Seed-uction Bread

I would like to start this post by saying that I am now addicted to baking bread, so if you have any favorite recipes send ‘em my way! 

Seed-uction!  Get it? Seduction? Valentine’s Day? Romance? Lolol!  My aunt sent me this recipe for a hearty and healthy bread (hi Aunt Nancy!) (it is also a Whole Foods Copy).  It was really easy (seriously) and didn’t use a lot of dishes (which I always love).  The process takes about three hours total but that is pretty normal with bread.  I especially loved this bread because I was able to use ingredients that I don’t use very often.   It is full of seeds which gives it a great texture.  Finally, it is so pretty, that I had to post TWO pictures!

Servings: 24

Servings Size: 1 piece

Points Plus: 2pp (I cut my bread in half and then each half into 12 pieces.  The entire loaf is 57 pp so adjust accordingly.  I figured the per serving pp by using Weight Watchers recipe builder.)

Prep Time: 20 minutes + about 1.5 hours of letting the bread rise

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons honey

1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons millet seed

3 tablespoons malted barley flour

1 tablespoon wheat gluten

1 egg white, beaten

1 teaspoon millet seed

Instructions

Gently stir together the warm water, molasses, honey, and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Pour oil into the yeast mixture.

In a separate bowl mix together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons of millet, barley flour, and vital wheat gluten. Stir the flour and seed mixture to the yeast mixture until it pulls together. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7 to 8 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Grease a 9x13 baking sheet.

Punch down the risen dough and turn out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a round or oval loaf shape and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover the dough and allow to rise until doubled in size again, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) toward the end of this second rise. Slash the top of the loaf diagonally with a sharp razor blade or serrated knife, carefully brush with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle remaining millet seeds over the top.

Bake in preheated oven until the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the side, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting the bread, allowing the bread to firm up.

Tip

There are a lot of items in this recipe that I didn't have on hand. I was able to find most of the flours and seeds at my regular grocery store in the bulk foods aisle. This really cut down on costs (as opposed to buying a full size of each item).  I estimated quantities and some of the items were only $.25!  I had to visit my local co-op to find the malted barley flour and wheat gluten, both of which were in the refrigerated section, which I thought was cool.  My verdict, I need to expand my pantry to accommodate all of my new findings!

Tip #2: Make sure that you cover the entire top of the loaf with egg white, this is what gives the bread a dark brown crust!

XOXO - Katie

Blueberry Lemon Mini Muffins

These are a fun add to any brunch menu!  The original recipe comes from Sweet Peas Kitchen blog and calls for it as a loaf of bread.  I decided to make it into mini muffins for bite-sized treats and I made some modifications to the original recipe by omitting the lemon syrup and glaze portions to save some pp!  I’m sure it’s delicious with these added in if you are interested in more of a splurge though!

 

Servings:  18 (recipe will make a total of 36 mini muffins)

Size:  2 mini muffins

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  10-12 minutes per batch

Ingredient List:

1 ½ cups and 1 Tbsp. flour, divided

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. lemon zest, grated

½ tsp. vanilla

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups blueberries

Baking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with baking spray.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  In a separate, larger bowl whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and vegetable oil. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl and stir until well mixed.  Wash and pat dry the blueberries with paper towels.  Place in a small bowl and coat with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of flour – this will make sure to keep the blueberries more intact in the mini muffins.  Fold the blueberries into the muffin batter and mix well. Fill the muffin tin with bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tip:

I love mini muffins because they are an easy way to satisfy a craving, but with a much smaller version and for less pp!  However, they are easy to find yourself eating more of given their size.  Make sure you practice portion control!

XOXO Megan

Corn & Jalapeno Mini Muffins

The combination of flavors in each one of these mini muffins really packs a punch!  It’s a delightful combo of sweetness from the honey, a bit of heat from the jalapeños and hearty cornmeal.  These are perfect side to serve with tacos or any Mexican dish.  Try pairing them with the Crockpot Chicken Tacos we featured on the blog last week!

Servings:  16 (recipe will make a total of 32 mini muffins)

Size:  2 mini corn muffins

Points Plus: 2pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  10-12 minutes

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent!

Ingredient List:
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sugar
⅛ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large jalapeños, seeded and diced
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.  Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  In a separate, larger bowl combine the egg, milk, honey and melted butter with a whisk.  Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl and stir until well mixed.  Fold in the jalapeños and cheddar cheese with a spatula.  Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Tip:
Serving these warm are a MUST!  Although you can save time and make these ahead of time, they really are best when they are just out of the oven.  Of course you can pop them back in oven to warm them up just before you are ready to sit down too!

