Basket of Bran

Yes, I’m still searching for the “perfect” bran muffin recipe. I’d really like a copycat recipe for the Van de Kamp’s bakery bran muffins of my youth.

Van de Kamp’s was a bakery/restaurant chain in the greater Los Angeles area that also sold its products in local grocery stores. I have fond memories of munching all kinds of their baked goodies. But, believe it or not, my all time favorite was their bran muffins. Dark, moist, and slightly orange flavored. They had a perfect texture, not too dense and not at all dry. But, alas, several years ago Van de Kamp’s was sold, and I’ve not been able to find a comparable bran muffin.

A few weeks ago my daughter & I had lunch at Mimi’s Café. My soup & salad lunch came with a choice of muffin, and, of course, I chose the bran muffin. I always get it because, even though it’s not a Van de Kamp’s, it’s pretty good. Dark & dense, fairly moist, with a great glaze. It’s served like a pineapple upside down cake so the glaze can drip down the sides of the huge muffin. I decided then & there to start looking for a copycat recipe. I found two that I tried. After a taste test, the clear winner was a recipe from The Recipe Link. This Mimi’s clone tastes great. The glaze takes eating a bran muffin to an entirely new level of enjoyment. Instead of “…I’ve got to eat this for my health,” it’s “…I want to eat this for the yummy taste!”

Here are the changes I made to the Recipe Link recipe: I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour instead of regular All Purpose flour. I omitted the dry milk powder and water and used 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Of course, I totally omitted the salt and used sodium free baking powder. And, since I like orange flavoring, I increased the grated orange zest to 1 teaspoon. For the glaze, I used butter instead of shortening and 1 tablespoon each of dark corn syrup & honey.

I also found another more traditional bran muffin recipe at RecipeZaar. It’s got the addition of old fashioned rolled oats along with the bran and is quite moist. I made changes to this recipe too: I omitted the salt, used sodium free baking powder, and King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour. The recipe calls for some bread flour, but I wouldn't use such a high gluten flour in a muffin. Because I like the favor of orange better, I used the rind of one large orange instead of lemon rind. And I did not use any nuts or dried fruit. However, the biggest change I made was in oven temperature. The batter is refrigerated overnight. It's supposed to be baked at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Because of the cold batter, the first batch I made required several additional minutes of bake time. This resulted in a crispy, crunchy, over-baked final product. I like over-browned cookies, etc., so I liked the crispy & caramelized muffins. But others might prefer a more traditional muffin. I've since changed the temperature to 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. That's worked out just fine. One nice thing about this recipe is that it makes 24 muffins at a time, and the batter can be refrigerated for a couple of days with no ill effects.

Even though I liked the two new bran muffin recipes, I was getting tired of the sweetness factor. I started looking for something more like a yeast dinner roll but packed with bran. I found just the recipe I wanted on the Hodgson Mill website. It’s a great bread recipe that I’ve been using now for a couple of months. Instead of a bread loaf, I make dinner rolls. After baking, I separate them into portions for two and then freeze them. I can quickly reheat them in the microwave. They’re great as dinner rolls, snacks, and even breakfast. I have made other very nice whole wheat dinner roll recipes, but this is my favorite to keep on hand for just “family” use because of the added bran.

Hodgson Mills High Fiber Bran Bread

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbsp. powdered milk
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. molasses
2 tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt (I used only 1 tsp. salt)
(I added 2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten. I put the gluten into the bottom of my measuring cup when measuring the flour.)
2 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. bread flour
1 c. wheat bran
2 tsp. active dry yeast (To compensate for the reduced salt, I used 1 3/4 tsp yeast; if I had used the full measure of salt, I would have used 2 1/4 tsp.yeast; I think 2 tsp. is not enough for all that whole wheat flour & bran)

I used the "dough" setting on my bread machine to knead & proof the dough. I checked the dough's consistency during the "knead" cycle. Even though it felt fine, I added a tablespoon of water just because I know that whole wheat flour and bran can suck up moisture. When the "rise" cycle started, I rubbed some oil onto all the exposed surfaces of the dough ball and misted it with water. That kept the dough ball from developing a "skin."

I divided the dough into 15 pieces, weighing each piece (approximately 2 1/4 oz. each) so all the rolls were of a uniform size. (I've also made 18 smaller rolls, 2 oz. each, using this recipe.) By using a Silpat baking mat, I've found that I don't need to add additional flour for rolling and shaping. That keeps the dough softer and it doesn't dry out. After shaping and placing in a greased baking pan, I covered the rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise for about an hour. Before baking, I brushed the tops with cream.

I baked them at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. I always check the bottoms of rolls or buns before removing them from the oven. If I don't think the bottom is done enough, I'll take the pan off the oven rack and put it directly onto the baking stone for 3-5 minutes. After baking, I immediately remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a rack to cool.

Mole Poblano Sauce

I honestly cannot remember when I first had Mexican Mole Poblano Sauce. All I know is that I fell in love with it a long time ago. I love the combination of chilies, cocoa, cinnamon, & ground nuts. Years ago I used to buy a special mole mix made by La Victoria. The dry powdery mix came in a small can and was so easy to use. Unfortunately, La Victoria stopped making that product. I've tried other brands of jarred mole pastes, but, even though the flavor was good, the dry & super dense pastes were hard to work with.

A few years ago my local newspaper, The Sacramento Bee, published a copycat version of the La Victoria mix. Many thanks to Teresa Hoswell of Fair Oaks, CA, who contacted the company and was sent the recipe for making a homemade mole mix.

One of the great things about this mix is that it's so easy to put together. For someone on a low sodium diet, it's a perfect sauce choice. Very flavorful even without salt. It's great made with chicken or turkey. I usually use chicken thighs, but tonight I used chicken half-breasts. In the past I've used turkey thighs and even turkey drumsticks. It's wonderful for using up leftover chicken or turkey. Something to remember after Thanksgiving.

The chicken/turkey is braised until tender and cooked through. I usually add some finely chopped onion that has been sauteed in a bit of olive oil along with 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic. I braise the meat and aromatics in low sodium chicken broth for about 15-20 minutes before adding the mole mix. Then I simmer everything together until the meat is fully cooked and tender, another 15-20 minutes. I remove the meat and simmer the sauce uncovered until it is thickened. Sometimes I'll add a cornstarch slurry. I like to serve mole with brown rice.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Mole Sauce Mix
La Victoria Copy Cat Recipe/Sacramento Bee

3 tbsp. chili powder (I use an unsalted chili powder mix like Gebhardt or Grandma's)
1 tbsp. finely ground breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt (I omitted)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp. cocoa
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp. creamy peanut butter (I use Laura Scudder's Old Fashioned Unsalted Natural Peanut Butter)
1 tsp vegetable oil

Mix chili powder, breadcrumbs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, & cocoa together. Blend peanut butter & oil into dry mixture. (I use a fork to blend the peanut butter & oil into the spice mixture.) This mixture may be refrigerated and stored in a tightly covered container. Makes about ¼ cup.

To Make Sauce: Blend the mix and 2 cups chicken broth or water in a saucepan. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently until thickened as desired.

Low Sodium Supermarket Dining: The Refrigerated Foods Aisle -- Part 1

Just as a reminder, the goal of this series of posts is to find ways to create a truly low sodium diet using regular grocery store products, including convenience & processed foods. Together we’ll “visit” the different aisles of a typical grocery store and discover how easily available items can be used and modified to fit a low sodium diet. This stop, Refrigerated Foods:

Cheese Spreads

Some flavored cheese spreads are actually lower in sodium content than plain cream cheese (plain block cream cheese can have anywhere from 90 – 110 mg. per oz.). Several of the spreads from the Alouette brand, for example, are around 70-80 mg. sodium per ounce. The Spinach Artichoke spread is 70 mg. for 2 tbsp., and the Light Garlic & Herbs is only 60 mg. However, the Boursin and Rondele brands have a lot more sodium. Again, you have to read the labels carefully.

You can lessen the sodium content of a cheese spread a bit by blending in some heavy cream or sour cream. Doing this will make it easier to spread too. Or you could add up to ¼ cup of softened unsalted butter to the cheese spread. Let the cheese spread soften a bit, though, before trying to blend it with anything else. You could also combine equal parts plain cream cheese and the cheese spread to bring down the sodium content somewhat. Use whipped cream cheese because it has less sodium per serving. As always, be sure to watch your portions and serve the spread with something super low in sodium, like unsalted crackers. On the other hand, you might be better off just making your own cheese spread. Combine softened plain whipped cream cheese with some garlic powder, dried minced onions, and your favorite fresh or dried herbs.

Dips

Refrigerated dips are easy to deal with: simply add some plain sour cream. Find the brand with the lowest sodium content and then blend in at least ½ cup of sour cream. If you find the flavor too bland, sprinkle in a spice blend that compliments the dip’s flavors and add a couple of squirts of lemon/lime juice or Worcestershire Sauce. Chill for at least an hour and you’re set.

Refrigerated Dough Products

Unfortunately, there’s not much good news in this section. Most of the dough products, like refrigerated biscuits, are way too high in sodium content. The lowest I’ve seen is Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls with 220 mg. sodium per roll. The problem? You’d have to limit yourself to just one roll.

Refrigerated Meats

This can be another problem section. Many grocery stores do not carry low sodium prepared meat products... But you just might get lucky.

Bacon

Be sure to look for lower sodium bacon. Some supermarkets, like Safeway, carry their own store brand, and Oscar Mayer has come out with a lower sodium version too (170 mg./2 slices). Costco also carries low sodium bacon in three pack bundles. If you can find it, buy several packages and freeze them. Cook up an entire package at a time. I bake the slices in the oven or use my large George Foreman Grill. Then I package up 2 slice portions in plastic wrap and freeze in a large freezer bag. Whenever I want to add some pizzazz to cooked vegetables, salads, soups, or sandwiches, I pull out a couple of slices. You can also save the bacon grease.

Fresh Sausage

There are no really easy solutions when using prepared fresh sausage like Jimmy Dean’s breakfast sausage. The regular sausage has a whopping 520 mg. for a 2 oz. serving. However, the Jimmy Dean Light version has only 350 mg. for the same 2 oz. serving. The Bold, Italian, and Extra Mild sausages have even lower sodium contents. Different varieties and other brands may be higher in sodium content. Link type breakfast sausages are so high in sodium that you’d have to limit yourself to just one link. Again, read the labels carefully.

Nevertheless, the chub packages offer you a bit of flexibility. For example, if you wanted to use the sausage crumbled, you could mix equal portions sausage and unseasoned ground pork, turkey, or chicken (squish everything together, like you would with meatloaf mix). Fry the meats up together in a sauté pan. You’d get some of the sausage flavor but not as much salt. The resulting sausage/ground meat combo could be used for pizza, spaghetti, omelets, and casseroles – all kinds of things. This idea works well with bulk breakfast sausage and also bulk or fat links of Italian sausage. Just remove the link sausage from the casings and combine with the unseasoned ground meat before using. You could do the same kind of thing to make homemade sausage patties.

So there are ways of dealing with items from your grocer's refrigerated foods case. You just have to be vigilant regarding reading labels and watching portion sizes. Also, you have to be willing to do a little extra work in order to meet your low sodium requirements.

Tis the Season... For Matzos!

Spring has sprung. That means Passover and Easter are just around the corner. And our local grocery stores have geared up for these two important religious holidays. There are aisles dedicated to Easter candy -- Peeps, chocolate bunnies, and creme filled eggs. There are hams in the meat section and hot cross buns in the bakery. You can find Easter baskets, plush stuffed bunny & chick toys, and egg dying kits.

You'll also find an expanded selection of Kosher foods. All my local supermarkets have special end-of-the-aisle displays for Passover. Several different kinds of matzos, matzo meal, potato pancake mix, jars of borscht and gefilte fish, macaroons, and my personal favorite -- toasted coconut marshmallows.

Passover commemorates "The Exodus" from Ancient Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. The Old Testament teaches that when Pharaoh finally freed the Israelites, they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. Flat bread, matzo, is a reminder of the rapid departure of the Exodus. For the duration of Passover, also called The Feast of the Unleavened Bread, no leavened bread is eaten.

For people watching their sodium intake, the larger supermarket selection of matzos at Passover is really good news. Matzos are a thin crispy cracker-like product (similar to Carr's water crackers). They come in 7 x 7 inch squares and are usually fairly low in salt. During Passover, I like to stock up on them. Last week I picked up a box of Manischewitz Whole Wheat Matzos. No sodium whatsoever! I also got a box of Osem Egg & Onion Matzah, just 5.5 mg. sodium for one entire cracker.

Matzoh crackers are usually simple in flavor but with a lot of crunch. So they're a great foil for tasty dips and spreads. Homemade hummus or white bean pate are wonderful served with matzos. The same goes for homemade onion dip, guacamole, salsa, cottage cheese spread, etc. To tell the truth, I love matzos spread with butter. You can even use them to make quick pizza snacks. A smear of tomato sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and broil until bubbly.

Another great product is matzo meal. It's made up of crushed, ground matzo crackers and is a perfect substitute for breadcrumbs because it's usually sodium free. You can use it in meatloaf, for crumb toppings, for dredging chicken or fish. Last week I also picked up a couple of canisters of Manischewitz Matzo Meal for those summer months when I'm too hot to think about baking low sodium bread just for crumbs. Matzo meal is a great alternative to store bought bread crumbs.

As with everything, be sure to check the labels. Some of the flavored matzos are almost as high in sodium as Nabisco brand products. But the simpler plain, egg, and whole wheat matzos are usually perfect for low sodium diets.