100% Whole-Wheat Honey Bread

Inspired by a bag of a bag of white whole wheat flour from Farmer Direct Mill near New Cambria, honey from Labertew Apiaries, and a recipe provided by Karen Hanson in the Summer 2022 issue of Kansas Farm Bureau’s Kansas Living magazine, I made this 100% whole wheat loaf of bread.

It had a high volume, a nutty and appealing taste. Like most whole wheat loaves, it was denser and heavier than a loaf of white bread. 

I made the loaf according to the recipe but increased the yeast to 1 (1/4 oz.) package +  added 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten. Since it's a concentrated wheat protein, just a tablespoon or two of vital wheat gluten improves bread’s elasticity and creates a better crumb and chewiness in the final product.

Made a few other changes including  baking the bread until it registered an internal temperature of 190 to 200° F. (on an instant-read thermometer) about 15 to 20 minutes longer than the original recipe indicated. 

By the way — White whole-wheat flour is made from hard white spring or winter wheat which has the exact same nutritional value of whole-wheat flour (made hard red wheat), but because of the variety used, has a milder flavor and paler color.

 

100% Whole-Wheat Honey Bread     Makes 1 standard (0x5-inch) loaf

1 3/4 cups warm water (105 to 115° F)

2 tablespoons honey

1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast (scant 1 tablespoon)

3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour; more as needed as dough is kneaded to prevent sticking

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Mix the warm water, honey and yeast in a stand-mixer bowl; let stand a few minutes until it becomes foamy.
   
2. Add half the whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt to the mixture. Mix with a spatula, wooden spoon or Danish whisk until incorporated. Let sit for one or two minutes.
   
3. Mix with a dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly adding the remaining whole wheat flour, increasing the speed to high. Mix on high until the batter is combine and not sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add additional flour as needed.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan by spraying for lining with parchment that has been sprayed.
6. Lightly flour a work surface; place dough on prepared surface and shape into a loaf. Place in prepared loaf pan.
   
7. Let shaped dough sit in a warm place until it has risen over the top of the pan, about one hour.
   
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F. 
9. Bake in the preheated oven until top of the loaf sound hollow when tapped and internal temperature of the loaf registers between 190 to 200° F., anywhere between 35 to 50 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack for about an hour before slicing. 

Recipe without photos . . .

100% Whole-Wheat Honey Bread     Makes 1 standard (0x5-inch) loaf

1 3/4 cups warm water (105 to 115° F)

2 tablespoons honey

1 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast (scant 1 tablespoon)

3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour; more as needed as dough is kneaded to prevent sticking

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Mix the warm water, honey and yeast in a stand-mixer bowl; let stand a few minutes until it becomes foamy.
2. Add half the whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt to the mixture. Mix with a spatula, wooden spoon or Danish whisk until incorporated. Let sit for one or two minutes.
3. Mix with a dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly adding the remaining whole wheat flour, increasing the speed to high. Mix on high until the batter is combine and not sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add additional flour as needed.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan by spraying for lining with parchment that has been sprayed.
6. Lightly flour a work surface; place dough on prepared surface and shape into a loaf. Place in prepared loaf pan.
7. Let shaped dough sit in a warm place until it has risen over the top of the pan, about one hour.
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F. 
9. Bake in the preheated oven until top of the loaf sound hollow when tapped and internal temperature of the loaf registers between 190 to 200° F., anywhere between 35 to 50 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack for about an hour before slicing. 

Meatball Stroganoff

A tasty comfort food meal that is relatively quick-and-easy when you rely on frozen meatballs.     

         

Meatball Stroganoff   Serves 4 to 6 

2 tablespoons  butter

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 cups sliced button mushrooms 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups beef broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 to 1 cup sour cream depending on preference (I used 1 cup)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

16 to 24 small, cooked meatballs 

For Serving: Cooked egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes

1. Melt the butter in a large low pan/skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft.
2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until most of the lquid cooks off.
   
   
   
3. Sprinkle mixture with flour, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more
   
   
   
4. Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth, bring to a simmer and cook the liquid begins to thicken. Add additional broth as/if needed during the cooking process.
5. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire, Dijon, sour cream and dill; still until evenly blended.
   
