Transfer dough to greased bowl (never use metal bowls or utensils).  Cover bowl with a towel and let rise 4 hours in warm spot.  This is a very soft, moist dough.  Divide in half and place in 2 well greased loaf pans.  For a party look, turn entire recipe into a well-greased Bundt pan.  Allow dough to rise until double in volume.  Bake at 400* for approximately an hour.  Butter tops and remove from pans to cool.

Notes from me:  I find this bakes way faster than an hour... usually 40 minutes, just bake till golden.  I also like to turn it all into a 9x13 pan and bake it, then I like to butter it, put garlic salt on it and mozzerella cheese, then I let it bake for a few more minutes when the cheese bubbles.  Then when it comes out I take a pizza slicer and cut it into breadsticks.


Flaxseed Bread

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/8 cup sugar (I like to sub this out with honey or molasses, but it really does work best with sugar)
1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flaxseed meal
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour

Dissolve your yeast in warm water.  This takes aobut 5 minutes-- the water becomes creamy looking. 

Add to this the sugar, oil, salt, flaxseed meal and one cup of whole wheat flour.  Mix this with your spoon till it's incorporated-- really easy to do.

Now add in the other cup of whole wheat flour and stir... then add in your one cup of all purpose flour. Mix till it holds together-- this will only take a minute or two.

Attach the dough, hook to your stand mixer, put in the dough and let the mixer knead this dough for at least 10 minutes.  If you don't have a stand mixer, then knead by hand on a floured countertop for about 10-15 minutes.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and put the dough into it, then spray the top of it.  You just want to moisten the outside of it so it won't stick to the bowl.

Let it rise till it has FULLY DOUBLED.  Depending on the temperature, this could happen in aobut an hour.  (Usually 30 minutes her in Tucson) Focus on the dough, not the time-- when it has doubled then you're ready to go.

Spray a bread pan (9" x 5") with cooking spray.

Punch down your dough (don't knead it anymore) and put it into your bread pan.  Shape it with your oil-covered hands so it fits snugly into the pan.

Let the bread rise till it has come up about 1 1/2 inches about the top of the pan.    Preheat the oven to 350* -- bake the bread for about 40-45 minutes.  Once it's done, put it on your counter to cool for about 5 minutes.

Remove it from the bread pan adn let it come to room temperature or at least till it's only barely warm so it will easily slice.



100% Whole Wheat Bread

This whole wheat bread is good, and it comes from this website below.
http://www.food.com/recipe/100-whole-grain-wheat-bread-181106

2 3/4 cups hot water

1/3 cup olive oil, any oil is fine

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon salt, Sea Salt is good

7 1/2 cups of 100% whole grain wheat flour

2 tablespoons dry active yeast

1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.
2. Add: 2 Cups 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour. (to cool the water and end up with warm dough) Mix then add 2 Tbs of Dry Active Yeast. If your not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first.
3. Add: 4 Cups of 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour.
4. Mix until the consistency is some what even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 Cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy. It will most likely be 6 1/2 cups but in any case do not exceed 7 1/2 cups of wheat flour. You can trade one cup of wheat flour for one cup of all purpose white if you wish. Don't over mix or the bread will be tough.
5. When your dough is finished, leave it in the mixer, cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger but it doesn't need to double.
6. Grease two bread pans with Crisco. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.
7. Mix the dough again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.
8. Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Shape it with your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky. Divide the ball in half and do it again. Shape the loaves by turning the dough under it's self over and over. When the dough is shaped the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top. Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat 41 minutes. (gas oven).
9. When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away (a great time for real butter) don't wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick. Enjoy.

Meghan, I hope your house smells like fresh baked bread soon!  Smothered in butter!

A Peek into my Pantry

This post has been some time in the making.  I am doing it because the number one questioned asked me at playdates, and group things is "so what do you cook?"... this is usually in response to a few things 1) our food budget, 2) the fact we don't consume meat (we aren't vegitarian... we do eat meat, we just do it is small quantities.... ex. a 5 lbs chub of hamburger can last us all year), 3) or I mention I buy no prepackaged snacks or food items (nothing readily snackable like crackers, fruitsnacks, or cereal)

So...  when I am asked this question, I tend to rack my brain, and eventually come up empty handed... which is silly, because I cook nonstop.  Sometimes I feel like I am glued to my kitchen.  And we do eat very healthy... I'm kind of picky about how I want to raise my kids.  And my kids are excellent eaters.  So I know you are dying to ask "So WHAT do you cook???"  Well after keeping track of it for a while, I did come up with the things my family eats the most of... and I am going to break it down into Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, and Dinners.

