One Grain at a Time

--Wheat--
The second most produced food in the world, corn being the first and rice a close third. Wheat is a healthy grain for those who can tolerate it. Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) afflicts as many as 1 percent of the population, not to mention the growing number of wheat allergies. Know your body, get tested if there is a question and find alternatives if there is a problem.

Varieties:
Durum wheat is golden in color and it very hard, too hard for home mills to grind. It is used in making pasta and can be purchased as "semolina flour."

Hard red wheat (pictured, bottom) is an acidic grain, it is darker with a tint of red. This variety has been around for a long, long time and has been refined to make the common white flour, which is the whole grain stripped of it's bran and germ, leaving the light, full of gluten endosperm that produces the fluffy, risen breads that are so prevalent in our supermarkets and bakeries. Hard red wheat is also processed as bulgar which is steamed, cracked and dried for more flavor and short cooking time. As a whole grain flour, it produces heavy, dense and robustly nutty flavored breads.

Hard white wheat (pictured, right) is a newer hybrid that is alkaline, lighter in color and produces risen breads with a lighter texture. This wheat is whole grain with nearly identical nutrition to it's red cousin.

Soft white wheat (pictured, top) is also known as pastry wheat or when ground, sold under the label of "whole wheat pastry flour." This wheat is lacking the gluten for holding a rise in good yeasated breads, but works great in pastry recipes and still very nutritious.

Cost:
Less than 11 cents per serving at under $1.00 per lb.
1 lb = 2.2 cups dry = 4.5 cups cooked = 3 cups flour

To Cook:
1 cup grain to 3 cups water.
Simmer 45 minutes or Pressure 15 minutes on high, natural release,
Strain and rinse.

To Store:
-Whole - indefinitely in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.
For long term storage freeze for 48 hours before storing.
-Bulgur/cracked- 6 months in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.
-Flour - up to 2 weeks in an air tight container,
Or freeze up to 1 year.
-Cooked - refrigerate for up to 10 days,
Or freeze up to 6 months

To Use:
-Cooked berries can be used by adding to soups and salads.
-Cracked berries can be cooked for a breakfast cereal.
-Soft white wheat flour may be used in place of white flour for any non yeasted recipe.
Examples: Pancakes, waffles, sweet breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, crackers, crepes, tortillas, pasta, pie crusts and other pastries.
-Hard white and hard red wheat flours can be used for yeasted breads.
-Whole Berries can be sprouted.

Nutritional Value per 100 grams (3.5 oz.)
carbohydrates 68 grams
dietary fiber12.2 grams
fat1.9 grams
protein 15.4 grams
iron 3.6 mg 20%
Thiamin 0.3 mg
Niacin 4.0 mg
Magnesium 100 mg
Manganese 3.0 mg
Phosphorus 212 mg
Selenium 49 mcg

Lemon Curd

Got lemons? I can't believe my eyes when I see someone in the grocery check out BUYING lemons. Everyone I know that has a lemon tree has more than they would ever know what to do with and would be GRATEFUL to all who would offer to take boxes of them away. Just ask 5 of your neighbors and at least one is bound to have a tree. I squeeze lemon on a lot of stuff this time of year and it is getting to be the time to squeeze and freeze for the next six months.

For small jobs, I find this lemon press really handy. My only issue is the size. My mother in law's lemons are the variety that take steroids. The juice squirts all over when I try to use this lemon press. They make an orange press that I think would be perfect. My zester of choice is always a microplane. It is great for taking off that very fine layer of goodness that is covering a good bit of yucky bitterness. Other zesting devices just collect zest and keeps it trapped in all its little teeth. The microplane generously gives up all the zest easily. Also use for garlic ginger, chocolate, hard cheese and fresh nutmeg. You can find these handy dandy tools through Amazon or Bed Bath and Beyond. (And the fun jars are at Wal-Mart.)