   
   
6. Add the meatballs and simmer (do not boil) with lid on for 5 to 7 minutes or until meatball are heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  
   
   
   
7. Serve the meatball stroganoff with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.
   
   
   

Recipe without photos . . . Meatball Stroganoff   Serves 4 to 6 

2 tablespoons  butter

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 cups sliced button mushrooms 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups beef broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 to 1 cup sour cream depending on preference (I used 1 cup)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

16 to 24 small, cooked meatballs 

For Serving: Cooked egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes

1. Melt the butter in a large low pan/skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft.
2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until most of the lquid cooks off.
   
3. Sprinkle mixture with flour, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more
4. Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth, bring to a simmer and cook the liquid begins to thicken. Add additional broth as/if needed during the cooking process.
5. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire, Dijon, sour cream and dill; still until evenly blended.
6. Add the meatballs and simmer (do not boil) with lid on for 5 to 7 minutes or until meatball are heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  
7. Serve the meatball stroganoff with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Oven Baked Breakfast Sausage Links -- no muss, no fuss!

I wanted to cook links to use in Sausage Kolaches and decided to try this method.  No splattering, no standing over the skillet—no muss, no fuss!

Oven Baked Breakfast Sausage Links

Sausage Links

Parchment Paper

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking pan with parchment 
2. Space links on parchment so they are not touching.
3. Place in the middle of the oven and bake about 20 to 30 minutes (dependent on size of sausages), turning them half way through. Internal temperature should reach 165°. 

Anna’s Lots of Lemon Squares — Cake Mix Cookies

Anna Gugler's cake-mix cookies are always a hit with Barry. First it was her Spicy Butterscotch Cookies. Now,  it's her Lots of Lemon Squares that have him begging for more!

Luckily, she willingly shared her recipe, but aware that cake mixes have shrunk in size over the years, she even provided an adjustment:

If a recipe calls for an 18.25-ounce cake mix and all you call finds is a box mix ranging in size from 15.25 – 15.5 ounces, add the following:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

 

By the way, those Lemon Squares were also a big hit at the latest Ladies Literary League meeting as well.

 

 

Anna’s Lots of Lemon Squares — Cake Mix Cookies Yield: 13 x 9-cake pan

Crust

1 (18.25 oz.) lemon cake mx

1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (or almonds)

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

Topping

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

 

Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top, optional

1. Crust — In a large bowl, combine cake mix, hazelnuts and melted butter; mixing until well blended. 
2. Press firmly into prepared pan. 
3. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden browns.
4. Topping — In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and lemon juice until well blended.
5. Add flour, baking powder and zest. Mix well.
6. Pour over hot crust.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until set and light goldens.
8. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. 
9. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. 
10. Cut into squares.

Deviled Eggs . . . kind of like the ones Phyllis used to make

Mom always made the Deviled Eggs for Easter . . . they were basic but the BEST! She never really measured but I know the basic ingredients she used so this is my attempt to replicate her recipe. I served the eggs in her egg dish.

Deviled Eggs . . . kind of like the ones Phyllis used to make

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and half (cooking eggs in the Insta–Pot is amazing. Even newer eggs are easy to peel when cooked this way)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons yellow or Dijon mustard (think Mom used yellow but I opted for Dijon)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

A teaspoon or two of juice from sweet pickles, or an equivalent amount of sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnishes: Paprika (Phyllis’ signature addition) & chopped chives (my addition)

1. Separate yolks from whites.
2. Add yolks tt to the work bowl of a food processor (Mom mashed them with a fork). Arrange the whites on serving plate or in a storage container.
3. Add mayo, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice or relish (start with a teaspoon), and salt. Blend and then taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
   
4. Either spoon (Mom’s method) or pipe (my methods) filling into egg white.
   
5. Garnish with paprika and add some chopped chives if desired.

Recipe without photos . . . Deviled Eggs . . . kind of like the ones Phyllis used to make

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and half (cooking eggs in the Insta–Pot is amazing. Even newer eggs are easy to peel when cooked this way)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons yellow or Dijon mustard (think Mom used yellow but I opted for Dijon)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

A teaspoon or two of juice from sweet pickles, or an equivalent amount of sweet pickle relish

1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnishes: Paprika (Phyllis’ signature addition) & chopped chives (my addition)

1. Separate yolks from whites.
2. Add yolks tt to the work bowl of a food processor (Mom mashed them with a fork). Arrange the whites on serving plate or in a storage container.
3. Add mayo, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice or relish (start with a teaspoon), and salt. Blend and then taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
4. Either spoon (Mom’s method) or pipe (my methods) filling into egg white.
5. Garnish with paprika and add some chopped chives if desired.

