Wheat-Oat-Flax Buns

Easy to whip up theses tender rolls which are high in fiber and a great whole-grain alternative for your white breads. If you are worried about the bitterness from using the whole wheat flour, that's where our orange juice comes into picture. Feel free to use all whole wheat flour and make sure you increase the amount of orange juice as it mellows any potential bitterness and you are good to go.

Ingredients:

2 cups Unbleached Bread Flour

1 cup white Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Old-fashioned rolled Oats

1/2 cup Whole Flax meal

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Orange juice

3 tbsp Honey

1 large Egg Yolk

2 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast

1 1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 to 7/8 cup Lukewarm Water**

1 Egg White, for topping

Rolled Oats, for topping

**Use the greater amount of liquid in winter or in drier climates; lesser amount in summer, or in a humid environment.

 How to:

• Beat the egg white with 1 tbsp of water and keep aside.
• Add the dry ingredients together; bread flour, wheat flour, oats, flax meal, yeast and salt.

• Add the wet ingredients together; canola oil, orange juice, honey, egg yolk and water.

• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until cohesive. 

• Let rest for 20 mins for the grains to absorb the liquid. Then start kneading by hand or mixer until the dough is soft and smooth.

• Pour 1 tbsp water at a time while kneading if the dough seems a bit dry.
• Place the dough in a greased pan and let rise for 1 1/2 hrs.

• Gently deflate the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Shapen the dough into a circle about 3" across.

• Place the buns on a parchment paper and let rise for 90 mins, until doubles again.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush the buns with egg white mixture and sprinkle with oats.

• Bake the buns for 20 mins or until golden brown and transfer to a cool rack.

• Serve warm slathered with butter or with tea, just the way my hubby prefers.

No Butter Chubby Oatmeal Cookie

This soft and chewy cookie is a decadent treat for those who watch their waistline. You can have it with your morning cup of coffee as breakfast or to satisfy your late night sweet-tooth. The recipe calls for brown sugar, but I replaced it with equal amount of date sugar. Date sugar is nothing but dehydrated dates ground into granulated form. It is a whole food, high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. I think it is a great substitute and the best part is you won't taste anything different. And here goes the recipe,
Ingredients:

3/4 cup APF/Maida

3/4 cup Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Date Sugar

1/4 cup White granulated sugar

1/2tsp Baking soda

1/4tsp Salt

1 Egg

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tbsp Water

How to:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use foil and spray it with oil.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and oats.

• In another bowl, break the egg and whisk until frothy. Add date sugar and white sugar followed by oil, vanilla extract and water.

• Now slowly add the flour mixture into the egg-sugar mixture and blend'em well.

• Scoop equal amount of the mixture and place it on the cookie sheet. Then gently press it to flatten the mixture and bake'em for 10 mins.

• Cool completely on a cooling rack before storing.

 

•  Serve it as a snack or dessert.

Tips:

• Date sugar is available online or in specialty food stores.
• To make it even more decadent, add chocolate chips, raisin or any dried fruit into the mixture.

Oats Upma

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Oats (old-fashioned)

1/2 Yellow onion (chopped)

2 Green Chilli (cut lengthwise)

1tsp Ginger (minced)

5-6 Curry leaves

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp Urad dal

8-10 Almonds (optional)

2 1/4 cups Water

2tsp + 1tsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Heat 1tsp of oil in a pan, roast the almonds and keep it aside.

• Heat 2tsp oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add urad dal, followed by asafoetida.

• Then add onions along with little salt and saute until tender.

• Add green chilli, curry leaves and ginger and saute for a couple of mins or until onions turn golden brown.

• Then pour the water along with salt, when it starts to boil, add the oats, mix well and cook for 7 mins with lid closed. (Stir once or twice to avoid sticking or burning at the bottom.)

• Remove the lid, gently stir and cook until water is all evaporated and left dry.

Switch off, serve warm topped with roasted almonds and hot sauce as a side.

Oats Dosa

Ingredients:

2 cups Oats (old fashioned)

1 cup Rava/Sooji

1/2 cup Whole wheat flour

3/4 cup Zucchini (grated)

1tsp Cumin seeds

2 green Chilli (chopped)

1/2tsp Ginger (minced)

4-5 Curry leaves

1tbsp Yogurt (plain)

3 1/2 cups Water

Salt

2tsp Oil

How to:

• Dry roast the oats and rava for 4-5 mins each separately and let it cool.

• Grind the cooled oats into a fine powder. (As fine as possible)

• Now, in a bowl mix together the ground oats, rava and whole wheat flour.

• Then add yogurt followed by water and mix well with your hands resulting, a lump-free batter.

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves.

• Add the hot mixture into the batter, mix well and let rest for 20-25 mins.

• Finally add grated zucchini and salt, mix well and the batter is ready.

• Heat griddle/tawa, pour a ladle full of batter and spread evenly, making a round shape. 

• Pour drops of oil at the sides and cook for 2-3 mins, flip it and cook for another 3 mins or until brown.
• Remove and serve hot with milaga podi/chutney.

Tip:

• Unlike the dosa prepared with rice & urad dal, this dosa won't be crispy. You can still get browner dosa by cooking couple of mins more in the hot griddle.
• You can also use other grated vegetables like carrot, cucumber, beets along with chopped onions.