It's half-way through the work week, and less than a week until Halloween. Where does the time go? Here are six recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!
PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA
This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “This wonderful pasta is made with nothing more than fresh tomato sauce and good ricotta, plus a little pecorino. It’s most delicious if you keep the pasta quite al dente; use just enough sauce, no more; give it a good pinch of crushed red pepper; and season it with enough salt of course. For the best results, use good quality imported noodles made from hard Durum wheat.” Time: 30 minutes; makes 4 to 6 servings.
This, along with the Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce, was featured in “The Time Is Right to Make Tomato Sauce”, and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 pound dried pasta, such as farfalle or penne
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Crushed red pepper (optional)
2 1/2 cups Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce, warm (see recipe, which follows)
6 ounces ultra-fresh ricotta, at room temperature
Grated pecorino
Basil leaves, for garnish
Preparation
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, making sure to keep it quite al dente.
Put butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add drained pasta to the pan and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.
Add tomato sauce gradually and stir to coat pasta, using only enough sauce for a light coating (you may not need the entire 2 1/2 cups).
Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl and dot top with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with pecorino and garnish with a few torn basil leaves.
QUICK FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
This also comes from David Tanis in The New York Times Cooking e-newsletter. David wrote, “In August and September, when tomatoes are at their ripest, make a batch of fresh tomato sauce. At the market, look for the cracked, slightly bruised tomatoes sold at a discount. The flesh of the tomato should be dense, sweet and blood red. This makes a very fresh- and bright-tasting sauce in a manageable small batch. Take advantage of good tasty tomatoes and fill a few zip-top bags for the freezer.” Time: 30 minutes; makes about 2 1/ 2 cups.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
5 pounds tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 garlic clove, halved
1 basil sprig
1 bay leaf
Preparation
Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds and discard, if you wish. Press the cut side of tomato against the large holes of a box grater and grate tomato flesh into a bowl. Discard skins. You should have about 4 cups.
Put tomato pulp in a low wide saucepan over high heat. Add salt, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, basil and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a brisk simmer.
Reduce the sauce by almost half, stirring occasionally, to produce about 2 1/2 cups medium-thick sauce, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. It will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator or may be frozen.
FUNNEL CAKE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list, and begins, “This funnel cake recipe makes 4 cakes.” Also, see note, below
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
One Funnel
Variation:
Try different toppings: cinnamon sugar, fruit topping, glaze.
To Prepare:
Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour oil into a heavy pan or skillet until it is 1 inch deep. Heat to 375 F.
Hold one finger over a funnel end, keeping the opening closed, and fill it with batter. Open the end of the funnel and allow batter to run out in a stream into the hot oil. Move funnel from center, swirling outward in a circular pattern. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
Using tongs, turn over the cake to cook the other side. Cook until golden brown and remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.
Note: The person who posted this to the emailing list wrote, “I’ve been using this funnel cake recipe for some time and have learned a few tricks.
”Here are some tips I'd like to share:
“Use an electric skillet if you have one to regulate oil temperature more efficiently. If you don't have one, a large stovetop skillet is fine.
“Use a ladle to transfer batter to funnel. 1 & 1/2 ladle will make a good size funnel cake. Adjust to suit your families needs. Make sure you have tongs to turn the cakes with.
“I use my 2 cup measuring cup to rest my funnel in when not in use to catch drips and minimize mess.
“Place the cakes on a cooling rack that is placed inside a baking pan to drain. (I have a recycled toaster oven rack that works great as a cooling rack) to drain.
“Use a flour sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar on top.”
STRAWBERRY CREAM SCUFFINS
This yummy recipe is from Better Home and Gardens. Makes: 18 servings; Serving Size: 1 scuffin; Yields: 18 scuffins; Prep: 40 minutes; Bake: 25 minutes at 350°F; Cool: 5 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup whipping cream or milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
6 tablespoons strawberry jelly, jam, or preserves
1 recipe Scuffin Icing (follows)
Chopped fresh strawberries (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line eighteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; coat bake cups with cooking spray. Set pans aside. In a small bowl combine egg and whipping cream; set aside.
