Confessions of a Foodie

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Friday, October 31, 2014

Friday!

Friday! It’s the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend. And if your Friday (and weekend) is anything like mine, you probably have tons of plans, even if it means yard work, tidying up the house, running errands, or simply kicking back and relaxing. But no matter what those plans are, it always seems that Sunday evening rolls around too fast, with at least half or our weekend plans on hold until next weekend. We still need to eat, though, and to that end, here are a few recipes to help start the weekend off. Enjoy!

SPOOKY GHOST CUPCAKES

This is from The Baker Chick. It makes 20 cupcakes, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seven Minute Frosting:

3/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

mini & regular chocolate chips for the face!

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tins with liners, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Make a small well in the middle of the bowl and add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together and then incorporate the dry until smooth and lump-free.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool while you make the frosting.

Place egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. In a small saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water.

On medium-high heat cook the sugar mixture until boiling. At that point- turn the mixer on medium high speed to get the egg whites to soft peaks. When the sugar mixture has reached 230F, slowly pour it down the side of the bowl in a steady stream while the mixture continues to run.

Beat on medium-high for about 7 minutes or until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch and stiff glossy peaks have formed. Add the vanilla right before you finish beating the frosting.

Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes right away (it gets a bit firm otherwise.) and decorate with the chocolate chips!

Notes:

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

THREE-BEAN SOUP

This is one of my favorite quick meals that I usually only fix on weekends, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.

Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.

Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.

Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

CINNAMON-APPLE FRENCH TOAST

This vegan recipe, from page 38 of the October 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, starts off, “Tart apples like Pippin, Empire, Winesap and Granny Smith retain their shapes when cooked, so choose them for this recipe.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

Apple Topping

4 large tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

French Toast

2 cups plain or vanilla soymilk

1/2 cup apple butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

12 slices soft-crust French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

To make Topping: Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Saute apples 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar and cinnamon, and cook 5 to 10 minutes more, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat.

To make French Toast: Blend soymilk, apple butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in blender until smooth. Pour into shallow bowl.

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Dip bread slices into batter, coating evenly. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Place 2 slices bread on each plate, and divide topping among servings.

Per serving: 273 cal; 6 g protein; 1.5 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat); 55 g carb; 0 mg chol; 345 mg sodium; 3 g fiber; 25 g sugars

GINGERBREAD

This recipe is from a no-longer-remembered emailing list. I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever sent it to the list got it from ARM & HAMMER, since it mentions A&H baking soda. The recipe begins, "Sweeten the season with our gingerbread. This simple recipe is the perfect holiday dessert, especially when topped with yogurt or fresh fruit. Just grab a fresh box of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda- an important ingredient for great baking and prepare a treat for the whole family." The person who sent it to the emailing list ends this with, "I LIKE MINE TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF COOL WHIP!"

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

Directions

Sift together flour, Baking Soda, ginger and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in egg thoroughly; blend in molasses. Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Beat thoroughly. Stir in water. Turn into greased and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Makes one 8-inch square cake. Cut into 16 servings.

GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES WITH CARDAMOM CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This comes from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet Food expert. He wrote, "I love the taste of warm gingerbread, especially around the holidays. Cardamom is a wonderfully fragrant spice that goes well with gingerbread. If you don't care for cardamom, you can substitute allspice or cinnamon. Reprinted with permission from The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices by Katie Luber and Sara Engram (McMeel 2009)." Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon dried lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 12 standard-size muffin cups or line them with paper cups. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and the baking soda until dissolved. Stir the baking soda water into the molasses mixture.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon zest, and salt into a small bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until the batter is combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of one or two of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cardamom and beat until fluffy and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cupcakes.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH POTATO TOPPING

This comes from Kathy Kingsley, About.com's American Food guide. Kathy writes, “Although this dish is called a “pie,” there isn’t any pastry involved. It is simply a mix of ground turkey and vegetables in a sauce with a topping of mashed potatoes. The dish is browned in the oven for a delicious example of comfort food. For a pretty effect, pipe the topping over the filling, using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Serve this hearty meal with a steamed green vegetable.” The recipe serves 6 to 8 and can be viewed online here.

If you'd like to make this a vegetarian meal, substitute the ground turkey with a vegetarian meatless crumble of your choice.

Ingredients

Potato Topping

3 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inches pieces

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

1 cup thawed frozen peas

3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Preparation

Make the potato topping: In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes to blanch. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the ground turkey, breaking up the large pieces with a fork, and cook until browned. Add the blanched carrots, peas, corn, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Mix well. Cook, stirring often, until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste.

Spray a 3-quart gratin dish or shallow casserole with vegetable oil spray. Spoon the vegetable-turkey mixture into the prepared dish. Top with dollops of mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until heated through. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• You can mash any type of potato, but those with a high starch/low water content, such as russet and Yukon Gold, produce perfect results. The starch creates a fluffy texture, and the low water content allows them to absorb milk and butter without becoming gummy.

• Never try to whip potatoes in a food processor or you will have a gluey mess.

• Ideally, mashed potatoes should be served freshly made, but this is not always possible. Mash them up to 1 hour before serving, reserving one-third of the milk. Place them in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water. Pour the reserved milk over the top. Just before serving, stir the milk into the potatoes.

• Potatoes are more fragile than you might think, so handle them carefully to prevent bruising. Keep them unwashed in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place. If stored in a place that is too hot, the sugar will convert to starch and the potatoes will lose their natural sweetness.

• Choose fairly clean, smooth, firm potatoes. For even cooking, pick potatoes that are about the same size. Do not select ones with wrinkled skins, soft dark spots, cut surfaces, or green areas. Green spots mean they have been exposed to light; cut the spot off before cooking to eliminate bitterness.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Diabetic Thursday

It seems that most of us, even if we aren't diabetic, have friends and family who are. Sometimes cooking for someone who is can be challenging or, at least, intimidating. But it doesn't have to be. And it also doesn't have to be bland, as anyone who has read more than one Diabetic Thursday post here knows. That said, here are today's offerings. Enjoy!

