Homemade Seasoned Fries (Baked!)

Seasoning:

*Whole Wheat Flour

Taco Seasoning

Garlic

Garlic Salt

Brown Sugar

*can substitute gluten-free flours

Instructions: Slice potatoes thinly.  These will be broiled, so the potato needs to bake quickly, before the seasoning burns.  Mix the seasoning mix to the desired strength.  The more brown sugar, the sweeter.  The more flour, the more mild... Add any spices that you think will taste great.  Shake potatoes in a baggie with oil or stir in oil in a bowl.  I use canola oil or better yet olive oil when I have it.  After there is an even coat of oil on the potatoes, drain off any excess.  Next, shake or stir in powdered seasoning mix.  When there is a fairly even coat as pictured, broil on high to desired crispiness.  It doesn't take long, so don't forget about them (learned from experience.)  Mine are done in as little as five minutes.

Left: Unbaked fries coated and spread out, ready to bake.
Right: powdered mix (this one is pretty heavy on the taco seasoning.)  I add garlic and garlic salt to get enough garlic with less salt.  Regular garlic and salt could be used instead.  Lots of choices.  

Background story:  I love curly fries.  Unfortunately, the seasoning mix uses bleached flour.  I have decided to try to start making my own.  These are pretty great!  I do Bountiful Baskets, so I get a lot of great quality produce.  If you live in the western United States, you should check it out.  http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/  This week I got 2lbs or more of Gold Yukon Potatoes, an entire head of cauliflower, three broccoli stem things, three cucumbers, five tomatoes, apples, bananas, a cantiloupe, a head of romaine lettuce, apricots, and a pineapple for only fifteen dollars!

Potato Bread

3 Itty Bitty mashed potatoes or the equivalent (no extra water or milk)

1/2 cup of the potato cooking fluid

1 cup of milk

3/8 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons of yeast
1/4 cup oil
Make sure this mixture is warm, between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit
Pour into dry ingredients, mixing.
Dry ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup gluten flour
2 teaspoons of salt
Add additional whole wheat flour until firm.
Knead 6-8 minutes
Let rise until doubled in size.  To keep the bread moist, spray 2 large Ziplocs with cooking spray.  Put half of the dough into each bag and seal.  Let air out of the bag as needed.  (This also works with pizza dough!)
When risen, shape into 2 loaves and bake.  Any size bread pan will do.  They are smaller than a 9x5x3, but they will cook nicely in a pan that size. 
Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes.
Crust will be firm like some old-fashioned recipes.

Lick-your-lips Lemon Bread

1/3 cup shortening (generous)
1 cup brown sugar (also generous)
Cream sugar and shortening together
Add one egg and mix well
Add a second egg and mix well
2 tsps (generous) Lemon Juice (original recipe calls for lemon peel)
In a separate bowl, combine:
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (skimping)
2 TBS gluten flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsps Baking Powder
In a liquid measuring cup:
1/2 cup of milk
Alternately stir in milk and the dry from the separate bowl.  Don't be afraid of over-stirring because this recipe needs to be lighter and fluffier.
Bake 40-50 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick comes out clean
Background Story:
This is a major variation on a bread recipe in my cookbook.  The original recipe called for things that I A. didn’t have or B. are on my avoidance list.  So I loosely followed it and yum-yum happened!  This is a very sweet bread- almost cake but not quite.  I had to have a whole wheat to gluten flour ratio.  Also, I didn't want pecans and I didn't have lemon peel.  I don't use all purpose flour or white sugar and I wanted more salt.  So basically I used the same amount of baking powder and eggs as the original and similar fat-to-sugar ratios.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 cup Gluten Flour

1 TBS yeast

1 TBS brown sugar

mix and then add 2 cups of warm water

After it is thoroughly mixed, allow to rest 10 minutes

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 TBS salt
1 TBS Lemon Juice
1 1/2 cups or more whole wheat flour as needed
Mix for 5-10 minutes (this kneads the dough)
Rise in the oven for 15 minutes at 150-180 degrees

Don't take the bread out, but turn up to 350 degrees and then set a timer for 30 minutes

Bread should be done when timer rings
Special thanks to Holly!  She shared this recipe with my family.

The Truth

Back in March I went to an allergy specialist.  The verdict was that I have a chlorine allergy.  I was sensitive enough the trace amounts of chlorine in tap water had been causing my flu/cold-like symptoms.  After having filters on the shower so that I don't breathe steam and a filter on the sink in the kitchen so I don't drink it, I have been "cold" free for two months.  It's the longest I've ever been without those symptoms.  Doctors used to tell me it was all viral.  After the whole thing in my sinuses getting worse and worse despite having no tonsils or adenoids, I was sent to a specialist. 

It has been difficult to avoid everything the specialist told me to and I've now given up some of my favorite things.  The only artificial sweeteners that I can have are xylitol, stevia, and saccharin.  No sucralose, aka Splenda ®, aspartame, or other common sweeteners.  This has meant no more gum, a lot of "light" or "no sugar added" foods have these in them. Between the white sugar and artificial sweeteners, there's a lot of "no-no" foods at the store.  I also found out that I need to stay away from Red 40.  It's in everything it seems.  So I make a lot from scratch!

Life is beautiful.  Springtime without the illness is like being handed a second life.  It is so beautiful and I love filling my lungs that used to be plagued by asthma with fresh air.  Some challenges, such as avoiding chlorine, are definitely worth it.