Recipe of the Week: Three-seed Whole Wheat Honey Bread {in the breadmaker}

For my birthday, my mom gifted me a gently-used breadmaker that she scored at a silent auction. I love homemade bread - and even more the smell of it baking. That said, this pregnant mama of two doesn't have much energy these days for mixing, kneading, waiting for rising and monitoring bread in the oven. The breadmaker is an awesome time saver and great inspiration to make homemade bread every week. The following is a recipe for a whole wheat bread that can be used for sandwiches or just eaten with butter or jam for breakfast and snacks. My friend Anne shared her recipe with me and I modified it.

Do you have a breadmaker? What are some of your fave recipes to make in the breadmaker? Ideas welcome.

Three-seed Whole Wheat Honey Sandwich Bread

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups warm water (80 degrees)
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1/3 cup honey
-2 teaspoons sea salt
-4 cups whole wheat flour (I like Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's brand)
-2 teaspoon yeast
-2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Add water, oil and honey to the bottom of your breadmaker.
2. Sift flour to make bread lighter and add salt on top.
3. Create a well in the center and add yeast. Be careful not to dig well as deep as the liquids
4. Set breadmaker for whole wheat setting. (I also select light for mine but every breadmader is different.)
5. Add seeds when the breadmaker beeps for add-ins. (I've also just added the seeds from the beginning if I knew I was going to be gone.)

Luscious Lunches Cooking Club: Great lunch ideas served up for dinner

This month's Cooking Club was a smorgasbord of lunch recipes. In case you're just tuning in for the first time, we have a monthly Cooking Club at our house with 10 families. (No, they don't usually all come at the same time. However, we are starting to be outnumbered by the kids!) Each family brings pre-assigned ingredients. All the mamas cook while the daddies watch the kiddos. Everybody eats and then the daddies clean up while the mamas sit on the couch and chat. Good times.

Each month we choose a theme and this time around it was Luscious Lunches - inspired by a cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas. It's always fun to mix it up a little and serve something different for lunch. Who wants the same old boring sandwich day after day - especially when you are packing your hubby's lunch or your serving it up for multiple kiddos.

At Cooking Club, we always try out a new "adventurous recipe," which was this Asparagus Soup from Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook. Our healthy option was the colorful Vegetarian Lavash Sandwiches created by our friend Cori. Everyone gobbled them up. We even made some peanut butter and jelly ones for the less adventurous types. We also look for recipes that use famer's market finds. Since spring has sprung in California that means strawberries and rhubarb are popping up in stores and on corners. We employed those babies in our fab dessert.

The Menu:

Dorina's Maple Pecan Chicken Wonton Cups
Cori's Lavash Sandwiches
Asparagus Soup
Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Avocado Dip
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Chocolate-Banana-Oatmeal Power Cookies

Here are the recipes that aren't linked elsewhere:

Cori's Lavash Sandwiches

Ingredients:
-hummus
-mayonnaise
-red pepper
-sprouts
-cucumber
-basil leaves
-tomato
-kalamata olives
-salt
-lemon pepper
-paprika
-1 package of lavash bread (find it near the tortillas at Trader Joe's or other local grocery stores)

1. Thinly slice all the vegetables.
2. Spread the lavash with a thin layer of 1/3 mayonnaise and 2/3 hummus.
3. Arrange the veggies on top.
4. Sprinkle with salt, lemon pepper, paprika.
5. Roll up and cut into halves or thirds. Serve.


Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
-15 sweet potatoes, peeled
-1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
-2 tablespoons of olive oil
-2 cups mayonnaise
-2 avocadoes
-1 jalapeno, finely chopped (approx. 1 tablespoon)
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 teaspoon paprika
-1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Wash, peel and cut potatoes in large wedges. Toss with whole wheat pastry flour.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Spray two cookie sheets with olive oil. Place wedges onto the cookie sheets.
4. Bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes until cooked through. If they seem mushy, turn on broil and "crisp" for 5 minutes watching closely so they don't burn.
5. While the potato fries are cooking, assemble the sauce. Mash avocadoes in a bowl.
6. Mix in mayonnaise, lemon juice, jalapeno, paprika and salt. Blend well and put in small bowls to serve with fries.

