Google this: White Spring Whole Wheat Flour. then buy it, try it, love it, and lastly....thank me for a completely turned upside down healthy(er) way to bake all your delicious goods.
I used to work at a flour mill that makes White Spring Whole Wheat Flour. I had truckloads at my hands.....and I never tried it.
I had a recent epiphany (sp?) on sugar, glycemic index, my mood, my acne, etc. and decided to bake with whole wheat. Luckly my almost-husband still works at above mill, and after about a week of me reminding him to bring me home a bag he finally did. I now have a 50 pound bag in my pantry.
And it's amazing.
I made cinnamon rolls (with the same recipe as my jalapeno rolls) I used 75% whole wheat, 25% regular all-purpose.
The dough was somewhat darker than regular flour, but still light colored.
working with it was super easy. I didn't change anything else and they came out perfectly!
the taste was amazing... more mild than a red whole wheat. Normal whole wheat is made out of Hard Red Winter Wheat. And I actually prefer the taste of the white spring Whole wheat flour over regular all-purpose. It was just so much more hearty.
Compared to all-purpose flour, this white whole wheat flour has more naturally occuring fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins & minerals.
Compared to a Red Whole Wheat flour, it gives better volume, texture, lighter color, milder flavor, and better mixing tolerance.
So if anything was the best of both worlds it would be this. I vow to include it in all my future baking projects. At least at 50% of the flour called for. Unless I'm making a cake... we'll have to take it on a case by case basis with cakes.
It's just one small change in your daily habits that can make a difference over time.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Jalapeno breakfast rolls- to lower my sugar of course~!
I have a giant sweet tooth- i can not get enough. But occasionally I love something savory....this fits the bill. I took some of these to work, and were all the rage by the cool kids.....aka my co-workers who are not THAT cool, and can be legally classified as adults.
All i did was use my TRUSTY cinnamon roll recipe, and half the sugar it calls for.
So take your trusty cinnamon roll recipe, or use mine, or use a roll recipe........adjust it for this application and instantly, you are a genius with the ability to make anything!!!!!
So my picture looks a little blue.....wierd.
All i did was use my TRUSTY cinnamon roll recipe, and half the sugar it calls for.
So take your trusty cinnamon roll recipe, or use mine, or use a roll recipe........adjust it for this application and instantly, you are a genius with the ability to make anything!!!!!
So my picture looks a little blue.....wierd.The recipe is basically my trusty cinnamon roll dough with half the sugar, then rolled with some baked and peppered potatoes, shredded cheese, jalapeno slices, and some cooked Bacon.
I then topped the rolls with cheese, and instead of baking like i normally do, i covered it with foil to keep the cheese from burning.
Trusty cinnamon roll dough:
1/2 cup milk at about 110 degrees
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
***1/4 cup sugar- WARNING this is decreased to 2 Tablespoons!!!!!
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (20 oz)
New Filling:
6 strips bacon- fried or baked to crispy
4-5 potatoes, cut into small 1/2" squares, and baked with salt, pepper, and garlic, all drizzled with oil.
1-2 cups shredded cheese
4-5 fresh jalapenos or a jar a sliced jalapenos
whisk together the liquids & butter with the yeast and sugar. Mix until dissolved- takes a few minutes.
Add eggs and whisk until broken apart and well mixed.
Throw your dough hook on your mixer and add the flour and salt to the bowl. Knead for about 10 minutes or until gluten in flour is properly developed. (bowl is cleaned up from dough, and smacking the edges while it kneads) when you lift up the dough, it should not tear apart- it should be elastic and strong.
Make a smooth ball, and place it in greased bowl, rubbing some oil on the dough as well. Cover and let sit in warm area for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.....you know the routine... meanwhile, get your filling prepared.
Punch the dough down,and push out the air bubbles, form into small loaf on counter and let sit for 10 minutes. This lets the dough relax and it will be easier to roll out! Trust me---- the best trick ever!
Roll out the dough to about a 16x 12 rectangle- or so :)
For the filling on this, it's best to use however much you prefer, maybe even add some extras that sound good to you and your family. My amounts are only suggestions, so feel free to adjust- this will not change anything but your own results, and will not affect the dough.
save some cheese for the topping!
Roll and cut into 12 rolls and place in a greased 9x13 baking pan, cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Top with more shredded cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25- 30 minutes. The inside should reach 185 degrees.
