nut and seed bread

I've been looking for a bread recipe to use up some nuts and seeds in our supply. I came across this bread that's loaded with a combination of nuts and seeds and I was happy with the result (as shown below).

This is a bread that will make any nut lover happy :-)

Black and white sesame seeds and sunflower seeds 

were sprinkled on top before baking. 

Coconut flour may be used by those on a gluten-free diet. 

All-purpose flour will also work. 

I was surprised that it wasn't crumbly as I thought it would be. The texture was ideal for toasting as well. Very good for breakfast or any time of the day snacks.

Happy baking :-)

NUT AND SEED BREAD
(This is the basic recipe below. Other nuts and seeds may be substituted.)

1/4 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup whole hazelnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup hazelnut meal
2 tablespoons coconut flour (or all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almond milk (or other milk)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon honey

Line an 8" x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with nonstick spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

Process nuts until finely ground then add salt and baking soda. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Combine milk, oil, eggs, honey and vinegar. Pour into nut and seed mixture and stir until blended. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with more seeds on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until done.

plates of lunch for everyday

It's fun to get a little creative to make everyday lunch plates more appealing without going too fancy. Most of the time, I just make sandwiches served with a few extras to add color and variety.

homemade sesame seed roll, deviled eggs and green olives

a little twist to the classic ham and cheese sandwich :-)
dipped in beaten egg then pan-fried in a little butter

bento box ham and egg sandwich,
fruits, black olives and cucumber slices for
a well-balanced meal

bento box clubhouse sandwiches, Fuji apple and green olives

omelets are quick and tasty to make
served with whole wheat bread and cucumber slices

two kinds of cheese, fried egg, toasted bread, ham,
salami, fried egg and shimeiji mushrooms

clubhouse sandwich with crispy bacon, ham, egg and
cheese, avocado, tomato and cucumber slices

Sandwiches and salads are ideal to have for a quick lunch break. They can also be made ahead and kept refrigerated in to-go lunch containers or zip lock bags. There are so many ideas for sides to make them more colorful and flavorful. At home, they can be made light and healthier with the addition of all kinds fresh ingredients, dips and dressings.

wholesome 10-grain bread

Perfect for sandwiches and simple breakfast toasts, it was surprising that this whole grain bread did not turn out heavy at all. The crumb texture was light and springy with a very good whole grain flavor. The recipe suggested 7-grain hot cereal mix but I used Bob's Red Mill's 10-grain mix which I already have. Either one is good to use. I used a bread machine to knead the dough but it can be done by hand or with an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook as well.

The dough wasn't too sticky so it was fast and easy to shape them into logs (shown above). The dough was divided into equal parts (I like to weigh them using a kitchen scale to get equal portions) then rolled tightly into logs. Brush the tops with beaten eggs. Sprinkle oats evenly on a cutting board then dip or roll the logs on the oats for an even coating.

Cover them with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel. A good tip I found was to use new and clean shower caps. They're the right size and fit most bowls and pans plus the elastic band works great. Set them in a warm place until they rise to about 1" above the rim of the pans. They rise very well for about an hour.

Freshly baked loaves of bread are shown above and below. I made a previous batch sprinkled with just plain water but the oats adhered to the tops of the bread brushed with beaten eggs better.

For the recipe...

more bento sandwiches

With a little creativity, day to day boring sandwiches can easily be turned into more colorful and fun bento box lunches :-) that may be made ahead and refrigerated until serving time.

Shown above, whole wheat bread sandwiches decorated with daisy cheese flower cut-outs. I just used yellow mustard for the center dots.

Ham and cheese sandwiches with rolled omelet and a colorful fruit mix for a well-balanced meal, shown above. Fresh lettuce leaves work great as dividers for the food. Colorful silicone muffin cups make ideal containers for the fruits and are flexible enough to fit inside most bento boxes. I like using this rectangular plastic food storage. They are roomy and deep enough for thick sandwiches.

ham sandwich and fruit bento lunch

panda bear jam sandwich

Here's a sweet panda bear sandwich idea that's so cute and adorable :-) It was my first time to test another bento accessory, a panda shape sandwich cutter that I recently ordered from BentoUSA.

At first I was disappointed that it didn't work very well with my homemade bread. I was making a big mess with the crumbly bread until I thought about using a rolling pin to flatten the bread a bit. It turned out to be an important step. It was much easier to make neater cuts on the flattened bread. First, cut two pieces of bread using the panda shape cutter (which doubles as a rice molder too). Then with the other cutter, punch out the eyes, nose etc. Spread with blueberry jam then sandwich together.

this set comes with a rice molder and sandwich cutter

lunch ideas for weekdays

I've been trying to think of more creative but not too complicated lunch options now that my husband has been coming home for lunch everyday. Last year, his office moved to a better and more convenient location that's very close to our home. Shown below are some lunch ideas I've made recently.

