The Good Loaf

lots of good stuff in this loaf

I have been baking our daily bread for almost a year now to avoid high-fructose processed sugar and other hard-to-pronounce additives. It is also a good way to have additional servings of healthy stuff like flax seed meal, wheat germ, and wholegrain oats to our diet. I also use raw sugar and grapeseed oil whenever they are needed. Flax seeds contain the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and according to the package can replace shortening or eggs in most recipes, the only downside is it can't be used in white loaves because the dough will become dark or will have dark specks. Since I usually bake whole wheat bread anyway I welcome the darker color of the loaf. The addition of oats makes the toasted slices very very crunchy. I love it for breakfast with just fruit preserves like apricot jam or Turkish figs while sipping a ginormous mug of coffee or milky tea. I will add quinoa flakes and chopped walnuts into my next loaves but for now my favorite is old fashioned oats. I tried to calculate the approximate nutrition value to determine the total carbs, fats, glycemic index, protein, etc so that I can post the Nutrition Table but I still have to figure out how to do it.

Whole Wheat Loaf
makes two 8 x 4 loaves

2 cups fine-ground whole wheat flour
1½ cups stone-ground graham flour
2 cups bread flour
¼ cup flax seed meal
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 packet instant yeast
2 tablespoons fine raw sugar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ cup non-fat milk powder
2 cups water, at room temperature
1 whole egg, at room temperature
water and extra oats for topping

• In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the whole wheat, graham flour, yeast, sugar, milk powder, and salt. Slowly add water while mixing at low speed, mix for 1 minute. Add egg, oats, wheat germ, and the bread flour ½ cup at a time. The dough will be a bit sticky. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Remove paddle attachment and replace with dough hook. Knead at low speed for 5 minutes. Transfer into a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with a plastic film. Leave to rise on the kitchen counter for 1 hour.
• Punch down to release gas and divide dough into two. Shape and place in the loaf pans. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise on the kitchen counter for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of loaves with water. Sprinkle oats on top of loaves, pressing them lightly. Bake for 40 minutes or until tops are golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Remove loaves immediately from pans and transfer on a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.

the buns look like potatoes:-)

I made the other half of the dough into a dozen buns. They are so good filled with cheese pimiento or kesong puti (farmer's white cheese).

it's very crunchy when toasted, good with homemade apricot preserves
and your favorite cup of tea or coffee

Sangria

fruity sangria, better than soda

Congrats to Spain's Rafael Nadal for winning this year's Wimbledon. It seems it's Spain's turn to shine in sports. Just a week ago they won the football (soccer) Euro Cup. Actually I do not keep track or watch any sports event nor care much for Spain either. I saw it on the front page of the newspaper this morning which prompted me to write about the Spanish drink Sangria I made Thursday last week after hearing from local newscasts that the Sangria ban has been lifted here in my State...er...Commonwealth of Virginia. Apparently there was a very old law making it illegal to sell in public, which means bars and restaurants, wine mixed with liquor or liqueur. Some Spanish restaurants started serving lots of fruity sangria to celebrate the event and the patrons seemed very happy. This makes it a triple win for Spain.:D

I prepared the traditional Spanish sangria with really cheap red wine, lemonade, orange juice, brandy, chopped apples, peaches, white nectarines, and grapes. This fruity drink is very refreshing specially during summer and pairs perfectly with a steak lunch or dinner. When all the drink is gone you can munch on the fruits, very nice. You can make a kid-friendly version by replacing the wine with fresh red grape juice and red ginger ale for the brandy which is an excellent way to make them eat fruits and drink fruit juices instead of soda.

Sangria
750 ml red wine
750 ml homemade lemonade
8 oz orange juice
8 oz brandy
¼ cup sugar, or to taste
1 each Fuji apple, nectarine, and peach, skin-on and chopped
To serve: grapes, thinly sliced oranges, ice cubes

• Mix the wine, lemonade, orange juice, brandy, and sugar until sugar has completely dissolved. Mix in the chopped fruits. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
• Transfer the chilled wine mixture into a pitcher or punch bowl. Add 1 to 2 cups ice cubes. Put a few ice cubes in a glass, pour or ladle sangria with some of the fruits, add grapes, and a slice of orange.

