Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/2 cup Bainter Sunflower Oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Special equipment needed: A food processor or blender

Instructions

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the sunflower oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup cocoa, unsweetened

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup Bainter Sunflower Oil

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Instructions

Combine cocoa and baking soda in mixing bowl; blend in 1/3 cup of the sunflower oil. Add boiling water and stir until thickened. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining sunflower oil; stir until batter is smooth. Stir in flour, vanilla, and salt, mixing until well blended. Fold in chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup of Bainter Sunflower Oil

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

l teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon soda

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup or more of chocolate chips, (or any flavor chips)

1/2 chopped walnuts, if desired

Instructions

Combine oil, sugars, vanilla, eggs & soda in mixing bowl & beat well. Stir in chips & nuts then stir in flour. Dough will be very moist. Put by teaspoonfuls on oiled cookie sheet & bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 min. Cookies will still look 'puffed up', but will finish baking on the cookie sheets. Leave them for 2-3 minutes before removing from the cookie sheets.

Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup Bainter Sunflower Oil

Instructions

Divide in half. Roll each crust between wax paper. Place in pie pan and fill with fruit filling of your choice. Make air holes in top of crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sunflower Wheat Bread

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading

2 cups hot water (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 packages (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1/3 cup instant, nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup Bainter Sunflower Oil

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sunflower kernels

Instructions

In large bowl, combine bread flour, hot water, yeast, and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 3 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes. Stir in the whole-wheat flour, oats, dry milk, Bainter Sunflower Oil, honey, and salt. Mix well. Stir in the sunflower kernels.

Turn dough out onto floured board and knead in enough bread flour to make a moderately stiff and elastic dough, about 6-8 minutes of kneading. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.

Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape dough into 2 loaves and place in 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 35 minutes or until bread makes a hollow sound when tapped in the middle. If top of bread darkens too much, cover with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Note: This recipe can be used in a bread machine as well. Simply follow bread machine directions for adding wet and dry ingredients and bake as directed above.

Makes two 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaves.

Kansas Sunflower Oat Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 Cup Oat Bran

1/2 Cup Cornmeal

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

3 Tbsp. Bainter Sunflower Oil

1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Soda

1/2 Tsp. Salt (Optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and put sunflower seeds into a pan. Roast until they are brown and well done. Set aside. Soak oat bran and cornmeal in buttermilk for one hour. Whisk together the egg, brown sugar, vanilla and shortening. Stir until the sugar is melted. Add these ingredients to the buttermilk, oat bran, cornmeal mixture above. Stir flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add the sunflower seeds to this mixture. Add the dry ingredients (with sunflower seeds) to the buttermilk mixture. Stir (not over 10 seconds) to blend. Spoon into muffin pans.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes