Rustic Whole Grain Bread (in the Crock Pot!)

So I was searching around the Internet and happened to come across the concept of making bread in the crock pot.  I was like no way! but it's possible! And to make it even better- it's easy!  Now a disclaimer here: this bread is not like store bought bread- considering the process of making bread the correct way involves rising, or even double rising, lots of kneading, special ovens etc.  So this bread was a bit on the small size, it didn't rise too much, it also is a bit dense.  This bread is a whole wheat/grain bread so that could be why it is like that. But...

Regardless, for a healthy bread that you make at home with no oven (aka no hot house), no kneading and no rising it is pretty awesome.  Toast it up for breakfast or I even sliced it as thin as I could for sandwiches.

Perfect for making bread in the summer and basically fool proof. So go and try it tonight!!!  I am going to experiment with different doughs to see different results. 

Oh and sometimes the bread doesn't get that crispy texture on the outside- this one kind of did, but I wanted more- so just pop under the broiler for a couple minutes to get that nice brown crust.  But be careful handling the dough out of the crock pot- it will be hot.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of (boiling) water
• 1/2 cup of bulgar (cracked wheat)
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
• 1 packet of active dry yeast (or 3 tsp of instant yeast)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour (or 1/2 of wheat flour and 1/2 of rolled oats)
• 1/4 cup of flax seeds* (or any seed/nut you have- like sesame, poppy, walnut etc)
• 1/2 cup of silken tofu (or you could use yogurt or cottage cheese)
• 1/4 cup of honey (or a about 2-3 tbsp of sugar)
• 2 tbsp of oil (I use canola)
• 1 egg

Directions

1. In your crock pot line the bottom with some parchment paper and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
2. In a small pot bring the cup of water to boil and add the bulgar- then shut off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes.
3. Add all your dry ingredients into one large bowl (bread flour, yeast, salt, wheat flour, seeds) and mix.
4. In another small bowl add your wet ingredients- tofu, honey, oil and egg- beat the until the mixture is combined well.
5. Drain bulgar (but reserve excess water if possible, I needed a bit more liquid for the mixture later for it to come together, so I figured use the left over water from bulgar- but you may not need it, or you could just use regular water)
6. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just comes together a bit, then add the drained bulgar.
7. Mix until it becomes a dough.  I had to knead it until it became dough (but just until it came together). (This is where you might need a bit more of that water or if it is too sticky/wet add more flour).
8. Form it into a ball shape and put into your crock pot on top of the parchment paper.
9. Close up your crock pot and put on high for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  They say the internal temp should be at least 200 degrees F.  You can tell when it is done- the crust will be firm and the dough will hold its shape. 
10. Carefully remove with mits or a towel and let cool before slicing.  Let it cool on a cooling rack otherwise the bottom of the bread will get soggy.
11. As I mentioned before if you want a crispy crust just put under the broiler for a couple minutes- just keep an eye on it.

Enjoy!

* Here's the low down on flax seeds- if you can find them for a good price get them- if not, it's not the end of the world but here's what's so good about them:

• High in calories.  Most calories are fat calories (which are common in nuts and seeds)
• Super high in iron, calcium, protein, fiber and vitamin E
• Excellent source of health-benefiting nutrients, dietary fiber, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
• The seeds are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates
• Furthermore, flax seed is rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium
• Flax seed is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid. It is also one of the top vegetable sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. One spoonful of flax seed oil provides about 8 g of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Helps lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increase HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood. 

{http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2}
{http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/flax-seed.html}

Healthy Fried Rice

Sorry guys! I have been super busy the past week! This month is jam packed with stuff to do and it is just flying by! Multiple birthdays, planning our engagement party, tax season (i.e. I work for an accountant) etc. it is non stop! Anyway, so here is a super fast recipe- that will leave you throwing take-out menus in the garbage from now on ;)

So honestly this is not a super original recipe or idea for that matter of making fast food healthy.  (Inspired by Elie Kreiger's recipe) This recipe was so delicious, easy and satisfying I had to share.  In fact I'm eating some as I type this.  Flavors and textures are awesome and if you aren't a tofu person, substitute some chicken or just leave it out all together.

I cannot get enough of edamame (immature soy beans).  I can just eat them boiled raw. They remind me of big beans or peas that don't have such a starchy taste/texture.  I usually by them boiled and frozen in the pod (it is hard for me to find them shelled) and then defrost quickly and shell them myself. But if you can find shelled go for it.  If you can't find edamame, just substitute peas- no big deal.

Also, the serving size is about 1 and a half cups- for about 500 cal. Plus a whole lot less sodium and fat then regular take out. 

This is a great place to use up left over rice.  If you don't have left over just precook the rice.  This dish takes minutes to come together so start after the rice is fully cooked.  I like to precook the tofu separate so it gets crispy and browned on the outside instead to just mixing it in.  The eggs are also optional, I don't think I would miss them, but it definitely adds to the feel of classic fried rice.

