The Whole Grain Kitchen

New Recipes

2009-05-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm determined to get some new recipes up this week, along with some of my favorite general oh so yummy and healthy recipes. Veggie Yumm Bowl, Broccoli Carrot Pasta Salad, Polenta with Roasted Tomato and Summer Veggies, etc. These are all meals my family loves, too. I better share because they are too good to keep to myself.

Plus, Whole Grain Carrot Muffins, Whole Grain Waffles,...hmm what else, probably some more cookies, too.

Walton Feed Bulk Order

2008-12-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

There are some who have expressed an interest in making a bulk order to Walton Feed soon to help save on shipping cost. Leave a comment if you want to get in on it.

Walton Feed has EVERYTHING you could possibly want from freeze dried food, powdered cheese, to emergency candles, buckets and water filters. They have Morning Moo, my recommended brand of powdered milk. I'll be ordering some of that. Anyway, take a look at their site (the link is on the left) and let me know if you want to order with us. Notice that most things you can order in a variety of sizes #2.5 cans, #10 cans, 6 gallon buckets (RB is a regular food grade bucket, SP is a food grade bucket with a foil liner).

A Recipe Caveat

2008-12-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

Just a note if you use my recipes. I will change them if I find a better variation. This is very likely because I experiment a lot.

Also, watch your baking times closely because my oven is TERRIBLE. It could be anywhere from 5 to 200 degrees off. Who knows?

I'll add more recipes soon. I'll also bake my bread in the oven to get a non-bread machine recipe out there.

WG Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-12-15T11:03:00.001-08:00

4 c fresh milled whole grain flour (whole grain mix below)
4 T vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t baking powder
16 T (2 sticks) butter
1 c packed brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
1 c natural peanut butter
2 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and heat to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large bowl.
3. In a mixer beat butter and sugars together on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter until incorporated. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time scraping down the sides and beaters as needed.
4. Combine the flour mixture in and combine. Mix in an extra 1 c ground or chopped peanuts if desired.
5. Form into balls and place on two greased baking sheets and flatten using a fork in a crosshatch pattern.
6. Bake until edges are golden and the centers have puffed and are beginning to deflate. 10-12 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking.

WG Pumpkin Nut Bread

2008-12-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

2 1/2 cups fresh milled whole grain flour (whole grain mix below)
1 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t nutmeg
1 t ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 c sugar
8 T (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
2 t vanilla

Topping:
Combine 1 c coarsely chopped pecans, 3/4 c brown sugar, 3/4 c whole grain flour, 1/2 t cinnamon in a small bowl. Drizzle in melted butter until it clumpy and sticks together, about 1/2 c?

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9 inch loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a separate bowl until frothy.
3. Fold pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Fold in 1 cup of dries cranberries if desired.
4. Pour into the loaf pan. Drop topping in clumps on top of the batter and bake until golden and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached, 45-55 minutes.
5. Let loaf cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

WG Anything Muffins

2008-12-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

3 c fresh milled whole grain flour (whole grain mix recipe below)
1/4 c vital wheat gluten
1 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
3 eggs
8 T (1 stick) butter melted and cooled

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the yogurt and eggs together in a separate bowl. Fold egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the melted butter.
3. Divide into muffin tins and top with the following mixture:
1/2 c white flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
slowly drizzle in melted butter until until it just starts to clump together.
4. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, about 30 minutes.

LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Add 1 t of grated lemon zest in with the yogurt mixture and fold in 1 1/2 cups fresh of frozen blueberries with the butter.

CRANBERRY WALNUT ORANGE MUFFINS
Add 1 t orange zest in with the yogurt and fold in 1 1/2 c coarsely chopped cranberries and 3/4 c walnuts with the butter.

LEMON POPPYSEED MUFFINS
Add 3 T poppyseeds into the flour mixture and 1 T lemon zest into the yogurt. While the muffins are baking, heat 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 c fresh lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves and forms a light syrup. Brush over warm baked muffins.

BANANA WALNUT MUFFINS
Add 1/2 t nutmeg with the flour mixture. Substitute 1 cup brown sugar for the white and fold in 1 1/2 cups diced bananas and 3/4 c chopped toasted walnuts with the butter.

WG Buttermilk Waffles

2008-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

4 c whole grain flour (mix recipe below)
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3 eggs
2 T sugar
4 T butter, melted
1 3/4 c buttermilk

1. Whisk dry ingredients together.
2. In the mixer whisk together egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Pour it into a another bowl.
3. In the mixer combine the egg yolks, buttermilk, and the butter. Add the dry ingredients and combine until just combined. Add any fruit or extra good stuff at this point.
4. Fold in whipped egg whites.
5. Cook in a waffle iron until golden brown. Hold in a 200 degree oven to keep warm if not serving immediately.

