Memorial Day is just a few days away and this Oat and Pineapple Salad will make a perfect side for your cookout.

I was first introduced to whole grain salads a few years ago when a coworker made a wheat and apricot salad for lunch. In my mind I turned my nose up at it, but I didn’t say anything and tried it anyway. What a surprise when I realized I liked it! Ever since then, I’ve LOVED grain salads.

This is a hearty salad packed with nutrients. Oat groats are full of protein, fiber, iron, and zinc. You get more protein from the almonds and vitamin C from the pineapple and dried cranberries. While it’s a fantastic side, I also like to eat it by itself for lunch or for a small, healthy snack.

It’s a little tangy with some sweet and the mint gives it a fresh kick. The oats are nutty and chewy, adding a delightful mouth feel. It’s difficult for me to describe this salad because there’s so much going on, but all the ingredients compliment each other so well. This is one you definitely need to try for yourself. I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.

Happy eating!

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Something possibly strange about me is that when I learned to make bread, I first learned how to make beautifully light loaves of 100% whole wheat bread. (Thanks to Bruce and Carla Crane, the owners of our store.) A basic white sandwich bread was my downfall. It seems that it’s usually the other way around. But either way, sometimes I just want white bread. And since I’ve had several requests from our customers for some instruction on a good white loaf, I decided that there’s no time like the present to do that.

Oh, but remember that white bread was my downfall? Every time I made white bread, it would end up dense and kind of flat. It was great for French toast, but not much else. Not sure I should be the one to tell people how to make good white bread. So about 3 months ago, I went on a search for a great recipe for white sandwich bread and tried to figure out why mine always ended up so dense.

I tested, failed, tested some more, succeeded, tested some more, failed, and tested some more. I did finally succeed and I’m now able to duplicate the same perfect loaf every time.

Here’s what I learned:

White bread needs to be kneaded for 8-10 minutes. When I make whole wheat bread, I knead it for about half that time. So, when I made white bread, I figured I’d knead it for the same amount of time. White flour needs more time for the gluten to develop fully.
White bread needs more flour in the dough than whole wheat bread. The dough needs to be stiffer. If it’s too sticky, it will spill over the sides of the bread pan a little when it’s baking. That doesn’t make for a very pretty loaf.
Definitely always add dough enhancer. This is huge. Dough enhancer helps to create a more even crumb texture and it helps add a little more elasticity and softness to the bread.

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Brown Lentil tacos are a great alternative to traditional beef or chicken tacos!

Several years ago, when I first started working at Kitchen Kneads, I was totally excited about whole grains and beans. My husband and I had a goal to eat more healthy.

This is one reason I started to work at Kitchen Kneads: I was excited to learn how to cook with whole grains and beans. So, I set out searching for recipes that used healthier alternatives.

Now, this was before the age of Pinterest (Imagine that!), so I scoured through my many, many cookbooks. (Reading cookbooks was a for real past time of mine.)

In my red checkered Better Homes and Gardens giant three-ring binder cookbook (I’ll bet many of you have one or another version of that one, right?), I found a recipe for tacos that uses lentils instead of ground beef. This intrigued me and put it on the menu for the following week.

It was a hit! Now, at this time it was just me and my husband, so it’s more likely that two adults will like something like this. But what about kids?

Well, I’m pleased to say that since the first time I made these tacos, my husband and I have added three kids to the dinner table and they love them too. They don’t even seem to notice that these lentil tacos don’t have any meat.

So, the next time you put tacos on your dinner menu, try lentils instead of beef or chicken. I chose Brown Lentil Tacos, but any lentil works great!

Why use lentils?

These tacos have a good amount of protein, just like their meaty counterparts. They’re also a great source of fiber. Lentils are easier to digest than meat, which is a plus for your digestive system. On top of all that, they’re much less expensive to make. Lentils cost a fraction of the cost of ground beef.

Brown Lentil Tacos

Ingredients

2 cups lentils, cooked (from 1 cup dry lentils)
White onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1–2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup of vegetable broth
Corn or Flour Tortillas, for serving
Taco toppings: cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, homemade guacamole

Spice mix:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon each:
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

First, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sweat the onion in 1 tbsp. oil. Stir frequently, about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Then, add the garlic and spice mixture and cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently. Remember, you don’t want to burn the spices just crank up the flavor by cooking them.
While you are cooking this, warm the tortillas. You can do this in the oven or microwave. I just place them on the burner behind my frying pan and let them warm up while I cook the filling, this way I don’t have to turn on the oven.
Next, add the lentils and stir to combine. Then, add the vegetable broth and using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the lentils until they start to look like ground meat. Then, cook another few minutes until hot. Note, if the lentils start to dry out, add another tbsp. or two of vegetable broth (can also use salsa here)
Finally, place a heaping spoonful or two into the taco shell and add your fillings. The filling will make about 8 tacos, depending on how stuffed you like them!

Notes

I’ve tweaked the original recipe to best fit my family’s tastes and you can do the same if you’d like. For example, if you don’t want them quite as spicy, add a little less crushed red peppers. If you want a stronger Mexican flavor, add a little more cumin.

Monday	9:30am - 6:00pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 6:00pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 6:00pm
Thursday	9:30am - 6:00pm
Friday	9:30am - 6:00pm
Saturday	9:30am - 5:00pm
Sunday	CLOSED

Happy eating!

Here’s what I learned:

Why use lentils?

Brown Lentil Tacos

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

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Oat and Pineapple Salad

Happy eating!

Here’s what I learned:

Why use lentils?

Brown Lentil Tacos

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Office

Payment Methods