Oatmeal Molasses Bread With Cranberries and Walnuts

This is a soft, satisfying yeast based bread, a slice of which goes well in the mornings with coffee. Makes great sandwiches when spread with butter and eaten with the filling of choice. It's not a very sweet bread and has a really good texture and taste. Having the beneficial properties of oats in it does help as well to make you feel less guilty about eating bread. The preparation time is long due to the multiple risings the bread needs to develop it's texture, and flour measurements to end up with the right feel to the dough, will vary. However, the recipe is a forgiving one, and produces two standard sized loaves that may be sliced and frozen for future use. Although I prefer it with the yogurt, and egg as they make the texture of the bread softer and more moist, but both may be omitted for people with allergies to these products.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups boiling water

1 (1/4-ounce ) package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

5 to 6 cups bread flour

½ cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

¼ cup yogurt

1 egg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup wholewheat flour, oats, cranberries, brown sugar, chopped walnuts, molasses, salt, and butter.
2. Pour the boiling water over the top and mix.
3. Let cool to lukewarm (approx. 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I measure with a thermometer).
4. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to proof
5. When the liquid mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture, egg and yogurt. Mix using a stand mixer with a dough hook.
6. Add enough bread flour to make an elastic dough and knead thoroughly until smooth. It is hard to give an exact estimate of the flour but the end result is a dough that is smooth, elastic, dry to touch, and forms a ball around the dough hook while cleaning the sides of the bowl. It should not stick to the side of the bowl.
7. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn once so it’s greased lightly on top.
8. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper and put to rise until double (about 2 hours).
9. Punch the dough down, then re-cover and let rise again until nearly double (about 90 minutes). Divide the dough evenly into 2 halves and shape into loaves.
10. Place each loaf in a greased loaf pan, cover, and set in a warm, draft-free place to rise again until nearly double (about 90 minutes).
11. Bake in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped.

Munchy Crunchies

Just to be clear, there is nothing healthy about these. However, they are 100% delicious. They are full of fat and sugar, with a sprinkling of oats. They are loosely based on Anzac cookies and South African "Crunchies" but they taste like neither of those. The salt and brown sugar mix gives the final product the taste of salty caramel biscuits! Again, forget about your health when you are eating them!

125 grams butter

200 grams brown sugar or coconut sugar

1 Tablespoon golden syrup

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

40 grams oatmeal

40 grams whole oats

120 grams flour

40 grams coconut

40 grams flax meal

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8inch by 8 inch or 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Let the paper overhang as seen in the photo.

2.      Measure the oatmeal, oats, flax meal, sesame seeds, flour and coconut into a bowl. Mix.

3.      Melt the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan and heat it over low heat until the butter has completely melted. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir until mixed. Add the teaspoon of vinegar and the mixture will foam up very quickly.

4.      Add the hot ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until mixed and place in the prepared pan. It should form a nice dough ball. Place the mixture on the parchment paper and pack it down tightly with a spatula. Bake it for 15 minutes at 325 degrees F, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into squares while still in the dish. Do this carefully as the mixture will be somewhat crumbly. Lower the temperature to 250 degrees and bake for another hour to dry out and become golden brown. Turn off the oven and leave until cool. Remove from the oven and lift the slab out with the parchment paper. Cut into squares as the cookies will be much harder now. Let it cool in the pan before storing in an airtight container

Lebanese Chicken and Stringbean Stew Lubiyeh or Lubi bi Assineyh

This is the Lebanese Jamaican version of a traditional Lebanese dish, Lubiyeh or Lubi bi Asineyeh. It is much spicier than the traditional Lebanese version....so be warned! I remember my mother spending hours to make this dish, browning the chicken, then slowly stewing it on the stove top or covered in a ceramic casserole in the oven, adding the spices that make up the Baharat, a little at a time. I have used a combination of oven roasting, and a slow cooker which takes away the need for constant monitoring! 

1 1 /2 lbs chicken thighs

1 lb string beans

10 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large yellow onion, cut into large chunks

5-6 very ripe, very red Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2-1 tablespoons Baharat (see previous recipe for this Lebanese mixture. It is also known as 7 spice mix and flavors and ingredients are very regional and family dependent. The main spices are cinnamon, paprika, cloves, allspice, and cumin. My version is a little spicy so you may want to either use commercially prepared brands or just add the main spices to taste. There are also many other recipes available for Baharat on the Internet)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 Habanero chili, whole

Cilantro, Mint, and lemon juice, additional crushed garlic to taste
Tomato paste to thicken sauce

Directions

1.      Cut the chicken thighs into chunks. Season with the Baharat, salt and pepper. Marinate in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight

2.      Wash, clean and cut the beans as shown. Place at the bottom of the slow cooker (6 quart)

3.      In a large baking casserole, arrange the onions, tomatoes and garlic, making sure that the garlic is sequestered in one corner of the dish. Place the chicken chunks on top of this and bake for about 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until browned.

4.      Remove from oven. Place chicken chunks on top of the beans in the slow cooker, along with the whole, now cooked garlic cloves.

Puree, using blender (hand or standing), the tomatoes and onions in the broth created, and pour the pureed mixture over the chicken and beans.

The departure from the traditional Lebanese recipe by Lebanese Jamaicans, is the addition of a Habanero chili, left whole and removed towards the end of the cooking process. Naturally, it is optional, and not for everyone.

5.      Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours. Stir once or twice during the cooking process. Thicken the sauce by adding tomato paste until you have it at a consistency you like.

6.      At the end of the cooking time, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, Baharat, additional beaten garlic, chopped cilantro, fresh mint and additional lemon juice, to taste before serving. This dish is usually eaten with rice or a thick flat bread, and a Lebanese salad. It tastes much better the next day after it has been refrigerated and the flavors allowed to mix.