Crispy Baked Beet Chips (that aren’t burnt)

You don't fix the problem until you define it. – John W. Snow

This recipe is posted in loving appreciation of our mothers, who tried their best to get us to eat things we didn't want to. Most times with a pinch of thanks and a pound of opposition. We love you.

My previous burnt beet chips.
And these were the "good" ones.

I’ve made beet chips before, about as successfully as most of the other home cooks that have posted comments online. In other words, very unsuccessfully. To contribute to the overall betterment of our species, I felt it fell upon my shoulders to fix the problem.

Most online recipes aver such confidence-inducing statements as “crispy, baked beets in XX minutes!” or “this recipe is so easy...”. Well, yes, it is easy, or at least slicing beets with a mandolin is easy. 

But 30 minutes at the most commonly listed temperature of 375°F? That is where things go downhill. Quickly. Have you ever tasted a burnt beet slice? I recommend that you don’t. They’re ugly.

Four medium beets is probably enough for 2 people.

375°F is just too high, especially when non-adjustable mandolins slice food paper thin. You know what I mean by paper thin: like potato chip thin. When one is touting a recipe as beet “chips” they should be “chips” as opposed to beet slabs. Slabs are the only way I can figure the beets in those recipes didn't burn.

The first time I made these—they’re very low calorie—I ate about half of the slices I put into the oven. The other half were burnt beyond consumption. I believe even my compost bin ejected them. I followed the recipe to a “T,” and carefully watched them. It took seconds to go from not-quite-dry-enough to charcoal.

So something had to be done, because the ones that weren’t burnt were pretty good. I hate to put in 100% effort on a 50% return.

But there's more to this post than just the satisfaction of making a recipe work. One medium beet (2” / 5 cm wide) has 35 calories. That’s the same as a slice of “calorie-wise” Kraft swiss cheese food. (“Food” – it’s that way on the packaging.) Plus beets have a significant amount of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory betalains. And don’t forget potassium, dietary fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

The red also colours whatever's in your stomach, so the
next morning don't be startled if things look unusual...

So as you can see, it’s a shame to waste them by burning the heck out of them. And before you say you don't like beets – no, they don’t taste like dirt. The sugars get concentrated. They taste like heaven.

I took a cue from the sweet potato chews I used to make for our Bouvier, Henry. They’re posted on this site if you want to look them up. They ended up not being so much chewy as crisp. They took a couple hours, being much thicker, but the magic was in the oven temperature. They were baked at a low temperature. No burning.

So that’s what I did, and if you follow the recipe below you will have success. I made two trays, one sprinkled with ground ginger and one with ground rosemary, plus salt.

If you like #stormchips but not so much the fat they’re fried in, give these a try. You’ll be surprised how delicious and guilt-free they are.

Crispy Baked Beet Chips
Time, including baking: 45 min
4 medium beets, washed well, stems removed
4 tsp olive oil
salt to taste
optional: ground ginger, sage, ground cumin, 5-spice powder, or orange zest

After 35 minutes at 265°F. They crisped up in about a minute after being
removed from the oven. And not one was burned.

Preheat the oven to 265°F.

Slice the beets, using a mandolin slicer. Divide the olive oil between two cookie sheets or jelly roll pans. Cover the entire surface.

Lay the beet slices in the pans without touching. Sprinkle with salt and then your favourite optional spice or herb topping.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, check the slices. They should be curled but still deep red. If you wish, bake for 5 minutes more, but watch them like a hawk.

Remove from the oven and let cool. They will crisp up as they cool.

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Tandoori Chicken, for the calorie-conscious

Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too. – Aldous Huxley

I had made myself (and you) a promise in the new year. I was going to post more often. I guess I am on my way to hell, unless I soon rectify it. 

I suppose, if I do have an excuse it would be that I have been on an extremely low-calorie diet. I’ve been experimenting a bit more than usual with trying to get maximum flavour into minimum food, sometimes with spectacular failure. 

The mixed marinade.

So there’s been recipes that were either uninspired or not fit to ever make again – let alone post. Hooray for memorably bad meals!! Not.

But every once in a while you dig up a gem. And if you're lucky you only have to swap out one ingredient. Like full fat for low fat yogurt. 

Chicken is the dieters friend once the skin and fat are removed, unlike beef and even pork. I’m learning, slowly, how to "low-cal interpret" the things I eat. I’m not starving, but I do watch my in-take, and evening snacks are definitely (definitely) O-U-T.

Seal and let the chicken marinate for
one day. There's enough marinade for
four breasts, if you would like.

Here's a little diet factoid for you. Two teaspoons of butter (70 cal) have fewer calories than grape seed oil (80 cal) and about the same number as olive oil (65 cal). 

So don't feel you have to ditch butter on a low calorie diet. Just everything in moderation. Oscar Wilde added "including moderation." I tend to concur.

For your edification, I have broken out the calories per ingredient in this dish. Knock on wood, but I have had success since starting my calorie death watch about a month ago. I have dropped slightly over 8 pounds. No time to quit now. 10-15 more to go!

The size of your chicken breast will determine the end calorie count. Eat a monster and you get monster calories... makes sense, right?

The accompaniment for this dish is a Raita, made with yogurt-marinated onion, tomato, cucumber, and cumin. Very fresh and delcious against the spiciness of the chicken. Keep in mind, you're not consuming all of the marinade, probably 1/4 of it per chicken breast.

And, just so you know, I have about 4 more recipes lined up. So heaven’s getting closer all the time.

Tandoori Chicken
Prep: overnight  |  Bake: 20 min  |  Serves 2
2 medium chicken breasts, skinless and boneless 6oz = 300 cal
1/2 cup low-fat greek style yogurt 125 cal
2 tbsp lemon juice 8 cal
1 tsp ground garlic 5 cal
1 tsp ground ginger 2 cal
1 tsp ground cumin 8 cal
1/2 tsp ground cardamom 3 cal
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper 3-6 cal
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper 8 cal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1.5 cal
6-8 drops each, red and yellow food colouring (optional, but a good addition)

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in an electric blender or a food processor and process until thoroughly puréed. Pour the marinade over chicken, toss and rub, to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a single layer on foil. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, turning once and basting with marinade juices  until cooked.

For a low calorie accompaniment for 2, serve Raita: mix 1/2 a sliced field cucumber, 1 sliced medium onion, and 1 diced plum tomato with 1/2 cup yogurt and 1 tsp cumin seed. Let sit for 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator, before serving.

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Homemade Honey Soy Milk

I hasten to laugh at everything, for fear of being obliged to weep. – Pierre Beaumarchais 

Breakfast of champions? Maybe not...

I had every intention of posting about how great and easy it is to make your own soy milk. It's funny how things change. I don't know wether to laugh or cry.

Soy milk is a product I never quite like from the grocery store. Tofu is a different story, but soy milk, not so much. It always tastes “funny” to me. That has now changed, with this recipe, maybe. Why? Read on.

Soy milk is disgustingly cheap to make. Cents, actually – for 2 L. I bought a cup of soybeans at the Bulk Barn for well under $1. On the face of it, soy seems good for you because it contains a lot of protein and plant-based fats.

Soy used to be the poster child of the health movement. Soy products are everywhere now and we’re all told we should eat more vegetable protein than animal. But what do we know about them, like how they got from “there” to “here,” or other essential facts? I would venture not very much.

From what I’ve learned I may very well be turned off again, not by the taste but by the controversy.

A little about soybeans

As you can probably surmise, soybeans were first cultivated in China. This was supposedly some time between 1600-1000 BC. 

From China they slowly spread into other Asian countries via trade, reaching as far as India. All these countries made good, and creative, use of them as food.

But in Asia they pretty much stayed, until about 1880 when they were planted as livestock forage in North Carolina. Soybeans actually had arrived 80 years earlier – as ballast in ships – but were never planted.

A few decades afterward, the US Department of Agriculture started to study them more closely as a viable option for wider livestock forage. Shortly thereafter it was discovered they were an excellent rotational crop, improving the yield of the “food” crops planted afterward.

