How to make Arabic Bread - Pita

The following videos shows how to make arabic bread or pita. It is a nice recipe for those interested in Middle Eastern foods.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Slice of Whole Wheat Bread

For all those people serious about their health, whole wheat bread is a must on their breakfast table as it is the healthiest loaf of bread you can ever get. This is a continuation of recipes of how to make bread. Whole wheat bread is rich in nutrients and fiber which is important in enhancing digestion. Whole wheat bread recipe is definitely a must for vegans and vegetarians as well.

Ingredients for The Whole Wheat Bread Recipe.

• 3 tablespoons light molasses or brown sugar or honey.
• 3 cups warm water (about 100° F.)
• 2 pkgs. active dry yeast (2 tablespoons)
• 7½ cups stirred whole-wheat flour (approximately)
• 1 tablespoon salt.
• 3 tablespoons oil

How to Make Whole Wheat Bread 

1. Dissolve about 1 teaspoon of the molasses in about ½ cup of the warm water; sprinkle yeast on top; let rise in warm place until bubbly (about 10 minutes).
2. Put remaining warm water and molasses with 3 cups of the flour in large bowl; beat vigorously (or let run in electric mixer) until yeast mixture is ready. This develops gluten. Gradually add 2 more cups of flour.
3. Stir in the yeast mixture; beat.
4. Let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled (20 to 40 minutes).
5. Mix in remaining ingredients, except about 1 cup flour to use in kneading.
6. Knead well (8 to 10 minutes) until dough is smooth and elastic and springs back when pressed with fingers. Use only enough flour to keep from sticking.
7. Put dough into large oiled bowl; roll it over to oil top; cover and let rise in warm place until doubled; punch down.
8. Divide dough into 3 equal parts; cover and let stand 10 minutes.
9. Shape loaves.
10. Put into prepared bread pans.
11. Let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled.
12. Bake at 350° F until nicely browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped (45 to 50 minutes). 
13. Remove from pans and lay loaves on sides on rack to cool

VARIATIONS OF THE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPE

1. For a lighter texture in bread, replace ½ cup flour with ½ cup gluten flour or do-pep and/or 1 cup enriched all purpose flour; add these with the first flour.
2. For the first 3 cups of flour a good mixture of flour is: 1½ cups whole wheat bread flour, 1 cup enriched all purpose flour, and ½ cup gluten flour. It is best, for a lighter texture when using soy flour, to use gluten flour. Add one third cup soy flour later
3. Replace ½  cup flour with ½ cup of barley, rye, triticale, oat, or, millet flour. (Rolled oats or hulled millet may be ground or whizzed in blender and used in place of flour.)
4. Replace ¼  cup flour with ¼ cup of one, or a combination of these: wheat germ, food yeast flakes, unprocessed bran, or flax-seed.
5. Omit the oil.

VEGETARIANS OF INDIA

Vegetarian of India : Habits of the Brahmans Afford a Testimonial to Value of No-Flesh Diet

THE eminent Prof. C. B. Ramarao, M.D., delegate to the British Medical Association which recently held its meeting at Toronto, stated in a lecture recently delivered before the physicians and guests of the Battle Creek Sanitarium upon the habits and customs of the people of India, that the Brahmans of southern India, who are known to be the most intellectual and highly cultivated people of that country, absolutely eschew all animal food of every description with the exception of milk. Even eggs are excluded from their dietary. The Brahmans of northern India make use of eggs, and sometimes of fish, but never eat the flesh of animals.

Dr. Ramarao is himself a fine specimen of physical development and manly vigor, a man of great intellect and professional attainments. He showed himself to be quite the equal of his white colleagues in the discussion of various questions of interest at the meeting of the British Medical Association. He was particularly happy in his reply to an eminent English physician who spoke in defense of the high protein dietary and the use of flesh meats. In his remarks, the professor (Dr. Haliburton) maintained that the inferiority of the Hindu race was in part due to the small amount of protein they had in their dietary; that they were inferior physically on this account, and lacked endurance. Dr. Ramarao was very quickly upon his feet when the professor had ceased talking, and made so vigorous and effective a defense of the low protein dietary and abstinence from flesh, that he received vigorous applause from the entire assembly of medical men.