PEACH & RASPBERRY CRUMBLE

This comes from Diabetes Self-Management. I'm not really sure when, exactly, since I've had it kicking around for years. But it is definitely yummy. Prep time: 15 minutes. Baking time: 30-35 minutes. Yields 6 servings

Butter-flavor cooking spray

1 can (15 oz) sliced peaches in juice, drained

1 package (12 oz) unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed

1 C quick-cooking oats, uncooked

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted

2 Tbs honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8”X8” baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange peach slices evenly in bottom of the pan. Sprinkle raspberries evenly over peaches. Set aside. In bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, & cinnamon & mix with fork, breaking up brown sugar clumps. Add margarine & honey; stir to combine. Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly. Portion into 6 equal servings. Serve alone or over low-fat, no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream.

Per serving: Calories: 185; Carbs: 33g; Fat: 4 g (sat. fat: 1 g); Sodium: 70 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 fat

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

This recipe is courtesy of Glucerna Shakes.

1 pound extra lean ground sirloin

1 8-oz can Vanilla Glucerna Shake

1/2 C onion, grated

1 medium potato, grated

1/2 C dry bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1 10 3/4 oz can condensed Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup

3/4 C fat-free, no-sodium beef broth

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp pepper (optional)

3 C cooked egg noodles

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In large bowl, mix ground sirloin, 1/2 C Glucerna Shake, onion, potato, bread crumbs & salt. Form into 30 1 1/4-inch meatballs.

In small bowl, combine soup, remaining Glucerna Shake, beef broth, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce & pepper. Whisk until well blended.

Place formed meatballs into 2-quart casserole dish. Pour soup mixture over meatballs. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Spoon meatballs & sauce over cooked noodles & serve.

Meatballs & sauce can be frozen in individual servings for quick meals.

Nutrition (fixed w/Glucerna Shake): Servings: 6

Per serving: Calories: 320; Cal. From fat: 80; total fat 9g; sat. fat 2.5 g; cholesterol 70 mg; sodium 380 mg; potassium 240 mg; carbo. 39 g; fiber 4g; Sugar 3g; protein 23g

Diabetic exhanges: 2 starch; 2 very lean mean; 1 low-fat milk; 1/2 fat

ZUCCHINI AND CARROTS WITH FRESH HERBS

Yield: 6 servings

Serving size: 3/4 cup

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/768.shtml

Source: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Diabetic Meals

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/76.shtml

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, sliced

4 medium zucchinis, cut into julienne strips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place a steamer basket in 1/2 inch of water in a saucepan (water should not touch the bottom of the basket). Place carrots in the basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling.

Reduce heat and steam carrots 5 minutes. Add zucchini and steam 4 to 6 minutes or until carrots and zucchini are crisp-tender.

Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in carrots, zucchini, thyme, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 55; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 61 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Glycemic Index: 22, Glycemic Load: 1; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat

LIGHT SPINACH SALAD

Yield: 2 servings

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/775.shtml

Source: Magic Menus for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/3.shtml

Ingredients

4 cups torn fresh spinach

4 ounces cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 medium orange, peeled, seeded, and sectioned

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 small onion, sliced

2 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed or in strips

2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing

Directions

Combine all ingredients except cheese and dressing in a large bowl; chill. Before serving, add cheese and toss with dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 302; Protein: 28 g; Fat: 15 g; Cholesterol: 422 mg; Dietary Fiber: 5 g ; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Exchanges: 3 Medium-Fat Meat, 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit

SPAGHETTI SQUASH LASAGNA

This recipe starts out, “With only 5 simple ingredients and 5.5 g carbs, who wouldn't love this luscious lasagna? Just 10 minutes in the oven and it's on you table piping hot.” Serves 12.

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash

2 lbs browned ground beef (lean)

2 cups spaghetti sauce

3 cups cottage cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Place cooked spaghetti squash strands in casserole dish.

Layer each remaining ingredient in the dish. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Place in oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and lasagna is hot all the way through.

Nutritional Facts: Calories: 254.9; Total Fat: 15.9 g; Cholesterol: 60.5 mg; Sodium: 306.1 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 5.5 g; Dietary Fiber:1.0 g; Protein: 21.4 g

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND ARTICHOKE PIZZAS

Yield: 24 appetizers; Serving size: 1 appetizer

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/773.shtml

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/60.shtml

Ingredients

4 whole-wheat or oat-bran pita pockets (6-inch rounds)

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained

1 cup chopped canned or marinated artichoke hearts, well drained

1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the pitas on a large baking sheet and scatter a quarter of the sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts over each one, and top with some of the cheese.

Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Cut each pizza into 6 wedges and serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 40; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 82 mg; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1/3 Starch, 1/6 Medium-Fat Meat

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

It's the Great Pumpkin (recipes)!

In honor of Halloween this week, here are several pumpkin recipes. Enjoy!

CIRCLEVILLE PUMPKIN CHILI

This comes originally from John Mitzewich, About.com's American Food expert. He writes, “While this pumpkin chili recipe hails from the Midwest, its use of these spices and chocolate are reminiscent of chilis and moles of the American Southwest region. This chili recipe gets its heat from the chipotle pepper, but if you like your chili hotter you can add a few fresh hot peppers into the pot.”
 Serves 8; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 90 minutes; Total Time: 105 minutes

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 chopped onion

2 lbs ground beef

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp cumin

3 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp ground paprika

1 tbsp ground chipotle pepper

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2-oz bittersweet chocolate

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup tomato juice

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained

avocado, sour cream and fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation

In a large pot cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the ground beef, salt, and all the spices, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to break up the beef into very small pieces.

Add the pumpkin, chocolate, crushed tomatoes, and tomato juice. Stir and reduce heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pinto beans and simmer for 15 more minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Garnish with avocado, sour cream and fresh cilantro if so desired.

GINGER PUMPKIN PIE

Kathy Kingsley is About.com's American Food expert. She writes, “Flavored with fresh ginger and honey, this pumpkin pie is sure to become one of your go-to holiday recipes.” Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 85 minutes; Yield: Serves 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Pastry

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons ice water

Pumpkin Filling

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Honey Whipped Cream

3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream, chilled

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Make the pastry dough: Combine the flour, sugar, vegetable shortening, and butter in a food processor and pulse on/off until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube, and process just until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.

