Sourdough Hamburger Buns

We love a good burger every now and then, but really limit how often we eat them because I had not been able to find a bun I felt good about. All that ends with this recipe, which results in the most wonderful homemade sourdough buns. They work really great for hamburgers and we have also used them for breakfast sandwiches and sloppy joes (and more). I cannot imagine a better bun than this.

Sourdough Pretzels

We just love this easy and quick recipe for sourdough pretzels that helps use up excess starter.

Banana Bread - More Awesome Version!

I have been making banana bread the same way for the past couple of years and I really like it, but my husband is not a huge fan. He says he likes banana bread, and then I make it, and I'm the only one that eats it. It's totally annoying. So, last week I tried a new recipe and it is AMAZING!! I liked the old recipe a lot, but we really loved the new recipe. And, I'm not the only one that eats it. In fact, I was lucky to get a slice! The new recipe is from the following link and I only modified it a little bit.

Sourdough Dinner Rolls

I have this lovely sourdough starter from Cultures for Health that has been living happily on my kitchen counter for the last month providing me with countless pancakes, some dense bread (darn it, still haven't found my "go to" recipe yet), and some absolutely wonderful buttery rolls.

You still have time to make them before thanksgiving and they are pretty easy with minimal fuss. They are really delicious! It is easy to keep a sourdough starter (I promise)! - please check out my Quick Start Guide for more information.

Italian Stuffed Fryer Peppers

This is a traditional Italian recipe (from my grandma!) for stuffed fryer peppers and is considered a treat for special occasions.

Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast

Have I mentioned how happy I am to have added butter back into my diet? This recipe is a perfect illustration of that happiness. Remember to only use organic butter from grass-fed cows and check out this brief excerpt highlighting some of the reasons why I make that recommendation (Nina Planck, from her book, Real Food):

"Compared to industrial milk, dairy foods from grass fed cows contain more omega 3 fats and more vitamin A and more beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Butter and cream from grass fed cows are a rare source of the unique and beneficial fat CLA. According to the Journal of Dairy Science, the CLA in grass fed butterfat is 500 percent greater than the butterfat of cows eating a typical dairy ration, which usually contains grain, corn silage, and soybeans. CLA is a polyunsaturated omega 6 fat [which is not the same at other omega 6 fats, and acts more like an omega 3], CLA prevents heart disease (probably by reducing atherosclerosis), fights cancer, and builds lean muscle. CLA aids weight loss in several ways: by decreasing the amount of fat stores after eating, increasing the rate by which fat cells are broken down, and reducing the number of fat cells. Most studies of CLA and cancer have been conducted on animals, and more research is needed, but findings are encouraging. CLA Inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro. A Finnish team round that a women eating dairy from pastured animals had a lower risk of breast cancer than those eating industrial dairy".

2 slices bread, try Ezekial or French Meadow Bakery brands
1 egg, I recommend free-range or, even better, farm fresh, pasture eggs
1 tsp organic vanilla
1/2 tsp organic cinnamon (or more to taste)
A splash of milk (about 1 tbsp), try Organic Valley
A little real maple syrup (optional), Grade B is just fine, about 1 tbsp
A little butter (about 2 tbsp), organic and from grass-fed cows, try Kerry Gold or Organic Valley Pasture butter

Beat egg with milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dip bread slices into egg mixture. In the meantime, add 1 tbsp butter to a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and ensure the bottom is covered with butter when it melts. Add bread to pan and cook about 5 to 7 minutes per side. You may want to sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon when you first start cooking or at the end (I don't think you could ever use too much cinnamon).

Serve with remaining butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. YUM.

Comments: This is really fast to make, quick and easy preparation and so very good. Easy to double the recipe, but the current version makes one serving.

Grilled Ham and Cheese

About 8 slices of no-sugar added sliced bread, like French Meadow Bakery brand
About 4 ounces of organic cheddar cheese, sliced thinly (for 4 sandwiches), try Organic Valley
Butter (softened) try Organic Valley
Ham, four slices, I recommend organic and nitrate-free

Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the bottom and spread around. In the mean time, prepare your sandwiches by arranging the cheese and ham inside two slices of bread. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of the bread. Then, add your sandwich to the saute pan, butter side down (I find two at a time works well). Spread a little butter on the top side and cook a few minutes, until browned. Flip and cook another few minutes, until that side is also browned and the cheese inside is melted. Serve warm.