XOXO Megan

Banana Bread Bites

Portion control is REALLY important to being successful!  This recipe is perfect for helping you practice good portion control.  I took a tradtional banana bread and sliced it like usual, but then cut each slice into perfect, bite-sized pieces!  You could serve this for house guests with some fresh fruit for a healthy, low pp breakfast.

Servings:  16 (Assuming 1 regular loaf cut into 8 slices)

Serving Size: 3 banana bites

Points Plus: 3pp

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook/Bake Time: 55-60 minutes

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the baking soda, flour and salt making sure it's well combined.  In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and eggs.  Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, followed by half of the mashed bananas; stirring until well combined after each addition.  Repeat with the remaining flour and banana mixtures.  Gently fold in the walnuts with a spatula.  Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick will come out clean.  Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack.  Cut each slice of banana bread into 6 bite-sized pieces to get the pp value above.

Tip:

This recipe will make one regular sized loaf and 2 mini loaves.  Another good tip for portion control is to freeze half of what you make so you aren't eating the full recipe at one time.  Banana bread freezes really well AND it will save you time next time you have company coming into town!

XOXO Megan

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Everyone needs a signature dish!  What is a signature dish you might ask?  Well it is recipe that you can make quickly and is something you can make well.  And it really becomes your signature dish when people come to know and remember you for this particular recipe!

This delicious breakfast cake might very well be my own signature dish.  It is SO good!  The cake’s consistency is moist, yet light and fluffy all rolled into one.  It’s kind of cross between a muffin and a coffee cake.  I came across this recipe on Pinterest and tried it out for a weekend visit from my family.  Soon after this visit, this recipe quickly became one of our favorites!

Servings:  12

Size:  1/12 of an 8x8 pan

Points Plus: 6pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 35-45 minutes

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Ingredient List:

½ cup unsalted butter

2 tsp. lemon zest

¾ cup sugar (+ 2 Tbsp. to sprinkle on top of cake)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour (reserve ¼ cup to toss the blueberries in)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups blueberries, fresh berries

½ cup buttermilk

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  In a large bowl, mix together the butter, lemon zest and ¾ cup sugar with a mixer until the texture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla and beat until well mixed through.  Wash the blueberries and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.  In a cereal bowl, toss the blueberries in ¼ cup of flour (this helps the blueberries to stay whole and got get smashed and bleed into the rest of the cake).  Whisk together the remaining flour (1 ¾ cups), baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Add half of flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, mix well.  Next add ¼ cup of buttermilk to the batter.  Repeat these steps with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk.  Using a technique of alternating your dry ingredients with buttermilk allows for easier mixing for your cake batter.  Once the batter is mixed well, use a large spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.  You will likely have leftover flour from the ¼ cup you used to toss the berries – you don’t need to add all of it into the batter.  Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.  Spread batter evenly into the pan.  The batter consistency will be quite thick.  Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. of sugar on top of the cake.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  Use a toothpick to check to see if it comes out clean.  Depending on your oven, it may need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Tip:

Use this lemon zester I told you about last week to make zesting the lemon a breeze!

This recipe can EASILY be doubled and made in a 9x13 pan instead of the 8x8!  If you are serving this for a brunch I would recommend going with the doubled version since people will want seconds.

XOXO Megan

Banana Bread Muffins

I was really craving banana bread and was in the mood to make a homemade baked good.  I also had some bananas that were well past their prime.  So I thought why not shake up the traditional banana bread recipe and try to turn it into muffins instead of loaves.  We have a family favorite recipe so I took that and adapted it into muffins.  Another perk, one muffin instead of a slice of bread is a great way to cut some points!

Servings:  16

Size:  1 muffin

Points Plus: 4 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  18-20 minutes, depending on your oven

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup mashed bananas

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a regular muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Cream butter and sugar together, mixed thoroughly.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Sift flour, baking soda and salt, combine in a separate bowl.  Add flour mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs, alternating with bananas.  Fold in nuts (if you prefer).  Scoop the banana bread mixture into muffin tins, filling each about ¾ full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Check with a toothpick to test if they are done!

Tip:

You can easily convert this recipe back into loaves if you prefer slices of banana bread instead of muffins.  Double the recipe above and pour into loaf pans instead of muffin tins.  The doubled recipe will make 3 loaves of banana bread. Bake the loaves for 55-60 minutes.  Adjust the color of your bread/muffins depending on what sugar you used.  I went with white sugar in these muffins, but you could substitute ½ cup of brown sugar to make a darker muffin.

XOXO - Megan