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 1 cup strawberries. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture. Add the remaining egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened (dough will be crumbly).
Spoon half of the dough into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one-third full. Using a spoon or your thumb, make an indentation in the center of dough in each cup; fill each indentation with 1 teaspoon of the strawberry jelly. Spoon the remaining dough into muffin cups. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons egg mixture.
Bake about 25 minutes or until tops are golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Drizzle with Scuffin Icing. If desired, top with additional strawberries. Serve warm.
SCUFFIN ICING
Ingredients
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons whipping cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Whipping cream or milk
Directions
In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, the 2 teaspoons whipping cream or milk, and the vanilla. Stir in enough additional whipping cream or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach drizzling consistency.
ROASTED PUMPKIN AND LEEK SOUP
This comes from Jen Hoy, About.com’s Whole Foods Cooking expert. Jen wrote, “This roasted pumpkin and leek soup brings the quintessential flavors of fall to the table. It's an easy recipe and can be made with Cinderella pumpkin (pictured), the small, richly flavored sugar pumpkin, or from Hokkaido squash, Red Kuri, Kabocha, or any other deep orange, dense squash. Orange squash and pumpkin are marvelously rich in nutrients, especially beta-carotene, and very nourishing to the spleen and stomach. Roasting the vegetables creates a rich and more complex flavor, and actually makes for an easy soup: all you do is add water to the roasted veggies. You can add a dab of Romesco Sauce when serving to give a bit of extra richness to the soup, but we like it as is!” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 70 minutes; Yield: Serves 4 - 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 pounds pumpkin or deep orange squash, peeled and cut into 1” chunks* (See note below)
1 large onion, cut into 1” chunks
2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 leeks, washed well and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups water, Vegetable Broth, or Chicken Broth
1 branch of fresh thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin, curry or other spice as desired
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
*Note: If you don’t want to peel the squash ahead of time, cut it into larger (3-inch or so) pieces and remove the skin before adding it to the soup pot. Unlike raw, cooked squash is very easy to peel. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil in a roasting pan and spread them out corner to corner. Roast the vegetables in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften and take a bit of golden color.
Remove the tray from the oven. (If you need to peel the squash, let the vegetables sit until the pumpkin is cool enough to handle).
Place the veggies in a soup pot with water or broth to cover and add the thyme and desired spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Puree the soup with an immersion or standard blender, season to taste and serve.
Showing posts with label Funnel Cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funnel Cake. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Friday, March 20, 2015
Weekend Recipes
Finally, we've made it to Friday and the beginning of the weekend! It's also the first day of spring, and, while parts of the U.S. still has some snow, the weather where I am (Florida) is beautiful. I know, I had to write that, right? It all evens out, though; Florida summers can be extremely warm, especially in August. But no matter, it's still the weekend, and, with any luck (and a little time), the weather where you are will be nice. In the meantime, we still need to eat, so here are today's recipes. Enjoy!
FUNNEL CAKE
This came from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. Typically, funnel cakes are found at county fairs (at least in the U.S.), and therefore can be considered a feel-good food. Whoever sent the recipe to the emailing list wrote, "This funnel cake recipe makes 4 cakes." Also, see the note at the end of the recipe before starting.
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 & 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
One Funnel
Variation:
Try different toppings: cinnamon sugar, fruit topping, glaze.
To Prepare:
Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour oil into a heavy pan or skillet until it is 1 inch deep. Heat to 375 F.
Hold one finger over a funnel end, keeping the opening closed, and fill it with batter. Open the end of the funnel and allow batter to run out in a stream into the hot oil. Move funnel from center, swirling outward in a circular pattern. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
Using tongs, turn over the cake to cook the other side. Cook until golden brown and remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.