Enjoy this delicious alternative- especially if you don't have a sweet tooth......my mind is not able to comprehend not having a sweet tooth- it's just such an obnoxious idea......unfathomable.\
I dare you to try this with half whole wheat flour- you would be my super hero for all time (or this week.....i can't make promises all that far out)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
When you see a new recipe that you want to try, but don't know quite what to think- you don't want to waste your time and ingredients on something that may or may not turn out. Chemical leavening is used in quick breads, cakes, cookies, and several other baked goods. When you know what to look for in leavening, your efforts should result with better turnouts! and that's really want we want- our stuff to be perfect! I've explained what to look for and how you can change something simple to ensure perfection.
Leavening in baking is all as simple as an acid reacting with a base. When the acid and base react, you get bubbles, and if they are not allowed to escape, you batter will expand and set up during baking.
Most recipes use either baking soda or baking powder.
Baking Soda- purely a base. In recipes with baking soda there is always an acid to counteract.
----common acids in baking include buttermilk, lemon or other citrus juices, yogurt or sour cream, cream of tartar, and vinegar, even cocoa is used as a reacting agent in some recipes.
Baking Powder- this is basically baking soda premixed with an acid. Recipes with baking soda are usually more simple- without any of the above acids.
Cocoa
There is regular cocoa and dutch processed cocoa.
Regular cocoa- Acid
Dutch cocoa (or alkalized)- Neutral
Many people prefer a dutch cocoa because of it's taste is more neutral. which makes sense...
Acidic regular cocoa ---should be used alongside Baking Soda
Dutch---use with baking Powder.
many people only carry one cocoa type at a time---unless of course you have food hoarding problems like i do..... so if you only have regular cocoa and your recipe calls for dutch- don't go run out and buy dutch- just add 1/2tsp baking soda per cup of cocoa in the recipe. Problem solved.
Goes the other way too- if you are food snob, you may only have dutch cocoa- in this case, the recipe should have baking powder. Unless of course there are other acids....
I have heard of many people adding vinegar to milk to make buttermilk. This works because you are replacing vinegar for the acid, and keeping the same amount of liquid. Good solution! I sometimes add melted butter or cream, to add creaminess.
Another solution would be to use baking powder (add a little more than the recipe calls for) in place of baking soda- and just use regular milk. Most old old recipes never called for baking powder because it just wasn't available.
I have also seen many people use buttermilk in boxed cake mixes to get a more domed shape on your cupcakes.
At first it made me wonder if the formula for the cake mix was not optimized. But it is- for a cake. You don't want a overly domed 9 inch cake layer. but on cupcakes it can be a more desirable.
Here's how that works: Large baking mix companies often use a double acting baking powder- one that reacts as soon as it gets wet, and again at a higher temperature during baking. This ensures that the cake has a higher chance of success. When you add buttermilk, you are adding a 3rd reaction. if you do this, it is wise to add about 1/4 tsp. baking soda, so you don't end up with an acidic flavor. and you get very cute cupcakes!!!
One last thought- I have always been taught that you bake a cake immediately after mixing. The reason why is so your chemical reaction bubbles don't escape before you get it in the oven. Even the fridge won't stop this....
SO, if you are ever in a situation where you can not bake the cake right away after you mix it- we've all had this- emergencies, running to the store, not enough pans, etc.....
put it in the fridge, and when you are ready to bake it, just throw in
1/2 to 1 tsp. of baking powder and mix. This will give you back your leavening power with absolutely no worries.
Leavening in baking is all as simple as an acid reacting with a base. When the acid and base react, you get bubbles, and if they are not allowed to escape, you batter will expand and set up during baking.
Most recipes use either baking soda or baking powder.
Baking Soda- purely a base. In recipes with baking soda there is always an acid to counteract.
----common acids in baking include buttermilk, lemon or other citrus juices, yogurt or sour cream, cream of tartar, and vinegar, even cocoa is used as a reacting agent in some recipes.
Baking Powder- this is basically baking soda premixed with an acid. Recipes with baking soda are usually more simple- without any of the above acids.
Cocoa
There is regular cocoa and dutch processed cocoa.
Regular cocoa- Acid
Dutch cocoa (or alkalized)- Neutral
Many people prefer a dutch cocoa because of it's taste is more neutral. which makes sense...
Acidic regular cocoa ---should be used alongside Baking Soda
Dutch---use with baking Powder.
many people only carry one cocoa type at a time---unless of course you have food hoarding problems like i do..... so if you only have regular cocoa and your recipe calls for dutch- don't go run out and buy dutch- just add 1/2tsp baking soda per cup of cocoa in the recipe. Problem solved.
Goes the other way too- if you are food snob, you may only have dutch cocoa- in this case, the recipe should have baking powder. Unless of course there are other acids....
I have heard of many people adding vinegar to milk to make buttermilk. This works because you are replacing vinegar for the acid, and keeping the same amount of liquid. Good solution! I sometimes add melted butter or cream, to add creaminess.
