Weekend Recipes

Finally, Friday! Don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend. Here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY-BANANA CREAM PIE

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

9” baked pie crust

2-3 bananas

1 cup sugar

1 (21 oz.) can blueberry pie filling

8 oz. cream cheese

2 tbsp. lemon juice

8 oz. Cool Whip topping

1/3 cup sugar

Directions

Cream 1 cup sugar, cream cheese and cool whip. Slice bananas over bottom and sides of baked pie shell. Spread creamed mixture over bananas. Mix pie filling, lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Spoon on top of creamed mixture, leaving an edge of cream showing around the outside. Chill several hours. Keep refrigerated.

RISOTTO

Yield: 4 side-dish servings

Source: "Light and Easy Diabetes Cuisine" by Betty Marks

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/24.shtml

Ingredients

2 teaspoons virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup Italian Arborio rice

2 cups Vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions

In a medium-size non-stick saucepan, heat oil and saute onion until tender. Add rice and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Turn rice into a warm dish and season with pepper. Garnish with cheese.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 136, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Carbohydrate: 26 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 107 mg, Fat: 2 g; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Starch/Bread

CARROT AND ZUCCHINI SOUP

This is from Fiona Haynes, who runs About.com's Low Fat Cooking blog. I've substituted vegetarian broth for the chicken broth that the original recipe lists.

Fiona writes, "Why settle for canned soup when you make your own heartier fresh-tasting soup without all those additives? This carrot and zucchini soup is pureed to make a deliciously filling soup to warm you on cool Autumn days. Enjoy with a slice of crusty whole-grain bread."

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced

1 lb zucchini, unpeeled and sliced

2 tsp curry powder

3 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Preparation:

Sauté onions in a soup pot for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add carrots and zucchini, followed by curry powder. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chopped parsley. Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, working in two batches.

Makes 6 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 81, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 65mg, Carbohydrate 13.4g, Fiber 4g, Protein 2.8g

BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

Another from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. The would have been good for St. Patrick's Day, though it would be good any time. Serves 4, in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 ounce Butter

1 Finely chopped Onion

1 pound Cooked and mashed Potatoes

8 ounces Cabbage

6 slices Beef, cooked and finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Melt the Butter in a large frying pan Add the Onion and fry for a few minutes until softened, stirring frequently Add the potatoes and Cabbage, if you are including the beef, add this as well Fry over a medium heat for 15 minutes until brown then serve.

This classic dish originally contained beef along with the left over cooked potatoes and cabbage, though today people don't generally bother with the meat. The name is apparently due to the sounds that are emitted during cooking, the vegetables bubble as they are boiled and then squeak in the frying pan.

ALL-IN-ONE CASSEROLE

From another long-since-forgotten emailing list. Quick, easy, yummy...And, if, like me, you're a vegetarian, there are great veggie crumbles to use in place of the meat.

1-2 lbs chopped meat, browned and drained

2-4 servings of either fresh or instant mashed potatoes, prepared ahead of time

1 large can green beans

1 large can creamed corn

1-2 cups shredded cheese for topping, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown and drain meat. Place on bottom of 4-qt casserole dish. Add can of green beans on top of meat, then add creamed corned on top of green beans. Add potatoes on top and smooth over entire area. If desired, add cheese on top of the potatoes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

CHALLAH

Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website. Yield: 1 large loaf; about 20 to 25 slices

Ingredients:

2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

6 to 7 1/2 cups bread flour, divided

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten, for glaze

Directions:

Combine yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; let stand about 30 minutes to let the yeast develop.

Combine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture; mix well.

Add the remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you get slightly firm dough. It will be a bit softer than ordinary bread dough because of the eggs. Knead in bowl about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to work out the larger air pockets. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 24 inches long. Braid ropes to form a loaf, tucking the ends underneath. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. The loaf will be quite large.

About 15 minutes before loaf has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf all over with beaten egg. Bake in 375-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven doesn't bake evenly, be sure to turn the pan every 10 minutes or so. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a rack.

Note:

A large, braided loaf is one of the traditional forms of challah. One also finds it shaped as a large braid with a smaller braid on top. I generally prefer to make two smaller single braids, as may be necessary if you have a smaller oven.

Meatless Monday

Today is Meatless Monday. Here are some yummy vegetarian recipes; most are from Vegetarian Times, and one is from About.com.

MINI COCONUT CREAM PIES

Makes 6 pies

30 minutes or fewer

These little coconut pies are sturdy enough to travel in a lunch box or picnic basket. Check the baking section at your grocery store for vegan-friendly, ready-made graham cracker pie crusts.

1/3 cup sweet flake coconut

6 oz. soft silken tofu, drained

1/3 cup sugar

5 Tbs. cornstarch

1 14-oz. can light coconut milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. coconut extract

6 mini graham cracker pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut on baking sheet, and toast 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, or until golden.

Blend tofu in blender or food processor 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Set aside.

Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Whisk in coconut milk, and cook over medium-high heat 8 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly.

Remove pan from heat. Fold in tofu, vanilla and coconut extracts, and coconut. Divide among mini pie crusts, and chill.

nutritional information Per Pie: Calories: 283; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 134 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 18 g; Vegan

From the June 2009 issue of vegetarian Times.VEGAN BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

serves 12

The recipe starts with, “I came up with this because I couldn’t find easy baked-goods recipes for vegans,” says Laurie Dolan, a California resident and a mother of two boys. “I saw in a PETA newsletter a while back that you could substitute applesauce and baking powder for eggs, so I started experimenting with basic cookie, cake, and muffin recipes. One of my favorite results was this blueberry muffin recipe.”

1/4 cup soy margarine

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners, or spray with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl. Spoon into muffin cups, filling three-quarters full.

Bake 35 minutes, or until tops are firm. Cool slightly on rack.

nutritional information per serving: Calories: 200; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Sodium: 270 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 21 g; Vegan

From the June 2005 issue

VEGETABLES KORMA

Serves 2

30 minutes or fewer

Recipe reads, "The only nontraditional thing about this Indian dish is the frozen vegetables. To make it vegan, substitute light coconut milk for the evaporated milk or heavy cream."

1/2 cup basmati rice

2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 small white onion, cut into chunks

1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. garam masala or curry powder

1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

2 Tbs. golden raisins

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, such as green beans, cauliflower, carrots, lima beans, and zucchini (12 oz.)

1 7-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (3/4 cup), optional

3 Tbs. fat-free evaporated milk or heavy cream

1 Tbs. toasted slivered almonds, optional

Cook rice according to package directions.

Purée tomatoes, onion, and ginger to paste in food processor or blender.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garam masala and cardamom, and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add tomato purée and raisins. Simmer 2 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly.

Stir in frozen vegetables; chickpeas, if using; and evaporated milk. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 6 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with almonds, if using.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup sauce over 1/2 cup rice: Calories: 415; Protein: 9 g; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 82 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 69 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 19 g; Gluten-Free

From the February 2010 issue, p.30

CARROT AND ZUCCHINI SOUP

This is from Fiona Haynes, who runs About.com's Low Fat Cooking blog. I've substituted vegetarian broth for the chicken broth that the original recipe lists.

Fiona writes, "Why settle for canned soup when you make your own heartier fresh-tasting soup without all those additives? This carrot and zucchini soup is pureed to make a deliciously filling soup to warm you on cool Autumn days. Enjoy with a slice of crusty whole-grain bread."

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced

1 lb zucchini, unpeeled and sliced

2 tsp curry powder

3 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Preparation:

Sauté onions in a soup pot for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add carrots and zucchini, followed by curry powder. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chopped parsley. Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, working in two batches.

Makes 6 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 81, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 65mg, Carbohydrate 13.4g, Fiber 4g, Protein 2.8g

Soup And Bread

Yesterday was rainy, and this morning, after the rain ended (with the possibility of more to come this afternoon), the weather is on the cool side. (Well, cool for Florida.) Seems like the perfect day for homemade soup and bread.

Soups can be intimidating for those who've never made homemade soup; then again, so can homemade bread. But both are really relatively easy to make. Here are a few offerings that would taste great any time - especially on a rainy, snowy or otherwise cool day. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE

From About.com's British and Irish Food blog. Elaine Lemm, who writes the blog, wrote, "This lovely recipe from Simon Hopkinson's book, Vegetarian Option, 1 is a cross somewhere between a baked pumpkin and a pumpkin soup. Simon first encountered the recipe in the seminal book, Great Chefs of France and over the years has adapted it to a more manageable recipe for the home-cook...This Pumpkin Soup recipe is perfect for an autumn or winter supper, great for Halloween and for Bonfire Night it is perfect." Actually, it's perfect anytime, as far as I'm concerned.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb pumpkin

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 1/4 oz Gruyere or Beaufort cheese, freshly grated

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 395°F.

Cut off the top quarter of the pumpkin to make a lid and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and stringy membrane using a spoon.

Heat the cream with the garlic and seasoning almost to a simmer, then take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Strain the infused cream into the pumpkin cavity. Mix in the cheese, put the lid on and place in a roasting tin. Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced with a fork and the outer skin of the pumpkin is nicely burnished; you may want to turn the heat down slightly if the skin is becoming too brown.

To serve, with a spoon, scoop a good layer of the pumpkin flesh inside the cavity into the hot cream and cheese and stir taking care to not pierce the outer skin.