At the present time, there are very few men who are well versed in the results of recent researches in dietetics and physiologic chemistry who are not thoroughly persuaded that the use of flesh meat is quite unnecessary. If foodstuffs rich in proteins are at any time needful as an addition to the dietary, they may be readily found in peas, beans, lentils, milk, and eggs; but that even these protein substances are not really needful is clearly shown by the fact demonstrated by Prof. Chittenden, whose views Prof. Haliburton sought though unsuccessfully to controvert. Prof.Chittenden has shown that the actual requirements of the body of protein material is only ten per cent of the total food value. That this is without doubt correct, the writer, and many others, have fully demonstrated in personal experience. Even the potato and rice contain a sufficient amount of protein to meet the needs of the body, while wheat bread, rye, barley, and oatmeal contain more protein than is actually required.

The fear of proteid starvation without the use of flesh food is, then, absolutely groundless. The natural products of the earth supply in ample quantity a proper proportion of the elements necessary for human sustenance.

The taking of life to perpetuate human life is necessary only under unusual and extraordinary conditions in which the ordinary and natural foodstuffs are unobtainable.

THANKSGIVING VEGETARIAN SUBSTITUTES FOR TURKEY

In this post we will try to find some alternative vegan and vegetarian recipes for the thanksgiving turkey. The following are some vegetarian substitutes for Thanksgiving Turkey:-

VEGETABLE ROAST OR MOCK TURKEY

To two cups of lentil or bean pulp (made by putting cooked lentils or beans  through a colander), add one cup of strained canned tomato, two eggs, two cups of nut meal or very finely chopped nuts, one-half cup of 20% gluten or browned flour, the juice of a medium-sized onion, a little minced celery or celery salt, sage and salt to season, and one-fourth cup of dairy or nuttolene cream. The mixture should be quite stiff, as it will be if the water is largely evaporated from the legumes in the cook­ing.

Place in a bread-tin to bake and with a thin-bladed knife press into shape. Use macaroni for the "drum sticks." Bake in a quick oven. Serve with the following dressing: One cup of lentil or bean pulp, one cup of strained tomato, one cup of dairy or nuttolene cream, browned flour to thick­en. Season with salt, celery and a little grated onion. Strain before serving.

CEREAL ROAST

One cup of milk, one cup of cream, two eggs, three-fourths cup of nut meal, one cup of granola, salt to season.

Beat the eggs slightly, add the milk, cream, nut meal, and granola, also salt if desired. Let stand fifteen minutes,f then bake in a moderate oven thirty to forty-five minutes.

CHESTNUT ROAST

Prepare the chestnuts by dropping into boiling water for ten minutes and re­move the shells and skins with a knife.Two cups of chopped chestnuts, three cups of stale bread crumbs, three-fourths cup of cream, two eggs, one teaspoonful of salt, one medium-sized onion, grated, and a little sage.

Beat the eggs, add salt, cream, milk, grated onion, bread crumbs, chopped chestnuts, and sage. Bake in a moderate oven thirty to forty-five minutes.

SANITAS ROAST

Remove the contents of one-pound can of Sanitas Meat cut into halves lengthwise, lay in a baking pan with the flat surface down, sprinkle with salt and a little grated onion, and pour over a half cup of strained tomatoes. Bake twenty to thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with the following: —

PIQUANT SAUCE

One-half pint of protose or a vegeta­ble broth, seasoned with a little thyme, mint, and one-half teaspoonful salt.  Thicken with two and one-half tablespoonfuls of browned flour braided with a little water. Boil five minutes, strain, and add the following: one and one-half tablespoonfuls lemon juice, one-half teaspoonful sugar, one-half tablespoonful of grated onionion,and one dozen chopped ripe olives.

WALNUT ROAST

To two eggs slightly beaten, add one cup of milk, one cup of cream, one cup of granola, one-half cup chopped Eng­lish walnuts and salt to season. Let soak twenty minutes, bake in an oiled pan for thirty to forty-five minutes

How To Make Bread

If you are just learning how to make bread it is important to start with simple recipes first. Below are some of the simple recipes and advice on how to bake or make bread.

The Flour

• Use hard-wheat flour. Its high gluten content makes it the best for bread-making.
• The addition of soy flour gives a more moist product that keeps fresh a long time; it is a rich source of vitamin B.
• Develop the gluten in the wheat flour by beating batter thoroughly before adding soy flour or any other flour that has no gluten or low gluten.

The Kneading And Shaping.

• It is important to knead bread well
• When it is kneaded enough in indentation in the dough springs back.
• To shape loaf, flatten dough to a rectangle about 12 inches long and as wide as the bread pan; roll up; pinch edges to seal.

The Rising

• Salt and fat both retard the growth of the yeast and should not be added to a yeast mixture until it is has grown strong and lively by feeding on sugar and starch.
• Yeast plants grow best at a temperature of 80° to 85° F. An off-flavor develops in bread that is allowed to get too warm while rising.
• Covering dough during rising prevents a dry crust forming and loss of heat.
• Clean plastic wrap can cover dough or bowl, and is a good see-through.
• A large plastic bag is a convinient cover for refrigerator storage of dough in bread pans or as a ball of dough. Before putting dough in a bag, put a few drops of oil inside bag (rub sides together to spread oil); tuck open end under or tie loosely at the top to leave plenty of space for dough to rise.
• When dough has risen sufficiently. an indentation will remain when dough is lightly pressed with fingers.

The Pans.

Prepare bread pans by using one of these methods:

1. Coat with vegetable release coating-either pressurized can or liquid lecithin (for the latter method, warm the pan, pour on a few drops, then use a paper towel to spread and to remove excess lecithin).
2. Coat with a vegetable shortening.

The Ovens

Always follow the directions for the oven carefully; some loaves go into a cold oven, others into a preheated oven. Check your oven temperature.

If the bread brown too fast, cover with foil during the last twenty minutes of baking.

"Just out of the oven" bread is difficult to digest; it should be at least 12 to 24 hours old before it is eaten. Fresh bread tends to "ball up" in your stomach. If you want hot bread, heat it a little in the oven.

Tomato and Potato Recipes

Below are some useful Tomato and Potato recipes that you may find useful in your own cooking. These recipes are suitable for vegetarians.

SAVOURY POTATOES.— Cut up an onion and place at the bottom of a pie-dish. Cut up two pounds of potatoes, then put a layer of them over the onion. Sprinkle a dessertspoonful of tapioca over them, add the remaining potatoes, putting two ounces of butter in pieces on the top, add seasoning, fill the dish three parts full with boiling water, and cook in the oven.

POTATO OMELET.— One and a half pounds peeled potatoes, boiled, mash with one ounce butter, add half pound stale bread crumbs and three well beaten eggs. Three-quarters pint milk, seasoning and a little chopped parsley. Place in a buttered dish, smooth the top, cover with thin layer of fine bread crumbs, and a few pieces of. butter, bake in a brisk oven.

TOMATO OMELET.— Quart of bread crumbs, three or four chopped cooked onions, a little salt, one ounce butter, one pound peeled and sliced tomatoes, half pint milk, one or two beaten eggs, seasoning. Mix together, and put in a buttered dish, shake over a handful of bread crumbs, add a few pieces of butter and bake.

FORCEMEAT PIES.— Steep and boil four ounces tapioca in half pint of water. Make some forcemeat balls as follows : Eight ounces of bread crumbs, two eggs well beaten, a pinch of thyme, parsley and seasoning. Mix well together and roll into balls. Put a little butter into a tin, let it brown slightly, put in the balls and bake. Put a layer of tapioca at the bottom of a dish, cut the balls into slices, put a layer of the balls, then another layer of tapioca, and so on until the dish is full. Cover with paste in the ordinary way and bake.

MACARONI AND TOMATO.—Boil six ounces of macaroni until tender, strain, chop up an onion, and about three tomatoes. Stew together until tender, and run through sieve, add seasoning and a little mixed spice; thicken the liquor with a little arrowroot, add the macaroni, and stew together for about quarter of

an hour.

SAVOURY BALLS.—Two pints each bread crumbs and mashed potatoes, two hard-boiled eggs cut small, a little onion chopped very fine, chopped parsley and thyme, salt, a little piece of melted butter. Bind together with beaten egg, form into balls, dip into egg and bread crumbs, place in pie-dish, and bake. Serve with brown gravy.

TOMATO ROLL.—To one pint of tinned tomatoes add four ounces bread crumbs, two or three tablespoonfuls of cooked onion, one ounce parsley, one tablespoonful of cooked lentils, one hard-boiled egg chopped fine. Mix together with seasoning, mace and thyme. Spread a thick layer of the mixture on a sheet of white or wholemeal paste, roll up and bake. Serve with potatoes and gravy.

Soy "Cream" Topping

The ingredients in this post for the making of soy "cream" topping will  produce 1½ cups of the topping. As always this recipe is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Ingredients For The Making of Soy "Cream" Topping

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup soy milk powder.
  
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar.
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  
• ½ cup olive oil
•  1 tablespoon lemon juice.

How To Make Soy "Cream" Topping.

• Whiz water, soy milk powder, honey, and vanilla in blender for 1 minute.
• Add oil slowly while continuing to whiz.
• Pour into container; add lemon juice and mix well
• Serve as a non dairy  topping for desserts or as a dressing for fruit salad. It is an ingredient in making Waldorf salad.
• Cover and refrigerate until used.

Note: It may be necessary to beat topping with a spoon before using.