edible sound bites

Good Thursday morning to you!

Guess what?

The blog is one year old this week! That's right. One year ago today Edible Sound Bites went live. Its hard to believe that one year has already past by. I'd like to think that I've begun to find my own voice and my photography has improved (there's only so much you can do with a point-and-shoot, but I make do for now). The blog is always evolving and has grown immensely thanks to all of my loyal readers and those who continue to follow me. You are what helps me to make these posts possible.

Now let's get to the food.   

Its almost the weekend again. That means more time in the morning to make a dee-licious breakfast.

Following up with last weeks post on the gluten free grain Teff I've got a great breakfast recipe to share today.

Now I realize that not everyone is adventurous when it comes to new unfamiliar foods. Teff is no exception either. I mean even I wasn't too sure about it. Having said that, I have always wanted to give it a try ever since hearing about it from the eat clean diet and Tosca Reno. That was about two years ago. I've heard many great things about the grain. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove right in this week. It took me long enough!

The verdict?

It tastes pretty darn good! It really does have a sweet molasses flavour thing going on.

I think the key to making teff taste really good is adding flavour through spices. I choose to use ground cloves adding it to the grains while they cooked and I finished it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon.You know how I'm always trying to sneak cinnamon into everything. . . Or onto everything. The other thing I did to bring out the flavour was lightly toasting the seeds. Just until they become fragrant. I think it makes a differece.

You could also do something like pumpkin pie spice and add replace the dates in this recipe with a little canned pumpkin. That would be really nice too.

Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves work very well with Teff.

Teff Porridge with Dates & Maple Syrup gluten free, vegan, (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup teff
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp coconut oil (optional)
• 1/4 chopped dates + extra for topping
• dried apricots for serving (optional)
• maple syrup for serving
• cinnamon for topping

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan with tall sides, add the teff and toast over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. The grains will start to pop although you may not see them you will hear them.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add teff, cloves, and coconut oil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes stirring often to prevent the grains from sticking to the pot.
3. Stir in the dates, cover and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the grains are tender.
4. Divide between 4 bowls and top with extra dates and dried apricots, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Nutrition for each serving: 284 calories, 7.3g protein, 3.4g total fat (2g sat, 0g trans fat), 0mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 59g carbohydrates, 6g fibre, 18g sugars

Hooray for another well balanced breakfast!

How willing are you to give strange foods that are unfamiliar to you a try? Tell me in the comments, are there any vegetables or foods you've ventured to try and now love?

I'll get the ball rolling. I was never one to like rhubard. My grandfather used to grow it, my parents love it, but I never could. Until I gave it another try a few years back and now its really grown on me. Its a good thing I've got some growing in my backyard.

Where to begin with this post. I feel like I haven't blogged for a long time, and it's only been what? A week? I guess that's partially because I've been busy multitasking and working on other things at the same time. I just finished a job designing and setting up a website and a few other things too. Whew! that can be time consuming. Great work though, and lot's of fun when you get creative with it. Especially the logos. If you're interested check out Back to Balance Health and have a look.

Anyway. I'm back!

In case you might be wondering I'm still going strong with the gluten free grain series. I know it's been a while since my last Great Grains post but I'm back with a new one today. And just to recap if you haven't been following along I've so far covered Millet, Buckwheat, and Amaranth. Now lets get to it shall we?

Today is all about Teff, which also happens to be one of my fave's next in line to amaranth.

Teff Notes & Qualities

Teff is actually a cereal grass that originated from Ethiopia many years ago and is cooked just like a grain. It is now grown a little closer to home, namely Idaho, and it can grow where many other crops won't.  A handful of teff is enough to sow a whole field, and it cooks quickly. Its very tiny being the smallest grain in the world (less than 1mm in diameter – similar to a poppy seed). So tiny that its name literally means "lost". It has a mild nutty flavour like most other whole grains, with a really nice sweetness similar in taste to molasses. Its perfect for baking with! It makes a great alternative to wheat flours and contains no gluten.

Nutrition Facts

One of the most nutritious grains (actually a seed) in the world, teff is very nutrient dense. Its a slow digesting carbohydrate which makes it the perfect addition to breakfast. Its and excellent source of fibre and protein and is extremely high in minerals with lots of iron (5mg), calcium (123 mg), magnesium (126mg), manganese, as well as phosphorus, potassium. Check out the nutrition profile for 1 cup cooked (1/4 cup dry):

If your are trying to make sure you get enough iron into your daily diet. It is important to note that certain vitamins (such as vitamin C) will enhance your body's ability to absorb the nutrient. A great example would be adding some sliced strawberries, kiwi, dried currants or raisins to your morning bowl of teff. Its very filling and provides plenty of good quality energy to get you through a busy morning. Its also great pre-workout fuel that makes for great workout performance.

Where to Buy

If you cannot find teff at your local health food store, bulk barn (if you're in Canada), or grocery store you can buy it online from http://www.teffco.com/ in 4, 5 and 25 pound bags. Both the grain and flour. The 5 and 25 pound bags come in either ivory or brown coloured teff. Bob's Red Mill also sells the grain and the flour, but their flour is not ground as finely. When in doubt Whole Foods is always sure to carry it, which is where I got mine.

Preparing & Cooking

Lately I've been spending a lot of time trying to come up with the perfect red fife scone recipe. I've had a couple of request's for them and have since been trying a few test recipes out. With Mother's Day just around the corner I also thought it would be nice to make them special for my mom. Scones have always been a special treat on my mom's side of the family. There also one of her favourite things, so I figured they would be perfect.

Being British and all you wouldn't expect anything less would you? hehehe.

These would be perfect for brunch, breakfast, or even with a cup of evening tea.

You might already have noticed how I like to do a lot of baking with red fife flour. It's a whole grain Canadian heritage flour that's healthy, high in protein and tastes great.

The red fife gives these scones a nice light texture with the perfect crispy outer crust that could rival any coffee shop bought scone. If you're one of those people that don't like the dry scone variety, then these are for you.

Red Fife Cinnamon Scones (makes 6 individual scones)

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups red fife flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 large egg

For the topping:

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or sucanat
• 2 tsp milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Scatter butter over the flour mixture and continue to blend (or cut in with a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Add to the flour/butter mix and stir gently to combine just until there is no more dry flour visible.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press and form into 6 individual scones or a 6 inch circle. 
5. Mix together topping ingredients, stirring with a fork. Then sprinkle over the dough. 
6. Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tops and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool slightly and serve with butter. 

{Notes} 

• Depending on the heat of your oven you may want to cook the scones closer to the 20 minute mark, which is what I did having a rather hot oven.

If you like scones, here is my grandmother's classic english recipe Grandma's Currant Scones.

Happy Mother's Day!