Bread & Spread: Overnight Seeded Sourdough & Fig Spread

The method for this bread is derived from Joanne Chang's recipes in Flour.  The fig spread is an invention I came up with this weekend that came out perfectly.  I have never been so pleased with a first attempt that I am refusing to "refine" the recipe.  I used the left overs (after the bread was all eaten) to fill homemade fig bars, which we promptly ate as well.

Seeded Overnight Sourdough

 

Starter Sponge:

1/2 cup warm water

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp active dry yeast (not instant)

Mix water, flour, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Cover loosely and let sit at least 8 hours; it is best if it sits 12.  (I cover mine with my bread baking flour towel, as natural yeast lives in it.)

Seeded Sourdough:

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons group flax seeds

3 tablespoons agave, honey, or rice syrup 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup millet

Place mixer bowl containing sponge on the mixer stand.  Add warm water, whole wheat and millet flours, and 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.  Using dough hook, mix until it just comes together and is "shaggy" in consistency.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  After it stands, mix in agave/honey/rice syrup and knead for 2 minutes.  After two minutes, stop mixer and feel the dough.  If it is sticky, add up to 1/4 cup of all purpose flour in 1 tablespoon increments, stopping to feel dough between additions.  When dough is damp but not sticky, knead for 3 more minutes.  Add salt, millet, and flax seeds and knead until fully incorporated.  Move to an oiled bowl to rise and cover.  Allow it to rise for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough is puffy.  (This dough does not double, due to the low yeast content.)

After the rise, remove the dough from the bowl to a work surface.  Do not knead, as the dough is already stiff.  Split the dough into two equal portions and shape into 2 small baguette loaves.  Move the loaves onto a greased and floured cookie sheet, and cover to allow it to rise.  Dough will need to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until it looks puffy.  (It will not double.)  When dough is risen, adjust one oven rack to the center and one to the lower third of the oven, and heat to 500 degrees.  With the tip of a very sharp knife or a razor blade, make three diagonal slits in the top of each loaf to allow dough to expand in oven.  Slide a clean baking pan or jelly roll pan containing 2 cups of water onto the lower rack.  Slide the pan with the bread onto the middle oven rack and close oven.  (Do this as quickly as possible to keep oven temperature from dropping.)  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the loaves are browned.  Remove loaves to wire rack to cool.

These loaves will be crusty on the outside and evenly seeded and soft on the inside.  Delicious.

Note: If you are making this recipe with a hand mixer, be aware the final dough is very heavy and will need to be kneaded by hand after the seeds are added. It may be too much to move prior to this step, so please feel free to use your discretion on when to work the dough by hand.

Fig Spread

Ingredients

8 oz dried figs, stems removed and cut into quarters

1 bottle (750 ml) sweet white wine, such as Gewurztraminer, Liebfraumilch, or Muscato

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground cardamon

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup dry roasted (unsalted) almonds

pinch of salt

In a small sauce pan, bring figs and wine to a simmer on a medium heat.  When the mixture is simmering, lower the heat and allow it to reduce.  When the wine has reduced by 75%, add the cloves, cardamon, and cinnamon, and allow it to reduce until wine is almost fully evaporated.  Remove from the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a food processor bowl, process almonds until chopped.  Add fig reduction, and process until an even, smooth texture is achieved.  Add salt and pulse to incorporate.  Scrape fig mixture into a serving bowl and allow to cool to room temperature for serving.  If you have left overs, cover and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

There you have it.  The bread is delicious with savory things as well.  (I made tapenade, but it didn't photograph as being appetizing.)  If you don't eat all of the bread in one day, an uncut loaf can be wrapped in foil and cut bread in plastic wrap to hold.  The fig spread is best at room temperature, but it can be eaten cold as well.  When I can perfect the fig bars, I will share the recipe.  I wasn't pleased with the appearance of the finished product, so that will wait for another day.

No Knead: Streamline Batter Bread

This is a bread recipe that I grew up with, and I have no idea where my mother got it from.  Over time, I have played with the ingredients (reduced sugar, changed shortening to oil, added whole wheat flour), so that you have the standard recipe listed below.  It is a very easy recipe for a bread making novice; vegan to boot.  There is no kneading involved, because you make it with a mixer, handheld or stand, whichever you prefer.  It is also hugely forgiving and can be made into many different variations.  Below, I give you both the original recipe and the variation I made this week.

Streamline Batter Bread

Ingredients

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons oil (olive, canola, grape seed, etc.)

2 2/3 cups flour (mix all purpose and whole wheat is best)

1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water in bowl of stand mixer or medium sized mixing bowl; let stand for five minutes to allow yeast to proof.  Add flour and mix for 30 seconds to get all the flour wet.  Then add oil and mix for 1 minute more.  Scrape down the bowl, add the salt, and mix for 3 more minutes. 

 If you are making a standard recipe, skip optional steps and go to rising directions.  If you are making a variation other than herbing, go to the notes at the bottom for more information.

Optional: Nutty Herbed Bread

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ground flax seeds

3 tablespoons millet flour (or other ground nuts or seeds)

1 to 2 tablespoons herb mixture (herbs de provence, salt free table mix, adobo seasoning, etc.)

After mixing for 3 minutes, add optional ingredients.  Mix for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 30 seconds more.

Rising directions: scrape batter down in bowl, cover with towel, and allow to rise until doubled (about 50 minutes).  Scrape batter into greased loaf pan.  As batter is very sticky, oil a rubber scraper or spatula and use side to even out the top of the batter.  

Allow to rise for until double (about 35 minutes).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.  As with standard breads, the loaf will sound hollow when you tap on the top.  Remove from the pan and allow the loaf to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.  And that's it.

The all purpose and whole wheat flour mixture can be of your choosing, but it rises best if you keep at least 1/2 of it all purpose.  This loaf is 2/3 cup whole wheat and 2 cups all purpose, and the rises were very quick.  As with all of my baking, I used unbleached all purpose flour and whole wheat flour that has taken a ride in the food processor.

Additional Variation Information

This bread is very forgiving, so if you want to make bread with cheese or sauteed onions inside of it, this is a great option.  If you are going to put a wet ingredient like that into it, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour to offset the moisture of the addition.  Also, with the wetter additions, you can add them prior to any rises, but they can slow gluten and yeast development.  I have had the best results with mixing them in after the first rise and allowing a longer second rise.  Be sure to have anything that you are adding at room temperature to keep from killing the yeast.  If you have any questions, comments, or notes on this recipe, please feel free to use the comment section below.

Vegan Baking: Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Frosting

Gotta give credit where it is due: I found the original sponge cake recipe via Rose Elliot's New Complete Vegetarian.  It is amazingly easy to use, and it has lead to many many many experiments.  I have made it into dozens of different cakes, including both apple and peach, as well as have been working to perfect a chocolate version.  This is the one I have settled on as my current favorite variation.  You can make this as a 7 inch round cake as well.

The frosting is something I made up on the fly and am very happy with.  I didn't want to do it chocolate on chocolate, and we have been getting tangerines at the grocery store for the last few weeks.  As with most frosting recipes, you have to judge based on humidity how much liquid to use any given day.  Wash you hands well ahead of time and drip the water from your finger tips for the best control.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 tablespoon espresso powder

3/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar

1 cup room temperature water

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with wrappers (usually makes 12 to 15 cupcakes depending on fullness of cups).  Mix together flours, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and cocoa in a bowl until evenly combined.  This will aid in an even texture for the final cupcake and making mixing faster.

Add water, oil, and vanilla and mix with whisk until fully incorporated and a smooth batter is made.  Fill cupcake wrappers 3/4 of the way full with the batter.  If you desire a higher yield to the recipe, fill cups 2/3 full with batter.  

Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly.  When finished, remove from pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Note: If you do not have espresso powder, you can substitute cooled coffee for 1/2 cup of the water.  You can also omit it and add an additional tablespoon of cocoa, but the coffee gives it a rounder, richer flavor

Orange Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

juice and zest of 1 tangerine/clementine or 1/2 navel orange

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

droplets of water

In small to medium sized bowl, using a hand held mixer, mix together shortening, orange extract, juice, zest, and salt.  Slowly incorporate powdered sugar.  Once full incorporated, test the frosting for texture.  It should feel slightly satiny with very little graininess.  If it appears grainy, add a few droplets of water at a time, mixing after each addition, until it reaches the desired texture.  Frost fully cooled cupcakes and allow to stand for 1 hour before putting in storage containers.  Viola!

A few notes on this recipe.

I always use unbleached all purpose flour.  The bleaching process is unnecessary, and there is not substitute for the fine milling of all purpose flour.  For my whole wheat flour, I either use whole wheat flour that I run through the food processor to make slightly finer or whole wheat pastry flour.  You have the most control with the food processor, but it takes time and can be a mess.  The pastry flour is slightly more expensive and not all stores carry it, but it is very convenient.