Today over half of the world’s soybean production is in the USA. Other leading producers are Argentina, Brazil, China and India. Brazil will soon overtake the US’s position, probably in the next decade.

Soybeans show up in the most unlikely places. They are used in well over half of the processed products in supermarkets. So you’re eating soy whether you like it or not.

Genetically modified (GM) soybeans

Soybean is one of the crops genetically modified by large multinational seed corporations. Although the consumption of GM soy is not supposed to be any worse than non-GM, that may or may not be the case. Around 90% of soybeans grown in the USA are GM. Approximately 70% of soy products in grocery stores are from GM crops.

Soy are dried beans, so you have to soak them overnight
to rehydrate, as if you were making baked beans.

GM soybeans were initially created to be resistant to Round-Up (glyphosate) herbicide. That means farmers can spray their entire fields with it, kill everything and the soybeans are unaffected. Buy where does it go? It’s in the ground. Just because it doesn’t kill the soy doesn’t mean it’s not taken into the plant.

A recent study by Italian researchers examined the toxicity of four common glyphosate-based herbicides on human placental, kidney, embryonic and umbilical cord cells. They found total cell death within 24 hours in all cases.

Interestingly, the same company that makes Round-Up produces GM seeds resistant to their product. 

But that’s not all that’s bad about GMs, of any kind. Growing GMs are regulated, usually meaning a farmer can’t grow anything BUT GMs on their farm. So they are tied to multinational companies for their seed, and in-species diversity is substantially curtailed.

GMs also have a nasty habit of finding their way into non-GM plant populations and either cross-breeding or overtaking the natural varieties, doing unknown damage.

So what do you do? One step is to find out what foods you are purchasing have GM ingredients and stop buying them. It may be very difficult, but genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are only there for profit. The "end world hunger" rationale behind GMOs has not materialized.

Here's the crux of capitalism: if they can’t sell one product, they’ll switch to something they can. Neither Canada nor the USA requires any safety testing on GM food products. Some European countries have, or are considering, outright bans on GMOs. Even some African countries are following suit.

Since the beans are raw, the resulting "milk" has to
be cooked for a short time.

“Healthy” soy

It makes a difference if soy in products is fermented or not, too.

Unfermented soy products ( milk, tofu, burgers, nuts, soy baby formula, chips and ice cream) contain high levels of phytic acid. This blocks the absorption of essential minerals in the intestinal tract. Unfermented soy also contains trypsin inhibitors and hemaglutinin that stunt growth. 

According to an article in The Guardian newspaper (UK), researchers concluded that consuming unfermented soy may be linked to reduced male fertility, increased cancer risk, damaged brain function, developmental abnormalities in infants, and early onset of puberty.

Fermented soy products, on the other hand, are better, in moderation. These include miso, tempeh, natto and tamari sauce. The fermentation process removes the phytates, trypsin inhibitors and heaglutinin. 

Not quite so rosy a picture, eh?

Sadly I am almost certain, from the statistics above, that my bag of soybeans were GM. Some other common GM products in Canada include corn, beets and canola. Apples, wheat and potatoes are in approval stages. They're everywhere.

A great idea is to purchase as much food as you can from local small farmers who are not tied to GM seed. That not only benefits you, but your local economy as well. Soy beans will NOT be one of those products you can find.

If you still want to make some, here’s the recipe for your own homemade milk. (Did I say it tasted really good...?)

A chilled glass of homemade soy milk.

Honey Soy Milk

Prep: overnight  | Processing: 1 hour  |  Yield: 2L

1 cup dried soy beans

4 cups water

6 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

additional water to make 2L

Soak the beans in the water overnight. By morning they will have tripled in size.

In the morning purée the beans, in two batches, as smoothly as you can in a food processor. They will become almost the consistency of whipped cream.

Ladle the mixture into a fine cloth bag (like a jelly bag) and squeeze out as much moisture as you can into a large measuring cup (a 2L one).

Take the solids (called okara) re-mix with more water, purée again and squeeze again. Keep the okara for another use if you wish. (Google for recipes.)

