Refined Wheat: Nutrients Lost During Refining

The greatest concentration of vitamins and minerals is found in the wheat germ and bran layers, most of which in white flour is removed and not restored.

Kernel of wheat

White flour is made from the endosperm. Bran layers and wheat germ are removed during the refining process.

Nutrients lost in the refining process of wheat:

• 60% Vitamin B6
• 70% Folic Acid
• 54% Pantothenic Acid
• 90% Biotin
• 50% Calcium
• 78% Phosphorus
• 75% Copper
• 72% Magnesium
• 71% Manganese

Nutrients added after processing:

• 86% Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• 70% Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• 86% Niacin
• 84% Iron

Hoecake Recipe

Originally Hoecake was made of Indian meal, water, and salt, sometimes baked in a fireplace on the blade of a hoe. To make 12 hoecakes we need the following ingredients;-

• 1½ cups unrefined yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups boiling water or more
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 eggs
  

How To Make Hoecake

• Combine dry ingredients.
• Add all at once to boiling water. Stir until batter clings together in a ball, pulling away form the sides of the kettle. Remove from heat.
• Add oil and beat.
• Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time, beating briskly after each addition until completely blended.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly oiled cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400° F. until delicately browned (about 30 minutes).

How To Make Bran Muffins

For those who love muffins here is the recipe for bran muffins. To make 10 muffins we need the following ingredients:-

• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup low fat milk
• ¼ cup oil
• 3 tablespoons light molasses
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon anise flavoring (optional)
• ¾ cup raisins, washed
• ¾ cup unprocessed bran
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons raw wheat germ
  

How To Prepare Bran Muffins

• Heat muffins pans (iron best) in 350° F. oven while preparing batter.
• Mix egg yolks, milk, oil, molasses, salt, anise, and raisins.
• Add bran, flour, and wheat germ; mix well.
• Beat egg white until stiff, but not dry; quickly and carefully fold into the batter.
• Coat very hot muffin pans quickly with vegetable shortening or vegetable release coating; fill muffin pans.
• Bake at 350° F. about 30 minutes (time varies with size of muffins).

Breakfast Banana Bar

To make 12 servings of breakfast banana bars we need the following ingredients:-

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 medium bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander or fennel (optional)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1½ cups quick rolled oats
• ½ cup raw wheat germ or unprocessed bran
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

How to prepare Breakfast Banana Bar

• Mix the oil in the mashed bananas; then add all the other ingredients; mix well.
• Coat a large pan or cookie sheet with a vegetable release coating or vegetable shortening.
• Place banana mixture on cookie sheet; flatten it and shape into a square about ½ inch deep.
• Bake at 350° F. until lightly browned (about 25 minutes); loosen with spatula; cut in bars while warm.
• Serve hot with a warm drink or fruit juice, or as a "traveling breakfast." 

Variation: In place of wheat germ, use an additional ½ cup rolled oats.

Grains and Health

"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt 6.11)

How important are grains?

Grains make up the most abundant foodstuffs in the world, and for many populations they truly represent "the stuff of life". What an array in variety they present: barley, wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, corn, rice, millet! Unfortunately, many areas of the earth feed the bulk of their grain to the livestock and eat their nutrients secondhand - in meat products.

Grains

Are you being robbed of the best part of the grain?

When you choose a variety of cereals and breads mainly in the unrefined form, you have available so much more nutrition than is present in the refined and "enriched" kind. We commonly think that milling removes only a few vitamins and minerals but does not affect the rest of the kernel, and that the enrichment program that is now mandatory throughout the United States makes up for these losses. It is estimated that more than 20 nutrients are removed in milling, and enrichment restores four of these nutrients. The four that are restored are three of the vitamins of the B complex -thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and the mineral iron. since the enrichment program has been in effect, several deficiency diseases of the B vitamins have largely disappeared.

Some of the best-quality protein, as well as other nutrients, including plant oils, is found in the germ and bran that often go into livestock feed. (Isn't it strange that animals are often better fed than we are?) Since whole-grain cereals and bread provide moderates amounts of protein, excellent sources of B vitamins, and some of the vital minerals, they should be amply represented in a well-chosen diet.

