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We here at Healthy Kitchens are concerned about today's food supply and how it affects our families' health.  This blog will be devoted to increasing awareness to all our readers about how to increase the nutritional content of the food that we feed our families daily.  We don't want to make it harder, so we have some great ideas on how to do this much easier with the use of some great tips and tricks.  We hope to have some great suggestions, recipes, nutritional information etc. that you all can use.  Please feel free to email us back with your comments and we will answer your questions and concerns or just add them to the posts.

Cooking Under Pressure Friday, July 30, 2010 COOKING UNDER PRESSURE Using a Pressure Cooker to Speed Up Food Preparation and Give You More Leisure Time I have to make a confession that most of the close friends already know--I don't like to cook.  I have cooked for 6 children, a house full of boarders and done numerous cooking classes for years so I know how to cook, I just don't like to any more.  Over the years I have looked for faster and easier ways to speed up the process of preparing foods so I am out of the kitchen faster.  Using a pressure cooker has been a God send to me as now it takes me 1/3 the time to prepare something like Barbeque Ribs, or a Roast Beef, or even a hearty soup.  I can make big batches of cooked beans and legumes like Chick Peas or Pinto Beans and freeze them in smaller containers for use at a latter time.  Pressure cookers are not new.  Many of us have had experience with using a pressure cooker for canning fish or vegetables which take much longer in the regular boiling water baths.  These are usually rather large and made out of aluminum.  They are usually very noisy, take a long time to heat up and an equally long time to cool down.  They also need to watched like a hawk so they don't over pressurize.  Europeans have recognized the importance of their energy saving benefit and own about 2.5 pressure cookers per household.  It is just in recent years that the North Amercian consumer has realized this energy saving potential that cooking with a pressure cooker could gvie them.  It works out to a savings of about 70% on the gas or electric bills.   Many of our customers who own boats or RV's like to use them because they take so much less time and energy to cook the foods.  We carry two European Companies pressure cooker in our store.  The Swiss made Kuhn Rikon we have had for over 22 years and love the way they work and the many differents sizes and shapes that they come in.  More recently we have brought in the German B/R/K brand which come in sets and have a more economical price point.  Here are some of the reasons why we like these ones. Stainless Steel- It is my belief that all good cookware should be made from good quality stainless steel.  The best is the 18/10 which refers to the ratio of nickel to steel in the cookware.  All the pressure cookers we carry are made of this best quality stainless steel.  They also have a thick base that has aluminum in between the stainless layers, in order to spread the heat evenly across the bottom of the pressure cooker.  This allows us to get the pan hot on high and place a raw 3 to 4 lb. beef roast that has been seasoned on the bottom of the hot pot and sear it on one side to brown it without using any oil.  After a minute or so, pick it up and flip it and sear it on the top side as well.  Because the natural juices of the roast have come out of it, it won't stick on the bottom of the pot because the heat is even and there are no hot spots.  After you have browned it on the top, bottom and maybe a couple of the sides, put the pressure lid on it and let it come to 15 lbs pressure (takes about 3 to 4 min) and turn the stove down and let it cook about 1/2 hour.  Instant Release Safety Valves--Another great feature of our modern pressure cookers like the ones we sell at healthykitchens is they have instant release valves on them all.  If you happen to forget you are using the pressure cooker (because it is so quiet) and don't turn the stove down for example, these special valves will automatically release steam for you (this is when they do whistle) so you can come and turn the heat down to keep it at the right temperature for the pressure level selected.  In fact the Kuhn Rikon Pressure cookers have 5 different safety valves as backup and the BRK system has a patented dual setting release valve.  You virtually cannot remove the lids when they are under pressure.  These valves also let us release the steam ourselves by simply pushing down on them or setting them at off, so we don't have to wait for the pot to cool down in order to open them.  I seldom let the cookers cool down on their own because remember I want to get out of the kitchen quick.  So going back to the roast---after 1/2 an hour of cooking you release the steam pressure, open the lid add 7 or 8 peeled, halved potatoes and put the lid back on.  Bring the pressure cooker back up to the 15 lb pressure again (probably about 2 min. since the pot is already hot) and cook for 6 min. more to cook the potatoes.  There you go-- Roast Beef Sunday Dinner in about 45 min.! Pressure Cooking Recipe for Pork Tenderloin and Shallots Presserves Vitamins and Minerals--We all know we are suppose to eat more vegetables and grains and  foods with lots of fibre. Using a pressure cooker to prepare things that take a long time to cook normally (so sometimes we won't do it) like soups, or stews o brown rice (yes we can do brown rice on the lowest pressure setting in 1/3 the time as well) and beans.   Because very little water is needed, and because both theB/R/K and Kuhn Rikon pressure cookers are a "closed system" with no oxygen exposure, fewer vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water or dissipated into the air, leaving more nutrients in the food.  When I cooked a big 6 liter pot of potatoes I only use about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pot.  The interiors of our pressure cookers are virtually non-stick, too, so you need less fat for cooking, and since flavours are retained and enhanced, you don't need fat for flavouring, either--Another healthy benefit to cooking with a with a good stainless pressure cooker! Saves Money--The pressure cooker lets you make cheaper cuts of meat very tender and juicey so you can save money when you are shopping and buy more economical roasts, steaks and chops.  