Place the soy milk (more like “froth”) in a large stock pot, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to slightly more than simmer.

Cook the milk for between 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, vanilla and salt.

Place in a 2L jar, topping up the milk with more water to make 2L. Refrigerate.

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Be aware of Deadly Nightshade

Beauty and folly are old companions. – Benjamin Franklin 

Berries to avoid. Photo: Arthur Chapman, Flickr ccl

For all of our weeding, there seems to be one plant that keeps popping up, be it through our holly hedge or in our perennial and vegetable beds. I kind of hate to pull it up because the flowers are nice. But even though something is beautiful, it is folly to assume it's safe.

Photo: tdietmut, Flickr ccl

This pretty vine is “deadly nightshade.” That's what we call it in Nova Scotia, and the warning in its name is for good reason.

I remember being told about Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) from the same age as I was warned about poison ivy. I was to never eat it and shouldn't even touch it – either one, to be exact. 

You child will encounter it. Make no mistake. It’s common. Luckily it’s only coming into bloom now. If you don't teach them about this plant it will only be a matter of time until one of those berries ends up in a small mouth. Forewarned is fore-armed.

I have found from my own experience the little fruits that follow the attractive flowers actually smell a little like tomatoes – not unpleasant at all. They are an important food source for some birds. Interestingly, three members of the Solanum family are cultivated as extremely important food crops for humans: the tomato, potato and eggplant.

Nightshade is native to Europe and Asia, but is now naturalized almost world wide, where in places it is an invasive weed. It can grow in woodlands through to marshes. 

Nightshade is a semi-woody perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, and is capable of reaching a height of 12 feet, although 3-5 feet is far more common. The leaves are arrowhead-shaped, and often lobed at the base. 

Nightshade flowers bloom in loose groupings. They are star-shaped with five recurving purple petals and yellow stamens and style. One European variety blooms white. The fruit is an oval red berry that serve as food for many birds. 

Photo: Mollivan Jon, Flickr ccl

It's interesting information about being food for birds, because the information on human consumption is sharply divided. It all depends what branch of government you wish to believe (if either...).

I found the following post online, from no other source than our own Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility:

General poisoning notes:

Climbing nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is a naturalized woody vine that is found along fencerows, among shrubbery, and at wood edges across most of southern Canada. The plant, especially in its green immature fruits, contains steroidal alkaloids, which have caused poisoning in cattle and sheep. Humans may have been poisoned after ingesting immature berries. Recent experiments show that the mature red berries contain only a small amount of toxin and have little chance of harming children (Alexander et al. 1948, Cooper and Johnson 1984, Hornfeldt and Collins 1989).

See the actual online post here: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=55&p_type=all&p_sci=sci

So I guess it's the immature berries that are to be avoided more than the mature. Good info to know, or is it???

This is the cover of the IWK Health Centre's
Poison Plant Guide that I designed.
The link is below. Useful information.

Just when I was believing our Canadian Government (for the first in a long time...), I found this in the Nova Scotia Poison Plant database from the NS Museum system:

{Poisoning] symptoms resemble those caused by ingestion of green potatoes: abdominal distress, headaches, and weakness, among more serious indications. 

Most toxic are the leaves and unripened (green) berries.

Poison Location

All parts are toxic, especially seeds, fruit, and leaves. (my emphasis)

Poison Type

Indole alkaloids in jimsonweed; and solanine, another toxic alkaloid, in green potatoes and nightshades.

See http://museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/?section=species&id=120

So apparently all of it is to be avoided. Although fatal human poisonings are rare, there have been several cases. The active poison is believed to be solanine. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid and is the exact same compound that makes green-tinged potatoes inedible. 

If you're interested in what other plants are lurking around that might kill you, take a look at the following. This is a little self-serving, but here's a link to a brochure published by our own IWK Health Centre. It lists a great number of poisonous plants that can be found in the wild or in the home. It's a very useful guide for any parent – or even pet owner.

http://www.iwkpoisoncentre.ca/assets/files/plantguide.pdf

Better safe than sorry, especially since most of us will be out and around throughout the summer with children in tow.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Foraging for Yarrow Salve

What medicines do not heal, the lance will; what the lance does not heal, fire will. – Hippocrates 

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a forage posting. You would think living in the country I would pay more attention to the topic.