Kamila Dandue's Dalgona Coffee . . . a real treat!

When I interviewed Kamila Dandue for her gardening/cooking story that appeared in the Taste section of the latest KANSAS! Magazine (2022, Vol. 78, Issue 3), she made me an iced Dalgona Coffee, the whipped coffee treat that trended on the internet during the pandemic.

About DALGONA COFFEE — Reportedly named after a similarly sugary and foamy South Korean candy, the ingredients are mixed together to create a whole new foamy, silky, cloud-like substance. Speculation is that during the COVID-19 induced isolation, it was a way to get a coffee that looked cafe-style but could be made at home with instant coffee and basic household ingredients.

Typical of her style, Kamila serves Iced Dalgona Coffee in a beautiful glass — a real treat!
 

Here’s how she does it, complete with her own professional-grade photos . . .

 

Dalgona Coffee

2 tablespoons hot water

2 tablespoons sweetener, your choice (Kamila used brown sugar)

2 tablespoons instant coffee

----- 

Milk (almond or regular)

1. Mix all ingredients together and whip, whip, whip with an electric mixer until mixture is thick; it should lighten in color and be the consistency of whipped cream that has been beaten enough so that it forms peaks. Kamila uses a hand-held mixer for whipping the mixture.
   
   
   
   
2. Add to a glass of cold (or warm) milk (Kamila uses Almond milk but regular works well, too.). 

In the article cited above, Kamila provides gardening tips that have turned her backyard space into an oasis, full of both everyday and exotic vegetables and flowers. She also provides recipes for a spicy version of Spicy Basil Pesto and Roasted Eggplant in Spicy Yogurt. 

Kamila's recipe without photos . . . Dalgona Coffee

2 tablespoons hot water

2 tablespoons sweetener, your choice (Kamila used brown sugar)

2 tablespoons instant coffee 

---

Milk (almond or regular)

1. Mix all ingredients together and whip, whip, whip with an electric mixer until mixture is thick; it should lighten in color and be the consistency of whipped cream that has been beaten enough so that it forms peaks. Kamila uses a hand-held mixer for whipping the mixture.
2. Add to a glass of cold (or warm) milk (Kamila uses Almond milk but regular works well, too.). 

Kamila Dandue's Roasted Eggplant in Spicy Yogurt as featured in KANSAS! Magazine, Spring 2022

Here’s the other recipe that Kamila Dandue had featured in the Taste section of the latest KANSAS! Magazine (2022, Vol. 78, Issue 3). An amazing gardener, cook and photographer (the photos in the post were taken by her), she turns her backyard space into an oasis, full of both everyday and exotic vegetables and flowers. And, then turns the vegetables into amazing dishes such as this one, and her recently posted recipe for Spicy Basil Pesto. 

Kamila occasionally make Eggplant Parmesan and dips, seasoning them with a spice blend prefers. In addition to roasting the eggplant, she often grills it and says this particular recipe can be adapted to the grill, too. 

Roasted Eggplant in Spicy Yogurt 

Yield: About 4 side servings 

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant

3 to 4 long eggplants or 1 large, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Olive oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

 

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup buttermilk or water

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each: chili powder, paprika, cumin powder & coriander powder

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped, if available

 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

2.     Place foil or parchment paper on baking sheet for easy clean up.

3.     Place eggplant slices on baking sheet, spray or brush with olive oil.

4.     Mix all eggplant spices together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over eggplant slices; turn and repeat. 

5.     Bake/roast about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

6.     Yogurt Sauce: Mix all sauce ingredient together in a bowl. Spread some yogurt sauce on serving plate/platter. Place eggplant slices on top of yogurt sauce and drizzle with additional sauce. Sprinkle with coriander leaves.

 

Typically Kamilla’s garden includes more than a half dozen varieties of eggplant and a mix of other exotic and usual vegetables. She makes the occasional Eggplant Parmesan