One Frugal Foodie

Taste & Create: Indian Potato-Stuffed Flatbreads

Posted by alisa on July 20, 2009 | 12 Comments

This month on Taste & Create I was paired up with Divya Vikram of the blog Dil Se. Though her baked bread recipes seriously tempted me, I thought I might be missing the whole experience if I didn’t trial an Indian recipe from her blog. I decided on the Aloo Paratha recipe, or personal-sized, Indian potato-stuffed flatbreads. Yes, it was still technically bread, but no oven required, bonus!

Though my ratios need to be perfected, this multi-step recipe was surprisingly simple, and it really flowed.  I kneaded the no-yeast bread within a few minutes, set it aside to rest, made the potatoes (while the potatoes were boiling I put the soup on – see next paragraph), rolled the dough out, plopped in the potato, bundled them up, flattened, pan-fried, and viola! A nice, flavorful, whole-grain, and dare I say, adventurous vegetarian meal.

Okay, so mine aren’t quite perfection … yet. But that doesn’t take away from the taste. Though this flatbread making does take practice, you should have some tasty and doable results on the first try.

Divya says that this is an authentic North Indian breakfast, but we decided to have them for lunch, alongside the creamy Lightly Curried Cruciferous Soup from my book, Go Dairy Free. It seemed fitting since both recipes used garam masala, so I could just make one little batch of the quick garam masala spice mix from my book, and I was good to go!  You can use a homemade version such as the one I used, or store-bought if you wish.  

As she mentions, these flatbreads are definitely best hot, but I did read on another site that they freeze well and can be reheated later.  They are certainly unique and full of good flavor. Enjoy!

Indian Potato-Stuffed Flatbreads (Aloo Paratha)
Recipe adapted from Dil Se ..

This recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, and relatively Low in Fat

• 1 Cup Warm Water, plus additional as needed
• 1 Tablespoon Oil (I used grapeseed), plus a little extra (or a little bit of dairy-free margarine) for pan-frying
• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour, plus additional as needed (use white-wheat or half wheat / half white for a lighter bread, if desired)
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt, divided, or to taste
• 1 1/4 lbs Potatoes (about 3 medium), cut into 1/2-inch chunks (your choice – I used baby russets, but white, red, or yukon gold will work – no need to peel in my opinion)
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala

Place the warm water and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl. Add in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and combine, kneading to bring the dough together into a ball. It should be just a little sticky but fairly firm; add more water or flour as needed. Lightly cover the bowl, and set the dough aside while you prepare the potatoes.

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain well and mash them with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and garam masala. Taste test, and season to taste with additional salt and/or pepper as desired (Divya adds a little cilantro, but we are an anti-cilantro household).

Divide the dough into twelve equal portions, and one at a time, roll the dough out into a circle that is about 6 to 7 inches in diameter (use additional flour as needed to prevent sticking). Place a potato ball in the center, and bring up the dough to enclose the potato mixture, pinching the seams at the top to seel (almost like a “purse”). If the potato balls are too large, just take a bit out so that it fits – you may end up with some leftover potato mixture. Turn the ball seam-side down, and gently roll it out (some potato mixture may appear or escape, nothing tragic), until it is fairly thin – maybe 1/4-inch high. Repeat with remaining dough and potato mixture.

Heat a little oil (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) or dairy-free margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add a couple of the flatbreads and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it just begins to brown. Flip and cook for another minute or so. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining flatbreads, adding more oil to the pan if needed. Consume while hot!

Yields about 12 hearty flatbreads

From Tender Squash Rolls to Perfect Potato Bread

Posted by alisa on May 17, 2009 | 9 Comments

Sarena of the Non-Dairy Queen is one of my favorite dairy-free divas. So I was completely honored when she used one of my recipes to create her family’s favorite new everyday bread. My original recipe is called Tender Squash Dinner Rolls, and it can be found in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. I love serving these buttery soft and lightly sweet rolls (just like they are from the bakery!) at family get togethers; they literally disappear …

For more of a savory product, Sarena replaced the squash with potato, and reduced the fat and sweetener a bit to create this delicious dairy-free and vegan Potato Roll Recipe that her family enjoyed with veggie burgers …

Unable to stop there, she tweaked it just a bit more, and made a Potato Bread Recipe that was equally successful. I will definitely be trialing these recipes out, and I hope that you get the chance to enjoy them too. Thanks Sarena!

