Milk Buns with Coconut Cream

FOR THE STARTER:
1/2 cup of whole milk

1/4 cup of all purpose flour

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons of avocado oil (may sub for any oil)

4 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup of all purpose flour (to be added during kneading)

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup of warm water (not too hot!)

2 packets of INSTANT yeast or 1 Tablespoon ( I recommend this brand for this recipe)

FOR THE COCONUT CREAM FILLING:
1 can (14 ounces) of COCONUT CREAM (do not use coconut milk)

1/4-1/2 cup of powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it!)

3 cups of prepared whipped cream (may sub for full fat cool whip or make your own. I use Rich's Whipped Cream where I purchased from Cash N Carry)

OPTIONAL:
desiccated coconut flakes (unsweetened)

melted unsalted butter

16 inch disposable decorating bags

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Melt your butter in the microwave. Stir in your oil and set aside.

2. Make your starter/roux by combining 1/4 cup of all purpose flour with whole milk. Stir well and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Mix well. Microwave on high, again, for additional 30 seconds. Mix well. If your mixture has not thickened and isn't resembling dense, mashed potatoes at this point, microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Mix well and allow for this mixture to cool down to warm (about 15 minutes).

3. Into your stand mixer, add in 4 cups of all purpose flour and sugar. Stir. Add in your yeast, warm water, melted butter/oil, and then your warm roux. (Make sure to follow that order.)

4. Using your dough hook attachment, knead for 1 minute. Add in your salt and 1/4 cup more of all purpose flour. Continue to knead for 8 more minutes until dough is soft and has formed a ball underneath the dough hook.

5. Place dough onto a clean work surface. Knead until you form a smooth ball.

6. Spray mixing bowl with some cooking spray. Place your dough into mixing bowl and spray over it with more cooking spray. Cover with saran wrap and wait for it to double in size.

7. Place dough onto the counter and punch it down to release any air bubbles. Using the fold-over method, knead the dough back down to its original size and until most of the air bubbles are gone.

8. Divide dough into 16-18 equal sized pieces. (Watch my video below for a visual.) Cover your unused dough pieces with a clean, dry cloth. Next, use your hands to make each little piece into a smooth ball, and then using a rolling pin (I use a plastic one used for fondant), roll it out a bit, but making sure to keep it in a circle. Pinch the sides up to create a taco shape, pinch to seal. Place the shaped buns onto a baking sheet fitted with some silpat or parchment paper. Repeat with the rest.

9. Cover your shaped buns with a clean, dry cloth and wait for them to get puffy (not exactly doubled in size; these will rise quite a bit during baking!), about 20-30 minutes.

MAKE YOUR COCONUT FILLING:

Into a large COLD mixing bowl (I put mine in the freezer for a bit), add in your coconut cream and powdered sugar. Whip for several minutes until thickened. (Coconut cream does not whip into stiff peaks.) Using a flat spatula, gently fold in 3 cups of prepared whipped cream. (Store bought, full fat whipped cream would be you your best bet because it's more stabilized.) Place your coconut cream into the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F.

10. Bake your buns for about 20-25 minutes or until tops have become slightly browned.

11. Remove your buns from the oven, and one by one, brush the tops with melted butter and then coat in coconut flakes. Allow for these to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and filling. Taste best eaten the same day!

NOTES:

-Good yeast is important in this recipe. I buy Red Star's Platinum Superior Instant Yeast w/dough enhancers from Safeway and will only use it for this recipe. It really does make the buns softer, but since it's more expensive, I will not use it for everyday baking. But yes, you may use whatever brand of instant yeast you can get your hands on.

-I purchase Rich's whipped cream from Cash N Carry. Pastry Pride is the other one that's great for this recipe!

-My kids prefer these filled with some basic whipped cream. Works great for this recipe, too, because it's more stabilized and not runny!

-Homemade coconut cream does not get stiff like heavy cream, just fyi.

-The coconut cream splashes EVERYWHERE so I would recommend using a stand mixer to whip it or whip half a can at a time to prevent a mess!

-If you DO NOT finish your buns with coconut flakes after they've come out the oven (I prefer it this way!) I would recommend leaving the buns on the hot baking tray on the counter, COVER the baking sheet with a clean dish towel, and allow for them to cool down for 30 minutes under the cloth. This method keeps the bread nice and soft!

