Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Ezekiel Stew

This is a GREAT recipe! If you want LOTS of left overs, double it; or be happy with enough left overs for lunch the next day...and the next with the current portions. My family loves this stew, including the children. You know you have done well when they call you on your cell and ask, "What is there for lunch?" and you reply, "Left over Ezekiel Stew" and then you hear: GREAT!

There are two different ways to cook this. First, you can throw it in a large pot or crock pot early in the day and let it go all day long. If you want a hands off meal, put it in the crock pot. If you are going to be home and feel like stirring, put it on the stove. If you want all of the grains to be very tender, cook for at least six hours.

The second way of cooking this is on the stove top for a shorter amount of time. The wheat, spelt and other grains will be 'chewy' and the beans might have a slight crunch. I really like the chewy grain as it is different and enjoyable. You achieve this by cooking the recipe on the stove top at a good simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours. You will need to keep an eye on it if you choose this method and give it a good stir every 10 to 15 minutes so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Ezekiel Stew

3 quarts of water
2 potatoes, cubed
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 onion
1-1/4 cups hard red wheat
3/4 cups spelt or rye (Biblically spelt was used, Ezekiel 4:9)
1/4 cup barley (hulled barley)
1/8 cup millet
1/8 cup lentils (green preferred)
1 Tbs. great northern beans
1 Tbs. red kidney beans
1 Tbs. pinto beans
1 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs chicken or beef bouillon OR soup bones OR use actual broth replacing for water OR 1# stew meat
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 Tbs cumin

Either throw all of this in the crock pot and turn it on low for 8 hours or put it in a good sized pot, place on stove and simmer for 8 hours. I like to add a couple of carrots when I have them as well as any other herbs that my family enjoys. And if you don't have a fresh onion or garlic, used dehydrated onion and garlic. That works just fine.

This is really a recipe that you can't mess up. It will taste great and is a very healthy meal! Post a comment and let me know how your family enjoyed your Ezekiel Stew.


Friday, August 20, 2010

Converting Recipes to use Fresh Milled Flours

One of the most common questions that I am asked is, "How do I convert my favorite recipe to use fresh milled flour?" To be honest, it depends on the grain you are using and the type of recipe. As this blog develops, I will cover more in depth the different factors that come into play to help you make your good recipe, your best; but for now, let me share with you some simple hints.

First, if you are making a quick bread that will be 'light', use either spelt or soft white wheat. Use about 1.25 cups of fresh flour for every cup of all purpose flour. If you have made your favorite recipe repeatedly, you will know if you need to add more or less based on the thickness of the batter. I should also state that when I convert a recipe, I am not only changing the flour used, but the sweetener from sugar to honey. If you are not at that point, start with a one to one substitution for your flour, but expect to add a little more unless you use 'rounded' cups. Yep, that's right, with fresh flour, to get a good fill of a measure, use a rounded cup which is not what you were taught in Home Ec Class.

If you are making a bread that will use yeast, you will need to use a flour that has gluten. Good choices are hard red wheat, hard white wheat or even kamut. Again, if you use a 'rounded' measure, and do not change the sweetener, then use a one to one conversion.

For the Easy Peppermint Chocolate Brownies that I made, the original recipe called for 1.5 cups of all purpose flour. Since I changed the 1 cup of sugar to 1.25 cups of honey, I had to add one extra cup of flour due to the extra liquid. And remember, I ALWAYS use rounded cups; so I actually added more than one cup.

Simple rule of thumb for a starting point:

Use rounded measures when using fresh milled flour.

If you are not converting the sweetener, then use a one to one ratio.

If you are changing the sweetener from sugar to honey, you will need to add extra flour. A good starting point is 1.25 rounded cups of fresh milled flour to 1 level cup of all purpose flour.

Hope this information is helpful and happy baking!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Easy Peppermint Chocolate Brownies

I just want to welcome you to my newest blog which is all about wheat. If you have wanted to cook with fresh wheat, but have been scared...this blog is for you! I will share with you everything that I have learned over the last 12 years of cooking with fresh flour. Yep, that's right, I have not purchased pre-milled flour from a store in 12 years.

One of the many benefits you will receive from this blog is you don't have to make my mistakes! I will gladly share with you what I have learned so you don't have the learning curve challenge.

Tomorrow I will share more about fresh flour, but right now I want to share with you a recipe that I made the other night that my family loved. Unfortunately, it was one of those 'I did not measure' recipes and so duplicating it can be a challenge, but I think what I will share will be really close. And if there is a problem, I will adjust the recipe and let you know. So here you go...one tasty recipe that your family is sure to love!

1-1/2 cups honey
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup water
12 ounces of chocolate morsels
2 1 ounce unsweetened bakers chocolate
1-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2-1/2 cups flour....I used hard white wheat
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs...scrambled

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add all chocolate and continue to stir over medium low heat until all chocolate is melted. Let cool.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Slowly add chocolate mixture to the flour mixture and stir well. Add a little of the batter to your scrambled eggs and then add the egg mixture into the bowl with the batter. Mix well.

Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan that has been buttered and floured. Place in a preheated oven of 325 for 30 minutes or until the center springs back with your touch.

Cool and enjoy!