(from the Beanland blog)
The following is for a stand mixer, but I’ve had great success using the dough setting on my bread machine as well. My roll dough is so sticky, I can’t imagine kneading by hand but perhaps if you used a wooden spoon you could come close?
Add and let sit until until dissolved:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
Add and mix with the paddle for a few minutes:
3 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon dough conditioner
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons gluten
3/4 teaspoon salt
Switch to the dough hook and add:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Add by Tablespoons, additional flour if needed. When all the flour is added, mix for 5 minutes more at level 3. It will be sticky, but prefer to stick to itself than to the sides of the bowl. It’s ok to have it stick to the very bottom, but it should clean the sides mostly
Cover and let rise until doubled. About 45 minutes. With oiled hands, form 12 large rolls and put in a greased 9×13 glass pan. Preheat to 375. Let rolls rise covered for a half hour or so (eyeball them to see that they start to squish together). Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until browned.
If they are on the doughy side, leave in pan to cool. If they are perfectly done, take them out of the pan immediately, but refrain from separating until they’re no longer piping hot. Keep covered with a towel, then store in plastic tub when completely cool.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cinco De Mayo Taco Soup
Oh my gosh. I just made the BEST dinner! I wanted to make something in honor of Cinco De Mayo, so I decided to try a recipe for Taco Soup. Only, I made some changes to make it healthier!
Quick N' Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients:
½ lb. ground beef (browned, drained) I used 98% fat free ground turkey but you can use tofu for forgo the meat all together
½ onion sliced I used probably 1/4 of an onion
28 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes I only used 14 oz, we're not big tomato fans
15 oz. can kidney beans in liquid I also used a can of black beans
1-2 cans whole corn with liquid I just used one can, since hubby isn't a fan of corn
¼ pkg. taco seasoning
1 tsp. sugar I used Splenda
Directions:
Combine all above ingredients, remembering NOT to drain canned items. Simmer 15-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, lettuce and guacamole. (I did not add ANY of this and it tasted just GREAT!!!)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Smokey Corn and Black Bean Pizza
(Nina B.)
This is great whether you grill it or just in the oven (350 for 30 minutes) We added chicken and we thought it was so tasty (and healthy!)
1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears) or frozen
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound Prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably smoked
1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
This is great whether you grill it or just in the oven (350 for 30 minutes) We added chicken and we thought it was so tasty (and healthy!)
1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears) or frozen
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound Prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably smoked
1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Monday, April 20, 2009
White Bean Soup w/ Rosemary, Basil & Quick Garlic Croutons
(Tara M.)
2 16-oz cans white beans, such as cannellini, drained
2 c low-sodium chicken broth*
1 cup of your favorite marinara pasta sauce
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnish: Quick garlic croutons (see recipe below)
Puree all ingredients except garnish in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve with garnish.
*Instead of chicken broth, you can add 2 c water to the blender, and dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup while it simmers.
Quick Garlic Croutons:
1 cup ½-inch bread cubes from good-quality French or Italian loaf (or homemade)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Heat skillet over low heat while preparing bread. A minute before you’re ready to cook, increase heat to medium. Toss bread in a bowl with oil, garlic powder and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp, 7 minutes.
2 16-oz cans white beans, such as cannellini, drained
2 c low-sodium chicken broth*
1 cup of your favorite marinara pasta sauce
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnish: Quick garlic croutons (see recipe below)
Puree all ingredients except garnish in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve with garnish.
*Instead of chicken broth, you can add 2 c water to the blender, and dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup while it simmers.
Quick Garlic Croutons:
1 cup ½-inch bread cubes from good-quality French or Italian loaf (or homemade)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Heat skillet over low heat while preparing bread. A minute before you’re ready to cook, increase heat to medium. Toss bread in a bowl with oil, garlic powder and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp, 7 minutes.
Southwestern Veggie Pasta
(Tara M.)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice or fresh tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Saute onion, green pepper, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir in tomatoes, garbanzo beans and corn. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened and heated through.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Combine pasta and sauce.
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice or fresh tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Saute onion, green pepper, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir in tomatoes, garbanzo beans and corn. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened and heated through.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Combine pasta and sauce.
Indian Soup
(Tara M.)
2 16-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
½ cup salsa
1 ½ teaspoon garam masala**
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate
¼ c packed cilantro leaves
Garnishes:
¼ cup plain yogurt and
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
Puree all ingredients except the garnishes in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve, adding garnishes.
*You can add 1 cup of water to the blender, then dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup when simmering, instead of using chicken broth.
**Garam masala is a blend of many Indian spices – it can be found in the spices section.
2 16-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
½ cup salsa
1 ½ teaspoon garam masala**
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 Tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate
¼ c packed cilantro leaves
Garnishes:
¼ cup plain yogurt and
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
Puree all ingredients except the garnishes in a blender until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and bring to simmer. Simmer, partially covered and stirring frequently, to blend flavors, 4 to 5 min. Serve, adding garnishes.
*You can add 1 cup of water to the blender, then dissolve one bullion cube (I use veggie bullion) in the soup when simmering, instead of using chicken broth.
**Garam masala is a blend of many Indian spices – it can be found in the spices section.
African Peanut Soup
(Tara M.)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
8 cups vegetable broth or stock
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
8 cups vegetable broth or stock
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Making Time to Prepare Healthy Foods
Hello,
Anne here again with some thoughts about making healthy eating a priority.
In my previous post, I made a case for healthy food being worth the extra cost. What about the extra time? Do we really have time to prepare meals ourselves? From scratch? What about chopping all those veggies and waiting for the beans to cook?
I would say "Yes, but be smart."
In the last few decades, the rise of convenience foods has been fast and furious. We now have toddler meals sold at the drugstore next to aspirin. Just pop them in the microwave, peel back the plastic, and give your child something "warm" and "filling" in less than two minutes. Or, you could skip the stop at the drug store and simply drive through a fast food restaurant where in two minutes you can have chicken nuggets...
What's in a nugget? Mechanically separated chicken that has been pressed into nugget form and has no less than 37 extra ingredients added to it before it's frozen, trucked across country, fried and packaged with a toy in a paper bag... marketed to guarantee a smile on your child's face. Why do millions of kids eat these? I mean seriously.. there has to be a reason, and health is clearly not it. Read the ingredients and you'll find that chicken nuggets contain at least four "leavening" ingredients: sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate . Yum yum. So why do parents buy them for their kids? (Besides millions of dollars of marketing to coax children into begging for them.)
Convenience.
You hand over cash, grab the bag the drive-through worker hands you, pass it to the back of the car, and zip off to the next thing. It's fast, but at what cost?
Even if you don't go the fast food route, there are plenty of "fast food" meals millions of Americans make at home. Homemade does not equal healthy. It never has. Popping open a can of cream-of-something soup, adding chicken, crackers, and a swath of cheese on top will yield a meal that comes from your own kitchen, but it won't do your family's health any favors.
Yet, nobody has time to cook a healthy dinner every night. Right? We're all busy. Overworked and overtired, we glance at the clock 30 minutes before dinnertime and panic.
Let's stop right there and clear something up: You absolutely CAN make healthy meals for your family. It's doable. I do it. You can do it.
And, I've found it's absolutely worth it.
Two and a half years ago, I had zero kitchen skills and had just started thinking about eating healthier. I've since made it a priority and it's changed a lot of things for our family!
- Everyone in my family enjoys food more when it's made from scratch and made with health in mind. It's flattering to my husband that I care enough about his health and happiness to make nutritious meals, instead of just fast meals.
- My daughter recognizes real food. She loves picking out fruits and veggies at the store, and will grow up helping me make bread, soak beans, freeze peppers, chop onions, and toss salads. She wouldn't know what do to with a fast food nugget if she saw one and that's ok with me. Real food tastes good to her.
Here are 10 things I've learned:
1) You'll get better with practice and you learn shortcuts. You'll get faster at chopping, better at timing meals to be done on time, more efficient in the kitchen and in grocery shopping.
2) Healthy does not have to mean long prep time. In fact, once you kick the salty/sugary/fatty/processed foods to the curb, you appreciate the flavor of simple foods more, so it takes less fuss to make a delicious meal. You'll build an arsenal of healthy recipes that can work in a time crunch and on nights when you have more time to cook, or a few minutes throughout the day to get some prep done, you may enjoy trying more involved recipes.
3) Your pantry will change. You'll start stocking healthy food and weed out the stuff you used to use. You'll have fewer last-minute dashes to the grocery store as you build up a good base of healthy foods. You'll be able to throw together meals in a hurry... from the things in your pantry. Because healthy-on-a-budget means from scratch cooking, you'll find you really get to know foods and how to prepare them. Shop the sales in the produce department and acquaint yourself and your family with new flavors. Find simple ways to prepare vegetables from all seasons.
4) Often healthy eating takes not 1 second longer than poor eating. Grab an apple instead of a granola bar. Pack carrots instead of goldfish crackers. Eat muesli instead of Special K. Drink a glass of water instead of a soda. Throw spinach in your soup or smoothie. Spread hummus on bread instead of butter or jam. Toss raisins in your oatmeal instead of brown sugar. Do black beans from a can instead of ground beef in tacos. Defrost frozen berries for dessert instead of ice cream (ok that one does take longer).
5) You may find you loosen up a bit in terms of mealtimes. Maybe you don't need a side dish at all, and you can just focus on one main dish. Maybe the salad becomes the center of the meal. Maybe you double the recipe and have enough to eat the night after next as well.
6) Many of the tricks of non-healthy eaters can be adapted for you. Use a slow-cooker. Plan a menu. Do prep work the night before. Freeze and reheat meals. Use one component of a meal for future meals (make twice as many beans and use them for something else in a few days).
7) Grocery shopping is so much faster! Hit the produce department and go home. Hehe. So many of my staples are long-term things like split peas, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, onions, etc. that my shopping trips are typically a breeze. More than half the store is processed foods, so I get to skip on past those aisles.
8) It's satisfying to take time to prepare meals. In many cultures, meal preparation takes hours and up until very recently, in our culture, the kitchen was the center of the home. As I've made time to prepare food from scratch, our kitchen has become a gathering place. My daughter loves to help, my husband invariably ends up chatting me up as I work and often pitches in when he can.
9) Taking time to fuel your body in a healthy way pays off, big-time. Fewer sick days, more energy, longer life... the list is long. Really and truly the difference in lifespan can be decades if you eat in such a way to avoid things like Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease.
10) If it's important to you, you'll find time to do it.
If you know me well, you know I don't do this perfectly at all. I'm still learning how to juggle healthy eating with a busy life. Sometimes my family eats crazy meals because I didn't pull something together in time. Sometimes we eat the same meal THREE days in a row, if I made way too much or have a really busy week. But because we generally only have healthy food on hand, and I have built up a mountain of healthy recipes we love, generally we take the time each day to invest in our health. 30 years from now, I think I'll be glad I made this a priority. I think my body will thank me and my kids and husband will thank me for making the effort... even though it wasn't always the fastest or most convenient option. That's the hope, anyway! :)
Anne here again with some thoughts about making healthy eating a priority.
In my previous post, I made a case for healthy food being worth the extra cost. What about the extra time? Do we really have time to prepare meals ourselves? From scratch? What about chopping all those veggies and waiting for the beans to cook?
I would say "Yes, but be smart."
In the last few decades, the rise of convenience foods has been fast and furious. We now have toddler meals sold at the drugstore next to aspirin. Just pop them in the microwave, peel back the plastic, and give your child something "warm" and "filling" in less than two minutes. Or, you could skip the stop at the drug store and simply drive through a fast food restaurant where in two minutes you can have chicken nuggets...
What's in a nugget? Mechanically separated chicken that has been pressed into nugget form and has no less than 37 extra ingredients added to it before it's frozen, trucked across country, fried and packaged with a toy in a paper bag... marketed to guarantee a smile on your child's face. Why do millions of kids eat these? I mean seriously.. there has to be a reason, and health is clearly not it. Read the ingredients and you'll find that chicken nuggets contain at least four "leavening" ingredients: sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and calcium lactate . Yum yum. So why do parents buy them for their kids? (Besides millions of dollars of marketing to coax children into begging for them.)
Convenience.
You hand over cash, grab the bag the drive-through worker hands you, pass it to the back of the car, and zip off to the next thing. It's fast, but at what cost?
Even if you don't go the fast food route, there are plenty of "fast food" meals millions of Americans make at home. Homemade does not equal healthy. It never has. Popping open a can of cream-of-something soup, adding chicken, crackers, and a swath of cheese on top will yield a meal that comes from your own kitchen, but it won't do your family's health any favors.
Yet, nobody has time to cook a healthy dinner every night. Right? We're all busy. Overworked and overtired, we glance at the clock 30 minutes before dinnertime and panic.
Let's stop right there and clear something up: You absolutely CAN make healthy meals for your family. It's doable. I do it. You can do it.
And, I've found it's absolutely worth it.
Two and a half years ago, I had zero kitchen skills and had just started thinking about eating healthier. I've since made it a priority and it's changed a lot of things for our family!
- Everyone in my family enjoys food more when it's made from scratch and made with health in mind. It's flattering to my husband that I care enough about his health and happiness to make nutritious meals, instead of just fast meals.
- My daughter recognizes real food. She loves picking out fruits and veggies at the store, and will grow up helping me make bread, soak beans, freeze peppers, chop onions, and toss salads. She wouldn't know what do to with a fast food nugget if she saw one and that's ok with me. Real food tastes good to her.
Here are 10 things I've learned:
1) You'll get better with practice and you learn shortcuts. You'll get faster at chopping, better at timing meals to be done on time, more efficient in the kitchen and in grocery shopping.
2) Healthy does not have to mean long prep time. In fact, once you kick the salty/sugary/fatty/processed foods to the curb, you appreciate the flavor of simple foods more, so it takes less fuss to make a delicious meal. You'll build an arsenal of healthy recipes that can work in a time crunch and on nights when you have more time to cook, or a few minutes throughout the day to get some prep done, you may enjoy trying more involved recipes.
3) Your pantry will change. You'll start stocking healthy food and weed out the stuff you used to use. You'll have fewer last-minute dashes to the grocery store as you build up a good base of healthy foods. You'll be able to throw together meals in a hurry... from the things in your pantry. Because healthy-on-a-budget means from scratch cooking, you'll find you really get to know foods and how to prepare them. Shop the sales in the produce department and acquaint yourself and your family with new flavors. Find simple ways to prepare vegetables from all seasons.
4) Often healthy eating takes not 1 second longer than poor eating. Grab an apple instead of a granola bar. Pack carrots instead of goldfish crackers. Eat muesli instead of Special K. Drink a glass of water instead of a soda. Throw spinach in your soup or smoothie. Spread hummus on bread instead of butter or jam. Toss raisins in your oatmeal instead of brown sugar. Do black beans from a can instead of ground beef in tacos. Defrost frozen berries for dessert instead of ice cream (ok that one does take longer).
5) You may find you loosen up a bit in terms of mealtimes. Maybe you don't need a side dish at all, and you can just focus on one main dish. Maybe the salad becomes the center of the meal. Maybe you double the recipe and have enough to eat the night after next as well.
6) Many of the tricks of non-healthy eaters can be adapted for you. Use a slow-cooker. Plan a menu. Do prep work the night before. Freeze and reheat meals. Use one component of a meal for future meals (make twice as many beans and use them for something else in a few days).
7) Grocery shopping is so much faster! Hit the produce department and go home. Hehe. So many of my staples are long-term things like split peas, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, onions, etc. that my shopping trips are typically a breeze. More than half the store is processed foods, so I get to skip on past those aisles.
8) It's satisfying to take time to prepare meals. In many cultures, meal preparation takes hours and up until very recently, in our culture, the kitchen was the center of the home. As I've made time to prepare food from scratch, our kitchen has become a gathering place. My daughter loves to help, my husband invariably ends up chatting me up as I work and often pitches in when he can.
9) Taking time to fuel your body in a healthy way pays off, big-time. Fewer sick days, more energy, longer life... the list is long. Really and truly the difference in lifespan can be decades if you eat in such a way to avoid things like Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease.
10) If it's important to you, you'll find time to do it.
If you know me well, you know I don't do this perfectly at all. I'm still learning how to juggle healthy eating with a busy life. Sometimes my family eats crazy meals because I didn't pull something together in time. Sometimes we eat the same meal THREE days in a row, if I made way too much or have a really busy week. But because we generally only have healthy food on hand, and I have built up a mountain of healthy recipes we love, generally we take the time each day to invest in our health. 30 years from now, I think I'll be glad I made this a priority. I think my body will thank me and my kids and husband will thank me for making the effort... even though it wasn't always the fastest or most convenient option. That's the hope, anyway! :)
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