Comments: This makes four sandwiches. As far as the butter goes, try to use as little as possible and if the butter is soft, a small amount will go a long way. This is fairly quick to make and so extremely good. Grilled cheese is a real favorite in our house and you can make this a more nourishing option by using a high quality bread and high-quality, organic dairy. We serve with tomato soup.

Test Kitchen: Leek and Asparagus Bread Pudding

This is another recipe from the Clean Eating blog I have recently discovered. Click this link for the original recipe. I modified only slightly. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of asparagus. However, my husband really likes it and so I made this recipe in the hopes that I would find an asparagus recipe we all love. Unfortunately, this recipe did not do it for me. If you like asparagus, you will really like this recipe (my husband loved it).

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 large leek, lighter bottom part only, sliced thinly
2 bunches aspargus, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup white cooking wine (or dry white wine)
6-8 slices of whole grain, no-sugar added bread, like Ezekial, cut into cubes
1 cup shredded cheese (swiss, gruyere, cheddar, etc.)
5 eggs
3 cups lowfat milk
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, chervil, sage, thyme, and/or marjoram, etc.)
Salt and Pepper to taste

How To:
1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 3-4 quart (9x12) baking dish by misting with olive oil or greasing with butter.

2. Saute: Cook leeks and asparagus in oil over medium heat 1-2 minutes, then add wine and cook about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.

3. Eggs, Bread Cubes & Combine: In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, then add cheese and herbs followed by the cooled leeks and asparagus. Then gently fold in the bread cubes. Mix until the bread is evenly coated but not falling apart.

4. Bake: Spread into baking dish and cook uncovered 50 minutes to 1 hour, when knife or toothpick comes out clean. Wait 5-10 minutes to serve.

Comments:
This makes enough for about 10-12 side dish servings. According to the original recipe, about 192 calories per serving, 2.5 grams of fiber, and 11 grams of protein. Very nice!

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

This recipe is from my new favorite blog - the Joy of Clean Eating. I was looking for a way to use up leftover cooked chicken and found this Chicken and Stuffing Bake, which I modified only slightly.

About 0.75 to 1 pound cooked chicken (or turkey), cubed
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (NOT THE CANNED KIND, click link)
4 to 6 ounces swiss or gruyere cheese, shredded
6 slices whole grain bread, I use Ezekial brand, cubed
2 T organic butter from grass-fed cows, moo
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp salt free poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetarian)
A little olive oil (about 2 T)

First toast your cubed bread (in oven on a baking dish at 300 for 20-25 minutes or in a toaster oven, your preference). When done, you'll want to change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large skillet saute celery and onion in the olive oil and butter. When onion is clear, about five minutes, add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the broth, boil, then reduce heat and simmer about a minute or two. Turn off the heat and fold in the bread cubes.

In a 9x13 dish, layer chicken then sprinkle cheese then pour the soup and then spoon the "stuffing" over top and spread evenly. Cover with foil and bake uncovered 15-20 minutes.

Comments: This serves about four to six and if you had leftover turkey or chicken and cream of mushroom soup already made and frozen in the refrigerator, this would be a super easy, super fast dish. As it is, with all the cutting and chopping I think this took me an hour to make, plus cook time, but I also made the cream of mushroom soup too. This serves four to six and we all really liked it, especially my husband. My brother in law was over and ate with us and he said he liked it too. It is a nice, warm comfort food.

Ham & Cheddar Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
8 slices whole grain bread with seeds, like Ezekial Genesis 1:29 Sprouted Grain and Seeds
A little butter (to grease ramekins)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese on hand)
1/3 cup diced onions (white, green, red)
3/4 cup whole milk (raw is great if you have it)
1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth (homemade stock or low-sodium, organic store bought)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 - 4 ounces cooked ham, diced (no added nitrites/nitrates, lower-sodium if possible)
3 large pasture eggs
4 tsp sour cream or greek yogurt mixed with a sprinkling of thyme and chives or other fresh herbs (optional garnish)

How To:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into cubes and place onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted (turning once). Alternatively, toast bread and then slice into cubes. Remove from oven and let sit to cool for a couple of minutes.

In a large bowl, combine bread, most of the cheese (reserve a small amount to sprinkle on top), onions, milk, broth, pepper, ham, and egg yolks (lightly beaten). In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork about 30 sec. and then gently fold into bread mixture.

