Honey Oat Bread

In my daily eleven hour boredom until Molly gets home, I decided I wanted to try baking a new kind of bread.  I had to go with something that we had the ingredients for.  I knew we had honey and I knew we had oats.  After contemplating this information for hours, I had a brilliant idea:  HONEY OAT BREAD!!!  So, I set about on the internet; that wonderful invention of Henry van Statten or Al Gore, depending on whether you are a fan of Dr. Who or just plain gullible, respectively.  I found many recipes, but they all contained things that were just not in my lexicon:  like self-rising yeast.  I finally found a recipe on eatingwell.com.  As usual (well, if usual is, in fact, usual with this only being my second posting), the address for the original recipe is linked in the last statement.  Having now tried the bread, I find it to be a good recipe, and it was really simple to make. I mostly post recipes on here for my own convenience, as I hate to try to google it every time I want to make it.  However, I am going to break the recipe down a little more so it easier to follow.

Timing:

Preparation:  About 15 minutes

Cooking:      40-50 minutes (maybe a bit more or less depending on your oven.  I'm assuming yours is not 

                    schizophrenic like mine.)

Cooling:       About an hour is recommended.  (15 minutes in pan, then 45 minutes out of pan)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats for the mixture.
2. About 2-4 tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats for pan and topping.
3. 1 and 1/3 cups of whole-wheat flour.
4. 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  (I used the bleached variety.)
5. 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder.
6. 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
7. 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of salt
8. 1 cup of plain yogurt
9. 1 large egg
10. 1/4 cup of oil (either vegetable or canola oil is fine)
11. 1/4 cup of honey
12. 3/4 cups of milk

Directions:

1. Put a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Sift the wheat flour and the all-purpose flour together into a large bowl.  I sifted two times.  This mixed the different flours together pretty well.  (Also, I read on the internet that sifting wheat flour more than once makes the final product less dense.  And we all know the internet knows everything.)
3. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixed flour.
4. Use a small to medium-sized rubber spatula to mix the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour together.  
5. Now, get out a medium-sized bowl.  ( I assume you already have the bowl out by this point, as most people would read through the recipe before attempting to make it.  Nevertheless, I added this step just in case the under-prepared, or maybe incredibly stoned tries using this recipe.)
6. In the medium-sized bowl, put the 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats.
7. Add the yogurt, egg, oil, and honey to the oats.  
8. Use a fork to stir/beat the oat/yogurt/egg/oil/honey mixture.
9. Now, add the milk to this mix, and stir a bit more with your fork.
10. Leave the two bowls alone for a minute and go to your loaf pan.  Use a cooking spray to grease the bottom and sides of the pan.  Take 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining oats, and sprinkle them on the bottom and sides of the pan.  You don't have to coat it all.  this is just to get some oats on the outside of the bread.
11. Go back to the bowls.
12. Pour half of the yogurt mixture from the medium bowl into the flour mixture in large bowl.
13. Use your spatula to mix this up a bit.
14. Pour the remaining yogurt mixture from the medium bowl into the flour mixture in the large bowl.
15. Use your spatula to mix this thoroughly.  Be careful not to over-mix, as this may toughen your bread.  The consistency will be more like a batter than a dough.  So, it will be looser than other breads.  Do not continue mixing thinking this will make it more dough-like.  (I don't know if most people would have this thought, but I did.  So, either "silly me" or "yay me for saving you from making a mistake")
16. Once you have finished mixing, pour the batter into the greased and oat-ed loaf pan.  
17. Even out the batter in the pan.  
18. Take the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of oats and sprinkle them over the batter.
19. Put the pan in the oven.  (If you've been following along, this pan will contain the batter you just spent all this time making.  If it doesn't, time to give up the baking (as in the process making food), or the BAKING (as in smoking the weed))
20. In 40 minutes, check your bread.  Do this by putting a toothpick or butter knife into the center.  If it comes out clean, it's done.  If not, put it in for 5 more minutes and repeat.
21. Once your knife comes out clean and you take the bread out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack to cool, for 15 minutes.
22. After 15 minutes, take the bread out of the pan and continue to allow it to cool.  ( the bread, not the pan, though that will likely cool as well.)
23. Let the bread cool until it is just barely still warm.  This may take about 45 minutes.

