An Eggplant Lentil dish & another bread machine bread

Speaking of great websites, I should have mentioned Susan Voisin's Fat Free Vegan in my previous post!!! Not only does she have the most beautiful food pics out there but her recipes are always a success and sooo delicious!!!

She has a great recipe index too!

Since I had an eggplant in my fridge that needed to be used but not having a recipe from one of my (*cough*, many) books ready to pull out (i.e. not planned :o ), I googled and Susan's Skillet-eggplant-and-lentils-with-almond-parmesan

came up! It was super yummy!

Because I had some carrots on hand, I threw them in as well, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. (The only thing I didn't do, was make the almond 'parmesan' as I was short on time and my family members were complaining of being already! LOL)

~*~*~*~

Now to the bread machine recipe, this one was really easy (aren't they all!?).

I tweaked the recipe for the Super Rapid version (1.5 lbs, ready in ~ 2 hrs)

by using as follows:

~* Wholesome quick bread*~ 

1.5 loaf size

*3/4 c warm water

*1 egg replacer (I used 1 Tbsp flax, 3 Tbsp water instead of Ener-G)

*2 Tbsp vegan butter

*1 c bread flour

*1.5 whole wheat flour

*1/4 c buckwheat flour

*3 Tbsp sugar (will reduce next time to 2 Tbsp)

*1.5 tsp salt

*2 tsp bread machine yeast (or use 2.5 tsp active dry)

Set the cycle on your machine and make sure the flour is all mixed well (I sometimes use a soft plastic spatula in the first mixing cycle to scrape the edges to make sure and add more flour if the dough is too sticky) and do something else in those ~2 hours that the bread is baking.

Once it's done, put on a rack and let it cool down (it's better to cut that way vs. when it's still hot).

Note: If you're not in the mood for a wholesome bread (my kids still don't like 'brown' breads too much LOL), you can simply use the entire amount of bread flour and have a nice soft sandwich style bread! ;)

I had it for lunch today with some baked tofu, lettuce, tomato and some avocado as well as a sice with some coconut oil and jam for breakfast! :D

Carb-load anyone? =)

 I don't think I could ever go gluten-free! Not that I ever wanted or felt the need to anyway! LOL (I actually don't think it's good to go completely gluten-free if you have no medical reason to do so!.. Another vegan fellow blogged about this very subject just recently too: JL goes vegan)  

I think in these regards my German genes are just too strong; loving my breads and potatoes... and anything dough-y in general! ;)

So it shouldn't be a big surprise that many of my blog posts actually revolve around bread and anything closely related, right? :)  

Let me dive right into it, presenting some new pics and recipes!

This pizza actually came to me spontaneously after having some leftover chickpea piccata and some artichoke hearts in the fridge.

The pizza dough was made quickly in the bread machine! I've recently switched up the recipe a tiny bit, using partially soy flour for the added protein!

~* Pizza Dough *~

1 1/2 c water

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

3 1/2 c bread flour

1/4 c soy flour 

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Put on dough cycle (mine takes 1.5 hrs) and done, ready to continue with your pizza.

 Another spontaneous creation; using some leftover smoked tofu (I've posted a recipe -Lauren Ulm's from Vegan Yum Yum actually- here about a year ago, I believe!?), some mushrooms, onions.. lightly fried in the frying pan, add some corn (I know, sounds weird, but I liked it!), done!

Now on to bread (again). The other day I had a major sweet tooth but didn't want to go the cake or muffin route! So I've looked through my books and found a recipe in 'Vegan Sandwiches safe the day'. But I quickly realized that this recipe requires to let the dough rest 1 day in the fridge..and I clearly didn't have that much patience! I wanted something now!

So.. I pulled out my little recipe booklet that came with my bread machine and saw it included a Brioche recipe -only not veganized yet!

Long story short, I used Celine's & Tami's recipe as an inspiration, altered the amount so it wouldn't overflow my breadmachine and hoped for the best!...

It worked!!! ^_^

 

It was 'buttery' soft inside and sweet... I ate it just plain for the next days with just a teeny bit of virgin coconut oil spread on top (because I believe in the benefits of taking 1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil a day and love the flavor!).

