Apricot Jam & Nuts, Seeds & Grains Loaf of Bread

I love bread in any and all forms and am constantly trying to find a way to make it a healthier habit.  At bakeries, I tend to pick out loaves with lots of grains, seeds, and nuts, but I've never attempted to replicate a loaf like that at home.  

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread as it is called on My New Roots caught my eye for a number of reasons and Jackie's ringing endorsement confirmed that I had to make it.  First, it looks delicious.  Second, you mix the bread in the loaf pan itself so you really only create one dish in making this bread.  Third, the bread doesn't need to be kneaded, nor does it need to rise at a certain temperature for hours on end.  While you may need to track down a few ingredients to make this, it will be worth your while to do so.  I ordered my psyllium husk powder on Amazon.  My only complaint about the bread is that with a standard toaster, it's a bit hard to toast because you lose hazelnuts and seeds into the toaster... a toaster oven would be a much better bet.

This is actually rhubarb jam - also a delicious option to spread on this bread.

The nutty, seedy, grainy slices of bed are even better with a little dollop of apricot jam on top!  I went a bit overboard with my apricot purchasing at the farmer's market last weekend and didn't want them to spoil.  This jam is light on the sugar, but the apricots are sweet enough that you really don't need much.  The jam is also great on plain yogurt and atop ice cream.  Apricots will be out of season before you know it - make this while you can!

Nuts, Seeds & Grains Loaf of Bread

Recipe from My New Roots as recommended by Dessertification

Yield = 1 loaf

Note - If you are looking for variations on this bread (e.g., sugar free, nut free), check out the comments after the recipe here.

Ingredients
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds (I used hazelnuts)
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup 
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 ½ cups / 350ml water

Preparation
1. If you have a flexible, silicon loaf pan, I'd recommend using that.  If you don't, a regular loaf pan will work just fine - I greased mine and inserted a piece of parchment paper for easy removal from the pan.  Combine all of the dry ingredients in the loaf pan, stirring well.  In a measuring cup, whisk maple syrup, oil and water together.  Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable).  Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.  Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight (I let mine sit overnight).  To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!  

Apricot Jam
Yield = approximately 4 cups

Ingredients
7 cups of sliced apricots (approximately 15 small apricots)
2 cups sugar
1/4 fresh lemon juice

Preparation
1.  In a medium saucepan,combine the apricots, the sugar and the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often so the jam doesn't stick or burn.  Simmer the jam until it’s thick but some chunks of fruit remain, approximately 30 minutes.  

2.  Remove the pan from the heat. Let cool, transfer to a plastic container with a tight fitting lid or jars, and refrigerate.  The jam will keep in the refrigerator for approximately a week.

Toasted Muesli

I've mentioned this before, but I have a lot of trouble getting my act together in the morning.  I blame the fact that I started working in New York City where 9:30 AM is the respectable time to arrive at work.  My next stop was Boston where 9:00 AM was more appropriate.  Then we arrived in Denver where 8:00 AM is the norm and it isn't unusual to find people in the office beginning at 7:00 AM.  Plus, they probably went for a bike ride or run beforehand.  Honestly.

It isn't that I can't get myself up in the morning, but there seems to be a time warp during the first 45 minutes I'm awake... somehow the time passes and I'm dressed for work but I haven't managed to eat breakfast and it's really time to head to work.  Does anyone else have that problem?  I can't remember the last time I sat down for breakfast in our house on a weekday!  Instead, I usually eat at my desk at work while I go through e-mail and reading the news.  Enter this Toasted Muesli.  Thanks to Talley, I've got a new breakfast option in my repertoire.  I make homemade granola regularly, which I love.  But the muesli is different in that there are fewer oats and they are balanced by the puffed grains, the nuts, the millet and the dried fruit.  I think what sets this recipe apart is the mix of textures.  You can eat it with milk or yogurt... which is what I've been doing at my desk!

Toasted Muesli

Recipe from House to Haus (via Whole Living October 2012)

Note - This recipe is meant to be adapted to your tastes and what you have in your house.  Use whatever nuts or grains you have on hand.

Ingredients

1/3 cup boiling water

1/2 cup whole millet

2 cups oats (not instant)

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup mixed chopped nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

2/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup mixed assorted dried fruit chopped (I used apricots, apples, and peaches)

1/2 cup puffed millet (puffed quinoa would work, too)

Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 325ºf.