Start your day off with good cereals

Although cereals fit into any meal and into a variety of dishes, we commonly associate them with breakfast. Perhaps the limited variety, both in kind and in the way of serving them, has produced such a monotonous breakfast menu that many families scarcely bother with planning for this most important meal of the day.

If the limiting factor before the workday or school day begins, begin your breakfast preparation the evening before. The table can be set. Cereals can be almost completely cooked so as to require only heating to serving temperatures to finish them in time for breakfast. In this blog there are a variety of  wholesome recipes for a variety of cereals that I encourage you to have a look at so that your breakfast should truly be the "wake-up meal" of the day!

Bread making - it isn't just for grandma

Bread-making is a returning art, and it is fun. How good to come home and be met with the tantalizing fragrance of fresh bread baking that pulls you immediately to the kitchen and the cook! It is possible to make so many kinds, combining various grains with seeds, fruits, and nuts, that the bread you serve for any meal is really a treat packed with nutrition goodness.

Yes, you can make bread! Just follow one of our recipes.

How To Make Oven Pancakes

Ever wondered how to make oven pancakes, here is your chance to know how. We will start with the ingredients for almond oven pancakes then pecan and sunflower oven pancakes.

 In order to make 6 almond oven pancakes we will need the following ingredients:-

• 2¼ cups water
• 1½ cups rolled oats
• ⅓ cup almonds
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon light molasses

We can also make Pecan oven pancakes. To make 6 pecan oven pancakes we need the following ingredients:-

• 2 cups water
• 1¾ cups rolled oats
• ⅓ cup pecans
• ½ teaspoon salt

To make sunflower oven pancakes we will need the following ingredients: -

• 4 dates, pitted
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 2½ cups water
• 1½ cups rolled oats
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• ½ teaspoon salt

How To Make Oven Pancakes

• Heat a cookie sheet in 400° F. oven while preparing pancake batter.
• Whiz all ingredients in blender until smooth and foamy.
• Quickly coat very hot cookie sheet with vegetable shortening or a vegetable release coating.
• Pour pancakes-any size you want (these do not rise).
• Bake at 400° F about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness; turn after about 5 minutes if desired. They will need to be soft if rolled as a crepe.

NOTE: These maybe left a few minutes in turned-off oven (at the end of baking time) to bake until crisp. Batters keep well 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Stir batter before using; if thickened, add a spoonful of water to thin the batter.

ALTERNATE METHOD: 1. The same procedure as above, except, instead of individual pancakes, pour batter into a large cookie sheet in a thin layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, cut into 6 large pieces and serve as pancakes or as crepes.

VARIATIONS: 

1. Use other raw nuts such as filberts (hazel nuts), cashews, or peanuts. 
2. Wheat germ may be replaced with rolled oats, rolled wheat, or unprocessed bran.
3. Replace molasses or dates with brown sugar (less than 1 tablespoon).

Wheat Oat Crepes

We are now going to learn how to prepare wheat-oat crepes. The ingredients below are enough to make 16 6-inch crepes. Below are the required ingredients:-

• ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ¾ cup quick rolled oats
• 2 cups low-fat milk or soy milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt

How to make the Wheat Oat Crepes

• Whiz all the ingredients in blender or mix by hand; let stand 5 minutes.
• Heat a small nonstick skillet or crepe pan; oil lightly for first crepe only
• Spoon in about 3 tablespoons of batter; tilt skillet to spread batter evenly.
• Brown lightly on both sides
• Spread immediately with desired filling; roll up like  a  jelly roll or fold over.
• Serve hot with or without a topping, or refrigerate and rewarm in oven at 300° F. about 20 minutes or until crepes are heated through.

How To Make Animal Crackers

Time has now come to learn how to make Animal Crackers. In this article the ingredients are enough to make 7 dozen 1½-inch squares of animal crackers. We will need the following ingredients:-

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander (optional)
• ⅔ cup peanut butter
• ⅓ cup water
• 2 tablespoons light molasses
• 3 drops anise flavoring or pinch of ground anise
• 1 peeled apple chunked

Animal crackers

How to prepare the animal crackers

• Toss flour, salt, and coriander; add peanut butter and crumble together with fingers until texture of fine crumbs
• Whiz remaining ingredients in blender until smooth and pour over flour mixture only enough to  moisten the flour; press firmly into a ball.
• Flatten and roll out dough on large cookie sheet, well oiled  (top or bottom), to the thickness of pie crust.
• Cut with animal-shaped cookie cutters on cookie sheet.
• Bake about 10 minutes at 375° F. Watch crackers near edge of pan, for they brown first and may need to be removed sooner. 
• Serve hot for breakfast or any meal of the day; good in lunches.

