Six-seed Soda Bread

From 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: Another bread-making success for me! I really got a kick out of combining all the seeds, although I'm not a big fennel lover so I reduced the quantity of that one a bit, but the loaf came together so easily I'm starting to get a big head about it all.  This recipe calls for buttermilk, but an easy vegan substitute is achieved by adding 1T white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup non-dairy milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

I've been enjoying this combination of seeds, but feel free to experiment with other combinations if you prefer, based on what you have on hand, or what is available in your area. You can also make this with whole-wheat flour in place of the spelt flour.

2 1/2 tablespoons EACH sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds,
poppy seeds, flax seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 3/4 cup / 9 oz / 250 g spelt flour
2 cups / 9 oz / 250 g unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 3/4 cup / 14 oz / 400 ml buttermilk
a bit of extra buttermilk/milk

Preheat your oven to 400F / 205C. Place a rack in the center of the oven. In a small bowl combine all the seeds and set aside. 

Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the seeds. Make a well in the flour, pour in the buttermilk, and stir until the dough just comes together. If you need to add an extra splash of buttermilk because the dough is too dry, you can. As Hugh says, "Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long enough to pull it together into a loose ball but no longer - you need to get it into the oven while the baking soda is still doing its stuff." 

Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and mark it with a deep cross across the top, cutting two-thirds of the way through the loaf with a serrated knife. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds, making sure plenty of seeds make it down into the cracks. 

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden crusted on top and bottom (you may want to move the oven rack up for the last 15 minute if you need more color on the top of the loaf). Cool on a wire rack. 

Makes a single loaf.
Adapted from River Cottage everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Bloomsbury.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 40 min

Gougeres

From 101cookbooks by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: I always feel so proud of myself when I make any sort of bread item. I was a bit scared to try this recipe but it really was quite easy.  In Heidi's post about the gougeres (sorry I don't know how to add the accent grave over the first 'e') she recommends mixing the dough with a spoon, use large eggs rather than extra large, prep all ingredients ahead of time, and let gougeres brown all the way up the sides before taking them out of the oven.  You may want to follow the link above to read her account first hand.  Then be sure to eat these delights with a bowl of warm soup.  Mmm!

I've included a bunch of tips and things in the main post. If this is the first time you've made gougères, be sure to give that a quick read-through first, before jumping in.

2/3 cup / 160 ml beer / ale OR water
1/3 cup / 80 ml milk
8 tablespoons butter, thickly sliced
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
scant 1/2 cup / 65 g / 2.25 oz all-purpose flour
scant 1/2 cup / 65 g / 2.25 oz whole wheat flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cup / 3 1/4 oz / 90 g sharp white cheddar, grated on box grater
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed w/ mortar + pestle

Preheat oven to 425F / 220C, with a rack in top third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring the beer, milk, butter, and salt just to a boil in a large (thick-bottomed) saucepan over medium-high heat. Dial back the heat a bit. Add the flours and use a wooden spoon to stir, stir, stir. Really go at it. Keep going for a couple minutes, until the dough comes together smoothly, and gives off a faint toasty scent. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally to let heat out, for about five minutes. Long enough that the eggs won't cook when you attempt to work them in.
One at a time, add each of the four eggs, stirring vigorously after each addition. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, and right away scoop gougères onto the prepared baking sheet in heaping tablespoon-sized dollops, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and fennel seeds. Place in the oven, bake for FIVE minutes, then dial the heat back to 375, and bake another 20- 25 minutes, or until gougères are deeply golden all over, puffed, and well set. If you notice the gougers in the back browning much more quickly than the ones in the front, spin the sheet 180 degrees about 2/3 through.
Alternately, if you aren't baking the gougères immediately: shape pans of gougère dough, sprinkle with cheese, and freeze for 1/2 hour. Transfer to a freezer bag at this point, until you're ready to bake. Bake straight from the freezer, same as above, with a couple extra minutes.
Makes ~ 2 dozen 3-inch gougères.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 30 min  

Fruity Baked Oatmeal with Crunchy Cinnamon Almond Topping

From Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon.

Ann:  I really like Angela's oatmeal/fruit recipes and this is no exception.  My picky Cael (2 yrs old) has to sniff and taste test everything with barely the tip of his tongue before he will let it pass his lips, and he downed this stuff while I watched with my jaw on the table.  Yes I will make it again, maybe even tonight.

It is like a hybrid between baked oatmeal and a fruit crisp. The crunchy cinnamon almond topping really made the whole dish. I also highly recommend a drizzle of maple syrup…it tied in all the flavours very well. When I make baked oatmeal I like to make a large batch so I can enjoy it for a few meals! It is a really quick breakfast that reheats in a flash. It reheats really well with a splash of milk. I even love it cold straight from the fridge!

