A Healthier Way To Bake Part One

 Many are recovering from last month's baking fest. It was truly an orgy of icing and cookies, cakes and rich frostings. Now it's time to think of healthier baking. This is a step in the right direction to eating and snacking on good for you treats.

White flour is the backbone of baking. Yet it's on of the unhealthiest ingredients you can use. It has little nutritional value and it's high in carbs and calories. Luckily you can find better sub ins for it. Many home bakers are looking to almond flour. It's rich in protein, healthy fats and  fiber. In fact it has twice the amount of protein and fiber than that of refined flour;It's best for moist treats like pancakes and cupcakes, Brown rice flour is another good choice. It's rich in manganese and has a mild taste , perfect for cookie dough.Keep in mind that it can make for a brittle texture so add extra liquid like nut milk. Also any recipe made with  it will have to be lowered by twenty-five degrees than what  the recipe calls for. You can also switch over to coconut flour. It's so high in fiber that it will any cake  with it will leave you satisfied after one bite. Another plus is that it has a low glycemic index it won't make your blood sugar spike.  It is dense so you will only have to use a quarter of a cup as opposed to a whole cup of flour. Other flours include chickpeas which is perfect for making bread and biscuits and cassava, the last is high in carbs but still healthy.

Sugar is what makes all those sweet treats tasty  - and bad for you. Yet it is needed in most recipes. Conscientious bakers use coconut sugar instead.It's a good sub in for both white and brown sugars.Honey is another fantastic replacement and it comes with a great plus. It has the flavor of the flowers' pollen.  There can be hints of lavender, orange blossom and even sage. Home bakers can use the darker version that has more antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Trend setting home bakers have discovered agave nectar  and which helps with stabilizing blood sugar and your metabolism, thanks to its' low glycemic  index. However it does come with a few caveats. You'll have to reduce other liquids needed by about four tablespoons along with reducing the required oven temp by twenty-five percent (a cake baked that should be baked at 350 degrees Farenheit will now have to be baked at around 260 degrees Farenheit) Use parchment paper since it will make any batter or dough extra sticky. Other  liquid sugar sub ins to use are fruit concentrates, maple syrup and even refined sugar by product molasses. Again keep in mind that since these are all liquids you'll have to reduce the liquids by about three to four teaspoons.  Molasses requires you to lessen the amount of liquids by five tablespoons.

These are just a couple of the ways you can make your baking healthier in the new year. Get rid of those refined white flours and sugars. Opt for choices that not only make your treat good tasting but good for you.

Lebanese Cooking Redefined

Most people think Lebanese cuisine consists of hummus smeared on pita. There may be some lamb involved but that's it. However the cooking is much more than that, with complex savory and sweet dishes. Spices abound, it's the backbone of the cuisine. It's both sophisticated and earthy , much like the country itself.

It was the topic of Melissa Clark's Cookbook column in today's New York Times Food section. She tried out different recipes from author Maureen Abood's Rosewater And Orange Blossoms (Running Press 2015).The book is taken from her blog of the same name. Ms. Abood is Lebanese - American, having grown up in Michigan, surrounded by a tightknit immigrant family who never forgot their homeland. Hers was a childhood filled with flatbread with za'atar,the mix  of dried herbs with sumac and salt along with roasted eggplant. She learned how to create multicourse feasts from her mother, grandmother and aunts.She has stated that Lebanese food is "extremely refined and very aromatic" Savory dishes will call for both cinnamon and parsley\,Herbs coexist with spices in an assortment of dishes  It's both healthy and rich, with salads existing next to fragrant lamb , beef and chicken Her cookbook reflects this , mixing traditional Lebanese recipes with fresh , modern twists..Ms. Abood has a culinary pedigree, having worked as a professional chef in San Francisco after graduating culinary school.

Ms Clark gives us good recipes from the book. There is eggplant with lamb , tomato and pine nuts , crunchy roasted za'atar chickpeas and greybeh, lavender and orange blossom cookies.The first is a hearty dish  good for now ,perfect for the cooler months. Imagine an eggplant Parmesan with the addition of lamb and butter toasted pine nuts.Cinnamon and garlic are also added for fragrance and flavor . To add another layer of richness,MsClark then tops the whole dish off with mozzarella. The chickpeas would make a good snack or hors d'ouevre. It's simply roasting canned chickpeas in a 400 degree oven for half an hour. They're then tossed in a mix of extra virgin olive oil, za'atar and sea salt. These can keep up to a week however they're sure to be gone in seconds. The cookies, are a form of shortbread.Orange blossom water,a staple in Lebanese cooking adds a light aromatic touch as the surprise ingredient of two teaspoons of dried lavender. There are also other dishes such as the traditional lamb kibbeh also made with tomatoes for a vegan version.

Lebanese food is much more than just hummus and pita. It is dishes rich with spices and herbs. It is layered casseroles that combine staples like eggplant, tomatoes and lamb. It is the food of good cooking and good eating,.