Japanese Soba Noodle Soup

This soup is one of our favorite and most healthy meals in our home. Our kids love it and it's an easy and delicious meal for guests. We have made it so many times and don't really have a written recipe for it. Just years of working on this one. So the amounts below are estimates. Play with them as you develop your own soups. Many regular grocery stores carry these ingredients now, otherwise specialty asian stores will have them. The base of Japanese soups is made with Kombu (a thick seaweed) and bonita (dried fish flakes). If you can't find them you can get plenty of flavor from the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup Sake

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

6 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons Miso paste

1 large piece Kombu

1/4 cup Bonita flakes (placed in a tea strainer or cheese cloth package as it will have to be removed at the end)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 package firm tofu cubed

4 cups baby spinach

Soba noodles

Cilantro, coarsely chopped for garnish

Seaweed, cut with scissors into strips

Asian chile garlic sauce

Directions:

The noodles:
While cooking the soup, cook soba noodles by package directions, slightly al dente. Before draining water save two cups of the soba water to add to the soup. This adds excellent nutrients and some starch to thicken the soup slightly.
Drain noodles and run under cool water in colander.

The soup:

In medium pot, saute shallots, ginger and garlic in canola oil for 2 minutes

Add mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes

Add sake wine and deglaze pan

Add rice wine vineagar and stock and bring to simmer

Add kombu and continue to simmer for 15 - 30 minutes

Add tofu and and cook until warmed through

Add spinach right before serving the soup

Finishing the dish:

Remove bonita from soup

Prepare individual bowls with soba

Ladle in soup

Garnish with cilantro and seaweed

Serve with chile sauce if desired

Double Fudge Brownies (Whole-Wheat)

 

 We made these to celebrate Jessica's half-birthday (since she's a summer birthday and wouldn't get to celebrate with her school friends otherwise and didn't want to get lumped in with all the other summer birthdays as they sometimes celebrate at the end of the year) and these brownies were DELICIOUS! They are now my go-to brownie recipe (they are not light in any way just so we get that clear and out of the way now - there's a bunch of butter and sugar - but I actually prefer the flavor of whole wheat flour with flour these days. The nuttiness of the flour and chocolatey-ness are a perfect pairing).

 

 

 

 

 Double Fudge Brownies (Whole Wheat!)

(adapted from King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking cookbook)
Yield: 2 dozen (2-inch) brownies
Baking Temp: 350 degrees F
Baking time 30 minutes

Note: These are better made ahead and let to sit 24 hours before cutting into them. The wait gives the wheat bran a chance to soften.

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
2 cups (15 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional) (you could also use 1/4-1/8 teaspoon ground red chile pepper for a different flavor direction and bit of kick)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
1-2 cups (6-12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over low heat (alternately, you can melt it in the microwave on low as well). Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave), briefly, until it's hot and starting to bubble. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
3. Stir in the cocoa, baking powder, salt, spices (if using), and vanilla. Cool the mixture until you can test it with your finger: it should feel like comfortably hot bath water. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth, then add the flour and the chips, again stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake the brownies until a cake tester or sharp knife poked into the center reveals wet crumbs but not raw batter, about 30 minutes. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove them from the oven and let cool on a rack. Cover when they are cooled completely. Let sit overnight before serving

Nutritional information per serving (1 brownie, 61 g): 7g whole grains, 252 calories, 13g fat, 3g protein, 8g complex carbs, 25g sugar, 2g dietary fiber, 56mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 216mg potassium, 76RE vitamin A, 2mg iron, 46mg calcium, 100mg phosphorus.

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Note: This batter can also be made into muffins (just bake them in muffin trays at 350 for 23 to 28 minutes).


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium-to-large bananas)
• 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Light grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan
2. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the banana, honey, and eggs, beating until smooth. Add the flour and chocolate chips stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and let it rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Bake the bread for 50 minutes. Lay a piece of foil gently across the top after the initial 50 minutes, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the bread from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.

