Whiteley Creek Homestead

I was notified yesterday that my blog has been chosen as one of five finalists in the Well Fed Network's Food Blog Awards. The Well Fed Network is a compilation of blogs focused on informed, high quality, food-based content. This is how it all went down… Nominations were accepted from January 5-9, 2009. A judging panel… quite a distinguished line-up I must say, not the number of nominations, determined the top five sites  chosen in each category. To select your favorite blog from the finalists in each category, voting began on Monday, January 19 and voting ends at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, January 24 . To vote, go to Well Fed Network where there are links to all five nominees in my category so that you can make an informed decision before you make your choice. Winners in each of the 14 categories will be announced on Monday, January 26, 2009. Mucho gratitude for participating. 

Dick has recommited to dropping a few pounds, so I made these scrumptious morsels to ease his mind that he does not need to forgo all treats in order to lose weight as long as they are made with nutritious ingredients and consumed in moderation. This extremely simple recipe with only four ingredients, that my friend Pat shared with me, is similar to one that I have made from "Healthy Living with Ellie Krieger", one of my favorite Food Network sites. The difference is the addition of crystallized ginger which adds some additional chewiness and a very subtle zing. Use dark chocolate (i.e., 70-72% cacao). The higher the cacao content, the more intense the flavor of the chocolate and the lower amount of sugar present in the chocolate. The darker chocolate with the most concentrated cacao (the source of chocolate) has more antioxidant properties. According to WebMD, "Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, which are destructive molecules that are implicted in heart disease and other ailments." Flavonoids are plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. Cocoa beans contain large quantities of flavonoids, as do cranberries. Dark chocolate is higher in flavonoids than milk chocolate.

 

Dark Chocolate Walnut Bark
8 oz. walnuts, coarsely chopped (or any nuts combo) 
2 tbsp. unsulphured crystallized ginger, chopped
½ c. dried cranberries
2 (3-3.5 oz. each) dark chocolate bars with minimum 70-72% cocoa content (You can reduce to one bar, if you like.)

Melt the chocolate bars in the top of a double boiler over one inch of barely simmering water. Mix the walnuts, ginger, and dried cranberries together in a bowl. Pour the melted chocolate over the fruit/nut mixture and stir until blended. Pour out onto a cookie sheet covered with unbleached parchment paper. (You may also spoon out tablespoon-sized clusters onto parchment-lined baking sheet.) Put them in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm. Break into chunky pieces. What a quick and healthy way to get a chocolate fix!  
 

I needed a better method to drain the water from my canning jars when I rinse my grains, seeds, and nuts during their sprouting process, so Dick helped me turn my vision into a working end-product. He made this sprouting jar drainage rack from heavy-duty paint stir sticks and sign stakes secured at a 45 degree angle.

   

We could have attached a piece of wood for the jars to rest upon, but that would have been way too boring. Instead, I rummaged through my stash of yard sales finds and discovered this metal sieve drainage apparatus attached to a plastic handle. I adhered plastic mixing spoons at each end just because they are so lovely.

   

Three wide-mouth canning jars will rest side-by-side, across the width of the sprouting rack, allowing grains, seeds, and nuts to be started at varying increments so that fresh sprouts are continually available. Squares of 100% unbleached cotton cheesecloth can be used to cover the jar's opening and held in place with a canning jar ring. Screened jar lids, which do not require a layer of open-weave fabric, can be used solo as long as the openings are not so large that the presprouted seeds will fall through.  They are sold in sets of three varying size screen openings at food co-ops and health food stores. It was formerly recommended to sprout seeds in dark-colored jars or in a cupboard, but it has been determined that as long as they are not placed in direct sunlight the sprouting process will be equally successful. Mung beans, or so I have read, are the only exception. Apparently, they can become bitter if exposed to light during the sprouting process.

 

If you don't want to fuss with constructing your own sprouting jar drainage rack, or you want to have more than three jars of sprouts growing at a time, just order a wooden dish rack like this one from Planet Natural for $12.50, or look for a castoff at a yard sale.

 

Either way, you can't get more locally-grown than sprouts from your own kitchen… a perfect solution to wintertime's fresh produce dilemma. 

In my Clean Eating Magazine e-newsletter, a subscriber shared this recipe for "clean" cheesecake. A clean recipe is one in which the calories and fat have been reduced to create a healthier version. Fresh local berries are hard to come by in the dead of winter, so for a topping I put a dollop of fruit spread on top. It added glistening color and a bit of sweetness.   

 

“Clean” Cheesecake

5 tbsp natural sweetener of your choice

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz. light cream cheese

4 egg whites

olive oil

fresh berries (i.e., raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries)

Polaner Fruit Spread sweetened with only fruit and fruit juice (or similar preserves)

Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350°. Blend sweetener, cottage cheese, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend. While it’s still blending, gradually add egg whites. When smooth, pour into a baking dish lightly coated with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool. Top serving slices with fresh fruit. Glaze with coordinating fruit preserves that have been stirred to soften. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Did you know that "just a quarter-cup of sesame seeds supplies 74.0% of the daily value for copper, 31.6% of the DV for magnesium, and 35.1% of the DV for calcium? Also, sesame seeds are a good source of manganese, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1 , zinc, and dietary fiber. In addition to these important nutrients, sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group called lignans, which have a cholesterol-lowering effect, prevent high blood pressure, and increase vitamin E supplies. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage." For more in-depth information on sesame seeds as well as a myriad of information on eating healthy, go to the "World's Healthiest Foods" web site. Today I made cookies that have a whopping 1 cup of sesame seeds in a batch of 18 cookies. They are very tasty as is, but I think you could toss in a some dried fruit (i.e., raisins, dates, or figs) to change them up a bit then reduce the amount of brown sugar. Don't mess around buying the tiny jars of sesame seeds in the spice/seasonings grocery aisle. Arrowhead Mills sells a 12 oz. bag of organic sesame seeds. Note: In parenthesis, after some ingredients in the recipe, are substitutions suggested by Erica from PA who tried this recipe. I love to hear from readers! What wonderful suggestions to make these cookies even more nutritious!   