NOTE: These can be cut into squares, strips, or triangles and used as fruit salad or dessert accompaniments.

The aroma of baking crackers is a happy "wakeup" to bring the family to breakfast. These crackers not only provide a mouth-watering treat but are also nutritious.

How To Make Crisp Wheat Crackers

Continue our effort to assemble recipes suitable for vegans and vegetarians, we now focus our attention on how to make crisp wheat crackers. In order to make crisp wheat crackers we need the following ingredients:-

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
• 2¾ cups stirred whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ¼ cup toasted sesame seed

  

  Wheat Crackers

How to Make the Crisp Wheat Crackers.

• Dissolve sugar in the warm water; sprinkle yeast over top; let set about 10 minutes.
• Put 1 cup of the flour in mixing bowl; add yeast mixture; stir; put in warm place 10-15 minutes.
• Stir salt into the remaining flour; add about 1 cup flour, the oil, and sesame seed to batter.
• Knead well. Add remaining flour while kneading.
• Divide into 4 portions for small cookie sheets or 2 portions for large cookie sheets.
• Roll out each portion on an oiled cookie sheet until like very thin pie crust.
• Score into crackers about 1½-inch square, or into other desired sizes or shapes.
• Let stand 30 minutes in warm place.
• Bake at 250° F. until light brown (about 1 hour).
• Serve with soups, salads, dips.

Wheat Free Toasty Oat Crackers

It is now time to learn how to make wheat free Toasty  Oat Crackers. This time the recipe is for 10 dozen healthy crackers suitable for vegetarians as always.

To make the toasty oat crackers we need the following ingredients: -

• 4 cups quick rolled oats
• ½ cup soy flour or other flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓  cup walnuts or other nuts, ground
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 tablespoon light molasses
• ¾ cup warm water
• ¼ cup raw, hulled sesame seeds

How to bake the oat crackers

• Mix oats, flour, salt, and ground walnuts in large bowl; add the oil and rub together.
• Stir molasses into the water and sprinkle over dry ingredients; mix well; add a spoonful of water if necessary to moisten dry ingredients; press together.
• Let Stand for 15 minutes.
• Divide into 2 balls; flatten each a bit on a large cookie sheet (top or bottom) coated with vegetable release coating.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and roll out to the thickness of pie crust. Because thin edges burn easily, push them in to thicken.
• Score into 1½-inch squares with a table knife; prick each with a fork
• Sprinkle top lightly with salt (optional).
• Bake at 350° F. 20 to 30 minutes until a delicate brown. Check often after 15 minutes. Watch crackers near edges of the pan, for they brown first and may need to be removed sooner. The crackers should be crisp all the way through.
• Serve hot with soup or fruit, or crumble and serve as cereal.
• Dry thoroughly before storing in covered container.

How To Make Corn Thins

We are now going to learn how to make corn thins. In this article we will make 8 dozen corn thins. The following ingredients are needed :-

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ¼ cup whole-wheat pastry flour or other flour
• 2 tablespoons soy flour
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon dill weed
• one eighth teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup hot low-fat milk

  

  Corn Thins

How To Make Corn Thins

• Combine all dry ingredients; add oil and rub together until mixed.
• Sprinkle with hot milk; mix well.
• Divide into 2 equal portions; press each together.
• Flatten each on oiled cookie sheet; lay sheet of waxed paper on top and roll out evenly like paper thin piecrust (thin spots and edges brown first); remove paper.
• Sprinkle top with garlic salt; roll over once lightly with rolling pin to press salt on (optional).
• Score into finger-length strips
• Bake in 400° F. oven until crisp, not browned (about 8 minutes, depending on thinness).
• Watch carefully.
• Serve hot with chili beans, soup, or salad or as finger food.

