WEEK 23: More Healthy Grains

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This was another week for batch preparations and freezer storage. I focused mainly on healthy grains since I've been craving them myself and need some things in the freezer.

FOOD DESCRIPTION
Meals have continued as normal with more use of utensils and training to leave plates bottom-down on the table. I prepared blueberry muffins, pancakes, and banana bread for freezer storage. We've enjoyed the banana bread for sure and the boys love them all. I endeavored to so soak grains for all three with general success. This definitely makes much more dense breads than I'm used to baking and I need to keep trying and get more experience to get it all just right, but everything was tasty and edible.

PROCESS

• Banana Bread A very dense, tasty bread from soaked grains.

• 3 cups whole wheat flour (or use spelt or kamut)
• 2 cups whole, plain yogurt (or use buttermilk or kefir)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

1. Mix the flour and yogurt together in a large bowl and cover in a warm place to soak overnight 12-24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°
3. Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour and mix well.
4. Put in well-buttered 9x4 loaf pan.
5. Bake for 1-1.5 hours or until toothpick comes out clean from center. 

• Blueberry Muffins Healthy muffins from soaked grains. Recipe makes about 18 muffins.

• 3 cups spelt flour (or use whole wheat or kamut)
• 2 cups yogurt for soaking (or use buttermilk of kefir)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-1/2 cup rapadura or sucant
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS melted butter or coconut oil 
• 2 cups blueberries

1. Mix the flour and yogurt together in a large bowl and cover in a warm place to soak overnight 12-24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 325°
3. Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour and mix well.
4. Pour into well-buttered muffin pans, filling cups about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

[Ingredients for banana bread and muffins. Bowls in the back with grains soaked overnight.]

• Pancakes Dense, chewy, healthy pancakes from soaked grains.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or use spelt or kamut)
• 2 cups kefir for soaking (or use buttermilk of yogurt)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 TBS melted butter 
• 1 cup water

1. Mix the flour and kefir together in a large bowl and cover in a warm place to soak overnight 12-24 hours.
2. Heat skillet or griddle to medium heat.
3. Add remaining ingredients to soaked flour and mix well. Adjust water amount as needed to desired consistency
4. Pour to desired size on griddle. I used a 1/4 cup for each pancake and was able to cook 4 at a time.
5. Watch for bubbles to form and flip. Don't mash or flip more times.
6. Remove to cooling racks.
7. Serve with butter and maple syrup. You could do fruit butters, nut butters, raw honey or berry syrups as well. Consider fresh fruit as a topping or get fancy and mix in some nuts or berries into the mix. Or, consider adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg in the fall and winter.

 [This recipe made 20 pancakes. Try another pancake recipe here.]

WHAT I LEARNED
Soaking grains makes much more dense breads that take longer to cook than expected. I'm also going to fly through some ingredients learning to make all of these tasty concoctions and will need to find a place to buy some things in bulk. You can mix up your whole grains and your soaking agent on any of these recipes. You can also do various combinations. Mix and match and learn what you like best.

REACTION
The muffins were a little bland and I plan to try a new recipe with rapadura soon. The boys love the pancakes and they were so easy to make. Jonathan and I both enjoyed the banana bread, but it was a little undercooked.

SUMMARY
This was a first step on a new journey of making homemade soaked breads.
Please share your thoughts or ideas.
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