We like to make our own soups which not only taste better but are far cheaper than buying the canned variety in the stores. Saves Time and Energy--I had a friend say to me " it takes just as long to heat the pressure cooker up, cook the food, then let it cool down, as it would to cook it normally"  That would be true with shorter cooked items and if the pots couldn't be released instantly.  Between the pressure cooker's quick heat up time, and the super fast cooking times, you use up to 70% less energy, saving resources. It's the pressure cooker's unique functionality that helps you save energy--Regular cooking methods reach only 212 degrees, but under pressure, temperatures climbs as high as 250 degrees, cooking dishes three to 10 times faster and thus, using less energy. This shortened cooking time has another benefit, too--with it's much shorter cooking times and closed lid, you don't heat up the kitchen, and so don't have to worry about heating up the house in the summertime. Imagine The Time Savings: Here are just a few things I like to do with mine Perfect, fluffy white rice in 5 minutes Steamed artichokes in 10 minutes Hearty beef stew in 20 minutes Your own chicken, beef or vegetable stock in 30-40 minutes Chicken parts for sandwiches, salads, enchiladas, pizzas, etc. in 7 min. (10 min. if frozen) Our pressure cookers make it easy to put healthy, delicious meals on your table any time--after a long day working or playing, or at a moment's notice when unexpected visitors drop by. Green Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potato and Apple recipe Great pressure cooking cookbook   "Beyond Pressure Cooking" posted by Carol Stiles at 9:19 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Using a Steam Juicer to Can or Presserve Juice Wednesday, July 21, 2010 HOW TO USE A STEAM JUICER TO PROCESS JUICE EASILY What a long title for such an easy process!  I am really into capturing the taste and freshness of the produce we harvest in the summer and early fall and I know many of our customers feel the same way.  I especially like to take advantage of the lower summer prices for fruit, and buy in bulk then to make the jams, juices and canned or dried fruits and vegetables for the fall and winter when they are more expensive.   The question is how do you do that with the least amount of fuss and muss.  (Goodness knows we have made enough fuss and muss doing other projects)  I have talked about making jams in our last post and this time I would like to discuss making juice and preserving it for the fall and winter.  The easiest way I know of juicing and canning at the same time is using a steam juicer. This type of processing is not new.  In fact I have seen much older, enamel coated units in antique stores and at Fall Fairs.  They have been around a long time.  The new ones though are made of good quality stainless steel with heavy plated bottoms (so that the bottoms don't warp if they run dry) and heavy duty tubing for the juice to run out.  The fact is that they practically run themselves with no one around is one of the great assets of making juice in them.  The other great quality is that when the juice comes out it goes straight into the hot sterile canning jars with a hot sterile lid and will seal themselves when they cool.  This cuts out the step of having to can the jars in a boiling water bath after the juice has been bottled, saving 1/2 an hour right there.  .  You can steam your own fresh juices without having to worry about peeling, squeezing, pitting or stemming, making your juicing experience a simple and pleasant one.  We should note at this point that a steam juicer will also produce clear, nectar like juice that when sugar and pectin are added will make beautiful clear jellies.   Another feature of the steam juicers is that you can juice things that you would never dream of juicing in an electric juicer.  For example black berries are in great abundance in the wild, all along the sides of the roads here where we live.  In August we go and pick them for free and run them through the steam juicer and make the blackest, sweetness, FREE blackberry juice you would ever have.  Among other fruits and vegetables that can be juiced in a steam juicer easily to make a nice clear juice are tomatoes, choke cheeries, grapes, plums, crab apples, elderberries, raspberries and even rhubarb.  And we also do the regular types of juices like apple, peach, pear, nectarine or a mixed vegetable juice cocktail.  You can also mix flavours by combining different fruits like Peaches and raspberries, or strawberries and rhubarb.  Many of our customers grow grapes for wines in this area but these grapes can also be used to make a sweet clear grape juice with the steam juicer as well.  Some of customers actually make wine with their steam juicer. How do you use Steam Juicers? First you fill the bottom water pan with water. Place this on the stove and leave to boil. Put the juice kettle on top of the water pan--this is where the juice will collect and be extracted via a hose. Next you place the rinsed fruit in the steam basket (no need to stem or pit!) and leave to steam with the lid on it.. You can now go away and work on another project or get your jars cleaned and boiled so they will be hot when you need to use them.  Juice will begin to fill the juice kettle after 40 minutes, and the whole process should take about an hour.  I normally come back in about 1/2 hour and place one of the hot jars in a empty sauce pan with a handle (something to hold the hot jar)  and release the clamp on the front of the juicer and start filling jars.  I place the hot boiled jar lids on the jar and the twist lid to keep it altogether and set is aside on a tea towel to cool.  At this point you could also add more fruit to the steamer basket.  and check the water in the bottom pan.   It takes an 1 1/2 to run off about 8 qts. of juice but remember you are not standing over it, the juice is producing juice all by itself with no moving parts.   You could process the jars for 10 min. in a boiling water bath but we have found through testing that it isn't necessary.   Enthusiasts say that the juice from steam juicers is the best and smoothest they have ever tasted. You can use vegetables as well as fruit. And as well as juices, you can make delicious jellies, syrups and much more.  