4 Recipes with "soaked" whole grain flour

Don't make the mistake I did and say "that's weird." Make all 4 of these and then start thinking about your own recipes and how easy it would be to just start them the night before. For the first two, I followed recipes that already included the grain soaking thing. The next two were me experimenting with recipes I already had and loved, and they WORKED!! The first two came from this blog:

http://megdickey.wordpress.com/

RECIPE #1 SOAKED WHOLE WHEAT BREAD


the night before:
Combine 3 cups whole wheat flour with 1 cup warm water + 2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Knead til smooth. Place in bowl, cover tightly.
(The original recipe said: "I set my bread machine on the dough cycle and let it run til the rising session, then unplug and leave overnight")

the next morning/day:
add 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil, or melted coconut oil)
1-2 tablespoons sweetener honey or sucanat
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
(the original recipe did not say to add more liquid but I added 3 Tbsp warm water with the yeast)

Mix thoroughly, and knead til smooth. Let rise in an oiled bowl til doubled (about an hour in a warm oven..preheat to 170, then TURN OFF). Punch down, shape into a loaf, place in pan and let rise til doubled (about 45 minutes ). Bake at 350º for about 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 200 degrees. (The original recipe said, "I use the whole wheat setting on my bread machine, and just pull it out after the first rising and bake in the oven.")

It also makes fantastic rolls!

RECIPE #2 SOAKED WHOLE WHEAT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

the night before:
2 1/2 c. of whole wheat pastry flour
8 tablespoons butter
+/- 1 c. buttermilk (although they are EXTRA good if you use cream, although you will need to add 1 T whey or lemon juice as well)

Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, or a knife and fork, until the mixture resembles small crumbs (or do this in your food processor). Add the buttermilk – I’ve found I need to add less depending on the humidity in my home, but it’s always right around 1 cup. Combine until no dry flour is left. Cover tightly and leave on countertop overnight.

see how it doesn't look like "soaking?" It is just a resting dough.

The next morning/day, preheat oven to 375˚
Add:
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
(the original recipe did not call for extra liquid but I added 2 Tbsp milk)

The mixture should be slightly sticky, but not wet. You should be able to form the dough with your hands into 2 in. balls. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 8-10 biscuits.

here they are before baking. I just rolled and flattened them a bit.

and we ate them with honey-sweetened strawberries and real cream whipped with honey and vanilla

RECIPE #3 SOAKED WHOLE WHEAT GARLIC PIZZA CRUST

the night before:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar

knead this together and cover. Leave on counter overnight.

when you are about 90 minutes away from wanting pizza, add:
1 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

knead this and place in an oven that has been preheated to 170 and TURNED OFF. Allow to rise for about an hour then divide into two balls and press or roll onto two 12 inch round pizza pans or stones. Top with sauce, cheese, or whatever and bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Stay tuned for my chicken parmesan with chunky tomato sauce; that sauce is yummy for pizza.

RECIPE #4 BUTTERMILK CORNMEAL PANCAKES

This recipe came from Epicurious.com but I changed it up.

the night before:
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 tbsp melted butter
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

stir these ingredients and cover. Leave on counter overnight.

in the morning:
3 eggs
2 1/2 tbsp honey or sucanat
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

add these ingredients to the soaked grains. Add water or milk to thin as needed. Cook as usual for pancakes. Serve with real maple syrup and/or fruit.

Kid's Favorite Peanut Butter Spread

Kid's Favorite Peanut Butter Spread

This is lower in calories and fat than peanut butter alone and is sweeter and creamier. Great on toast, pancakes, sliced apples, ice cream, whatever.

Ingredients
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Real Maple Syrup
1/3 cup milk

Directions
Put all ingredients in a 1 pint glass canning jar. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir. Refrigerate and use within one week. Makes 16 one tablespoon servings.

Number of Servings: 16

Calories: 69.5
Total Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
Sodium: 2.4 mg
Total Carbs: 5.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 1.9 g

Another yummy pancake that feels like dessert!

Now that I know what I know about carbs at night, we splurge on our carbs on Saturday and Sunday morning and save dessert for special occasions. We all get our sweet teeth taken care of, but in a healthy way, and without that evening carb issue.