Another solution would be to use baking powder (add a little more than the recipe calls for) in place of baking soda- and just use regular milk. Most old old recipes never called for baking powder because it just wasn't available.
I have also seen many people use buttermilk in boxed cake mixes to get a more domed shape on your cupcakes.
At first it made me wonder if the formula for the cake mix was not optimized. But it is- for a cake. You don't want a overly domed 9 inch cake layer. but on cupcakes it can be a more desirable.
Here's how that works: Large baking mix companies often use a double acting baking powder- one that reacts as soon as it gets wet, and again at a higher temperature during baking. This ensures that the cake has a higher chance of success. When you add buttermilk, you are adding a 3rd reaction. if you do this, it is wise to add about 1/4 tsp. baking soda, so you don't end up with an acidic flavor. and you get very cute cupcakes!!!
One last thought- I have always been taught that you bake a cake immediately after mixing. The reason why is so your chemical reaction bubbles don't escape before you get it in the oven. Even the fridge won't stop this....
SO, if you are ever in a situation where you can not bake the cake right away after you mix it- we've all had this- emergencies, running to the store, not enough pans, etc.....
put it in the fridge, and when you are ready to bake it, just throw in
1/2 to 1 tsp. of baking powder and mix. This will give you back your leavening power with absolutely no worries.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Danish Pastries
Ok, this is the most simple, fascinating dessert I have ever made and consumed. It is extremely versatile and quick, and disappears faster than you can blink.
Danish Pastries.
First of all- some background on Danish Pastries- it is a dough that has layers upon layers of dough and butter. During baking, the yeast in the dough expands and the gluten from the flour holds the yeast bubbles in (like an expanding balloon) When you have layers upon layers of butter in between layers upon layers of dough, this keeps the bubbles from forming all together like you would see in a loaf of sandwich bread. THIS, my friend is what causes flakes. Delicious buttery flakes.
See how in the picture the dough has bubbles? that is the CO2 from the yeast fermentation. The laminated dough has layers of butter- which keeps the dough separated, and flaky. The dough on the right is a typical bread dough, all contained together. I love bread, too.
I have made dough from scratch. It takes hours upon hours of waiting and working and waiting. And unless you have a giant dough sheeter and a walk in fridge in your kitchen it is by no means a simple task. You have to take dough, add in some butter, and fold, refrigerate, sheet out, fold, refrigerate, sheet out, fold, refrigerate…..several times, and you end up with like 80-some layers if I remember right. (if you do a 3-fold every time????) you do the math…..It's been too long since I've had time to think about such nonsense.
So an easier way you ask?
Pepperidge farm makes a nice affordable dough that I like to use. They don't use butter. Which is normally quite the turn off. But for the <$4 price tag, I usually get over it.
This dough is laminated so fast it makes me scream. I've honestly seen this happen. the take a whole lot of dough, and instead of endless 3-folds, they just stick the millions of layers all together in one spot, and then sheet it out some more. It's a miracle, I think my next purchase is going to take up my whole house……I love laminated dough that much.
So back to the recipe at hand. follow the instructions on the package to thaw on a metal baking sheet lined. Sometimes when I unfold the flaps, some of the dough rips at the seams, so I gently push it all back together with my fingers. Remember this is a delicate dough, so be nice to the edges and the seams. If you are not nice, the dough will punish you buy not rising up to wonderful flaky layers during baking. You do not want to miss out on wonderful flaky layers. I know that for a fact.
Then, I take one sheet of dough and designate it for my tried and true square shape. It always looks fabulous and even though I spend hours upon hours figuring out what other shapes would be good, taking notes when I see other shapes and vow to try them, I lose all creativity when it gets down to the wire and end up using the same shape. It's the only thing I know.
Cut the dough using a pizza cutter- so you don't disturb the layered edges- into 9 squares. then fold in half diagonally and snip a quarter inch from the edge, starting on the folded side, not quite to the corner. Do this on both edges. Unfold, spread on some egg wash, fold the loose edge flappys to the opposite side and voila! brush again with egg wash and you are ready to fill! Try to work quickly, you do not want this dough to un-laminate. For filling in a pinch I like canned cherry pie filling. If I’m in an ambitious mood, I make some cream cheese filling. Chocolate filling would be heavenly too, I just thought of how irresistible chocolate crescents are and wow….I'm going to have to buy more dough!
But there are so many flavors out there- be creative, make it fresh from scratch! For my other piece of dough, I usually end up making some square creation or other not-as-pretty nonsense. It's just my creativity overflowing, I know…..
