Dad’s low glycemic index reduced carb bread

Today, my dad sent me this recipe (picture included!) . Unfortunately, I am in the middle of a move and don’t have time to try it out. However, my dad said it’s pretty awesome. This recipe can be doubled and turns out great!

Dad's low glycemic index reduced carb bread

List of Ingredients for Dad’s low glycemic index reduced carb bread:

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal,

1/2 cup barley bits,

2 cups boiling water,

1 cup coarse ground whole wheat flour,

1 cup vital wheat gluten,

1/2 cup flax seed meal (or more),

1 to 2 tablespoon honey (some real sugar is necessary for the yeast to eat),

1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil,

1 teaspoon salt,

1 tablespoon yeast.

Dad’s low glycemic index reduced carb bread Preparation:

Put oatmeal and barley bits in a bowl and pour boiling water over; let sit until cool. Put oatmeal barley mixture and all other ingredients in bread machine and run whole wheat cycle.

Notes from Dad:

Barley is one of the lowest glycemic index grains but hard to find.  The barley bits I use are sold as a hot cereal.

The coarser ground the whole wheat flour the lower the glycemic index.  I mail order what I use, but anything labeled graham flour should be somewhat coarser.

 

That may seem like a ridiculous amount of vital wheat gluten but it is much lower carb than other flours.  I buy it in bulk.

If you make bread without a bread machine I would rise this first as a sponge–it is pretty hard to get a good texture.

 

An easier reduced carb bread can be made by using half and half vital wheat gluten and oat bran.

 

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Dill Butter Biscuits

Dill and butter biscuits? Oh-my! I know not everyone is a dill fan, well I am! In reality you could just remove the dill and garlic and make them plain butter biscuits; it’s a delicious base! These biscuits came out soft, light,  fluffy and delicious! I will definitely be making these again!

*** This recipe yeilds 12 biscuits. Batches may vary depending on how thick you make your biscuits and the size of the glass you use to cut the circles.***

Dill Butter Biscuit

List of Ingredients for Dill Butter Biscuits:

• 1-3/4 cup of all-purpose flour; more to sprinkle on top to form dough ball,
• 1 tablespoon of white sugar,
• 2-1/4 teaspoons of baking powder,
• 3/4 teaspoons of salt,
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda,
• 1 tablespoon of dillweed,
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder,
• 8 tablespoons of cold butter (cut into small pieces),
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice,
• Just under 1 cup of milk.

Dill Butter Biscuits Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 2-cup measuring glass, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Pour cold milk on top of lemon juice until it fills to the 1 cup mark on the measuring glass. Set aside for 15-minutes – it will create a buttermilk-like thickness.
3. In a large bowl combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, dill weed, garlic powder and mix until all ingredients are well-blended.
4. Cut cold butter cut into small pieces and add to flour bowl.
5. Blend dough using a pastry cutter until the butter and flour mixture are in small dough pieces.
6. Add milk mixture to flour mixture.
7. Mix until dough ball is created.
8. Remove dough ball from bowl.
9. Sprinkle flour on surface of rolling area and on top of dough ball.
10. Pat dough ball with hand until about 1/2″ thick
11. Create perfect cut-out circle biscuits by using the top of a drinking glass.
12. Place on baking sheet.

Dill Butter Biscuits Preparation:

Bake biscuits for approximately 10-minutes at 350 degrees, or until the bottoms are golden. Serve & enjoy! Let cool and place in air-tight container to ensure they stay soft. 🙂

Golden brown bottom after baking for 10-minutes.

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Mickey’s Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie (egg-free)

I love freshly baked cookies! Sometimes, I want just one cookie…. not a whole BATCH!  Just give me one tasty and warm cookie and I’ll be satisfied! Plus, it sucks making cookie sheet after cookie sheet to satisfy a little craving! I’ve been dying for a recipe that makes a single serve cookie. None to be found!

The trick was coming up with a combination that didn’t use egg. Mainly, because I am cheap and didn’t want to waste an entire egg for 1 cookie! lol I even tried my trusty ol’ apple sauce (vegan egg replacer),but  it puffed up like a cake and had way too much of an apple flavour. #fail

Which brings us to my second attempt below! I am quite happy with the result, it definitely curbed my homemade cookie craving. Plus, I only had 1 small bowl to clean! Brilliant! This recipe makes 1 large cookie or 2 regular sized cookies. I went BIG – go big or go home! 🙂

Mickey's Single Serve GIANT chocolate chip cookie

List of Ingredients for Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of butter,
• 1 tablespoon or granulated sugar,
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar,
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder,
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract,
• 1/2 teaspoon of milk,
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour,
• 2 teaspoons of chocolate chips,
• 1 teaspoon of walnuts.

 Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie Preparation:

1. In a small bowl combine butter, granulated (white) sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and vanilla  extract. Mix well.

 

Cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and vanilla extract.

 

2. Add milk and mix well.

3. Add flour and mix well.

 

Cooking dough after mixing milk and flour - before adding chocolate chips and nuts.

 

4. Add chocolate chips, walnuts and mix well.

 

 

Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease baking sheet.

3. Form cookie batter into ball with hand.

4. Place cooking on greased baking sheet and flatten (press down) with your hand.

 

Cookie dough/batter after being pressed down on a greased baking sheet.

 

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven).

6. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

 

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Mickey’s Homemade Tandoori Onion Rings

I’ve been thinking about trying to make homemade onions ring for a long time. I decided today, at 2 a.m. was the perfect time to do it. LOL Of course I had to add a little South Asian flavour to them! 😉

Here’s my recipe for Tandoori Onion Rings!

Enjoy!

Mickey's Homemade Tandoori Onion Rings

List of Ingredients for Tandoori Onion Rings:

3/4 cup of flour,

2/3 cup of milk

4 onions

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of tandoori masala powder,

1 egg,

1 to 1.5 cups of breadcrumbs,

Vegetable oil to fry.

Tandoori Onion Rings Preparation:

1. In a large bowl create batter by combining flour, milk, salt, tandoori masala powder and egg.

 

Ingredients to make onion ring batter.

 

2.Mix well until there are no lumps.

 

Whisking batter to ensure there are no lumps.

 

3. Cut onions into rings about 1/4 inch thick and set aside.
4. Heat oil in frying pan on medium low.
5. Pour 1 cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate (to roll the battered onion rings) – add more as needed.
6. Dip onion rings in batter with fork and let excess batter drip off.

 

Dipping onion into batter. Letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl before rolling in breadcrumbs.

 

7. Roll battered onion rings in breadcrumbs until they are well covered.

 

 

Rolling onion ring after bring battered into breadcrumb coating.

Tandoori Onion Rings Cooking Instructions:

1. Fry onion rings in heated oil – a single layer at a time (do not overlap).
2. Flip and remove onion rings when both sides are golden brown.
3. Let cool and serve!
4. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Mickey’s Vegan Gingerbread Cake

I wanted a gingerbread man, but in cake form. Who doesn’t? Exactly! Just in time for the holidays!

Hot out of the oven the outside is crunchy and the inside is a soft cake made from molasses, banana, walnuts and coconuts. Delicious! After you store it overnight in a plastic container the outside is tender and moist like the inside!  If you LOVE molasses and warm spices this is the cake for you! Let your taste buds and tummy enjoy a nice gingery spiced treat!

Here’s my Vegan Gingiebread Cake, enjoy!

Mickey's Vegan Gingerbread Cake

List of Ingredients for Mickey’s Vegan Gingerbread Cake:

2.5 cups of flour,

2 teaspoons of baking soda,

1 tablespoon of Jamaican allspice,

1/4 teaspoon of salt,

1/2 cup of  sugar,

1 banana,

1 cup of molasses,

1 cup of water,

1/2 cup of vegetable shortening,

1/2 cup of walnuts,

1/2 cup of shredded coconut.

Mickey’s Vegan Gingerbread Cake Preparation:

1. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, Jamaican allspice, salt and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients.

 

2. In a large glass measuring cup or large glass bowl add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of molasses and vegetable shortening.

 

Water, molasses and vegetable shortening before warming in the mircrowave.

 

3. Microwave water/shortening/molasses mixture  for 3-5 minutes, until the shortening melts.

4. Stir liquid mixture well and let cool to room temperature.

 

Water, molasses and shortening after being warmed. Mix well and let cool to room temperature.

 

5. Cut up/mash banana add to the dry ingredients bowl (flour).

 

Mashed bananas in flour bowl.

