What great weather we’ve been having! I love the warm weather and look forward to a long warm spring and hopefully a great summer. A friend of mine is a very health conscious woman. She cooks healthy meals full of vegatetables and wonderful desserts with lots of fresh fruit. Karen has been an inspiration to me to try to bring more healthy and fiber filled treats to my family. I hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. Thank you, Karen. I found a recipe for Potato Bread and thought that, being Aroostook County, we should all try to bring more potatoes into our homes (smile).
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 banana, mashed
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, oat bran, quick-cooking oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries and walnuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups water
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Directions: In a medium saucepan cook potato cubes in water for about 12 minutes, or until tender. Do not drain. Cool mixture to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Set aside 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Mash potato and remaining liquid; if necessary add warm water to make 2 cups potato mixture. In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast on reserved 1/2 cup potato water. Add mashed potato mixture, 2 cups of the flour, sugar, shortening, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in by hand.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch down, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each half into a loaf. Place in greased 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans. Cover. Let rise until nearly double, about 35 minutes. Before baking, brush tops with a little water and dust with additional flour.
Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop. com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
