Soft Wheat Sandwich Bread

When I was a teenager, my parents purchased a bread machine. The excitement was too much to bear, obviously. Fresh, homemade bread?! Yes please! Unfortunately for me, and the bread maker...I think it was only used a handful of times. I can't say how much my family liked the bread that the machine put out....but I did not like it. I tried hard to like it but the bread was heavy and dense with a super thick, hard crust. And not in a good way. After a few days it would turn rock hard, it was oddly shaped in a strange rectangle block of awfulness, it tasted strange, off-putting and almost mechanical. Sometimes we even used those little bread packets, which is, let's admit...pretty horrendous. I could go on... Anyways, long after the bread machine was banished to the top shelf on the pantry, you know, the one you need a chair to reach, my dad started making this artisan, rustic, no-knead bread from Cook's Illustrated. Made from scratch, and baked with love and tender care. This bread was it. My dad's bread was coveted and gobbled up instantly upon exiting the oven. He had all the bread accessories, like a cleaver and this weird-snowboard-half pipe-looking-pan, an actual bread knife where the blade was spaced from the wood just the perfect "bread-slice" amount. We actually had two, one for thin slices and one for thick. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about you can look here.

I always wished I could make bread like that. It's weird that I don't really recall ever seeing him actually make it. Maybe because it doesn't need any kneading or maybe he made it early in the morning before I was up? He's a teacher so maybe he made it after school, when I wasn't yet home from my school activities? I don't really know. I'll have to ask him. It's not really important but anyways, it always seemed complicated to me and so, being a lazy turd of a teenager...I never learned to make it. 

I decided, last night, that it was finally time to make bread. Sandwich bread! I was never a bread eater and I guess I'm still not. However, somehow I do manage to eat about three slices of toast per day. Per day! Not because of the bread though, let's make that clear. It's sole purpose is to serve as a vehicle for my crack-like addiction to nutritional yeast. Seriously, do they lace that stuff? A friend introduced me to nutritional yeast on toast and now it's pretty much all I eat. And Todd...oh lord is he ever a bread eater. He'd live off buttered bread alone if I wasn't constantly stuffing his face with my vegan recipes. I'm not kidding. 

This bread is quite simple really, and pretty much foolproof. It's absolutely worth the time to make it. Most of it is hands off anyways while it rises, and there's no kneading by hand. I made it after work but I think it'd be a fun thing to do leisurely on a nice weekend. Especially if you have little munchkins to help! Inside, this wheat bread is soft and buttery and outside it lends a thin and crisp crust. Slices like a dream too, as a good sandwich bread should!

Soft Wheat Sandwich Bread

Slightly adapted from Thriving Home

Makes 2 large loaves

• 3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. quick-rising yeast
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 7 cups unbleached whole wheat white flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• slathering of vegan butter
• --Note-- This makes two large loaves, so be sure to have two bread pans handy, or cut the recipe in half. 

In a large electric stand mixer bowl, add the water, yeast, and brown sugar. Stir gently until well combined and the yeast clumps are gone. Set in a warm place for about 10 minutes. After the time is up, the mixture should be foamy on top. If it isn't, allow it to rest a little longer. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, flax seed and salt. 

Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture, but do not mix.

Slowly stir the dry mixture into the yeast mixture, until just combined.

Then with the dough hook attachment, mix on low (2 or 4) for about 15 minutes or until a ball forms. Be sure to stop it every three minutes to stir and scrape. If it's still a bit sticky, add in small amounts of flour in steps until it's no longer sticky. 

Coat the now empty dry mixture bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in it to rise. Cover loosely with a clean dishcloth and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Once it's done rising, punch it down and then form a ball. On a lightly floured surface, cleave into two even dough balls and roll out each into a rectangle, with the width being the same as the height of your bread pan. Then, gently roll up each into a log.

Coat each bread pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Place a dough log in each, with the seam down. Spray the tops with cooking spray and cover loosely with a clean dish towel. Place in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until it's doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 F when there's 5-10 minutes left for rising.

Ensure that the bread has risen to the shape that you want for the bread, as it won't rise too much in the oven after it's already risen in it's dough log form. 

Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and place on a cooling rack. Run vegan butter over the top of the loaf for a nice sheen.

Slice up and serve warm!

Store in cling wrap or a ziplock baggie in the fridge, or wrap and freeze for later.

