Improvising pumpkin bread recipe!

Oh this could be bad ... LOL

I took our existing pumpkin bread recipe and modified it to lower the oil and sugar content and to increase the amount of pumpkin used.  I just have too much pumpkin puree in the freezer and need to USE THIS PUMPKIN BEFORE IT GOES BAD!

OK, so here is the modified recipe:

First, preheat oven to 350F.  Prep 2 small bread loaf pans (I just sprayed them with Pam, but you could just oil them).

Ingredients:

3 C Splenda (or other sweetener - orig recipe calls for sugar)
2 T oil
4 eggs
4 C pumpkin puree (This batch of puree is a bit watery so I didn't add the water the orig recipe called for.  The relative amounts of puree and water is really a judgement call.  The final batter should flow like cake batter, if that helps!)
3 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I grind my own from wheat I grind fresh from wheat.)
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder (orig recipe called for 1 teaspoon, but with whole wheat flour I thought this would lighten things up)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

I just mixed everything together in one bowl until it looked well mixed.  Just about 1-2 mins with a big spoon.  Pour the batter into the loaf pans (just split it up evenly).  Bake for 30-40 mins.  Check by sticking it with a toothpick - toothpick should come out clean.   When done, removed from oven and let sit for about 10 mins.  Then remove from pans and let it cool.

Results:

Hmm - its been in for about an hour now.  Toothpick test still shows that its wet inside - just barley though.  Giving it another 10 mins.  It smells very good anyway!

OK.  It's out.  Still shows a slight dampness in the center by the toothpick test, but 70 mins is enough!  Letting it cool now.  Hopefully they will come out of the pans easy....

OK - omg - it worked!  Very well, I might add!  I let them cool for about 15 mins (I'm doing this as I'm working at home - so I get distracted!  Timers are a good thing!)  Then I turned them out - they came out easy.  I let them cool another 10 mins and sliced off a piece to taste.  It sliced nice and tastes great!  Here is a picture:

Again, almost no fat and no sugar!  Now, because of the splenda it does taste a bit "off" - but my wife can't have the sugar that the regular recipe calls for (and I don't need the extra calories)!

No-Knead Bread Recipe

I keep losing this recipe in all my files so when I finally found it I decided to post it here in my blog!


No Knead Bread

7 1/2 C.Whole Wheat Flour
6 tsp. Dry Yeast or 2 Pkts.
1 Cup Warm Water
1 T. Honey
2 tsp. salt
4T. Molasses
Warm water as needed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour in large bowl to warm about 20 min. in warm oven.

Dissolve the salt, honey and yeast in 1 cup of warm water.

Combine yeast, honey and salt mixture to warmed flour and enough water to make a sticky dough.

Place in greased pans. 2 large or 3 small. Let rise 1 hour or until double in size.


Bake 30 to 40 min.

Let cool in pan for 10 min.


-----------

I have used this recipe for years.   Here are some pictures of my process:

My Nutrimill flour mill.  I love this thing!  Fast and quiet (comparatively speaking - its about the same as a vacuum cleaner).  I use it for wheat and corn.

I keep my wheat in Mylar bags with oxygen scrubbers.  The bags are inside of a 5 gallon bucket.  These are great for long term storage.  You can buy wheat this way from survival "prep" stores, or put them together yourself.   I have done it both ways and the wheat can be stored for at least 2 years this way.  Probably more.

Wheat with a small amount of flax seed on top.  I grind a small amount of flax with my wheat because the flour mill can't handle milling flax by itself.

Everything in there except for the water.

Mixed with water.  Ready to put in the loaf pans.

Put the mixed dough into the pans and then let it rise for about an hour (or until doubled).  I usually put mine in a warm oven (I set the oven on its lowest setting for about 15 mins while I'm mixing the stuff, then turn the oven off and put the loaf pans in to rise).

After rising.  Ready to bake!

Fresh out of the oven!

Green tomato relish recipes

Here are some links to recipes that looked interesting to me:

national center for home food preservation recipe for green tomato relish

interesting "no sugar" recipe - uses tart apples!

no sugar recipe again, as above but slightly different

One for chow-chow - without quite as much bell peppers or sugar!

Pumpkin Ideas

Pumpkin Flour

Take non-sugar pumpkins and dehydrate them.  Put in food processor and make flour.  Add up to 1/4 of regular flour.  eg.  1 cup regular flour = 1/4 cup pumpkin flour + 3/4 cup regular flour.  Pumpkin flour is more dense but lower in carbs.

Pumpkin Chili

There are several versions of this online.  They all involve pumpkin puree.  Good way to use it up.

Pumpkin Bread
Use 2 cups Splenda rather than 3 cups of sugar.  Substitute whole-wheat flour for AP flour.  If using homegrown pumpkin puree, add 1/3 cup water instead of 2/3 cup.  Bakes for about an hour rather then the 30 minutes specified in recipe.

Bean Loaf -- no bread

6 oz canned kidney beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked chopped veggies (carrots, celery. onion)
garlic
3 Tbs country-style Dijon mustard
2 Tbs molasses

Drain and mash beans.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

Vegetarian Chili

28 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)
30 oz beans (drained)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup frozen corn
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 bell peppers