 

6. Pour the warm (not hot) water/shortening/molasses mixture into the dry ingredients bowl.

7. Mix well.

8. Add walnuts and shredded coconut.

 

Adding the walnuts.

Adding the shredded coconut.

 

9. Mix well and put aside to prepare baking sheet.

Mickey’s Vegan Gingerbread Cooking Instructions:

I used an 11″x 7″ pan and it was perfect!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line the baking pan with paper or newspaper (I used computer paper) to ensure the bottom of the cake doesn’t burn. This is a trick I learned my mother-in-law!

Lined baking pan.

3. Line parchment paper on top of the newspaper/computer paper. This makes it easy to move and keeps the pan clean! Yay! No mess! Tip! I just re-use the same pieces of paper for all my baking since they are sized for the pan.
4. Pour cake mixture in baking pan, on top of parchment paper.

Cake mix being poured on top of baking pan lined with parchment paper.

5. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Toothpick test: insert toothpick into the center of the cake,  if it comes out clean – it’s done! If it comes out with cake dough, let it bake for a few more minutes. Repeat toothpick test until it comes out clean!

Toothpick test.

6. Lift cake out of pan and place on wire rack to cool.

Cake after being lifted out of pan to cool.

7. Cut and serve!

P.S. Store in air-tight plastic container to keep it moist!

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Vegetable Pineapple Rice

Do you like Pineapple, a lot? Do you like vegetable rice? Combine them!   I looked in my fridge and saw my huge container of left over basmati rice (not ideal for stir-fry) and thought to myself: “What the heck can I do with all this left-over plain rice?” Then I remembered – left over rice is IDEAL for stir-fries! For some reason I always make too much rice… you’ll notice my blog will fill-up with rice recipes (coming soon!). Here’s my recipe for vegetable pineapple rice!

Vegetable Pineapple Rice

List of Ingredients for Vegetable Pineapple Rice:

5 cups of cold left-over rice,

1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce,

1/2 cup of carrots

1/2 cup of broccoli,

1/2 cup of cauliflower,

1 teaspoon of garlic

1 onion,

1/2 cup of pineapple tidbits (half a can), I tried a full-can and it was pineapple overload. I removed about 1/2 cup (equivalent to half a can) and it was fantastic! 😀 Learn from my mistakes!

Olive oil (or any vegetable oil) to fry veggies and rice – amount will vary depending on your preference,

1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil,

4 eggs (scrambled) – optional (omit to make vegan)

1 tablespoon of Pineapple sauce per serving – optional.

Vegetable Pineapple Rice Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large pot or skillet.

2.Wash your vegetables thoroughly.

3. Add carrots, broccoli and cauliflower to large pot/skillet.

Carrots, cauliflower and broccoli mix.

3. Stir frequently to ensure the vegetable mixture is well-cooked on all sides. When tender transfer to large serving dish or Tupperware container.

4.While the veggie medley is cooking in your pot/skillet rinse the 1/2 cup of pineapple and dice onion.

Rinsing the pineapple.

Cutting the onion.

Diced onion.

5. Heat and oil large wok to cook pineapple, onion and garlic.

6. Cook pineapple/onion mixture until the onions are transparent (clear) and the pineapple is tender. When mixture is cooked transfer to serving dish or Tupperware container with veggie medley.

 

Frying the pineapple, garlic and onions.

 

7. Add cold rice, soy sauce and a pinch of sesame oil for taste. Transfer rice to serving dish or Tupperware container with veggie medley and pineapple mix.

8. Return wok to stove top.

 

Pineapple mixture with rice, soy sauce and sesame oil.

 

9. Return wok to stove top.

10. Crack eggs in heated wok and stir frequently to scramble the eggs.

Crack eggs in wok and stir frequently.

11. Once eggs are cooked transfer to rice mixture. 

Mix all ingredients.

12. Mix well.

Vegetable Pineapple Rice Cooking Instructions:

Serve rice dish with a drizzle of pineapple sauce on top, the amount will vary depending on personal preference. Green onions would be a great addition to this recipe, unfortunately I didn’t have any on hand. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Wrap it! How to roll a wrap (tortilla)!

Wraps are FANTASTIC for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner! You can stuff them with anything, cheese, rice, eggs, fish, vegetables, meat, poultry, herbs,  you name it! They are quick, healthy and great for lunches!