And if I feel so inclined, I may add recipes.  We will see.  So lets get this post started shall we?

Ok, so these are my food guidelines that rule our household:

1) Recipes must be healthy - I substitute lots of ingredients.... applesauce for oil, honey for sugar, whole wheat for white wheat, plain yogurt for sour cream, etc.

2) Recipes are usually meat free, with the exception of fish!  We do eat fish.  And when company comes over, we do have chicken usually (just to avoid weird stares and excessive questioning : )

3) I prefer recipes that help me rotate my food storage.  I use my food storage at lease once a day, but usually 3 times a day.  I know, I know you are thinking I'm insane, but my food storage is all readily available in my pantry, and I do use everything!

4) To make sure we get adequate amounts of protein, we do consume lots of beans, mushrooms, eggs, cottage cheese, and other non-meat proteins.

5) But last, and most importantly, it must be tasty, and kids must like it!

Breakfast

• Eggs and Toast  (scrambled with cottage cheese then cooked is a fav, and so is over easy)
• Apple Pancakes (whole wheat, buttermilk cakes with apples diced up inside, served w/ applesauce on top)
• Malt o Meal (hot wheat cereal, made with milk not water! then we eat it like grits: buttered and salted)  Served with fruit.
• Florentine Scramble (eggs with spinach, mushrooms, and roma tomatoes)
• Bagels and Yogurt served with a fruit smoothie
• Home made granola (served with milk like cereal, or with fruit and yogurt as a parfait) 
• Huevos Rancheros (2 corn tortillas topped with over easy egg, and fresh made salsa, and cheese)
• Breakfast burritos (eggs, bacon, potatoes. This is rare since I only buy bacon once in a while..)
• Oatmeal (usually mixed with something... pumpkin, yogurt, or applesauce are some favs)
• Skillets (Eggs, different colored bell peppers, sliced onions, potatoes, topped with cheese)

So mainly breakfast is eggs! eggs! and more eggs! A protein packed breakfast leaves us much fuller and jump starts our metabolism for the day.  Cereal breakfasts (which happen every couple of months when I cave into the sugary cereal craving) usually leave the kids and I hungry an hour later, and very grumpy.

Snacks

• Any veggie with ranch dip (ranch dip is homemade with ranch packet and plain yogurt... if you do this splurge for the Greek Yogurt that is thick and full flavored with lots of live active cultures and probiotics!  Greek yogurt has a deeper more sour cream like flavor and texture... others can be too runny and sour.)
• Boiled eggs
• Any fruit (sometimes we use vanilla yogurt or plain yogurt with honey as a dip)
• Granola
• Muffins (usually chock full of veggie puree, or fruit bits, as well as flax seed, and whole wheat flour)
• Black Olives 
• Homemade Popsicle (using fruit juices or fruit puree)
• Sweetened Cooked Rice topped with Mango or Peaches (recipe for rice is from church cannery website, and is super! Especially when you sub out the water and add coconut milk instead!)

Snacks are basic.  But if I'm not careful, sometimes we have to scrounge... and that is awful. So I try to have  things pre-made and on hand before I hear "Mommy, can we have a snack?"

Lunch

• Peanut butter, Banana, and Honey Sandwiches
• Tuna salad sandwiches
• Ham and Cheese Sandwiches  (with lots of veggies on top)
• Quesadillas
• Bean and Cheese Burritos
• Egg Salad Sandwiches
• Salads with lots of veggies (topped with tuna sometimes)
• Left overs from night before
• Raita (plain yogurt, cucumber, tomato, onion, lemon, salt and pepper)

Usually lunch is served with cottage cheese, pickles, fruit, raw veggies, or yogurt.  It changes up.  My kids really love raita as a side with their lunch.

