NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
May 4, 2000
It's not as if my appetite goes into hibernation during the winter months, but there's something about springtime that makes me extra hungry. Perhaps the lengthening days are the cause. Whatever the reason, my instinctive urge to eat definitely becomes more ravenous in April and May, and there's nothing like a hearty breakfast buffet to tame that bear in my stomach.
If I were designing the perfect springtime brunch (according to my favorites), I'd begin with hot croissants and an assortment of jams, jellies (jalapeno) and honey. Plenty of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage links, I suppose. French toast? Why not. Grits? Sure, with butter and hot pepper sauce.
There would have to be an assortment of cheeses, and plenty of salads--a fresh fruit salad, a tangy pasta salad, a creamy coleslaw, and a crispy lettuce salad. I'd offer baked navy beans and a green bean casserole with a lot of crunch and color courtesy of water chestnuts and diced pimentos. Scalloped potatoes too, and probably a wild rice dish with mushrooms. I'd prepare broiled orange roughy, savory meatballs and baked ham. Of course, there would tartar sauce for the fish, a zippy mustard sauce for the meatballs and raisin sauce for the ham.
And for dessert: pecan pie, butterscotch cheesecake and homemade vanilla ice cream with hot fudge.
Oh, and one more item. The biscuits from the following recipe would make perfect accompaniments (as in more than one) for all those slices of baked ham I intend to be eating.
Brunch Biscuits
This recipe is a variation of one offered by the Kansas Wheat Commission.
Yield: about 18 biscuitsIngredients:
4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup skim (fat-free) milk
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (room temperature)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange peelProcedure:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix well. Heat milk and shortening to between 120 F and 130 F (shortening does not need to melt). Add milk and shortening to flour mixture, and then add potatoes, eggs and orange peel. Use a hand mixer to blend at low speed until moistened, then beat three minutes at medium speed. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Knead eight minutes by hand or with the mixer's dough-hook attachment. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2½-inch biscuit cutter and place biscuits on baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover, let rise in a warm (80 F) place until doubled in size. Bake at 400 F oven 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack or serve immediately.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
These biscuits have an unexpected bonus: 43 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A. The sweet potatoes contain carotenoids, orange pigments used by the human body to make vitamin A, which helps our eyes adjust to low levels of light and keeps skin healthy. Each biscuit also contains about 150 calories, 3 grams of fat and about 12 percent of the daily recommendation for folic acid from the all-purpose flour. Folic acid has been shown to help prevent birth defects, and according to some recent research, also may decrease our risk for heart disease.
Depending on where you live, biscuits will vary. A biscuit in England might resemble a cookie or even a cracker to Americans. Traditionally, the biscuit preference of Americans in the South has been a crusty model with a soft crumb, while northerners preferred flaky biscuits with a high volume.
Strictly speaking, this yeast-containing biscuit recipe produces a product more like buns or rolls. Biscuits are generally quick breads made with a leavening agent such as baking powder. The biscuit method of preparation involves cutting the shortening into the dry ingredients and adding the liquid all at once followed by kneading, rolling and cutting the biscuits.
Regardless of terminology or technique, biscuits are among the foods that comprise the base of the Food Guide Pyramid. They're high in complex carbohydrates, which fuel our activities. While some fad diets consider bread the enemy, carbohydrate-rich foods are no more likely to add pounds to you than an excess of any other calorie-containing food. Carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories per gram, while fat provides 9 calories per gram.
If you want to make these biscuits even more healthful, consider doing a little experimentation in your kitchen. Try substituting part (such as one-fourth or one-third) of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat or cracked-wheat flour. You may have to add a bit more liquid if you substitute volume for volume, and the bread may have a lower volume. The bonus for you will be added fiber, nutrients and a nut-like flavor from the wheat bran.
Eating ample whole grains such as whole-wheat flour, oatmeal and brown rice could reduce the risk of heart disease. In a study with 75,000 nurses as subjects, Harvard researchers reported a protective effect of eating 2.5 servings of whole-grain foods daily.
Since last summer, certain cereals and breads have been sporting new health claims on their packages sanctioned by Food and Drug Administration. In order to carry the claim, the bread or cereal products must contain 51 percent whole grains by weight, have 2.8 grams of fiber per 50-gram serving and be low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. The health claim reads, "Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers."
That labeling may perk up the national statistics. About 93 percent of Americans fall short of the three servings of whole grains per day, which is part of the recommendation to eat 6 to11 servings from the Food Guide Pyramid's grain group. Health claims on cereals or breads will provide a major clue for whole-grain seekers. Look for the phrases such as "100 percent whole grain" or "whole wheat."
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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