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We are still covered in snow but still had a nice Valentine’s Day. We went to a great Indian Restaurant my hubby has been wanting to take us to, got my traditional roses (organic at that) and organic soy-free chocolate bars. My gift to the family was simple but delicious, a Decadent Chocolate Cake, and boy was it decadent. Having trouble keeping myself from running upstairs to make another one. I guess what’s really stopping me is this nasty cold I’ve been dealing with all week. Not much cooking or baking has taken place this week as a result.

In my search for a whole wheat chocolate bundt cake I discovered, The Whole Grain Gourmet webpage. I made her Decadent Chocolate Cake with just a few modifications. Particularly, the recipe called for far more sugar than I like (I prefer the slightly sweet french type dessert to the “you might as well eat a tablespoon of sugar” American type). I used 1/2 cup of Rapadura sugar rather than 1 1/4 c brown sugar. Healthier sugar and less sugar for a dark chocolate flavor appeal. I also used a different chocolate. I couldn’t find unsweetened soy-free chocolate so we used 3.5 oz. 75% sweetened dark chocolate. We added chocolate syrup/topping as well. In addition, I was thrilled to use this recipe for my first bundt cake in my new Pampered Chef Stoneware Fluted Pan. It made a small bundt and I had to cook it about 10 minutes longer. The whole family loved this cake and couldn’t get enough of it. Don’t let whole wheat fool you. The dark chocolate completely dominated over any “whole grain” flavor and this recipe had a great texture.

The snow and cold weather have continued me down my path of baking. Yesterday I made “Spinach Rice Pot” after finding the recipe handwritten inside an old cookbook I got at the library (although I did some modifications). Today, since we are snowed in, it some how seemed like a good excuse to have breakfast for dinner and I made “Cottage Cheese Apple Pancakes.” Yumm…

Spinach Rice Pot

2 c cooked leftover brown rice
3/4 c grated cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 T chopped fresh oregano (from my garden)
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 lb fresh kale, chopped (any green could be substituted)
4T oat bran
2T olive oil
salt

Combine rice and cheese. Add eggs, oragano, garlic, and salt. Add to kale. Add all to oiled pan. Mix bran and oil then spread on top. Bake at 350o, 35 minutes.

All three of us really enjoyed this (although I did have to pick out most the kale for the little man). The original recipe called for fresh parsley instead of oragano and no garlic as well as spinach instead of kale but I was very happy with my modifications and think it was more flavorful than it would have been.

Cottage Cheese & Apple Pancakes
modified from the Moosewood Cookbook

4 eggs, separated
1 c cottage cheese
1 c grated tart apple
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c minus 1 T almond meal
1T ground flax seed
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
real maple syrup

Beat egg white until foamy and stiff. Add all other ingredients. Mix well. Heat well oiled cast iron skillet. When hot enough to sizzle with added water, add spoon fulls of batter and spread out a little if needed. Cook to firm and brown on each side.

Add maple syrup or preferred topping such as yogurt or sour cream. Also good with no topping at all. Made slightly sweet fluffy pancakes with a little cinnamon zing.

We were blessed with more snow on Saturday. It foiled our plans to go to a Violin Recital, Dog Obedience Class and Tu B’Shevat Seder at a friends this weekend but allowed my son to have a little snow time fun and me some time for baking. First, I made homemade bread. I haven’t made bread in awhile. It came out great but doing it all by hand made me wish I could find a bread machine that doesn’t have an unhealthy teflon coated pan. Yesterday night, I also made pizza with a homemade crust. Then today I made a great vegetable creams soup with lamb chops.

100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
adapted from a bag of The Old Mill Whole Wheat Bread Flour

2 c warm water
1/4 c molasses
1/4 c honey
2 pkgs dry yeast
2 1/2 t salt
1/2 c oil (I used olive oil)
5 1/2 c whole wheat flour

In large bowl mixed water, molasses, honey and yeast. Let stand until top looks foaming (~5 min). Add salt, oil and 2 1/2 c water. Blend for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining flour. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 minutes. Knead in enough flour so dough won’t be sticky. Place in greased bowl and cover with damp cloth. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size. Punch down. Divide and shape into 2 loaves. Put into greased pan. Let sit until doubles in size again. Bake at 350o for 30 minutes or until loaves test done.

Followed the above directions but after dividing into 2 loaves I put the loaves in the fridge. The next morning, I took them out and let them warm and rise for 1 to 2 hours then baked for 30 minutes. Came out great but a little bitter when hot. After cooling all day the bitter and yeasty flavor went away.

I wasn’t too happy with my pizza dough. Back to the drawing board on that.

Now for the soup, I created the recipe myself based on some ideas I got from my dad and what I had available.

Cream of Winter Vegetable Soup with Lamp Chops

1 lb Lamb Chops, thawed
32 fl oz MimiCCreame Cream Substitute
1.5 c goat milk (can use fresh for previously frozen)
1 c turnip, cubed
1 1/2 c potato, cubed
4 carrots
1 lg parsnip
6 baby bella mushrooms
1/2 lg purple onion
2 Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon
5 cloves garlic
Rosemary Infused Olive Oil (for cooking lamb chops)
White Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add chopped veggies, MimiCCreame goat milk and bouillon to large pot. Brown lamb chops in olive oil and a dash of white wine on iron skillet. Saute mushrooms and onions in same skillet, add oil and wine as needed. Add lamb chops, mushrooms and onions to soup. Simmer 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The lamb was tender and flavorful. The soup base was flavorful, a little sweet (from the parsnips I got from my garden) and quite rich. For soup, would add some broth in the future. However, it worked out. We used the left over cream sauce over mulit-grain pasta to make a sort of Pasta Alfredo the next evening for a quick and easy dinner. Yummy. Later this week, I will use the left over veggies as a side.