Another wonderful recipe celebrating chia seed. This recipe comes from Colette Martin, an allergen-free baker, food allergy mom, and author of Learning to Bake Allergen-Free: A Crash Course for Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts. She shares allergen-free food solutions for busy families at her website, Learning to Eat Allergy-Free.

This recipe uses chia seeds in two ways: Ground chia seeds mixed with warm water are used as a substitute for eggs, and chia seeds are used as a garnish. The bagels are baked (using a doughnut pan, or freeform) instead of boiled. The result is an easy, healthy, gluten-free alternative to traditional bagels.

 Baked Chia Bagels

Makes 12 bagels

• 4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 4 tsp Instant Yeast
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 cup Chia Seed Gel (2 Tbsp ground chia seeds* mixed with 12 Tbsp warm water) (equal to 4 eggs)
• 1 cup warm Water
• 3 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 2  Tbsp Chia Seeds (whole) mixed with 1 Tbsp Rock Salt (optional)

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, yeast, and sugar), and set it aside. Mix together the chia seed gel, water, and grapeseed oil. Add the dry ingredients. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Use slightly damp hands to form the bagels. Sprinkle 1 tsp of chia seeds mixed with salt (if desired) on top of each bagel. Proof for 30 minutes. Bake at 375°F degrees for 12 minutes.

*To grind chia seeds, use a coffee grinder or spice grinder.

Learn to appreciate buckwheat properly with Dan Brophy

Appreciating Buckwheat with Chef Daniel Brophy!
Thursday, March 1 , 2012 5:00-7:00 p.m.!
Class fee $40.00

Buckwheat is a versatile grain for healthy meals that can be utilized from breakfast to dinner. The earthy, savory grain dresses up to pare with caviar or down for salads and stuffing. Chef Brophy will demonstrate the use of buckwheat as a flour in Blinis or as a grain in Buckwheat and Lentil Salad or as Kasha with Spicy Maple Pecans. Additional recipes include Buckwheat Coffee Cake and Buckwheat and Summer Squash salad with Garbanzo Beans. Join us as we enjoy this tasty and often misunderstood grain.

Artisan Baking with Whole Grains and Tim Healea!
Thursday, March 8, 2012 4:00-6:30 p.m.
Class fee $50.00

Award winning baker Tim Healea of SE Portland’s Little t American Baker will demonstrate how to incorporate whole grain flours into traditional artisan yeasted bread recipes, yielding loaves with superior nutritional content and unique flavors and aromas. Tim will make a versatile Whole Wheat Egg Bread that can be braided like Challah and is perfect for sandwiches and french toast. The same dough will be used to create sweet Cinnamon Raisin Morning Buns. Also on the menu are Barley Pretzel Rolls, made with a traditional process, and a 10-Grain Carrot Loaf that utilizes multigrain cereal and organic carrots. This is a hands-on class, so be sure to bring these supplies: A large mixing bowl, a half sheet pan or cookie sheet and a bench scraper/knife, an apron, a washcloth and a hand towel.    

Pasta 101 with Chef Ivy Manning!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Class fee $40.00

5:00-7:00 p.m. Love fresh pasta, but don’t love shelling out lots of cash for tender, toothsome noodles? Join cookbook author and food writer Chef Ivy Manning for her back-by-demand Pasta 101 class and learn the ins-and-outs of hand crank and electric pasta makers, plus recipes for Semolina Pasta Dough, Tagliatelle with Creamy Porcini Sauce, Spaghetti with Classic Marinara Sauce, and Homemade Seeded Crackers! Some hands-on pasta making will be included, bring an apron!

