Delicious 5 Layer Greek Hummus Dip

This is my new favorite dip. Ever.

Layer one on top of the other:

Hummus
Cucumbers (any kind will do, but hothouse cucumbers are de-lish)
Chopped de-seeded tomatoes
Chopped kalamata olives
Feta cheese (Optional. I like to omit this.)

Serve with Toasted Pita, Baked Pita Chips, or (my favorite) Baked Lentil Chips. Or grab a spoon and dig in. Mmmmmm.

*Photo courtesy of Holly Badurek

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

I was looking for a new pancake recipe the other day and I was going through all of my cookbooks and in a few of the ward recipe books that I have had recipes for whole wheat pancakes that you mix in a blender. I was highly skeptical, but I thought I would give one of them a try. Especially since it was in more than one cookbook (though the recipes were slightly different). We ended up liking them and have made them twice since. And best of all they are healthy.

In a blender, add:
1 cup milk
1 cup uncooked, unground wheat
Blend for 4 to 5 minutes on high. Then add 1/2 more milk and blend to 1 to 2 more minutes.
Add:
2 Eggs
2 TBSP. Oil
2 TBSP. Honey
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 salt
Blend on low for 1 to 2 min.

Chicken Tortilla soup from PW

Been waitin' for this one! Discovered it today...it's dinner tonight! I had to make some substitutions based on what we had at home, but wow! Super fine recipe (per her usual...).

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/chicken-tortilla-soup/

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• Garnishes:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Orange Pineapple Cake

I started making a variation of this several years ago.  I found a recipe yesterday that I made for dinner.  Very yummy!  Instead of non-dairy topping I just whipped up whipping cream.  I added the pineapple juice to the pudding, whisked it up then added it plus the pineapple to the cream.


Orange-Pineapple Cake

1(11-ounce) can Mandarin orange sections
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (8-ounce) container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1 (16-ounce) can pineapple chunks, crushed
1 (3.5-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1. Drain mandarin orange sections, reserving the liquid.
2. Combine the orange sections, yellow cake mix, eggs, and cooking oil in a large mixer bowl. Add the reserved liquid and an equal quantity of water; mix well and beat for 2 minutes.
3. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch cake pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, combine non-dairy whipped topping, crushed pineapple chunks (undrained), and instant vanilla pudding mix. Spread on cake. Refrigerate until served.

Makes 12 servings.

Mock Kung Pao Pork (or Chicken)

I threw this together last night after looking at a few different recipes.  Sorry if it seems a little confusing.  I ended up loving this, and it really was easy.  It was a little spicy for the kids, but I can adjust that next time.  I had pork on hand so that is what I used, but you could substitute chicken.

In ziploc bag mix:
2 T. corn starch
2 T. soy sauce

(This is kind of a strange texture, but once you put the meat in it does work)

Dice 1 lb. (or so) pork or chicken and place in bag, coat well.

Heat ~2 T. oil and once hot, cook meat.  When your meat is almost cooked add the following:

2 carrots diced
3 celery stalks diced
1 lg bell pepper diced

You may want to add more, this is what I did but I didn't have a pound of meat.


Continue to cook until meat is thoroughly cooked.  Veggies are cooked but still a little crunchy (just like with any stir-fry).  At this point I added the sauce.

Sauce: (from this website)
In a quart jar mix the following:  (once in just put a lid on and shake) 

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced 
3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
14 1/2 ounces chicken broth (a can) 
1/4 cup sherry or 1/4 cup white wine
 I just used orange juice cause that's what I had on hand, I know it is no where near white wine or sherry, but what do you do.  Also I put this in after I had the sauce warm and thick to thin it out a bit. Also it seemed a little sweet to me so next time I think I will use  a little less sugar.

This made a ton of sauce so you may want to half it or just put it in a little at a time, depending on how much meat and veggies you have.

Pour sauce in with meat and veggies and cook until it thickens.


At this point I added just a squirt of Sriracha hot chili sauce and a handful or so of cashews.  Stir it up and serve over rice. 


Just a warning, I put in a squirt and stirred it in and tried it and I thought it could use just a bit more, well I think it gets spicier as it cooks because it ended up being pretty spicy.  So start small and let it sit a few minutes before testing it.  I happened to have this on hand, but I'm sure you could use red pepper flakes.