Hawaiian Pancakes with Maple Pineapple topping

1 cup quick oats
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup juice, drained from a 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 medium banana, smashed
2 tbsp melted butter
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
drained pineapple from above

Mix oats, milk, juice, banana, butter, and eggs in a mixer until combined. Mix flour, baking powder and salt and mix into batter. Transfer batter to a 4 cup measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups total. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make 12 large pancakes.

Mix cornstarch, syrup, and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil, stirring. Add crushed pineapple. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

One serving = 2 pancakes with 1/4 cup pineapple sauce.

Number of Servings: 6

Calories: 219.5
Total Fat: 7.5 g
Cholesterol: 85.1 mg
Sodium: 390.3 mg
Total Carbs: 32.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 6.1 g

Ezekiel Pancakes

1 cup Ezekiel Flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix thoroughly and add more milk if needed. Cook on a medium-hot sprayed griddle. Flip when bubbles in center begin to pop.

Ezekiel Flour

I mentioned this in a much earlier post, but I've been doing some more experimenting, so I'll share more now. Ezekiel, in the Old Testament, was told to make a flour out of a combination of beans and grains and to make a cake with it. He lived on this cake, along with water, for nearly a year before other foods were again available to him. Here's a recipe that includes all the grains and beans mentioned in the bible verse, Ezekiel 4:9:

2 1/2 cups hard red wheat berries
1 1/2 cups spelt berries
1/2 cup barley
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup lentils
3/4 cups mixed beans

mix all of this together and then run it through a grain mill.

Spelt is very similar to wheat but more expensive. I use all wheat, and I use hard white instead of hard red. Barley and millet are gluten-free grains. You can substitute other gluten-free grains like brown rice, quinoa, or amaranth if you prefer. As for the beans and lentils, use whatever dry beans you have. I have a bucket of pinto beans so I often use just those.

You can replace the flour in any recipe with Ezekiel flour to make it more nutritious. It will change the texture and flavor. In yeast breads, I've replaced 1/4 of the flour with desireable results. I've made pancakes with Ezekiel flour only, and they are a favorite around here. I told the kids the story about Ezekiel and they latched right onto it. They make for a very filling meal.

Because Jauna asked... BREAKFAST IDEAS

Make french toast with whole wheat bread and make my strawberry sauce from a previous blog entry. I've also made it with frozen blueberries. 4 cups of frozen fruit (35 big strawberries), 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup water, boil it for 10-15 minutes. With strawberries, use a potato masher to smash it. With blueberries, leave them whole and just stir it. 1/4 cup = 56 calories, no fat, 1 sodium, 14 carbs, .5 protein, 2 fiber.

OR find my baking mix recipe from a previous blog entry and make pancakes using that, with the fruit sauce, and a glass of milk for protein.

OR make muffins using the baking mix on the blog. I like to stir in diced apples and cinnamon, mashed bananas and nuts, lemon juice and poppyseeds, etc before baking and a piece of fruit, and a glass of milk for protein.

OR cook 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries, 1 tbsp wheat germ, 1 tbsp ground almonds, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, 1 tsp maple syrup, and 1 cup water. Stir and pour 1/4 cup milk over it. I eat this 4-5 days a week. The smallish amounts of almonds, flax seed, and milk, added together, give you your protein. I make this for myself (but I only use 1/3 cup oats 'cause I have a low rmr) and it gives me 229 calories, 46 carbs, 9 fat, 8 protein, 10 fiber. That's a lot of fiber.

OR make a peanut butter and "jelly" sandwich using 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter (I love the Costco organic kind), and 1 Tbsp of the fruit sauce above (if you put it in a jelly jar when it is hot, it thickens up, even without added pectin).