Listening to Ellie Goulding – My Blood

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Vegetable Quiche + Herbed Crust

On our very first date ever, Todd brought over a cheese and bacon quiche and a bottle of wine. I still tell him that was the moment that he tricked me into thinking he cooks! You see, he later much later professed that his uncle (who is possibly more devious than Todd) helped him make said quiche. It was supposed to impress me...and it did.  A quiche! Oooo la la. I don't even know if I had ever made a quiche at that point! I've never been real big on eggs, so that's probably a just explanation. Well, our very first date was on November 23 only four short years ago and so we decided it would be kind of fun to make a quiche to celebrate. However, being vegan that really didn't seem very appropriate. However, would you be surprised to know that one doesn't have to use eggs to make a quiche?! That's right! Eggs don't make the rules and they certainly aren't needed to make a great quiche. You're not the boss of me, eggs! I'll make a quiche if I want to!

Quiche always seems a little intimidating, doesn't it? Well, you'll feel silly for thinking that after you bust out this awesome quiche like a pro. 

Sauteed vegetables nestled in a smooth tofu filling and baked in a herbed, flaxseed-studded wheat crust. This quiche is creamy, healthy and a bit fancy pants. Oh yes! It's also shockingly fast and incredibly easy.

Surprise baby shower!? Impromptu ladies night?! No problem! You've got it handled with this awesome and downright snobby dish. They'll think you slaved over it for hours. 

Vegetable Quiche + Herbed Crust

Inspired by Veggieful

Serves 6

• --Crust--
• 2 cups whole-wheat white flour
• 2 Tbsp. whole flax seeds 
• 2 tsp. Italian herbs
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• --Veggies--
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 oz. small button mushrooms, chopped
• 4 sun dried tomatoes (dry packed), thinly sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 large handful of fresh spinach
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• --Tofu--
• 1 14 oz. block of extra firm tofu, drained
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup plain unsweetened soymilk
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a tart pan with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, add the dry ingredients for the crust and whisk to combine. Then, drizzle in the water and oil while stirring (don't use the whisk for this bit). Stir until just combined.

Form a ball with the dough and place on a solid surface. Knead about 6-8 times, then roll out with a rolling pin to a circle larger than your tart pan.

Press the dough into the tart pan, ensuring that the edges make it all the way up to the top edge of the pan. Poke with a fork several times and allow to bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave the oven on. 

Heat the olive oil for the vegetables in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add in the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes. Now, add in the remaining ingredients for the vegetables and saute for another 5 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted then remove from heat. 

In a food processor, add in all the tofu ingredients and processor for about 3 minutes, or until silky smooth. Then, add the tofu mixture into the vegetable mixture and stir well to combine. 

Add the tofu/vegetable mixture into the pre-cooked crust and smooth over with a spatula.

Bake at 350 F for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the quiche is set. Place on a cooling rack and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Cut into slices and serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Whatever pleases you most! 

Listening to Haim – The Wire

[yumprint-recipe id='44']

Miso Kale & Black Bean Burritos

So, there was a kale and black bean burrito that I really liked to make a lot...before I was vegan. It had feta. Sad face. I've been missing this burrito and was really craving it the other day. So I set out to make it...with no mo' feta tho'. Who needs feta? I replicated that same bright and briny feta-y kick with miso instead! This burrito is so fantastic. Warm, garlicky mashed black beans and seasoned miso kale compliment each other perfectly. Avocado lends a rich and creamy bite while red onions offer a little crunch. 

If you haven't tried a kale and black bean burrito yet, it's time to get your butt in gear and see what you've been missing! 

Miso Kale & Black Bean Burritos 

Inspired by Cookie + Kate

Serves 4

• 1 large bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. miso paste (I like red)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• sprinkle of ground black pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 15 oz. cans of  black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced

In a large bowl, mix together the chopped kale and cilantro. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil through and including lime juice making sure the miso paste gets well incorporated. Now, drizzle the sauce over the kale mixture and toss to evenly coat . 

In a medium bowl, add the black beans. Mash them with a fork, or use the best kitchen tools you have, your hands (washed first, please)! Then, stir in the garlic and water. Microwave for about 1-2 minutes, or until warm.

Dice up the avocado and red onion and set aside.

Coat a large frying pan with a  nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-low. Add one tortilla and press it into the pan. Then, add a scoop of beans and smooth it out somewhat into a rectangle in the middle of the burrito. Allow to heat for about 1 minute ensuring  the tortilla doesn't burn. 

Remove from heat when the tortilla is just barely crispy and very slightly golden brown. You don't want it too crispy or it will crack when rolled.

Place the tortilla on a table or large plate. Add a heap of the kale mixture and top with the avocado and onion.

Now, carefully roll the burrito. Fold in the left and right sides first, then tuck the side closest to you over the mixture, to the other side. Roll the burrito away from you to complete the roll. 

Repeat with remaining ingredients. 

Feel free to serve with sour cream or even guacamole! 

In truth I was listening to mostly more classical Christmas music (don't hate me!) but now it's Jaymay – Blue Skies

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