Lemon curd is a great spread for just about anything. I gave this out for Christmas and have had a mob of people after me for the recipe. You can use a double broiler if you have one--it is safer that way, but takes twice as long. This stuff is even easier to make if you double or triple the batch...less temperature sensitive. It freezes well so cook away. Frequent stirring is essential, or you will get curdled eggs and even though that is what the name seems to imply, you don't want that. In fact, my husband is embarrassed by the word "curd" so we just call it lemon butter around here.

2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 stick butter, cut into 9 pieces

Combine eggs, yolk and sugar and whisk until smooth. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Whisk very frequently over very low heat until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter 2 pieces at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Deertopia

We were up to our ears in deer last week. My dad sent me a cooler full of his latest hunt for valentines day (there has to be a reason right? Butchering is expensive.) Thanks dad! The kids love everything deer simply because it is from Papa. I was very creative and we ate well all week. I just prepared it in regular beef recipes and have found it really pleasant. I thought I would share some of my ideas on "gaminess."

First off, I have had free range meat in the variety of chicken, beef, fish and eggs (not exactly meat, but close). In these experiences I have found a hint of difference in the flavor (seaweed like). Yep, ALL of them have the same underlying difference in taste and guess what? That taste comes from omega 3's which has come to be known as a supplement nowadays. With the way meat is raised on most farms presently, the end product is basically protein and saturated fat, our taste buds are not used to the flavor of omega 3's found in free range and wild animal products.

Secondly, freshness is key. You know how fish gets a fishiness when it is old, has freezer burn or otherwise poorly handled? Same goes here, game gets a gaminess. I am a BIG fan of the vacuum seal and a good deep freeze. Another hint is going beyond salt and pepper to season the dish or soak it in a good marinade (by good, I mean homemade.) Another technique for moist, flavorful meat is under cooking. If you cook it until it is done, the carry over cooking time makes it overdone. So cook until slightly pink and it will end up perfect.

This is the extent of my trials:

Burgers--sauteed onions, and peppers mixed some in with the ground meat and used the rest on top along with guacamole, toasted homemade buns, cheese and lettuce. The grind of the meat was a bit fine so the texture was mushier than a typical burger. Of all the ways to process deer, I have found ground to be the most gamey, so season liberally.

Philly Cheese Steak--seasoned with spike, undercooked served with peppers onions and a cheese sauce wrapped in homemade flat bread. What a treat! One of Jarom's favorites.

Venison Stroganoff--made exactly as my beef version and just as tasty.

Canned--pressure canned for 90 minutes, have not tasted the results.

Steak--pan seared with steak seasoning rub, undercooked of coarse.

Fajitas--best preparation award, so I'll include the recipe.

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 limes, juiced
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

Thinly slice deer. Place in marinade and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Saute peppers and onions. Brown meat on high heat for 2 minutes. Serve in warm tortillas with lettuce, cheese and guacamole.

One Grain at a Time

--Barley--
Like oats, barley is high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the kind that dissolves in water and coats your stomach lining, greatly reducing the speed that sugars absorb in your bloodstream. This means you not only feel full from bulk, but you stay full longer. Barley has a mild flavor and chewy texture.

Most widely available is pearled barley which has some to all of the bran polished off, falling somewhere between the spectrum of white rice and brown rice. The whole form is called hulled barley and it is used for sprouting. Occasionally you may come across dehulled barley which is the whole grain with the inedible hull removed. This variety is hard to find and a bit more expensive due to the labor involved in removing the hull. A newer variety that is becoming more readily available is hulless barley. This is a variety that the hull virtually falls off while harvesting leaving all the other parts (bran, germ and endosperm) intact. I have become a fan of the latest variety and buy it from The Good Apple.

Cost:
About 12 cents a serving $1.25 per lb.
1 lb = 2.2 cups dry = 5 cups cooked = 3 cups flour

To Cook:
-Hulless or dehulled-1 cup grain to 3 cups water. Simmer 40 minutes or pressure 12 minutes on high, natural release. Strain and rinse unless using in soup.
-Pearled - 1 cup grain to 2 ½ cups water. Simmer 25 minutes or pressure 8 minutes on high, natural release.

