Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils

A perfect fall twist on the beloved hot pocket. 

I first saw this recipe on Natalie’s blog and really like the idea of putting sweet potatoes and lentils with kale in a calzone.  But, Frog Prince and I aren’t a big fan of some of the spices in the original recipe. 

So, I set to work and decided to put one of our favorite fillings inside the pockets – the filling from our sweet potato risotto.  Oh. My. Goodness.

These were a huge hit!

Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils – Inspired by The Sweets Life

Ingredients

• 1 recipe whole wheat pizza crust
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4-6oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 T minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 C frozen chopped kale
• 1/2 C lentils, soaked
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by making the pizza crust dough, and when finished, set aside, covered. 

Next, boil your lentils.  To do so, first drain the water they have been soaking in.  Then, place the lentils in a saucepan, cover them with water and season with salt.  Turn the burner on to high and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, brown the ground Italian sausage.  Drain excess grease when the meat is cooked, and remove the sausage from the pan into a large bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cubed sweet potato, sliced mushrooms, garlic, onion and salt and pepper.  Sauté about 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are slightly soft and the mushrooms have released all their liquids. 

Add in 1 C frozen chopped kale and heat until wilted.

Then, mix in the cooked and drained lentils. 

Remove the mixture and add it to the large bowl with the Italian sausage.  Stir until the mixture is combined. 

Divide the bread dough into 6-8 pieces, and roll each out into a small (4-6 inches across) circle. 

Place a scoop (about 1 C) of the sausage lentil filling onto one half of the dough.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Grab a small cup and put an inch or so of water in it.  Dip your fingers in the water and then dab them along the edge of the dough.  Bring the top half over to cover the filling.  Press tightly along the wet edges to seal.  Crimp with a fork, if desired.  Note – it works best to do this right on the greased/lined cookie sheet you are planning to bake these pockets on. 

Repeat until all pockets are filled. 

Using a knife, slice a little slit in the top of each pocket.  

Place into a pre-heated oven set to 425 degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. 

Enjoy!

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Wild Rice Bread

It’s no secret that we love wild rice around here.  That said, I’ve never made it into a bread before. 

It’s delicious, nutty and hearty. 

Perfect with a bowl of soup.

Delicious for grilled cheese. 

Tasty with an over-easy egg.  Regardless of how you slice it, you’ll love it. 

Wild Rice Bread – Adapted from Thyme in Our Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3/4 C milk
• 1/8 C olive oil
• 1/8 C honey
• 1 T molasses
• 1 1/2 C cooked wild rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 C bread flour
• 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast

Directions

Combine 3/4 C milk, 1/8 C olive oil, 1/8 C honey and 1 T molasses into a saucepan or a microwave safe bowl.  Warm until the liquids reach 120ish degrees. 

Meanwhile, mix together 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour, 2 1/4 tsp. yeast, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/8 C brown sugar.  When the liquids are warm, pour into the dry ingredients.  Mix well with a spatula.

Add in the wild rice and the remaining 1 1/2 C bread flour.  Knead with a dough hook in your mixer, or by hand for 7 minutes until dough is well formed.  You can tell if the gluten is developed enough by being able to tear off a piece of dough and stretch it without it breaking. 

Shape into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl.  Cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place to allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or so, until doubled. 

Punch down and shape into a loaf.  Place into a lightly greased 8-inch loaf pan.  Cover with a towel again, and allow the dough to rise again, until dough has risen to 1-2 inches above the top of the pan. 

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until dough sounds hollow when lightly tapped. 

Cool completely and slice to serve. 

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Apple Raisin Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Saturday morning I had an idea.  What if I made cinnamon raisin bread, added chopped apples and rolled a pumpkin spice swirl into the middle?  I had to try it. 

This bread was fantastic.  I say was because Frog Prince and I polished it off in a matter of days.  We might have made French Toast out of it too, which was so fantastic we didn’t even need syrup. 

Apple Raisin Pumpkin Swirl Bread – Inspired by Will Cook for Smiles

Ingredients

• 1 C warm water
• 1/2 C (heaping) raisins
• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 T butter, melted
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 C white whole wheat flour, plus more for kneading
• 1 small tart apple, peeled & finely diced
• 2 T sweet potato or pumpkin puree
• Ginger, cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1 T coarse sugar

Directions

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine together 1 C warm water (no hotter than 120 degrees F) with 2 1/4 tsp. yeast.  Allow this to sit for 5 minutes, until frothy.  Meanwhile, combine the heaping 1/2 C of raisins with water, enough that the raisins are submerged in water.  Allow these raisins to sit and plump in the water for 10 or so minutes. 

Once the yeast is ready, add in 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 C milk, 1 T melted butter and 1 tsp. cinnamon. 

Then, one cup at a time, add in the whole wheat and white whole wheat flour.  The dough might be sticky, and if it is at this point, add a little more flour.  Knead at a medium speed on your mixer for 5-6 minutes. 

Drain the water from the raisins and add the raisins along with a little pinch more of flour to the dough and allow the mixture to knead the raisins into the dough for an additional 5-7 minutes. 

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.  Cover with a towel and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, until it has about doubled in size. 

Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles, and then stretch the dough out on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 8-inches long (or as long as your loaf pan) and about 1/2 inch thick. 

Spread 2 T sweet potato or pumpkin puree over the dough.  Sprinkle with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, or a pre-mixed pumpkin spice mixture.

Arrange apple slices over the top. 

Roll up the dough and place the loaf seam-side down into your greased loaf pan.  Lightly spritz the top with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with 1 T coarse sugar. 

Cover and allow the dough to rise again, about 30-45 minutes, until the dough has risen above the rim of the pan. 

Then, uncover and bake the bread in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  The bread should be lightly browned and sound hallow when knocked/tapped. 

Remove the bread from the pan, and place on a cooing rack.  Cool completely (I know… it’s so tough to wait!!!) before slicing.  Slice and serve. 

Enjoy!

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Steak & Mushrooms Sandwiches

If you haven’t guessed already, Frog Prince and I don’t eat a lot of red meat.  When we do, we want to enjoy it in something really tasty, but where the meat isn’t on center stage. 

These steak and mushroom sandwiches provided us a hint of meat with a side of veggies and onions.  We served them on whole wheat buttermilk bread buns and they were outstanding!

Steak & Mushroom Sandwiches – Adapted from A Family Feast

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb. beef, sliced thinly or into small 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 T butter
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced and sepearated
• Whole wheat dinner rolls
• Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese
• Montreal Steak seasoning

Directions

Begin by sautéing the beef in 1/2 T butter along with 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and Montreal Steak Seasoning (to taste) until sides are seared. Then cook over medium-low heat in the skillet for 10-15 minutes until beef is cooked to your preferred doneness. 

In a second large skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 T butter.  Add in sliced mushrooms and onion.  Sauté until liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. 

Add the beef and mushroom onion mixture together. 

Slice open your whole wheat bun, and top with cheese. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.  Cheese should be nicely melted at this point.  If not, return the the broiler until melted. 

Pile on the beef and onion mixture, and close the bun!

Serve warm and enjoy!  

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Mozzarella & Tomato Sandwich

Nothing says the end of summer like a roasted tomato and mozzarella sandwich.  I’ve loved mozzarella and tomato together since I was young, and this is the simplest, most delicious way to enjoy these two ingredients together. 

The best part about this sandwich, is that it’s amazing enough to eat alone, but you can easily add ham, turkey, chicken and even eggs to this for a whole new taste. 

Mozzarella and Roasted Tomato Sandwich – Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 slices, good quality bread (I recommend this one, or this one)
• 1 medium tomato, roasted (or Parmesan roasted)
• 2-3 slices, fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions

Begin by lightly spraying one side of your bread with olive oil.  Place is oiled side down onto a griddle, or into your frying pan.  Turn on the griddle or burner, to medium-low. 

Top the bread slice with mozzarella cheese.  Keep the heat on low while the cheese melts.  When it’s mostly melted, turn up the heat and top the sandwich with roasted tomatoes. 

Using a spatula, remove the sandwich from the pan/griddle. 

Repeat for the second sandwich, or do it simultaneously on the griddle.  Makes two open-faced sandwiches. 

Serve warm and enjoy!

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Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

For all my love of zucchini, one combination I had not tried until this summer was zucchini and lemon. 

Love. 

The lemon brings out the freshness of the zucchini and compliments it so well.  You’ll enjoy it too, especially because this bread is much healthier for you than a typical quick bread. 

It uses whole wheat flour, applesauce and Greek yogurt to cut down on the oil and reduced sugar. 

Just make sure you bake it longer than you think you might need to because it’s pretty moist with all the yogurt, applesauce and zucchini!  You want that toothpick to come out clean. 

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze – Adapted from Barbara Bakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C applesauce
• 3/4 C plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 C sugar
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 C milk (plus additional, if needed)
• 3 C shredded zucchini
• 1 C powdered sugar, drained
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

Begin by mixing the dry ingredients together – 2 1/3 C white whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Whisk well. 

Whisk together 1 egg, 2 tsp. lemon zest, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/3 C applesauce, 3/4 C Greek yogurt, 3/4 C sugar, and 2 T olive oil in a large bowl. 

Stir in the dry ingredients. 

The batter will be quite thick at this point.  So, stir in 1/4 C milk until it thins a little bit. 

Add in 3 C shredded zucchini; make sure that you have squeezed the excess liquid out of the zucchini!  If the batter still needs thinning, add in up to 1/4 C more milk. 

Pour the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan; 9x5 recommended. Alternatively, you can split the batter into smaller loaf pans.  We do this sometimes for freezing purposes.

Bake at 335 (yes, that’s an unusual temperature) for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If you do smaller pans, reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes, then check. 

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Then, loosen the bread from the pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack. 

Cool completely. 

Once cool, mix together 1 C powdered sugar with 2 T lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. lemon zest.  You may need to add more/less lemon juice to get the consistency right. Garnish the loaf with the glaze. 

Enjoy!

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Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

Around here, our favorite bread is this whole wheat buttermilk bread.  It’s soft, delicious and it has caused us to stop making all other kinds of bread.  But, the only thing that is missing from the bread (in my opinion) is oats. 

When I came across a delicious-looking buttermilk bread made with oats, I decided to break from our tradition and give it a try.  It’s a large batch of dough, makes two loaves (8-inch pans) and it was a winner in my mind. 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread – Adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
• 1 C water, boiling
• 1/4 C water, room temperature
• 1 1/2 C buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 T honey (just slightly overflowing)
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 C bread flour
• 3 C whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour
• Additional oats and warm honey for garnish

Directions

Combine 1 C boiling water with 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats and stir well.  Let the oats soak for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer, add 1/4 C room temperature water, 2 heaping T honey, 2 tsp. of yeast, 3 T olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. salt.  Add in the oats, 1 1/2 C buttermilk and 2 C of bread flour along with 3 C whole wheat (either red or white will work) flour. 

Using your stand mixer, knead the dough for 10 minutes.  You may need to add in some additional flour (I added about 1/8 C) during the kneading process if the dough is sticky.

Place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl to rise, covered, until doubled.  This took my dough about 1 hour. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a lightly floured surface.  Punch down and knead the dough 6-7 times.  Then, divide it into two. 

Shape each half of the dough into a rectangle, with the length of the dough matching the length of your bread/loaf pan. 

Roll the dough up lengthwise and tuck the ends under the loaf.  Pat and shape and set into a lightly greased (and/or parchment papered) 8-inch loaf pan.  Repeat for the other loaf. 

Mix together 1 tsp. honey and a 1/2 tsp. of hot water and brush the top of the loaves with the honey mixture.  Sprinkle 1/8 C of old fashioned oats over the top of each loaf, if desired. 

Cover and allow the dough to rise until it just pops up over the top of the pan.  Then, preheat your oven to 375.  When preheated, place the bread loaves on the bottom rack, and bake for 50-60 minutes.  You’ll know the bread is done when they sound hallow when gently tapped or the internal temperature has reached 200 degrees F.

Remove the bread from the pan and place onto a cooling rack; cool completely. 

I recommend freezing any extra bread so that it stays just as delicious as it is right now.  Here’s our kitchen tip on keeping bread fresh.

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