I guess our main preoccupation has been the garden. Interestingly, this useful wild plant has decided to grow right behind where we planted our vegetables. That’s how I saw it. I was looking at the garden.

I suppose it’s not really that interesting. Yarrow grows pretty much anywhere. Usually where you don’t want it...

What is yarrow?

Achillea millefolium is a flowering herb in the Aster family. It is native to northern temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. 

It blooms June through July in Nova Scotia and reaches heights of around 24”. It grows as single stalks with feathery leaves and white flat umbrels of small flowers. It’s not fussy as to soil conditions and is common on dry land as it is in ditches or fields.

In Ancient Greece, yarrow was known as militaris, for its use in stanching the flow of blood from battle wounds. The modern name is linked to Achilles, who is said to have treated the wounds of his soldiers with this plant.

Yarrow is also sold in garden centres as an ornamental plant in white, strong yellow, orange and pink. The wild form appears here as white, yellow and very light pink. White is by far the most common.

Medicinal Uses

Yarrow contains isovaleric acid, salicylic acid, asparagin, sterols, flavonoids, bitters, tannins, and coumarins. The plant has a long history as a powerful healing herb used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. 

Yarrow as food

Yarrow was very popular as a vegetable in the 17th century. The younger leaves were cooked like spinach, used in soup or dried and used as a herb. A book I own called “Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada” says it’s not very good tasting. So go figure.

In the Middle Ages, yarrow was part of an herbal mixture known as “gruit,” used for bittering and flavouring beer before the common use of hops. In areas of Sweden I understand it is still used that way. It has also been used to flavour spirits and liqueurs.

Dangers

Like almost everything, yarrow does come with some risks. 

Although relatively rare, some people experience skin reactions when exposed to yarrow. If you’re allergic to other members of the aster family you may want to steer clear of it.

Yarrow is also not to be ingested by pregnant women or those breastfeeding as not enough is known about possible side effects of transmission.

Prolonged use of yarrow may also cause light sensitivity in some people.

If you can get past the fears, you may want to try this simple recipe for a salve for minor cuts and abrasions. 

This salve is antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-styptic. It is effective for use on cuts, abrasions, and slight burns. Because of its antibacterial properties it reduces the chance of infection, and its analgesic properties helps reduce pain. 

Of course if you have a gaping wound, get to the doctor!

Yarrow Salve

Yield: 4 x 125 ml jars

1.5 L dried white yarrow leaves and flowers

2 cups olive oil

1/4 cup beeswax

Pick about 2 L of white yarrow leaves and blossoms. Place in the shade and allow to dry. Drying herbs in the sun degrades the chemical compounds that are useful. The dried flowers and leaves can be kept for months if fully dry.

Place the olive oil and beeswax in a stock pot on the stove and heat gently until the beeswax has melted.

Immerse as much of the dried yarrow as you can in the warm oil. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Do not let the mixture get too hot as the yarrow will fry.

Let the mixture cool slightly and then strain through a very fine sieve or cotton cloth. Place in small jars and mark with the name and date. Refrigerate for up to 1 year.

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Best Whole Wheat Bread

How do I stay so healthy and boyishly handsome? It's simple. I drink the blood of young runaways. – William Shatner 

Does this look like the whole wheat bread in the stores? I think not.

There’s one advantage to living in the country and working at home. You have plenty of time to make homemade bread.

Before first rise.

It’s not like I don’t work, and work hard. It’s just that bread is usually the one item people say “I don’t have time for.” (Or as Sweet Brown would say “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”)

Well I do – as do you. This bread may take only three hours, but if you work the whole day you can let your bread rise slowly in the refrigerator. Or don’t proof your yeast first. Just mix it in dry and let it rise for the day (or overnight) on the counter.

We all have time to make bread.

