a long rant & a few recipes

I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of scanning the ingredients lists on our foods only to discover what looks like a science experiment gone awry. We try to eat pretty healthily in the Smiddleton Middlewartz household, and part of that mission lately is to understand exactly what it is we are consuming. Obviously vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, meats and the like are a healthy choice (aside from pesticide, GMO, antibiotic, and growth hormone concerns), but things get really hairy if we - like most American consumers - are looking for anything that comes in a package.

I could go into a long tirade about all the mystery ingredients that I, and a growing number of consumers, consider "shady" and unfit for our bodies, but I will spare you. (The ladies at 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe, two of my favorite healthy eating sites, will do a much better job than I at explaining the rationale and science behind my thinking, so I urge you to visit if you find yourself interested.) The point is, I am fed up with most of the options on the grocery store shelves for even "simple" items like a loaf of bread. So earlier this week, harkening back to the days of yore, I threw on an actual apron and got to kneading, making my very first homemade bread - and with just five ingredients, all of them pronounceable! I also tackled some other kitchen basics like homemade chicken stock, corn tortillas, and peanut butter (easy!), all of them turning out pretty successful despite my lack of experience.

Without further ado, here are two recipes from my recent kitchen endeavors...

FIVE INGREDIENT HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

I found this recipe on the blog Find It, Love It, Share It. It emulates the honey whole wheat bread at Great Harvest Bread Company, which Lisa over at 100 Days raves about. Since I don't have a Great Harvest near me, nor the $5.00+ a pop to shell out even if I did have one near me, I set out to bake my own. I think this would have been easier with a dough mixer, like the author of the recipe uses, but since I don't have one I went old school and used my hands. It was a good work-out, for sure! This recipe makes two loaves; one we gobbled up within a few days, and one I immediately sliced and froze for later.

I was so proud of my loaves that I made them pose for a photo shoot!

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2 c. warm water
• 1/3 c. honey
• 4-5 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. optional ingredients (oats, ground flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)

In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and honey. Let rest for 5 minutes until the mixture foams.

Add salt and 1 to 2 cups of the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. By this point the dough will become impossible to mix with a spoon, so use your hands. Adding a little at a time,  use 1 to 2 more cups of the flour, kneading for about 10 minutes until it is all mixed in. (In total, I used 4 1/2 cups, but I may have actually used too much; you just want enough flour that the dough barely pulls away from the sides of the bowl.) 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Let dough rise in the bowl for 30 minutes (I put plastic wrap on top and set it over the preheating oven to help it rise.) Spray the backs of your hands with cooking spray and punch down the dough really well.

Form into two loaves (I cut mine with a knife sprayed with oil) and place in greased loaf pans. Let rise in pans for another 30 minutes, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a cooling rack.

This bread is Elliott-approved!

BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS

This recipe comes from a mix of two sources - 100 Days of Real Food and The Sneaky Chef cookbook. We were all hugely pleased with the results and will never go back to the store bought
"chicken" nuggets again. This recipe makes a ton, so make sure to freeze a bunch of cooked nuggets for a quick meal later on! (Tip: Layer nuggets between waxed paper in a freezer safe container. When you're ready for the leftovers, nuke 'em for a minute and then broil until crispy.)

Ingredients:

• 2 large (about 1 lb.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. orange puree* or baby food (sweet potato or carrots)
• 2/3 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs (preferably homemade or with minimal ingredients)
• 1/3 c. toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Chop the chicken into small chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat the egg and orange puree (or baby food) in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, wheat germ, cheese, paprika, and garlic powder. Dip chicken pieces into the egg mixture, followed by the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Place breaded nuggets on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Turn them over once and return to oven for another 10-12 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

*Find the recipe for make-ahead orange puree on The Sneaky Chef's website. This stuff packs in some extra nutrients but doesn't alter the taste in any noticeable way - unless for the better!