Apples that have blemishes that won't keep in a root cellar, can be made into beautiful clear juice without peeling or coring them.  My only caution is for making cherry juice.  The cherries do have to be pitted as the pits are not good for us so you will need to remove them before putting the cherries into the steam basket.  Some fruits like peaches and rhubarb you can add sugar, honey or Xagave to sweeten it as it being turned into juice.  See Peach juice recipe below.  You can also use the pulp left over to turn into jams. It's a recognized fact in the food industry: Steam cooking makes fresh food taste great, particularly vegetables which don't lose their flavour or nutrients because they don't surrender them to boiling water. Beside making juice, syrups and jellies, the steam juicers can also be used to steam Christmas pudding, clams, fish, or steam blanching vegetables in mass for freezing or dehydrating, or anything else that you would like to cook by using steam.  The lid of the steam juicer will also fit over the bottom water pan with the thick base, turning it into another pan for your stove or roaster for the oven to cook roasts, ham, or casseroles.  PEACH JUICE RECIPE 5 lb. of fresh ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted 1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup Xagave Natural Sweetener) Process as above. PEACH GINGER JAM Put pulp left over from making peach juice about in a blender of a food straining mill.  After it is strained, measure.  You will need 5 to 5 1/2 cups of pulp.  Mix with one piece (1 inch cube) of fresh grated ginger root, 1 Tbsp. grated orange peel, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1 cinnamon stick and 5 cups of sugar,  (You can reduce the sugar by adding Ultra Gel thickener as talked about in our last post).  Cook over low heat until mixture reaches 215 ° F. on a candy thermometer.  Fill hot sterile jars and seal with a hot lid.  Process 10 min. posted by Carol Stiles at 9:01 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Making Sugar-Free and Low Sugar Jams Friday, July 9, 2010 MAKING SUGAR FREE OR LOW SUGAR JAMS I know this may sound like a misnomer--jams without sugar.  We have always made jams with sugar!  Usually the proportions are about half and half (5 cups of fruit to 5 cups of sugar.  Might as well be eating straight sugar.  We have been experimenting with jams made with half the amount of sugar down to no sugar at all and I think many people may be interested to know the outcome of this trail and error.  Sugar and Pectin is what makes the jam thicken and hold is viscosity, so when the sugar is removed most jams loose the texture and become very runny.  To solve this problem we have found a secret weapon, which I will get to later in the blog. Pectin jams have long held a fascination since nobody is ever sure exactly how they will turn out.  They require a specifice proportion of acid (occurring either naturally in the fruit or added with lemon juice), pectin (some of it natural, some from a box or a bottle), and sugar.  People in little white lab coats with lot of fancy equipment figure all this stuff out. Unfortunately, they have to work on average, so your jam may or may not set up the same, and there's really no way o fknowing or making changes.  And there's absolutely NO way to cut down on the sugar because it just won't work!  And besides that, pectin is expensive If you want a low-sugar jam where you can taste the fruit and not just the sugar and you don't mind a soft jam, you will find that if you use our ULTRA GEL(a granulated thickener made from waxy maize-corn)  is a godsend.  It doesn't depend on scientific proportions to work, so you sweeten and thicken to your own liking.  There are several advantages to this besides the obvious ones:  The amount of light corn syrup in a freezer jam may be reduced when less sugar is used because the sugar dissolves easier with less crystallization.  There is also no need to heat freezer jams, since there is less sugar to dissolve. Another advantage of using ULTRA GEL instead of pectin is the flexibility.  If you want a jam thicker, stir in moreULTRA GEL.  If you want it thinner, use more fruit or juice.  Also, ULTRA GEL jams may be made from any type fruit mixture desired.  For this reason, many people like to freeze fresh crushed fruit to combine with other fruits later in the season for unique flavour combinations.  As a rule of thumb, I recommend taking the jam recipe you have, cut the sugar in half, and for each cup of sugar add a generous TBSP. of the Ultra Gel.  If you are interested in the other uses of ULTRA GEL check out this page. Now for the sweeteners--we have been trying out several methods of making jams without sugar but still get the sweetness we need for the fruits used and the texture of the jam once it has set.  I have included some recipes using grape juice, corn syrup and even frozen apple juice concentrate, but my favorite by far is the natural sweeterner Xagave which if extracted from the Agave Plant.  The latter seems to make the best texture, the right sweeteners with 1/2 the calories. Low Sugar Freezer Jam recipe from The Ultra Gel Answer Book White Grape Juice:  The white grape juice or apple juice acts as a substitute for the syrup the sugar makes when added to the berries or fruit used.  It adds clarity to the jam and improves the texture.  Applesauce:  Adding applesauce to raspberry jam started out as a college student trick to extend the expensive berries, but it also distruibutes the seed and is very pleasant.  Light Corn Syrup:  This certainly improves the texture of freezer jams and helps them to set better. Xagave Natural Sweetener:  Unlike sugar or honey, Xagave is readily soluable in hot or cold water and mixes well in all recipes.  Because of it's ability to absorb moisture it acts as a natural preservative which is a great quality for something we are making to keep for a while like jams and jellies. Xagave is 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar so you will need to reduce the amount of Xagave accordingly to your recipes.  It also is great for Diabetics because of it's low glycemic index.  We have a whole page that explains exactly what this wonderful product, Xagave can do besides make jams and jellies TIP:  For seed free Raspberry and Blackberry jam use the Berry Press on the Bosch Universal or Universal Plus, to remove the seeds before making the jam.  