Also for the tofu, take out of the package and drain first.  Then wrap in paper towels and set on a plate- then put another plate on top of that and put something heavy, like a can of tomatoes or a skillet to help drain and squeeze out all the extra liquid.  Before cooking I like to cut long-ways in half to get max surface area browning.

Ingredients

· 1 package of firm tofu

· Cooking spray

· 1 tablespoon of oil

· 2 large cloves of garlic, grated

· 2 tbsp of ginger, grated

· 1 bunch of scallions (about 6), chopped/sliced

· about 3-4 cups of brown rice

· 1 red pepper, diced

· about 1 cup of edamame, shelled

· 1/2 cup of frozen corn

· 2 eggs beaten

· 3-4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Directions

1.      Cook the rice if needed first, then when that is done start these other steps.

2.      If you need to cook the rice you can precook the tofu while you cook the rice and just reserve it for later.  Heat a non stick skillet over high heat and spray with cooking spray.  When hot add the tofu. Brown on both sides (couple minutes each side) and then remove and let cool.  When cool cut into small bite sized squares.

3.      When your rice and tofu are ready- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.

4.      When really hot add the scallions, pepper, garlic and ginger.  Cook only for about 2-3 minutes. 

5.      Add the rice, tofu, edamame and corn.  Stir gently until all heated through- not even five minutes.

6.      You can either do this is a separate pan or the same.  If doing it in the same pan- make a well in the middle and either spray with cooking spray or drop a splash of oil, then add the eggs.  Stir until scrambled. (Obviously if doing it in a second pan, just scramble the eggs and then stir in)

7.       Finally just add the soy sauce and make sure everything is mixed well.

We like top enjoy topped with Sriracha! Spicy!

Enjoy!

(Tofu) Wonton Raviolis

I know, I know, tofu OMG! Honestly the only difference this had from using ricotta cheese- was the texture, not the taste.  Of course you can just substitute the tofu for ricotta cheese and it will just be a bit creamier.  Make this for your family but don't let anyone know it's tofu- I bet they won't even notice.

Tofu facts:

• Tofu is made of soybeans.
• One half-cup serving of raw firm tofu contains 10 grams of protein, only 94 calories and 5 grams of fat
• Tofu is also cholesterol-free as well as a great source of calcium and iron
• Tofu is great at absorbing flavors and spices (kinda like chicken) because it works like a sponge and really doesn't have its own flavor.
• There are two different kinds of tofu: silken and firm. Silken is like cream cheese (I have never used this one) and firm.  The firm type, when crumbled, looks like scrambled eggs or ricotta cheese.

Preparing Tofu

• Tofu is packed in water. Think of it as a big sponge. Most recipes call for "draining" the tofu.  Basically drain the water and then wrap it in a bunch of paper towels and press it between two plates. Plate-tofu wrapped in paper towels-plate-something heavy on top to apply pressure to squeeze all liquid out.  Doesn't take long- about 15mins or so. 

Wontons!

• Let me just begin by saying wonton wrappers are freaking awesome.  15 calories each and you can stuff them with anything- even dessert stuff!  They can be steamed, baked, fried, sauteed, boiled, frozen.  Look in your produce or frozen dept. If you have an Asian supermarket you can always find them there.  They are extremely cheap (for me its like $1.50 for 50 wrappers).  This recipe will make about 40 wontons. I keep them in my freezer and they thaw out super quick.

Ingredients

• 1 (I think its like 16oz) package of firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 cup of spinach (I used fresh baby spinach but you can always use frozen-thawed and squeezed though)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced or grated (if you're not such a garlic fan use only one clove)
• About 7 basil leaves, torn or chopped (if you don't have fresh used a tsp of dried)
• 1 tsp each of: onion powder, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt
• Few grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1/2-3/4 cup of cheese- I used fresh Pecorino Romano, but you can use Parmesan or mozzarella
• 1 egg
• Package of wonton skins/wrappers (about 50 wrappers)
• Cooking spray
• Small bowl of water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl break up the drained tofu until it looks like ricotta cheese-ish.  Add the spinach, garlic, basil, dried spices, cheese and the egg.  Mix that all together.
3. Using a tablespoon (don't overload the wonton! it will break apart and become a mess), scoop one tablespoon of the mixture and put in the middle of the wonton.  Using the water dip your fingers and put the water on the edges of the wonton, then fold over into a triangle and seal-try to get most of the air out-place on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.

4. After they are all done, spray the tops with cooking spray and pop in the oven for about 15-20 mins.
5. Serve with your favorite marinara/tomato sauce!

PS: these are awesome for parties and appetizers.  I know they are a pain in the ass to make-it takes a little while- but worth it in the end. If you dont have a lot of time that day you can prepare them and then just freeze them! (freeze them flat on the trays if you can, then put into ziplocks) (If you ever had frozen pierogies its sort of like that) Then just pop in the oven (might have to bake a little longer-or you can just defrost them on the counter first).  This idea is great for like wonton soup or you can even make pierogies just stuff with mashed potatoes, garlic and cheese!