Dinner

• Spinach Lasagna (made with cottage cheese so it is cheaper and occasionally I add mushrooms)
• Cuban Rice and Beans (Black beans with tomato, bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, and 3 slices of bacon crumbled up, served over white rice... really scrumptious! On of Jesse's favs)
• Homemade Mac N Cheese (usually I make the cheese sauce and add cauliflower puree to it or cubes of butternut squash.  Served with veggie or fruit)
• Butter Garlic Fish (usually Swai because it is cheap and good, served with broccoli and brown rice)
• Potato Tacos (if you have never had these, come for dinner!  It is no fail fabulous dish.  Served with sliced cabbage, tomatoes, cheese, avacado, green onion, cilantro, and just a touch of mayo spread over each rolled taco to keep the fixins on) I make a cilantro lime rice with it, and refried beans. 
• Veggie Dippers (Shredded veggies: potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, mixed with flour and egg to create patties you then stick on a hot griddle sprayed with pam.Serve with a marinara sauce like Preggo or Ragu).
• Vegetarian Chile
•  Stir Fry (either add mushrooms or pineapple instead of meat. Serve over rice)
• Cabbage Stew (with tons of other veggies: tomato, potato, celery, carrot, onion...squash, you name it,  I've added it!  Sometimes I even put barley in there too : )
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Veggie Pizza (occasionally I buy pepperoni, but usually I sub eggplant or mushroom for meat.  I also chop up all kinds of veggies to put on it: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Bell pepper, onion, mushroom, eggplant, olives, etc.  Chop very fine and cover with cheese... your kids will eat it!  
• Black beans and rice, served with Raita over the top
• Black bean and Tomatillo Enchiladas (super healthy, light and delicious tasting, served with plain yogurt rather than sour cream)
• Lingini and Clam Sauce (great seafood dish that doesn't taste sea foody!  Lemmony and delish! I serve it with a fresh tomato brushetta, and asparagus)

Dinners are usually a lot of prep. An hour is what I usually put into dinner.  If I serve bread with dinner, it is usually homemade biscuits, french bread, or my normal wheat flaxseed bread that I make for everyday eating at breakfast and lunch.  I don't always have time to make my own bread.  Currently it is about 50 % of the time.  

Now keep in mind that these are some of the things we eat... there is lots more, and lots of variations on the things listed. It really depends what produce is in season.  If it is in season it is cheaper, hence we eat more of it... so our menu is very cyclical, and follows the harvest for all four seasons.  And most of these recipes can incorporate my food storage!  Which I do regularly.  It saves money, although it doesn't save time... unless you are ultra prepared... if I forget to soak the beans, sometimes we end up with grilled cheese for dinner :)  

I hope this was helpful to those of you who have asked me in the past and gotten a lame answer.  I can't seem to think of things off hand!  And for all you out there who want to eat healthier... do it!  

Also, to answer the meat question that is lingering in your mind......

It all started in college.  We couldn't afford it.  So I didn't buy it.  I learned to cook without it.  Now that we can afford it, I choose not to.  It is an expensive waste of money.  We feel better without it, and our bodies tend to get out of whack when we do eat it elsewhere away from home.  No doubt you can't beat the flavor of a good steak... mouthwatering... but some fast facts about meat:

1) Your body doesn't actually have the capacity to digest red meat, it rots in your gut for about 2-6 weeks before passing, causing gas, bloating, and other unwanted side affects. (I actaully learned this in one of my animal science classes at the U of A... where I was getting a degree to go into the industry that sells all you consumers red meat! Ironic... I thought so!)

2)  Eating meat has been linked to causing ALL the types of cancer.

3)  The word of Wisdom says eat meat sparingly and in times of famine (which currently my family is not in : )

4) Most commercially raised beef is given growth hormones and antibiotics, and these residues are found in the meat you consume every day.  (Unfortunately I saw a lot of stuff in the industry that turned me against supporting the way our food gets to our table, especially animal products... And while not everyone is willing to pay for the more expensive alternative, and farmers are driven to produce this way to earn a living... it would be lovely if more people stood up for environmental, and animal friendly growing practices.)  

Ok, meat soapbox over.... enjoy your dinner!

P.S.  If any of you want any of my recipes... just holler, I can email them, or post them.