This recipe has been submitted by one of our customers using both Ultra Gel and Xagave for her True Rhubarb Jam TRUE RHUBARB JAM             Printable Version   slice rhubarb into 1/4 inch pieces.   note:  T = 1 Tablespoon   4 cups rhubarb 1/2 to 3/4 cup Xagave  2 1/4 T Ultra Gel   Rinse and drain rhubarb and place in heavy pot.  (The water left from rinsing is enough moisture) Add Xagave and place on low heat on the stove.  Simmer until rhubarb is tender.  Slowly stir in Ultra Gel.  (Ultra Gel thickens quickly but reaches its full potential in about 5-10 minutes.) Remove from heat and pour into jars.  Makes about 4 half pint jars. Peach Jam with XAGAVE recipe from the Xagave "Delicious Meets Nutritious" Cookbook   posted by Carol Stiles at 9:00 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Chapathis or Roti Bread Friday, June 25, 2010 Chapathis or Roti Bread These wheaten breads are served all over India, particularly in the North--but they can be enjoyed anywhere in the world.  For best flavor, make the dough with fresh ground flour and give it some time to itself before it is cooked; but if need be, the breads can be prepared with whatever whole grain flour you have, and very quickly.  Even considering their perhaps unfamiliar shape, they are the best fast bread I know. Serve with curries or with peanut butter and honey or cheese and tomato or simply butter. Super! Ingredients 3 cups whole wheat flour (450g) 1 tsp salt (5.5g) 1 1/2 cups warm water (350ml) Useful Equipment rolling pin griddle long thick oven mitts dish towel OR long-handled tongs that are not sharp Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add the water, working it into the flour until the dough comes together. It should not be wet, but it should be soft. You can make it slightly stiff at first, then add water as required while you work the dough.  Knead until very soft and silky, about 20 minutes.  If possible let the dough rest at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight: if you are in a hurry, make the chapthis right away. Pinch the dough into about 12 balls, golf-ball size. Keep them covered with a damp cloth while you first round each one smooth, and then, one at a time, flatten them with a rolling pin on a floured board, making them approximately 7 inches across.  Don't roll the pin off the edge of the round or the chapathi's rim will get too thin.  Shape them all, and stack with a little flour and waxed paper in between.  When you have only a couple to go, heat the griddle. It should be about pancake hot, a medium-high heat.  If it is too hot, the chapathis will burn, but if too low, they won't puff up.  Best of all is to work together with a friend, one rolling and the other baking. Keep an inverted bowl over the uncooked breads while you back them one by one so that they do not dry out. If your griddle is not well-seasoned, put a thin film of oil on it to keep each chapathi from sticking. The chapathis leave flour on the griddle that will burn, so wipe if off as you go along.  You will use the dish towel for pressing on the chapathi to encourage them to puff up, and if it is white it stays cooler, form it into a smooth wad that is easy to hold. Place the first chapathi on the hot griddle and let it sit there for one second, then turn it over.  Use the cloth to apply gentle but firm pressure to the top of the cooking chapathi.  Concentrate most of your pressing on the area just inside, but not on, the edge.  Press down hard, but don't let the cloth stick to the dough.  The object is to help the chapathi form steam pockets: ideally it puffs up like a balloon, filled with its own steam. At first the bread may blister in just a few places.  By pressing, you can enlarge these small bubbles. Turn the chapathis over as soon as the bottom browns lightly.  It won't brown evenly, especially if it has made the steam pockets, but will be a pretty pattern of brown and beige.  It is done when it is browned nicely on both sides, with no wet-pinkish areas. If you have a gas stove that has a high flame, you could try a second cooking method that works better for some people.  Instead of pressing the dough on the griddle, let the chapathi cook a few seconds on each side to set the surfaces, and then with tongs pick up the chapathi and hold it over the high open flame.  If you are deft, it will ballon without burning. These wonderful breads are best served immediatly, but you can wrap them in towels and keep them warm in the oven until it is time to eat; don't let them dry out though. PLEASE BE CAREFUL:  In India, even the youngest cook can make chapathis, but we who did not learn these skills at our mother's knee will have some experimenting to do before we get the knack.  Protect your hands with mitts and your arms with long sleeves, and go slowly at first. posted by Carol Stiles at 9:00 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Making Breadsticks and Pretzels Friday, June 18, 2010 MAKING BREADSTICKS AND PRETZELS If you can give up a small wad of your dough when you are shaping your loaves, any kid from the toddlers stage on up will love making a shape to bake, be inordinately proud of the result---and delighted to eat it too.  When baking such works of art, keep in mind that the tiny thin parts will tend to burn, while large lumps take much longer to bake.  You can shield small parts with foil once they brown, to protect them from burning. Even when they can't have a direct part in the process, grade schoolers are thrilled to come home to your bready rendering of their initials, or a favorite animal you've softly sculptured and baked especially for them.  On a more mundan and practical level, the manageablilty of small soft-crusty breads makes life easier for very young ones whose tiny hands are relatively new to the eating game.  (Eaters who have been at it for many years also appreciate breadstick, incidentally, especially alongside a hearty soup) You can make 12 soft foot-long breadsticks out of a loaf's worth of dough.  You can use just about any type of bread dough you like, be it whole wheat, rye, multi-grain or sour-dough.  Rolled in sesame or poppy seeds, they provide a chewy, toothsome accent to a light meal.  If sesame and poppy seeds are getting to ho-hum, try caraway or fennel, or, more daring, whole cumin seeds, spicy-hot.  