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Bran: A Story That's Sure to Mooooooooooove You

What is Bran?

Bran is the outer layer that protects the grain kernel. When the grain is processed, the bran is typically removed and a large portion of the nutritional value is discarded along with it. The high oil content of this outer shell can cause the grain to quickly become rancid, which is why it is often removed before the grain is stored and processed.

Whole Grain?

Whole grains are cereal grains (rice, corn, wheat, oat, barley, millet) that have not been stripped of the bran and germ (the reproductive “organs” of the seed). In contrast to the healthy, vivacious wholegrain, is the sad, dilapidated refined grain, which has been modified and stripped (no bran) and castrated (no “parts” - the germ).

Benefits of Bran

Bran is rich in dietary fiber, omega fats, starch, protein, vitamins and minerals. But mostly it is recognized for its high fiber content, and fiber, when part of a balanced diet, keeps your bowels happy and regular, prevents constipation and prevents clumps of undigested foods from hanging out in your intestines where they don’t belong. Fiber also creates a sensation of fullness, making you feel satisfied and assisting in weight management.

Too much of a good thing…

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and too much bran means badness for your bowels. Excessive bran can lead to inflammatory bowel disease. If you’re new to eating bran, it’s best to incorporate it in small amounts, allowing your body time to adjust, rather than shocking your system in hopes of becoming a high speed pooping machine (I apologize for any graphic images that may have evoked). Avoid consuming high amounts of bran in one sitting, have a muffin a day, throw a tablespoon of bran onto your morning cereal and let the magic happen in its own good time.

Berry Walnut Bran Muffins

1 ½ c. Wheat bran

1 c. Soy milk

½ c. Apple sauce (snack cup of apple sauce)

1 Egg

1/2 c. Brown sugar

½ tsp. Vanilla extract

½ c. All purpose flour

½ c. Whole wheat flour

2 Tb. Ground flax seed

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Salt

1 c. Blueberries (be generous)

½ c. Dried Cranberries (optional)

½ c. Chopped walnuts

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling muffin tops

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease muffin cups (or use paper liners).

2. In a glass bowl, cover the dried cranberries with boiling water and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

3. Mix together wheat bran and soy milk and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Once combined, add bran mixture and mix until incorporated.

5. In a separate bowl combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir into bran mixture, don’t over stir.

6. Drain the water from cranberries.

7. Fold in blueberries, walnuts and cranberries to the muffin batter.

8. Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle lightly with turbinado.

9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly tapped. Bottoms of muffins and edges should be browned.

(Printable Recipe)

This recipe is easily adjusted- try different fruits and nuts to fit your taste. Raspberries and almonds, apples and walnuts…the possibilities are endless.

Red Lentil Soup

Growing up, my mother used to threaten us with soup.

Thirteen years into motherhood her enthusiasm for making family dinners plummeted. As a result my brothers and I underwent unique trials every evening at dinnertime. Soup is the perfect meal to prepare if you don’t want to decipher difficult directions, or slave over meticulous preparations. It is cheap, plentiful and can simmer on the stove without constant monitoring. It is God’s gift to the tired and to the weary, to the sick and to the stressed, and to the mother who cannot stand to make another damn dinner for the family she loves.

For months a plastic bag full of seemingly innocuous contents sat on the fourth shelf of our pantry. This bulging, two-pound sack of dried Nine Bean Fifteen Vegetable Soup loomed at us. My brothers and I secretly prayed that we would never be asked to eat it. But of course, that was wishful thinking.

Some time went by and the threat of the Nine Bean atrocity was forgotten, until the night that it ended up on our dinner table. After shooting my brother the stink-eye, while my parents were distracted by the six o’clock news, I took note of the bizarre substance staring back at me from my bowl. What the…? Beans in shapes I had never seen before floundered in a thick mess of vegetables whose color was several shades past appetizing. It smelled of overcooked cabbage and burned chili, and seemed to laugh maniacally as I swirled it around.