~* Vegan Brioche (Breadmachine) *~

*1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed w/ 1/2 c water

*1/4 c coconut oil

*4 Tbsp sugar

*1/2 tsp salt

~ 3 3/4 c breadflour 

*1 pck. (or 1 1/2 tsp) yeast

*~1/2 c soy [or other plant] milk

Mix the cornstarch with the water and heat it in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Let it cool for a bit and then put it in the breadmachine form.

Add the plant milk, the coconut oil and lastly the sugar, salt, flour and yeast. Set it on the according bread setting (I think mine is labeled as 'sweet bread' or something) and let the machine do its magic! ;) 

[I only pulled it out ~ 1/2 h before the baking time was done as the top looked darkened enough for my taste. Before that I did a little 'wash' on top with a bit of soy milk, though afterwards I realized it didn't really do anything other than just putting a bit of a gloss on it.]  

This seedy bread is actually just another variation of the other no-knead bread recipe I've posted last year sometime.. 

~* Peasant No-knead bread *~

* 3 c whole wheat flour (or 2 c whole wheat + 1 c white bread flour)

*1/4 tsp active dry yeast

*1 1/4 tsp salt

*1 1/2 c lukewarm water
*Seeds if wanted (I used whole flax seeds and sunflower)

Mix flour, yeast & salt together in a bowl, add the water and combine well. Add the seeds, mix well again.

Cover the bowl with Saran wrap and let rise for 16-20 hours!

Once the rising time is over, flour a working area so the dough [which will be very sticky!] won't stick too much. 

Work the dough until you can form a loaf/ball shape. (You might have to add more flour as you go!)

In the meantime, heat the oven to 450 F and put a Dutch oven in it, letting it heat up as well!

Once the oven is really hot, get out the Dutch oven, open the lid and carefully put the ball of dough in, closing the lid again and back into the oven!

Bake for ~30 minutes, then remove the lid of the Dutch oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

Take the bread out of the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a rack, done! :)

I had a little bit of sourdough starter left and knowing that the upcoming weeks will be a bit busier with our upcoming move and me possibly not baking as much anymore (plus, I'm parting with my beloved bread machine since it's European 220 V) so I figured, I just give it a try and make a sourdough rye bread in the machine!

The loaf turned out mega small, but it was still very tasty!

~* Sourdough Rye Bread *~

*345 g starter

*70 g water

*345 g whole wheat/rye flour

*10 g salt

Add everything to your bread machine, set it for the according program (whole wheat etc.) and done! 

Zucchini Soup and more bread! ;)

I don't know about you, but I love zucchini! I love them in zucchini bread, I love them sliced and baked in the oven, I like them as a lasagna... and of course I love them in soup!!! (No big surprise there, right!? ;) )

So while I never really had a firm recipe to follow for a soup, I came up with a creation 2 days ago that I have to share as it was sooo good!!! Hubby couldn't stop raving -and that means a lot! (That's my personal 5* rating if he continues to go on and on how yummy a dish is! LOL)

~* Creamy Zucchini soup*~

*1 onion, diced

*3 medium zucchini, diced

*3 medium/large potatoes, diced

*4 c veggie broth (or water)

*~1/2 c plant milk (I used home made coconut milk)

*~1 Tbsp coconut oil (or any other oil of your choice)

*spices as salt, pepper, curry!

Directions:

Sautee the onion in the coconut oil until translucent

Add some of the broth (or water) as well as the diced zucchini & potatoes.

Pour the rest of the broth (or water) in as well as the plant milk and add salt, pepper as well as some curry powder (all to your taste!).

If using a pressure cooker [like I did], let the pressure come up, cook for 3 minutes under pressure, remove from the heat and let the pressure come down naturally for a few minutes and then release it under cold water manually completely.

Once the lid is removed, use a stick blender to blend the soup.

Done! ;)

Note: If you don't have  a pressure cooker (though you should really get one! ^_^) you can simply cook the soup in a regular pot for ~25-30 minutes or however long it takes until the potatoes are done! (I don't even remember how long it takes since I *always* use my pressure cooker! LOL)

So simple and yet so delicious!!!

The ratio of zucchini/potato was just right! :)

Now onto the bread recipe! 

I bought a pack of whole flax seeds today (Bob's Red Mill) and couldn't help but notice a recipe for bread on the back!

