Whole Wheat Bread and Honey Butter

This is the duo that I gave away to friends and family at Christmas - a yummy treat that still remained healthy.  I made mini loaves which are pictured, but I will give all the details for the regular size.  Since going processed free, I actually buy most of my bread from the store in the health food section.  I've shared before that I like the sprouted wheat Ezekiel bread which has met pretty much all my daily needs.  But, there is something about homemade bread - the smell in the house, the warm slice in your hands that just cannot be duplicated by anything made in a factory.  My friend Karen shared this recipe with me and I have made only minor adjustments to make it processed free.

6 cups warm water
2/3 cups coconut oil
2/3 cups raw honey
2 Tbsp. salt
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. yeast, heaping (I like SAF or Rapunzel)

7-8 more cups of whole wheat flour

Pour the warm (not hot) water in your mixer.  Add the oil and the honey.  If you use the same measuring cup the honey will just slip right out after the oil.  Add the salt, 6 cups of flour, and yeast in that order.  Mix this together first, then slowly start to add the rest of the flour while it is still mixing until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl.  It will take around the 7 or 8 cups called for, but don't add too much.  You want the dough to be slightly sticky, but not gooey.  And don't worry, this recipe seems to be very forgiving.  While the dough continues to knead for a few minutes, grease four large bread pans with coconut oil (I used my Misto to do this - love it!)  Dump the dough out onto an oiled counter top and divide it into four equal parts.  Shape the loaves and place them in the pans.  Put the pans in a warm area covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let them rise until they have about doubled in size - maybe about an inch taller than the edge of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  When they are nice and golden, remove them immediately from the pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack or towel.  You can butter the tops while they are still warm if you want, but I rarely do. 

If you want to make the mini loaves, follow the directions up to the point where you divide them up.  I have found that I can get about 15 mini loaves from this recipe.  You still need to let them rise, but only bake them for about 18 minutes at the same temperature. 

Regardless of the size, these freeze beautifully, so even though this makes quite a bit, you won't be sorry to have some on hand.  And they do make great gifts.

Now I have found that you shouldn't let one of them cool entirely before cutting into it and slathering it with butter - it loses something not to eat it warm, right?  So enjoy the fruits of your labor at that perfect moment when all feels right in the world.

As for the honey butter, it is beyond easy to make.  It's just salted butter (I like organic) softened to room temperature then beaten with as much or as little raw honey as you want.   Make this to your personal taste.  I personally enjoy having to spread a little on a piece of warm bread for a taste check many times over!

Misto Cooking Sprayers

Here is one of my new favorite finds - the Misto!  While trying to go processed free, I have found that not only some products that I used in the past made cooking faster, but easier too.  This was the case for cooking sprays.  Even if I chose to use the olive oil spray (which is not healthy when consumed at high heat anyway,) the added chemicals used to propel it were not what I wanted in my body.  I knew that some pump products existed where you use your regular oil, but I had never come across them in a store.  Then my mom found these while shopping at Costco and knew we needed them.

They came two in a package which was perfect because I wanted one for olive oil and one for coconut oil.  And they are so easy to use. 

Here is what you do: pour your oil in the bottle and fill it to the top of the window, screw the cap back on, and use the lid to pump air into the chamber.  Now you can create a nice even spray without all the chemicals, and better yet, you still have a cooking spray that is fast and easy.  How great is that?  You will have to pump it a few times between uses, but I don't think that is a bad trade off. 

Now here is the only special instruction needed regarding the coconut oil.  Since this kind of oil is solid at room temperature, it does need to be heated to pour it in the bottle and spray it, so I heated it to do just that which was fine while I was using it - it stayed liquid long enough.  Once it got put back on the shelf for a while it turned solid inside the Misto again.  I found that if I just ran warm water over the filled bottle for about three minutes it became liquid again and I could use it as I did before.  I also figured out I could put the bottle in a bowl of warm water and by the time I was ready to use it, it was liquid again.

So let's here it for the Misto!  Go get one, you'll feel so great getting rid of your store bought sprays and feeding your family only what you intended. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Who can resist a nice, hearty slice of chicken pot pie?  And what if I tell you it's processed free, so your body will recognize and be nourished by all the ingredients.  Even better, right?  To top it off, it's an easy, flexible recipe that is family friendly - even my picky, non-vegetable loving kids like it.  So, here is my version of chicken pot pie without a lot of fuss or chemical additives.

1 recipe for whole wheat pie crust (can be made ahead of time)
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
onion powder
dried basil
dried thyme
garlic powder
vegetables
cooked chicken

Make the pie crusts - you will need a top and bottom and this recipe will give you that.  Set them aside in the refrigerator for later. 

