Tuesday Recipes

Here are today's six yummy recipes to try. Enjoy!

GLAZED LEMON COCONUT BARS

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. It starts off, “Coconut and freshly grated lemon peel add zing to an all-time favorite bar.” Prep time: 15 min; Start to finish: 1 hr 50 min; Makes: 12 bars

Bars

1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flaked coconut

1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart mix

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup fat free egg product

Lemon glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 350F.

In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly.

Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.

Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients.

Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.

Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.

In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over bars.

Cool completely, about 1 hour.

For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

PUMPKIN APPLE MUFFINS

I know that some people will tell me that I can't post this recipe during the spring, because pumpkin is a fall flavor, and, in some ways, they're right. I tend to think of pumpkin as a fall-ish flavor, since pumpkins seem to be ready for harvest in the late summer and early autumn. But with canned pumpkin so readily available (for the most part), and the fact that I love the flavor of pumpkin, I figured I'd post this now. It's also from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Makes 2 dozen.

1 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

3 Tbls sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine pumpkin, butter, and eggs, and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in chopped apple, and spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks.

LINGUINE WITH LEMON SAUCE

This comes from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. All you need is pasta, a lemon, a knob of butter, a generous pour of heavy cream and a hunk of the best Parmesan you can get your hands on.” Time: About 20 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving

1/2 pound fresh or dried linguine

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side

Preparation

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.

Heat the butter in a skillet and add the lemon zest.

Drop the linguine into the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Add the cream to the butter and lemon zest mixture. Add the pasta and lemon juice and stir until just heated through. Add the Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on the side.

Tip: If fresh linguine is purchased in 9-ounce weight, use this in lieu of the half pound.

CRAB CAKES BALTIMORE-STYLE

This recipe also comes from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. This one begins, “This is a classic crab cake inspired by those that were served at Obrycki's Crab House, a rollicking fish restaurant in a former row house on East Pratt Street in Baltimore. They are simply delicious.” Time: 15 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup crushed Saltine crackers

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley sprigs

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound crab meat, lump preferred, shell and cartilage removed

1/2 cup finely ground fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, celery, saltines, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, scallions, salt and pepper, and blend well. Add the crab meat, folding it in lightly without breaking it up.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape them into hamburger-like patties. Dredge them lightly in the bread crumbs.

Heat approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the crab cakes 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, using the remaining 2 tablespoons oil if necessary. Drain on paper towels immediately. Serve the crab cakes with this French Creole-inspired remoulade sauce.

ARROZ CON POLLO

This is from Melissa D’Arabian of The Food Network show Ten Dollar Dinners. Total Time: 1 hr 25 min; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 10 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/arroz-con-pollo-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

One 3 1/2-to-4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces and skin removed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken stock

1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions

Combine the salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne in a plastic gallon bag. Shake until the mixture is well combined.

Pat the chicken dry and place in the bag with the spice mixture. Shake the bag, making sure the chicken is well coated.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate, using tongs.

Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook the vegetables over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook until the rice begins to turn gold in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, combine the stock, tomato sauce and remaining teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups water and the stock mixture to the skillet and stir to make sure the rice is covered in liquid. Nestle the chicken in the rice, adding any juices from the plate. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Let the skillet stand covered, about 10 minutes before serving.

30-MINUTE PIZZA PASTA SKILLET

This comes from the Tablespoon e-newsletter, and begins, “Ready, set, go! Pizza flavors wrap up a skillet meal in just 30 minutes!” Prep Time: 30 min; Total Time: 30 min; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

2 oz. (1/2 cup) sliced pepperoni, chopped

1 (14-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (2 cups)

3/4 cup water

7 oz. (2 cups) uncooked ready-cut spaghetti

1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Add pepperoni; cook 1 minute. Drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce, water and uncooked spaghetti. Bring to a boil; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until spaghetti is of desired doneness, stirring occasionally.

Add olives; stir gently to mix. Arrange pepper strips over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tuesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes to try your hand at. Enjoy!

CREAM OF WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

While many of us think of cream of mushroom soup as a canned soup, something to stock on your shelf, this yummy recipe is anything but. This rich-based recipe comes from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 50 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 30 min; Yield: 5 to 6 servings; Level: Intermediate

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-wild-mushroom-soup-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 carrot, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

SLOW COOKER TORTILLA SOUP

This comes from The Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian, who writes, “This Mexican-inspired chicken, tomato, and bean soup practically cooks itself. I pile the ingredients into a slow cooker while I'm off doing far more glamorous things (like working, picking up dry cleaning, or dropping off a forgotten lunch at school!). My weekday cheat is to use tortilla chips instead of fresh tortillas. My favorite kind are the better-for-you baked white tortilla chips with a hint of lime, but any kind will do. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll add cubed avocado and sour cream before serving. If you have leftover cooked rice in the fridge, a spoonful in the soup is a nice touch, and for a less spicy flavor remove the jalapeno seeds and ribs.” Total Time: 3 hr 10 min; Prep Time: 10 min; Cook Time: 3 hr; Yield: 4 servings.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/slow-cooker-tortilla-soup-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3 chicken thighs, skin removed

10 -ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Juice of 1/2 lemon

20 tortilla chips

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Place the chicken, tomatoes (and juices), beans, broth, water, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Uncover the slow cooker and use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred, then return the meat to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice. Crumble a few tortilla chips into each bowl and cover with some soup. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and grated cheese.

