Harvest Sweet Potato Bread

 

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 (9" X 5" loaf)

This bread is just so dang delicious that it could be considered dangerous to have about.  That's all there is to it.  I've made it three times now within a month's time and it turns out perfectly.  I love the texture and the slight sweetness of it.  It's great on its own, but would make a stupendous sandwich bread or toasted, it would go very nicely with a cup of hot tea. The original recipe gave only directions for making this in a bread machine, but since I no longer have one, I had to make do.  So, below, you will find exactly how I made it.  If you wish to make it in a bread machine, I left a link to the original recipe above.  I have contacted King Arthur with questions about making this vegan and I'm awaiting their answer.  When I know, I'll update this post.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten (Optional.  I didn't have any, and as you can see, the bread turned out great.)

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (I can usually get enough for three recipes by boiling and mashing one large sweet potato.) 

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (I've tried both with good results.  I'm thinking hazelnuts would be lovely in this bread.)

1/4 cup milk (I've used unsweetened almond milk and also tried oat milk with good results.)

3/4 cup water

3 Tablespoons honey (I'm thinking if you wish to make this vegan, you could probably use maple syrup instead.)

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato

1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (I've tried golden raisins and then another time, I used dried currants.)

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (I don't know if you can substitute vegan butter, but I'm thinking it would work.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, yeast, and nuts.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, honey, sweet potato, butter, and raisins.  Heat until lukewarm, about  90-110 degrees F.  Pour the lukewarm liquid mixture into the flour mixture.  Stir until all the flour is incorporated and you have a sticky dough.  Turn it out onto a well floured counter/board.  Knead for 5-7 minutes, adding a bit of flour as you go to keep it from sticking.  (You may need a bench scraper to begin.) Spray a bit of oil into a large bowl. (I used coconut oil, but canola or any unflavored oil would be fine.) Place the dough ball into the bowl and turn it so that it is lightly coated with the oil.  Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and then a towel.  Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes (It always takes 90 minutes for me.) It should look well-risen and puffy.  Punch down the dough a bit and then shape it into a loaf shape.  Place it in a greased 9-inch by 5-inch metal loaf pan.  Again, cover with the oiled plastic wrap.  Allow it to rise again for 60 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  When the hour is up and the oven is preheated, place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread is about 190 degrees F.  Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.  Let it cool completely before slicing.  Store, well wrapped for 5 days on the counter or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

**NOTE:  I contacted King Arthur about veganizing this recipe.  It looks like it won't be a problem at all.  Here's the exchange:

Q: I was wondering if maple syrup could replace the honey and vegan butter could replace the butter. I have successfully made this with unsweetened almond milk and again with oat milk. I'd like to be able to "veganize" this bread.

---

A: Hi Alice! Yes, you can absolutely use those substitutions without changing the consistency of the bread. Good luck and happy baking! Geoff@KA

Gingerbread-Tahini Banana Bread

 

Recipe from http://dishingouthealth.com

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes one (9"X5") loaf or 14 servings

Well, I'll be.  This whole-grain banana bread checks off all the boxes for me.  It's moist and tender, with the perfect amount of holiday spices.  The tahini, molasses, and bananas are a great combo.  Serve it up with a hot cup of tea or coffee.  It'll hit the spot for sure.

200 grams very ripe, mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste/butter)

3 Tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon white and/or black sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine banana and the next 6 ingredients (through vanilla) in a large bowl; whisk to combine.

Spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.  

Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture; mix just until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove the bread from the pan; cool completely before slicing.  Drizzle extra tahini over the top, if desired.

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup (Vegetarian with Vegan Option)

Recipe from Well Plated

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 7 (generous 1-cup) servings

When my hubby and I decided to eat a more plant-based diet (no meat or poultry), I knew there would be some recipes I would miss, Turkey Cheeseburger Soup, being one of them.  Then I stumbled upon this meatless recipe and gave it a try.  We loved the soup. It’s satisfyingly creamy and chunky, perfect for a cold day.  This soup recipe will now replace the turkey soup in my soup repertoire.  See the notes below if you wish to make this soup vegan.

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped into ¼ inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup white whole-wheat flour (or all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour)

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth or Homemade Vegetable Broth

1½ cups nonfat milk or whole milk or unsweetened plain almond milk (I used the almond milk option.)

1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup nutritional yeast or finely grated Parmesan

In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts.  Add the onion and cook until it is very brown and soft, about 8 minutes.  (This develops big flavor so be patient.) Increase the heat to medium.  Add the carrots, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix to combine.  Cook until the flour disappears, about 2 minutes.  Slowly stir in the broth.  Add the milk, broccoli and cauliflower.  Bring to a simmer.  Place a lid over the pot, leaving it partially uncovered, and let simmer until the broccoli and cauliflower are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the Dijon mustard.  With an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is thick and creamy but still has some texture to it.  Stir in the cheese and nutritional yeast.  Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy, 2-3 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes:

To store, put into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  To freeze, place soup into an airtight freezer-safe storage container, and freeze for up to 3 months.  Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To make this vegan: Use almond milk and vegan butter.  Omit the cheddar and use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan plus 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice with almond milk.

Nutritional Information: (1 generous cup) 249 calories; 14 g fat (6 g sat. fat); 27 mg cholesterol; 815 mg potassium; 21 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 7 g sugars; 14 g protein; 3822% vitamin A; 120% vitamin C; 257% calcium; 2% iron

Kitchen Sink Whole-Grain Cookies

Recipe from http://lifemadesimplebakes.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 20 (3-inch diameter) cookies

These cookies are just scrumptious.  These were originally called breakfast cookies, but I think of them more of a treat to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or tea. When I first made them, I used the exact measurements for the sugar and maple syrup.  We thought they were plenty sweet and next time, I will use less of each. They would be a great addition to any picnic basket or lunchbox.  Because there are quite a few ingredients, I would suggest making a few batches of the dry ingredients and then storing two batches in jars or bags in the fridge.  Then, when you are ready for a little pick-me-up, just add the “wet” ingredients and bake.

1 cup walnuts

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup steel cut oats (or ¼ cup more old-fashioned rolled oats.)

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup ground flax seed meal

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup almond butter or peanut butter

1/3 cup liquid coconut oil*

¼ cup (or less) coconut sugar* or brown sugar

¼ cup (or less) maple syrup or agave

2 large eggs, room temperature

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup dried raisins or cherries or currants

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or almonds) and/or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and then set aside.  Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until a coarse meal or flor forms; transfer to a large bowl.  Add the oats, whole-wheat flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Whisk to combine.  Add the almond butter, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Using a large spatula, mix until a sticky dough forms.  Fold in the dried fruit, coconut and nuts or chocolate chips.  Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.  Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Lightly press the dough down to flatten a bit (about 3 inches in diameter.) They won’t spread out much at all during baking.  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges become lightly golden brown in color.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Notes:  If using coconut sugar, allow it to dissolve, in the warm coconut oil for 5 minutes before proceeding with the remaining steps.

Nutritional Information:

(I used the CalorieKing app) 1 of 20 cookies = 248 calories/ 3.5 grams fiber; 1 of 24 = 206 calories/4.2 grams fiber