Paradise Breakfast Burritos

I decided to make my own breakfast burritos based upon the Sin City Breakfast Tacos. We still make "crispies" and our own fried potatoes for other things on occasion. Paradise Breakfast Burritos have fresh-made tortillas and are vegan. Paradise would also be someone else making them for you and cleaning them up, or at least it's paradise when you share them.

Ingredients:
Tortillas
1 cup whole wheat flour + additional to form

2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup water
salt
Crispies
corn tortillas, sliced into strips

Filling
canola oil
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium white onion, diced
30 oz tofu, pressed and crumbled
1 tsp turmeric
2-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
salt
pepper


Directions:
Tortillas

1. Mix all the tortilla ingredients together in a bowl until combined in a large ball. Add a tad more water if the dough is too dry. 
2. Divide into 4 smaller balls. Use additional flour on your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them.
3. Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and place the first ball on it.
4. Flatten the ball using your hand.
5. Then use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a thin circle, about 6-8" in diameter.
6. Heat a large pan over high heat. Once hot, place first tortilla in the pan. Watch for it to puff up, about a minute or so. Using tongs or heat-resistant fingers, flip the tortilla. Watch for more puffing.
7. Remove from pan.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 for all balls.

Crispies

1. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat.
2. Fry the corn tortilla strips until crispy. 
3. Put aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. 

Filling

1. To the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and heat (if necessary).
2. Fry the potatoes until soft but not crispy.
3. Add salt and pepper. 
4. Scoop the potatoes to a plate lined with a paper towel. 
5. If necessary, add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the same pan and heat.
6. Add onion and tomato, and cook until onions are translucent.
7. Add crumbled tofu, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Stir to combine well, then continue to cook over medium-high heat until thoroughly warm.

Paradise Burritos

1. Combine crispies, 1/4 fried potatoes, and 1/4 tofu mixture on a fresh tortilla. 
2. Fold in half for a soft taco or wrap for a burrito.

Notes:

• Serves 4.
• Approximately, 370 calories per serving.
• Tortilla recipe adapted from Hurry the Food Up.
• For the filling, you can make any Tofu Scramble you like. 

Multigrain Biscuits

In my effort to make things I enjoy so that I will choose to eat them again, I decided to make my Homemade Multigrain Biscuit Mix.


Ingredients:
For mix:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup spelt flour 
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats 
1/2 cup wheat germ 
1/2 cup powdered coconut milk
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup stevia
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold vegan buttery sticks, (short time in freezer helps) 

For biscuits:
1 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup water or more
1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk, optional

Directions:

1. For the biscuit mix, in a large bowl, mix the flours, cornmeal, rolled grains, milk powder, baking powder, stevia, and salt. When well combined use a grater to shred the cold butter or margarine into the bowl, tossing with the flour to coat. Squeeze the mixture in handfuls to break up the butter or margarine into small pieces. Store in zipper-top bags in the refrigerator or freezer. 
2. (If frozen, measure what you want to use and let it come to room temperature for an hour before proceeding.)
3. To make 4 biscuits, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Measure 1 cup of the mix into a large bowl. Quickly stir in 1/4 cup water or enough just to moisten; don't overstir. Flatten the dough in the bottom of the bowl and cut it into 4 wedges. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking pan. Brush the tops with milk (if desired), and bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Other Details:

• Makes 5 cups biscuit mix, enough for about 20 biscuits. 
• Subsitutes: kamut flour for spelt flour; rolled oats = rolled rye = rolled barley; wheat germ = rolled quinoa; almond milk = any milk. Use gluten-free flours for gluten free option. powdered coconut milk = soy protein powder.
• According to My Fitness Pal, nutrition per biscuit is 149 Calories, 19g carbs, 7g fat, 3g protein, 2g fiber.

Recipe Book Review: The New Whole Grains Cookbook

Awhile ago, I decided I wanted to start posting reviews of recipe books. Why? Well, who doesn't have a pile of cookbooks on their shelves? We certainly do. Some are better than others. I do find I have a preference for ones with good pictures. Pictures of foods are definitely required and they cannot be drawings. Books that don't stuff as many recipes on one page is also preferable.

Unfortunately, sitting down to write a book review on a cookbook never made it to the top of the priority list. Until today. So, today I thought I'd start with a cookbook that started a huge change in the way I eat: The New Whole Grains Cookbook by Robin Asbell.

I first tried eating a more whole grains based diet after listening to The Nutrition Diva push it over and over again in her podcast. I picked up two cookbooks to learn how to cook with more whole grains than I have in the past. This being my preferred one.

The book is filled with lots of beautiful photos of the food in the recipes. This is a big selling point, so that one can look and decide if the recipe looks like something you want to make.

I went through and made nearly every recipe in the book. We tried lots of whole grains. The book is subdivided by food-type - that is, breakfast, breads, warm whole sides, cold whole sides, soups and dumplings, whole entrees, and desserts. Each section has between 8 and 15 recipes.

There is an introductory section describing a variety of grains, their history, and how to cook them. This is a nice overview and not terribly in depth. If you want a more in-depth explanation, look elsewhere.

As I mentioned, I made most of the recipes in this book over the course of several months. I gained quite a few keeper recipes, and there were quite a few things I made and we just did not care for it. And that's okay.