BAKED BEANS

This comes from Sam Sifton of The New York Times' Cooking e-newsletter. Sam writes, “Proper Boston baked beans would have salt pork instead of the bacon. James Beard cooked them with ribs. The key is to use the little white pea beans known as navy beans, and to allow time to do most of the work. (Or to cheat: Canned white beans make fantastic baked beans in about an hour. If you use them, you'll need four 15-ounce cans. Drain and then follow the directions from step 2 on to the end. Please understand that you’ll need much less water and much less time to get them where you want them to be.) The combination of molasses and dry mustard is a taste as old as America itself, and takes well to both ham and soft brown bread.” Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups navy beans

Salt

1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup molasses

2 teaspoons dry mustard

Preparation

Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.

CRANBERRY COFFEE CAKE

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. Serves 6 to 8.

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse cranberries with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor until finely chopped (do not puree). Transfer to a sieve and let drain while making batter.

Sift together flour, baking powder & salt. Beat together butter and remaining sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 to 8 min. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternating in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated.

Spread 1/3 of batter evenly in well buttered 9x5-inch loaf pan, then spoon half of drained cranberries evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides. Top with another 1/3 of batter and remaining cranberries, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides, then cover with remaining batter. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out without crumbs, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 min. Invert cake onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BEVERLY'S CREAMY BROCCOLI CHICKEN

This comes from Diana Rattray, About.com's Southern Food expert. Diana writes, “This easy broccoli chicken is cooked to perfection in the slow cooker.
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“The simple combination of chicken breasts, broccoli, and condensed soup makes a fabulous everyday dinner. Serve this flavorful dish over hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 360 minutes (6 hours); Total Time: 370 minutes; Yield: Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (approx. 10 1/2 ounces) condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup

boneless chicken breasts (as many as you need) - I buy the frozen ones with 6-7 in a bag - approx. 3 pounds

1 bag (12 to 16 ounces) frozen broccoli

salt and pepper

1 cup milk

Preparation

Place chicken pieces in the crock pot. Cover with the frozen broccoli and spoon the cream of broccoli soup over all. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours. (Boneless chicken breasts might be dry if cooked too long.) Add milk about 45 minutes before done, or 30 minutes if cooking on high.

Serve poured over rice!!! Yummy!

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

A Salad, A Pie, A Cheesecake, and a S'more Sundae Walked Into A Kitchen...

A Salad, A Pie, A Cheesecake, and a S'more Sundae Walked Into A Kitchen... Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But today's yumminess (that's the official word of the day!) is anything but bad. The recipes came from emails received from the Diabetic Gourmet and from the Food Network. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY-APPLE SPINACH SALAD

Yield: 4 servings

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

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 ; Fat: 8.3 g ; Sodium: 272 mg; Cholesterol: 2 mg ; Carbohydrates: 13 g

Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit, 1-1/2 Fat

COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

According to the Diabetic Gourmet site, "A baked custard pie with less calories because it's sweetened with Equal and made with 2% milk. For added coconut flavor use the optional coconut extract."

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Pastry for single-crust 9 inch pie

4 eggs

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup toasted flaked coconut

1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

* May substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Roll pastry on floured surface into circle 1 inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim and flute edge. Set aside.

Beat eggs in large bowl about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Whisk in milk and remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into pastry shell.

Bake pie in preheated 375F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until sharp knife inserted halfway between center and edge of pie comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 194 ; Protein: 6 g ; Fat: 11 g ; Sodium: 301 mg; Cholesterol: 115 mg ; Carbohydrates: 19 g

Exchanges: 1/2 milk, 1/2 starch, 2 fat

Source: Equal

INDOOR S'MORE SUNDAE

from Melissa d'Arabian of Ten Dollar Dinners on The Food Network.

Total Time: 1 hr 11 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 1 min; Level: Easy; Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 whole graham crackers)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Quick Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

For the graham cracker crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt together in a bowl. Firmly press the crust into muffin tins to make individual crusts. Top each crust with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Press the mini marshmallows into the ice cream, covering the scoop completely. You will have 4 s'more "domes". Freeze at least 1 hour.

