Have you discovered the fabulous taste of kamut? Kamut means wheat in the Egyptian language, from where this grain originated. It is related to durum wheat which is the type of wheat used for pasta. It doesn’t carry as much gluten (protein) as the hard wheat we use for bread, and some people who are gluten sensitive can tolerate it.  It’s also a good source of iron and other minerals.  It has a rich almost buttery taste and I like to mix it with whole wheat pastry flour for pastries. Here is a tasty, very simple recipe from Vegan Homestyle: Simple Recipes For Health Living using kamut flour. It’s like having pineapple upside down cake for breakfast. Remember to keep the dough very soft. Enjoy!

Breakfast Fruit Bread

1/2 c. warm water 105 - 110?
1 T. honey
2 T. yeast

1 c. warm water
3 T. honey
1 T. oil
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla or maple flavoring
2 c. kamut flour

4 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 c. chopped dried fruit (raisins, dates or apricots)
3 c. fresh or canned fruit (pineapple rings, sliced apples or peaches, save juice)

Mix the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl and let rest for ten minutes in a warm place until yeast mixture is bubbly. Add the next six ingredients and enough whole wheat pastry flour to make a very soft dough. Turn out on a counter lightly dusted with flour (use a little unbleached flour to knead) and knead briefly. Keep the dough very soft.
Drain canned fruit and save the juice. Place canned and dried fruit in the bottom of an 8″ x 11″ baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
Roll out the dough and place over the fruit. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise 20–30 minutes or until double in size. Bake for 35 minutes at 350? until just golden on top. Remove from oven and let rest 10 - 15 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack with the fruit side up. Top with Fruit Glaze and toasted chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts.
FRUIT GLAZE: Mix 1 cup of juice from canned fruit above with 1 T. rounded, arrowroot powder, and 1 T. honey or organic cane crystals. Heat in a saucepan, but do not boil, stirring with a whisk, to thicken.

20 servings: 200 calories; 1 gram fat; 120 mg. sodium; 42 grams carbohydrate; 4 grams fiber; 17 grams sugar; 5 grams protein

Health Tip.
Did you know that the word ‘vegan’, like ‘vegetarian’, comes from the latin word ‘vegetus’. It means lively or vigorous and isn’t that what we all need in our life, to have energy and vitality to accomplish all the wonderful things there are to do in this life. Healthy eating and simple habits of living will help bring us that reward. In my book, Vegan Homestyle I’ve outlined some simple steps for Eating For Good Health.” Since many diseases have their start in the digestive tract, good health depends not only on what we eat, but how and when. One important principle is not snacking. What?! You might say, no snacks? Aren’t I supposed to eat every few hours?

Actually, when the stomach is allowed to digest a whole meal and then rest for a little while the interdigestive phase kicks in and helps rejuvenate the digestive organs. This allows the digestive enzymes to be replenished and digestion to be more efficient. So try just water between meals and space your meals at least 5 hours apart. After a few days, many people realize that things are working much better.

If you make scrambled tofu, such as the recipe you’ll find in Vegan Homestyle, you’ll notice big differences in tofu. Even tofu that is labeled ‘firm’ is sometimes quite soft, which means it has a lot more water in it, while others are more solid and dry. So you may find that in order for a firm tofu to absorb the seasoning you might have to actually add a little liquid; i.e., water or juice from a can of olives. While other brands of tofu may need to be drained for awhile.

(To drain: unseal the package, pour off the water and place a weight on top of the tofu, like a jar of water, and let it drain for 10-15 minutes.)  If your scrambled tofu or tofu spread still seems to have too much water, try sprinkling in a little potato flour (not potato starch).

I love potato flour. It is a pre-cooked starch that thickens instantly, doesn’t have strong flavor. It can tie up that extra water in tofu, or salad dressings or sauces. Keep some in a jar in your cabinet and you’ll find many uses for it. It usually only takes 1 or 2 teaspoons. Happy Cooking!