This my entry to this week's La.Pi.S

And, some facts unrelated to sangria:
In addition to Virginia, there are 3 other states that call themselves a Commonwealth instead of State: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
The Philippines which used to be a US territory was also a Commonwealth (in 1935) before it gained its independence in 1946.

Bam-i

No I am not channeling Emeril Lagasse. Bam-i is a stir-fry of two noodles, a specialty of the Visayan island of Cebu in the Philippines. This Chinese-influenced noodle dish has mung bean vermicelli and fresh egg noodles sauteed with shrimps, boiled pork, vegetables, Chinese sausages, and wood ear mushrooms. The Chinese sausages impart a distinct Chinese-Filipino taste and a hint of sweetness to this very delicious noodle dish.

I didn't have the Filipino mung bean noodles nor wood ear mushrooms. I used the Korean glass vermicelli which are fatter but have the same consistency as the mung bean noodles. For the mushrooms I used dried wild mushrooms which is what I have at hand. I'm not sure if the mushrooms would have made a difference, crunch perhaps, I don't know. All I can say after downing a plateful is BAM(!)-I!

Bam-i
recipe adapted from Flavors of the Philippines by Glenda Rosales-Barretto

100 grams fresh shrimps in shells
1 tablespoon light olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons annatto oil (heat 1 T annatto seeds in 3 T olive oil)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 medium onion, sliced
100 grams sliced boiled pork
2 Chinese sausages, sliced diagonally
5 wood ear mushrooms, soaked and cut into strips
50 grams carrots, sliced
200 grams mung bean vermicelli (sotanghon)
100 grams cabbage, sliced
500 grams fresh egg noodles
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
for garnish: 2 hard-boiled eggs, csnipped scallions, crispy fried garlic slices
to serve: calamansi or lime or lemon juice

• Shell and devein the shrimps and fry the heads in the oil in a saucepan. Add stock and boil for 5 minutes, then process in a blender and strain.
• Heat the annatto oil in a lark wok and saute the garlic and onion, then add, one at a time, the shrimps, pork, sausages, mushrooms, carrots, mung bean noodles, and cabbage. Mix well, then add the strained broth and 1 tsp salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Cook for 5 minutes, then add the egg noodles, toss and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer into a serving platter and garnish with eggs, scallions, and crispy garlic.

Mangoes In Syrup And Calamansi Cream

mangoes and calamansi, sweet and tart and yummy

1-inch calamansi, uniquely Filipino

I am taking advantage of this year's unusual long mango season. In the past years (at least in the Washington, D.C. area) the Philippine-like variety of mangoes grown in Mexico were only available for a month just before the start of summer. This year they have been in stores for 2 months now and they're getting cheaper too. Although we prefer eating mangoes fresh without any added stuff, sauces, or flavoring, I once made them into a pie. The pie was just okay, nothing to rave about.

Last week I bought so much mangoes and they all ripened at the same time. I also have calamansi fruits *woohoo!* from my tree and combined the two to try if they will make a good fruit dessert without the extra carbs from a pie crust. Well, I love it! This is a very refreshing mango dessert and the subtle citrus flavor from the calamansi juice and rind is wonderful. Calamansi fruits are not available everywhere in the US, lime or key lime is an excellent substitute. The following recipe for each whole mango is just a guide, feel free to adjust the sugar to suit your taste. I also recommend using mango juice from the Philippines because it tastes better than the ones from the Latin countries which I find flowery. Use whatever mango juice is available in your area or your preference.

Mangoes In Syrup And Lime Cream
mango cheeks, peeled and cut into 3 or 4 pieces
¼ cup mango juice (not puree)
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
1 teaspoon calamansi or lime juice
2 tablespoons slightly sweetened whipped cream
1 teaspoon calamansi or lime juice
zest of half a calamansi or a few grates of lime zest

• In a small skillet, heat the mango juice, sugar, and calamansi juice until sugar is dissolved. Add the mango slices and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. Spoon mangoes and the syrup into a dessert dish.
• Mix cream and calamansi juice. Spoon on top of the mangoes. Using a microplane zester, grate the calamansi rind over the cream. Serve while still warm.