Whole wheat clubhouse sandwiches with scrambled egg, sliced ham, Swiss cheese and dijon mustard, shown above. I found the best 100% whole wheat bread recipe from the King Arthur Flour website that  I bake often. I make it with either molasses or honey but the molasses gives it a darker color and a deeper flavor.

A simple and light omelet made with sauteed mushrooms and grated cheese, shown above. I also make a lighter version with chopped tomatoes and spinach.

For the creamy pasta shown above, cook 1 cup shell pasta then drain. Brown sliced sausage in a skillet then add 1/4 cup chopped red onions and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cooked pasta with a little of the pasta water. Add some frozen peas if desired. Remove from heat then mix in about half a cup of sour cream. Stir until well mixed. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

chicken pastel

This Filipino version of chicken pot pie is usually served during the holiday season or other special occasions. It's traditionally oven-baked in a rectangular dish with a pie crust topping. I thought about making it simpler for weekday meals and this was the result.

Instead of making a pie crust for the topping, I made some sausage and cheese biscuits (shown below) and served them with the chicken dish. The biscuits were tasty with the browned sausage bits and cheese and were perfect with the creamy chicken.

For the Chicken Pastel recipe...

whole wheat banana pistachio bread

For most home bakers like me who bake regularly, banana bread is a top favorite. I printed this banana bread recipe from the Betty Crocker website sometime ago, filed it away and have since forgotten about it. I saw it again while scanning my old folder of recipes and finally got a chance to make it. I have to say that this was the easiest banana bread recipe I've tried so far. Just combine and mix all the ingredients together then divide evenly into two loaf pans and bake.

I replaced the walnuts with chopped pistachio nuts. A slice is shown above with the bright green specks of the pistachio nuts. Made with a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour, it was a healthier alternative for cakes and snacks. Now that it's back to school time, this will also be perfect for daily lunch box treats. The recipe makes two loaves. I tried storing one loaf in the freezer. Thawed out at room temperature, freezing didn't alter the flavor and texture of the bread. Mini cinnamon chips and sugar crystals sprinkled on top just before baking added more flavor to the bread.

For the recipe...

croque madame

Salty ham, melted cheese and a runny fried egg with toast may be one of the best combinations for a comforting breakfast meal. However, the same basic combination, when elevated to another level, becomes Croque Madame. It's basically Croque Monsieur made more special with a fried egg on top. Bechamel sauce, which can be made ahead, plays an important part in this classic French sandwich.

Start off with a few slices of good quality soft bread. I used my favorite challah bread which I bake at home :-) To assemble the sandwiches, spread bechamel sauce on the bread slices then the layer ham and grated cheese. Pile a generous helping of grated Gruyere cheese on top.

Bake the sandwiches until toasted with the cheese melted and dripping along the sides, as shown above.

Top with fried egg and serve hot. Recipe for bechamel sauce can be found in The Kitchn website. As suggested, the bechamel may be adjusted to a slightly thicker consistency that's more spreadable than saucy.

weekend baking ~ no-knead bread

I can't imagine ever going on a low-carb diet or giving up bread completely just because I love all kinds of bread. From sweet to savory, there's something about freshly-baked bread, the aroma, the texture and taste of it that makes it a universal food transcending many centuries and cultures. Artisanal bread with a chewy interior and crispy crust has always been one of my favorites. It's great that they're now available at most grocery bakeries. I'm also happy that they can be made at home with a little effort and time. It just needs some planning ahead as the dough has to rest for 18-20 hours or overnight. 

No-knead bread was a breakthrough for many home bakers like me and with its introduction, we gained the opportunity to make artisanal bread anytime. Supermarket breads are good but thay can be pricey for the budget-conscious shopper. I've read that baking bread at home is much more economical. Aside from that, there's nothing more rewarding and satisfying than fresh warm bread. I'm glad I was introduced to the world of bread making years ago. After more than 10 years since I baked my first batch of rolls, I still enjoy baking bread and eating it too :-)

I finally disposed my sourdough starter and although I regret it at times, it was getting to be a chore to keep feeding it. Too bad but even without the sourdough starter, making artisanal bread at home is still possible by mixing an overnight starter or biga. I particularly like no-knead bread's uncomplicated procedure, just stir together flour, water and a little yeast then let it rest overnight at room temperature. The long resting period allows the gluten to slowly develop creating the chewy interior with an open crumb as shown above. A slice of this bread (I prefer it slightly toasted with butter) and a cup of soup is the perfect combination for lunch or dinner :-)

For the recipe and procedure, here's the link to the video. I find it helpful to watch the video with more info about the mixing and baking techniques.