Note: The sender also wrote, "I've been using this funnel cake recipe for some time and have learned a few tricks. Here are some tips I'd like to share:
"Use an electric skillet if you have one to regulate oil temperature more efficiently. If you don't have one, a large stovetop skillet is fine.
"Use a ladle to transfer batter to funnel. 1 & 1/2 ladle will make a good size funnel cake. Adjust to suit your families needs. Make sure you have tongs to turn the cakes with.
I use my 2 cup measuring cup to rest my funnel in when not in use to catch drips and minimize mess.
Place the cakes on a cooling rack that is placed inside a baking pan to drain. (I have a recycled toaster oven rack that works great as a cooling rack) to drain.
Use a flour sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
From another unknown emailing list. This serves 8.
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
7 cups halved and thinly-sliced onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 french bread loaf, cut 1/2" thick slices
10 ounces shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese
In large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and very soft, about 15 minutes.
Stir in flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in broth, sherry, thyme, salt to taste and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, adding more salt if needed.
Preheat broiler. Lightly toast bread slices. Ladle soup into 6 ovenproof bowls or crocks and arrange on baking sheet. Put enough bread on top of each serving -- cutting and fitting if necessary -- to cover soup. Sprinkle bread with shredded cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve hot.
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
CINNAMON EGG BREAD
I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.
1 cup milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 eggs
1 cup warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 packages yeast
6 – 7 cups flour
3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted
2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar
Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.
Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.
Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.
Melt 3/4 – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.
APPLE CIDER POUND CAKE
This comes from Rebecca Franklin, About.com's French Food guide. She writes, “Take one bite of this apple cider pound cake recipe and you'll be transported to the orchard country of Quebec. This deliciously spiced quatre quarts cake was inspired by a drive on La Route des Cidres, in Quebec's Monteregie region, which is dotted with apple orchards, cider houses, and picturesque inns. Serve this tender cider cake with a latte for a mellow, effortless snack.” She ends with, “This apple cider pound cake recipe makes 12 to 14 servings.” Prep Time: 50 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes; Total Time: 120 minutes.
This recipe can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Bring the apple cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue boiling the apple cider for 25 to 35 minutes, until it has reduced to slightly less than 1 cup in volume, about 7/8 cup. Remove the cider from the heat and add the maple syrup; set the mixture aside.
Preheat and oven to 325F. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt cake pan and set it aside.
Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Stir together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, and salt) and then add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter-egg mixture and beat until most of the flour is incorporated.
Add the cooled apple cider-maple syrup reduction to the batter, beat it for 30 seconds, and then beat in the remainder of the dry ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake it in a 325F oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Shake it from side to side to loosen the cake from the pan (you should hear and feel a light thumping), and use a small rubber spatula to loosen any stubborn sides. Place a serving platter over the top of the cake and invert it, removing the pan form the top of the cake to allow it to cool completely.
FUNNEL CAKE
This came from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. Typically, funnel cakes are found at county fairs (at least in the U.S.), and therefore can be considered a feel-good food. Whoever sent the recipe to the emailing list wrote, "This funnel cake recipe makes 4 cakes." Also, see the note at the end of the recipe before starting.
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 & 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
One Funnel
Variation:
Try different toppings: cinnamon sugar, fruit topping, glaze.
To Prepare:
Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk. In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour oil into a heavy pan or skillet until it is 1 inch deep. Heat to 375 F.
Hold one finger over a funnel end, keeping the opening closed, and fill it with batter. Open the end of the funnel and allow batter to run out in a stream into the hot oil. Move funnel from center, swirling outward in a circular pattern. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
Using tongs, turn over the cake to cook the other side. Cook until golden brown and remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.
Note: The sender also wrote, "I've been using this funnel cake recipe for some time and have learned a few tricks. Here are some tips I'd like to share:
"Use an electric skillet if you have one to regulate oil temperature more efficiently. If you don't have one, a large stovetop skillet is fine.