I haven’t bought a single loaf of store-made bread since we moved to the country over a month ago. I believe we have almost constantly had bread, too. Good bread. Interesting bread.

Ready for shaping & 2nd rise.

The last two loaves I made certainly fall into that category: whey bread and ancient grains bread. Click the names to see the recipes.

What is whole wheat?

Whole wheat is exactly that – the whole wheat grain ground into flour. It hasn’t been processed to remove the bran and germ from the endosperm.

The bran has fibre, the germ contains several essential nutrients and the endosperm (about 80% of each grain) is starch. “Refined grains” pretty much only have the starch. No wonder people say bread makes you fat. 

People who eat whole grains usually weigh less, and are less likely to experience some cancers, heart disease, strokes and diabetes. They also are less susceptible to iron deficiency – sometimes caused by eating too much refined flour.

There’s a reason why white bread often says “enriched.” It’s because so much goodness has been taken out of it manufacturers have to artificially put some back in!! (Note I say “manufacturers” as opposed to bakers. Bakers touch their bread...)

Here’s something I didn’t realize. Some multi-grain breads may not be any healthier for you. They may be made with many different grains (the "multi"), but if they aren’t whole grains you may as well eat a slice of white bread. Check your labels.

I’m using unbleached flour now, and this time including whole wheat. 

Before the1800s all flour was milled and left to air dry for a few months. In the process the flour “bleached” naturally a little and proteins developed. 

Then scientists discovered they could add chemicals to hurry up the process (a few days versus 10-12 weeks) which whitened the flour even more. It also destroyed some of the gluten properties. The web created by the gluten traps the gas made by the yeast and is what makes the bread rise. So unbleached makes for better bread. (Learning something new every day is what makes life worth living!)

Some people don’t like whole wheat. Have they ever had a slice of homemade? You can make 100% whole wheat bread, but the gluten level in whole wheat is less than in refined flour (because per volume it has less starch). So it’s best to mix the two in equal proportions, or a little heavier on the whole wheat.

I also added 1/4 cup of molasses. Not only does it help feed the yeast during rise, but it also adds a bit of colour. The end result is a loaf just slightly lighter in colour than oatmeal brown bread.

As I was writing this I was enjoying a slice, still warm, with butter melted on top.

I think I’ll stop writing and go have another slice...

Whole Wheat Bread

Prep: 15 min  |  Rise: 2-3/4 hours  | Yield 1 loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups water (110°F)

1/4 cup molasses

1 tbsp yeast

3/4 tsp salt

Place the warm water, molasses and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit until the yeast becomes creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add the two flours and the salt. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Then take your hand and knead for 2-3 minutes in the bowl. 

Clean your hands if the dough sticks to them and continue kneading. It will still be very wet. Only add more flour if absolutely necessary. Remember, this dough will be VERY wet.

Wrap the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until doubled.

Punch the dough down and place it on a floured board. Knead a few times and then divide in two. Shape each piece of dough into a round ball by cupping the dough on the bottom and turning (Like you would if making rolls).

Place the two balls side-by-side in a well buttered 5x9 loaf pan. Let rise again for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a pan of water on the bottom rack. 

Bake the loaf for 10 minutes. Then remove the water and bake for 20 minutes more, or until nicely browned on top and top sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack... slightly... at least until you can handle it.

Just add butter.

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You know, I really like comments... I really do.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Ancient Grains Bread No. 2

Analysis kills spontaneity. The grain once ground into flour springs and germinates no more. – Henri Frederic Amiel 

Warm fron the oven, butter melting on each slice... 

Bread two days in a row. What’s going on?

Actually, there were several days between these two breads. This one was made yesterday. It was in response to something I saw in one of the weekly grocery fliers that got my hackles up.

One of the local groceries were advertising a particular bread for the Easter weekend. It is/was one of my favourites: Ancient Grains.

Completely un-kneadable.

The “is/was” is on purpose. It IS one of my favourite tasting breads, but that brand WAS the one I used to buy. It is now waaaay too expensive. Approximately $4.50 per loaf for commercial bread is ridiculous. Ridiculous I say!