Superfine (sometimes referred to as caster) sugar can be hard to locate.  I have only found one local grocery store chain that carries it.  You can either substitute granulated sugar or get your food processor back out.  To be perfectly honest, this recipe works best with superfine or food processed sugar.  You can process the 3/4 cup for this recipe for about a minute and call it a day.  Just make sure you leave the plug in the feeder tube, or your will get a dust cloud.

Finally, there is no need to use any kind of mixer on the cupcake portion of this recipe.  The baking powder stabilizes and gives them loft, so there is no need to beat air into the batter.  Also, do not use a stand mixer on the frosting, as it will not engage the mixer's attachments, and it will have an uneven final texture.  I tried to make frosting that way once, and 10 minutes later, I got out my hand mixer.

Pantry Findings: Couscous Saute with Cashews

There was a Saturday morning cartoon in the early 2000s that made a reference to couscous: The food so nice they named it twice.  Now, every time I cook or eat it that pops into my head.  (If someone can tell me the name of the cartoon, I would be forever indebted.)  In the last few years, I have found that the Israeli style is my favorite, because you can eat it with a fork.

I made this meal out of things that I found in my pantry and refrigerator.  Feel free to make whatever substitutions you want, especially with the vegetables.  Also, orzo in place of the couscous would be delicious as well, but you would want to skip the pre-boil browning.  Otherwise, it is only limited by your imagination.

Couscous Saute with Cashews

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 chopped yellow pepper

1/2 Cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped

2 carrots sliced

1/3 cup sliced ripe olives

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

1/4 cup white wine 

2 chopped cloves of garlic

3/4 cup raw cashew pieces

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil for sauteing

Due to how quickly this dish cooks and assembles, I get everything ready ahead of time so that I can simply add it to the pan to cook.

 

Fill a small pot with water, add the bouillon cube, and bring to a boil.  In a non-stick skillet, saute couscous with 1 teaspoon of olive oil until just toasted.  Add to boiling water and cook according to package directions.  Drain, toss with an additional teaspoon of oil, and set aside in a warm place.

Using the same skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil and the cashews to toast.  This will only take a minute or two, so do not leave unattended.  When the cashews start to brown, add cumin, cayenne, and salt to taste.  When they are browned, remove from heat and set aside.

In a saute pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil.  Saute onions and peppers.  When shiny with oil, add the carrots and saute until they start to cook.  Add the white wine, garlic, and broccoli florets and cook til wine starts to evaporate (broccoli will just start turning bright green).  Add the olives and remove from the heat.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Now, that everything is cooked, assemble your dish by scooping couscous onto a plate, top with sauteed vegetables and toasted cashews.  This recipe makes a serving for each of the four people in my house and one for leftovers for a lunch.  I had to be my own sous chef on this one, as we ate it with a fruit salad that my partner was busy making pretty.

As you can see, with this set-up it is a vegan dinner, which we do several times a week.  I have a soft spot for cheese, but it doesn't always love me.  It is easy to make in many different variations.  This happens to be my most recent, but I have made the same basic meal dozens of times with whatever I have on hand.

Corny & Delicious: Tamale Pie

I love corn and most corn related foods: corn on the cob, corn chips, popcorn, and the list goes on and on.  I especially love tamales.  I also love pizza, but corn doesn't go on pizza.  And that was my conundrum.

However, masa harina has that distinctive corn smell and taste and can be used to make a quick, fluffy base. It doesn't require a rising like traditional pizza dough, so it is quicker than traditional homemade pizza on a week night.  You can find it in the ethnic isle of most grocery stores and international groceries.

Tamale Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups masa harina

5 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

2 cups hot vegetable broth

2 teaspoons chili powder

Filling:

1/2 large onion chopped

1 diced poblano pepper

6 ounces of mushrooms, washed and diced

1 can petite diced tomatoes (including juice)

2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (I used one pinto and one black)

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup sliced black olives

2 chopped garlic cloves

ground cumin, chipotle chili powder, salt and pepper to taste

4 ounces grated Monterrey jack cheese

Using a hand or stand mixer, incorporate 1 cup of hot broth into the masa harina until sand like.  Then alternately add shortening and remaining broth.  Add chili powder and mix for 10 to 15 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Press masa harina mixture into a greased 13 inch round pan or onto pizza tray.  Bake for 15 minutes to keep from getting soggy with the filling mixture.

