Making Healthy Taste Good
When I was a very little girl, my grandfather had a heart attack. Thankfully, he survived, but the doctor told him and my grandmother that he would have to change the way he was eating, if he wanted to live much longer. Twenty some odd years later, he is still alive, thanks in a large part to my grandmother changing the way she cooked. Raised in middle Tennesse, my grandmother's style of cooking was decidedly southern, full of biscuts, cornbread, and my grandfather's favorite: rich desserts! However, after the heart attack, my grandmother retaught herself how to cook the southern classics in a healthier way. The recipe below is one of my favorites from her. Biscuits made from heart healthy canola oil and whole wheat flour-still fluffy and tasty, just less saturated fat and more fiber! My grandmother is my inspiration when it comes to cooking because she doesn't just cook healthy foods, she cooks foods full of flavor and is known by many the world over as a wonderful cook! She has perfected the art of healthy tasty cooking so much so that my grandfather can still enjoy his ice cream and dessert everyday! And I have been blessed from the fact that they have lived so many more healthy, happy years! I wish them many more!
Grandma Shields's Canola Oil Biscuits:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4tbsp. canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift flour and measure carefully into a large mixing bowl. Mix flour and other dry ingredients together well with wire whisk. Stir the milk and oil into the dry ingredients until the liquids are completely incorporated into the dry ingredients unitl it forms a ball of dough. You should be able to work the dough with your hands, so add a bit more flour if it is too sticky or a bit more buttermilk if it is too dry. Place ball of biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead quickly about 10 times. Roll or pat out until dough is about 1/2 inch thick and then cut into circles with a floured biscuit cutter. Place biscuits 1/2 to 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet and brush tops with buttermilk. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!