Note: - Because this mixture is crumbly and does not hold together in a ball, it is best not to bake on the bottom of a cookie sheet

How To Make Chapatties

To make 8 chapatties you need the following ingredients: -

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1½ cups whole-wheat bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ -¾ cup water

Chappati

How to make Chappatties

• Rub oil into the flour and salt; add enough cold water to make a soft, breadlike dough.
• Divide into balls the size of a small egg.
• Roll out each to 8 inches in diameter.
• Bake on both sides on a hot griddle ( or large skillet).
• Serve hot with margarine, honey, or sandwich spreads. A spread of peanut butter or beans makes a good nutritional combination.

Note: Chapatti is bread from India that can be used like a flour tortilla.

How To Make Apple Flat Cake

Let us now learn how to make an apple flat cake. We are going to make 12 serving.  To do this we need the following ingredients:-

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups apple juice
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups shredded apples, packed
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds

How to Make the Apple Flat Cake

• Mix well oats, oil, and salt; stir in apple juice and vanilla (let stand while shredding apples); stir in shredded apples.
• Pour into 10 x 15-inch baking pan
• Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over the top; press down lightly.
• Bake at 350° F about 45 minutes.
• Cut in squares and serve hot with a dollop of yogurt or whipped topping.

Note: For a crisper cake, leave in oven a few minutes after heat is turned off.

Variations:

1. In place of sunflower seeds used chopped cashews, almonds, or other raw nuts, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
2. Add 1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon rind.

How to Make No knead rolls

It is now time to learn how to make no knead rolls.

To make 2 dozen no knead rolls you will need the following ingredients : -

• 1½ cups of warm water (110 - 115° F 
• ¼ cup sugar or light molasses
• 2 pkgs. active dry yeast (2 tablespoonss)
• 1½ cups sifted enriched all- purpose flour
• ½ cup soy  flour
• 2 cups stirred whole wheat fllour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons oil
• egg

How To Make No Knead Rolls.

Add sugar and yeast to warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Add half of the flour and all the other ingredients.

Start mixer on medium speed (or beat by hand) and beat until smooth ( 1½ to 2 minutes); stir in the rest of the flour by hand.

Scrape batter down from sides of the bowl

Cover bowl and let rise in warm place until doubled (about 30 minutes)

Stir batter 20 to 25 strokes.

Coat 2 dozen muffin cups (or 2 29-oz. tin cans) with vegetable shortening or a vegetable release coating.

Fill muffin cups ½  full ( or cans 1/3 to ½ full).

Let rise in warm place until batter reaches tops of muffin cups (20 to 30 minutes).

Bake at 425° F. 10 to 15 minutes or until well browned

VARIATION  

For raisin rolls, add ½ cup raisin and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind to batter; use light molasses in place of sugar.

Arabic Bread (Pita)

Below is a recipe for making 12 loaves of Arabic bread (pita). To make the loaves you need the following ingredients: -

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups lukewarm water

1 pkg. active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups stirred whole-wheat flour

3 cups enriched all-purpose flour

How to Make the Arabic Bread or Pita.

Dissolve sugar in water in bowl; sprinkle yeast over; let stand 10 minutes.

Combine all ingredients; work into a medium-stiff ball.

Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes).

Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled.

Form dough into a long roll; cut in 12 equal pieces. Form each into a ball.

Cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Roll each ball into one quarter  inch thick circle.

Cover; let rise again 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit; place circles of dough directly on racks. As soon as dough puffs up (2 to 5 minutes), place under broiler for a few seconds until lightly browned.

Cool and store or freeze.

Note: These small round loaves are hollow  in the center.

Variations: 

1. The hollow loaves may be cut in half and stuffed with filling such as chopped tomatoes, lettuce, tahini (sesame seed butter). Falafels (p.76), and a garnish of parsley, or with chopped tomatoes, Yogurt Creme "Cheese" (p.99), a little olive oil, and oregano.  
2. Pita may be made from frozen bread. Thaw, cut dough for 1 loaf into 3 or 4 balls; spread each 1/4 inch thixk, tortilla- like; continue recipe as above.