Press the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disc, about 1-inch thick.

On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Turn he edges under, and crimp or flute the crust. Set the pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Brush about teaspoon of the egg around the edge of the crust.

Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, sugar, ginger, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the eggs, and mix until well blended. Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Bake the pie for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the edges become too dark during baking, carefully cover them with foil strips (see Recipe Notes). Set the pie on a wire rack to cool. If not serving right away, cover and chill.

When ready to serve, make the honey whipped cream. Put the cream into a medium bowl. Add the honey and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Serve the pie topped with the whipped cream.

Recipe Notes

• To make a foil collar to prevent edges of pie from browning too much, fold a 12-inch-long piece of foil into a strip with 3-inch-high sides. Stand the strip on the oven rack around the pie dish. Secure the overhang with a paper clip. The collar doesn't have to touch or cover the crust to protect it.

GUILT-FREE CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA

This comes from ReadySetEat. Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes; 4 servings (1 cup each).

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces dry penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup fat free milk

3 tablespoons chive and onion cream cheese spread

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup Egg Beaters® Original

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, milk, cream cheese spread, garlic salt and pepper in medium bowl. Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap; microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until warm and cheese melts when stirred. Slowly whisk Egg Beaters into pumpkin mixture; set aside.

Combine cooked pasta, pumpkin mixture and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine; heat over low heat 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over top.

SAVORY PUMPKIN QUICHE

This comes from the October 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe starts off, “Who says pumpkin pie has to be sweet? This version goes together in no time and makes a great autumn supper served with whole-grain bread and a tossed salad.” Serves 6. Makes 1 8-inch pie.

1/2 cup low-fat Gruyère cheese

1 frozen 9-inch prepared piecrust

1 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp. chopped thyme

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle cheese over bottom of piecrust.

Whisk together milk, eggs, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend in pumpkin. Pour mixture over cheese in crust.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F, and bake 45 to 50 minutes more, or until pie filling has set and tip of knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 206; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Cholesterol: 146 mg; Sodium: 321 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 3 g

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Yield: 12 to 14 slices

Source: "1,001 Delicious Desserts for People with Diabetes"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/21.shtml

Ingredients

3/4 cup ground reduced-fat graham crackers

3/4 cup ground gingersnap cookies

8-1/4 teaspoons Equal for Recipes or 27 packets Equal sweetener, divided

4-5 tablespoons margarine, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) fat-free cream cheese

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup light whipped topping

Chopped toasted pecans, as garnish

Directions

Mix graham cracker and gingersnap crumbs, 1 teaspoon Equal for Recipes, and melted margarine in bottom of 9-inch springform pan; reserve 2 tablespoons crumb mixture Pat remaining mixture evenly on bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese until smooth in large bowl; beat in pumpkin, eggs, and egg whites. Mix in remaining 7-1/4 teaspoons Equal for Recipes, spices, and cornstarch. Pour mixture into springform pan.

Bake at 300 degrees F. just until set in the center, 45 to 60 minutes; sprinkle with reserved crumbs and return to oven. Turn oven off and let cheesecake cool in oven with door ajar for 3 hours. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of recipe): Calories: 213, Fat: 9.8 g, Saturated Fat: 4.3 g, Cholesterol: 47.2 g, Sodium: 444 mg, Protein: 12.1 g, Carbohydrate: 18.2 g; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Meat, 2 Fat

PUMPKIN FLAN WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

From "Pumpkin Flan Puts Fall Flavors in Latin Classic" by Linda Cicero in the Miami Herald. Can be viewed online at http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food-drink/cooks-corner/article3416212.html.

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup or 4 ounces cream cheese

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

5 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or canela

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed chocolate graham crackers

In a medium saucepan, set over medium-low heat, heat sugar, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until fully dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly pour caramel into the bottoms of 10 individual ramekins, swirling around to coat the bottom of each one. Work swiftly as caramel hardens fast.

In a food processor or blender combine half-and-half, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into prepared ramekins, filling to 1/4-inch below the rim. Top each ramekin with 2 generous tablespoons of crushed crackers; don’t press them down. Place flans in a large baking dish or roasting pan; fill pan with hot water halfway up the height of the ramekins.

Cover the pan lightly with aluminum foil. Carefully place into the oven and bake for 50 minutes; flans should look completely set. Remove from the oven, remove the aluminum foil and remove each ramekin from the water bath. Let the flans cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to eat, run a small knife around the edge of each flan all the way to the bottom. Invert dessert plate over ramekin, flip over and shake slightly to release. Leave the ramekin on top of the flan for a minute or so, so all the caramel sauce can run over the flan.

Per serving: 390 calories (30 percent from fat), 13.3 g fat (6.8 g saturated, 4.2 g monounsaturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 6.4 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g fiber, 203 mg sodium.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Week Night Recipes

The weather here in Florida is cooling off a little. While high 60s to low 80s might not shout autumn where you live (it doesn't, where I'm originally from), it does feel nice, for Florida...nice enough for fall recipes. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN GNOCCHI WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND SAGE

(GNOCCHI DI ZUCCA)

This comes from Danette St. Onge, About.com's Italian Food expert. She writes, “A tempting, toothsome fall dish, these homemade gnocchi can be made with either butternut squash or pumpkin (or any other rich, sweet winter squash). They are classically served with a very simple sauce of browned butter and sage (burro e salvia), but really you can serve them with any sauce you'd like -- simpler ones will work better, as the gnocchi themselves are so flavorful.” Yields 4 to 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi:

1 1/2pounds (675 g) raw butternut squash or pumpkin

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/2 cups (350 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

For The Butter and Sage Sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4-6 small fresh sage leaves, washed and dried

Freshly grated pecorino (optional)

For the gnocchi:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Cut the squash into large chunks (about 3 to 4 inches in size), retaining the rind, and scoop away the seeds and strings with a spoon. Place the squash pieces on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake (still in the rind) until tender enough to be pierced with the tines of a fork, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the rind, into a fine-mesh strainer placed over a large bowl. Set aside until the squash has cooled completely and is thoroughly drained of excess liquid.

Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl and mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher. If there are still large chunks, you can use a handheld immersion blender, blender, or food processor to quickly puree it until smooth. Add the eggs and salt and stir to combine. Then add the flour, a little bit at a time, stirring after each addition until evenly incorporated.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, start forming the gnocchi: using a teaspoon, scoop up a small amount of the dough, then use your fingers (or another small spoon) to shape each small, round gnocco. If using spoons, you can use the shape of the spoons themselves to form small quenelles, or you can make them smaller and ball-shaped. If you wish, you can also use the tines of a fork to press the traditional gnocchi grooves into each ball, but that is optional.

When the water is boiling, gently drop the gnocchi in at the same time. When they start to float (after just a few minutes, but timing will depend on the size of your gnocchi), they are done -- remove them with a slotted spoon.

About 16 gnocchi should be enough to serve 4 people as a "primo" (pasta course that will be followed by a main dish) or 24 if it's the main dish itself.

For the sauce:

While the gnocchi are cooking, gently brown the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Be careful not to burn it, as there is a fine line between "browned" butter and burnt butter! Add the sage leaves – whole if small enough, or coarsely chopped if large – and stir to coat well and flavor the butter, about 1 minute.

Serve each dish topped with browned butter and sage and a sprinkle of freshly grated pecorino, if desired. A dry white wine would pair well with this meal.

ONION AND MUSHROOM TART

This comes from one of my favorite sites, The Kitchn. Their emailed newsletters are worth signing up for. This recipe makes one 9-inch tart.

To view this online, click here.

For the crust:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

1 pound onions

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced

1 large egg

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

To make the dough, place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse. Drop in the butter and pulse until just barely the texture of oatmeal. Add the ice water slowly and pulse once or twice, until the dough clumps together. Turn onto a floured board and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and remove the root ends from the onions. Slice them in quarters and place in a pie dish or small roaster. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over top. Roast until the onions are soft and begin to color but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

While the onions are roasting, cook the mushrooms. Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes until golden. Remove from the heat.

When pastry dough has chilled, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to a circle roughly 12 inches in diameter. Gently transfer to a tart ring, and fit into the ring evenly. Pierce bottom with a fork and return to refrigerator to chill another 20 to 30 minutes.

Separate the egg and transfer the yolk to a small bowl; reserve the egg white for the topping. Mix the egg yolk, ricotta, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, and chives. Remove the tart shell from refrigerator. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the bottom of the tart shell. Nestle the onions across ricotta base and scatter the mushrooms in between onions.

In another small bowl, beat the reserved egg white, heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Pour mixture evenly over top of onion and mushroom filling.

Cover the tart with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, until top is bubbling and crust is slightly brown, but not too dark.

Sprinkle chives over top before servings. Serve warm or at room temperature.

STEWED WHITE BEANS

Yield: 4 servings

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/813.shtml

Source: Vegetarian Celebrations

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup minced onion

1/2 cup minced celery

1 (14 to 16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

3 Tbsp light brown sugar

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried summer savory

2 bay leaves

1-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups canned or cooked navy beans

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a deep, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and celery and saute over moderate heat until they are golden. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and seasonings.

Bring to a simmer, then stir in the beans. Add a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Simmer, covered, over very low heat for 45 minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 158; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 35 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 Very Lean Meat

CHOCOLATE-AMARETTO POTS-DE-CREME

Whipped topping will give you a thicker, mousse-like effect. But this will add additional fat. Nutrition facts reflect the topping used only for garnish. We do not recommend freezing this dessert.

Yield: 6 servings

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/810.shtml

Source: Enlitened Kosher Cooking

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla low-fat, low-carb soy milk

2 tablespoons light whipped topping

2 ounces (31/2 rows of a small bar) sugar-free dark chocolate

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon unsweetened dark cocoa

1/2 teaspoon good-quality coffee

sugar substitute equal to 4 tablespoons sugar

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur

Topping:

1/4 cup light whipped topping

sugar substitute equal to 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon coffee, dissolved with a few drops of water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur

Directions

Beat the egg yolks with a whip and set aside.

Combine soy milk, light whipped topping, chocolate, margarine, cocoa, coffee and sugar substitute in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture reaches a full boil and begins to thicken. This part takes a lot of patience.

As soon as it starts to thicken, turn heat to low and keep stirring for another 1-2 minutes. Gradually mix about one-quarter of the hot chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks, half a teaspoon at a time, while continually whisking the eggs so that they don't cook.

Then return the yolk mixture to the remaining hot chocolate mixture. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Then remove from the heat. Stir in flavorings and liqueur. Pour chocolate mixture into 6 small pots-de-creme cups, demitasse cups or souffle cups. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To make the topping, beat together the light whipped topping with the sugar substitute at a medium speed. When it starts to thicken, add the dissolved coffee, flavorings, and liqueur and continue beating until soft peaks form. Garnish each pot-de-creme with a dollop of whipped topping and sprinkle with some cocoa and/or chopped, toasted almonds.

Garnish: light whipped topping; cocoa; chopped, toasted almonds

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 111; Protein: 3.5 g; Fat: 8.5 g; Sodium: 21 mg; Cholesterol: 142 mg; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Carbohydrates: 4.5 g; Exchanges: 1/4 Starch; 1/2 Protein; 1-1/2 Fat

BAKED EYEBALLS CASSEROLE

This comes from Family Time.com, and starts off, "The 'eyeballs' that top our spooky casserole are made from mozzarella cheese and sliced olives. But the cheesy, baked pasta that lies below is a real treat that everyone will enjoy." Serves 8 (about 1 1/4 cups each); prep time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes.

This recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Italian Sausage & Garlic Italian Sauce

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

7 cups bow tie-shaped pasta, cooked and drained

1 container (8 ounces) small fresh mozzarella cheese balls (about 1-inch)

2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olive

Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish with the cooking spray.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and pasta in the prepared dish. Spread the remaining sauce over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and cover the dish with foil.