To Store:
-Dry- indefinitely in an air tight container in a cool, dry place. For long term storage freeze for 48 hours before storing.
-Cooked - refrigerate for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

To Use:
- Cooked grains can be used by adding to soups and salads.
-Cooked grains make hearty risottos and pilafs.
-Substitute cooked barley for pasta.
-Bake cooked barley into breads to add chewy-ness.
-Flour may be used in place of part or all white flour in any non yeasted recipe.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates 77.7 g
Dietary fiber 15.6 g
Fat 1.2 g
Protein 9.9 g
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.2 mg 15%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.1 mg 7%
Niacin (Vit. B3) 4.6 mg 31%
Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.3 mg 6%
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg 23%
Folate (Vit. B9) 23 mg 6%
Calcium 29.0 mg 3%
Iron 2.5 mg 20%
Magnesium 79.0 mg 21%
Phosphorus 221 mg 32%
Potassium 280 mg 6%
Zinc 2.1 mg 21%

Chicken Barley Soup

Who didn't get sick this winter? Wow, it has been rough! We usually get by with a few sniffles but this year we endured week long fevers, 3 day flu's and horrendous coughs. Truly, the best medicine is chicken soup, more specifically the chicken stock in the soup. I learned this from Dr. Oz in You, the Owner's Manual...it is more than an old wives tale and mind over matter...it is science. So you got to use the real stuff, no bullion is going to get you feeling better.

This is a simple chicken noodle soup recipe with the noodles replaced with barley. I like the barley for 3 reasons. 1) Health of coarse, noodles are made with whole grain flour at best in most cases white flour which means VERY little nutrition. Whole grains that have not been broken down into flour have a lower glycemic index which means they have less of an impact on blood sugar. 2) Barley makes it hearty, this soup is filling. 3) Left over noodle anything is mushy - yuck. This soup is actually BETTER the second and third meals, that is extra points in my book, it also freezes well.

Now for the ingredients...Spike is a natural seasoning blend that is found in the baking aisle of any major grocery store. Ultragel or ultra maxigel are modified corn starch products that are great to add a bit of thickness to soups, dressings and syrups. Get it at Preparing Wisely or Grains Plus. Depending on how salty your stock is, you may need to salt the end product. Hulless barley...you'll have to come back tomorrow to learn more in my "One Grain at a Time" post on all things barley.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup dry hulless barley
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Spike
1 chicken breast
6 cup chicken stock
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon pepper
ultragel

Sautee onion, celery and barley in oil. Add garlic, Spike, chicken and stock . Simmer 20 minutes or pressure on high 7 minutes, quick release. Remove chicken breast from pot and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add carrots and pepper, simmer 5 more minutes, or pressure 1 minutes, natural release. Check for salt. Add water if needed and thicken slightly with a couple tablespoons of ultragel. Serves 6 - 8.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Taco Tuesday

This is a super yummy way to get more grains and beans into your diet. Use ground meat of choice; beef, chicken, turkey, venison or buffalo. And bean of choice; pinto, black, kidney, anasazi (recommended for beginner bean users because of the texture and is more easily broken down ie less gassy) or pink (cooking chart). Grains, beans and vegetables are all so, so easily interchangeable, so if you don't have on hand what the recipe calls for just substitute. I also hid some zucchini (could also do spinach) can you find it?

It is great to have your own spice mixes made up for ease of use. The store bought packets are handy, but are overpriced and contain lots of gross filler...and salt...and sugar. You can use already ground spices and mix them together if you don't have a spice grinder. The flavors are cleaner when you grind your own, so consider it. NOTE: Do NOT put the entire recipe for the spice mix in one batch of taco meat. My sister in law made this mistake and boy, did it have some kicked up flavor. It is intended to make things easier on you so it is all ready to use the next time. Use this mixture in taco's, burritos, on salads, nachos, or cold as a snack like my kids do--weirdos. Great in corn or flour tortillas.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons homemade seasoning*
½ lb. extra lean ground meat
2 cups cooked beans
2/3 cup corn
1 cup cooked red quinoa
1 cup cooked millet
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sucanat
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste

Sautee onion and pepper in olive oil. Add zucchini, garlic and spices, cook for 1 minute. Add meat and brown. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

*Spice mix
½ cup fiesta chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon whole coriander
2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon black pepper

Grind all spices except the fiesta chili powder in a spice grinder, mix thoroughly.