Spoon one-fourth bread mixture into each of four (7 oz) ramekins coated with cooking spray (or greased otherwise). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Top each with sour cream or greek yogurt when serving.

Comments: This recipe is a modified version of one from the September 2011 edition of Cooking Light magazine. If you have ghee or organic butter from grass fed cows, add a tablespoon to your bread mixture. Otherwise, don't worry about it. This was a great recipe to kick off fall weather, very much a comfort food. We all enjoyed it.

Garlic Parmesan Toast Points

These toast points are very easy to make and are a more nutritious alternative to garlic bread. They taste very good and would be a nice accompaniment to a pasta dish, hummus, tapenades, and/or soups, etc.

French Toast (More Nutritious Version)

4 slices of your favorite no-sugar added bread (I like Ezekial 4:9 brand and used the cinnamon raisin variety today)
2 eggs
1/4 cup 1% or no-fat milk, or a little less
Cinnamon (about a teaspoon, your preference)

Mix the egg, milk, and cinnamon and dip bread slices into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Cook over medium heat until done, about 5 minutes per side. Serve as-is or with real maple syrup, or agave syrup, or spread with nut butter, no sugar added jelly, or fruit, etc.

Comments: Since school has been cancelled the last couple of days due to the incredibly cold weather, I have been trying out a variety of breakfast ideas. I grew up in Germany and my best friend for a few years was a French girl named Kim who taught me how to make French Toast. Every time I spent the night, we would cook this for breakfast. Over the years, I always made French Toast the same way. This recipe is pretty much the same version, modified only a little to make it more nutritious.

Two slices served with leftover chicken sausage. Drizzled with a little real maple syrup.

Banana Bread

1/2 cup 1% milk (or other unsweetened milk alternative)
2 T ground flaxseed
1 1/2 cups spelt flour (see comments below**)
1/2 cup almond flour
1 heaping t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or olive, or coconut)
1/2 to 1 T honey
1 heaping t of vanilla extract
3 to 4 very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups mashed)
1/2 cup dried nuts or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x5 baking pan (I used olive oil). In a large mixing bowl combine milk and flaxseed and set aside. In a medium bowl combine flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Blend vanilla, honey, oil, and bananas into the milk & flax mixture until combined well. Stir in dry ingredients but don't over mix. Add nuts or fruit if using. Spread batter in greased pan and bake about 40 - 45 minutes until browned. Let cook in pan for 10 or 15 minutes.

** Regarding the flours used, I made another loaf this morning only I substituted 1/2 cup quinoa flour for 1/2 cup of the spelt flour and I did not notice any difference in flavor. I think next time I will try more quinoa flour for the spelt (moving toward gluten-free), although quinoa does have a stronger flavor so I should urge caution. However, I do encourage you to try your own flour substitutions and if you find any combinations that are very good, please share your results with me.


About 10 minute prep time yielded a very tasty banana bread. I used pecans in mine. This was a really delicious banana bread. Mine took 45 minutes to cook until done, but you might start checking prior to that because it seemed like a long time to cook. I inserted a knife into the middle starting about 35 minutes and if definitely had a ways to go.

Cheddar & Green Onion Almond Flour Muffins

These little muffins are so delicious that we actually made them almost every weekend for about a month when we first tried the recipe! They are super easy too - you will really enjoy them. This recipe is from Mrs. Scratch.Love, modified only slightly.

Rye Toast with Nut Butter & Bananas

1 slice rye toast (make sure the rye toast does not have any added sugar)
1 small banana
nut butter (almond, hazlenut, macademia nut, etc.)

Toast the rye bread in the toaster, spread nut butter on top, and finish off with sliced bananas.

Comments:
Be sure to use rye bread with no added sugar. I can find this bread only at the health food store where I currently live (a small, rural town), but I formerly lived in the Kansas City and Washington, DC areas and this bread was available at my regular grocery store. I currently buy several loafs when I go to the health food store and freeze until needed. You can certainly substitute another whole grain, no sugar bread (Ezekial brand has many options, and my regular grocery store carries them) but I prefer the denseness and flavor of the rye bread for this recipe. Also, be sure that the nut butter you use does not have any added sugars, as many do. My favorite for this breakfast is creamy almond butter, which is available at my regular grocery store.

I really love this rye bread, even toasted and plain. This is a great, super fast breakfast.