Bake at 400°F. for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Arrange the cheese balls randomly over the pasta mixture. Place a sliced olive on each cheese ball. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tip: Easy Substitution Tip: If fresh mozzarella cheese balls are not available, substitute 1 package (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese. Cut crosswise into thirds. Cut each third in 6 wedges, for triangle-shaped eyes.

SPICED PUMPKIN-RAISIN COOKIES

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of Giada At Home on the Food Network. Makes 23 to 26 cookies. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 20 min; Level: Easy

You can view this online at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spiced-pumpkin-raisin-cookies-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup raw sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice. Stir to blend well. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, syrup and vanilla; whisk to blend. Using a flexible rubber spatula, gradually stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the raisins.

For each cookie, drop 1 generous tablespoon of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 1 inch apart (or use a mini ice cream scoop). Using moistened fingertips, flatten each to a 2-inch-diameter round. Sprinkle each cookie with a bit more raw sugar.

Bake the cookies until brown and a bit firm to the touch, 17 to 20 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Autumn Meatless Monday

It’s Monday, which means the beginning of the work/school week. If you’re like me, you didn’t get everything done that you planned to do over the weekend. No matter; there’s always next weekend! In the meantime, it’s Meatless Monday, which means vegetarian recipes. Enjoy!

THREE-BEAN SOUP

While this soup can be fixed anytime, it’s one of my favorite quick weekend meals, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.

Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.

Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.

Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

THANKSGIVING POT PIE

This is from the November 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipe, which serves 8, begins, “Working toward her master's in social work, Adrianne Dickson, who won first place in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe, still finds time to read cookbooks for fun. 'I first developed this recipe while living in Montana after my boyfriend told me he loved pot pie,' she explains. 'I started making the crust in a bag when we were working as raft guides and didn't have any place to roll out a crust.'”

Filling

2 medium potatoes, diced (2 cups)

2 large carrots, sliced (1 cup)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, divided

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided

2 cups sliced button mushrooms

1 large onion, diced (2 cups)

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup plain soymilk

3 Tbs. red wine

1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

1/2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce

Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. chopped fresh sage

To make Filling:

Cook potatoes and carrots in large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until tofu begins to brown. Stir in 2 Tbs. tamari, 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, and cook until all liquid has evaporated.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes. Add onion, broccoli, and garlic, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.

Push veggies to side of Dutch oven. Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to bottom of pot. Stir flour into oil with fork to make roux; stir until smooth. Stir roux into vegetables.

Stir broth into vegetables. Once gravy is smooth, add tofu, potatoes, carrots, soymilk, remaining 1/4 cup tamari, and wine. Stir gently, then add thyme, sage, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic, and remaining 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Remove from heat, and set aside, or transfer vegetables to large casserole dish.

To make Crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, salt, and shortening with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in up to 4 Tbs. cold water, if necessary, for dough to stick together. Gently knead rosemary and sage into dough, and shape dough into ball. Place dough ball in plastic bag, and push out from center of ball to shape dough to size of Dutch oven or casserole dish. Remove dough from bag, and lay over vegetable filling in Dutch oven or casserole dish. Poke holes in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake 45 minutes, or until Crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 394; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: less than 1 mg; Sodium: 978 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 5 g; Vegan

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

This comes from G.E. Appliances. Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease or spray a standard sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add pumpkin and nuts.

Mix dry ingredients together well and add to pumpkin mixture in thirds, alternating with milk. Blend just enough to mix ingredients.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED VEGETABLES

This vegan recipe is from page 60 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Start heating the pasta water when you add the tomatoes to this stew, and the rigatoni noodles will be perfectly al dente just when the vegetables are ready to serve.” Serves 6.

2 Tbs. olive oil

3 medium-sized yellow squash, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

2 medium-sized bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 large onion, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)

1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 Tbs. capers

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add squash, green beans, bell peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are brown.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic and capers. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 15 minutes.

Stir in beans and salt to taste. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes over medium-low heat.

Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Stir pasta and basil into sauce. Thin sauce with a little pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 443 cal; 15 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 80 g carb; 0 mg chol; 969 mg sodium; 15 g fiber; 4 g sugars

ANISE-ALMOND BISCOTTI

Also from page 61 of the October 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “Ground almonds, often sold as almond flour, give these twice-baked cookies a light, crumbly crunch. If you grind your own almonds with a mini-chopper, the flavor will be more intense.” This vegan recipe makes about 32 cookies.

1 Tbs. whole anise seeds

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour or 1 cup whole almonds, ground to a powder

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Toast anise seeds in skillet over medium heat 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to coffee grinder or mini-blender, and crush to powder.

Combine pastry flour with almond flour or ground almonds in bowl. Whisk together oil, syrup, vanilla and salt in separated bowl. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture. Cover, and let rest 20 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spread sesame seeds on work surface. Shape dough into 2 8-inch logs, packing dough tightly together so it doesn’t crumble. Roll logs in sesame seeds, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, or until browned and firm. Set baking sheet on wire rack, and cool 5 minutes.

Cut each log into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place flat side down on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store up to 2 weeks in airtight container.

Per cookie: 110 cal; 2 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 10 g carb; 0 mg chol; 37 mg sodium; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugars

Friday, October 24, 2014

Fall Friday Food

Friday never seems to get here fast enough, as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Of course, by Sunday evening, it suddenly hits me that the weekend has flown by without my having done much of what I'd planned to do. (Let me guess: you're nodding your head, thinking, “Me, too!”) But no matter: it's Friday now. Here's some good food to try over the weekend. Enjoy!

NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

This yummy recipe comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts and Baking guide. She writes, “Here is a recipe for New York - Style Cheesecake, which has a sour cream topping.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes; Total Time: 100 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

9 whole graham crackers, about 1-1/2 cups crumbs

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 pounds (4 - 8 ounce packages) cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

16 ounces sour cream, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In food processor, process graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar. While processing, drizzle in butter. Press mixture into 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one-at-a-time. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup sour cream. Combine until well-blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes. While baking, stir together remaining sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Remove cheesecake from oven and carefully spread sour cream mixture on top. Bake for additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and take a knife around the edges. Cool completely before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

ZUCCHINI-ONION FRITTATA

You can view this online at http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/772.shtml. Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups fat-free egg substitute

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 medium zucchini squashes, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Coat the bottom and sides of a large, nonstick, oven-proof skillet with cooking spray and add the olive oil. Add the zucchini, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute over medium-high heat for several minutes, until tender. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes, until the bottom of the frittata is just set.