The Guilt-Free Banana Bread Recipe You Have All Been Waiting For …

Posted by alisa on May 11, 2009 | 26 Comments

Okay, maybe not ALL of  you, but ever since I posted about the Breakfast-Worthy Banana Bread from my book, Go Dairy Free, I have been flooded with requests for the recipe. It is in the book (along with tons of dairy-free living info and many other awesome recipes, if I do say so myself), which can be ordered on Amazon for an insanely good price … but enough with the sales pitches … I am more than happy to share that recipe with you here!

But first, a little background on the recipe …

An important part of going dairy-free for me was turning to home-baked bread. At the time, every last loaf at my local grocer contained milk in some form (milk powder, cheese, whey, caseinate, etc.). Even when a couple specialty vegan/dairy-free brands appeared, they were way too costly to warrant regular purchase.

While I learned to enjoy pounding on dough for a good homemade yeast bread once in a while (excellent stress reliever), I don’t always have time or the patience for the process. So I set out to create a quick bread that was nutritious enough to use for my morning toast. With that in mind, this bread is completely sugar-free, using just the bananas for a hint of sweetness. I find it perfect as a base for nut butter, jam, or honey, each of which adds their own dose of flavor, wouldn’t you agree Ricki? [Ricki has a new cookbook out called Sweet Freedom - desserts without wheat, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar - so I consider her the ultimate expert on sugar-free baked goodies]

If you want a little of the sweet stuff, feel free to add a couple tablespoons of your favorite sugar (honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, evaporated cane juice, sugar straight up, etc.) to the recipe. But, if you want a loaf of sugar-loaded, dessert banana bread, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Healthy foodies who know how to savor the flavor … read on, and fire up that oven!

Breakfast-Worthy Banana Bread
Recipe from “Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living” by Alisa Fleming (yours truly!)

This Recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free and Optional Nut-Free

“Going out on a limb, I created a banana bread recipe that is completely void of added sugar of any kind, relying solely on the extra-ripe bananas for their natural sweetness. What resulted was a mildly sweet loaf of bread that my entire family adores. It is perfect for breakfast, and won’t leave you face down on your keyboard by 10am. Feel free to make this bread the night before, allowing the banana flavor to infuse and giving the bread time to take on some moisture. If you do prefer a bit of a sweeter loaf, add a bit of sweetener with the wet ingredients.” – [Yes, I just quoted myself]
 
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Milk Alternative of Choice
2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
2 Cups Whole Grain Spelt Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Grapeseed or Coconut Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 to 4 Medium-Sized, Very (Very) Ripe Bananas, Mashed (about 1-1/2 to 2 cups mashed)*
1/2 Cup Nuts, Dried Fruit, or Other Add-ins (optional)
 
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl combine the milk alternative and flaxseed and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Returning to your mixing bowl, blend in the oil, vanilla, and bananas until well mixed. Stir in the dry ingredients by hand, being careful not to over-mix; a few lumps are okay. Gently fold in the nuts, fruit, or any other add-ins, if using. Spread the batter into your prepared loaf pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is browned and resilient to the touch. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mini-Loaf Option: The loaf pictured above is actually a mini-loaf. This recipe will make four mini loaves, baked at 350º for about 22 to 25 minutes. I topped the loaves with some sliced almonds just before popping them in the oven and subbed the vanilla extract with 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for a slightly almond vibe.

* I prefer to use a full 2 cups of banana for the deepest flavor and a very moist bread, but using 1/2 cup less will allow the bread to rise a bit more.

Yields 10 to 12 servings

Hearty, Healthy, Easy, and Cheap German-Style Bread

Posted by alisa on February 24, 2009 | 31 Comments

When I was in university, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Vienna, Austria.  My memories of that wonderful city are still quite strong, but what I remembered most vividly were the many bakeries (Bäckerei in German; a word I have never forgotten). On a student budget, I subsisted almost completely off those little corner shops and the hearty breads they would churn out daily for mere cents.

