Sourdough Sprouted Spelt Blini #BreadBakers

These sourdough sprout spelt blini are flavorful and fluffy, perfect to eat with sweet or savory toppings. We love them with cream cheese and salmon!

I must confess that I didn’t know much about blini beyond how to eat them so in researching this recipe, I learned a lot. For instance, blini were traditionally prepared at the end of winter to celebrate the birth of the new sun, the round blini representing the sun. The Orthodox church adopted the pagan tradition and Maslenitsa or pancake week is still celebrated today. 

Originally blini were made with a yeasted dough and baked in an oven. In fact, even though they are pan-fried like pancakes these days, even in Russia, the Russian verb used to describe their preparation is still “bake.”

Sourdough Sprouted Spelt Blini

My recipe was adapted from one on La Recette du Jour,  using wholegrain spelt instead of the traditional buckwheat. If you don't have spelt or buckwheat whole grain wheat would also work. 

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups or 300ml milk

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

7 oz or 200g discard sourdough starter

2/3 cup or 80g plain flour

1 cup or 120g sprouted spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

butter for the griddle 

Method

Warm the milk slightly and add in the yeast and sugar. When the yeast is activated (that is, when the milk gets foamy on top) add it to the sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl and whisk until blended. 

Add both the flours, stir again, cover with cling film or a plastic bag, and leave to double in size. This should take 1 – 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. (If it’s chilly where you live right now, put the covered bowl in your kitchen sink filled with warm water.) 

Separate the eggs and set the whites aside in a large clean bowl. Stir the yolks into the batter with the salt and leave for about another hour.

The batter should now be spongy and bubbly.

When you are ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the batter.

Heat your pan or griddle over a low heat and smear with a little butter. 

Once it’s hot, ladle on small dollops of batter, whatever size you want your blini to be. I used a small cookie scoop but still managed to get wonky shaped blini. Mine would probably be booed out of new sun celebration for not being round. 

Never mind. Just keep telling yourself that looks don’t matter. It’s all about the taste.

When bubbles start to form and the bottom is browned, carefully turn the blini over with a spatula to cook the other side. 

When both sides are cooked, put them on a warmed plate and cover loosely with foil to keep them warm. 

Serve them with butter and jam or topped with cured salmon, cream cheese and capers. 

Enjoy! 

This month my Bread Baker friends are sharing breads made with whole grain flour. Check out the recipes below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Easy Peasy Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
• Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Einkorn and Spelt Whole Wheat Flour Sourdough Bread
• Passion Kneaded: Marble Wheat Loaf
• The Wimpy Vegetarian: Molasses-Oat Rolls
• Magical Ingredients: Multigrain Carrot Rolls
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Multigrain Sourdough Boules
• Making Miracles: Seedy Soft Sandwich Bread
• Food Lust People Love: Sourdough Sprouted Spelt Blini
• Sneha's Recipe: Spelt Banana Bread
• Palatable Pastime: Spent Grain Whole Wheat Bread
• A Messy Kitchen: Sweet Wheat Braids
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Ambrosia: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakershome page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Chicken Chili Tortilla Casserole

This chicken chili tortilla casserole is like enchiladas made easier by layering the “filling” with corn tortillas and topping each layer with cheese. It is assembled, with apologies to all Italians: lasagna style. 

We love enchiladas at our house so I’ve been known to make ones with beef, chicken with chorizo and even a mix of chicken and black beans. If you need a vegetarian version, I can highly recommend my cheesy bean enchilada recipe made with pintos and vegetarian refried beans. Topped with jalapeños and black olives it is as pretty as it is tasty. You won’t even miss the meat, I promise. 

The only reason I don’t make enchiladas more is the messy hassle of saucing the tortillas to soften and then filling them. This casserole avoids that whole palaver.

That said, the chicken chili is also delicious on its own. :) 

Chicken Chili Tortilla Casserole

In the US, unlike in most of the world where chili powder is literally just ground chili peppers, chili powder is a spice mix made with (at least in the McCormick brand powder) toasted whole ripe chili peppers, cumin, oregano, garlic and salt. To make it clear, I’m going to call it chili (seasoning) powder in the ingredients list below. 

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g trimmed chicken breasts

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola or other light oil, plus extra for the baking dish

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1-2 fresh jalapeños, finely chopped

3 tablespoons chili (seasoning) powder (see note above)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 can (14.5 oz or 411g) small dice tomatoes with green chili peppers

1 tablespoon tomato paste

14 fresh corn tortillas

8 oz or 225g extra sharp cheddar or a blend of cheeses, grated

Optional garnish:

sliced fresh jalapeños

Method

Cut the chicken into small pieces. I like to put my hand on the breasts and cut them in two through the middle so the pieces are thinner, then cut them into small cubes. You can just kinda chop it up with a sharp knife, if you prefer. 

Season the chicken pieces with a good sprinkle of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Warm the oil in a large pot and then sautéed the chopped vegetables in the oil until softened, about five minutes. 

