Whole Wheat Couscous-Lentil Cakes with Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce

Post by: Kaycie – Hodgson Mill Blogger / Customer Service

Hi everyone.  My name is Kaycie and I’m a new customer service representative at Hodgson Mill. I love cooking and writing about food and am thrilled to offer this guest blog post.  If you’d like, you can read more about me in my bio on the blog click here for Kaycie’s bio.

I’ve been a fan of couscous ever since college, where I met Kelly, the first friend of mine to eat vegan. Kelly opened my eyes to the wonderful world of couscous – a world of quick and easy eating, but more importantly, healthy and delicious dishes. I was hooked, and so happy to see that Hodgson Mill makes several varieties of couscous and each one made from premium U.S.-sourced whole wheat.

Raspberry Cream Bars

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

Hooray!  It’s Easter time!  That means spring is just around the corner and we can look forward to shedding our winter coats for good.  In light of this celebration, I came up with a bright, flavorful dessert made with fresh raspberries and a buttery whole wheat crust that’s perfect to share with family and friends on Easter.  Let’s hear it for spring!

Luck ‘O The Irish Brownies

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

As luck would have it, I have the perfect recipe to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – Luck ‘O The Irish Brownies.  These brownies taste amazing and may even have you dancing a jig after one bite.  They’re made with Hodgson Mill Brownie Mix with Whole Wheat Flour and Milled Flax Seed, so you know right away that they’re going be better for you than your average brownie – 100% whole grains will do that for you.  Next, a tasty cream cheese batter that’s flavored with Irish liqueur is swirled into the deeply chocolate whole wheat brownie batter which creates a cheesecake-like top to the brownies.  Even though these brownies have an adult spin with the liqueur, the flavor isn’t overwhelming and can be omitted and replaced with extra vanilla extract if you’d prefer.  So, turn your oven on to 350^˚F – we have a ‘wee’ bit of baking to do. 🙂

Southwestern Baked Pasta

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

I think casseroles were invented for busy people – and rightly so.  They’re easy to put together, use a minimal number of dishes and generally make enough food for more than one meal.  This Southwestern Baked Pasta fits all of those descriptors, and it certainly tastes great.  The bonus item with this casserole is that it’s healthier for you than most traditional casseroles because it’s made with Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Penne Pasta.  If you’re like me and shy away from spicy foods, never fear; this recipe has all of the warm flavors of Southwestern food, but isn’t the least bit spicy – especially when you dollop a little sour cream on top.  On the other hand, if you‘d like a little more heat, you can adjust the spiciness without any trouble.

Multi Grain Cereal with Dates, Orange and Cinnamon

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

There are a lot of things I like about Hodgson Mill’s Multi Grain Hot Cereal.  First of all, it’s quick to fix – something a mother of four definitely appreciates.  Second, it’s filled with oats and three types of whole wheat, so I know it’s a healthy way to start the day.  And third, it tastes great plain with just a little brown sugar, but can easily be adapted to other flavor combinations.

The Blueberry Swirl Hot Cereal recipe is still one of my favorite ways to fix Hodgson Mill Multi Grain Hot Cereal, but recently, I’ve also become fond of mixing it with Medjool dates, fresh orange and cinnamon.  If you’re not familiar with Medjool dates, they’re generally found in the produce section of the supermarket and are usually packaged in small plastic containers or displayed loosely in large bins and priced by the pound.  They’re also left whole, versus chopped, and most often need to have the pits removed, although that’s a very simple task.   Medjool dates are moist, naturally sweet, a good source of fiber and can often be substituted for raisins as an easy snack or ingredient.

Spicy Basil Shrimp Fettuccine

In less than half an hour, you could be sitting down to late-winter comfort food at its best: warm sauce and pasta with enough spice to wake you up and make you think of the approaching spring and summer. This is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal or a Lenten Friday supper.