We’re celebrating the tiny wonder-seed Chia all month long. This wonderful recipe comes from Brandi of Bran Appetit. Brandi Evans is the writer, taste tester, and dish washer at BranAppetit! Of her blog, Brandi says, “This blog is my cooking outlet, a place where I can share what’s going on in our kitchen and our lives. A self-taught cook, I try my best to make delicious homemade food, with a healthier spin. Equally fueled by local food, fresh baked bread, and homemade desserts, we eat often and we eat well.” We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Cherry Almond Chia Granola
Makes: About 4.5 cups granola

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 cup Buckwheat Groats
• ½ cup Quinoa, uncooked
• 1/3 cup Chia Seeds
• 1 cup sliced Almonds
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• ¼ cup Maple Syrup
• ¼ cup neutral Oil (safflower, coconut, or canola work well)
• 1 cup dried Tart Cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 225°F degrees.
2. Place the oats, buckwheat groats, quinoa, chia seeds, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and toss together.
3. Pour the vanilla, maple syrup, and oil over the granola mixture and stir to combine, making sure that the oil and maple syrup has coated everything.
4. Spread the granola onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake at 225 for 60-90 minutes until the granola is toasted and crunchy.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
6. Break apart and toss together with the dried cherries before serving.

We’re celebrating the tiny wonder-seed Chia all month long. This wonderful recipe comes from Jennifer from Savor the Thyme. Of her blog, Jennifer says, “Savor the Thyme focuses on family-friendly healthy food and lifestyle. I believe in feeding your family in a healthy way and to me that means eating ‘real’ foods but also having fun and a good sense of humor while you do it!” We love that! This recipe is beautiful and pretty drool-inducing if you ask us. Enjoy!

Banana Blueberry Chia Seed Bundt Cake with Coffee Glaze

Ingredients for the cake:

• 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1-1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup Applesauce, no sugar added
• 3 Eggs
• 6 oz. plain fat free Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Blueberries
• 1 ripe Banana, mashed
• ¼ cup Chia Seeds, whole

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 1 cup packed Confectioners’ Sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp Coffee

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine the first six ingredients together in large bowl and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, yogurt and vanilla until combined.

4. Fold the bananas and blueberries into the wet ingredients.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet and fold to combine.

6. Fold in the chia seeds.

7. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray and then fill with the batter. Bake for about 45 – 55 minutes (test doneness by inserting a toothpick and making sure it comes out ‘clean’) and allow to cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.

8. Prepare the glaze by mixing the sugar and coffee with a fork and then drizzle over the cake and serve.

I loved Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, so I was thrilled to hear that Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François were coming out with a book dedicated to making pizza and flatbread in their signature “five minutes a day” style. The theory behind this method is to make a big batch of dough on Sunday (or any day) and use it to bake homemade bread, or in this case pizza, quickly when pressed for time. Having done it myself, I can truly say it’s a lifesaver on a weeknight when you need bread to go with dinner. Sure, you can stop by the bakery and pick up a loaf, but it won’t taste nearly as good as a fresh loaf and it definitely won’t fill your home with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day takes the work out of pizza dough. I don’t know about you, but I have yet to find the magical combination of ingredients that yield a delicious homemade pizza. The closest I’ve gotten was using the Healthy Bread in Five recipe, so I was beside myself to learn about this book entirely dedicated to pizza. Just looking at these photos, it’s easy to tell that these recipes will allow you to create chewy, crunchy pizzas with little effort. My proposition? Forget ordering delivery pizza on Friday and plan ahead. Make a batch of dough on Sunday, it only takes a few minutes, and pull it out on Friday. Follow the directions below and you’ll have a tastier pizza in less time than it takes to get a delivery on Friday night (45 minutes in my neck of the woods). Not only that, but you’ll know what went into it (no nasty preservatives) and you can feel proud that you created such a splendid meal for your family.

Oh yeah, and the best part? This book has GLUTEN FREE recipes too!!

To show you just how great this book is, Jeff and Zoë, are sharing this recipe and their signature method with you here. I know, it looks daunting, but try it and then see what you think. I can tell you what I’ll be doing this weekend! They’ve also generously offered up three copies of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread for you to win. In addition to that, we’ll kick in a 5 lb bag of our whole wheat flour (or a gluten free alternative) and an 8 oz package of our active dry yeast so you can get started right away. (If you haven’t tried our yeast, let me just say that I can tell a huge difference between ours and those little yeast-packets.)