Overall, this is a 4 out of 5 star book. I will go back to it for several recipes and highly recommend it to anybody who is looking to expand their whole grain palette.

Sides: Szechuan Chicken and Red Rice Salad with Sesame Dressing

This is another recipe out of Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grains Cookbook. I was a little surprised at how popular this dish was at our house. It is a cold salad, but we may try it warm. It also could be an entree rather than just a side.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 cups water
1 cup red rice, washed and rinsed
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed Szechuan peppercorns (optional)
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
2 cups bean sprouts
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
4 scallions, slivered
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. In a 1-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring the water to a boil, and add the washed rice. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover tightly, and cook for 25 minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Let the rice cool to room temperature.
2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oils, sugar, ginger, garlic, salt, and crushed Szechuan peppercorns (if using). Put the shredded chicken in a small bowl and measure 2 tablespoons of the sesame mixture over it. Toss to mix. Stir the remaining sesame mixture into the chilled rice.
3. On a platter, spread the rice, then top with the chicken, sprouts, and cucumber slices. Scatter the scallions and peanuts over it all and serve.

Other Details:

• Serves 4 (Although, at our house, it was probably closer to 8 servings) 
• Use the smaller measure of water for Himalayan red rice, and the larger for Wehani or other longer, larger-grain red rice.
• You can skip the chicken or use a vegan chicken strips.

Breads: Homemade Multigrain Biscuit Mix and 15-Minute Biscuits

These are biscuits from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grain Cookbook. Truly quick and easy. These are lovely whole grain biscuits. They would not be mistaken for white biscuits. They are also very biscuit-y rather than muffin-y (as some biscuits are.)

The Mix

A Biscuit

Ingredients:
For mix:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup spelt flour (or kamut flour)
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rolled oats (or rolled rye or rolled barley)
1/2 cup wheat germ (or rolled quinoa)
1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar or other granular sweetener
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine


For biscuits:
1 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup water or more
1 tablespoon milk, optional

Directions:

1. For the biscuit mix, in a large bowl, mix the flours, cornmeal, rolled grains, milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt. When well combined use a grater to shred the cold butter or margarine into the bowl, tossing with the flour to coat. Squeeze the mixture in handfuls to break up the butter or margarine into small pieces. Store in zipper-top bags in the refrigerator or freezer. 
2. (If frozen, measure what you want to use and let it come to room temperature for an hour before proceeding.)
3. To make 4 biscuits, preheat the oven to 450ºF. Measure 1 cup of the mix into a large bowl. Quickly stir in 1/4 cup water or enough just to moisten; don't overstir. Flatten the dough in the bottom of the bowl and cut it into 4 wedges. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking pan. Brush the tops with milk (if desired), and bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Other Details:

• Makes 5 cups biscuit mix, enough for about 20 biscuits. 
• If you cannot find rolled quinoa (aka quinoa flakes), use wheat germ, rolled barley, or more rolled oats.
• The mix can be made using gluten-free flours, and vegans can use soy protein powder and margarine.
• Nutrition is per biscuit.
• Pin It

Breakfast: Buttermilk Wheat Germ Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

When I made these, I was surprised with how much my family liked the pancakes. I did not add the blueberries because I don't care for cooked fruit or fruit in nor on my pancakes. However, everyone agreed they'd be a good addition for those so inclined. These are from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grain Cookbook. 

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups sliced banana, berries, or raisins


For the Sauce2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

For the Sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan mix the berries, sugar, and lemon juice. 
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. The sauce will thicken as it stands.

For the Pancakes: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. 
2. Mix the flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. 
3. Mix the buttermilk, oil, and egg yolks in a cup. 
4. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, using an electric mixer. 
5. Mix the yolk mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened, then fold in the whites.
6. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Lightly grease the griddle with spray vegetable oil or butter, and then drop 1/3-cup portions of batter on the griddle, spreading them a bit if thick.
7. Drop fruit onto the pancakes, and press it down. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until bubbly, turn, and cook for a couple minutes more. 
8. Transfer to an oven-safe platter and hold in the oven until all of the pancakes are done. Serve the pancakes topped with the blueberry sauce.

Other Details:

• Makes 12 pancakes 
• Original Recipe
• Pin It

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Walnut Scones with Streusal

I made this recipe from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grains Cookbook. These were a big hit at my house.

Ingredients:

Scones:

3 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 c cold butter

2 large eggs

1/2 c (plus 2 T) heavy cream or buttermilk, divided

1/2 c maple syrup

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped

Streusel:

3 T whole wheat pastry flour

2 T butter, melted

5 T maple sugar chunks

1 t ground cinnamon

1/2 c finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Streusel--mix ingredients in small bowl and reserve.
2. Scones--preheat oven to 425. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small bits with a pastry cutter. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/2 cup of half and half (reserve the 2 T), the maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Make a well in the dry mixture and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until just incorporated; then add the walnuts. Divide dough into 12 scones. Place on baking sheet with some breathing room between them. Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved half and half and press the streusel mixture on the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Other Details:

• Makes 12 scones.
• You can substitute dried fruit for the nuts. 
• Pin It