Source: King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain Baking

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Ragout with Herb Dumplings

With the weather around here ricocheting between the promise-of-spring-to-come and the reality of winter I felt there was a need for another hearty, cold weather main dish. Although my first taste of brussel sprouts wasn't a winner, I was determined to try again when I saw this recipe in Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison (which in a not-so-formal-way I guess I'm working my way through the entire book.... and I have NOT been disappointed yet. And believe me, if there was ever a possibility for disappointment, well, THIS was it! And it WAS DELICIOUS so I consider this a GREAT choice for a book to be working through. Another plus? It's not as large as some of the others out there... like even Local Flavors, another great one that I have on my night stand for nighttime reading material.) Note: Plan on making the mushroom stock ahead of time so that things can come together more quickly.

Note #2: My family won't touch Brussels Sprouts (or mushrooms for that matter)... so I made this for me and ate it for lunch over the course of several days. But maybe your family is more adventurous than mine.

It starts with getting a nice mushroom mixture that you are happy with. I used sliced criminis and shiitakes.

And brussell sprouts...
Some parsley and tarragon (the latter of which I didn't think I liked but had a wonderful flavor paired with the mushrooms, onions, and brussell sprouts - another surprise for me!)

The cooking starts with a saute thick slices of onion in some olive oil.



The herb mixture is added along with the mushrooms to the saute pan.
In a separate pot I boiled the sprouts that I halved.
After the brussell sprouts cooked, I drained them and added them along with mushroom stock to the saute pan.

Then you mix up the dumpling mixture and add it by the spoonful to the saute pan and cover so they can cook.

This was an excellent and hearty dinner for a cold, dreary day. It warmed me up from the inside out and will be added to my "fall/winter favorites". Oh, and I should mention that I halved this recipe as I knew I would be the only one in my house eating it! But, man, it was GOOD for lunch leftovers!! (One caveat to the recipe: I *have* had better dumplings... these came out flatter than I remember dumplings being! But they still tasted great. So if you already have a favorite dumpling recipe go ahead and use it here instead... but still add the herbs!)

Brussell Sprouts and Mushroom Ragout with Herbed Dumplings
(from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison)

Ingredients
Mushroom Stock (see recipe below if you want to make your own)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium to large onions, sliced about ½-inch thick
¾ pound white mushrooms, crimini, shiitake, or a mixture, rinsed and sliced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 plump garlic clove, minced
½ large lemon
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered

Ingredients for the Herb Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup milk, heated with 3 tablespoons butter or oil
3 tablespoons mixed chopped parsely and tarragon
1 egg

Directions
1. If using homemade mushroom stock, make the stock. This can be done a day or two ahead of time. Once it’s simmering bring a pot of water to a boil for the Brussels sprouts.
2. Heat the oil in a wide nonstick skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until aromatic and nicely colored, about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile slice the mushrooms and chop the herbs and garlic.
3. Once the onions are a rich color, raise the heat to high and add the mushrooms, herbs, and garlic to the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are browned in places, 5 to 7 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
4. Add salt to boiling water, then the Brussels sprouts along with any loose leaves. Boil until nearly tender 4 to 6 minutes, depending on size. Check by piercing with a fork. Drain, then add them to the pan and pour in mushroom stock. At this point you can turn off the heat and let the vegetables stand until you’re ready to make the dumplings.
5. For the dumplings, mix the flour with the baking powder and salt. Pour in the milk, herbs, and egg and stir quickly together with a fork. Add the dumpling batter by the spoonful to the ragout, making 12 small dumplings in all. You’ll have extra batter, but don’t use it all or else the dish will be too bready. Cover the pan with tented foil or a lid, bring everything to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Serve in soup plates, with 3 dumplings in each bowl.

Mushroom Stock
Ingredients
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I used shredded because we keep them in the house for our dog as treats since she’s allergic to dog bones)
1 large garlic clove, sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced, plus any trimmings
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
½ cup dry white or red wine
1 tablespoon flour
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
1. Cover the fried mushroom with 3 cups hot water and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms and their trimmings. Saute, stirring occasionally, until well-browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste, marjoram, wine, and sprinkle on the flour. Once the wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, after about 3 minutes, add the porcini, their soaking water, and ½ teaspoon salt, and a little pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain. The stock can be frozen.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Cilantro
Source: Adapted from Vegetarian Soups by Deborah Madison
Makes: 2 Quarts


Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black beans (or 3 cans of black beans)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 3 celery ribs, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/3 bunch of cilantro chopped
• Optional garnishes: 1/2 cup of sour cream, juice of 1/2 a lime, more chopped cilantro, avocado, chopped tomato, diced red onion