While crust is baking, saute onions, poblano, and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until wilted.  Add garlic, corn, tomatoes, and beans and season with cumin and chipotle powder to taste and allow to cook for 5 minutes.  Add olives and salt and pepper and cook for two to three more minutes.  Remove from heat.

When crust is par baked, remove from oven and fill with sauteed vegetables.  Bake 10 minutes; then top with cheese and bake additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with your favorite salsa or sour cream.

I baked my pie in a large tarte pan that has a removable bottom, so it was easy to remove and serve.  Due to the removable bottom, I also set the pan onto one of my pizza pans, which you can see in the picture.  If you do not have vegetable shortening, you can use cold butter, straight out of the fridge, cut into chunks when making the dough.  Also, if you want a vegan option, you can substitute a nut cheese or just skip the cheese.

New Year's Treat: Cinnamon Rolls

I love cinnamon rolls.  I love them so much that I contemplate taking them from my children.  Below is my current go-to cinnamon roll recipe, and it is vegan to boot.  The original that I adapted was for sweet potato in the dough, which is what I made this week, but I have made them with pumpkin and squash as well.  If you do opt to use something in the gourd family, make sure it is orange when cooked, because no matter how good green cinnamon rolls taste, no one wants to eat them.

This recipe is vegan as it is written.  The biggest upside to me of making them this way is there is no need to refrigerate them, and room temperature is better for their texture.  However, if you choose to, you can use butter in place of the shortening in the filling, or cream cheese or cow's milk in the glaze, but be safe about storing them if you do so.  The only animal product (are bees animals?) that I routinely use in these is honey instead of the agave, but that doesn't affect their shelf stability.  However, I do recommend refrigerating them if you are going to have them around for more than two days.

 Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup warm water (about body temperature)

1 cup mashed sweet potato

2 tablespoons agave (or honey, if you choose)

1 package of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 to 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Filling:

1/4 cup all vegetable shortening

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each to taste: cloves, nutmeg, mace, allspice

Cinnamon Glaze:

3 tablespoon all vegetable shortening

1/2 to 1 tablespoon almond milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vannilla

~ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (this is a guess as I always go by how it flows)

To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in the water in your mixing bowl, add sweet potato, agave, and oil, and let stand for 5 minutes to proof.  Mix in the flours and salt and then knead for dough until smooth, which is about 7 minutes.  Move dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a lint free towel, and let rise until doubled (~60 minutes).  When dough is doubled, punch down, recover, and allow to rise until doubled (~40 minutes).

Mix together shortening, brown sugar, cinnamon, and other spices in a small mixing bowl.  Grease inside of a 9 by 13 baking dish.  Then turn dough out onto a clean work surface, and roll into a flat rectangle approximately 12 by 15 inches.  Try to avoid using extra flour unless needed to keep dough from sticking.  When flattened, spread shortening mixture on the upside of the dough evenly, edge to edge.

Working with the wide side of the dough, roll lengthwise into a log or cylinder.  Slice into 1 1/4 inch wide slices, rolling between cuts to keep dough in the round.  Place into baking dish with a cut side up.  I usually end up with two end pieces that are smaller than the rest, and I place those between larger ones to even out the spacing inside the pan.  When evenly spaced in the pan, cover with towel and allow to rise about 45 minutes, until doubled.  Then preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until lightly golden.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.  Then combine shortening, almond milk,cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl.  Slowly add powdered sugar until it reaches a loose frosting-like consistency.  Spoon glaze over the tops of the cinnamon rolls.  The heat of the cooling rolls will loosen the glaze slightly more and allow it to seep into the cracks between the layers.  Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

If you want to save on calories and sugar, feel free to skip the glaze as they are wonderful without it.  My children prefer them glazed or frosted, but I like them either way.  They make a great breakfast with a serving of mixed berries and a protein of choice.  They are also a delicious midnight snack.  As my partner says, "I love them."

 

Boil & Bake: Pretzel Buns

A few years ago, on a whim at some book store, I picked up Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.  This cookbook introduced me to making my own veggie burgers, and it is a fantastic starting point for a novice.  This book contains a pretzel roll recipe that is delicious, but not very nutritious or easily eaten as a bun, so I started working with the recipe making it my own.

I have made these rolls several times over the last few years, and have brought them into an actual burger bun form that is still pretzelly but offers some nutrition.  These rolls are easily made vegan by using a nut, soy, or rice milk in exchange for the milk.  Fill them with your favorite burger or barbeque and enjoy!