Serves 4

Recipe Courtesy of Quadrille Books from Simon Hopkinson's Book - Vegetarian Option

CREAMY FRENCH LENTIL & HAM SOUP

This is from Macrina Bakery's email list. If you're not on their email list, you're missing out on some great recipes!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup onions, diced small

1 cup carrots, diced small

1 cup celery, diced small

1/4 cup leeks, diced small

1/2 cup fennel, diced small

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

1/2 cup ham, diced into

1/4-inch pieces

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

2/3 cup French green lentils*

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

*Available in specialty shops and some supermarkets.

Preparation

Serves 4

Place olive oil and butter into a medium-sized, heavy- bottom soup pot. Over medium heat, warm the oil and melt the butter.

Add onions, carrots, celery, leeks and fennel to the pot. Cover and cook, sweating the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the cover from the pot, and add the garlic, ham, thyme and tarragon. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.

Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, reducing the liquid by half. Then add the lentils and stock. Bring everything to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

Stir in the heavy cream, cooking for 8 to 10 more minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

POTATO AND ONION SOUP

From Roadfood.com . The recipe starts off with, "Cooking potatoes in beef stock gives the starchy vegetable a savor that all carnivores will appreciate. A sprinkle of Parmesan on each serving adds just the right zip."

Recipe Source: Harry Caray's; Preparation Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced Spanish onions

3-1/2 cups homemade beef stock or equivalent amount of canned, low salt beef broth

3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the olive oil.

Add the onions and sauté until they become clear and turn a light brown. Set aside.

In a large stock pot, bring the beef stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the diced potatoes. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are soft. Add the onions to the stock pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Salt and pepper the soup to taste.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese on top and serve.

CARROT AND ZUCCHINI SOUP

From About.com's low fat cooking blog. Fiona Haynes, who writes the low fat cooking blog, writes, "Why settle for canned soup when you make your own heartier fresh-tasting soup without all those additives? This carrot and zucchini soup is pureed to make a deliciously filling soup to warm you on cool Autumn days. Enjoy with a slice of crusty whole-grain bread."

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-lb carrots, peeled and sliced

1-lb zucchini, unpeeled and sliced

2 tsp curry powder

3 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Preparation:

Sauté onions in a soup pot for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add carrots and zucchini, followed by curry powder. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chopped parsley. Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, working in two batches.

Makes 6 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 81, Calories from Fat 16, Total Fat 1.8g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 65mg, Carbohydrate 13.4g, Fiber 4g, Protein 2.8g

FRAGRANT FRENCH ONION SOUP

Really not sure where this came from. The recipe starts off with, "A classic that’s so simple, you’ll wonder what you did before you started serving this staple soup."

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or water

2-3 large onions, sliced

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

4 slices French bread, toasted, or croutons

Preparation:

Heat the oil or water in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir until the onions are well coated. Add the water and soy sauce or tamari and stir well. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer, covered, until the onions are tender. Add more water if the soup becomes too thick.

Serve in individual bowls topped with the French bread or croutons.

Makes 4 servings

BASIC ROLLS

YIELD: About 30 rolls.

From one of my favorite cooking shows, Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. It's no longer on the air (that I can find, anyway), but his cookbooks are still for sale.

Ingredients:

1 package FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, beaten

5 to 5 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy.

Heat milk in a saucepan until lukewarm; do not boil. Add butter, sugar and milk; mix well.

Combine milk mixture, yeast mixture and eggs in large bowl of electric mixer fitted with dough hook. Add 2 cups of the flour; mix with dough hook until blended. Add 2 cups flour and mix until blended. Add 1 cup flour and mix on medium speed 2 minutes.

Remove dough from mixing bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead, adding as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to form a smooth, elastic dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Knead 2 minutes to work out air bubbles. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired rolls. (For shape variations, visit Tips & Techniques.) Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes, or until doubled.

When dough is nearly finished rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake rolls 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD

YIELD: 2 loaves.

Another recipe from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening or butter

5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 packages FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine milk, sour cream and shortening in a saucepan over low heat; stir occasionally until sour cream and shortening are melted and mixed in. Remove from heat. Let cool to lukewarm.

Combine 2 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Blend milk mixture, vanilla and eggs into flour mixture; beat about 3 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes, adding flour as needed to make a smooth and elastic dough. Lightly grease the surface of the dough; place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Knead 2 minutes to work out the air bubbles. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll each piece of dough into a rectangle about 14 by 7 inches. Spread softened butter on dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over butter. Starting with the short edge, tightly roll up dough; seal the edges. Place in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Cover with a clean towel and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, or until nearly doubled.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake bread 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack. If desired, while loaves are still hot, brush the tops with additional butter and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar.