Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

You can buy 5 lb bags of sweet potatoes at a store in town for $0.49. Pretty sweet!

Here's a recipe we made with some sweet-potato-goodness last night:

Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits:

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I substituted honey, it was fine)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat or whole grain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I thought it was too much!)
2-3 tablespoons cold water as needed

Preheat 400. Mix wet. Mix dry. Mix together (don't overdo it!). Add water if necessary 1 T at a time and gently knead until it holds together (should be pretty wet). Drop in spoonfuls and bake 12-15 min. (I found it took longer to bake).

We had this with VEG HEAD CHILI. Yumm!

Soaked Bread Machine Whole Grain Bread

Hello all!

So I finally made this soaked whole grain bread for the bread machine and I think we have found our new favorite basic/staple bread.  It's not very sweet, but it is pretty good for your every day sandwich bread, toast, anything basic bread need.

I also ground the wheat and the flax right before I put it in and it really makes the house smell yummy while it's rising and baking!  And much more nutritional.  The wheat flour you buy at the store just does not have any smell!

I wanted to post the recipe here, because she has stopped doing her blog and I don't know how long it will be up and I don't want to lose it.  I just cooked mine in the bread machine because I was leaving the house.  When you add the yeast, just start the whole wheat cycle you prefer on your machine.  I also did not add the vital wheat gluten and the texture was still fine.

Also, I've made several soaked recipes now, and I think it's this hot dry Utah air, but I feel like I have to add more water to make sure the grain doesn't dry out overnight.  I didn't add more water to this recipe when I made it, but it was pretty dry in the morning.  You could also just add all the ingredients at once and make it without soaking first.

Someday when I know I will be home, I will probably do a double batch in the dough cycle and then take it out and bake each separately.  But, who knows when that will happen... it's just so nice to throw it in and forget about it.

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread in the Bread Machine (produces 1 loaf)

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or whey, kefir, buttermilk or yogurt) plus enough water to make 1 cup

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup honey

3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (or olive oil or melted butter)

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. honey

1 3/4 tsp. yeast

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

Put water/vinegar mixture, flour, oats, honey, oil and flax seed in the pan of your bread machine in the manufacturer’s recommended order (mine says to do liquids first then solid ingredients). Turn the bread machine on the dough cycle and let run for about five minutes, until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn off the machine and let this sit for 12-24 hours.

After the soaking period, combine the 2 Tbsp. water, honey and yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast (mixture should rise and become foamy). Add the yeast/water/honey, salt and gluten to the flour in the bread machine. Select the dough cycle and watch it for the first few minutes to make sure it doesn’t need more flour. I only needed to add about 1 tsp.

When the dough cycle is finished (mine takes 120 minutes), dump the dough onto a flour surface. Roll into a rectangle, then roll up to fit in your loaf pan. Place in greased loaf pan and allow it to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for half an hour, until crust is brown and it sounds hollow if you tap on the bottom of the loaf. You can brush the crust with melted butter to keep it extra soft.

100% whole wheat bread machine bread

I have a favorite bread recipe that I usually make, but it's only half whole wheat, so I just did a google search for a fully whole wheat bread recipe for my bread maker this week.  It is nothing super fancy, but is a good staple and it doesn't taste cardboard-y.  It is good for sandwiches and the like.  The recipe is from Food.com and is as follows:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 Follow directions for your machine for a 2-pound loaf of whole wheat bread.

1. 2 Instructions for my machine are: Add all ingredients in the order listed. (I combine the water and powdered milk and heat them in microwave on high for 30 seconds before putting in baking pan and then add the remaining ingredients.).
2. 3 Insert the baking pan into the oven chamber and lock the pan.
3. 4 Select Whole Wheat setting and 2 pound loaf.
4. 5 Press start.

If you have a machine that makes something different than a 2 pound loaf, go to the original recipe here and you can put in whatever loaf size you want and it will give you the correct amount of each ingredient to add.

A New Technique/Tex Mex Crock Pot Beans/Cornbread

Wow! Guys! Have you ever made and "egg," out of flax seed and water? I had heard of this before, but hadn't tried it until last night. It was amazing! You bring 6 tablespoons of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed or flax seed meal, reduce heat to med-low and whisk with a fork until it forms an "egg." It was crazy! It was like pushing an uncooked egg around in my pan. Wow! I'm not sure whether it is intended to act as a binder or a leavener in recipes... I am guessing binder though. I used it to make a cornbread recipe we had with dinner last night, and the bread turned out wonderfully. I was so pleased! Sometimes vegan baking is so... meh... you know? This just tasted like yummy cornbread. Enough gab. Here's what we had for dinner last night:

Tex Mex Crock Pot Beans: (from Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook)

1 pound dried pinto beans (2 cups) sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup... I think it totally needs it all if not a bit more)
2-4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
6 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

High Heat 7-9 hours. (If you soak the beans overnight before cooking you can reduce the time. I also think you need to keep an eye on the water level. We usually have to add a bit more and reduce the heat.)

Cornbread original recipe HERE

2 tablespoons ground flax seed
6 tablespoons water
1 cup whole grain flour (I used a combo whole wheat and spelt)
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup "milk," (we used rice)
1/4 cup canola oil

Boil water. Add flax. Simmer on med-low till thickened. Set aside. Combine dry. Pour in milk, oil, and flax "egg." Stir until combined. Bake at 425 degrees in prepared 8 inch baking dish 20-25 min.

We ate this classic beans and cornbread meal with tons and tons of steamed asparagus with mrs. dash lemon pepper. Yummy!

Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits

You may already have a recipe like this, but if not I thought I would share. This is a family favorite. I make 'em for breakfast or to go with dinner like I did tonight. If you make it go ahead and compare it to a standard recipe for normal biscuits. You'll be pleased with this much lighter, higher-fiber version I promise.

Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons chilled butter or trans fat free margarine-for you vegan types ;) - it works too I tried it.
1 cup lowfat buttermilk or sour milk (ya'll know how to make sour milk I presume)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or knife.

(Kate did you ever get a pastry cutter? Everytime I use mine I hope that you got one at some point)

Stir in milk until moist dough forms, and don't worry-it should be pretty wet. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes so that it's workable. Turn dough out on floured surface and pat out to 1/2 inch thick. Using floured cup or biscuit cutter cut out your biscuits. Place on to baking mat and bake 8-10 minutes until golden.

Bread

I found this recipe at www.foodstoragedeals.blogspot.com about 6 months ago. It is so fast and easy. My bread always turns out.

Makes 4 8/4 inch loaves.

7 c. whole wheat flour (grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten (if you grind your own wheat you will not need this ingredient)
2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. steaming hot water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar (I like honey the best!)
2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice

5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.

Make sure you grease your pans!