"Use a ladle to transfer batter to funnel. 1 & 1/2 ladle will make a good size funnel cake. Adjust to suit your families needs. Make sure you have tongs to turn the cakes with.
I use my 2 cup measuring cup to rest my funnel in when not in use to catch drips and minimize mess.
Place the cakes on a cooling rack that is placed inside a baking pan to drain. (I have a recycled toaster oven rack that works great as a cooling rack) to drain.
Use a flour sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
From another unknown emailing list. This serves 8.
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
7 cups halved and thinly-sliced onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 french bread loaf, cut 1/2" thick slices
10 ounces shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese
In large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil over medium heat. Stir in onions, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and very soft, about 15 minutes.
Stir in flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in broth, sherry, thyme, salt to taste and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, adding more salt if needed.
Preheat broiler. Lightly toast bread slices. Ladle soup into 6 ovenproof bowls or crocks and arrange on baking sheet. Put enough bread on top of each serving -- cutting and fitting if necessary -- to cover soup. Sprinkle bread with shredded cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve hot.
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
CINNAMON EGG BREAD
I first found the recipe that this morphed from in an old, long-since-lost cookbook. Since losing the cookbook, the recipe has changed to this version. I've had numerous friends and relatives rave over this. One lady I knew said that it was one of the few bread recipes that could almost double as dessert.
1 cup milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 eggs
1 cup warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 packages yeast
6 – 7 cups flour
3/4 – 1 cup margarine, melted
2 – 3 cups cinnamon sugar
Heat milk to almost scalding, stirring fairly constantly so that it doesn't burn. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup margarine, and stir until melted. Let milk and margarine cool.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place very warm water, add honey and yeast, then stir to dissolve. Let stand for 5 – 10 minutes.
Add salt to milk, then add yeast and water to milk. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, for a stiff, non-sticky dough. Knead for about 8 – 10 minutes.
Wash and dry bowl, then place dough in bowl. Place cooking oil (I recommend canola or olive oil) in hands, then rub over dough. Place clean towel over the top of bowl and allow dough to rise until almost double, about an hour.
Take 3 loaf pans and spray with cooking spray. Take dough out and divide into thirds.
Melt 3/4 – 1 cup margarine. Set aside.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out first third of dough. Pour some of the margarine over the bread and spread 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll dough, then place in loaf pan with the bread-seam down. Repeat with other two thirds. Place towel over all three loaves and allow to rise again, approximately one hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Then, removing towel, bake loaves for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes on cooling rack.
APPLE CIDER POUND CAKE
This comes from Rebecca Franklin, About.com's French Food guide. She writes, “Take one bite of this apple cider pound cake recipe and you'll be transported to the orchard country of Quebec. This deliciously spiced quatre quarts cake was inspired by a drive on La Route des Cidres, in Quebec's Monteregie region, which is dotted with apple orchards, cider houses, and picturesque inns. Serve this tender cider cake with a latte for a mellow, effortless snack.” She ends with, “This apple cider pound cake recipe makes 12 to 14 servings.” Prep Time: 50 minutes; Cook Time: 70 minutes; Total Time: 120 minutes.
This recipe can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
3 cups apple cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Bring the apple cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue boiling the apple cider for 25 to 35 minutes, until it has reduced to slightly less than 1 cup in volume, about 7/8 cup. Remove the cider from the heat and add the maple syrup; set the mixture aside.
Preheat and oven to 325F. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt cake pan and set it aside.
Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture, beating for a few seconds after each addition. Stir together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, and salt) and then add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter-egg mixture and beat until most of the flour is incorporated.
Add the cooled apple cider-maple syrup reduction to the batter, beat it for 30 seconds, and then beat in the remainder of the dry ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake it in a 325F oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Shake it from side to side to loosen the cake from the pan (you should hear and feel a light thumping), and use a small rubber spatula to loosen any stubborn sides. Place a serving platter over the top of the cake and invert it, removing the pan form the top of the cake to allow it to cool completely.
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