Whole Wheat Pizza Margherita (Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil)

Adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day,
by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François Thomas Dunne Books, 2011

Makes enough dough for at least eight ½ -pound pizzas or flatbreads (about 12 inches across).  The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

• 3-¼ cups lukewarm Water
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Active Dry or Instant Yeast (or 1 packet)
• 1 to 1½ Tbsp Coarse Salt
• 2 Tbsp Sugar, Honey, Malt Powder, or Agave Syrup
• 3-½ cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3-½ cups Whole Wheat Flour (“white” whole wheat or traditional)
• ⅓ cup Tomato Sauce
• 3 ounces fresh Mozzarella Cheese (cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
• 4 fresh Basil Leaves (whole, thinly slivered or torn)
• Olive Oil for drizzling over the pizza before baking
• Flour, Cornmeal or Parchment for the pizza peel

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Add olive oil, yeast, salt, and sweetener to the water in a 5-quart bowl or in a lidded (not airtight) plastic food container.
2. Measure the flours with the “scoop-and-sweep” method. Then mix with the liquids:  Add both flours and mix with a wooden spoon, dough whisk or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle).  Don’t knead, it isn’t necessary.
3. Allow to rise: Cover with a lid (not airtight), leave it open a crack for the first 48 hours  and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until it begins to flatten on the top, approximately 2 hours. Do not punch down the dough!
4. After rising, refrigerate and use over the next 10 days; the dough will develop sourdough characteristics with storage.  Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with.  The first time you try our method, it’s best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours) before use.  Once refrigerated, the dough will collapse, and it will never rise again in the bucket—that’s normal. 
   

On Pizza Day

1. Prepare and measure toppings in advance:  This will help you top the pizza quickly so you can get it into the oven before it sticks to the pizza peel.
2. Thirty minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat a baking stone at your oven’s highest temperature, with the baking stone placed in the bottom third of the oven.
3. Shape a ball in 20 to 30 seconds.  Prepare a pizza peel with flour, cornmeal or parchement to prevent sticking.  Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour. Cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough, using a serrated knife or kitchen shears. Hold the piece of dough and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a quarter-turn as you go to form a ball.
4. 

   Flatbread recipes, such as this Fougasse, are abundant in this wonderful resource, as well.

   Roll out and stretch a pizza crust:  Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pin on the counter or directly onto the pizza peel to produce a ⅛-inch-thick round, 12 inches across, dusting with flour to keep the dough from adhering to your work surface.  Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as needed, and transfer it to the prepared pizza peel if you haven’t stretched the dough directly on one.  When you’re finished, it should have enough flour under it to move easily when you shake the peel.  The pizza should move freely.  If it doesn’t, use the dough scraper and some flour to un-stick.

5. Add the toppings:  Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a half-inch border at the edges, then add the cheese and basil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza.
6. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone:  Place the tip of the peel near the back
   of the stone, give the peel a few quick forward-and-back jiggles and pull it sharply out from under the pizza.  Check for doneness in 8 to 10 minutes and turn the pizza around
   in the oven if one side is browning too fast.  It may take up to 5 more minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, preferably on a wire cooling rack, so that the cheese sets.

Recipe copyright 2011, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day (Thomas Dunne Books, 2011). Photos courtesy of Mark Luinenburg (MarkLuinenburg.com)

Visit artisanbreadinfive.com for tips, tricks and recipes using all three of these wonderful books.

To enter the contest, please tell us what your favorite pizza topping is in the comments, then be sure to click in the box below to say “I did this.” If you don’t have a facebook account, you can set up an account with an email address. Extra entries can be earned by completing the tasks below.

Totally confused? You’re not alone! Check out this great tutorial for how to enter here: http://blog.rafflecopter.com/2011/07/how-to-enter-rafflecopter-giveaways/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you remember that jingle?  The catchy tune that sold millions of Chia Pets over the years?  Well, those same seeds that grow the “fur” on chia pets is the same seed that’s one of the best superfoods!  I’d never made that connection until this weekend when my mother, who was taste-testing the muffins I’m about to tell you about, asked if she was eating a Chia Pet.  After laughing about it for a while, I got on the trusty old Internet and found that that they were, indeed, one and the same.  Who knew???

But chia seeds are more than a fun As Seen on TV buy.  They’re a nutritional powerhouse.  Full of protein and fiber, they pack a huge punch in a tiny little package.  I sprinkle them in smoothies, in pancakes and waffles, and in these amazing muffins.

