White House Honey-Oat Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While I won't go so far as to say these are healthy muffins, I will say they are probably better for you than most you've come across. I found this recipe in a very old issue of Food and Wine magazine, and it caught my eye and was clipped because of its pedigree. Spike Mendelsohn, a former contestant on Top Chef, apparently made these muffins for Michele Obama, who liked them, and, hence the "White House" moniker was appended to his recipe. I've wanted to try them for a long time and the holiday gave me a chance to make them for a guest who is a fan of not too sweet, breakfast pastry. She really liked these. Now, I must warn you that these muffins, when baked, will win no beauty contests, and because they are just barely sweet, be sure you know the audience you're going to serve them to. That being said, the muffins are quite good and easy to make. I do, however, want to alert you to a small problem I encountered when baking my first batch. Now, it may be that the size of standard muffin pans has changed over the years, but if newer pans still have cups that hold 3-1/2 ounces, this recipe will make more batter than you need to fill 12 cups. Don't overfill the cups or you will have a mess on your hands when you try to unmold them. Please don't ask how I know. Somethings are better not shared with the world at large. Second time around, I was able to make 16 muffins using the ingredients listed below. If you like to start your day with a muffin and enjoy pastry that is not too sweet, you'll enjoy these. The honey and coriander give them a unique flavor that is worth a try. Here is how they are made.

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat and Molasses Quick Bread

My Thought for the Day can be found, here. If you like it, give us a thumbs up and share it with your friends.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Home again, home again, jiggety jig." Just in time to learn that rain, which admitably was fierce, caused our block party to be cancelled. While I was sorry I wouldn't be able to touch base with the neighbors, I was awfully glad I could take another day to become reacquainted with my kitchen. The Silver Fox volunteered for dinner duty, so while he pulled the elements of our dinner from the freezer, I put my feet up and relaxed. He chose some chili and a lovely quick bread that works well with any dish you that you might normally serve with cornbread. The bread is a Mark Bittman creation and I originally found the recipe in the New York Times. If you enjoy quick breads and are not put off by the flavor of molasses, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. The loaf is sliceable and many like to use it for sandwiches. I find that the flavor of molassses overwhelms the innards of most sandwiches, so I don't use the bread in that way. I do, however, like to eat it out of hand with butter or cream cheese, and have found that leftovers make fabulous toast. I prefer to use the more subdued flavor of light molasses when I make this bread, but if you enjoy the full-bodied flavor of molasses, by all means, use the darker varieties. Here is how this simple substitute for cornbread is made.

Fast and Easy Whole Wheat and Molasses Quick Bread...from the kitchen of Onee Perfect Bite courtesy of Mark Bittman and the New York Times

Ingredients:
Oil or butter for greasing pan
1-2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, or 11/2 cups milk and 2 tablespoons white vinegar (see Step 2)
2-1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-by-4-inch or 9-by 5-inch loaf pan, preferably nonstick.
2) If you're using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step. Make soured milk by warming milk gently - 1 minute in microwave is sufficient, just enough to take chill off - and add vinegar. Set aside.
3) Mix together dry ingredients. Stir molasses into buttermilk, yogurt or soured milk. Stir liquid into dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Yield: 1 loaf.

Suggested Variations:
Lighter Whole Wheat Quick Bread: Use 1-1/2 cups whole wheat and 11/2 cups all-purpose flour; omit cornmeal. Substitute honey for molasses. Beat 1 egg into wet ingredients in Step 3. Proceed with recipe.









One Year Ago Today: Strawberry and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Dessert Squares

















Two Years Ago Today: Spiked Pink Lemonade
















Three Years Ago Today: Asparagus and White Bean Salad














Four Years Ago Today: Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ezekiel Bread - A Loaf of Biblical Proportions

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My curiosity led me to this bread. It gets its name from a passage in the Book of Ezekiel (4:9). To the best of my knowledge, it's the only place in either the Old or New Testament where a recipe, at least a recipe of sorts, is given. The exhortation is meant for the Israelites who will be in exile for 390 days. The recipe is for a bread intended to help them survive famine and the rigors of life in the diaspora. While it is not particularly tasty, the combination of grains used to make the bread, combine to make a complete protein that satisfies all the body's nutritional requirements. It was the original survival bread and it came from a prophet who recommended cooking it over a dung fire. Every word of this is true. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

"But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days."

I suspect only a few of you will be tempted to make the bread, but it has a history I thought all of you might fine interesting. I don't recommend this bread for beginning bakers. The dough is tricky to work with and the bread is not to everyone's liking. My beloved's comment on sampling it was, "Nutritious." That is the kiss of death around here. I know from experience he won't take another bite. Here's the recipe.