Now, looking for a great salsa recipe?

This post is part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods.

Restaurant Review

Click on the button to read my review on the best restaurant in Mesa.

One Grain at a Time

--Quinoa--
This super grain is grown in South America and gaining in popularity. White quinoa is mild and fruity, red quinoa is more nutty and black quinoa has a stronger bitter bite. When cooked, the germ emerges as a tiny, curly tail. Quinoa is versitle, gluten free and contains a balanced set of amino acids making it a complete protein. Perfectly suited for beginner grain users and easy to find at Sprouts, The Good Apple and many other health food stores.

Varieties:
Red, White, Black

Cost:
About 33 cents per half-cup serving--$3.00 per lb.
1 lb = 2.2 cups dry = 4.5 cups cooked = 3 cups flour

To Cook:
1 cup grain to 2 cups water. Simmer 15 minutes or Pressure 6 minutes on high, natural release.

To Store:
- Dry - indefinitely in an air tight container in a cool, dry place. For long term storage freeze for 48 hours before storing.
- Cooked - refrigerate for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

To Use:
-Dry grains give crunch to granolas and baked goods.
-Cooked grains can be used by adding to soups, salads and breads.
-Cooked grains also make great pilafs and rice dishes.
-Eat cold or hot as a breakfast cereal, great with yogurt.
-Add cooked grains to any recipe with ground beef .
-Flour can be substituted for up to ¼ of the total in a recipe.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) uncooked
Calories 370
Carbohydrates 64 g
Dietary fiber 7 g
Fat 6 g
Protein 14 g
Vitamin E 2.4 mg—12%
Thiamin (Vit. B1) 0.4 mg--24%
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.3 mg--19%
Niacin 1.5 mg—8%
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg--24%
Folate 184 mg--46%
Calcium 47 mg—5%
Iron 4.6 mg--25%
Magnesium 197 mg--49%
Phosphorus 457 mg--46%
Potassium 563 mg—16%
Zinc 3.1 mg --21%
Copper 0.6 mg—30%
Manganese 2.0 mg—102%
Selenium 8.5 mcg—12%

Snack-On

I had a number of requests for snack ideas and since my computer crashed yesterday I no longer have the fun posts I was working on for this week. sniff, sniff. I feel very strongly about feeding children well, not only for the immediate benefits but the lasting effects that learning good eating habits has on their future. I have strict guidelines in my house where food is concerned and have found great success in such consistency. Kids need snacks (heck, I need snacks) but hunger can stike at inopportune times, so preparation is the key. To me, a snack is simple AND healthy. If it has no nutrition or is only "enriched" with vitamins (therefore - fake food) it is a treat. If my kids want a treat, they compensate for it by eating roughly twice as much really healthy food first.

Our snacks start with a vegetable, if they are not hungry enough to eat a vegetable, they are not hungry enough for a snack. Too many kids (and adults) eat all day which causes our hunger cues to get messed up and leads to overeating, mindless eating and eating because we are bored.

These are our standard snack-on vegetables:

*cucumbers - I let them request the way they are cut (rounds, sticks, wedges, thinly sliced...) Giving choices increases their cooperation.
*peppers - only my oldest chooses these for snacks, any variety but green.
spinach - prewashed, organic, baby spinach that I can just toss in some dressing. Another thing I do with spinach is make what we call "super green food." This is blanched and pureed spinach. I think it is crazy how much it is requested--not because they like it, but because only 5 bites is a serving, so it is a fast, get-it-out-of-the-way-so-we-can-get-to-the-good-stuff vegetable.
sweet potatoes - diced, pressured for 3 minutes and sprinkled with cinnamon warm or cold.
*carrots - for ease we often get those organic baby carrots that are portioned out in little bags.
*edamame - I will buy packages of fresh and divide them into portion sized bags for easy grab and go. They freeze well and thaw fast (Brik likes them best frozen)
green beans - leave them whole, pressure them for 2 minutes and eat with salt hot or cold, especially good with hummus.
*freeze dried corn and peas - really great for long trips.
frozen peas and corn - yep, right from the bag.

