Wednesday Recipes

Enjoy!

TIRAMISU

This comes from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “A tiramisu made with sponge cake and sweetened cream cheese or mascarpone filling.”

Ingredients

1 sponge cake (10-12 inch), about 3" tall

1/3 cup strong black coffee

5 tablespoons rum or brandy, good quality

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 to 1/2 cups superfine or powdered sugar

sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Cut across middle of sponge cake, making two even layers, each about 1 1/2 inches high. Combine coffee and brandy. Sprinkle enough of mixture over bottom half of cake to flavor strongly. Don't moisten cake too much. Beat room-temperature cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and the cream cheese mixture is light and fluffy. Test for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. Spread cut surface of bottom layer with half of the cheese mixture. Replace second layer and top this with remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle top liberally with sifted cocoa. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

LOW FAT BLACK MAGIC BANANA CUPCAKES

Another recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Serves 12

2 medium extra-ripe bananas, peeled

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbsps

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place bananas in blender or food processor container. Cover and blend until smooth. Makes about 1 cup. Stir together bananas, egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in large bowl; set aside.

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into banana mixture. Stir just until moistened. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly coat with vegetable spray. Fill two-thirds full with batter.

Bake at 350° F, 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

IRISH CABBAGE AND POTATO SLAW

Makes 16 servings

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/640.shtml

Ingredients

2 medium white potatoes (8 oz.), peeled and cut in 1/2" slices

1 small Savoy cabbage (about 1 1/4 lb.) or 1/2 medium head green cabbage

1 carrot, shredded

4 scallions, green part only, chopped

2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar

1-1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1/4 cup fat-free or low-fat buttermilk

Directions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches. Cook over medium-high heat.

When the potatoes still have some resistance to a thin knife, drain them. Cut them into 1/2" strips and set aside.

While potatoes cook, quarter the cabbage, cut away the core and shred into 1/2-inch strips (there should be about 6 cups).

Place cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots and scallions.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard powder, sugar, salt and pepper, mixing until sugar dissolves. Mix in the oil. Pour dressing over vegetables. Using hands, mix to coat vegetables with dressing. Add potatoes and mix again.

Cover slaw and set aside for 15 minutes to wilt cabbage.

Pour in buttermilk and mix again. Cover and refrigerate slaw until ready to serve, or up to 6 hours. The slaw is best when the cabbage and carrots still have some crunch.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 35; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 196 mg; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g

LEMONY RICOTTA PASTA WITH BASIL

If you've been following this blog for a while, you no doubt know that one of my favorite emailing lists is TheKitchn. This yummy recipe comes from TheKitchn and starts off, “The pasta shapes that best complement this sauce are small shaped pieces like rotini, penne, fusilli, and gemelli; these shapes hold the sauce. Again, quality makes a big difference here. Now's a time to spring for something better than plain-wrap spaghetti. However, if it's all you have, you'll still be eating well.” Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

1 pound pasta, small shapes (see Recipe Note)

2 cups ricotta cheese, preferrably freshly-made

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil

Juice and zest of one lemon

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, sliced into a chiffonade (see second note)

Set a pot of water to boil. When it boils, add a few teaspoons of salt and the pasta.

In a metal bowl wide enough to fit over the top of the pot, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil, juice and zest of lemon, salt, and black pepper. When there are about 2 minutes remaining in the pasta's cooking time, place the bowl over the pot and slowly stir the ricotta and other ingredients. You should see it loosening as it warms. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, add the basil to the bowl of sauce and toss with the drained pasta. Serve immediately.

Recipe Note:

Use a good-quality pasta here. Small shapes like rotini, penne, fusilli, and gemelli are best; these shapes hold the sauce.

Note: chiffonade 
[shihf-uh-NAHD; shihf-uh-NAYD]

Literally translated, this French term means "made of rags." In the kitchen, it refers to thin strips or shreds of leafy vegetables (lettuce, sorrel, basil), either raw, lightly sautéed or used raw to garnish soups.

To make a chiffonade, pile up leaves neatly, role them up lengthwise like a cigar, and slice them with a very sharp knife cross-wise. We find ourselves using the technique most often with basil leaves for tossing in salads or garnishing soups and pasta dishes.

LATE SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FRESH CORN

This comes from the September 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61, and starts out, “Bright, beautiful, and bursting with veggies, this colorful minestrone is a great way to stretch the harvest.” Serves 6.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup sliced leeks

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 tsp. salt, optional

4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage, or 2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (1 cup)

2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (3/4- to 1-inch cubes)

2 cups green beans or flat beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 15-oz. can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2–3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish, optional

Heat oil in 5-qt. Dutch oven or other large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, bell pepper, and salt, if using. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until veggies are softened, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and continue cooking 5 to 6 minutes more, or until celery is somewhat shrunken and leeks are browned.

Add garlic, sage, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Stir 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Add squash, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add green beans, white beans, and corn; simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in vinegar and mint.

nutritional information Per 2-cup serving: Calories: 185; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 130 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 7 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

SUMMER VEGGIE KEBABS WITH FRESH CORN RELISH

This comes from the July/August 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 32. It serves 4 in 30 minutes or less, and starts out, “Easy-to-assemble vegetable kebabs are paired with a lightly sautéed corn relish for a dish that can be served either as an appetizer or as an entrée when placed atop couscous or another quick-cooking grain. To ensure even cooking, make sure all the vegetables are about the same size.”

Corn Relish

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium yellow tomato, diced (2/3 cup)1 large ear corn, kernels removed (1 1/3 cups kernels)1 1/2 Tbs. white balsamic or white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder

2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil

Kebabs

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. white balsamic or white wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. dry mustard powder, divided

1 small yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded, and cut into 12 square pieces

1 medium zucchini, halved and cut into 12 slices

1/2 small red onion, cut into 12 chunks

12 whole cremini mushrooms

12 grape or cherry tomatoes

Coat grill grate or grill pan with cooking spray, and preheat over medium heat.

To make Corn Relish: Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add tomato, cover, and cook 4 minutes, or until tomato is breaking down. Add corn kernels, and cook 2 minutes, or until corn is tender. Stir in vinegar and mustard powder, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Mix in basil; season with salt and pepper, if desired.

To make Kebabs: whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard powder in small bowl.

Thread each of 12 skewers with 1 bell pepper square, 1 zucchini slice, 1 red onion chunk, 1 mushroom, and 1 tomato. Place skewers on large platter, and brush with vinaigrette mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Grill skewers 6 to 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and browned on all sides. Serve with Corn Relish.

nutritional information Per Serving (3 kebabs and 1/2 cup relish): Calories: 247; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 18 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 30 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 9 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free