steamed chicken buns

It took awhile before I was able to try a recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings cookbook so I was happy to finally make these steamed buns with chicken filling. The filling may be made a day or two ahead and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use. This saved me a lot of time while I concentrated on making the dough. In the Philippines, we call these siopao and it's a well loved snack that's usually served with chicken, pork or beef egg noodle soup called mami. There are many other filling variations but this savory filling with chicken is one of the most popular. It's very common to find restaurants in the Philippines serving siopao and mami. It's just one of the many foods that Filipinos love to combine.

steamed siopao with white and soft like a pillow dough

This particular recipe from the Asian Dumplings cookbook was easy to make with diced skinless chicken thighs and seasoned with a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar and oyster sauce. I trimmed most of the fat from the chicken thighs before cooking. Adding quartered hard-boiled eggs was also suggested. I found a very good recipe for the siopao dough from Jun Belen's foodblog.

sweet potato challah

I've been holding on to this challah bread variation for quite sometime now. Finally had the chance to make it with some leftover baked sweet potato from last night's dinner. Mashed sweet potato was simply added to the basic ingredient list. The amount of water was slightly decreased to come up with a dough that's smooth and not sticky.

The deeper yellow color and rich flavor from the addition of the mashed sweet potato made this challah bread variation much more striking and flavorful than regular challah bread. The sweet potato also gave it a softer texture which lasted for a few days at room temperature.

SWEET POTATO CHALLAH

3 cups all purpose flour (or combination all purpose and bread flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup non fat dry milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Add water,  butter, eggs and sweet potato to the bread machine pan. Add the dry ingredients next. Set the bread machine to Dough setting. Check the consistency of the dough after a few minutes of mixing. Adjust the water, adding 2-3 tablespoons more, if the mixture is too dry. The resulting dough should be smooth and not sticky. Dough rising time is about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough and braid for a traditional challah shape. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds just before baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool down before slicing.

summer antipasto

Instead of green salads, I sometimes like to put together an antipasto platter as shown above. The colorful mix of juicy yellow pear and grape tomatoes were so flavorful. Pop them in your mouth and get rewarded with a burst of fresh summer flavors.

There was nothing fancy with this antipasto platter, just a simple mix of bottled green olives, an assortment of thinly sliced deli meat, slices of swiss cheese and a refreshing mix of organic yellow pear and grape tomatoes. May be served with a basic Italian or balsamic vinaigrette.

antipasto platter served with honey wheat bread on the side

stromboli

My dilemma for the week was the heavy rains, thunder and lightning left me uninspired to go out so I had to postpone my much needed grocery shopping. I only had a few ingredients in the fridge, a package of Italian sausage and about a cup of grated cheese. I had canned tomatoes and mushrooms in the pantry which are always handy to have. I thought about making pasta but then it has been awhile since I made stromboli. I've made it a few times alternating with calzones so I was surprised that I haven't posted about it yet. So what's the difference between a calzone and a stromboli anyway? Based on my quick research, a calzone is half moon-shaped, folded over pizza baked with a meat, vegetable and cheese filling.

thinly rolled out pizza dough with meat, vegetables and cheese

Basically, a stromboli has the same meat, vegetable and cheese filling but the pizza dough is thinly rolled out and shaped into a log then baked. However, I need to mention that  Stromboli is also the name of a small island with three active volcanoes located off the coast of Sicily. Whether it's a pizza, calzone or stromboli, nothing can beat the tasty filling combination of melted cheese and meat. I combined whole wheat and all purpose flour for the basic pizza dough that I used. I didn't have enough grated cheese so I cut up four pieces of Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese and sprinkled them over the other ingredients before rolling.

BASIC STROMBOLI 

FILLING
In a skillet, brown the Italian sausage then drain in a colander. In the same skillet, cook minced garlic and chopped onions. Add sliced mushrooms, chopped red and green bell peppers (optional). Return the sausage to the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper.

TOMATO SAUCE
Combine 1 cup petite diced canned tomatoes, 1 teaspoon pizza seasoning and 1 teaspoon tomato paste and simmer until thickened. Set aside.

PIZZA DOUGH
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cup all purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast (I use SAF brand)
1 teaspoon sugar
about 3/4 cup lukewarm water (add a few more tablespoons if dough is too dry)
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Let stand for a few minutes until frothy. This step is optional if using instant yeast. Add the yeast mixture to the flour with oil and water. Transfer to a bread machine or electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix until it forms a soft and smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a clean cloth napkin or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If using a bread machine, the rising time is usually more than one hour. Punch down the dough then roll out thinly. Top with the tomato sauce, filling ingredients and cheese then roll and shape into a log. Bake at 400F for about 40-45 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is toasted. Allow to rest for a few minutes after baking before slicing.