And there you have it.  A good tasting and easy to make Honey Oat Bread.  I've taken the 3 steps from the original recipe and turned it into 23 steps.  Maybe that's excessive, but I like things spelled out for me when cooking.

--D. Mosier

Hummus!

I am in LOVE with chickpeas right now! Before December I had never had them in anything besides hummus.  But, then I tried some delicious Arabic food courtesy of my students and have been craving chickpeas ever since.  Tonight, I'm making a Chickpea and Lentil Stew, and will post the recipe a bit later, but last night I made hummus.  I have made hummus a few times before and each time it turns out a bit differently, but it is always good!  Below is a rough recipe for the garlic hummus I made last night.

1 15oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup tahini (I have found this in the peanut butter aisle and the organic food section)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp to 1 Tbs. of garlic powder (depends on your taste...we LOVE garlic so ours has a bit more than 1 Tbs.)
About 1/4 c. water to thin, and not kill your blender (you can add more, of course, depending on what consistency you like...mine is about a peanut butter consistency)

I threw all of this in a small bowl and used my immersion blender, but you can also make it in a regular blender or in a food processor.  Eat with veggies or my favorite, Tomato Basil Wheat Thins.

For a fun twist (that my husband would not approve of) blend some roasted red peppers into the hummus...or artichoke hearts.

Garlic and Cheese Beer Bread

In an effort to help some young friends raise money for their school fundraiser, Molly and I (Molly's husband and writer of this post) purchased a beer bread mix.  When we got around to making it, we found it utterly delicious!  Continuing to purchase this mix would have proved to be an expensive habit, however.  As such, we decided to make our own.  Well, I decided to make our own.  And let me say, it was extremely easy to do.  If it's easy for me, anyone can make it!  This recipe was adapted a bit from one found on food.com (the original website is linked.  See, no plagiarism from the English MA!).  

Prep time:  5 mins
Bake time:  50 mins - 1 hour
Eat time:  Depends on your will power.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups flour
2. 3 teaspoons of baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon of salt
4. 1/4 cup of sugar
5. 1 can of beer (12 oz.) (I find dark beer to be the best, as it adds more flavor)
6. 1/4 cup butter
7. 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (this is optional, and we usually use Mexican cheese)*
8. 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder (optional)*

                 *though these are optional, they will be included in the directions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (that's Fahrenheit.  The rest of the world is Celsius, but we in the US like to be "unique.")
2. Sift the flour into a big bowl (yes, big bowl is a technical cooking term).
3. Add the baking powder, salt, sugar, and garlic powder to the flour.
4. Use a small to medium sized rubber spatula to mix the dry ingredients together.
5. Put the butter into the microwave to melt.  (I would put it in a plastic or glass container of some kind.  Otherwise you'll find yourself cleaning up a now useless mess.)  30 seconds should be sufficient.  (DO NOT mix the butter into the dough!)  
6. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, pour in the entire can of beer.  (When I say pour it in, I mean into the bowl.  If you want to pour it into your mouth, you'll need a second beer.)
7. Mix the ingredients in the bowl until all the liquid has been absorbed and there is no dry powder left.  Remember to scrape the excess off the side and back into the mix.
8. Mix the cheese into the dough.  Not all of it will mix in.  In fact, most of it will sit on top and help to form the crust.
9. Grease a loaf pan.
10. Pour the dough into the loaf pan.
11. Even out the dough.
12. Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough.
13. Put in oven to bake.  Depending on the oven, it will take between 50mins-1 hour.  
14. When finished, take it out of the oven, take it out of the loaf pan, and let cool for 15 mins.
15. Enjoy!!!  (Could have left this one out, but 15 seemed like a nice round number.)

When you take it out, the crust will be fairly hard.  Don't worry, you didn't over-bake it (well, maybe you did.  If it's all black, then you should probably have your oven checked out.)  The inside will still be soft and oh so delicious.

-Posted by D. Mosier  

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream (like you've never eaten before!)