Firm, springy shrimp are immersed in a tangy, creamy, tomato sauce with a slow-building spicy heat from garlic and crushed red pepper and surrounded by the freshness of bright, sweet basil. The sauce coats the shrimp and the firm, nutty-tasting Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Fettuccine. (If you like, you can also make this dish with  Organic Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Milled Flaxseed for the added benefits of flaxseed and organic wheat, or for a gluten-free option, use Gluten-Free Brown Rice Linguine with Golden Milled Flaxseed)

Banana-Nut Bulgur Wheat Hot Cereal with Cinnamon-Honey Yogurt

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

I think I’ve found my new favorite hot cereal.  You’ll remember in my earlier post for Lemon Dill Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumber and Feta Cheese that I’ve discovered the wonders of Hodgson Mill Bulgur Wheat with Soy.  In that same post I eluded to a great way to use bulgur wheat as a hot cereal – and here it is: hot cooked Hodgson Mill Bulgur Wheat mixed with brown sugar and toasted walnuts and topped with slices of banana.  As tasty as this combination is, we won’t stop here – no, no.  We’re going to put some Greek yogurt, mixed with honey and cinnamon, on top of it all. And so, may I present: Banana-Nut Bulgur Wheat Hot Cereal with Cinnamon-Honey Yogurt. Delicious, easy and so good for you – you simply must make this.

So what is bulgur wheat, anyway?  Actually, it’s not as odd as the name suggests.  Bulgur is whole wheat that’s been precooked (steamed) then dried and cracked.  It’s a good source of fiber that’s low in cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.  I’m also a big fan of the slightly chewy texture and nutty, whole grain taste.  And have I mentioned what a great value it is?  The entire 18 oz. box of bulgur costs around $2.40, and this recipe uses a little less than half of a box. That’s just slightly more than $1 for all five servings of bulgur in this recipe.  That’s amazing such a nutrition-dense food is such a great value.

Lemon Dill Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumber and Feta Cheese

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

I think my taste buds suffer from seasonal affect disorder.  Toward the end of winter, when apples and citrus start losing their appeal, I long for fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits in the worst way.  My desire is compounded by the multitude of seed catalogs that arrive daily reminding me of all the things I want to grow when the weather becomes warm again.  To perk myself up, I decided to splurge and buy one of those over-priced packages of fresh herbs, dill in particular, as the inspiration for a spring-like lunch.

I enjoy a good salad as much as the next person, but I need it to include protein to keep me satisfied and help me avoid snacking ten times before dinner.  So, to create a delicious, protein-packed, spring-inspired lunch, I used Hodgson Mill Bulgur Wheat as the basis of my salad.  In case you weren’t sure, bulgur wheat is whole wheat that’s been precooked (steamed) then dried and cracked.  Hodgson Mill’s version helps give these whole grains a hearty 10 grams of protein per serving.

Now, to be honest, I’d never cooked with bulgur before; the name was a bit of a turn off, and tabooli, the dish it’s most associated with, never seemed appetizing to me.  So, my first experience with Hodgson Mill Bulgur Wheat was in a fantastic breakfast cereal I made recently (look for it in a post coming soon).  It was kind of an “Ah ha!” moment.  Bulgur wheat was really good and quick to fix.  Who knew?  My girls even started requesting it for breakfast in lieu of oatmeal.  So, with all of that in mind, I made the jump from breakfast to a savory dish and put it in this Lemon Dill Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Cucumbers and Feta Cheese. I think my taste buds were dancing in my mouth

Vanilla-Pear Yeast Bread with Cinnamon-Honey Butter

Post by: Holly – Hodgson Mill Blogger

If you happen to love baking bread and are looking for that next best loaf, I’ve got a great one for you to try.  This Vanilla-Pear Yeast Bread with Cinnamon-Honey Butter is one of my new favorite recipes. I love how the dough incorporates ingredients like fresh pears, vanilla, honey, Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and Hodgson Mill Naturally White Flour and kneads them together to become not one, but two lovely loaves of lightly sweet yeast bread that’s delicious on its own and even better when spread with cinnamon-honey butter.

Begin by pulling together some bread making basics: Hodgson Mill Active Dry Yeast, Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and Hodgson Mill Naturally White Flour.  If you’re still trying to adjust to having whole wheat in your bread, this is a great recipe with which to begin expanding your palate.  It includes a full cup of Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour, but also has plenty of white flour to even out the texture.  If you’re accustomed to whole wheat breads, by all means, replace a cup of the white flour with more whole wheat.  This bread is meant to have a tender crumb, so I wouldn’t go over using half whole wheat, but there’s certainly room for more than one cup.

Gluten-Free Linguine with Artichokes, Sundried Tomatoes and Arugula

Need a go-to healthy gluten free entree that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but definitely fancy enough for casual entertaining? I’ve got you covered with this Gluten-Free Linguine with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Arugula. What’s even more brilliant is that this entree comes together in about half an hour and all but one ingredient (the arugula) come in jars and boxes you can keep in a cupboard to pull out at a moment’s notice. This is definitely food love!