A meal that I wish I could have enjoyed!

You can all thank my husband for the wonderful plating and photo tonight because while he was feeding 4 children, I was at hot yoga.  Sometimes it is hard to prepare a meal for the family and not get to enjoy it with them but hot yoga is pretty much the only acceptable excuse for it in my mind ;)  It was a dreary cold day here in Winnipeg and I was happy to spend the afternoon making these stuffed buns and then sweating it out at yoga.  Making lemonade out of lemons?  Yes, I think so.  The buns were served with a simple green salad with tofu croutons!

Vegetable Stuffed Buns

2 1/2 tsp yeast

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup warm water

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

filling

olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp grated ginger

1 chopped red pepper

2 chopped carrots

3/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 tbsp braags

1 tbsp cornstarch

*In a large bowl, dissolve yeast, honey, salt and olive oil together.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

*Mix in flour and wheat gluten and knead for 8-10 minutes.  Place in a well oiled bowl and let rise for at least 1 hour.

*Saute onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil until soft.  Add red pepper, carrots, and broccoli and stir fry until slightly soft.  

*Mix together braags and cornstarch and pour into stir fry mixture.  Allow to cool

*Remove dough from bowl and divide into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece into a thin circle.

*Add 2 tbsp(ish) of stirfry mixture to each circle.

*Bring edges to close in mixture and twist together to close.

*Place seam side down on a baking sheet and allow to rise for 30 more minutes

*Brush with olive oil and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

100 blog posts!

We have finally started getting some beautiful weather. We had a lazy day today, just hanging around outside in the sun. On beautiful days like this I always like to eat something cool...something like a salad! As the kids continued to play outside I put together this simple but tasty dinner. The kids wanted more bread sticks right away but had to finish their salads first...which they did. The boy ate his dinner in about ten seconds flat.  I originally got this salad recipe from my good friend Amanda, she brought it over for a potluck many years ago and it has been popular here ever since!  Here is my 3 year old daughter's plate, she thought it should be her turn :)

Spinach Salad

salad

4-5 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup sliced dried apricots

1/2 cup craisins

1/3-1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2-3/4 cup feta

dressing

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 tbsp poppy seeds

salt and pepper

*Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl

*In a food processor, pulse together all dressing ingredients

tada (easiest meal ever)

Whole Wheat Bread!

When I was making my menu last week I forgot that because today is technically a holiday, dance class would be cancelled.  I was SURE my favourite 2 year old would love tonight's meal because the only thing she ever tells me that she likes is peanut butter sandwiches.  We had peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches on fresh whole wheat bread, fruit salad, and some raw vegetables.  Unfortunately the little miss was not here to enjoy it but I can always make it again :)  This is one of my favourite bread recipes.  Last year, while nesting, I think I made at least 15 loaves to freeze for bebe's arrival.  Not one was left when she arrived (2 weeks late) but they were enjoyed nonetheless.

Whole Wheat Bread

1/4 cup butter

1 cup hot water

1 cup brown sugar

3 packages yeast

4 cups warm water

4 tbsp honey

3 tsp salt

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

9 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups all purpose flour

*In a small bowl, whisk together butter, hot water and brown sugar until dissolved.

*In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

*Add honey, salt, wheat gluten, butter mixture and all purpose flour.  Mix well.

*Add remaining flour one cup at a time until you have a stiff dough.

*Remove from bowl and knead well (at least 10 minutes)

*Place in a well oiled bowl and let rise until doubled (about an hour)

*Punch down and divide into 4.  Place in greased loaf pans and let rise for 1 more hour.

*Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Game Night!

My kids have been really into games lately (mostly cards but any board game will do).   After spending most of the day running around and snacking, a big supper would not have gone over well, so we had a snacking kind of meal while we played many (many) games!  Homemade pitas, roasted red pepper hummus, raw veggies, black bean dip, artichoke and spinach dip and chips.  It was as delicious as it sounds :)

Black Bean Dip

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

 2 tbsp olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

*Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until you've reached desired consistency

*Chill before eating

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus 

 3 red peppers, roasted and blended

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/3 cup tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

salt and pepper

*Pulse all ingredients together several times in a food processor

*Chill before eating

Pitas!  from Leora

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1+ tbsp olive oil

*Combine water and yeast and set aside for a few minutes

*In a large bowl mix together flour and salt, add yeast mixture and oil, mix well.

*Knead for several minutes on a lightly floured counter top

*Place in well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 2 hours

*Divide into 10 pieces

*Flatten each piece into a disk and roll quite flat

*Bake at 500 for 3-5 minutes

The recipe for this spinach and artichoke dip can be found here. 