Italian Drip Beef (French dip)

I was in the mood for french dip sandwiches so I looked for a good recipe and found this from Pioneer Woman. We had it on new years eve, and it was waaaaay good. Not what you are use to in a french dip sandwich. The peperoncinis really give it good flavor with a little kick. They were awesome.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
• 1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth
• 3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ¼ cups Water
• ½ jars (16 Oz) Peperoncini Peppers, With Juice
• Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Preparation Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid.

Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it’s tender!**

Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

How to cook Perfect Bacon

A few times a year, when we decide to make some tasty bacon, I need these instructions. I thought I'd post here for all to enjoy.

How to make perfect Bacon (About.com):

Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.

Arrange bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven.

Close oven door. Turn oven on to 400°F. Walk away.

Come back 17 to 20 minutes later. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it's done. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon slices, and also on how quickly your oven reaches the target temperature.

Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb the fat. You can pour the liquid fat into a heat-resistant container to save for other uses.

Tips:

Don't pre-heat the oven! Make sure the oven is cold when you put the bacon in.

Keep your eye on the bacon during the final few minutes of cooking to make sure that it doesn't burn. Also, remove the cooked bacon from the hot pan right away. The heat from the pan and the hot bacon fat will continue cooking the bacon.

You can slightly undercook the bacon, then cool it and freeze it in a zipper bag. Then, to reheat, cook two slices in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds or so.

Variation: Sprinkle bacon with brown sugar or freshly ground black pepper before baking.

Hot Chocolate

I thought this would be a perfect recipe to share for Christmas:

Hot Chocolate

• 2 1/2 cups whole milk

• 2 cups half-and-half

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 4 to 5 vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Directions

Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add both chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and serve immediately. Use a vanilla bean or cinnamon stick to garnish each serving.

Pumpkin Blondies

I made these today, and oh, boy!!! They were de-licious. Grandma Ruth would approve!!!

I can't stop eating them!

Original recipe from this blog.

Pumpkin Blondies

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1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, then pumpkin. In a separate bowl combine together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add in white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
Spread the batter into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Lion House Chicken Enchiladas

I am always looking for a good chicken enchilada recipe. I've tried a lot of different recipes. This recipe comes from the Lion House Recipe Book. This recipe is my favorite by far, and my family loved it too. I did modify it a little. For example, I used only 1 cup of onions as opposed to the 2 cups in the recipe.

1 pound chicken breast cut into strips
1 cups chopped white onions
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup nonfat mayonnaise
1 can (14 ounce) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
8 flour or corn tortillas (I like flour, the recipe calls for corn, whichever you prefer.)
1 can (8 ounces) enchilada sauce (I used more than 1 can)

Brown chicken in a skillet. When the chicken is golden brown, add onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine sour cream and mayonnaise. Very gradually add chicken broth to the sour cream mixture, stirring constantly. Do not add broth too fast or mixture will be lumpy. When thoroughly mixed, place saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and stir over heat until cheese is melted. Set aside.

Spray 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour enchilada sauce into a large shallow bowl. Dip 1 tortilla into the sauce, making sure both sides are covered with sauce. Remove tortilla from sauce and fill with sliced chicken and a little cheese. Roll tortilla around filling and place in prepared baking dish. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is used up. Pour sour cream mixture over filled tortillas. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Candy-bar Bars

I was given this recipe from a woman in my ward, and I thought it turned out super yummy! You can use your left over Halloween candy for this recipe.

1 chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts (I used 1/2 cup pecans)
3 2.6 ounce chocolate covered peanut-carmel-nougat bars or 6 Reeses peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9X13 baking pan. In a large mixing bowl beat together cake mix, evaporated milk, and butter until well mixed. Stir chopped nuts into mixture.

2. Spread half of the mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped candy bars. Drop remaining cake mixture over candy. Bake about 15 minutes more. Cook on a wire rack. Makes 36 servings.

Marble Squares

I got this one from one of Jeff's summer intern's wife Natalie Whittaker. I like her for several reasons. One is we both like Guittard brand chocolate chips apparently as you will see below.

This is one of those desserts that you keep going back to the pan all day long and taking a small sliver and before you know it half of the pan is gone and you accuse the kids of eating it only then you realize that you don't allow the kids to get into the brownies without your permission and then you feel bad for two reasons - accusing your kids of doing things they didn't do AND eating garbage all day long. It's really a lose-lose situation here people. Or, just share them with your kids. Either way...