I lifted my spoon, and took my first bite.

“I think we should have this every night of the week,” my mother said, as I chewed the same mouthful for the third minute in a row. I swallowed the thick bean-vegetable paste, nearly gagging, and managed to squeak out “what?”

Ladling another scoop of the ominous brew into her bowl my mother sent me a look that said unless you want to make dinner every night you will not complain. Now EAT.

The prospect of facing this food foe not just once, but repeatedly for the rest of my young-adult days made me sick to my stomach. Looking up, I caught my father’s eye and tried to make out whether he was an ally, or planned to remain loyal to the current culinary regime. He smiled sympathetically, and raised a heaping spoonful to his mouth. Damn. I’d lost before I even had the chance to fight.

Needless to say soup was not a dear friend of mine. But as is the case with most childhood fears, over time the terror they evoke diminishes. And with a little more time I was able to give it another chance. I began with a few canned versions, then a few family recipes, and as my confidence grew (whether justified or not), I began to fall in love with soup.

It may perhaps be the perfect food. Soup can take on any flavor genre, it can be hot or cold, chunky or smooth. But most importantly, you really have to try to screw it up.

Red Lentil Soup

3 Tb. Olive oil

1 Large onion, chopped

6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

5 Carrots, chopped

1 (28 oz) can Chopped tomatoes, drained

2 stalks Celery, chopped

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

5 Baby yellow potatoes, chopped

4 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Pepper

2 cup Dried red lentils

6 cups Vegetable broth

1. Heat oil in the largest saucepan you have over medium heat.

2. Once the oil is warmed, add the onion and sauté for five minutes or until translucent.

3. Add garlic, carrots, tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, potatoes, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add lentils and broth and simmer uncovered until the lentils and all the vegetables are tender (approximately 20-25 minutes).

5. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool just slightly (two minutes).

6. Food process, or immersion blend the entire soup and return to heat in the large sauce pan. (Unless you have a gigantic food processor or blender, you’ll need to do this in batches. Using a ladle or glass measuring cup, transfer the soup into the processor – making sure not to overfill it. Process until it is a uniformly smooth consistency, and put into another large saucepan. Repeat until all the soup has been processed).

7. Simmer the soup over medium-low heat for another 20 minutes, adjusting the spices until you are satisfied.

8. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Apple Pie Pancakes

Generally speaking, I hate breakfast food.

Cereal is out because I don't drink milk, and cheerios with soymilk tastes more than a little...off. Omelets make the house smell like melted plastic and eggs jiggle around on the plate like the jelly-like chunks in a can of dog food. A piece of toast with peanut butter is delicious, but doesn't satisfy me past my nine o'clock Lit. class. I will never be seduced by biscuits and gravy, I would not eat toaster strudel if you paid me, but Apple Pie Pancakes I could eat all day long.

These pancakes positively kick Bisquick's cute little ass, and more than just your taste buds will be satisfied. Wheat germ, ground flax and walnuts provide essential vitamins, minerals and healthy fats that will keep you running on the healthy fuel you need. Breakfast is a tremendously important meal of the day, your body has literally been fasting for hours without nourishment, and the way that you break that fast (get it? Break-fast) greatly influences how you feel throughout your day. Rather than trying to jump-start your body with processed foods, eat something that actually tastes wonderful and will leave you feeling happy, healthy and wide awake.