2.  In a small bowl, pour boiling water over millet, cover with a plate and let sit for 30 minutes. 

3.  In a large bowl mix the drained millet, oats, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds and the chopped nuts with the maple syrup, olive oil and salt. Stir to coat. 

4.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the muesli mixture out on it. Place it in the oven and bake, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is lightly toasted, about 20-30 minutes. 

5.  Let the muesli cool and then add the cranberries, chopped assorted dried fruit and the puffed millet. Stir to mix. Store the muesli in an airtight glass container for up to 2 weeks. 

 

Kiel James Patrick Cape Codder Bags

K alerted me to the arrival of these extremely cute totes at Kiel James Patrick!  The uber-preppy company based in Rhode Island has taken the classic Bermuda Bag wood-framed canvas tote, added a long leather strap and a nautical rope embellishment, and used fabulous fabric.  I have two of my Grandmother's Bermuda Bags and find they are appropriate for most any occasion.  One of these would be perfect for summer!  

All images credit to Kiel James Patrick.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Somehow it has been over a month since I last posted about food.  It isn't that I haven't been cooking, but life has been a bit overwhelming since we returned from Asia in April.  First, I started a new job!  After almost six years of practicing law at a firm, I've moved "in-house" to work for the world's largest producer of mozzarella that is conveniently headquartered on our neighborhood.  Proposed alternative titles to "Corporate Attorney" include Counselor of Curds and Moosquire.  In mid-May we finally had our last snow, which means that we are experiencing our first spring / early summer as homeowners. We've spent hours weeding and spreading mulch and laying sod and while the work is incredibly satisfying, it never seems to end!  Between work and household chores the days just disappear.  

This past weekend I finally made time for cooking.  One food item that always disappoints me is the veggie burger.  Store bought versions are usually lacking in flavor and with a cardboard texture and I've always figured they must be easy to make.  I wanted something spicy and flavorful but also a burger that would stick together and stand up to grilling since it is officially that time of year!  With the combination of roasted sweet potatoes, black beans and an egg, these burgers have great flavor and moisture and stick together without issue when grilled.  Adjust the seasoning to your spice tolerance - these aren't spicy per se, but you they have a subtle kick.  I also think you could use any grain (quinoa, millet, oats, bread crumbs) -- I just happened to have cooked brown rice available.

We've been enjoying our burgers over a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and avocado, but only because I haven't made Homemade Hamburger Buns recently.  Now that our whole yard is mulched, perhaps I'll actually get to those before the 4th of July?

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Yield = 6
Prep Time = 1 hour (includes roasting time)

Adapted from Whole Foods

 

Ingredients

1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

1 egg

1/2 onion, chopped (I used a white onion - red or yellow would work well, too)

1 cup brown rice, cooked (I think you could substitute a range of grains, including quinoa or even bread crumbs)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons chipotle powder

Hot sauce (optional - I added 3 dashes)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Spread the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, and roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Using a food processor, pulse the onions and sweet potatoes until just combined being careful not to over-process (I think I did about 5 pulses).  Add the beans and pulse another 2-3 times until combined and the beans are in smaller pieces.  Alternatively, if you don't feel like using a food processor, finely dice the onion and mash use a fork to mash the sweet potatoes and mix them with the onions.  In a separate bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a fork and mix them into the sweet potatoes and the onions.  I think it's key to be sure the onion is finely diced whether you use a food processor or a just hand mix the ingredients.

3.  Add the egg, rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, and hot sauce (I used about 4 dashes, but we like things spicy).  Form 6 patties of even thickness.

4.  To cook the veggie burgers, either heat a large skillet over medium heat and arrange a single layer of burgers and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (approximately 10 minutes) or grill the burgers!  We grilled ours using a gas grill and they took about 12 minutes, but obviously this will vary by how hot your grill is.  Enjoy the burgers on a bun or served over a salad... I particularly enjoyed ours with avocado.

On a completely separate note, aren't lilacs just the loveliest?  We aren't getting many this year because of our late snows, but they are just so fragrant.  

Pei Design

A recent Pinterest find is the fabulous stationery, wrapping paper, notebooks, and pencils of Pei Design, which is based in Southern California and was founded in 2011 by designer Pei Pinney.  I love the clean design and darling illustrations on the notecards and the combination of stripes and dots and plaid on the wrapping paper.  The colors and prints of the wrapping paper could be used for almost any occasion.  I don't know about you, but even though I keep track of 95% of my life on my iPhone these days, I still keep a running "to do" list and jot down other things in a notebook.  One of these would be perfect for when my current notebook runs out!  All images credit to Pei Design.