Make them anyway. They are that good.

Combine, mix well and set aside:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (works best if it is softened before you mix it)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil:
1/2 cup margarine
2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup water

Sift together dry ingredients into a large bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Add to the dry ingredients:
saucepan ingredients (margarine, chocolate, and water)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix well and pour into a large cookie sheet with sides.

Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture atop the brownie mix. Cut through with a knife to marble.

Top with chocolate chips. I prefer the Guittard Brand. Semi-Sweet. (*tip from Mary - don't use whole bag - it will make the brownies overflow in your oven. Every time. Really.)

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Pumpkin Bars

Credit for this recipe goes to Aunt Shari and Carol. They included it on the recipe cards that were passed around at my bridal shower (9 years ago now, time goes by too fast!) I added a few changes at the bottom.

Pumpkin Bars
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix above ingredients together and set aside.

2 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin pie fillings
4 eggs
1 c. oil

Mix above ingredients together and then combine and mix with dry ingredients. Pour into a greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 0z. cream cheese

Combine above ingredients and beat thoroughly. Add more sugar or milk for desired consistency.


My Variation:

I just added dates, nuts, and chocolate chips to the pumpkin bars (about a cup or so each). Because of the sweetness of the dates and chocolate chips I decided not to do the frosting. They are so good, a perfect fall treat.

These could also easily be made into muffins.

Hot Pink Smoothie

I was excited about Janey's green smoothie post so I thought I'd post about the hot pink smoothies I make.  I have smoothies everyday for breakfast and alternate between the green and hot pink ones.  I'm no Green Smoothie Girl, but this is my version of her recipe.

1-2 cups water (or you can use coconut water or a mixture of water and coconut water)
1/2 medium beet
5-7 baby carrots (or 1 medium carrot peeled)
3-6 dates depending on size (pitted, of course)
1/4-1/3 cup nuts (I mainly use walnuts b/c they are cheapest at Costco.  But I've also used cashews and pecans)
2 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 banana
1/3-1/2 cup kefir (or 2 tbsp yogurt) - any flavor
1 tsp vanilla
8-12 frozen strawberries

Chop your ingredients and blend away!  I use a regular Oster blender for my smoothies.  I find that the more liquid I use, the better the blending process goes.  I usually blend all the non-frozen ingredients really well before adding the strawberries.  This usually makes a 3/4 blender size smoothie for me.  Enjoy!!

TIP:  I buy my beets with as much stem and leaf that I can find.  I cut the green leafy part off, wash really well and use that in my green smoothies.  I cut the red stems off, wash really well and use those in my pink smoothies.  So, nothing except the beet peel and root gets thrown out.

Pumpkin Pancakes and Buttermilk Syrup

We love pumpkin pancakes, but have not had Bisquick to make the ones in the family recipe book. I tried making them with a just add water pancake mix but I didn't like the way they tasted. So, last night I looked for a recipe I could make from scratch, and this is the recipe I found. I tweaked the original recipe a little bit after reading some of the comments. They were so good we had them for dinner last night and breakfast this morning. We like buttermilk syrup with our pumpkin pancakes, so I put the recipe for that below. Enjoy!!!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice (I used pumpkin pie spice and a dash of ground cloves)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree(Libby's is the best)
  
• 2 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Tip: Pumpkin pancakes take longer to cook than regular pancakes.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube real butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups white sugar

Melt butter, add buttermilk and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Bring to a boil, remove from heat add:

1 tsp soda (Make sure the pan is large, soda expands mixture)
1 tsp vanilla

Pina Colada's

If you like pina colada's and getting caught in the rain...

Pina Colada's

1 can of cream of coconut

1 fresh pineapple - canned is OK too. Probably close to 4 cans

ice to your desired consistency

Enjoy!

Ruth's Sweet Potato Casserole

My sweet mother shared this recipe with me and today I finally made it. Yum it was! If you like sweet potatoes, then you'll love this. If you don't - well, you won't. It's super sweet like a dessert and I'm excited to have it at Thanksgiving time. It's like comfort to me. Plus, the house smells yummy.

