Is that 22-ounce steak dinner from last night bogging you down? Suffering from a roughage-deficient diet? Move mountains with this high-fiber variation on the 100% whole wheat sandwich bread. Packed with flaxseeds and oat bran, this bread recipe provides the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fiber without the unpleasant side effects of pumpernickel.

If it’s still not obvious why cleaning equipment is involved in the bread name, here’s a video that might help:

View Flaxseed and Oat Bran Broom Bread - 100% Whole Grain Recipe »

If you happen to have some leftover pumpkin puree, chances are, you’ve already made something sweet or otherwise indulgent. Using whole wheat flour and just enough enrichments to make a firm batter, this pumpkin bread adds some much needed balance and nutritional value to the pumpkin-centric diet.

You could, of course, forget about counting calories, toast a thick walnut-studded slice, and slather with cream cheese. Either way works.

View Pumpkin Quick Bread Recipe - Whole Wheat with Walnuts »

This 100% whole wheat loaf is my idea of the perfect homemade bread. The ingredient list is fairly short and calls for only a few kitchen staples in addition to the requisite whole wheat flour, salt, water, and yeast. Compared to white flour loaves, whole grain breads are also undoubtedly the healthier choice, but its more assertive flavor and denser nature understandably takes a bit of getting used to.

Based on the master formula in Peter Reinhart’s award-winning whole grain breads book, the recipe may seem intimdating at first. The process is spread out over two days, but after trying it a few times, you’ll find that the techniques and scheduling are far more forgiving than other traditional methods.

View Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe - 100% Whole Grain »

My attempt at the Indonesian spice cake called spekkoek was a complete disaster, so weaseling my way into the this month’s edition of WTSIM means that I have to go with Plan B.

There is no Plan B, so let’s see what’s in the fridge:

• Sriracha - Not much use in Indonesian cookery as far as I know.
• Sourdough starters - Can’t remember the last time I fed these. Must feed self first.
• Curdled white goo - A closer look reveals that it’s just yogurt.
• Tempeh - Quintessentially Indonesian, but I don’t feel like frying anything at the moment.
• Lemongrass - We may be on to something here…

Since being Filipino means that I hoard coconut milk cans like squirrels do acorns, I humbly serve a side dish of fragrant nasi uduk, rice steamed with lemongrass and coconut milk. This barebones version suggests an optional parboiling step before steaming, if you ever feel like trying it with brown rice.

View Nasi Uduk - Lemongrass-Scented Coconut Rice recipe »

Studies conducted on yours truly have shown that whole grains are beneficial to one’s health particularly during breakfast, the most important meal of the day.* One noteworthy perk is improved appetite control until the daily ritual colloquially referred to as “lunch,” usually partaken of between 1200 and 1300 hours. This effect is attributable to complex carbohydrates and its slow digestion, a bodily function whereby food is deconstructed into absorbable nutrients.

* citations needed

Please consult the following list for the advantages and disadvantages of carbohydrate-based breakfast options discussed thus far:

View Old-Fashioned Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes recipe and a list of other breakfast options »