You could also add herbs like chopped basil  and/or spices like a little curry to get a different flavour.  To shape, divide the dough for one loaf, into 12 parts, form balls, and roll into snakes.  You now can roll the snakes in the seeds if you wish or if you want shiny sticks, paint them with an eggwhite wash (one egg white whipped with a Tbsp. of water)  and sprinkle the seeds on them.  Place side by side on a greased cookie sheet, allowing room for them to double in girth.   Let rise until a gentle touch makes an indentation that fills in slowly;  bake at 325° F until lightly brown, usually about 1/2 hr., preferably not near the bottom of the oven.  Let them cool somewhat before removing them from the sheet. For crisper breadsticks, roll them thinner and bake a very low heat for as long as an hours.  I have included a recipe for making pretzels in the recipe link below, however like the breadsticks you can make them from any type of bread dough you like.  For Pretzels we will just make a longer snake (18") and tie into a loose bow with a criss-cross and them brush with an eggwhite and water wash and sprinkle with coarse salt.  These are also baked long and slow until they get nice and crisp.  Neither the breadsticks nor the pretzels are hard to be adverturesome and try them. Pretzels and Bagels and Pita Bread Recipes posted by Carol Stiles at 9:00 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Bagel Making 101 Friday, June 11, 2010 How to Make Your Own Bagels Each kind of specialty bread is special in it's own way and quite different from all the other; what they have in common is that they are all good eating, Bagels should be found in the dictionary under fun, but according to Webster (who probably liked his with a shmear) a bagel is "a hard bread roll made of yeast dough twisted into a small doughnutlike shape, cooked in simmering water, then baked." The bagel is the only bread product that is boiled before it is baked. That's what gives the bagel its unique texture and the crust its characteristic shine. Legend has it that in 1683 in Vienna, Austria, a local Jewish baker wanted to thank the king of Poland for protecting his countrymen from Turkish invaders. He made a special hard roll in the shape of a riding stirrup-Bugel in German - commemorating the king's favorite pastime and giving the bagel its distinct shape. Over the many years the bagel was perfected in the bakeries of the Eastern European countries and brought to North Amercia with the immigrants in the early 1900's.  In modern times, prepackaged bagels first became available in grocery stores in the 1950's. With the introduction of frozen bagels in the 1960's, consumers had access to bagels even if they didn't live near a bagel bakery. Bagels can be made from just about any bread dough.  For years we have shown how to make them from the same old bread dough (SOBD) that we make with our Bosch Universal Plus from the basic bread recipe.  I have however, provided some recipes below for you to follow for making just bagels. Whole Grain Bagel Recipe While kneading the dough start a large pot of water to boil on the stove with 1/4 cup of brown sugar in it.  The bagel dough needs to be kneaded as much as the regular bread dough (longer if using whole wheat)  From the risen dough you can make three large balls that you can let rest for about 10 min.  Take each ball and with oiled hands and counter cut into baseball size pieces and shape into a ball  ( I get approx. 4 out of each ball so I cut the larger ball into quarters)  I shape the balls by rolling under your cupped hand.  Let the ball rest again briefly and then flatten each ball with your hands and poke your thumb through their middles, twirling each new bagel on your thumb to enlarge the hole until the hole is about 1 1/2" in diameter.  If you don't make the whole big enough it will disappear when you go to boil the bagels.  Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Let each bagel rest for about 5 to 10 min. to let them rise just a bit and then place them in the boiling water.  Cook only 2 or 3 at a time.  The bagels will sink, then rise in a few seconds--if they don't sink, they rested too long.  No harm done, just turn over so that both sides get wet.  After a minute in the water, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them an inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at once for about 35 minutes, turning the bagel over at the halfway point if they haven't browned evenly. Fancy Bagels:  You can add extras to the bagels once they are boiled and before they are baked.  You can sprinkle them with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sauteed minced onion, (with or without garlic), or caraway seeds.   I like to brushed the boiled bagels on the top, with 1/2 beaten egg and 2 Tbsp. of water and then sprinkle the chosen garnish.  You can also just dip the wet bagel fresh from the boiling water into the seeds to coat one side.  The wash makes an ungarnished bagel shiny and pretty though so you can use that even on the ungarnished ones.  You can also make different flavoured bread doughs into bagels, like rye, whole grain, herbed and cheese.  Be imaginative!! Whole Wheat Bagel Recipe posted by Carol Stiles at 9:09 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Specialty Breads--Making Whole Wheat Pita Bread Thursday, June 3, 2010 Specialty Breads-  Whole Wheat Pocket Bread  (Pitas) In the last few years these nifty little breads have become a staple item, and they are available nearly everywhere.  A balloon of crisp-soft bread, they are good for filling with anything to make a sandwich, whether it is in the traditional falafel and sliced cucumbers, or more mundane things like soyspread and sprouts.  Pita is tasty and doesn't get soggy, and futhermore, as our favorite grand-daughter points out--"Grandma it didn't fall apart" Almost any plain bread dough can be used to make these, but I will attach our favorite whole wheat pita bread recipe at the bottom, which has been very reliable for us.  With the Bosch Universal Plus doing the kneading it usually is done in less than 45 min.  If making it by hand you can add twice the years and warmer water and have them on the table in about 2 1/2 hours.  (Still faster than making regular bread) Shaping :  Once the dough has been kneaded the rolling, shaping and resting are easy.  I like to roll them into about a 5" circle on a floured counter.  