Fillers are things my kids eat easily and help carry them to the next meal.

toast - usually with peanut butter.
beans - the kids really like S&W brand chili beans.
*string cheese
*nuts - raw almonds or walnuts.
avocado - diced and sprinkled with salt.
*tomatoes - little cherry or grape varieties.
egg - hard boiled or cooked for a couple minutes on a fry pan.
kefir/yogurt - plain, add honey or real maple syrup if needed. Flavored yogurts fall into the treat category--too much sugar.
leftovers - parts of meals that won't be useful in the next few days.

Fruit is like the dessert of a snack - it's what they are working towards.

*grapes, *raisins, oranges, *apples, melon, berries, *banana, pineapple, peaches, pears, mangoes...
ugly smoothies - these are fruit, kefir and spinach, we love them for special occasion snack desserts.

Kids are funny, they go through stages where they don't like something, then love it, then hate it again. Most kids resist new things (and rules) but if you stick to it, keep offering new things again and again and have a "just one bite" rule, they can learn to eat better. Try to simplify, most people would never dream of eating cold green beans or sweet potatoes or oatmeal, or sloppy joes...my kids prefer their foods cold. So save yourself the time and the harmful microwaves - let them try it straight from the fridge.

*Grab and go.

Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are tedious to roll. I have found the lasagna layer method to be much quicker and tastes the same. Of coarse I stuff as much vegetables as I can into it and love to make it all from scratch including the sauce and the tortillas. I recently did a cooking class for a beginner and simplified this recipe greatly. You can have it in the oven with only 15 minutes of prep time. Still nutritious and tastes great.

2 teaspoons. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
2 teaspoon salt
3 cups spinach, chopped or 3 cups grated zucchini
2 cups cooked brown rice (millet and quinoa work nicely too)
1 lb shredded chicken
1/2 cups corn
1 recipe enchilada sauce
18 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Saute onions and peppers with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Cook spinach until wilted. Once softened add rice, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 3/4 cup sauce to coat bottom of 9x13 pan. Layer 6 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

Enchilada Sauce

3 cups boiling chicken stock
2 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves smashed garlic
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Let chili powder and garlic steep in hot stock for 10 minutes. Blend in blender. Cook butter and flour in sauce pan on medium heat for 3 minutes, add spices, coca powder and salt. Slowly stir in the chicken stock. Let simmer 5 minutes, then add honey and vinegar. Make a double batch and freeze or can extra.

Simplified

12 ounces canned chicken
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups spinach, chopped (or shredded zucchini)
4 ounces diced green chilies
1/3 cups corn
12 ounces Trader Joe's enchilada sauce
9 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Saute onions with salt in olive oil, 5 minutes. Add spinach, cook until wilted. Once softened add chilies, chicken and corn to make filling. Pour 1/3 cup sauce to coat bottom of 8x8 pan. Layer 3 tortillas, spread half the filling on the tortillas, sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Layer tortillas, filling, cheese again and finish with a layer of tortillas, pouring sauce over entire dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned in spots.

links; Whole Foods for the Holidays

One Grain at a Time

An introduction.Look who's cooking now?? The self proclaimed "terrible cook," Ms. Emily Ruth Childers CAN cook tasty, healthy food. We did a little one on one time in the kitchen and POOF! Success. Emily is on a quest for natural parenting and is coming at it from every angle. Read my guest post HERE.