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until you've got some delicious golden brown crusts staring at you. Remember if you take a bite right now, you are going to curse me because the filling is super duper hot. Hold back all inhibitions for at least 15 minutes. You'll thank me later.
For these, I made some chocolate ganache for drizzling. It's just so delicious…… powdered sugar icing runs a close 2nd place
recipe:
pre-laminated dough found in the freezer section.
Cherry Pie Filling- or your own creation of fabulousness
Chocolate ganache icing. To be completely honest I did not measure any of this out. I rarely do, life is just so much less complicated when I don't have measuring cups to wash in my sink. But I have a good estimate of what I used.
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (or a blend of semi-sweet and bittersweet is good too) you can use chips, chunks, squares, whatever.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sweet Pork Salad
I always always always order the sweet pork salad- after a co-worker suggested it and really talked it up. i was not disappointed, and I've probably had one at least once a month since then (this might have been 9-12 months ago) or maybe longer.
So, when I go there for the small sweet pork salad and a coke, I spend 8 dollars. Just a little bit pricey for an everyday lunch.
Ingredients: Layer on a plate.
Tortilla- warm up and line your plate, ready to pile on the toppings.
Beans- black or pinto (i like black)
rice- take it or leave it, it will still be good.
shredded sweet pork- find a recipe online or buy a package of frozen bbq pork
fresh tomato salsa (pico de gallo)
lettuce
guacamole- if you don't like or it will take too much time, you can leave this out too
cheese- to your heart's desire
sour cream- I can't remember if they add this or not, what the heck though...throw some on.
crunchy fried tortilla strips- you can buy these, or fry up some yourself.
salad dressing (they have some delicious choices) but when I make it at home i use what's in my fridge.
Top with your favorite dressing right before serving and enjoy!!!!! I mean REALLY enjoy.
When you eat this its fun to tear off pieces of tortilla and scoop up the beans and rice and everything else that's dripped in and melded together. like a mini taco. I learned this trick from real Mexican's that don't like to use silverware.
Also- when I do this recipe at home, I'm not picky at all about having ALL the ingredients. Sometimes I'll throw some lettuce and leftover bbq pork in a bowl with dressing and eat up.
I think I really love this because it melds Mexican flavors with American flavors. it doesn't get better than that!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Fish Tacos
I've been meaning, for a very long time, to add some of my favorite recipes to my blog. But one thing is stopping me- and that is the requirement for pictures. I am usually just too excited to eat my food to take a picture. but not today. I was just so excited about my recipe, adapted from Bobby Flay so of course it is going to be good. And it was rated with 5 stars. Even Better.
Food science perspective- ? What makes this so good in my opinion is the melding of different tastes, textures, and temperatures. tortilla and fish are both steamy hot, the garnishes are nice and crunchy. And the salsa....oh the salsa.....I just can't live without cilantro. I need to replenish my herb garden and make it exclusively cilantro. Heaven.
Don't they look so good! They are, trust me. So here is the recipe I made, slightly adapted from Bobby's to suit my taste and my ingredient inventory.
Fish Tacos
Fish Tacos
Fish & Marinade:
1 lb flaky fish- I used Cod because it was on sale "Manager's Special" which means it had a sell by date of yesterday. (I bought it yesterday)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbps. chili powder
1 jalepeno chopped coarsely
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
Whisk together all the ingredients, and pour over the fish. Let marinate 20-30 minutes.
Remove the fish from the marinade on a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill for 4 minutes on first side, then flip for 30 seconds (or until is 145 degrees) Let sit for 5 minutes then flake with fork. Add some salt here.
(or if you are me you don't need to flake with a fork because I used my grill pan and forgot to oil it. so it came out pre-flaked)
Heat up some corn tortillas, add fish, and garnish with shredded cabbage, sour cream, cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, and tomato salsa
TOMATO SALSA:the one Ernesto taught me.....so it's special and good and goes with Carne Asada too.
2 Roma tomatoes
equal amount by weight or slightly less tomatillos.
1 jalepeno
garlic clove (do not use powder, it is better to leave out than to use powder, i have no idea why but i was given this warning)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
finely chopped cilantro (a few tablespoons)
Boil tomatoes, tomatillos, jalepeno until soft. place in blender with garlic.
Pour into bowl and add chopped onion and cilantro. AND ADD SALT I always get in trouble for not adding salt.
Here's my garnish bowl- I tried it with red onions, but decided it just wasn't my thing today.
1 lb flaky fish- I used Cod because it was on sale "Manager's Special" which means it had a sell by date of yesterday. (I bought it yesterday)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbps. chili powder
1 jalepeno chopped coarsely
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
Whisk together all the ingredients, and pour over the fish. Let marinate 20-30 minutes.