I love to experiment with cooking and baking, which I'm sure is quite clear from this blog.  However, last week I had a failed experiment in adapting my go to cake recipe into a strawberry cake.  I had made the cupcakes and then I made a strawberry buttercream to go on top.  The cupcakes turned out not so great and the frosting was ok.  As not to waste the frosting, I decided to make some chocolate cupcakes.  The last time I made chocolate cake from scratch, it was dry and not so tasty.  By chance, I chose a recipe that called for boiling water at the end, which I thought, "hey, if it does not turn out well, then you find something later that does."  Well, this chocolate cake recipe (with my adaptations-half brown and half white sugar and sour cream instead of oil) turned out to be delicious! My husband, a cake hater (I'm working on that), loved this cake.  It is a bit more dense than I had thought, but its down right delicious.

So, last night the husband said, "can you make more of those cupcakes?" Not in the mood, I said I'd make a 9x13.  Also noticing that we had no frosting he requested more.  However, I did not have enough confectioners sugar to make enough buttercream to frost a 9x13 cake.  Then I remembered I had found a recipe on Pinterest for a buttercream that uses white sugar and flour.  That's right, flour.  Always a skeptic, I thought again, if it does not turn out then I know for next time.  I was wrong.  This is literally the best buttercream I have made.  It's light, fluffy and delicious.  Now that I've got you craving chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream, here are the recipes!

Chocolate Cake

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream 

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour pans, or use cupcake liners. (I use a bit of butter or skip this step all together)

2. In a large bowl, stir together sugars, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add eggs, milk, sour cream and vanilla.  Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Stir in boiling water last.  The batter will be very thin, but do not worry, it is supposed to be.  Pour into pans or cupcake liners.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes for 8" rounds, about 35-40 for a 9x13 and 15-18 for cupcakes. (This was for my oven, which is not very good at retaining heat and is often much too warm so adjust to your oven)

Buttercream

5 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar (not confectioners!)

1. In a small saucepan whisk flour into milk, stirring constantly, until it thickens.  It needs to be thicker than brownie mix, mine had a nice gruel like consistency, but that's ok!  Remove from heat and let cool completely.  I put mine in the fridge until I was ready for it.

2. Once cool, stir in vanilla.

3. Cream together the butter and sugar.  This took about 5 minutes on medium speed because you want all the little granules of sugar to be gone (don't worry if a few are left because they'll disappear in the next step).

4. Add the flour, milk and vanilla mixture.  Beat together until it looks like whipped cream.  It took me about 5 minutes on medium high to get there.

5. Frost your cooled cake and ENJOY!

P.S. Sorry I do not have pictures for this one! How boring is taking a picture of a 9x13 cake still in its pan :/

Curried Chicken and Lentil Chili (Vegetarian/Vegan Modifications too!)

What do I do with all of these ingredients?

 Ingredients

1 lb. ground chicken

1 lb. lentils, rinsed (I used brown lentils)

64 oz. chicken broth (you can use stock)

1 15oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15oz. can tomato sauce

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp. curry powder (depending on your taste)

2 tsp. cumin

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 t. garam masala (optional, if you have on hand)

2 t. chili powder

Directions

Brown chicken (I usually throw in some salt and pepper) in a Dutch oven and drain excess grease.  Return chicken to the pot and add all of the other ingredients.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender.

Vegetarian/Vegan Modifications

Finished product! 

Omit chicken and substitute vegetable broth/stock for the chicken.  Add all of the ingredients to a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook 25-30 minutes until lentils are tender.  You could add some more vegetables such as, peas.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.

Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on each cookie sheet, about 16 on a sheet. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookie sheet cool for 1 or 2 minutes more before reusing so the dough doesn't melt. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Pizza

This past weekend my sister, cousin and I went to the Wisconsin Dells for a girl's getaway.  We found a really good deal on Living Social for a resort (one bedroom, with Jacuzzi, full kitchen...nice location!), four lift tickets to Cascade Mountain and four indoor waterpark tickets to Mt. Olympus.  Needless to say, we had a blast!  We decided in order to keep the trip cost effective that we would cook most of our meals.  I had made homemade pizza dough a few weeks ago and froze some.  I ended up bringing it along and my cousin brought the toppings. What resulted was some very delicious pizza.

Whole Wheat Crust

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
  1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  1 teaspoon salt
  2 cups whole wheat flour
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  
  Directions
  In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
  
  
  Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  
  
  When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
  
  
  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
  
  
  Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.