 

Sesame Cookies from M.S. Everyday Food

Makes 36 small or 18 regular-size cookies

½ cup all-purpose flour… I substituted w.w. pastry flour.

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 cup sesame seeds, toasted* (or raw unhulled sunflower seeds)

½ cup brown sugar…Try reducing to 1/4 c. br. sug. (or honey) and add in 1/4 c. raisins, dates, or figs.

2 tbsp butter, softened (or 1 tbsp coconut oil and 1 tbsp olive oil)

2 egg yolks

1 tsp cider vinegar

½ tsp vanilla

*Toasting sesame seeds brings out the seeds’ full, nutty flavor. Heat the seeds in a dry heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, or on a sheet in a 275° oven, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a cookie sheet with a little oil; set aside. Blend flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sesame seeds in small bowl. Cream sugar and butter in mixing bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, vinegar, and vanilla, and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat or stir until blended. Spoon slightly rounded teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. (I used slightly rounded tablespoons and increased the baking time a couple minutes.) Gently press down cookies with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake 5 to 6 minutes for small cookies (8 to 10 minutes for regular-size) until edges are golden. Remove from oven. Cool 1 minute then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Last night, Dick and I were hungry for a little snack, so I made some super simple nutritious "apple crumble". A very tiny bit of brown sugar is used for sweetness… just enough. It would make a tasty breakfast, too, if you are wanting to break away from the bowl-of-cereal routine. My "Good Mornin' Apple Crisp", is another option. It is similar to this recipe but instead of brown sugar it uses pure maple syrup and evaporated cane juice for sweetening (a healthy alternative to refined sugar), flax seed instead of wheat germ, and Muesli rather than oatmeal.  

 

Apple Crumble with Toasted-Oat Topping

From an “Arrowhead Mills”/”Hain Pure Foods” Cookbook

Makes 6 servings

3 apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced (Use a sweeter apple such as gala, red or golden delicious, etc. to naturally sweeten the dish since the amount of brown sugar used is so small.)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 ½ tbsp wheat germ (raw or toasted)

1 ½ tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp canola oil

1 ½ tsp butter (or Earth Balance), cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat a casserole dish or 8X8 baking dish with oil. Combine the apples and applesauce then put in prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the oatmeal, wheat germ, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the oil and butter. Mix with your fingers to form crumbs. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture evenly over the apples. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are tender firm.  

 

For lunch today, I coated chicken breast strips with a mixture of wheat germ, bran, flax seed, and several seasonings that was a quick meal on a busy day.

 

Wheat Germ/Bran-Crusted Chicken Tenders

Recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine.

Makes 8 servings with 2 tenders per serving.

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup unprocessed bran

¼ cup plain dried bread crumbs

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloin (about 16 strips)

barbecue sauce for dipping (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Combine wheat germ, bran, breadcrumbs, flax seed, Parmesan, onion and garlic powders, salt, and pepper. Add oil and mix. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs. Dip chicken in eggs (allowing excess to drip off), then dredge in crumb mixture, patting to adhere. Place on parchment-lined pan and transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired.    

 

Bruce and Irene, some friends from Bismark, North Dakota stopped by for a wee visit, so I prepared Italian Wedding Soup and baked a loaf of honey whole wheat oatmeal bread to serve them. It was a new soup recipe that I ran across on bread-and-honey's blog. Several days later I discovered a lightened up version in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine, so I combined the two recipes and threw in a bit of my own twist, as well, by adding additional seasonings.  It was very flavorful. (I selected a package of free-range, nongrowth-hormone, and nonantibiotic raised chicken breasts and requested the meat department to grind it for me but, if you can find nitrate-free Italian sausage, you can use that.) I would make smaller balls next time. Since returning home, Irene has made it twice for company and it was a big hit both times. 

 

Italian Wedding Soup

1 lb mild Italian chicken sausage (If using ground turkey breast or chicken breast, season with ¾ tsp salt, ¾ tsp ground sage, ¾ tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp pepper, and a dash ground red pepper.) When Irene made it, she added a little crushed fennel seed and made the meatballs without any filler (garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan).

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup dried breadcrumbs

¼ cup Parmesan

 1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

32 oz chicken stock (or broth)

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced or stewed tomatoes in juice

¾ tsp thyme

½ tsp leaf oregano

½ tsp rosemary (or marjoram)

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

carrots, sliced

celery stalks, chopped

zucchini, diced

Large handful fresh kale roughly chopped, or fresh spinach

In a bowl, combine Italian sausage (or ground turkey or chicken breast with additional seasoning added), garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. Roll mixture into small balls then brown in olive oil. In a large pot, heat a little oil then add onion, stirring occasionally until slightly translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (with juice), thyme, oregano, rosemary, (or marjoram), and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer then add meatballs, carrots, celery, and zucchini; cover and cook without stirring until carrots are tender but firm. Add kale or spinach in the final 5 minutes of cooking time until wilted.