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, cheese, onions and red peppers.
• Lunch: Ranch dressing, lettuce, chicken, cheese and tomato.
• Dinner: Hummus, roasted eggplant, cheese, peppers, lettuce and olives.

At work, I had many girls ask if I made my own lunch; it looked ‘store-bought’! LOL I didn’t think it was impressive, but wrap rolling  may look difficult or complicated if you don’t know how to do it. In reality, it’s EASY PEASY!

I decided to make this my first video! I know one person who was happy I made this video, my husband. He ate (stole) all my props (wraps)!

That’s a wrap (O.K., I’ll stop with the puns)!

Thanks for reading/watching!

Mickey

Mickey’s Cinnamon Toast

Here’s a great treat for breakfast, brunch or dessert, cinnamon toast! Have bread that isn’t soft and fresh anymore? Use it for cinnamon toast! You can use fresh bread too, but stale works best! I don’t know about you, but cinnamon toast crunch was one of my favourite cereals as a kid. It’s crunchy just like the cereal!

Today, I decided I was going to make cinnamon toast. After reviewing tons of recipes I decided the best way to make cinnamon toast was to create a cinnamon-sugar butter and then spread it on the bread. All the recipes I read buttered the bread and then sprinkled the sugar and cinnamon on top of the toast… what a mess! Or, they melted the butter and let the bread soak in the melted butter. I don’t know about you, but the thought of letting the bread absorb that much butter kinda freaks me out! I decided to create a butter to ensure you can monitor the amount you wish to spread on your bread. Less mess and easy to store if you have leftovers!

Cinnamon Toast after baking for 25 minutes in the oven.

List of Ingredients for Mickey’s Cinnamon Toast:

• 6 slices of (stale) bread,
• 1/2 cup of butter,
• 1/2 cup of sugar,
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Mickey’s Cinnamon Toast Preparation:

1.Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

 

2.In a medium bowl mix butter, sugar and cinnamon to create the cinnamon butter spread.

 

Mixing the butter, cinnamon and sugar to create the cinnamon butter.

 

2. Butter both sides of bread with cinnamon butter spread.

Buttered bread placed on parchment paper - ready to be baked.

 

Tip! You can cut the crusts off and slice the bread into little triangles if you want it to look more elegant for your guests. It will  also be easier for guests to handle  if they are finger-food sized. 🙂 Do this prior to baking! Also, decrease the cooking time if you want a softer toast (less crunchy).

 

Mickey’s Cinnamon Toast Cooking Instructions:

Place buttered bread on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Eat.

Tip! If you have leftovers place in air tight plastic container to preserve freshness. If you have extra butter left place in fridge for next use!

Now, isn’t this better than throwing out your stale bread? Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Refresh hard cookies with stale bread

This morning, I was talking to my cousin Mandy about stale bread (doesn’t everybody talk about this? LOL) and she passed this great tip/trick along! Enjoy!

Materials required to refresh hard cookies:

• Plastic container / Bag
• Hard Cookies
• Slice of bread (Fresh or stale)

Steps to refresh hard cookies:

1. Place a slice (or two if you have a large contain or bag) of bread into the air tight plastic container or bag.

2. Add hard cookies into the air tight plastic container or bag.

3. Leave sealed for 24-48 hours.

 

Thanks for reading!

Mickey

Apple Whipped Cream – Dairy-Free

Here’s a dairy-free alternative for whipped cream made from fresh apples!  Crazy right? More like crazy delicious! It doesn’t taste like whipped cream, but it’s a beautiful alternative with a lovely mild whipped apple taste.

*** Note, it’s best to make this recipe just before serving as it will darken the longer it’s out (just like how an apple browns after you cut it and leave it out). I am going to try adding a dash of lemon juice next time to see if it stops the discolouration.  🙂

Mickey's apple whipped cream after being beaten for 25-30 minutes.

List of Ingredients for Mickey’s Apple Whipped Cream:

• 1 grated apple,
• 2-3 tablespoons of white sugar (depending on your sweet-tooth),
• 1 egg white or egg white alternative,
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Mickey’s Apple Whipped Cream Preparation:

1. Grate 1 apple,

Grate the apple.

 

2. Add grated apple, sugar, egg white and vanilla in mixing bowl,

Add all ingredients into mixing bowl.

3.Beat mixture for 25-30 minutes on your stand alone mixer.

Thanks for reading!

Mickey