Apple Pie Pancakes

2 Eggs

¼ c. Applesauce

2 Tb. Canola oil

2 c. Soymilk

2 tsp. Baking soda

½ c. Wheat germ

2 Tb. Ground flax seed

½ tsp. Sea salt

1 tsp. Granulated sugar

1 ½ c. Whole-wheat flour

1 Apple (red or green), chopped into small chunks

½ c. Chopped walnuts, roasted

1 tsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Brown sugar

½ tsp. Nutmeg

Honey (if desired)

1. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, applesauce, oil and milk.
2. Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, ground flax, salt, sugar and flour until everything is completely blended together. Set aside.
3. Using a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, sauté the apple, walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg until the apples become slightly softened, stirring often.
4. Remove the apple mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for several minutes.
5. Meanwhile, wash the skillet (or use a griddle), spray it with cooking oil and heat it over medium-low heat.
6. Stir the apple mixture into the pancake batter.
7. Scoop the batter onto the skillet, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake, and brown it on both sides, flipping only once. (Spray skillet with cooking oil after each pancake)
8. Serve the pancakes drizzled with honey and topped with any extra apple slices and applesauce.
9. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 10 delicious pancakes.

(Printable Recipe)

Hummus

This recipe has been in the works for over two years, and I am proud to say that I am finally willing to release it into the world. After compiling ideas from many, many, many recipes the final touch was contributed by none other than my landlord. When he noticed pots of garbanzo beans soaking on our kitchen table, Kelly explained that we were making up our weekly batch of hummus and he literally beamed at us. Entirely abandoning his mission to locate the cause of the mystery smell that has plagued our apartment for the past month, he charged into the kitchen: the Middle Eastern male Martha Stewart on a mission. He instructed us to add 1 tsp. of baking soda to the beans while they are soaking, which cuts down on the cooking time and ensures that the hummus reaches the height of creamy deliciousness. At first I was skeptical. Baking soda is one of those ingredients that has an uncanny number of applications (like duct tape and dental floss). But I put my fears aside and gave it a try, and lo and behold he was right. Instead of the chunky hummus I was used to the consistency was smooth and light.

A Note on Beans

First things first, for this recipe you’ll need garbanzo beans, which for some bizarre reason also go under the code name of Chickpeas. They are one and the same, so don’t led this stress you out. Secondly, you’ll be using dried garbanzos instead of canned, and if you attempt to do otherwise I will never cease to scoff at you. Yes, dried beans require a little forethought, but they are incredibly inexpensive and are healthier than canned beans, which are loaded with sodium. A few things to keep in mind when working with dried beans is that it's important to rinse them before cooking, and to discard any mutant beans, rocks or dirt clumps that may have gotten in the package by mistake. Also, unlike pasta and pop tarts, dried beans do not last forever. Store them in an airtight container and don't let them sit on the shelf for longer than one year.

Finally, if you’re feeling adventurous and dare to try to improve upon what is already perfection (just kidding), play around with adding roasted red peppers or olives to the food processor and see what comes out.

Hummus

1 c. Dry garbanzo beans

1 tsp. Baking soda

3 cloves Garlic

¼ c. Lemon juice

½ c. Olive oil

¼ c. Tahini

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1 tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Chili pepper flakes

1. Using a colander, rinse the garbanzo beans under cold water and pick out any beans that are abnormal.

2. Transfer the beans to a medium size pot, add baking soda and fill the pot with water (with at least 3 inches of water above the beans).

3. Allow the beans to soak for at least 8 hours, or over night.

4. Strain beans once again and rinse under cold water. Return to pot and cover once again with water.

5. Cook over medium high heat until beans are tender, and no longer starchy. (Anywhere between 20-40 minutes)

6. Remove beans from heat, strain and rinse a final time.

7. In a food processor, blend garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, sea salt, cumin and chili pepper until completely combined and creamy.

8. Add in garbanzo beans and process until the entire mixture is a smooth consistency. (You may need to add a little water, or olive oil to achieve this- but with whatever liquid you choose add it one Tb. at a time).

9. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

Throughout my childhood sweet potatoes meant one thing: Iowan Grandma's marshmallow casserole. This horror used to loom at me from across the dinner table every Thanksgiving, literally inducing my gag reflex. Buried under pounds of gooey marshmallows, lumps of this misunderstood vegetable flopped around in butter and brown sugar. Not that this wouldn't have satisfied even the most demanding sweet tooth, and no offense to Grandma, but...Yuck. And for years I couldn't care less whether it was a sweet potato or a yam, I was prepared to hate them both, and hate I did. That is, until recently. Things changed when I discovered the absolute bliss of roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary (and obscene amounts of garlic). It goes without saying that marshmallow casserole from Iowa got its sweet little butt kicked when I figured this out. These fries make an excellent side dish, or middle of the night snack, and as long as you stay light on the oil and salt they're really very healthy. Did I mention they also smell heavenly?

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium size Sweet Potatoes
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
2 Tb. Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Cut potatoes into french-fry sized strips and place them on a baking pan.
3. Stir in garlic, rosemary and olive oil until all the seasonings are evenly distributed.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the fries after 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

Blueberry Apple Turnovers

Valentine's Day can be a miserable 24 hours. Couples buy chocolates and flowers; single people watch movies they've already seen, drink crappy wine and listen to Celine Dion. But this February 14th I resolve to banish such misery, and if i have to, be my own damn Valentine, after all I know better than anyone what makes me melt. And this year, the thing that makes me go weak at the knees is this flaky turnover- a mix of sweet blueberries and warm apples, wrapped up in a golden pie crust. I spent the past summer watching my friends Mandy and Michael bake up some of the most incredible treats, and so in honor of their being the loveliest couple I know I've created the loveliest Valentine's Day dessert to go with flowers... or crappy wine.

Blueberry Apple Turnovers

Turn-over Crust

3 c. All-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. Salt

3 Tb. Granulated Sugar

1 c. Earth Balance (or butter)

1 Egg

5 Tb. Water

Fruit Filling

2 ½ c. Blueberries (frozen are fine)

1 Red apple, finely chopped

½ c. Granulated sugar

3 Tb. All-purpose flour

3 tsp. Lemon juice

Egg Wash

1 Egg

1 Tb. Water

Raw Cane sugar (Turbinado), for garnish

Additional flour for rolling out dough

To make the crust

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425˚F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar (from list of crust ingredients). Using an electric mixer, or large fork, mix in the butter until the mixture has only small bits of butter clumps, and is well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg with 5 Tb. water and whisk together.
4. Slowly add this egg mixture to the flour mixture while stirring, and continue until the dough forms a ball. The less you handle the dough the lighter and crispier it will be.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
   

To make the Filling (while the dough is chilling)

1. If you're using frozen berries, place the berries in a strainer and run them under warm water until they have thawed completely. Drain away any excess water and transfer the berries to a medium size bowl.
2. Stir in the chopped apple, sugar, flour and lemon juice until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. Prepare the egg wash in a small bowl: whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tb. water.

Creating the Turnover

1. Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Place on half on a floured surface and return the remaining half to the refrigerator.
2. Roll out the dough to between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thickness. Using a circular cookie cutter or small bowl, cut out circles, (returning the dough to the refrigerator when you're not working with it).
3. Place the circles on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper, and spoon the filling into the center of each circle, being careful not to over fill each turnover to the point at which it cannot close.
4. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush 1/2 the circle's edge with egg wash (which will act like glue) and fold the circle in half, pressing down on the edges to seal the filling inside.
5. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Lightly brush the top of each turnover with egg wash, and cut two small slits on top to allow the steam to escape.
7. Sprinkle the turnovers with raw cane sugar and bake until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.
8. Allow them to cool on cooling racks and eat while they are still warm, or store in an air-tight container.
9. Enjoy!
   (Printable Recipe)
   

Makes approximately 20 turnovers.

This recipe can be easily adjusted for other combinations of fruits, but regardless of the fruit you select, try to keep the moisture to a minimum, and do not exceed 3 ½ cups. I recommend playing around with raspberries, peaches, cranberries or blackberries. And for an extra twist, drizzle them with melted chocolate after baking instead of using cane sugar.