Place the frittata in the oven and bake uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes or until the eggs are set but not dry. Loosen the edges of the frittata and invert it onto a plate. Cut the frittata into 4 wedges and serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 139; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 5.4 g; Sodium: 514 mg; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Saturated Fat: 1.7 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g; Exchanges: 2 Very Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat

BAKED ZITI

This was originally posted on April 2, 2010. Great for a yummy, easy meal.

What to fix when you've just gotten home from work and you want something good, hot and with a minimum amount of effort? Baked Ziti fits the bill on all three counts. And if you're like me, chances are you have all the makings in your cupboard and fridge.

Here's what it takes:

16 ounce box of ziti
26 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
1 jar-full of water
2 C shredded cheese

Okay, I can hear you asking, "What brand of spaghetti sauce? What type of sauce? And the cheese...Cheddar? Mozzarella? Can it be the stuff already shredded and in a bag or does it have to be a block of cheese that I grate and measure?" Here's the good part: Use what you have.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Take a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Dump the dried ziti into the pan. (No, no, do NOT cook the ziti first. Dump the ziti uncooked straight from the box.) Pour the spaghetti sauce into the pan and add one jar-full of water into the pan. Stir to mix. Add most of the shredded cheese, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup of cheese. Stir to mix. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes for a total time of 40 minutes.

Serve with a salad and possibly garlic bread.

See? Simple, hot, good and with at minimum amount of energy. What could be better for an after-work dinner?

FARMERS' MARKET POT PIE

This comes from About.com's American Food guide, Kathy Kingsley. She writes, “This recipe is easily adaptable as it can be prepared with almost any fresh vegetables of your liking. So look to see what's in season and available at your local farmer's market or farmstand. The biscuit crust makes a wonderful flaky pot pie topping. This recipe can also be made into individual pot pies, in which case reduce the baking time to 15 to 18 minutes.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Yield: Serves 6. The recipe can be viewed online here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk, whole or low-fat

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Biscuit Topping

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry four

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons honey

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, broccoli, bell pepper and green beans, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

In glass measuring cup, combine the milk and the broth. Slowly add to vegetable mixture while whisking constantly. The sauce will start to thicken. Add the parsley, tamari, thyme, and sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole, and set aside ( use individual 8 to 10-ounce ramekins or small baking dishes).

Make the topping: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. In a glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and honey. Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork to form a stiff dough. Add more buttermilk if the dough is too dry. Knead the dough lightly in the bowl for 3 to 5 minutes, until it is no longer sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a shape to cover the casserole dish.

Lay biscuit topping lightly over the filling. Do not seal the edges. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve hot.

CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP

This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes."

Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth, (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.

Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.

APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP

I'm not sure where I originally found this; probably on an old emailing list.

2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.

In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Autumn-ish Diabetic Food

Fall is in the air, which, after a hot summer, is fine with me. (Not that the weather asked for my opinion!) So, I've added several fall-ish recipes to today's batch of diabetic recipes. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY APPLE CRISP

Yield: 8 servings

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/876.shtml

Ingredients:

Filling Ingredients:

3 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples

2 cups fresh or frozen thawed cranberries

1 cup Equal Spoonful*

Topping Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup stick butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup Equal Spoonful**

* Substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

** Substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

For Filling, combine apples, cranberries and 1 cup Equal in an ungreased 10-inch pie plate.

For Topping, combine flour, pecans, melted butter and 1/2 cup Equal. Mix until well blended. Sprinkle flour mixture over apples and cranberries in pie plate.

Bake in preheated 350F oven 55 to 60 minutes or until fruit is tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories: 145; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 67 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1-1/2 fat

CRANBERRY-APPLE SPINACH SALAD

Yield: 4 servings

Print Version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/442.shtml

Ingredients

6 cups moderately packed fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing or Citrus Vinaigrette

1 cup matchstick-sized pieces apple

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or toasted pecans

1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta or blue cheese

Directions

Place the spinach leaves and salad dressing in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture between 4 salad plates.

Top the spinach on each plate with a quarter of the apples, cranberries, nuts, and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 141; Protein: 4.7 g; Sodium: 272 mg; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Fat 8.3 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit, 1-1/2 Fat

NUTTY BANANA BREAD

Serves: 12

Serving Size: 1 (3/4 inch) slice

Online Recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/642.shtml

Source: Splenda

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas

1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.

In a large bowl, blend together the eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, and bananas. Sift together the Splenda Granulated Sweetener, flour, baking soda, and salt; mix into banana mixture. Stir in pecans. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 150; Calories from Fat: 45; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 270 mg; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 8 g

BREAD PUDDING WITH RAISINS

Yield: Makes 3 cups (6 servings)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Ingredients

3 slices day-old white bread, cubed

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups fat-free milk

2 large eggs, slightly beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 1-1/2 quart baking dish with non-stick pan spray.

Mix the bread cubes and raisins in the prepared dish.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; pour the mixture over the bread and raisins; stir to blend.

Set the filled baking dish in a shallow pan on the middle rack of the oven. Pour hot water into the shallow pan to a depth of 1 inch around the baking dish. This creates a water bath to cook the pudding slowly.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the pudding comes out clean. Remove the pan from the water bath and serve warm or chilled.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/2 cup): Calories: 139, Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 72 mg, Sodium: 229 mg, Carbohydrate: 24 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 16 g, Protein: 6 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Fat

BROCCOLI AND CHEESE PIE

Yield: 4 servings

Source: "Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/88.shtml

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup fresh broccoli, small florets

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1 cup skim milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with the cooking spray.