-These are best eaten the same day, but if you want to keep these soft, I recommend wrapping up each one individually in saran wrap and then placing them into a large ziplock baggie. The following day, reheat the buns in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them up a bit. Good as new! :)

-These make wonderful dinner rolls! Just shape into rounded balls and bake as directed! I would reduce the sugar and salt called for, though.

THE BEST 100% Whole Grain Bread

Wow. Hands down, this has got to be my favorite recipe this year! Makes the BEST sandwich bread! My favorite way to eat it, is toasted, and then slathered with some peanut butter and a side of banana...YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!! No more store bought, whole grain bread for me! And dare I say...I think this bread tastes BETTER than Dave's Killer Bread?!? MAYBE. It may not have all of the fancy grains that they use, but hey, from-scratch whole grain bread and knowing EXACTLY what went in it--I'd say you're winning either way!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups of hot water

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of unsalted melter butter

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2 cups of hard red wheat flour (I prefer Bob's Red Mills)

2 Tablespoons of active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups of hard white wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur Flour) plus additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups more

1 cup of ground steel cut oats

1/4 cup of vital wheat gluten

1 Tablespoon of sea salt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
coconut oil cooking spray

parchment paper

2 loaf pans


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the first five ingredients into your stand mixer (or LARGE mixing bowl if doing by hand), and stir using a spatula.
2. Add in your red wheat flour, mix well, and allow this to sit for 10-15 minutes to help cool down the dough a bit before adding in your yeast.
3. Add in your yeast. With your dough hook attachment, turn mixer on to "stir" for about 30 seconds.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, add in your hard white wheat flour, ground steel cut oats, and vital wheat gluten.
5. With your stand mixer on "stir" slowly incorporate the rest of your flour mixture. Mix for 1 minute and then add in your sea salt.
6. Add in additional white wheat flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough stops sticking the sides of the bowl and starts clumping up under your dough hook attachment. Dough should remain slightly wet and sticky. (I usually add an additional 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup depending on the humidity.)
7. Dump your dough onto a clean and floured surface. With floured hands, quickly knead the sticky dough to create somewhat of a smooth ball.
8. Place the wet dough into a mixing bowl that has been sprayed with coconut oil cooking spray. Spray the top of the dough as well and then place a piece of saran wrap DIRECTLY on top of the surface of the dough to prevent a crust from forming. Allow the warm dough to rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
9. Place dough on a clean, floured surface and use the fold-over method to remove air bubbles. DO NOT PUNCH IT. Gently poke it with your fingers and begin to knead the dough, pulling it up and over itself until it's smooth and about the same size as it was before it doubled in size.
10. Divide dough in half and shape into loaves. (Watch my video below to see how I do it.)
11. Place shaped loaves into bread pans that have been sprayed with some coconut oil and then lined with a piece of saran wrap for easy removal.
12. Cover loaf pans with a clean dish towel and let them rise until they are about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch above the bread pans and nicely domed at the tops--about an hour. Watch them closely, because you can OVERPROOF them.
13. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes or until tops are golden brown and when tapped on the bottom, sound hollow.
14. Let the finished bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes and then run a spatula around the edges to make sure the bread comes out in one piece. Place on wire rack to cool COMPLETELY before slicing, at least 1 hour.

NOTES:

-You may choose to roll your loaves in some toasted oats, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds AFTER you've shaped them for their final rise. Just spay the loaves in a bit of coconut oil spray first so that they adhere better. My kids always pick those off so I choose to leave them out. :)

-I purchase steel cut oats in the bulk section at my local grocery store. I place the oats into a blender and pulse until smooth.

-This bread stays nice and soft on the counter FOR DAYS. I wrap up the bread in saran wrap, cover with a layer of foil, and then place it into a grocery bag with a tight knot. Not the prettiest packaging for it, but it gets the job done.

-This bread freezes well! Wrap the loaf tightly first and then freeze for later use.

-Make sure your water isn't too hot before adding your yeast--you don't want to kill it!

-Don't use old yeast. I write the date (month and year) on the caps of my yeast jars so I know how long I've had it. I typically will replace my yeast every 6 months.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

I wasn't really sure on this recipe being properly named "crockpot chicken fajita" because I was under the impression that most fajita recipes involved meat/chicken grilled or cooked on a skillet, but since I did make a homemade fajita seasoning, I decided to roll with the punches.

