Wonder Bread, the white bread made of over processed bleached white flour has become passé’ and for good reason as it has very little nutritional value. Hooray on that. What IS very popular right now and has been for a while is a healthy nut or grainy bread, because it can be loaded with many good ingredients from protein in the form of eggs or nuts and fiber as well. Add a half of a smashed avocado, a poached egg or a good fruit spread and you have a tasty breakfast on the go or a little afternoon pick me up snack. This bread is also good with some egg salad, recipe to follow with Dominique’s Mayonnaise made with olive oil. Why in the world would you NOT want a good healthy nut or grainy bread in your kitchen repertoire?
I have tried several of these recipes, some have turned out and some have not. I like one that has a little natural sweetener like a little maple syrup or agave’. These breads are very dense and you may think that you have totally bombed the recipe because your loaf may look like a brick. Be patient, let it bake, follow cooling instructions and wait to slice until cool. Because it’s just the two of us, the loaf gets sliced and at least half goes in the freezer (in a freezer bag with as much air as possible OUT of the bag), to be enjoyed a slice at a time. Warm bread in the toaster adjusting toasting time based on the thickness of your slices.
This recipe is from British Nutritionist, Dominique Ludwig. Some British cooks, bakers, chefs have a tab to convert to cups and ounces for us across the pond, Dominique’s did not-not a problem at all, I just did some conversions myself. Also, I added a little sweetener (the maple syrup) and made an adjustment from buckwheat flour to whole wheat flour as I didn’t have it. So, I guess it isn’t Dominique’s but I do like to give credit to whom I got the base of the recipe from. She is a very smart and commonsense nutritionist who makes eating and cooking healthier than you might think it is. Checkout her website, Facebook page and Instagram. Next week, I’ll share another Hearty Nut Healthy Grainy Bread from my favorite Irish cook. Here you go!
Hearty Nut Healthy Grainy Bread #1
Ingredients
-1 1/4 cup almonds
-1/3 cup walnuts
-2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
-5 Tablespoons olive oil
-2 Tablespoons flaxseeds
-2 Tablespoons chia seeds
-2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
-2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
-1 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
-6 medium eggs
-1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Method
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Place almonds in a food processor or blender (I used my Nutri-bullet blender) and blend grind for about 10 seconds. Do the same with walnuts and flax seeds separately. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir enough to blend.
- Pour into the load pan and top with some extra sunflower seeds.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I like. to check after 45 minutes.
- When baking is completed, remove from oven and let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack until cool.
Dominique’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise Recipe
This will not be a Hellmann’s dupe. It has a little different taste. I like it and my feelings is that this is an ideal recipe for an egg salad or for a French Potato Salad made with mustard (the recipe has Dijon mustard in in). Dominique uses a blender and I do to. I have made the half a dozen times and it has turned out perfect every time. It is good in the fridge for about a week. After making it, I store immediately in the fridge which will thicken it even more. For some recipes this is an excellent substitution.
Ingredients
-1 egg
-3/4 cup olive oil
-1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-1 Tablespoon lemon juice
-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1/4 teaspoon salt
Method
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until thick and creamy.
- Store what you don’t use in a glass jam jar with a lid for up to a week.
- I like to use as a base for egg/ potato salads or other meals.