White Wheat Sandwich Bread

Mmmmm, homemade bread, so comforting... The smell alone makes my day brighter, I have to admit I find working with dough therapeutic. This recipe is very forgiving. What is not forgiving is the wheat and the yeast. Wheat can be stored for a LONG time without losing nutrients, but it does lose the ability to make good bread. I went a whole year once thinking I had lost my knack for bread baking, only to find when I opened a new bag of wheat from a different source my bread was awesome again. It’s pretty tricky because it all looks the same. A safe bet is Montana Wheat, which can be found many places including Preparing Wisely. Yeast is hit or miss at the grocery store and active dry yeast dies easily. I stick with SAF instant yeast which can also be found at Preparing Wisely. Quality bread pans are worth the couple extra bucks. Pleasant Hill Grain Company carries the pans I like in 3 sizes, they also carry dough enhancer, SAF yeast and nice bread bags. Also, I feel a scale is important to make nice loaves that cook evenly.

Hard white wheat is a whole grain that is a hybrid of hard red wheat. It is equal in nutrition to the other wheat varieties. This bread is perfect for sandwiches and french toast. It is light and mild tasting. If you are just switching from white bread, this is an easy transition. If you meet resistance with your family, start with half white flour and half white wheat and slowly replace the white with wheat flour.

5 cups warm water
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons dough enhancer
15 cups hard white wheat flour
2 tablespoons SAF instant yeast

Place water, oil, honey, salt, and dough enhancer in mixing bowl. Put 10 cups of flour on top. Make a well for the yeast and knead with dough hook adding remaining flour just until the dough pulls together. Start timer for 8 minutes. Keep a watch on the dough in the first few minutes to make sure it is kneading and not all stuck to the center post, add more flour as needed. Remove dough from bowl and work on oiled surface to divide, weigh and form loaves. Place in sprayed pans, let rise until 1 ½ inches past the loaf pan's edge. Place in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Drop the temperature to 325 degrees and finish baking for 20 minutes, do not open the oven door. After 25 minutes in the oven remove one loaf and check the internal temperature. The loaves are done at 180 degrees, remove promptly from loaf pans and let cool on wire racks. Slice with an electric knife.

These are 2 pound bread pans with the loaves formed before rising. The specks are from the leftover quinoa in the fridge that I just threw it.

Thai Chicken Pizza

It is so fun to expand on the possibilities of pizza toppings. Thai pizza is a completely different flavor combination that the traditional, which means you can use your leftover dough from yesterday’s dinner right now!

The Sauce:
3 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon thai chili sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons honey

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Smear a thin coat on the dough and toss the chicken with the rest. My favorite toppings include; bean sprouts, grated carrots, green onions, thinly slices bell peppers, crushed peppers, cilantro and provolone cheese.

Multi Grain Belgian Waffles

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside; waffles make breakfast special. This recipe includes high quality, fresh and nutritious ingredients.

Pure maple syrup is the real stuff from the maple tree, not processes with corn, artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives. It has a strong flavor on its own, but works well in baked goods.

Whole grain flours are interchangeable, they fall into two categories; mild flavors and strong flavors. Since waffles are a non yeasted bread we don’t have to take into account gluten content. I use the mild flavor flours for the majority of the flour: soft white wheat, kamut, oats, spelt, hard white wheat, barley, brown rice. I use the strong flavor flours in small amounts: quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, millet, flax. Soft white wheat is perfect for the main flour in pancakes and waffles. It is low in gluten which makes for a tender end product without the worry of over mixing. Of coarse all the flour can be replaced with white flour, but where’s the fun in that?

Rumford’s baking powder is aluminum free. Aluminum has a bad after taste and is bad for you. You will find that whole grain recipes call for more baking powder in general because they are heavier and need more “lift.”

2 eggs
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup kefir or buttermilk
1 cup milk
1 cup soft white wheat flour
1/2 cup kamut flour
¼ cup white quinoa flour
1 tablespoon Rumford’s baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat together wet ingredients. Stir in dry ingredients. Pour onto a hot greased waffle iron. I suggest a Waring Pro or Villaware Makes 8 waffles.