Ezekiel's Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food.com

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey

8 cups wheat flour, finely ground
4 cups barley flour, finely ground
1/2 cup millet flour, finely ground
1/4 cup rye flour, finely ground

2 cup cooked lentils, mashed
1-1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water to which honey has been added. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2) Combine wheat, barley, millet and rye flour in a separate bowl. Set aside.
3) Place lentils, oil and 1/2 cup water in a blender. Puree mixture. Place puree into a large mixing bowl along with remaining 1 cup water. Stir in yeast mixture and salt. Beat in 2 cups of flour mixture. When smooth stir in remaining flour mixture.
4) Place on a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl. Let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Knead again and shape into 4 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Yield: 4 loaves.






One Year Ago Today: Shrimp and Rice Salad with Cucumbers

















Two Years Ago Today: Pork Medallions with Ancho Chili and Cherry Glaze








You might also enjoy these recipes:
Rye Spelt Bread - Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Whole Grain Bread - Divine Baking
Pete's Whole Wheat Bread - The Recipe Girl
Multigrain Wheat Bread - Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Whole Wheat Flax Bread - The Local Cook

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Summer in the Pacific Northwest is a particularly lovely season. The rains stop and temperatures moderate, rarely reaching the highs experienced in other areas of the country. Fair winds bring blue skies and balmy breezes blow inland from the sea. Ease and comfort reign under a just right sun. The frenetic must do, must go pace of winter eases to the rhythm of a summer waltz. We move outdoors. There are trails and tides to be seen and alfresco meals in need of testing. While not abandoned, the stove is definitely neglected as meals are simplified and the deck and grill become the summer kitchen. For better or worse, what we eat and where we eat it change for the season. I still experiment, but fast and light assume an importance that is not seen in my winter kitchen. This pasta dish is fairly typical of the meals I make at this time of year. While it is simple to make, it bursts with flavor that's not been sacrificed for the sake of ease. The ingredients, save for basil, can always be found in the pantry, and, fortunately, for the next few months, there'll be basil aplenty in the garden. You can have this on the table in 30 minutes. I think those of you who try this will really be pleased. It is strongly flavored but not overwhelming. Here's the recipe.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Walnut and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by a recipe originally appearing in Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1/2 cup boiling water
12 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Optional garnish: Finely chopped walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:
1) Place tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2) Place basil, Parmesan cheese and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add tomatoes with soaking liquid, broth, walnuts, salt and pepper; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.
3) Drain spaghetti; toss with pesto. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Corn and Radish Salad















Two Years Ago Today: Green Beans with Sesame -Miso Dressing







You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spicy Basil Walnut Pesto - Kitchen Confidante
Broccoli Pesto - Karmafree Cooking
Spinach and Almond Pesto - Gastronomical Sovereignty
Linguine and Pea Pesto - Smitten Kitchen
Pesto, Pesto Pesto! - A Girl in Her Kitchen

Soft Whole Wheat Rolls

Ready for the oven.



Ready for the table.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have, for the longest time, been looking for a recipe that would produce a soft whole wheat roll that was as delicious as it was healthy. To that end, I tested three new recipes this week and I'm happy to report that, while not yet there, I'm gaining ground. I'm featuring the best of the lot tonight and I think you'll really enjoy it. The recipe originally appeared in Eating Well Magazine. It's a bit unusual in that it uses low gluten cake flour to help make a soft dough. If you do not keep cake flour in your pantry and don't want to purchase it just to try this recipe, all-purpose flour can be substituted. Just remove 2 tablespoons from each cup of flour that you measure and you'll be fine. While this works well with bread, the results are less satisfactory when making a cake, so be careful where you use this substitution. I wanted a hint of molasses in my rolls, so I used turbinado rather than granulated sugar in my version of the recipe. Turbinado is just another name for raw sugar, that still has its molasses content intact. It's made from sugar cane juice that is heated and crystallized. Some consider it to be more healthy because it is less processed than granulated sugar. I use it when a want a hint of molasses flavor in a dish and I usually keep it on hand because the Silver Fox likes it in his coffee. It is not a key ingredient here and you can use granulated or brown sugar if you prefer. I know those of you who try these rolls will love them. Here's the recipe.