Ingredients (4 servings)

Oatmeal

• 1 cup + 1/3 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 large banana, chopped
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1.5-2 cups non-dairy milk (I used 2 cups but you might need less depending on the volume of mix ins)
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Crunchy Cinnamon Almond Topping

• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 2 tbsp regular rolled oats
• 1 tbsp Sucanat (or other dry sugar)
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp non-dairy milk

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 4 cup baking dish.
• 2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chia seeds, chopped banana, peeled and chopped apple, raisins, pinch of salt, and cinnamon. Now stir in the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour into casserole dish and set aside.
• 3. In a food processor, or by hand, process (or chop) the almonds. Now add in the oats, Sucanat (or sugar), Maple syrup, and milk and process until just combined. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the oatmeal mixture.
• 4. Bake in the oven for 26-30 minutes at 350F, uncovered. Watch closely during the last few minutes of baking so the topping doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Drizzle with maple syrup. Will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 3 days. To reheat, simply, place in a bowl and add a splash of milk and heat in the microwave for a minute or so.

Peanut Butter Cookies

From 101cookbooks.com, by Heidi Swanson

Ann:  Ok, these cookies were way too good and I ate just about the whole batch.  They were soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I vow to make another batch only if I have someone else present to manage how many I pop in my mouth.

Spelt flour bakes into a slightly darker cookie (photo), whole wheat pastry flour is slightly blonder - more traditional in appearance in the end. Finish the cookies with chopped nuts or a sprinkling of flaky salt. I'd also recommend seeking out a peanut butter that is well combined, and not super-oily (extra slick) looking - to avoid problems with the cookie batter.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step. Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
Make 2 - 3 dozen cookies. 

Easy Little Bread Recipe

From 101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: In my heart I want to make bread every day, or at least often, but I'm intimidated because I don't have a mixer and I don't want to knead away my few precious moments of Me time while my boys nap. Then I came across this recipe and I whipped up a loaf for dinner tonight. Easy, tasty and will be on my table again.

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Makes 1 loaf.
Adapted from Gran's Kitchen: Recipes from the Notebooks of Dulcie May Booker.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 35 min

Apricot Granola Bars

From Veggie Life, Winter '02-'03

Granola bars need little bits of a lot of different items, but they are all so healthy it blocks out the brown sugar...right?  Maybe someone out there can suggest a better substitute so the healthy feel is unadulterated, agave perhaps?  Oh ya, and the butter...well, just see disclaimer page.

1 c old-fashioned oats
1/3 c wheat germ
1/3 c whole almonds, unblanched
2 T pumpkin seed kernels
2 T sesame seeds
1/4 c honey
1 T walnut or peanut oil
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c chopped dried apricots
Cooking spray or oil

Preheat oven To 225 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.  Add 1 T of the honey and the oil.  Toss to mix well.  Spread mixture on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until toasty.

Raise oven heat to 350 degrees. In same mixing bowl, combine remaining honey, brown sugar, melted butter, raisins, and apricots.  Stir in toasted mixture and mix well.

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with foil and lightly spray or oil.  pour in granola mixture and smooth with a spatula. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. When cool, tip out granola, remove foil, and cut into bars. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Nut Butter-Cinnamon-Raisin Granola

From The Low-Cholesterol Oat Plan by Barbara Earnest and Sarah Schlesinger.

This granola is soooo yummy, it's like eating cookies for breakfast. I always add in a chopped apple and use almonds rather than peanuts, but I really don't think you can go wrong with this one.  Every time I make a batch of this stuff I have to divide it equally into two separate containers so my husband and I are sure to get even shares.

2/3 c unhydrogenated peanut butter or almond butter
2/3 c honey
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla extract
3 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c oat bran
1 c raisins
1 c unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat and stir until they are all liquified. Stir in vanilla.

Combine all remaining ingredients and stir in the peanut/honey mixture, coating evenly.

Spread granola onto a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.  (Then the recipe says to leave the pan in the turned-off oven for 1 1/2 hours.  I never do this because I like mine soft.  If you prefer crunchy granola then follow this step.)

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

From The Book of Whole Grains by Marlene Anne Bumgarner.

1/2 c nuts
1/2 c honey
1/2 c oil
1 egg (see Disclaimer)
2 large bananas
1 3/4 c rolled oats
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1/4 t ground nutmeg
3/4 t cinnamon

Grind nuts or chop them finely.  Mix honey, oil, egg, and bananas.  Add to the nuts and mix well.  Stir together flour, salt, and spices.  Combine with the rest of the ingredients to make a relatively stiff batter.  If too thick to spoon out easily, add a few teaspoonfuls of fruit juice; if too thin, add more flour.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 F about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Blueberry Buckle

I'm not sure where this recipe came from so as soon as I find out I will give proper credit.  This is a simple dish that can be both a yummy breakfast or dessert.

2/3 c steel-cut oats
1/2 c fresh blueberries
1 T slivered almonds
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c water
Optional: honey, stevia, or raw sugar (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a small glass baking dish.  Mix well. Bake for 20 minutes (or microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes).  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Makes 2 servings.