For the quick chocolate sauce: Immediately before serving, heat the broiler to low. Toss the chocolate chips with the milk in a ramekin or small bowl and microwave 30 seconds, stir until smooth and set aside. Place the s'more domes under the broiler until marshmallows brown, about 30 seconds. Watch them constantly as they burn easily. Place each s'more on a plate and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE

Total Time: 2 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 40 min; Level: Easy; Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 cookies)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

4 8 -ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don't remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.

Desserts - Cookies, Two Pies, and Indoor S'more Sundae

Today's offerings are from different email lists that I've subscribed to. Each list consistently has wonderful recipes...

REDUCED-FAT VEGAN SWEET POTATO PIE

Jolinda Hackett, from about.com's vegetarian list, writes, "It's classic. It's old-fashioned. It's vegan (if you use vegan margarine instead of butter and use a vegan pastry crust), and it's a reduced-fat and dairy-free dessert. What's not to love about this sweet potato pie recipe?"

Recipe and photo courtesy of North Carolina Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Pastry crust for a 9-inch double crust pie (make sure it's vegan, if necessary)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2-1/4 pounds), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon butter or cold vegan soy butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare a pie plate. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one layer of the pastry, then set aside.

Combine one cup of water and the salt in a large saucepan. Add sweet potatoes; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are just barely tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes.

Drain sweet potato slices and rinse with cold water until cool to touch. Drain the sweet potatoes well then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

Add white sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and pumpkin pie spice to the sweet potatoes and toss gently with a spatula until slices are evenly coated. Spoon sweet potatoes into prepared pastry-lined pie plate. Dot the top of the sweet potatoes with butter or vegan margarine.

Place the top pastry over the filling and crimp top and bottom pastries together to make a sealed decorative edge, then cut three or four small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake the pie in oven until crust is browned and sweet potatoes are tender when pierced, about 50 minutes. If edges of crust start to brown too quickly, drape lightly with strips of foil.

Cool pie on wire rack at least 1 hour. Sweet potato pie can be served warm or cool.

Try it with a whole wheat pastry crust.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PIE

Another one from Jolinda Hackett, who writes, "Chocolate cherry pie - Vegan tofu cherry "cream" pie recipe - delicious! I'd love to try this same method with strawberries or perhaps even Elvis-style, with bananas."

Recipe courtesy of the Soy foods Council

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) box firm silken tofu

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 prepared vegan graham cracker pie crust

1 (12 oz.) package frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed and drained

1 cup non-dairy whipped topping

Preparation:

First, prepare the cherries. Slice them in half and remove the pics, if needed. Set a handful of cherries aside to use as a garnish on top of the pie.

Next, prepare the chocolate "cream" filling. Process the tofu in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, melted chocolate chips, and almond extract. Process again until mixture is smooth.

To prepare the pie, place about 1/3 of the chocolate tofu mix in a single layer in the prepared pie crust. Next, place the cherries in a single layer on top of the chocolate tofu mixture and spread the remaining chocolate tofu on top.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish each slice with whipped topping and reserved cherries.

This recipe makes one pie of 8 servings.

Nutritional information, per serving:

Calories: 270, Total Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 100mg, Carbohydrates: 36g, Dietary Fiber: 2g. Sugar: 24g, Protein: 6g

INDOOR S'MORE SUNDAE

From the Food Network

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/indoor-smore-sundae-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Recipe courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian

SHOW: Ten Dollar Dinners; EPISODE: Big Buffalo, Ten Bills

Total Time: 1 hr 11 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 1 min; Level: Easy; Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5 whole graham crackers)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt

4 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Quick Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

For the graham cracker crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt together in a bowl. Firmly press the crust into muffin tins to make individual crusts. Top each crust with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Press the mini marshmallows into the ice cream, covering the scoop completely. You will have 4 s'more "domes". Freeze at least 1 hour.

For the quick chocolate sauce: Immediately before serving, heat the broiler to low. Toss the chocolate chips with the milk in a ramekin or small bowl and microwave 30 seconds, stir until smooth and set aside. Place the s'more domes under the broiler until marshmallows brown, about 30 seconds. Watch them constantly as they burn easily. Place each s'more on a plate and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND BAR COOKIES

from Diabetic Gourmet

Yield: Makes 24 servings

Source: Equal

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/944.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold stick butter or margarine, cut into pieces

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 jar (10 ounces) seedless raspberry spreadable fruit

3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

* May substitute 12 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Combine flour, Equal and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in egg, water and lemon peel. Mixture will be crumbly.

Press mixture evenly onto bottom of well-sprayed 8 x 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges of crust are lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven and spread raspberry fruit over top. Sprinkle with almonds. Return to oven, and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until raspberry fruit is bubbly. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 86; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 16 mg; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Fat: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat