Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Bread

White whole-wheat flour is made from naturally light-colored wheat and adds fiber to baked goods without creating too much heaviness. It can be found in health food stores or online from King Arthur Flour or Bob’s Red Mill. You can substitute with unbleached all-purpose flour.

ingredient list

Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

Bread

• ¾ cup pecans (3 oz.)
• 2 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 6 oz. nonfat vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 2 grapefruit, supremed (see below), segments coarsely chopped, juice reserved for Glaze
• 1 Tbs. grapefruit zest
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
•  

Glaze

• 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Directions

1. To make Bread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Spread pecans on baking sheet, and toast 6 to 7 minutes, or until pecans are fragrant, tossing once. Cool slightly, and chop.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs in separate bowl. Whisk yogurt, milk, and canola oil into eggs. Stir in grapefruit pieces and zest.
4. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened and no lumps remain. Fold in crystallized ginger and chopped pecans. Transfer to prepared loaf pan, and bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until deep brown around edges, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour on wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely.
5. To make Glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tbs. grapefruit juice in small bowl. Stir in additional 1/2 tsp. juice to achieve thick, but pourable, consistency. Add remaining 1/2 tsp. juice drop by drop, if necessary. Place foil beneath wire rack to catch drips. Turn loaf upside down so flat side is up, and drizzle Glaze over loaf. Allow Glaze to set before slicing.

How to Supreme a Grapefruit

One challenge in cooking with grapefruit is peeling away the thick pith beneath the skin and the bitter membrane that surrounds the pulp. The solution is a culinary technique called supreming. Here’s how to do it:

1. Trim ends all the way to juicy flesh.   
2. Stand fruit upright, and remove peel and pith with knife, following curve of fruit from top to bottom. (A small, serrated paring knife works best.)   
3. Holding fruit over a bowl, cut sections along membranes as if you were
 slicing out a wedge, releasing them one by one.   
4. Set supremes aside, and squeeze membrane “skeleton” over bowl to release any remaining juice.

valentine's Sweet Carrot Chutney

Dollop this condiment on top of spicy dishes to tame their heat.

ingredient list

Makes 1 1/4 cups

• 2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
• 4 medium carrots, grated (4 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cider or rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom, optional

Directions

1. Bring carrots, ginger, garlic, and 11/2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 45 minutes.

2. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and cardamom, if using. Simmer 45 minutes more, or until chutney has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cool. 

valentine's Austrian Pickled Red Onions

In Austria, pickled red onions are served with rye bread and a paprika-flavored cheese spread. The onions make a great topping for sandwiches, veggie burgers, and tacos.

ingredient list

Makes 2 cups

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 whole allspice
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced (2 cups)

Directions

Bring vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, peppercorns, salt, allspice, garlic, and bay leaf to a boil in saucepan. Add onion slices, and return to a boil. Remove from heat, and transfer to bowl or jar. Cover, and cool. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours before serving. Onions will keep up to 2 weeks in fridge.

valentine's Pull-Apart Wheat Germ and Honey Dinner Rolls

These rolls have something to offer everyone at the table—they’re soft like white bread, but have a nutty whole-grain flavor that comes from wheat germ. Placing the rolls together in a pan so that they touch as they bake makes them especially tender.

ingredient list

Makes 16 mini rolls

• 1 0.25-oz. pkg. active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbs. butter or margarine, softened, plus more for greasing bowl and brushing dough
• 3 Tbs. honey or 1/4 cup packed brown sugar3

Directions

1. Stir yeast into 1/4 cup warm (105°–115°F) water until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Combine flour, wheat germ, and salt in bowl of food processor, stand mixer, or regular bowl. (Reserve 1/3 cup flour if kneading by hand.)

3. Stir butter and honey into 3/4 cup warm water. Stir yeast mixture and butter mixture into flour mixture. (If using food processor, add liquids through feed tube with processor running. If using stand mixer with dough hook, add liquids in steady stream with mixer on low speed.) Follow kneading instructions below.

4. Place dough in buttered bowl, and cover. Let rise in warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

5. Deflate dough, and divide into quarters, then divide each quarter into 4 pieces. Roll dough into balls on floured surface. Place dough balls in 4 rows in greased 9-inch baking pan.

6. Cover dough; let rise 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Brush dough with melted butter, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops of rolls are golden and edges are browned. Serve warm.


3 ways to knead

By Hand Best for cooks who want to “feel” when dough is ready and desire more control.

1. Combine all but 1/3 cup of flour (reserve this for kneading) with dry ingredients in bowl. Stir in yeast and liquids until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough onto work surface dusted with reserved flour. Gather the edges of dough into center to make a tight ball, and press with heel of hand several times to remove air from dough. Let dough rest 4 to 5 minutes so it will be less sticky when you knead.
2. Flatten dough ball by pushing down and away from you with the heel of your hand (dough will be an oval-shaped blob). Pull and fold far edge back over dough. Turn dough a quarter turn. Repeat. Kneading can take 2 to 10 minutes. Fully kneaded dough will be smooth and won’t stick to your hands.

Stand Mixer (with hook attachment) Best for traditionalists who don’t like to get their hands sticky. This method comes closest to hand kneading without the effort.
Place dry ingredients in mixer bowl, and fit mixer with dough hook. Mix on low speed 1 minute to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add yeast and liquids by pouring them down the inside of the bowl. Increase speed to medium-low, and mix 2 minutes. Let dough rest 5 minutes. Mix at medium-low speed 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Increase speed to medium, and mix 2 minutes. Kneading is done when dough makes a slapping sound as it hits the side of the bowl. Dough temperature should be close to 90°F.

Food Processor (with regular or dough blade) Best for bakers in a hurry. The blade kneads dough in under 90 seconds.
Pulse dry ingredients in food processor fitted with dough blade to combine. With processor running, add yeast and liquids through feed tube. Stop once liquids have been added. Pulse on and off 8 to 10 times until dough comes together in a ball and no dry ingredients remain. Dough temperature will be about 90°F.