Sesame Soy Sauce
tahini
tamarind soy sauce
Whisk together until smooth and season to taste - adding more of either or a pinch of salt or sugar. This hardly seems like a recipe at all it is so simple, but to be honest, it is a cheating version of a sesame sauce. Add sesame seeds for some crunch, if desired.
Spicy Noodles
one pound Asian noodles (such as rice vermicelli)
hot water
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili oil
crushed red pepper, to taste
sweet chili sauce, to taste
thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
Soak the noodles in the hot water until soft.
Whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, red pepper, and chili sauce. Stir into the hot noodles. Garnish with onion and sesame seeds.
Honey Ginger Sesame Sauce
1/2 cup liquid honey
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
zest of one large lemon
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to taste
NOTE: This recipe has approximate measurements, because this is another one of those sauce recipes I just came up with on the spot. I didn't measure ingredients, just eyeballed them. So you will definitely need to taste the sauce several times while making it and decide if it needs a little more of anything to suit your tastes.
Whisk all ingredients together well until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If it is not sweet enough, add more honey. If not salty enough, add more soy sauce. If too thick, add some more vinegar, and add more spice for more flavor. Makes about 3/4 cup.
This sauce is good for stir-fry, as pictured below. It may look like it contains a lot of sesame seeds, but they disperse throughout the sauce once the sauce is served, and add a nice little crunch.
Seedy Yogurt Muffins
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (any kind)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2-4 Tablespoons molasses or honey
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the first ten dry ingredients.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the remaining liquid ingredients.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just moistened.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.
Makes 12-18 (depending on size) healthy, hearty muffins with lots of great crunch and flavor. Perfect for part of a balanced breakfast slathered with nut butter, jam, or molasses!
Sunny Morning Pancakes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons oats
1 scant Tablespoon each: shredded coconut, sesame seeds, chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon raisins
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 1 teaspoon water
1/3 cup milk
Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients. Add the flax and milk mixture and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, this can make one big pancake or several small ones. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
For crispy pancakes: Heat the pan to medium-high and spread the batter thin.
For soft and fluffy pancakes: Keep the pan on medium and make the batter thicker.
Spread with: yogurt, nut butter, honey, maple syrup, molasses, or jam.
Top with: fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips.
These are sort of like a morning glory muffin, but with less tropical flavors. Different fruits and nuts may be substituted as desired for different flavors, but the principle idea here is a pancake with some texture, crunch, and lots of flavor. They are hearty and tasty and make one good-sized breakfast serving.
This is a bread machine recipe that I made a very similar version to in the traditional way once upon a time. It has a nice texture and flavor due to the added seeds and a nice crispy crust. I decided to try making a small loaf this time, but I discovered I would much prefer the large loaf setting. It is the same amount of work, but makes a larger loaf that rises better, forms better sandwiches, and lasts longer.
Machine Country Seed Bread
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle, small loaf.
Kefir Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each old-fashioned oats, ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, and sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup kefir milk
Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place on top of another cookie sheet in order to prevent bottoms from becoming too brown.
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the kefir. Add in the kefir. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, a large ice cream scoop works really well for this. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
This is my latest creation using kefir. Kefir is just like using yogurt or buttermilk in these biscuits- it adds a little flavor and makes the biscuits moist. It also keeps the biscuits from being too heavy, even though they contain a good amount of hearty whole grains.
Here are two other kefir creations: {Kefir Smoothie} and {Kefir Oatmeal}.
Here is my latest granola creation. I call it apple pie granola because it has the flavor of apples due to the applesauce, pecans, and the spices typically used in apple pie. The applesauce makes the granola moister and healthier, and also replaces some of the oil. If you like your granola to be full of clusters instead of loose, you may want to add a little extra oil and sweetener. Of course the nuts, seeds, spices, and fruits can be varied or replaced as you like. This makes a hearty, crunchy bowl of breakfast!
Apple Pie Granola
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or a mix)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4-1/2 cup sweetener (honey, molasses, sugar, brown sugar)
2-3 Tablespoons oil (optional)
1 cup raisins
In a shallow pan, mix together the dry ingredients. Drizzle the applesauce, sweetener, and oil over top and toss to combine. Bake at 350◦F for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until golden. Stir in the raisins then cool before storing. It will keep for a few days, in the refrigerator for a week or two, or much longer in the freezer, and doesn't require any thawing time.
This recipe was supposed to make one loaf! I have altered the original recipe quite a bit, but this supposedly "German-style" bread recipe was designed to make one loaf. That would certainly be one monstrous loaf. I was feeling a little brave, so I decided to try making a traditional yeasty and slow rise dough bread again, as opposed to the quick breads and batter breads I have been making recently. I am happy to say it worked out quite nicely and rose very well - maybe one of the best I have ever made. I decided to try a trick my father has discovered wit his pizza dough - put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and it rises wonderfully, then put it in the pan and let it rise for a long time before baking. This second rise needs to be particularly long also because the dough starts out cold. This dough probably could be made without chilling, but it is convenient to begin the dough the night before and it rises so well overnight. Finally, this dough has a well-formed, soft texture and a nice taste. I am not sure what the purpose of the vinegar is, but it certainly doesn't add a sour taste. I formed my dough into logs to put in the pan and got nice, uniformly shaped loaves (even if one may be slightly larger than the other).
Sesame Flax Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
2 packages instant rise yeast
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour, approximately
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in 3/4 cup warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over top and let stand for ten minutes until bubbly. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add the remaining water, vinegar, flax, sesame, and salt. Gradually stir in the flour, adding as much as you can, you may need more. Knead the bread gently if necessary to incorporate the flour.
Form dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight or until risen, anywhere from 2-16 hours.
Punch dough down, divide into two and shape into two oval loaves. Place each in a greased or lined 9x5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise for about two hours, until risen. You may want to place the dough in a semi-warm oven for the last twenty minutes to give it a little lift.
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350◦F and bake for about 30 minutes more.
Rise the dough overnight.
Shape into loaves.
Rise again.
And bake. As you can see, I already began slicing into it!
Quick Seedy Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the first eight dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the milk, egg, and oil. Stir well and spread in prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
This is a hearty, healthy loaf with lots of texture. The seeds could easily be varied - poppy seeds or pumpkin seeds would be nice, or even ground nuts such as almonds could be substituted. I guess it is more of a loaf than a sandwich bread, so it is delicious spread with butter, honey, jam, or peanut butter. But it could be used as a sandwich base as well, especially if the sugar content is reduced.