Here is where the flexibility comes in.  You want to put your cooked chicken and vegetable medley in a bowl, but use whatever you have on hand.  I typically use a frozen vegetable medley that I've thawed and any other leftover veggies lying around.  My favorites include carrots, peas, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, celery and string beans - all of which should be in small pieces.  But, use what you have.  I've even used a canned vegetable medley that is organic with no added extra ingredients, although I prefer the quality to be more fresh cooked or frozen thawed - less mushy.  As for the chicken, use leftovers cut up, a rotisserie chicken cut up, canned or home pressure cooked and canned (my favorite.)  As for the amount of each, you need about a 1-2 large cooked chicken breasts and as much veggies as you think will fly with your family.  I wouldn't use any less than one can or easy steamer bag of veggies.  The nice thing is, if you use less, your pie is a little flatter, and if you use more, your pie is a little more dome shaped on the top - all up to you and your family's taste.

Next you will make the sauce.  In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and then add the flour to make a roux.  Add the broth and milk while you continue to stir to get rid of the lumps. Next, you will add a few spices.  Sprinkle in a little onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and thyme - as much or as little as you want, but don't go too overboard.  Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens - this will only take a few minutes.  Once it's done, pour it into the bowl with the chicken and veggies and stir this all together. 

Put one pie crust in the pie pan, pour in your filling, and place the second pie crust on top.  I take the edges of the top crust and fold them down over the edges of the bottom and crimp them together so that no filling will bubble out.  Then, take a knife and make a few vent holes in the top crust - I usually just make an "X" in the center.  To make this really fancy, take one egg, beat it and brush a thin layer all over the top crust.  This helps it look browned and gorgeous after it's baked, but it is absolutely not necessary.  I just like the impressive look it gives.

Bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.  It's just the crust that needs to be cooked and brown, so once that looks done, you are finished.  Here's what mine looked like right out of the oven.

The crust will be buttery and flaky, and the inside will be warm and delicious!  Mine is a bit of a thicker consistency, almost quiche-like on the inside because I don't like cutting into something and having the filling all run out.  You can see how it stays together as you cut slices.  The leftovers are also really good the next day.  I serve this with a nice salad.  I hope you love it as much as my family!

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

I had been looking for a whole wheat pie crust recipe for a while that was flaky, tender and most of all delicious.  I learned along the way that most pie crust is pretty easy to make at home instead of buying it at the store and definitely makes this processed free without all the white flour.  However, not all recipes are created equal - some are not as tasty, others are tough, and many are so complicated that you just won't make them ever again.  I found this recipe and it has become my favorite so far.  I figured out how to make it WAY easier and super fast.  But I also included a version you can do by hand that is also simplified.  This will make two pie crusts.

1/4 cup ice water
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. butter (1 1/2 sticks)

In a food processor, pour in the flour and salt and pulse to mix.  Add the egg, water, and the butter that has been cut in large chunks.  Pulse until it forms a dough ball.  Remove from the food processor and cut into two equal pieces.  Sprinkle some whole wheat pastry flour on the counter and shape one of the halves into a flat disk.  Place it on the floured surface and start rolling it out until it is a thin, sort of circle shape.  You could also try rolling out the dough on wax paper, which is sometimes easier when transferring it to your pie plate.  Place it in the pie place and cut off any extra around the edges.  Make sure you don't stretch it when putting it in.  It's that easy!

By hand:
Take the 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter and cut them length-wise down the middle, then down the middle of each of these pieces.  This will give you 4 long quarters.  Then slice these into small, square pieces.  This is what it will look like.

 

Once you have all the butter cut up, put them in a bowl and stick it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. 

Whisk together the flour and salt.  Measure out a 1/4 cup of ice water and add the egg to it.  Beat the two together and set aside.  Get the butter from the freezer and add it to the flour.  Use a pastry cutter to break up the butter and incorporate it into the flour mixture (if you don't have one you can use your fingers.)  Pour in the egg and water mixture and stir everything until it is all combined.  If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it is the right consistency.

Roll it out the same as the above description. 

If you are filling it before it's baked then you are all done!  You can make a pretty edge by folding the edges underneath and crimping them with your fingers or use a fork to make little lined impressions.  If you need to bake it first without a filling, poke holes in the bottom with a fork and bake it at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. 

You would roll out the other half and the same as the first and use it to top the pie or save it between two piece of wax paper and store it in the freezer until you need a pie crust for another time.  I hope you enjoy this easy, healthy crust!
 