This recipe is posted on the Ruth's Chris Steak House Recipe Page. The card they shared has teensy writing so here it is in a more visible format.

Ruth's Sweet Potato Casserole

Makes 4 Servings
Crust Mixture:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
1/4 cup melted butter

Sweet Potato Mixture:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 cup butter

Process:
1. Combine Crust Mixture in mixing bowl and put to one side.
2. Combine Sweet Potato Mixture ingredients in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Combine thoroughly.
3. Pour Sweet Potato Mixture into buttered baking dish.
4. Sprinkle Crust Mixture evenly onto surface of Sweet Potato Mixture.
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.


(Heather's sidenote: I just peeled, chopped, and boiled the sweet potatoes. I mashed by hand and it turned out great. I used 3 medium potatoes and it made more than 2 cups but I just used it all and it was still PLENTY sweet. I may cut the sugar a little next time.)

Sesame Chicken

This is a yummy, easy recipe that can be made a few hours ahead of time (so it can marinate). There isn't much sauce to put over the rice, but we really enjoyed it especially with steamed broccoli. I got this recipe from my friend Rachael).

SESAME CHICKEN {Rachael Howell}

2-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. oil
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger

Mix everything together in Ziploc bag and marinate 1-4 hours. Pour onto a cookie sheet (lined with foil for easier clean up) and broil for 10 minutes. Turn and broil 5 minutes more. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls

I know there are a million roll recipes out there. But here's yet another you can try.

Last night we enjoyed some fine rolls at Texas Roadhouse. We watched the woman roll them out in a rectangle about 3/4 inch - 1 inch thick. Then she cut with a pizza cutter into 2 inch squares. She placed them on the cookie sheet so that once they expanded, they wouldn't touch. I'd never thought of shaping rolls that way so I wanted to give it a try.

I searched the web for a copycat recipe and found several. This one seemed to be the most popular amongst all the websites. Here's one source.

Now - don't ask me why the flour is measured in quarts. One gal said she adds 4 cups and then adds what's necessary. I added about 6+ but wished my dough was a little thicker/sturdier so next time I'll probably add the 8 cups.

Anyhoo... give this one a try. We really enjoyed them. Oh - also... I added 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup sugar. It worked swell. I think you could use all honey for the sugar.

Enjoy!

From the trainer for all the bakers of the Texas Roadhouse chain (so they say)


Texas Roadhouse Rolls


1 pkg. active dry yeast = 1 Tblsp Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk- scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 tablespoons of melted butter - cooled
1/2 cup sugar
2 quart all purpose flour (7-8 cups)
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt


Soften yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.


Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour (like 2-3 cups) to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy.


Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form soft dough . Sprinkle small amount of flour on counter and let dough rest.


Meanwhile, clean and dry bowl; grease clean surface of bow. Knead dough until smooth and satiny. Put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk.


Punch down. Turn out on floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.


Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown). Baste immediately with butter


Yield: 5 to 6 dozen (depending on the size - I made mine kind of big and got about 3 dozen)

Whole Wheat Honey Oat Bread

I have to give credit to this blog for this delicious recipe. I made this today and Seth and I ate a whole loaf! It was so moist but not soggy, with yummy crispy edges that weren't too crumbly. We made tomato pesto mozzarella sandwiches on it for dinner, and it hit the spot!

2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping
1/2 cup warm water (105-115° F)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (about three packages)
1/2 cup mild honey (I used less than 1/2 cup, and it still turned out great!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 cups whole-wheat flour*
About 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour*
1 tablespoons Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

*the original recipe called for 3 cups whole wheat, 2 cups white flour, but I was feeling particularly daring! I also added in 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten for good measure.

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you’ll have to discard it and start over with new yeast.) Stir the yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining honey into the cooled oatmeal.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup unbleached flour, and salt. Add the oat mixture, mixing slowly until a soft dough forms. Turn up the mixer and mix the dough, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8-10 minutes (the dough will be slightly sticky). While you’re kneading, add just enough unbleached flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides.

4. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, oiled mixing bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 to 90 minutes.

5. Lightly butter two loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf in a buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover the loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.

6. Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly brush the tops of each loaf with some of the egg wash and sprinkle with oats. Bake the loaves until they are golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 25-30 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen.)

7. Try not to burn your tongue, you'll want some right away with softened butter on it, YUM!