Whole Wheat Pumpkin Rolls

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Rolls

A few nights ago my husband made a delicious roast pork recipe. It was spicy, a little sweet, and the meat was so tender that it fell apart. Just the way I like it!

There was enough left over for another meal, so I decided to make roast pork sandwiches. As we had no rolls in the house, I went to work on a new recipe: whole wheat pumpkin rolls! (I confess. I had pumpkin pure in the freezer from the holidays.)

The resulting rolls were so delicious, and they held up well as sandwich rolls. The pumpkin flavor was a nice complement to the pork. Give my recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Pure from fresh pumpkin

Here are the ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin pure (not from can)
1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil (or other oil)
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp dry yeast

Makes approximately 18 3-inch rolls.


Preparation:

Using your electric mixer with a paddle attachment or your bread machine, combine the ingredients – keeping in mind your machine’s instructions.

When kneading is done, let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size. (If you prefer hand kneading, see my note on hand kneading in my Best Ever Polenta Pumpkin Seed Bread Recipe.)

Once the dough has doubled, pour it out into a floured surface, give it a good kneading - a couple minutes - and then divide the dough into 18 dough balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet and let rise until they have doubled in size (approximately 20 minutes).

Dough balls rising

While the rolls are rising, preheat your oven to 200 C (or approximately 390 F).

Once the rolls have doubled in size, score them with a sharp knife and place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Scored and ready for the oven

These rolls come out a nice toasted orange color. They are tasty!

Just out of the oven

Don't worry if the rolls have expanded into each other. They pull apart easily.

Ready to eat!

Let me know how your rolls come out, and happy baking!


You may enjoy some of my other bread recipes:

Dinkel Bread
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pumpkin Seed Bread
Nourishing Corn Oat Bread
Beer and Swiss Cheese Bread
Val's Twisted Anadama Bread
Val's Braided Cardamom Egg Bread
Val's Original Sundried Tomato Polenta Bread
Best Ever Polenta Pumpkin Seed Bread



This recipe was shared with Everyday Mom's Meals.

Putting a lid on it

Hand dyed Coiled Rope Basket with Matching Lid by SquareCircleWorks

Goodness! Where's April gone?

I've been busy in my studio working on new designs for my Etsy shop - baskets with lids!

Hand dyed in Indigo Blue by SquareCircleWorks

Friends wonder at my limitless passion for basket making. This is the thing. Basket making is like gardening. Would you ask a gardener, Don't you get tired of gardening? Probably not. There are enough plants on this earth to last a gardener a lifetime.

It's the same with basket making. There are so many forms and textures and materials! It would take a lifetime to discover them all.

Baskets with lids in the Boudoir Collection by SquareCircleWorks

Here are more of my latest discoveries…

Basket with Lid - Fiesta Azul - Blue Festival by SquareCircleWorks

Arts and Crafts inspired baskets by SquareCircleWorks

Enjoy spring and happy gardening!

A Leiter view

Harlem by S. Leiter

Saul Leiter, the New York based photographer and artist, has come to one of my favorite Viennese museums, Kunst Haus Wien. Yesterday some friends and I paid a visit.

It's hard to describe Leiter as his work spans 60 plus years and covers many genres of photography - from street photos and still life shots to portraiture and fashion. Leiter not only takes photos, he paints.  His paintings are whimsical and unashamedly pretty.

Many of the items you see here are from the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Painting by S. Leiter

Leiter's photos are often provocative, like this street shot of a man facedown on a metal staircase.

Street photo by S. Leiter

Or this fashion photo...  one of my favorites in the collection.

Fashion photo by S. Leiter

Leiter's paintings offer a great contrast to his photos. The paintings, often created with gouache and watercolor, are light, fluid, and playful.

Painting by S. Leiter

Perhaps most interesting is Leiter's fusion of painting and photography. It's exciting to see the two mediums come together to create something that is both seductive and fun. Here is an example...

Leiter's painted photo

The Saul Leiter exhibit is at the Kunst Haus Wien until May 26, 2013. I encourage you to experience this inspiring collection! Now it's time for me to take some photos of my own... :)

Many thanks to Karen for inviting me to join her on this visit and to Kunst Haus Wien for allowing me to take these flash-free shots.

Expressions of rhythm and color

Tulip and Willow designed by William Morris, 1873

I am a big fan of the decorative colors and patterns from the Arts and Crafts period - swirling vines and twisting leaves of sage green and prussian blue, stylized flowers, birds, and fruits. So when Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts - the MAK - opened an exhibit on English textiles from the period, it was only a matter of time before I was there.

Wandle designed by William Morris, 1884

The exhibit is down in the MAK's basement, where the pieces are protected by glass and low light. The rows of fabric panels are breathtaking. Each piece hypnotizing.

Decorative fabric by Silver Studio, 1898

What an extensive variety of English textiles the MAK has collected! Most of the pieces were acquired during the very period in which they were produced, the late 19th century. Back then the MAK was called the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry (or die k. k. Österreichischen Museums für Kunst und Industrie).

Decorative fabric, unknown

The MAK's textile exhibit is open until October 13, 2013. If you love textiles and are in Vienna this year, I encourage you to visit the MAK.

Exhibit entrance

See you soon!

Sweet baby greens salad with brown rice and apples

Sweet and healthy!

I'm still not over a holiday-induced sweet tooth. I still crave those ginger cookies and chocolate bundt cakes we baked way back in December.

So, how do I satisfy my cravings in a healthy way? What about a sweet salad with baby greens?

Of course, if we're  going to be healthy, why not add a little bit of brown rice? Did you know that brown rice has over six times the fiber that white rice has? And guess what? Brown rice has over 17 times the vitamin E. (Noah Wellness, 2003)

Wonder rice!

I must admit that it took me some time to get used to brown rice. But once I started to add it to dishes, I begin to notice how the chewy texture and nutty flavor enhance a meal. And since it takes my body longer to digest brown rice, I find I am not as hungry later in the day.

But, back to the salad...

For the sweet elements of this salad I choose a tropical trail mix - macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, dried pineapple and cranberries. I also added balsamic cream, which is a wonderfully sweet reduction, often used in salads as well as chicken and fish dishes.

Tropical trail mix

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients for one serving:

Arugula and lamb's lettuce (or similar greens)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tbsp trail mix (dried fruit and nut mix)
1/2 apple, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic cream (reduced balsamic vinegar)

Layer ingredients in a shallow bowl in the order listed above. Drizzle on the olive oil and balsamic cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ready to eat?

I hope you enjoy this and my other recipes. Stay healthy, ya'll!


Reference:

Noah wellness. (2003). Retrieved from
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/noahnet/lp/wgrains/WholeGrains_4_BrownRice_Oct04.pdf