The Truth about Whole Wheat

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world and it is used worldwide. Many of us enjoy eating bread, pasta, bagels, crackers, cakes, and muffins, just to list a few of the foods made with this grain.

Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, offers many benefits that are being recognized more and more by consumers. Recent studies show that the consumption of whole wheat can help you manage your weight and lower the risks of developing type 2 diabetes. It is great source of key ingredients like vitamin B &E, iron, fiber and magnesium as well as other valuable antioxidants not found in some fruits and vegetables.

An easy way to increase whole grain intake is to replace some of your refined-grain products with whole grain products. You will benefit from substituting at least half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, etc.

Whole Wheat Focaccia:


Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups of whole wheat four
¾ cup of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of olive oil
¼ teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
½ tablespoon of yeast
1 cup of lukewarm water
10oz of low fat mozzarella, sheered
12 kalamata olives, pitted
8 cherry tomatoes, thin sliced
3oz of canned mushrooms, sliced and drained
2 large basil leaves, roughly chopped

Combine the flour, water, salt, yeast, sugar and olive oil in a bowl. Using a large spoon, mix all ingredients until well combined and dough is soft and leaves sides of the bowl.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Spray a separate bowl with cooking oil and transfer dough to prepared bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.

Heat the oven to 385F. Spray to 8 inches baking pans with cooking oil. Divide dough in half. Cover the bottom of each pan with dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes. Top it with equal amounts of cheese, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and basil.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 12

Enjoy a Healthy and Tasty Whole Grain Breakfast

When I met my husband, he introduced me to feta cheese and I quickly developed a taste for it. It is lower in calories and high in flavor! Plus, it is filling and it is a good source of calcium.

Another important nutrient to good health is whole grain. It can reduce the risk of heart disease, keep the intestines working smoothly and help you keep a healthy weight. The combination of feta cheese and whole grain makes a satisfying and healthy breakfast. I have a tasty recipe for you that takes only 5 minutes to prepare.

Feta Cheese Breakfast Toast:


Ingredients:
2 eggs yolks
4 slices of Whole Grain Sandwich Thins (made by Orowheat)
½ tablespoon of margarine or butter substitute
½ cup of feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup of low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup of lean ham, diced or chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 360F. In a bowl, whisk in feta cheese, mozzarella, egg yolks, salt, pepper and ham. The feta cheese comes already salted, so you should try it before adding salt to your egg mixture. You may not need to season it with salt.

Meanwhile, place the Sandwich Thins slices (soft part up) in a baking pan. Spread margarine on top of each bread slice and topped with the egg and cheese mixture.
Bake for 15 minutes or until egg mixture is fully cooked. Serve hot or at room temperature.

It pairs very well with fruit and orange juice or low fat milk.

Serves 4

Tip: To keep your feta cheese creamy and flavorsome, keep it refrigerated in a brine of 1/2 milk and 1/2 water for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container. If you keep your block of feta cheese in this brine, you also obtain the perfect amount of salt. You can find blocks of feta cheese in Delis and Imports stores.