Multigrain Seeded Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 cup water

2 tablespoons molasses (I used honey)

1 egg white

1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1) in a large bowl, combine the whole wheat, flour, all purpose flour, yeast, and salt. In another bowl, mix the seeds with the oats.

2) In a saucepan, combined the water and molasses and warm the mixture over low heat until a thermometer reads 120 to 130°F.

3) Add the liquid to the flower mixture with the egg white. Mixed together until a soft dough forms.

4) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes; then shape into a ball. Lightly oiled a large stainless steel bowl. Add the dough and turn to cover the dough with the oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for two hours until doubled in size.

5) When the dough has risen, punch the dough down with your fist and add all but 2 tablespoons of the seed mixture working it into the dough. Reserve the 2 tablespoons of seed mixture for the topping. Shape the dough into a loaf by rolling it into a 12 x 8“ rectangle and then roll up by its shortest end pinch the end together and tuck underneath. Place in a nonstick 9 x 5“ loaf pan with the seam underneath. Cover the loaf pan with a tea towel and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in bulk. 

6) preheat the oven to 350°F. The top of the loaf with milk and sprinkle on the reserved seed mixture. Bake the bread for 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely. 

Mongolian Pork

Ingredients

1 lb Pork tenderloin

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 Tbsp canola oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup water

2 green onions, green parts only, sliced into 2 inch pieces (optional)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish

1) Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch pieces.

2) Add the cornstarch to a large Ziploc bag; Add the pork pieces to the bag and seal it, making sure to remove the excess air.

3) Shake the bag to cut the pork in the cornstarch.

4) Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork pieces, shaking off excess cornstarch, and transfer to a plate.

5) Add the canola oil to a large skillet over medium – high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the pork pieces in an even layer being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You can cook the pork and batches if you need to.

6) Cook the pork for 4–5 minutes then flip the pork and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140° F.

7) Transfer the poor to a clean plate and set aside.

8) In the same skillet, add the garlic and grated ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

9) Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and water and stir to combine.

10) Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the pork and sliced green onions to the skillet.

11) Cook for 3 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks.

12) Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish. 

Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half

1 tablespoon canola oil (I used Dijon mustard liberally)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp paprika (I put more)

1/8 tsp black pepper (I put more)

Cream Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper (measure with your heart)

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 425°F.

2) Place sliced chicken breasts on a cutting board and use flat side of meat mallet to flatten the thick side so that it is roughly the same thickness.

3) Place Chicken in a 9x13” baking dish. You don’t want them smushed together or they will take longer to cook.

4) Combine the salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and pepper. Drizzle chicken with oil and rub with seasoning (I used Dijon instead of oil). You can just do the top part since the bottom will be sitting in sauce. The first time I did both sides and had to combine more of the spice mixture to finish.

5) To make the cream sauce, whisk together cream, garlic, corn starch, salt & pepper until combined. Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and pour around the chicken in the baking dish (it shouldn’t cover the chicken completely, but it won’t hurt anything if it does).

6) Bake at 425°F for 16-20 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached in the thickest part of the chicken (the exact time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).

7) Remove pan from the oven and stir spinach into sauce. The sauce may separate as it cooks (it is not curdled!) — just give it a stir and it will come together. Cover pan and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes while the spinach wilts.

8) Uncover and serve.

Makes 4 servings.