Add in the chili powder, cumin and paprika and give the whole thing a good stir. Cook for another two minutes, then add in the chicken. Stir well to coat the chicken with the seasonings. 

Cook for another few minutes then add in the canned tomatoes and the tomato paste then using the tomato can as a measuring vessel, add a full can of water. 

Bring to a slow boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. 

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Grease the bottom of a casserole dish with a little oil and cover it with a layer of corn tortillas, cutting them to make them fit. I chose this ridiculously shaped pan so it got a little more complicated than necessary. (Another wedding gift from 25 years ago, it matches the quiche dish.) 

Spoon over 1/3 third of the chicken chili and sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese. 

Cover this with another layer of corn tortillas, another 1/3 of the chicken chili and 1/3 of the cheese. 

Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the balance of the chicken and the balance of the cheese. Rip a couple of tortillas into pieces and strew them decoratively over the casserole. (This step is not strictly necessary but I like the crunch that they add to the top.)

Cover with foil and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top is browned. 

Leave to cool for about 10 minutes before garnishing with sliced fresh jalapeños, if using, and cutting the casserole into squares to serve. 

Enjoy!

Today I’m joining my Baking Blogger friends who are sharing Mexican recipes. Check them out below. I know mine isn’t in any way authentically Mexican but I hope it is close enough to qualify. Many thanks to our host and organizer, Sue from Palatable Pastime. 

• Baked Pork Enchilada Salsa Verde Casserole from Sneha's Recipe
• Bolillos from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Capirotada de Leche from Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Corn Dip from Magical Ingredients
• Chicken Chili Tortilla Casserole from Food Lust People Love
• Creamy Caramel Flan from Making Miracles
• Mexican Chicken Bake (DASH Friendly) from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tacos De Jocoqui (Sour Cream Tacos) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Telera Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Family Secret Garlic Bread

Garlic and butter and our secret ingredient, mayonnaise, makes this family secret garlic bread the best we’ve ever tasted.  

Many years ago when we were living in Brazil, our house and garden were often used for company parties because we had room enough to invite all of my husband’s colleagues along with their spouses and children. 

Caterers were hired to set up tables with tablecloths and provide glasses, plates and cutlery. Depending on the occasion, they often also brought the side dishes, using my kitchen for last minute food prep. The main course was always the ubiquitous Brazilian churrasco, that is, meat grilled over a coal or wood fire. 

One of the typical accompaniments was garlic bread, made in the traditional Brazilian way with garlic, butter and mayonnaise. We all liked it so much that we adopted that recipe and always and forever after have made our garlic bread the Brazilian way. 

I call this family secret garlic bread because when we would visit my sister in Houston, grilled steaks were often on the menu. I would offer to make salad and garlic bread. My sister detested anything creamy, including mayonnaise so we just never told her how the garlic spread was made. Sometimes it wasn’t easy to do it without her seeing the mayo going in but my daughters ran interference when needed and we managed to keep the secret from her.  

By the way, she loved my garlic bread! 

Family Secret Garlic Bread

This recipe is easily doubled or trebled or even quadrupled to make as much family secret garlic bread as you need to feed the hungry hoards. I like to use a bit more butter than mayonnaise but some Brazilians will use equal amounts of each or even all mayo. Try it my way first but then feel free to play with the ratio. 

Ingredients

1 baguette or long French bread loaf

1/2 cup or 113g butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup or 75g mayonnaise

4 cloves garlic

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Cut the baguette down one side to open it up like a book. Do not slice all the way through. 

Crush and mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press. Mix the butter, mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl until well combined. 

Slather the mixture on the inside of the baguette, on both sides. 

Close the baguette to enclose the garlic butter, then turn it cut side up and carefully cut it into portions by slicing it not quite all the way through so that the pieces can be easily torn away to serve. Do not cut all the way through the “book spine.” 

Wrap the bread snugly in heavy-duty foil and pop it in the oven. I find it easier to wrap when I cut the baguette in half but you can certainly leave yours whole. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the butter has well melted into the bread. Turn the oven off. Serve immediately or leave the garlic bread in the warm oven until ready to serve if the rest of the meal is almost ready. 

To serve, open the foil and let people wrest off as many pieces as they want. (Yeah, I wasn't so good at judging where to cut it in two evenly.)

Enjoy! 

It's Sunday FunDay and we are celebrating National Garlic Month by sharing garlicky recipes. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm! Check out the recipes below. 

• Blackened Steak Caesar Salad by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp by Making Miracles
• Family Secret Garlic Bread by Food Lust People Love
• Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Garlic Roasted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Garlicky Fregola with Edamame, Mint, and Ricotta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Indo Chinese Style Schezwan Chutney by Cook with Renu
• Lasanachi Chutney | Maharashtrian style dry Garlic Chutney by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Red Garlic Chutney by Sneha's Recipe
• Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Filled Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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