Directions

1. If using canned beans skip to step 2. If using dried beans, rinse the beans and put them in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 10 cups of water. Bring the pressure to high, then maintain it for 30 minutes. Release the pressure or let it fall naturally.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until the onion has softened. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and add the cumin, paprika bay leaves, and cayenne. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally and taking care not to let the spices burn. Add 1 cup of water and the cilantro and continue to cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
3. Strain the beans and add them to the onion mixture and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Taste for salt. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or you can leave it unprocessed if you prefer.
4. To garnish: Mix the sour cream, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and season with a pinch of salt. Serve a spoonful in each bowl of soup and add some avocado that has been diced up. You can add some chopped tomato or red onion as well.

Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns

Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns

These cinnamon buns are DELICIOUS and are now my go-to buns. They contain whole wheat flour and oats and are not dry like some of the other recipes I have tried in the past. And the cinnamon level is great... and I LOVE my cinnamon. They do have a whole wheat flavor but what do you expect?!

I threw all of the dough ingredients in my bread machine and let the good ol' Zo do the work since I had things I needed to work on during the morning... but you can do it by hand as well.

 

Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns

Source: The King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking (recipe by author, Jodi Picoult)

Yield: 16 cinnamon buns

Ingredients

Dough:
3/4 plus 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) lukewarm water
1/4 cup (2 ounces) orange juice
5 tablespoons (3 3/4 ounces) honey
1 large egg, separated (reserve the white)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (1 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
Heaping 1/2 cup (1 1/4 ounces) dried potato flakes or 3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces potato flour)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling:
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Icing:
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
2 or 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounch) milk or cream, enough to make a spreadable icing

Directions

To prepare the dough:

Combine all the dough ingredients, using the egg yolk and setting the white aside to use in the filling. Mix and knead - by hand, mixer or bread machine - until you have a medium-soft, smooth dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise until it's quite puffy, though probably not doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. While the dough is rising, make the filling.

To prepare the filling:
Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch, 11-inch square, 12-inch round or similar sized pan.

To shape the buns:
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Roll and pat it into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin along one long edge. If the filling seems too sticky to spread easily, wet your fingers and smear it over the dough as best you can.

Starting with the filling-covered long edge, roll the dough into a log, turning it so the seam is flat against the work surface. Using a long serrated knife or dental floss, gently cut it into 16 pieces.

Place the guns in the prepared pan, spacing them evenly: they won't touch one another. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and allow the buns to rise for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. They won't double in size, but will become about half again as large as they were originally. They should barely touch each other. Near the end of the buns' rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To bake the buns:
Bake the buns, until they're a deep golden brown on top, 25-28 minutes. Remove them from the oven and after 3 minutes, carefully turn them out, upside-down, onto a rack. Place another rack, feet side up on the buns, and invert them once again, so their tops are up. they'll be hot and delicate, so be careful While the buns are cooling a bit, make the icing.

To finish the buns:
Beat together the sugar, vanilla, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the milk (or cream) in a medium mixing bowl. Beat in additional milk or cream if the icing is too stiff to spread. Spread the icing on the lukewarm buns. Serve immediately, or cool completely, cover, and store at room temperature. Buns will keep well, covered, for several days.

Nutrition Information per serving (1 bun 96g)
28g whole grains, 288 cal, 5g fat, 6g protein, 22g complex carbohydrates, 33g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 25mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 225mg potassium, 43RE vitamin A, 3mg vitamin C, 2mg iron, 62mg calcium, 139mg phosphorus

Whole Grain Granola Bars

I made these for the first time this afternoon - they are wonderful. I made them for the kids lunches for the week, but we had some for dessert tonight and the kids loved them.

Next time I might try some sunflower or sesame seeds too.

Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats (you can use instant oatmeal for a less textured finish)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup ground flax

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cups dried cranberries (or raisins)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup of good semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 baking pan.

2. In large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, flax, cinnamon, flour, cranberries and salt. Mix in optional ingredients: sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, egg, oil and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture in to the pan and pat evenly.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, cut into bars and remove from pan to cool on a rack.

Another option is to leave the chocolate out of the mix and rather sprinkle them over the cooked bars before you slice them. Let them melt and spread the chocolate over the top. Let it cool and harden completely before slicing.