Remove the fish from the marinade on a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill for 4 minutes on first side, then flip for 30 seconds (or until is 145 degrees) Let sit for 5 minutes then flake with fork. Add some salt here.
(or if you are me you don't need to flake with a fork because I used my grill pan and forgot to oil it. so it came out pre-flaked)
Heat up some corn tortillas, add fish, and garnish with shredded cabbage, sour cream, cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, and tomato salsa
TOMATO SALSA:the one Ernesto taught me.....so it's special and good and goes with Carne Asada too.
2 Roma tomatoes
equal amount by weight or slightly less tomatillos.
1 jalepeno
garlic clove (do not use powder, it is better to leave out than to use powder, i have no idea why but i was given this warning)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
finely chopped cilantro (a few tablespoons)
Boil tomatoes, tomatillos, jalepeno until soft. place in blender with garlic.
Pour into bowl and add chopped onion and cilantro. AND ADD SALT I always get in trouble for not adding salt.
Here's my garnish bowl- I tried it with red onions, but decided it just wasn't my thing today.
I ate 5.
Food science perspective- ? What makes this so good in my opinion is the melding of different tastes, textures, and temperatures. tortilla and fish are both steamy hot, the garnishes are nice and crunchy. And the salsa....oh the salsa.....I just can't live without cilantro. I need to replenish my herb garden and make it exclusively cilantro. Heaven.
Kabobs!
Kansas Kabobs!!!!
Nothing is more Kansan than steak itself. So when I make kabobs I throw on tons of steak. And onions, and fill it in with green peppers, mushrooms,....and some shrimp! I actually love love love shrimp kabobs all by themselves, too. Oh, and I also have some tomatoes on here too, they add juice- just don't eat them right off the grill, ouch.
My recipe: 1st, #1, most important thing- soak the bamboo skewers if you are using them....disaster happens when you don't. (on the grill) if you are indoor grilling you are ok without this step.
Sirloin steaks- any steak will do but I got a killer deal at Smith's. 5 Sirloins for $4.88 I couldn't pass it up. For normal steaks on the grill I'm more of a Rib-Eye Girl. Or the occasional t-bone.
Marinate the steaks in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper.
for the shrimp, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms i melted some butter, mixed in some canola oil and let the veggies just soak up that deliciousness. And give it a nice coat of fat.
I didn't do anything with the tomatoes except rinse them off.
Throw everything on the skewers randomly- some with more steak, some with more shrimp, some with more veggies, and the rest all exactly the same. Right.
Then I threw them on the grill (I love to throw things around)
Grill to desired doneness and enjoy with a nice Corona- but since that is not Kansas beer better go with Boulevard Wheat.
How should I relate food science- by telling you to cook beef to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the that you should cook all the foods separately. but I love the flavors melding together all on one skewer. Also-even though this is steak and normally steak is never exposed to oxygen so you are killing all the microorganisms by searing the outside layer, you need to get this steak all the way done because we poked a hole in it....details details.....
Nothing is more Kansan than steak itself. So when I make kabobs I throw on tons of steak. And onions, and fill it in with green peppers, mushrooms,....and some shrimp! I actually love love love shrimp kabobs all by themselves, too. Oh, and I also have some tomatoes on here too, they add juice- just don't eat them right off the grill, ouch.
My recipe: 1st, #1, most important thing- soak the bamboo skewers if you are using them....disaster happens when you don't. (on the grill) if you are indoor grilling you are ok without this step.
Sirloin steaks- any steak will do but I got a killer deal at Smith's. 5 Sirloins for $4.88 I couldn't pass it up. For normal steaks on the grill I'm more of a Rib-Eye Girl. Or the occasional t-bone.
Marinate the steaks in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper.
for the shrimp, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms i melted some butter, mixed in some canola oil and let the veggies just soak up that deliciousness. And give it a nice coat of fat.
I didn't do anything with the tomatoes except rinse them off.
Throw everything on the skewers randomly- some with more steak, some with more shrimp, some with more veggies, and the rest all exactly the same. Right.
Then I threw them on the grill (I love to throw things around)
Grill to desired doneness and enjoy with a nice Corona- but since that is not Kansas beer better go with Boulevard Wheat.
How should I relate food science- by telling you to cook beef to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the that you should cook all the foods separately. but I love the flavors melding together all on one skewer. Also-even though this is steak and normally steak is never exposed to oxygen so you are killing all the microorganisms by searing the outside layer, you need to get this steak all the way done because we poked a hole in it....details details.....
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