Pump-N-Seal

2008-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a manual vacuum sealer called the Pump-N-Seal. It works great for sealing canning jars and storing chocolate chips, and other dry goods that we need in smaller quantities. If you can't afford a FoodSaver this is a good alternative.

The Master Ingredient List

2008-11-06T13:19:00.001-08:00

Here is some ingredient tips, suggestions, and hints:

Yeast:

Yeast is what creates all the little bubbles in your bread and makes it rise. I use SAF yeast. Instant yeast is superior to active dry yeast because you can mix it directly into the flour without soaking or proofing. It is sold in these 1 lb bags that I stick in my freezer until I need to open it up. It's cheap, too, maybe $3 a bag. Once open I put it in an air tight container and keep it in the fridge. Sometimes instant yeast is marketed as "rapid rise" because it's more efficient than active dry.

Dough Enhancer:
What is Dough Enhancer? It's a little bit of everything. A little protein for "chew", a little ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for shelf life, ginger for yeast "food, pectin for moisture, and other stuff, too. All you really need to know is that it makes for good bread that will last more than an afternoon. You can make your own. Here's a pretty good recipe:
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups wheat gluten
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
4 tablespoons dry pectin
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons soy lecithin granules
1 tablespoon ascorbic acid crystals

But it's easier just to buy some. Store it in the fridge after opening.

Salt:
This really isn't necessary in baking, just my opinion. Most salt you buy is white because it goes through harsh bleaching and refining. Real Salt is mined and and sold sans processing, additives or chemicals with all the natural minerals in tact. It is good stuff, but more expensive. BTW, salt slows yeast fermentation which is why in some old bread recipes or if you make a sponge, the salt is added later. Salt also is partially responsible for the crust darkening. Salt also holds moisture so it is a preservative. (I like getting technical with bread, if you haven't noticed)

Vital Wheat Gluten:
So is a protein, actually two, that creates that elastic mesh that makes risen breads possible. Think of bubble gum, yeast creates the air in the bubble, the gluten is the gum holding the air inside. Gluten is pretty important in bread. My whole grain flour has some grains that have a lot of gluten but some don't, so I add gluten flour to give it lots of rise and softness. This is great stuff to use no matter what kind of bread you are making, unless you have a gluten allergy. It looks like regular flour, just a bit finer and with a yellowish tint. I don't know what the shelf life is on this stuff.

Powdered Milk:
For drinking, Morning Moo is the best I have tasted thus far. My kids drink it and we use it on a regular basis.

Why not just wheat?

2008-10-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

In response to Elizabeth's question:

I use the mix of grains mainly because it makes a far more versatile and tasty flour while remaining whole grain. Most, if not all whole wheat bread recipes use at least some expired, bleached white flour along with the whole wheat flour. I don't need to add white flour to my bread, it is all freshly milled whole grain. I don't know what the numbers are, but that's gotta be healthier.

I generally use the six grain mix all the time and have been happy with it's performance in yeast breads, quick breads, muffins, cookies, and even carrot cake. Like I said, It's versatile.

As a rule, the flour produced from this grain mix does not absorbed liquid like white flour does. It doesn't clump up and as a rule of thumb use almost twice as much whole grain flour in any recipe calling for white flour (plus some salt and more leavening i.e., baking soda). This is a HUGE difference than whole wheat flour which generally needs a smaller amount substituted. So think about that. If I'm using twice the amount of freshly ground whole grain flour in my cookie recipes the ratio of good stuff (whole grain) to bad stuff (sugar and fats) is greatly increased therefore much better for you. This makes your cookies much better for you than any processed food meals out there.

That's right, cookies for breakfast, that's what I'm advocating. Better than Lucky Charms any day.

Everyday Bread

2008-10-04T15:41:00.001-07:00

This is a fabulous everyday bread. Put this ingredients in the Zo bread machine...shoot, I'll get back to the timing at a future date.

1 3/4 c water

2 T butter

1/4 c honey
2 T dry milk powder
4 3/4 cup whole grain flour
1/3 c vital gluten flour
2 t salt
1 T SAF yeast
1 t dough enhancer

The Storage and Rotation Process

2008-10-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

I have about 15 5-gallon buckets labeled "Six Grain Mix" and numbered 1 through 15. I buy a whole lot of grain at once and put the six grain mix into the buckets and use them sequentially. When #1 is empty, I set it aside and use #2. I know I have 13 buckets left.
This way I always know how much I have and when I need to restock.

