Organic High-Fiber Pie Crust
For Use with Deserts or Empanadas, Conforms to the South Beach Diet
Jan 29, 2009
The high-fiber ingredients conform to the South Beach Diet and contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Few adults get the recommended amount of fiber in their daily diet; the American Dietetic Association recommends intake of 20 grams to 35 grams of fiber per day.
Diets that are too low in fiber have been linked to poor digestion and coronary problems. Highly-processed foods and fast food are the main bad actors in this area.
Ingredients to Make One Crust
- 1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 3/4 Cup Wheat Bran
- 1/2 t Baking Powder
- 1/2 t Salt
- 1 Stick Butter, cut into approximately 1/2” cubes
- 11 T cold water
Pie Crust Dough Mixing
- Mix the flour, salt, wheat bran, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
- Use a fork or knife to cut in the chunks of butter, about 6 at a time.
- Cut in the water, 2 tablespoons at a time. This will allow forming a dough ball that holds together well.
- Cover the dough ball with wax paper or paper towels and put the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight if that's a more convenient schedule. After this it's ready to roll out and use.
Where Might this Crust be Used?
Anytime the food being prepared is more of a entre than a desert or pastry. A good example is Panamanian-style empanadas. Whereas the Mexican version available in the southern US is generally stuffed with calabaza (pumpkin), the ones from Panama use spicy ground meat.
What Constitutes an Organic Food?
The USDA says, “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.” Conventional pesticides are not used on crops.
For dairy, eggs, and other animal products, hormones and antibiotics are not used. Some think that the overuse of antibiotics in cattle contribute to a reduction of effectiveness in penicillin and similar medicines prescribed to humans.
Foods must be certified organic by a third-party or a state certification in order to promote and label the food as organic. These foods are generally more expensive that those that are grown and processed using traditional chemical pesticides.
Are Organic Products Better for Consumer's Health?
The answer depends on who the question is put to. Some people claim yes, others cite the fact that scientific evidence is still not conclusive. Either way, it's important to understand that chemical pesticides have been used for so many years that they are present to some extent in both soil, rain, and ground water.
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