Non-cream Cream of Potato Soup

Does the name give it away?  Even though it is spring break the kids have some fun filled day with friends planned so we still had our slow cooker Tuesday.  I had planned on it being a cooler day and having a super fatty comforting potato soup.  As it turned out the weather was beautiful and I really didn't feel like something as heavy as that.  So we had an almond milk potato soup.. and it was so good you would never know that it wasn't made with butter, milk, or cream.  The perfect vegan dish :)  I, of course, ruined that with some cheesy bread sticks but at least the soup was vegan.  Ha!  We also had a plain green salad with walnuts and sunflower seeds, one of the kids favourite side dishes.

Cream of Potato Soup

Olive Oil

1 chopped onion

1 chopped shallot

3 cloves minced garlic

6-7 coarsely chopped potatoes (skin on)

2 cubes vegetarian "chicken-style" bouillon

1 sprig rosemary

2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
 1/2 tsp celery salt

freshly ground pepper

1 cup almond milk

*Saute onion, shallot and garlic in olive oil until soft

*Pour into slow cooker along with potatoes, bouillon, rosemary, sage, s&p and enough water to cover

*Cook on low for 7-8 hours

*Add almond milk and blend using immersion blender

Cheesy Bread Sticks

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat bran

1/8 cup ground flax

2 tbsp vital wheat gluten

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

fresh parsley and oregano

shredded cheddar cheese

*Combine flour, bran, flax, wheat gluten and salt in a large bowl

*Pour together water, yeast, honey and oil and let sit for 8-10 minutes

*Combine both mixtures, knead for 6-7 minutes, and let rest for 10 minutes

*Roll out into a rectangle, cover and let rise for 30 minutes

*Place on a baking sheet and brush with more olive oil, and spices

*Bake at 425 for 10 minutes

*Top with cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes.

*Cut into strips and enjoy ;)

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries

It is spring break for the two oldest kids and we are celebrating all week with some of their favourite meals!  Their first choice was a definite grilled cheese sandwich and fries and we were running quite low on our freezer stash of bread so we spent the afternoon baking.  In my opinion quinoa whole wheat bread is one of the easiest breads to make, plus the kids love it and it freezes really well.  We had sweet potato fries and broccoli on the side but our little Monday friend still hasn't loved any of our pre-dancing meals.  There is always next week, right?

Whole Wheat and Quinoa Bread

7 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

  4tbsp yeast

2 tbsp honey

6 tbsp vital wheat gluten

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup oat bran

7-8 cups whole wheat flour

*Add room temperature butter, quinoa, and oats to milk in a large bowl.  Mix well and let sit for 45 minutes.

*Add remaining ingredients except flour and mix well.

*Add flour a little at a time until it is difficult to stir.

*Remove from bowl, and knead while adding flour for 8-10 minutes.

*Cover and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour.

*Liberally grease 5 loaf pans.

*Divide dough into 5 pieces and place in loaf pans.  Let rise again for at least 1 hour.

*Bake at 400 for 45-55 minutes.

*Allow to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We all know that I love themes, so it should come as no surprise that I made a themed meal for St. Patrick's day!  It took me awhile to find a recipe for Irish stew that didn't have a flavoured soy fake meat product as the main ingredient.  I try to feed my children as little processed food as possible.  Do they eat it occasionally?  Of course, but I try to avoid it as often as I can.  I finally found this one with tvp and lentils which automatically made it the perfect recipe for me.  I made a few modifications but just for personal taste preference.  I remember when I first became a vegetarian (my reasons made for a GREAT story, lol) I survived on pb&j on rice cakes, and a friend used to sing the praises of tvp.  Being a teenager I never wanted to try it... it was toooo weird, but now... YUM!  We love it.  I couldn't find the chunks that this recipe called for so I just used flakes, they worked out just fine.  I served it with some homemade Irish soda bread which took a lot longer to cook than the recipe said it would.  The best part about this recipe was how easy it was, perfect meal for a dreary, wet day!

 Irish Stew

2 chopped onions 

1/4 cup unbleached flour 

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup sliced carrots  

1/2 cup chopped parsnips

1 cup chopped turnips

1 cup diced celery

1 cup split red lentils 

1/2 cup fresh parsley 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1 bay leaf 

2 teaspoons marmite 

1 teaspoon sugar 

1/4 teaspoon thyme 

1/4 teaspoon rosemary 

1/4 teaspoon marjoram 

 salt and pepper  

1 cup textured vegetable protein

*Saute onions in oil for 5 minutes

*Add flour and stir quickly

*Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30(ish) minutes

My Focaccia Bread Recipe Mix-up!

