Refried Beans

I guess the name of this dish is really a misnomer since I don't actually do any frying of the beans, but the end result has the same texture as canned refried beans.  My husband thinks these are a lot better than canned.  3 of my kids love refried beans with tacos, which we seem to eat on an almost weekly basis, so I make up a big batch of these and freeze the leftovers in 2 cup portions.
Yield: ~8 cups

4 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed (no need to presoak)
12 cups water
4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup minced dried onion

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for ~8 hours or until beans are soft and mashable.  Use a potato masher and/or hand mixer to mash and blend the hot cooked beans and liquid together until smooth.

Wheat Chili

I'm trying to slowly add some meatless dishes into our regular rotation, and this one fits the bill.  The wheat berries have a nice chewy texture when cooked, and they take on the flavor of the seasonings quite well.  I use a zillion and one spices in mine, but a chili seasoning packet from the grocery store should substitute just fine.  If you use storebought seasoning, you still need to add 2 tsp salt to your chili since you're using dried beans.

1 cup dry wheat berries
2/3 cup dry pinto beans
2/3 cup dry black beans
2/3 cup dry white beans
6 cups water
2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp dried onion
1 Tbsp dried minced garlic
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Rinse the beans, then dump all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until beans and wheat are soft.

Wheat Waffles

These have the lightest texture of any other wheat waffle recipe I've tried (and I've tried a bunch!) Beating the egg whites separately seems to be the magic step.

Yield: ~14 waffles (4"x4")

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup non-fat dry milk powder
1 3/4 cup water
6 Tbsp oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together, including the powdered milk. Stir in the remaining ingredients. For lighter waffles, separate eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff, and carefully fold in just before baking in waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.


Source: Basic Food Storage Cookbook

Orange Chicken

D and I really like this served with rice and stir fry vegetables....and if we're really splurging, frozen egg rolls! The kids won't touch the sauce, but they love the little bits of fried chicken plain. For the sauce, I've substituted lime juice for the orange juice when I ran out, and it still tastes great. White vinegar would probably substitute just fine for the rice vinegar.

Ingredients:
Chicken-
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce-
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok or frying pan) until completely cooked.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions. Enjoy.


Source:
http://blogchef.net/orange-chicken-recipe/

Susan's Bread

Susan's Bread (yield: 2 loaves)

2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil

4 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Vitamin C powder (optional, but this keeps the bread fresh for a longer time)
3.5 cups whole wheat flour (I prefer white wheat)
0.5 cup ground flax seed
2 cups bread flour


Put water, sugar, and yeast in the stand mixer bowl; stir enough to barely combine, then let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast has doubled. Add honey and oil, then all dry ingredients except bread flour, and mix on level 1 until blended. Then add the bread flour; mix on level 1 until you have a smooth dough ball no longer clinging to the bowl.

Allow dough to rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes. Then divide in half, shape into 2 loaves, and place in loaf pans. Allow to rise in a warm place for another 45-60 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks, covered by a towel.