I also keep a working bucket right in the kitchen with a Gamma Seal Lid on it. These lids easily twist off instead of needing a mallet and wrench every time you need something in a bucket. When I need to open up another bucket, I get out the wrench peel the impossible lid off and pour all the grain from bucket #2 into my working bucket. This way I can easily scoop the grain out daily. This sounds complicated but it is actually very easy because one bucket lasts quite a long time.

Here is an addition to the Tools. Gamma Seal Lids make getting food out of buckets practical. Who wants to deal with those lids that you need a mallet and wrench to open and close on a daily or even weekly basis? In addition to grain, I use a bucket and gamma lid for big bulky dry goods: white flour, white sugar, brown sugar, popcorn, etc. I'd like to do pasta, too, but haven't tried that yet. It probably needs a smaller 4 lb. bucket to avoid crushing. The Gamma Seal Lids fits 4.25, 5, and 6 gallon buckets.

The Grain Mix

2008-10-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the grains that I use on a regular basis:

Thanks to our fabulous cousin Debbie who introduced me to this mix in the first place! I have tweaked it some to basically this:

2 parts wheat berries
1 part rye berries
1 part oat groats
1 part hulled barley (not pearled)
1 part millet
1 part brown rice

That is the basic whole grain mix that I put in big 5 gallon buckets. To the basic mix I can then add other grains to it as desired. I have added 1 part spelt in my last batch.

The corn and beans can be added for hot cereal and baking as well, I just haven't done much baking with them yet.

Other grains I would like to try include amaranth, kamut, and teff. If anyone has any insight, I'd love to hear about it.

My Tools

2008-10-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

So, using fresh grain in your regular diet requires the use of a few tools. Here are the tools I bought after years of extensive research (I'm not kidding about that, either) and have used with no complaints:

1) The Grain Mill

As great as it makes you feel to have lots and lots of grain stored away it really isn't worth anything if you have no way of processing the stuff for actual consumption. The mill I love is the WonderMill. It is compact but has a large hopper (where you pour the grain) and bin. It's quiet, fast, and clean. In short, it's milling for the 21st century, if you can imagine such a thing.
A great place to buy it is Kodiak Health. In fact, that's a great place to buy all these products. The WonderMill will cost you about $240.

2) The Bread Machine

I love this machine. The Zojirushi BBCC-X20. It makes 2 lb horizontal loaves. No towers o' bread. It has two beaters for excellent mixing and kneading. No crusty bits of partially mixed dough stuck to the pan. It's durable, flexible, reliable. It's what you need for making a regular loaf of bread. I'm sure it has lots of bells and whistles, but I really use 3 or 4 standard settings and 1 custom setting.

3) The Little House on the Prairie Type Manual Mill

Yes, I have a hand crank mill. It comes complete with bonnet and a pink gingham dress. Alright, alright, not the bonnet. This is a really great tool to have because as fabulous as electric mills are they can't do nuts, seeds, or crack grains. They just make flour. That's okay, that's what they are supposed to do. I don't expect my washer to dry the clothes, too. (Which they should, by the way, as well as fold them.) I mostly use this for cracking my grain mix into hot cereal, which we eat alot of so I deemed it a necessary purchase. As far a manual mills go, I think this is the one to get. The stones are big, therefore faster (keep in mind faster is relative for manual mills. Once you have ground a cup of flour on a manual mill you will thank your lucky stars for your noisy electric mill. To continue with my laundry parallel, it's like washing laundry by hand instead of tossing it in the washer and pushing a button.) It is solid, has a large attached hopper so it doesn't accidentally get knocked off while you are cranking, and comes with optional stainless steel burrs (the actual grinders) for nuts, seeds, and other oily stuff. The crank has a large radius, too, which is much better than a tiny pencil sharpener which will take about 50 turns to 1 with a larger crank. This is also a great chore to give the kids and help them develop Popeye arms. Cost $220.

You are probably scratching your heads wondering why I didn't choose the Country Living Mill. It's just too darn expensive. It also has to be bolted down and doesn't do the oily stuff.

4) A Good Bread Knife.

The Forschner 10 1/4 Inch Curved Blade Bread Knife. It's just the best. Thin and sharp and not too expensive. Easily under $25.

Intro Blog

2008-10-01T20:48:00.001-07:00

Here we are