A Note Technique:  I primarily use a stand mixer with an orbital rotation (the company shall remain nameless, as I do not approve of their politics) to mix and knead my bread products due to some joint problems and bruising that I have in my hands.  All of my recipes can be mixed and kneaded with a hand mixer and hand kneading or strictly by hand, but please add 3 to 4 minutes of additional kneading if using these methods.  When I am able to, I do use a traditional kneading method with my dough, as I can more easily judge the water content and smoothness of the finished product.  Let me know if you have any questions regarding changes in the kneading method.

Pretzel Buns

Ingredients:

2/3 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)

2/3 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast (equivalent to one package)

3 tablespoons olive oil plus more to oil bowl

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 to 2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon salt divided

2 tablespoons baking soda

rock, kosher, or sea salt for sprinkling

Add the milk and water to a mixing bowl and dissolve yeast in the liquid.  Let stand to proof for five minutes.  Incorporate the whole wheat flour into the mixture and let stand for an additional five minutes.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour and mix to incorporate.

At this point, you should be able to form a dough ball and should knead it for 3 minutes in the mixer.  This will allow the flour to absorb the water thoroughly as well as let the gluten start forming.  After this kneading, add 1 teaspoon of salt and enough flour to make the dough pliable and easily kneaded without being sticky.  Knead until smooth and bouncy, which should take about 8 minutes by machine.

Oil the inside of a large kitchen bowl with olive oil to coat the bottom and sides.  Place dough in the bowl and flip over; then cover with a tea towel or other lint free kitchen towel.  For this batch, I used a glass bowl with a fitted lid, which works great, but I know this may not be a set up everyone has.  Allow to rise until double, which should take 45 to 60 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.  After the dough has risen, turn out onto a dry surface and knead dough to work out all the air.  Place back into the oiled bowl to rise until double again, which should take 40 to 45 minutes.

When dough is doubled, drop onto work surface.  Using flats of hands, work dough out into a flat rectangle to release air.  (This will save you time: a traditional punch down will make dough more elastic and you would need to let it rest before flattening.)  Divide dough into 12 equal parts.  When using a kitchen scale, my dough balls weigh about 2.5 ounces each.  Roll dough into balls and set aside to rest.

While dough balls rest, take a clean tea towel and place flat on a work surface as adjacent to your stove as possible.  Take handfuls of flour and work into the surface of the towel.  Imagine that you are trying to fill the grooves in the surface with the flour.  This will make an ideal location for the buns to rise, as your towel is now virtually non-stick.

Once the dough has rested and the towel is floured, set the balls in an evenly spaced pattern on the towel.  Flatten each ball gently with an open hand.  When all balls flattened, starting back at the first, turn the dough balls over and flatten once more.  When finished with the second flattening, turn back to the first side, and cover dough balls with a clean tea towel.  It's OK to use the first towel you used during the rising: I would consider that one clean.  :-)  Allow buns to rise for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

When the buns have risen sufficiently, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking tray that will accommodate all 12 buns with parchment paper.  (Note: do not skip this or try to grease the pans.  I ruined two baking sheets trying to get around this step.)  Then set a large pot (I refer to this as a dutch oven) half full of cold water on a burner to come to a boil.  When the water reaches a boil, add the baking soda and 1 tablespoon of salt, but be aware: the baking soda will make the water foam.  In batches of 3 to 4, poach the buns on each side for one to two minutes.

As you remove the buns from the water, set onto baking sheet close together and score the tops in an X pattern with a very sharp knife; then sprinkle with kosher, rock, or sea salt.  When all 12 buns are poached, place the pan in the oven to bake for approximately 20 minutes.  When finished baking, remove buns from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

And there you have it: Pretzel Buns.  A few more things to note when making these.  The poaching liquid will start to look gelatinous after a batch of two, and that's normal.  It's the combination of the starch and baking soda boiling in the water.  Also, if you want them to brown more, you can use up to 1/4 cup of baking soda when making the poaching liquid.  I opted for less with this batch, as I didn't want them as dark, but that is totally the baker's call.  The scoring ont he top is primarily to allow steam to release, but depending on how long it takes you to get the poached buns into the oven, the vent may open up some.  It took me a bit longer with making notes on my progress and taking pictures, so that didn't happen today.

Finally, when deciding what to put in your bun, I can tell you one thing NOT to eat with it.  Tex Mex style black bean burgers are bad with them.  The salsa flavors don't go well with the pretzel.  Barbeque or a more traditional veggie burger is much better.  They are also good with peanut butter on them instead of a burger inside.