While I now have a love for baking bread myself, I didn’t understand the magic that made those Austrian and German loaves so special.  That is, until I discovered a recipe online that seemed to fit the bill.  I altered the quantities to fit my tastes and my loaf pan, but it really did turn out beautifully.  Not to mention, this loaf is cheap and easy to make … just one rising and no special shaping or forming of the loaf – just mix it up, roughly form, let rise, and bake! 

I ran out of spelt flour, so I used mostly whole wheat flour (I had just over 1 cup of spelt flour).  I hope to try the spelt version, since I love the nutty flavor of spelt, but I can vouch that the whole wheat version is delicious too! Keep in mind, this is not a fluffy Wonder-bread type recipe. This is a dense, savory, one-slice-will-do-ya kind of bread.  Just the way I like it!

Serve slices of this hearty, crusty bread topped with jam, honey, nut butter, or along side a nice hot bowl of soup. Speaking of soup, my Rich and Creamy Potato Miso Soup (with no dairy!) is up for vote at No Croutons Required.  If you would be so kind as to pop over and give it your vote, I would be so appreciative!  The only thing I have ever one was a Skid Row CD off the radio when I was 13. I would really like to trump that memory with a new one for obvious reasons.

Enjoy!

Hearty German-Style Bread (100% Whole Wheat or Spelt)
Adapted from Recipezaar

• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 3-1/2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (just over 1 ½ .25 oz packages will do)
• 5-1/4 Cups Whole Wheat or Whole Spelt Flour
• 2-1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons White or Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Cup Seeds (I used 1/3 cup each of sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds; add more if you like!)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in about ½ cup of the water (no need to be exact, you will be adding the rest of the water shortly). Let that rest for a few minutes while you grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

Sift the flour and salt into the bowl. Add all remaining ingredients (rest of the water, vinegar, and seeds), and mix until a relatively smooth dough is formed. Mine was still a touch sticky, but still able to be handled and formed without completely sticking to my fingers.

Form the dough into a loaf shape that will fit end to end in your pan. I just sort of shaped it, and then rolled it a few times on the counter to make it look a little nicer and be the right length.

Lightly cover the loaf with saran wrap or a tea towel, and let it rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place, for about an hour to an hour and a half. It should double in size and fill out the pan nicely.

Preheat your oven to 480ºF (250ºC). Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 390ºF (200ºC), and bake it for another 45 minutes.

Remove the loaf from the pan (it should pop right out), and knock on the bottom. If it genuinely sounds hollow, then it is done. If you think it needs a little more time, pop it back in the oven and bake it for longer as needed. My loaf was done after the initial hour, but you may need another 10-20 minutes, depending on moisture and such.

Yields 1 healthy-sized 9 x 5 loaf

Want some more bread-making motivation?  You can win a copy of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day over at The Adventures of Kitchen Girl. But you must enter by March 3rd!

Homemade Hamburger Buns in a Jiffy

Posted by alisa on January 31, 2009 | 38 Comments

Ever have one of those times when a hamburger or veggie burger sounds so good (say, for example, right before watching a Super Bowl game), but you don’t happen to have any buns on hand?  Problem solved. These hamburger buns are insanely fast to whip up, because they do not require any rising time (just a few minutes of rest) …

I followed the original recipe pretty closely, but now that I am comfortable with it, I have plans to experiment further, perhaps reducing the sugar, trialing it with other flours, going sans egg for a vegan option, etc.  But, in the meantime, I wanted to share it with you as it is just so darn helpful!

Speedy Wheat Hamburger Buns
Adapted from Recipezaar

This recipe is dairy-free (no milk, lactose, or casein), peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free. You can substitute 1 Ener-G egg for a good egg-free and vegan option too (thanks Carolsue!).

2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Warm Water (I used just 1 cup, and they still turned out nicely)
1/3 Cup Oil (I used grapeseed)
1/4 Cup Sugar (your choice)
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose or White Bread Flour
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil and sugar, and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Add the egg, salt, white flour, and 1 1/2 cups of the wheat flour, combining until it forms a soft dough.  Add the additional 1/4 cup of wheat flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands (if you need a little more, that is okay too). Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes or so.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shape each into a thick disc, and place them on baking sheets about 3 inches apart.

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for about 10 minutes (or longer if you wish).

Pop them in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Yields 8 buns