Tomato Soup

 

 

I love having a delicious bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold day.  The sandwich is an easy item to make processed free - use Ezekiel bread and non-processed cheese toasted in a pan with organic butter or coconut oil.  As for the tomato soup, you could make that from scratch, but who has the time for that, especially with little kids tugging on your shirt that they are hungry now!  In the past, I used condensed cream of tomato soup from a can, but if you read the list of ingredients you will find you can't even pronounce most of them.  This said to me that I needed a much healthier alternative, and I found one.  The company Imagine makes a tomato soup that you shake, pour, and heat with organic ingredients and nothing artificial.  My family loves it and it's even easier to make than the canned soup.  Plus, anything you don't use, you close the lid and put in the refrigerator for another time.  Super easy!  Now we can have this favorite anytime we want and I always feel good about it.  I can even find this in the regular grocery store in the "health food" section.  Give it a try, I don't think you'll go back to the cans again!

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Do you like the Peanut Butter Moo'd smoothie from Jamba Juice?  Then you are going to love this recipe!  And what's even better is that it is healthy and processed free.  This is an excellent protein drink that even my super sweet tooth husband has declared he would eat everyday - and now I would let him.  This recipe is based on one of my hero's recipes, Dee McCaffrey.  If you haven't gotten her book yet, The Science of Skinny, you are missing out.  I make one crutial change to her recipe that results in a great double for the one from Jamba Juice in taste and texture.  You must freeze the bananas!  There is no compromise for this step.  I always have bananas frozen in my freezer at all times.  I cut them into thirds and store them in a freezer bag for all kinds of smoothies or a healthy ice cream substitute for my kids.  Once you start doing this, you will wonder how you ever lived without frozen bananas.

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 drops liquid stevia
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder (stevia sweetened)
1 banana (frozen!)
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Put all the ingredients in a blender, then drink immediately.  The frozen banana acts like the creamy ice cream or frozen yogurt that is in the Jamba Juice recipe, making this very healthy and lower in sugar.  In fact, this is sugar free, but doesn't taste like it - woo hoo!!

I almost always double this recipe so that both my husband and I can have some since we love it that much.  I have to admit that it took a few minutes to get my picture of this, so it melted a little.  It is actually much thicker than the picture shows.  Give it a try, I think you're going to love it!

Veggie Lasagna in the Crockpot

You can tell by now that I really like pasta, which you can make cleanly with a few swaps.  I am coming to find that almost anything can become processed free if you get creative enough.  Yes, that takes some time, effort, and money, but I feel like the investment in our health is worth it.

Here is an example of a recipe that I make that is based on one from the cookbook, 101 more Things to do with a Slow Cooker.  Even before eating processed free, I had made changes to this to suite my own tastes, but now I've made a few more swaps to make this fast, delicious, and processed free!


12 whole wheat lasagna noodles (uncooked - hooray!)
1/4 cup water
1 small can sliced olives, drained (more if you like them)
1 small can mushroom pieces, drained
1 carrot, finely shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
(1 parsnip, shredded or thinly sliced - optional)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce (no sugar added)
1 container (15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. dried mint
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

This recipe is so easy, quick to assemble, and has very little prep time involved.  In fact, the only thing that takes any time at all is shredding the vegetables.  I use a box grater, but if you had a shredder on a food processor this could be done in seconds.  Here is what the veggies look like shredded (carrots and zucchini.)

To start the assembly, coat the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with some coconut oil.  I usually scoop a little out with a paper towel wrapped around my fingers and spread it inside the crockpot.  Then lay down 4 noodles (broken to fit) on the bottom.  These are NOT cooked, which makes this recipe so easy!  And don't worry, the noodles won't look pretty, but it will when it is all done cooking.  Here is what I mean - just make the noodles fit.

Next, sprinkle half the olives, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini (parsnips too, if you use them) over the noodles. Spoon 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce over them and half the water.  Stir the mint into the ricotta cheese and spread half of it on top of the sauce.  Then, sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella over the top.  Repeat these same steps again for the next layer beginning with 4 more noodles broken to fit.

When you have completed the second layer just like the first, add the last set of 4 noodles, the remainder of the sauce (make sure it covers the noodles completely) and the rest of the mozzarella.  It will look like this.

Put the lid on it and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.  Don't go longer than 5 hours!  This will make a lot of food.  We usually have left overs for a day or two or we invite family over to share it with us.  I like to serve this with a nice Italian salad (tomatoes, olives, fresh mozzarella, etc.) and sliced whole wheat french bread with butter or garlic butter.  YUM!