Of course I had to give it a try immediately and what can I say!? It's AWESOME!!!

~* 3-Seed Bread*~

*1 1/4 c water

*2 Tbsp Honey (or agave syrup)

*2 Tbsp oil (I used canola)

*2 c unbleached white flour (I used bread flour)

*1 c whole wheat flour

*1 1/2 tsp sea salt

*1/3 c whole flax seeds

*2 Tbsp sunflower seed kernels

*1 Tbsp poppy seeds

*2 tsp active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to the bread machine according to the recommendations of the bread machine manufacturer and select basic bread cycle. (I actually chose the whole wheat cycle by accident and also chose the speedy option where it only baked for 2.5 hrs vs. almost 4 and it came out perfect!)

Let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

It was seriously amazing! It's soo fluffy inside and I love all the seeds!

~*~*~

Disclaimer: Yes, I use raw honey we get from a small local beekeeper!

While I know, many might now claim that I am not a 'true' vegan, but I personally don't agree with that kind of debate! 

To me it has many more health benefits than not and to be honest it's also not the same as if I would consume dairy or eggs from mammals! Just my 0.02$!

Let's please not fight over this subject and just move on, shall we?

Live and let live! ;)

Another bread post!

I guess by now it's clear that I love my bread, huh? ;-) 

I'll admit though, after having started to watch my calorie intake again a bit closer (having quit smoking some months ago -in November '11 to be exact!- led me to have an increased appetite and over time some few extra unwanted pounds crept up *blech*) I'm probably not going to easily wolf down 2 slices at a time anymore soon!.. Unless they're lower in calories, which is why I'd like to share following 2 bread recipes! From all of my bread recipes I've posted so far, those seem to be really in the lower range! (Still more than a store bought bread, unfortunately.., but we'll have to remind ourselves that the home made ones are much better quality and no preservatives!!!)

I found both recipes on Alicia C. Simpson's blog Vegan Guinea pig and did the calculation over on Sparkpeople (which is a site I've joined years ago but have been MIA for quite some time and just recently started to re-visit! It's awesome for all kinds of things, whether you're interested in nutritional tracking, fitness tracking and conversing with others, get inspired, find a fitness buddy, etc.).

If you ever wanted to find me directly, I'm here: MomOf2Gremlins ;-)

Long story, short, here are the 2 wonderful bread (machine) recipes! 

  ~* Daily Bread *~

Makes a 1 1/2 pound loaf (~10 slices)

1/2 C Water
1/2 C Oat, Soy or Almond Milk
1 Egg Replacer Egg (I use Ener G)
3 C Bread Flour (sometimes I use 2C bread Flour and 1 C Wheat Flour)
2T Milled Flax Seed
1T Vital Wheat Gluten
1.5t salt
1T Olive Oil
2t Bread Machine Yeast
I bake on light - Remove when complete and cool on rack. Sometimes this cools before the family makes me cut it up. Perfect for sandwiches.

Per slice: 157 calories, 2 fat, 28 carbs, 6 protein

~* Potato Bread *~ 

Makes 1 ½ pound loaf (~10 slices)

½ cup water

2/3 cup almond milk

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons agave nectar

2 ½ cups bread flour

1/3 cup instant potato flakes

1 tablespoon gluten (optional)

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 ¼ teaspoon bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients in the pan according to the order in manufacturer’s instructions (usually liquids on bottom, solids on top) be sure not to put the potato flakes and the liquids close together as he flakes will absorb the liquids too fast and change the outcome of the finished product.

Set the crust on medium and use the basic white bread cycle (do not use delayed start for this bread).

When the baking cycle ends immediately remove the bread from the plan and place it on a rack to cool. Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Credit goes to Alicia C. Simpson (Vegan Guinea Pig)

Per slice: 175 cals, 3 fat, 31 carbs, 1.5 fiber, 3 sugar, 5.6 protein

Oh and in case you never know how to store your fresh baked bread, I found this adjustable bread keeper few weeks ago on Amazon and love it! All of my bread machine breads fit well in it and keep really nice and fresh! (Not that bread survives longer than 3 days in our household anyway! *lol*)

Catching up a little!

I know, I know, it's getting old!.. How many times can I apologize for having been MIA here.. So I simply won't say anything anymore from now on! If I have time and the mood strikes to blog, I will.. if not, you'll have to wait and hopefully understand that life can get busy! ;)

But now let's dive right in to a few things I want to share with you!

First of all, my cook book collection is growing and I love looking at them in my shelf! :) 

I have 2 more coming in the mail! ^_^

Secondly, as you all know by now, I'm a big bread lover and always looking for a great & easy recipe!

While hunting for a low cal bread machine bread, I found this one and am in heaven! (My kids raved and claimed it looks like from a bakery -they might be a tad biased though when it comes to their mom! ;) )

While it's by no means really healthy with all the amount of white flour, for the first try I wanted to stick to the recipe a 100% and see how it turns out! 

Next time I might try 50/50 and see how it goes!

~* Basic Machine French Bread *~

1/2 cups water, at about 105 degrees 4 cups flour (a flour with at 4 grams protein per serving is best) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use kosher) 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast Directions: 1 Add to the bread pan in the order yours needs. 2 For mine it is water first. 3 Then I add half the flour and the salt followed by the rest of the flour and the yeast on top. 4 This will run well on the normal, rapid, and delay start cycles.

I followed Miss Diggy's further instructions as she mentions on the site and it worked amazing! Here's what she writes:

"I made it on the dough cycle, and then took it out, rolled it out into a 15x8 rectangle and then rolled it up on the 15 inch sides. Then I pinched the edges together to be "seamless" and then rolled it back and forth, gently, to taper the ends (bring to almost a point) and then put it on a greased baking sheet with a little cornmeal. I put a few slits in the top about 1/4 inch deep and brushed on a little bit of cold water all over the top of the loaf. Let it rise for another hour and then used 1 egg white to brush over the top of it, and then baked it at 350 for 25-35 minutes (when it was a golden brown and sounded hollow when I thunked it)"

And the result:

I wish I had some 'Caponata' left that I made the other day to eat with it! (Recipe will follow soon; it's very easy!)

Bread machine recipes

Speaking of bread, I might as well share my favorite 
bread machine recipes. =)

They all came with the machine (Moulinex) itself and are really easy!

Each recipe is for a 1000 g bread (the smaller option would be 750 g), so choose accordingly on your machine.

Farmhouse Bread 
(French Bread/#2 setting)

*360 ml water

*2 tsp salt

*500 g bread flour

*120 g rye flour

*2 tsp yeast

~*~

Wholemeal Loaf
(Wholemeal setting/#3)

*1 Tbsp (sunflower) oil

*360 ml water

*2 tsp salt

*1 Tbsp sugar

*300 g bread flour

*300 g whole wheat flour

*1.5 tsp yeast

~*~

Peasant Bread
(Wholemeal setting/#3)

*1Tbsp (sunflower) oil

*360 ml water

*2 tsp salt

*1 Tbsp sugar

*300 g bread flour

*150 g rye flour

*150 g whole wheat flour

*1.5 tsp yeast

~*~

Yogurt Bread 

(I've used it in my pre-vegan days with Greek yogurt and it was tasty! I'm sure it tastes good using soy yogurt!)

Setting is 'yogurt bread' 

*200 ml water

*125 g plain [soy] yogurt

*2 tsp salt

*1 Tbsp sugar

*480 g bread flour

*70 g rye flour

*2.5 tsp yeast

~*~

Basic white bread

(I never really use this as I prefer having at least some wholemeal flour in my bread -besides not having access to soy powdered milk here! )

Basic white bread setting/#1

*1.5 Tbsp (sunflower) oil

*300 ml water

*1.5 tsp salt

*1 Tbsp sugar

*2 Tbsp powdered (soy) milk

*550 g bread flour

*1.5 tsp

~*~

French Bread

(Never used it. French bread setting/#2)

*360 ml water

*2 tsp salt

*620 g bread flour

*2 tsp yeast

~*~

Pizza Dough

(Love it! Though I often do 50/50 white & whole wheat flour)
Pizza dough setting

*1.5 Tbsp olive oil

*320 ml water

*2 tsp salt

*640 g bread flour

*1.5 tsp

~*~


Enjoy!