To say my children were crazy today would be an understatement.  I tried to get them settled in some quiet activity so that I could start my focaccia bread but it just wasn't working out.  Finally I had a moment and tried to decide between several different recipes.  I chose this one but was also looking a lot at this one here.  Somewhere along the line I started accidentally going between the two and didn't notice until I was almost done.  Oops!  It turned out wonderfully but it could have gone very very badly.  I'm going to blame my children for distracting me... even though I'm sure I had a little to do with it.  I made the bread to go along with a red pepper soup that we all really enjoy and a green salad.  Yesterday my friend Heather pointed out this 1 ingredient "ice cream" recipe that we ended up having for dessert.  She is my new hero.

Bell Pepper Soup

olive oil

2 chopped onions

3 cloves minced garlic

6 chopped red pepper

2 chopped green pepper

2 grated potatoes

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp basil

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

*Saute onion, and garlic for 5 minutes

*Add peppers, potatoes, and spices and saute on low for 45-50 minutes

*Use immersion blender on low

*Add stock and bring to a boil

*Simmer for 5-10 minutes

Rosemary Focaccia Bread

1 package dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 1/4 cups tepid water

 2 tbsp olive oil

7  cups all purpose flour

5 tbsp vital wheat gluten

4 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Fresh grated romano cheese

*In a small bowl mix together yeast and warm water, let sit for 10 minutes

*In a large bowl combine tepid water and olive oil.  Add yeast mixture

*Sift in flour, wheat gluten and salt.  Fold in half of the rosemary.

*Knead for 10 minutes

*Cover with damp cloth and let rise for 90 minutes in a well oiled bowl

*Place on parchment paper and press down into 2 ovals (1/2 inch deep).  I used a rolling pin on top of the parchment paper.  Cover with damp cloth for 30 more minutes

*Cover with remaining rosemary and cheese

*Heat up baking stone in 450 oven.  Place bread on stone and bake for 10 minutes.

*Lower heat to 375 and bake 15 more minutes

Banana "Ice Cream"

5 chopped very ripe frozen bananas

*Place in food processor and mix for 6ish minutes on high

the end

An early post = an early bedtime?

I sure hope so!  Tuesdays are definitely the busiest day of our week, and my well-used slow cooker really saves my sanity.  This is a recipe that I haven't used it awhile but that I think will be reintroduced into our regular meal rotation.  I originally got it from the Savvy Vegetarian website and have made a few little changes for what we enjoy here.  Lima beans are one of the tastiest beans, but they also take a little more work to cook.  If you don't have the patience, or time, its sometimes easier to buy them canned (just make sure you rinse well!)  This website is one of my favourites for food information (health and cooking) but I'd make sure to cook the lima beans for at least double what it says here.  They have a much nicer texture that way.  I served this soup with some homemade naan bread and a broccoli and red pepper salad.

Lima Bean Soup

2 cups dried lima beans 

3 large carrots, diced

1 inch chopped garlic

3 celery sticks, chopped in 1/4 inch slices

1 small cauliflower, cut in large pieces

2 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 carton vegetable stock

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander 

1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp garam marsala

1 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

*Prepare lima beans according to package instructions

*Prepare the veggies and add to the crockpot with lima beans and vegetable stock

*Add the bay leaves, ginger, and thyme

*Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 6 - 8 hours

*Add spices, parsley, salt and pepper to taste

*Stir gently, cover and cook for another 15 minutes

Chili in a bread bowl

Its been -40 (Celsius) for a few days now and we are all going a little crazy.  Seemed like the perfect day for baking bread and simmering chili; it was delicious and got us all warmed up. It was a great remedy for winter the blues.        

Chili

2 chopped onions

5 cloves of minced garlic

1 inch grated ginger

1 chopped red pepper

1 chopped green pepper

1 chopped jalapeno

1 bottle of beer

2-28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes

2 cans of tomato paste

2 cans of mixed beans

3 tsp cumin

3 tbsp chili powder

3 tsp oregano

salt and pepper

1 can of corn

*Saute onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes

*Add peppers and jalapeno and continue sauteing until soft

*Add beer and simmer until reduced by half

*Add rest of the ingredients except corn and bring to a boil.  Simmer for at least 1 hour (I try for the afternoon) and add corn just before serving.

Bread Bowls

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup hot water

6 3/4 tsp (3 packages) yeast

4 cups warm water

4 tbsp sugar

3 tsp salt

4 cups unbleached flour

8 cups whole wheat flour

4 tbsp vital wheat gluten

*Combine shortening, brown sugar, and hot water (let cool)

*In large bowl add yeast to warm water and let sit for 5 minutes

*Mix in sugar, salt, wheat gluten, and unbleached flour

*Stir in shortening mixture and continue adding whole wheat flour one cup at a time to make a stiff dough

*Knead well until elastic-y

*Place in a well greased bowl and cover until doubled (at least one hour)

*Punch down and divide into 12 small balls, cover and let rise for at least one more hour

*Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

*Allow to cool and then hollow out bowls for chili or soup