In a saucepan, cook the broccoli with the chicken broth, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring, until all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites and egg. Add the broccoli, milk, cheese, and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the pie pan and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, and check with a toothpick for doneness. (The pie may need to bake for up to 45 minutes.) Remove from the oven and cool.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 171, Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 85 mg, Sodium: 268 mg, Carbohydrate: 5 g, Protein; 13 g; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 High-Fat Meat, 1 Medium-Fat Meat

CORN BREAD

Yield: 12 servings

Source: "The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fat-free milk

2 large eggs, slightly beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute

3 tablespoons canola or corn oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with nonstick pan spray.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the milk, eggs, and oil in a small bowl, add to the dry ingredients, and blend well.

Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out of the pan onto a rack. Cool slightly before cutting. Cut into 12 equal portions. Serve warm..

Nutritional Information Per Serving (2-1/4 inch square): Calories: 130, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 207 mg, Carbohydrate: 18 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 4 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Week-day Recipes

Here's to good weekday food. Enjoy!

QUICK TURKEY MEATBALLS OVER GREENS

This comes from The Kitchn's emailing list. (Yes, another recipe from The Kitchen. If you haven't signed up for their emails, you really should!) This serves 4, and can be viewed online (along with Faith Durand's description) here.

1 pound ground turkey, either 85% lean or 93% lean

1/4 cup grated onion, from 1/2 small to medium onion

1 large egg

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 whole cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought

2 pounds greens, such as broccoli rabe, kale, mustard greens, washed, de-veined, and roughly chopped

Shaved Parmesan, to serve, optional

Combine the turkey, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Begin heating a large pot of salted water for the cooking the greens while you shape and cook the meatballs.

Roll the meat mixture into 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place on a tray or in a pan. You should have between 26 and 30 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Place the meatballs in the hot skillet and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Use tongs to gently rotate the meatballs so they brown evenly. (If your pan isn't large enough to brown all of the meatballs without them touching, cook them in batches and place them back on the cookie sheet once they've been browned. Then combine them back in the pan before simmering with the tomato sauce.)

Reduce the heat to medium, add the tomato sauce, and cover the pan. Simmer the meatballs and sauce for another 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

While the meatballs are simmering, boil the greens in the salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain. (You can also sauté or stir-fry the greens in a hot skillet with oil if preferred.)

To serve, put greens on the plate and top with meatballs and sauce.

Recipe Notes:

To prevent the meatballs sticking to the pan, make sure it is hot before adding the meatballs, and brown thoroughly before trying to turn them. They should release easily once browned. Also, using 85% lean turkey (as opposed to completely lean) should help the meatballs release more cleanly.

Storage: Store the meatballs in their sauce for up to 3 days in the fridge. Freeze cooked meatballs and sauce for up to 3 months.

PUMPKIN-GINGER SCONES

This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts and Baking guide. She writes, “Pumpkin-Ginger Scones have a lovely spicy flavor. You just can't beat that pumpkin-ginger combination.”

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes; Total Time: 37 minutes; Makes 12 scones.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 C sugar, divided

2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

5 Tbls butter, divided

1 egg

1/2 C solid pack pumpkin

1/4 C sour cream or Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger OR 2 Tbls finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preparation

Preheat 425 degrees F. Reserve 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg in small bowl, add pumpkin, sour cream and ginger. Beat until well blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stir until soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto well floured surface, knead 10 times. Roll out dough into 9 x 6 rectangle with lightly floured rolling pin. Cut dough into 6 (3") squares with lightly floured knife. Cut each square diagonally in half, making 12 triangles. Place triangles 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Melt remaining 1 Tbls butter. Brush triangles with butter, sprinkle with reserve sugar. Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely.

PUMPKIN BREAD

This is from Alton Brown, of the Food Network's Good Eats.

Total Time: 1 hr 35 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 15 min; Yield: 1 loaf or 1 1/2 dozen small muffins; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pumpkin-bread-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin

1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins temperature should also be 325 degrees F., but bake for 30 minutes.

Calories: 205; Fat: 11 grams; Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Protein: 3 grams; Carbohydrates: 26 grams; Sugar: 12 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Cholesterol: 35 milligrams; Sodium: 154 milligrams

CURRIED SWEET POTATO-APPLE SOUP

This comes from the Food Network Magazine. Total Time: 55 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 35 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2 -inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and dice 2 1/2 sweet potatoes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, nutmeg, 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until toasted, 1 more minute.

Add the diced sweet potatoes, chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the applesauce. Simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup with a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the remaining 1/2 sweet potato and toss with the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, until browned; remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Top with the curry butter, cilantro and sweet-potato chips.

HEARTY SWEET POTATO HASH

This is also from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 36. It starts off, “Everybody loves breakfast for dinner; besides, this hearty hash is just too good to eat only in the morning!” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

6 oz. ground soy “meat”

6 large eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, and sauté 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Reduce heat to medium, add corn and garlic, and sauté mixture 2 minutes more.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and stir in soy “meat.” Stir in eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, spoon hash onto individual plates and garnish each serving with sprinkling of parsley.

Per serving: 258 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat); 23 g carbs; 212 mg cholesterol; 381 mg sodium; 4g fiber; 2 g sugar.

LIGHT SPINACH SALAD

Yield: 2 servings

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/775.shtml

Source: Magic Menus for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/3.shtml

Ingredients

4 cups torn fresh spinach

4 ounces cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 medium orange, peeled, seeded, and sectioned

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 small onion, sliced

2 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed or in strips

2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing

Directions

Combine all ingredients except cheese and dressing in a large bowl; chill. Before serving, add cheese and toss with dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 302; Protein: 28 g; Fat: 15 g; Cholesterol: 422 mg; Dietary Fiber: 5 g ; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Exchanges: 3 Medium-Fat Meat, 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Just Desserts

“I want something snacky!”

How many times have we heard – or said – that? If you're like me, quite a few times over the years. Well, here's to those snacky days, with some yummy desserts. Enjoy!

LITUANIAN APPLE CAKE

This comes from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet Food's guide. He writes, “The apple cake recipe is simple to throw together at a moments notice but wonderfully delicious. A spongy light cake stuffed with tons of spiced apples! Decorate with dried apples and serve with vanilla ice cream for a fancy end to your dinner or leave plain and enjoy for breakfast with a cup of coffee.”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Apples

5 medium apples, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons of sugar

Batter

4 large eggs

1 cup of vegetable oil/melted margarine

1/4 cup of orange juice

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 cups of sifted flour

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons of baking powder

Powdered sugar

Dried apple slices (optional)

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: Makes 1 9-inch cake

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix apples with cinnamon and sugar and let stand in bowl.