OR 1 cup plain fat free yogurt with 1/4 cup blueberry sauce and 1/4 cup oats (or brown rice crispies or grape nuts), stirred together. Whole grain, protein, fruit. I'm guessing that's around 325 calories.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS LISTED HERE

BREAKFAST (whole grain, protein, fruit)
* Oats with ground almonds and dried cranberries
* Egg, toast, fruit
* whole grain unsweetened cereal with bnanas, honey and milk
* leftover brown rice with an egg white stirred in and microwaved (makes it creamy) with maple syrup and berries on top
* whole wheat pancakes with homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream cheese
* cottage cheese with canned fruit (with no added sugar) and sunflower seeds
* whole wheat muffin or toast with 1 tsp butter, piece of fruit, glass of milk

LUNCH (whole grain, protein, fruit or veggie)
* one hard-boiled egg mixed with Kraft Olive Oil Mayo and a little mustard, one slice of bread, and some carrot sticks
* leftovers from last night's dinner
* one piece of whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and fruit sweetened jam and a piece of fruit
* beans and brown rice with salsa stirred in and some pepper slices on the side
* a pile of spinach with a sliced boiled egg, shredded carrot and any Newman's Own light dressing * microwave baked potato with some leftover taco meat, chili, lentils, or something like that on top

SNACKS (a carb and a protein)
* apple and a cheese stick (my stand-by)
* a baggie of nuts and a little bottle of 100% juice (can grab this at the gas station)
* a baggie with a handful of nuts and a handful of dried fruit (easy to grab and take with you)
* a smoothie made with spinach, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 C. orange juice, water, and protein powder (of course any fruit can be added to this. I always have strawberries and blueberries in my freezer so I often add those)
* a piece of fruit and some Triscuits
* baked tortilla chips, microwaved with 1/4 cup cheese and salsa
* a slice of bread with natural peanut butter

DINNER (whole grain, protein, veggie)
Dinner is dinner. I make what my family will eat. I make sure I get plenty of veggies and a reasonable portion of what is prepared.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce and Cream Cheese

This tastes like dessert but is totally clean. You've got your whole grain, protein, and your fruit right there. Eat it for breakfast. You'll feel like you are "cheating" but you're not!

1. Measure about 5 cups of large frozen strawberries (35 big ones), 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup water.


2. Put this into a big pan with a lid and turn it to high. Let it steam for 5 minutes, allowing the strawberries to thaw and get mushy. Start making up your pancake batter while doing this step.


3. Use a potato masher to smash up the strawberries very well. Let it continue to boil with the lid off, stirring often to check the consistency.


4. When all the pancakes are done, the sauce will have thickened to a point where you can drag a spoon across your pan and an empty spot will be left.


3. Get out your cream cheese. I just bought whipped cream cheese from the grocery store. 130 calories for 2 tbsp. That's a lot of yumminess for the calories in my opinion. Technically, the whipped cream cheese is not "clean" since it has a mold inhibitor with a name I don't recognize. Could be bad for me, I don't know. I'm not going to sweat that one.

Place pancakes on the plate (3 is a reasonable kid-sized portion). Spoon strawberry sauce over the pancakes. Divide your 2 tablespoons of cream cheese over that and enjoy. Divine. Seriously. You won't miss the processed sugar or fat of other desserts. I promise. The protein in this dish comes from the cream cheese and the egg in your pancake.


If you feel you need more protein, scramble an egg to go with it.

You'll have leftover strawberry sauce. Stir it into plain (not vanilla) yogurt and you have "clean" yogurt for your snacks.


1/4 cup = 56 calories, no fat, 1 sodium, 14 carbs, .5 protein, 2 fiber.

Baking mix for Whole Wheat Pancakes, Biscuits, or Muffins

5 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Honey
2 sticks butter

Pulse in food processor until completely combined. I make 2 batches in a row and put them in a one gallon ice cream bucket (left over from a weak moment or a child's birthday party).



To make pancakes: 1 cup mix, 1 egg, 3/4 cup milk, cook on hot skillet sprayed with olive oil spray. 1/6 of this recipe is 128 calories, 6 grams of fat, 15 carbs, 2 fiber, 4 protein, 171 sodium.

To make Muffins: 1 cup mix, 2 Tbsp Honey, 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk. Bake at 400 for 17 minutes. 1/6 of this recipe is 144 calories. 7 grams of fat, 20 carbs, 2 fiber, 4 protein, and 159 sodium.

To make Biscuits: 1 cup mix, 1/4 cup milk. Stir, knead 10 times, flatten out and cut as desired. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. 1/4 of this recipe is 166 calories, 8.4 grams of fat, 20 carbs, 3 fiber, 4 protein, and 223 sodium.

This recipe follows ALL the rules, as long as you don't eat too many, or slather them with too much butter or naughty stuff, of course.