Soft Whole Wheat Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Eating Well Magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm low-fat milk
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs, divided
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups cake flour, divided, plus more for dusting
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Directions:
1. Whisk milk, sugar, butter, oil and 2 eggs in a large bowl. Whisk yeast, whole-wheat flour, 1-1/2 cups cake flour and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon. The dough will be very sticky.
2) Sprinkle 1/2 cup cake flour on a work surface. Turn dough onto it and knead until all flour is incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, coat top with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature (about 70°F) until doubled in volume, 1-1/4 to 2 hours.
3) Coat a 10-inch round pan with cooking spray. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 12 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Arrange balls in pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1-1/4 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl, and brush tops of rolls with it (you'll have some left over); sprinkle with wheat germ. Bake the rolls until light brown on top, about 20 minutes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Buttered Rosemary Rolls - A Feast for the Eyes
90 Minute Dinner Rolls - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Sweet Potato Bread Dinner Rolls - Pham Fatale
Sour Dough Dinner Rolls - Phoo-d
Potato Dinner Rolls - Sweet and Savory Tooth
Parker House Rolls - The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Soft Garlic Knots - Annie's Eats
Anadama Rolls - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Beginner's Whole Wheat Batter Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the first yeast bread I was taught to make. I was twelve years old at the time and learned this technique in the kitchen of a neighbor. It is a perfect beginners bread because it truly can't fail, though it does require a stand mixer or a very strong arm to make that miracle happen. This recipe makes a very wet dough that is not kneaded or shaped into loaves. The mixer does all the work. The shaggy dough is dropped into a bread pan and you can, if you wish, smooth the top a bit. Times have changed. When I first made this bread the whole wheat flour on the grocer's shelves was still called graham flour and yeast came in small cakes. I clearly remember we had to use molasses as a sweetener because honey was not yet generally available to folks living in the city. This bread has surprising flavor, a wonderful crumb and it makes great sandwiches. It can also handle the addition of nuts or seeds if you like them in your bread. It stays fresh for several days if it is wrapped and kept at room temperature. If you are new to bread baking, or have a young daughter who is interested in learning how to make bread, this is a wonderful starter recipe. It makes a lovely bread and those of you who try it will be pleased with the loaf you produce. Here's the recipe.

Beginner's Whole Wheat Batter Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey or molasses
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons room temperature butter

Directions:
1) Place water in bowl of an electric mixer. Add yeast and honey or molasses. Stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2) Set mixer to low speed. Beat in 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, salt and butter. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping sides as needed. Reduce speed to low to add reserved 1 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Beat just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3) Stir dough down by beating for 25 strokes with a wooden spoon. Spread dough into a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch bread pan. Cover loosely with a flour rubbed dish towel and let rise until dough rises to top of pan, about 1 hour. A floured towel is used to prevent dough from sticking to it. Do not use plastic wrap. Dough will stick to it and deflate when wrap is removed.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bread in center of oven until it is browned and sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blueberry and Lemon Batter Bread - One Perfect Bite
Stout Batter Bread - How to Eat A Cupcake
Four Grain Batter Bread - Safely Gathered In
Old Virginia Batter Bread - Foodista
English Muffin Batter Bread - Baking Bites
Whole Grain Oat-Wheat Batter Bread - More Than Tofu
Parmesan Herb Batter Bread - Adventures with the Woods

Swiss-Style Two Grain Bread

This bread confounds me. It probably graced farm tables in the Tyrol and I'm sure it was known to Heidi and her Grandfather. It has no cache. It's a bit heavy and lacks any pretense of sophistication. I shouldn't like it but I do. It has enormous flavor and great nose. This cracked grain bread is an easy no-knead wonder that comes from Bob's Red Mill, the folks who make my flour. It's ready to slice in less than two hours and it's wonderful with good European butter or a Red Leicester Cheese. I could go on and on but instead of talking let's do.

Swiss-Style Two Grain Bread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cracked wheat
1/4 cup cracked rye
Cold water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
4 tablespoons dry milk powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 2 pound bread pan. Set aside.
2) Place cracked wheat and cracked rye in a small saucepan. Cover grains with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and cool to luke warm.
3) Place 2/3 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in remaining 1-1/3 cup warm water, milk powder, salt and cracked grains. Gradually mix in whole wheat flour to make a very moist dough. Knead in bowl until it begins to change texture.
4) Transfer dough to prepared pan, cover and let rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes, or until dough rises to about 1/2-inch above top of pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: one 2-pound loaf.


I'm sending this recipe to Rachael at Tangerine's Kitchen for the May BBD multi grain bread challenge. BBD is a popular food-blog event that was started by Zorra of Kochtopf.

I'm also plan to send it on to Susan at Wild Yeast for her Yeast Spotting event.