My husband does not care for cooked bell peppers so I usually leave those out in this recipe, but you are more than welcome to throw slices of bell pepper in with the onions if you wish!


INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts

1 16 ounce jar of tomatillo sauce

2 Tablespoons of brown sugar

1 medium sized onion thickly sliced

FAJITA SEASONING:

1 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of ancho chili powder

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of paprika

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of onion powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add your jar of tomatillo sauce into a medium sized bowl and add in your brown sugar. Mix well and set aside.

2. Make your fajita seasoning: into a small bowl, add in your chili powder, ancho chili powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Mix well and set aside.

3. Into your crockpot, add in about 1/3 of the tomatillo sauce--just enough to make one even layer. Top with the chicken breasts.

4. Take your fajita seasoning and pour evenly over your chicken breasts.

5. Pour the remainder of your tomatillo sauce over your chicken, top with thick slices of onion (and/or bell peppers), cover with lid and cook on high for 3 hours or low for about 5-6 hours.

6. Once chicken is cooked to your liking, remove chicken from crockpot and shred it.

7. Add chicken back into the crockpot, mixing well with the sauce and veggies. Serve immediately or may freeze for later.

NOTES:

I usually make this crockpot chicken WITHOUT adding the onions and veggies because it makes them taste too soggy. I recommend cooking the onions and veggies, separately, in a skillet. :)

Baked Turkey Quinoa and Apple Meatballs

These HEALTHY meatballs are my new favorite! My husband and I agree, that we could probably eat these everyday and never get sick of them. But since I'm afraid that it could be a possibility, I make sure to switch it up, anyways. :)

Make sure to add these into your next meal prep--you won't regret it! My favorite pairing with these meatballs: pan-fried garlic green beans and brown rice. SO DELICIOUS!!

INGREDIENTS:
MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN MINI-MEATBALLS

1 pound of lean ground turkey

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 celery stick finely chopped

1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup of finely chopped apple or bosc pear

1 green onion chopped

1/2 cup of cooked quinoa

1 egg

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of chili flakes

1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning

1 tsp of onion powder

3 tsp of dried parsley

handful of chopped basil

black pepper to taste

olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Into a skillet on medium-high heat, add in some coconut oil. Add in your chopped garlic, celery, carrot, a pinch of salt, and cook until tender. Add in your chopped apples and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and stir in your green onion. Stir, remove cooked veggies and place in a dish to allow it to cool down before using.

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400 DEGREES F

2. In your large mixing bowl, add in your ground turkey, (cooled down) cooked veggies, egg, cooked quinoa, chopped basil, salt, chili flakes, Italian seasoning, onion powder, dried parsley, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.

3. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Using a melon baller, scoop out the meatballs onto your baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (check after 15 by cutting one open). Do not over bake!

NOTES:

*If you are short on time and you need to cool down your cooked veggies, fast, just place them in the freezer for ten minutes before using!

Fluffy Lemon Quinoa

My current obsession: quinoa! This super food is a complete protein containing all of the essential amino acids and has a low glycemic index which is good for blood sugar control.  I eat it in place of my brown rice on most days but will really interchange the two, depending on my mood. Quinoa has slightly more carbs than brown rice, but overall, quinoa is my food of choice because of all of the health benefits that come along with it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of organic quinoa

2 cups of low sodium chicken broth or water

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

2 tsp of dried parsley

1/4 tsp of salt

lemon for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place quinoa into a medium sized saucepan. Add in chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Turn heat to medium-high and allow it to come to a rolling boil. Turn heat down to medium-low and allow it to simmer UNCOVERED for 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes), or until all of the liquid has evaporated. Turn heat OFF, cover with a lid, and allow for the quinoa to steam for an additional 5 minutes. Do not remove quinoa from the burner. Remove cover and fluff up using a fork. Add a squeeze of lemon before serving. Perfect quinoa, every time! :)

NOTES:

*If using water + chicken base or bouillon cube, make sure to add the base or bouillon cube, first, into your measuring cup and then add in 1 cup of hot water, mix till fully dissolved, followed by the other 1 cup of water. I find that adding in 2 cups of water and then adding the bouillon after, makes too much liquid and the result is soggy quinoa.

*I purchase my quinoa from Costco and it already comes pre-rinsed. Depending on the brand you are using, you may want to pre-rinse to get rid of any bitter or soapy after-taste.