Do not use oil when rolling pitas as they don't like to be stretched.  You then pick them up and turn them over and set them on a dry tea towel.  Once I have done a few I cover them with another dry towel.  The turn over is important as well.  In fact one of our customers remarked that she watched them making pitas in an outdoor oven in Turkey and they did the same thing;  rolled them, flipped them on the the resting surface and then when placing on the baking surface we flip them again.  The trick for making good pitas is in getting the baking just right.  The breads actually cook inside from the steam they generate as they puff in the oven, so they don't brown much on the top.  Depending on your oven, it may take a little experimentation to adjust the heat and paraphernalia to make sure that the pockets get enough bottom heat that they puff, but not so much that they burn. Baking:  If you have a gas stove, you can bake pita on the floor of the oven or on a heavy cookie sheet (not non-stick) on the oven floor.  Preheat the cookie sheet along with the oven.  Electric stoves are trickier.  It's best to heat the oven from the bottom only (don't turn on the broiler).  If both elements come on when heating up, try shielding the baking pocket breads from top heat by putting another cookie sheet on the very top rack under the top element.  A well-heated oven stone (pizza stone) or tiles can give the immediate bottom heat that is the secret of puffy pockets.  Pita breads like a very hot oven.  I usually turn it up to 450°F.  If you have a Convection oven use the Convection Bake Cycle.  I have found that pita's also like lots of hot air.  You can bake them on a stone as mentioned, a cookie sheet but my real preference is a wire cooling rack that has a close grid so the edges don't fall over.  These let lots of air through and give the required bottom heat to get a good puff to the pitas.  Again when we pick them off the resting towel, flip them over again onto the baking rack or stone, or cookie sheet.  They bake in about 3 to 4 min. so don't turn your back.  In fact I use to tell the cooking class customers that it was the most exciting thing to do in our city, to come in and watch the pitas rise and bake.  They will actually blow up into little cushions right before your eyes. The baked pitas should be slightly browned on the top.  You can open one up and check to see if the insides are done.  They will be moist, but shouldn't look shiny-wet.  If you think they need a little more time, you can bake them a bit more on the top rack while the next batch bake on the bottom of the oven.  Don't let them get crisp, though, or brown, because they will break when you fill them.  The steam inside them bakes them extremely fast, and they will stay soft and flexible when cool.  These are very fast and fairly easy and are definitely worth trying for the great result and taste they have. WHOLE WHEAT PITA BREAD RECIPE posted by Carol Stiles at 9:03 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Low Fat From the Freezer Friday, May 21, 2010 LOW FAT FROM THE FREEZER So here you are, staring blankly at the multitudes of options the freezer case has to offer.  You evaluate portion size, fat grams, calories, costs, and pretty pictures on the fronts of boxes.  But what does it all mean??? Many professional groups recommend a fat intake of no more than 30 to 35% of total daily calories.  For a 1500 calorie diet, this would include 50 grams of fat for 30% and 58 grams for 35%.  For a 2000 calorie diet, 67 g. of fat would provide 30% calories, whereas 78 grams would provide 35%  (Source: Nutritive Value of Foods.  USDA Home and Garden Bulletin 72).  Many weight-loss and low cholesterol diets recommend less than 20% fat calories. Low fat frozen entrees from the freezer case range between 8 and 11 oz. and have 2 to 8 grams of fat or more.  A standard serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces (28.4 g.) Boneless skinless meats will have the least cookihg loss.  What I am really trying to say is that all of us would be better off, health wise as well as money-wise if we prepared our own freezer foods and packaged them ourselves.  When preparing a dinner entree, just prepare double or triple the amount you need and freeze it yourself.  We have included some of these low fat recipes here. Sweet and Sour Chicken                      Fresh Leek Soup The secret to many commercial "Low Fat" products can be your secret too!  Instant starches are what the commercial companies use to provide thickness and body to cream soups and sauces, salad dressing and dips without fat.  This allows the fat to be reduced substantially or eliminated.  We have re-introduced one of these thickeners to our line to help everyone use less fat as well as less sugar when preparing both entrees and desserts.  This product is called Ultra Gel® and we now have it in stock.  Ultra Gel is a modified food starch made of waxy maize (a type of corn)  The unique structure of this starch provides viscosity or thickness to liquids without rigidity or gumminess. In addition, Ultra Gel has been instantized, meaning it has been hydrated, then dehydrated and formed into fluffy granules which rehydrate quickly and easily (almost intstantly)  Ultra Gel-thickened products are adjustable:  Too thin?  Stir in more Ultra Gel.  Too thick?  Add more liquid.  The real difference between this product and other thickeners is that is pours directly into the soups, stews, gravies, with out having to mixed ahead with a cold liquid.  We just shake some in while stirring.  In fact the sauce or gravy doesn't even need to be warm or hot for it to work.  The secret is we just stir it as we add it.  Products thickened with Ultra Gel retain an attractive, clear colour and a pleasant texture, even after freezing and thawing.  Your own leftovers can become freezer dinners for future busy days!  Try freezing turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing covered with Ultra Gel gravy in individual-sized portions for a quick, yet satisfying dinner at a future date.  I have included the nutritional information with each of the recipes attached to this post so you can see that it definitely reduces the fat used when making them. Packaging Tips:  Most meats freeze best with a sauce covering them.  Sauces keep meat from drying out and block out the air which causes them to absorb off flavours and odours.  