Recipe of the Week: Falafel sandwiches with Yogurt sauce & Cucumber-Tomato Salad

We've been experimenting with some protein-packed vegetarian meals. These Middle Eastern pita sandwiches are hearty for the family and light on the budget. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a great source of energy and they're very inexpensive to buy. You might try out the bulk section at your local grocery store or find them with canned beans. This fresh salad uses summer produce straight from the garden or farmer's market.

Ingredients:
Falafels:
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (can use dried, soak overnight)
1 egg
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 cups panko bread crumbs
olive oil

Yogurt Sauce:
2 cups plain yogurt
salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Cucumber-Tomato Salad:
1 small cucumber, cubed
1 small tomato, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon parsley

1 package whole wheat pita bread

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, combine chickpeas/garbanzos, egg, lime and lemon juice and spices. Pulse until blended but do not overmix or the mixture will turn runny like hummus.
2. Spread out panko breadcrumbs in shallow dish.
3. Form bean mixture into small footballs or patties. Press onto breadcrumbs until coated on both sides. Refrigerate if soft for about one hour.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown patties on both sides.
5. Meanwhile, mix yogurt sauce. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
6. Combine cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a bowl. Mix in parsley and olive oil.
7. Slice open pita breads. Add browned falafel to each pita bread and serve.
8. Allow guests to add yogurt sauce and cucumber mixture to pitas or serve on side.

Side Dish suggestion: Couscous

How to Make your Hearts Day Healthful

Valentine's Day is one of our fave holidays because it's a chance to spoil and celebrate the ones we love. We recognize that one way to do this is to make special foods. This year, as we continue this healthy living journey, we've been on the lookout for healthy celebration foods. Yes, even the desserts have a wholesome, yet delicious twist.

Think a Romantic Breakfast in Bed

*Ellie Krieger's Heart-Shaped Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

*Dorina's Quiche with chard, red pepper & turkey bacon

*Dorina's Blueberry muffins with a Strawberry Smoothie

BERRY-HEALTHY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sugar or sucanat (or 1/3 cup honey)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk (We use raw milk. Could substitute goat's milk, soy or almond milk.)
1/2 cup organic butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.
3. Mix milk, butter and eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
5. Add frozen berries.
6. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.
7. Cool 5 minutes and serve.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Luscious Lunch for the kids or your Lover
Heart-shaped grilled cheese (with goat cheese & turkey) - Use a large heart cookie cutter to cut whole wheat bread into heart shapes
Blue tortilla chips with mango salsa
Honey-Lemonade with frozen raspberries
Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries

Divine Dinner
Filet mignon with gorgonzola cheese
Italian Mushroom risotto
Roasted orange cauliflower

Drop-dead yummy Desserts

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ellie Krieger's Mocha Chocolate Cake

Banana Cream Pie with Whole Wheat Chocolate Crust

Pears in Honey-Caramel Sauce

Dorina's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Heart-shaped Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups flour (I use 2 cups unbleached white and 1 cup wheat)
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon flaxseed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-oz. can pumpkin (100% pure)
4 large eggs
1 cup honey
2 medium mashed bananas
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 bag chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup honey (or until consistency you like)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 heart-shaped cake pans or round cake pans.
2. Mix eggs, butter, sugars/honey, pumpkin and banana.
3. Mix in dry ingredients.
4. Add chocolate chips & nuts. Do not overmix.
5. Pour into loaf pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely on rack. Meanwhile, whip softened cream cheese with whipping cream and honey with mixer until consistency you want - not too runny.
7. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Dorina's Chewy Oatmeal-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice or sucanat
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup rolled oats
1 c. dark chocolate chips
1 c. craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix honey, butter, vanilla and egg.
3. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and oats. Mix just until incorporated.
4. Add extras like chocolate chips and/or dried fruit.
5. Drop tablespoons of cookie dough onto greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for approx. 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top.
7. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes and serve.

More healthy recipes and Valentine menus can be found in Eating Well magazine. Check out their ideas.