I know, it’s food, but it’s also “food.” We all can make something similar – and probably with less chemicals. They even give clues to how to make it right on the bag (Thanks Health Canada). Their ingredient list is long. 

I shortened mine to four Ancient Grains. Even they’re not very exotic. We can get them readily at either health food or bulk food stores. They’re good to throw into many baked goods. Here’s a little info on my four friends.

What are ancient grains?

Some “grains” have been used as food sources for millennia without any genetic alteration. They include spelt, kamut, teff, quinoa and amaranth. The first three are true grains from grasses. The last two are seeds. I didn’t use teff, although it was available. Spelt and kamut are not gluten-free but some people with gluten sensitivity can eat them in limited quantities.

Even more so after first rise.

Spelt traces its heritage back before many wheat species. It has a nut-like flavour and a much wider nutrition profile than many of its in-bred wheat cousins.

Kamut is closely related to durum wheat, although it is considered nutritionally superior. It was probably first grown as a food in Ancient Egypt.

Quinoa is used like a grain although it is a seed. It is a pseudo-cereal from the family Chenopodium. Quinoa is also related to beets, spinach and tumbleweeds.

Amaranth was used in middle and southern ancient America. Some species are used today in North America as an ornamental garden flower. An example is Love Lies Bleeding. It is a pseudo-grain. It is high in protein and is a source of some essential amino acids.

So those were my ancient grains. The quinoa and amaranth are more for nutrition and crunchy goodness rather than bread structure. Which leads me to my next ingredient.

But you can make it listen by "kneading" with a dough
scraper. It will start to obey.

My main ingredient was unbleached white flour. Whenever using unfamiliar grains it is wise to use enough regular flour to ensure your bread will rise as you hope. Some ancient grains don’t have the same gluten structure. So if you’re used to making regular wheat bread it night be best to add a little ancient grain at a time until you get the hang of the new ingredients.

This dough is very, very wet. For those who don’t like kneading you’re in luck. You can’t. It morse closely resembles jello than bread dough.

The final shaping is done with a dough scraper, and then it’s flopped (and I mean that) into a loaf pan to rest before baking.

This dough takes 8 hours for first rise, 1 hour for second and then 30-40 minutes to bake. So it’s easy to make either when you get up (and finish when you get home from work) or mix it up before you go to bed and then finish before you go out the door.

This isn’t a substitute for the brand that I was imitating, but that was on purpose. I intentionally didn’t use all the grains in the commercial brand.

But if you’re looking for a health boost in loaf shape you should try this recipe. Its nutty tast is hard tyo not fall in love with!

I had made another bread, Kéfir and Ancient Grains, in 2011 using a pre-mised flour of 12 grains. If you’re interested, the link is here.

http://www.docaitta.com/2011/06/recipe-kefir-ancient-grains-bread.html

Tah-dah! A nice looking – and tasting – loaf.

Ancient Grains Bread No. 2

Prep: 10 min  |  Rise 1: 8 hrs  |  Rest: 1 hr  |  Bake 30-40 min

2-1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup kamut flour

1/2 cup red quinoa

1/2 cup amaranth

2-1/2 cups warm (110°F) water

1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together and then beat with a spoon for about two minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. I find using a plastic grocery bag (just stick the whole bowl in and tie it) works wonderfully.

Let the dough rise for 8 hours. Go to work, or go out and enjoy your day – or go to bed and tackle the next step in the morning.

Pour the risen dough out onto a floured board. Using a dough scraper, fold it over itself about 12 times with a scraper. Do left, right, top and bottom. The dough will slowly respond to your attentions and begin to stay in a shape.

Grease a 5” x 9” loaf pan with butter. Lift the loaf and place it in the pan. Pat the to down so the dough goes into the corners. Let rest for one hour.

Heat the oven to 450°F with a pan of water on the bottom rack. 

Bake the loaf for 10 minutes, then remove the water and bake for between 20-30 more minutes.

The top will be dark brown and will sound hollow when tapped with your fingers.

Let cool slightly before cutting.

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