Package freezer products in moisture-vapor-proof containers or wraps.  Make covering airtight and squeeze excess air from freezer bags.  Overlay casseroles with double layers of polyvinyl film or plastic wrap (pressed directly onto the product)  then cover with a lid of foil.  When making bulk amounts package items in shallow containers (no more than 2 inches high) and freeze quickly to insure food safety.  Do not stack until items are frozen.  Low Fat Beef Stroganoff            Lemon Chicken posted by Carol Stiles at 8:42 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Kneading Machines-Making Whole Wheat Bread Friday, May 14, 2010  KNEADING MACHINES--HOW TO USE THEM TO MAKE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD Now we have come to my favorite subject--using a kitchen machine to make your bread dough.  These machines are called many things from a Kneading machine, heavy-duty mixer, dough making machine, or kitchen machine, bascially they will all have a dough making attachment or dough hook.  I have only see a few widely available machines that are powerful enough to handle whole wheat bread though.  I, of course, love our Bosch Universal Plus machines because they are so easy to use and make a really good job of whole wheat breads.  If you have another machine with a dough hook, try using it to knead one loaf at a time.  You'll know very quickly whether your machine can handle the job.  There are relatively inexpensive hand and electric kneaders, but we don't know of any that are good for whole wheat dough.  Check in the manuals to see if they are recommended for bread dough before you start. There are two main considerations when looking at a heavy duty mixer.  The first is the power.  Make certain the machine you are going to use has sufficient power to knead dough.  I recommend at least 400 watts.  You can easily burn out a machine kneading bread dough, especially whole wheat bread dough as it is heavy and somewhat hard to move.  The second consideration is the design of the machine.  I have found that many machines have an overhead arm down into the dough, which the dough tends to climb up onto and get into the gears of the machine.  The kneading power is taxed because the power is coming from above and the machine may overheat as well as the dough is not getting kneaded properly and the bread doesn't rise properly because the gluten is not getting developed.   We have done a comparison chart of the Bosch and the Kitchenaid mixer which is a widely known heavy duty mixer, to see how the stand up against each other in their kneading ability.  Bosch Universal Plus vs. Kitchen Aid Mixer Mixing and kneading whole wheat bread with a dough hook:  We like to start with the liquids, so put all the liquids in the bowl with the dough hook attached.  This would include any oil, honey, buttermilk, eggs, water etc.  If you are using the yeast that needs to be proofed in water in advance, add this as well.  Now place about half of the flour the recipe calls for in the bowl on top of the liquids and the other dry ingredients on the top of it.  Turn the machine on it's slowest speed and watch it mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  The mixter should resemble a pancake batter.  Start adding the remaining flour as the machine is going until the dough starts collecting into a soft ball.  At this point you can stop you machine and feel the consistency of the dough.  Moisten your hand with water and squeeze the dough.  Is it soft or is it stiff?  Ignore the fact that the dough is wet and sticky.  Does the dough resist your touch?  Does it strain the muscles in your fingers when you squeeze it?  Then it is too stiff.  On the other hand, the dough must have enough flour to hold its shape.  Does the dough feel waterlogged, as if the flour it not contributing much substance to it?  Does it have a runny, liquid quality to it?  Then it has too much water.  Feel deep into the dough, not just the surface. If the dough is not right, thoroughly mix in more water or flour, a little at a time, and re-evaluate until it is right.  If you are using a coarse, stone ground flour, it will take up the water more slowly, so it is best to let it rest for 5 minutes before making the final adjustment in the water content, at least until you are familiar with the whole process and feel comfortable about making adjustments while the dough is being kneaded. The first few times you mix the dough in your machine, you may want to to the mixing all on the slow speed, so that you can observe the changes in the dough more carefully.  Normally though, this would be the time to turn the machine up to medium speed.  Indeed I recommend for the Bosch Universal Plus to run the kneading on speed 2.  At first as the gluten begins to form, the dough's surface will appear rough and bumpy, and if you feel the dough--stop the machine first---it feels quite sticky.  The next big change comes when the dough reaches cleanup--all the dough comes off the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.  The dough feels a little drier.  Soon after this the dough becomes fully developed, so watch it closely:  the dull, rough surface develops a smooth, satiny sheen, and it stretches rather than tears over the hook.  The dough feels drier, and if you stretch it gently, it will form a thin uniform translucent membrane without thick strands of lumps in it.  If you hold it up to the light, it is faintly webbed inside.  Look for the brown flecks of bran against the bright white gluten sheet. If the kneading is continued on too far, the dough loses its elasticity, softens, and pulls into long rubbery strands.  Finally the dough gets wet, runny and quite sticky again.  Loaves made from such dough will tear int he shaping of the proofing and will not rise high. The amount of time it takes a dough to develop fully depends most on the amount of gluten in the flour and the speed and quality of the mixing or kneading the machine accomplishes.  With a good strong flour the dough may be mixed and developed in as little as 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed or somewhat longer on a slow speed.  This will vary with the quality of the flour, so watch the changes in the dough and don't depend on just how much time the machine has been running.  Certainly with the Bosch Universal Plus it only takes 10 minutes to develop the gluten even a poorer grade of flour because of the great kneading ability it has. Try out the recipe below but if doing it in other kitchen machines try cutting it in half or quarters as it makes 4 two pound loaves. Whole Wheat Bread Recipe posted by Carol Stiles at 9:36 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post