These muffins are great for a Sunday brunch party.  Or dessert.  Or mid-day snack.  Or whenever.  Because they’re completely awesome.  And that’s saying a lot for a chocoholic like myself.

Orange Chia Seed Muffins with Streusel and Orange Glaze

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose works fine, too)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp orange zest (about 4 oranges)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk

For the streusel:

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin well, being sure to butter the top of the tin as well so the muffin tops don’t stick to the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, make the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, and salt.  Cut in the 3/4 cup of chilled butter using a pastry cutter.  Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. To make the muffins, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add the orange zest and, with the mixer on low, blend in one egg at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Blend in one-third of the milk, alternating with the flour mixture, until it’s all incorporated.  Do not overbeat.
5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and then sprinkle with the streusel.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely.
6. To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with the orange juice, and let sit for a few minutes to thicken.  Using a spoon, drizzle over the muffins.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Prep ahead tips:  Make the streusel ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.

Happy February! We’re kicking off a full month of chia seed madness featuring some great recipes from bloggers of every sort. We know a lot of people are interested in this funny little seed and looking for some fun and delicious ways to include it in their diet. Without further ado, here is a wonderful recipe from Brittany of Itty Bits of Balance.

Brittany considers her blog to be a resource for all types of readers to come together and take a look on the inner workings of a healthy lifestyle. “Being formerly overweight myself, I have gone through quite the weight loss journey and have tried out my fair share of fad diets with non-wholesome ingredients. Ideally, I want to build a sense of community, where readers can escape the flawed views of “healthy” that are floating around through the media, and realize that we need to eat to live! (I was also recently diagnosed with an intolerance to wheat, so Bob’s Red Mill has truly been a saving grace for me!)”

Chocolate Protein Chia Pudding

Serves: 1

Prep Time: 30 minutes or overnight

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp protein powder of choice (I used hemp)
• 1 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbsp Stevia (or other sweetener)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then mix again with a fork. Continue to let mixture sit until pudding forms and stir well before serving.

**For overnight option– just stir once after 10 minutes and let pudding form in refrigerator overnight.

Wow! The Virtual Potluck bloggers have been very busy this month with all the recipes they’ve been pumping out and the prizes they were giving away. While we are sad to see the end of our Virtual Potluck with California Olive Ranch, we are so happy to share all their wonderful recipes with you. It was simply amazing to work with each of these bloggers and see their special take on the different ingredients. Until we have each of these up on our website, here is a quick round-up of the recipes these guys and gals have been creating.

Farmgirl Gourmet:
Week Three: Pear and Bacon Quinoa Pizza
Week Four: Butternut Squash Olive Oil Cake with Clementine Glaze

Miss in the Kitchen:
Week Three: Smoked Salmon Quinoa Patties
Week Four: Pineapple Bars

Cooking With Books:
Week Three: Sausage and Quinoa Casserole
Week Four: Marzipan Olive Oil Brownies

Cookistry:
Week Three: Rice-i-Noa
Week Four: Chocolate Olive Oil (Mayo) Cake

30A Eats:
Week Three: Grande Grains Jambalaya
Week Four: Virgin Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Maple & Benton Bacon

Thyme In Our Kitchen:
Week Three: Quinoa Cakes with Walnut and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Week Four: Cranberry Almond Quinoa Cookies

Not Rachel Ray:
Week Three: Savory Asian Quinoa Pancakes with Parsley-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Week Four: Yogurt Tart in Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

Diabetic Foodie:
Week Three: Quinoa and Lentil Chili
Week Four: Lemon Loaf with Almonds

Foodie:
Week Three: Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa with Ribeye and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Week Four: Lemon Basil Tea Biscuits

Bite and Booze:
Week Three: Baked “BBQ” Chicken Thighs over Grande Whole Grains with Thyme
Week Four: TBD

Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine:
Week Three: Quinoa Primavera
Week Four: All of the Lemon Pie with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

Groovy Foody:
Week Three: Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever with Honey-Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting
Week Four: Easy Homemade Calzone