In another large bowl, mix together all batter ingredients except the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Butter and flour the cake pan (use a springform pan, deep 8-inch pan or a regular 9- by 13-inch pan). Pour half of the batter in the pan and arrange half of the apple slices on top of the batter. Pour the rest of the batter and arrange the remaining apple slices on top.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

If you like, decorate the top of the cake with dried apple slices. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. Vanilla ice cream is a wonderful partner.

NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE

This yummy recipe comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts and Baking guide. She writes, “Here is a recipe for New York - Style Cheesecake, which has a sour cream topping.”

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes; Total Time: 100 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

9 whole graham crackers, about 1-1/2 cups crumbs

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 pounds (4 - 8 ounce packages) cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

16 ounces sour cream, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In food processor, process graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar. While processing, drizzle in butter. Press mixture into 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one-at-a-time. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup sour cream. Combine until well-blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45 minutes. While baking, stir together remaining sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Remove cheesecake from oven and carefully spread sour cream mixture on top. Bake for additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and take a knife around the edges. Cool completely before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

LEMON SWIRL CHEESECAKE

This also comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli. For her comments on this recipe, read her notes at the end of the recipe.

To view this online, click here.

Crust:

6 whole graham crackers (about 3 ounces)

1 cup slivered almonds*, toasted

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Filling:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup frozen lemonade** concentrate, thawed

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

Topping:

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 11-1/4-ounce jar purchased lemon** curd

For Crust: 
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. In food processor, finely grind graham crackers. Add nuts; process until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in butter. Add lemon peel. Blend until combined. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake until crust is set, about 10 minutes. Cool.

For Filling:
 Beat cream cheese, sugar, concentrate and zest until smooth. Beat in 3/4 cup sour cream. Add eggs 1 at a time, beat just until combined. Pour into crust. Bake until center (about the size of a quarter) moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 5 minutes.

For Topping: 
Whisk 1 cup sour cream in small bowl until very smooth. Whisk lemon curd in another small bowl until very smooth. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake. Starting at outside of edge of cake, spoon small alternating dollops of sour cream and lemon curd side by side in concentric circles atop warm cake, covering cake completely. Gently shake pan to smooth out toppings. Using tip of knife, gently swirl toppings, forming marble design. Chill cake uncovered overnight.

* Carroll writes, “The orignal recipe calls for walnuts. I have have also made the crust with toasted pecans. Of the three, I prefer the almonds.”

** Carroll writes, “I am fortunate to live in an area with a grocery store that besides lemon, they also have orange and lime curd. When I use the other flavors, I also change the concentrate to orange and/or lime depending on the curd flavor. All three citrus flavors make this a wonderful cheesecake.”

MINI PUMPKIN LAYER CAKES

This recipe is from Keep It Sweet Desserts. They have a newsletter that you can sign up for; definitely worth checking out!

This recipe can be viewed online here. Serves 6.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3/8 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/8 cup vegetable oil

One cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup whole milk

Frosting:

1 8oz pacakge of cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons of butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (or vanilla bean paste if you have)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or spray a half sheet pan and line the bottom with parchment, set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk together and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy. Add the oil and pumpkin, beating until smooth.

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternating with milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't over-mix!

Pour the batter into the sheet pan and use an off-set spatula to evenly spread it throughout the pan. (This batter pretty much stays where you put it, so if it is spread unevenly it will likely bake that way.)

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until baked through and just slightly golden. (This bakes up pretty quickly since it's so thin, I would check it every minute or two after 10 minutes so it doesn't over-bake.)

Allow cake to cool and then place a sheet of parchment on your work-space and carefully flip the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment.

When cool- use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to stamp rounds out of the cake. Freeze the rounds until ready to frost.

For Frosting:

Whip the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar, a little at a time until the desired sweetness and consistency is reached.

To Assemble:

Place one cake round on a piece of parchment and spread 2 tablespoons of frosting on top. Repeat with 2 or 3 more layers, and either leave the sides of the cake exposed or give it a crumb coat and frost the whole thing.

Top with cake crumbs and (in my case,) toffee bits!

CREAMY RICE PUDDING

This recipe was in several issues (maybe 10 years ago) of Vegetarian Times in ads for Mahatma Rice. I'd lost track of the recipe, which I'd made several times for a certain someone who loved homemade rice pudding. I had to admit, it was definitely worth the time it took to fix it.

1 1/2 quarts 2% milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Mahatma rice (see note)

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Note: The recipe called for Mahatma, Water Maid, Carolina, or River rice.

Combine milk, sugar and rice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (The milk should just barely simmer, with bubble breaking only at the outside edge of the surface. After an hour, the rice should be soft.)

Add raisins, increase heat to medium heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until rice has absorbed most of the rest of the milkl, but not all, and the pudding is creamy (about 30 minutes longer).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. When cool, pudding will thicken, but will still be very creamy. Serve warm or well chilled. Serves 8.

CHAI RICE PUDDING

This comes from the February 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 86. It starts off, “If you like chai tea, you'll love this creamy, comforting dessert studded with apples and raisins. For the best flavor, choose a strong, spicy chai tea; we used, Tazo's chai tea bags.”

3 1/2 cups unsweetened soymilk or low-fat milk

4 black chai tea bags

1 cup short- or medium-grain white rice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 medium-sized apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup dark raisins

whipped cream for garnish, optional

cinnamon for garnish, optional

Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup soymilk to a boil in large saucepan. Remove from heat, and add teabags. Cover, and steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out any liquid.

Stir rice, sugar and salt into tea mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups soymilk, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until rice is soft. Stir in apple and raisins; remove from heat. Cover pot, and let sit 10 minutes.

Spoon pudding into 2-quart heatproof dish. Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.

Per serving: 208 cal; 5 g prot; 2 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 43 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 75 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 20 g sugars