Bread Making Equipment- Food Processors Friday, May 7, 2010 Bread Making Equipment--Food Processors This is nothing like the satisfaction of making bread by hand, feeling the dough develop its own life and supple strength as you knead it in a rhythm as old as mankind, etc--but, if you make a LOT of bread or have a time schedule that is snugger than tight, or if you have a physical problem that makes kneading difficult, (or like me-- just don't like to cook a lot and want to get out of the kitchen faster), it is a whole lot better to use a dough hook or food processor than to give up the idea of making your own bread. Most readily available, and admirably efficient, is the now ubiquitous food processor, fitted with a special dough blade.  Some brands even have a special WHOLE WHEAT DOUGH BLADE.  Whole wheat dough is substantially different from white flour dough, and the method to make it takes in these differences into account, but please compare them with those of your own machine's manufacturer before you begin.  We like the Omega Food Processor as it not only has a large and small bowl for processing it also has the dough hook for makine these small batch bread recipes. Most processors can handle only one loaf at a time, and sometimes only part of one, but they are so fast that if you have nerves of steel, you could do several loaves in sequence in less time than it would take you to knead two loaves by hand.  (Better yet, since it is so quick and easy, do one loaf at a time, and bake often)  When you want to prepare a standard two-loaf recipe, measure out the ingredients for each loaf separately, with the exception of the yeast.  Prepare the yeast according to the directions on the package (or if you are using the SAF instant yeast, you can just add it in with the flour), and then when it is time to add it to the bowl, stir it thoroughly and pour in just half. Keep in mind that the pitfall of using this wonder divice is that it works so fast and so efficiently that it is very easy to overknead the dough, Stop the machine often and and feel the dough to see whether it is ready.  It should be soft yet a little sticky. Mixing & kneading whole wheat bread food processor:  Dissolve the yeast in warm water required in your recipe.  Assemble all the other ingredients.  Use cool liquids for the rest of the recipe.  The processor will heat the dough by as much as 25°F because it kneads so vigorously.  If you take the temperature of your mixed ingredients before and after processing the first few times you make bread, you can learn to gauge the actual amount your own machine heats the dough, and use this information to plan how warm the water should be in future bakings. Put the dry ingredients in the work bowl and process until mixed- about 15 sec.  Add the yeast mixture, then add the rest of the liquids in a steady stream while the processor is running.  Add them as fast as you can and still give them a chance to mix well.  If you work too slowly here, the dough will become stilff.  Ad liquid until the flour comes together as a dough ball, then stop the machine and feel the dough. It may take a little practice to learn how much liquid to add how fast.  If the liquid measure is too much for the amount of flour, the dough will be mushy and sticky.  This will probably cause it to stick underneath the blade and strain the motor--the machine may even stop.  If it does, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and bring the dough up over the blade and centre post.  Sprinkle a Tbsp. or two of flour over the dough and process, repeating until the dough is not so soft.  If you're not adding enough water, the dough will be dry and hard--so much so that the blade may turn without moving the dough.  If this happens, cut the dough up, put it into the bowl, and sprinkle it with a Tbsp. of water.  Turn on the processor and, with the machine running, gradually add more water until the dough softens. If the water has not blended evenly into the dough, the underside where the blade is turning will become very soft, and even sticky, while a hard ball forms on top.  If this happens, remove the dough and cut up the hard part.  Replace it in the work bowl with the softer part on top.  Then process the dough again, adding more water, a tablespoon at a time, if necessary to soften it. Once the dough feels reasonably soft, process it very briefly; then feel again carefully to evaluate its water content.  Moisten your fingers with water and squeeze the dough.  It should be soft enough that you don't feel any strain on the muscles in your fingers when you squeeze it, yet not so soft that it loses all feeling of substance and feels almost runny.  (Ignore the fact that the dough ist sticky.) Process for another very short time adding water or flour a tablespoon at a time as needed to make a soft dough. The machine will complete the kneading of one loaf's worth of dough made from high-gluten flour after about 12.5 revolutions once the dough ball suddenly falls apart and spreads against the sides of the bowl, stop the machine.  The processing has been a little too long; check the time or count, and with the next loaf, allow a little less.  Meantime, the dough is probably fine.  Remove it form the bowl, shape it into a smooth ball, and set it aside.  Process the next part of the dough if you are doing two loaves, and then go back to your recipe to let the dough have its first rise. Keep in mind that many processors can be underpowered for doing bread dough and do not tax them so much that it burns them out.  I recommend that the motors are at least a 250 watt motor and do try to knead 1 loaf of whole wheat bread at a time. Click here for a Small Batch Whole Wheat Bread Recipe If all of this still seems to be too much fuss for making just a few loaves of breads have a look at how I do it with a Bosch Universal Plus making 4 loaves in 10 min.    Here's our online Bosch video My next post will be about using heavier duty Kitchen Machines for bread and a comparison on how they all work. posted by Carol Stiles at 9:00 am - 0 comments CLICK HERE to Add a Comment to This Post