Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Zelda & Shella’s Clam Chowder and Lasagna Primavera. Enjoy!
BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER
This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
Serve the soup warm!
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Prep Time: 10 Minutes - Cost: $
Servings: 4 - Difficulty Level: 2
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/175.shtml
Ingredients
4 Medium potatoes, baked
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp onion, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes
Directions
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes, leaving skins intact for restuffing.
With wire whisk, beat potatoes with cottage cheese, milk, and onion. Spoon mixture back into skins.
Sprinkle with paprika flakes and black pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes until just golden.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 73; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Exchanges: 1 Bread
LASAGNA PRIMAVERA
This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER
I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.
Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"
Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.
In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.
Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.
Showing posts with label Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2019
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Cake!
For years, it seemed that the only way one would have cake at home, you'd either have to use a cake mix to bake a cake, or buy one from your local bakery.
Of course, it wasn't always like that. There was a time when people would use a recipe passed down from one person to the next.
While there's nothing wrong with using cake mixes (I've used many a boxed cake mix over the years), and while there are many decent bakeries with wonderful cakes, there are times when it's just more satisfying to make a cake from scratch, using a favorite recipe (or a new-to-us, soon-to-be-favorite recipe) to bake some satisfying goodness.
Today's six cake recipes include All-in-One Chocolate Cake and Rocky Road Cake. Enjoy!
CARROT CAKE
This comes from Alton Brown of the Food Network show Good Eats.
Total:2 hr 50 min; Prep: 40 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 1 hr 10 min; Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Yield: approximately 2 cups
CELEBRATION CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This cake, which was developed by the British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, may not look perfect. You may end up with cracked layers, roughly cut edges and a white-chocolate ganache spread willy-nilly. I think it’s best if it is superrustic,’ Ottolenghi said. But it will be elegant anyway, the astonishingly good result of care and time spent in the kitchen for loved ones, and the flavors are terrific.”
Yield: Serves 10-20; Time: 24 hours, plus freezing
This was featured in “Revel in the Bounty of Spring, With a Feast From Yotam Ottolenghi” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Layer Cakes:
15 1/2 ounces dark baking chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped
9 ounces egg yolks (the yolks from 14 or 15 large eggs)
15 1/2 ounces superfine sugar
14 ounces egg whites (the whites from about 10 large eggs)
1 tablespoon brandy
For the Ganache:
10 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
To Finish:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
7 ounces blueberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish
7 ounces blackberries, with 12 or so set aside for garnish
7 ounces strawberries, trimmed and thinly sliced, lengthwise
7 ounces raspberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish
Powdered sugar, to dust (optional)
Preparation
To make the layers for the cake, heat oven to 350. Grease and line three 10-by-14-inch jellyroll pans with parchment paper. (If you only have one, you can make the layers separately.)
Put a medium-size pot with a few inches of water in it over medium heat, and bring it to a simmer. Place a large, heatproof bowl on top of the pot, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Put the chocolate in the bowl, and melt it over the simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 3 minutes, until thick and pale, and then gently fold the mixture into the melted chocolate. Stir until almost combined, and set aside.
Put the egg whites in the clean bowl of an electric mixer with a clean whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form, and then gently fold them into the chocolate, followed by the brandy.
Divide the chocolate mixture between the 3 jellyroll pans (or pour a third of the mix into one, if you’re baking in 3 batches). Use a spatula to even out the tops or top, and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until firm to touch and a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Once the cakes have cooled, place a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan, and set it over one of the finished spongecakes, then flip the whole thing over, so the sheet pan is now sitting under the cake. Remove the jellyroll pan and the used paper. Repeat with the remaining cakes, placing each on a clean sheet of parchment paper and stacking them. Wrap them well with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
To make the ganache, place white chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Add the cream to a medium saucepan with a heavy base and place it on medium-low heat. Cook until just starting to simmer, and then pour it over the chocolate. Allow to sit for 3 minutes or so, until the chocolate has softened, and then gently stir until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the cream. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for up to 3 days).
To assemble the cake, put the ganache into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the cream, and whip on medium-high until the mixture has achieved the consistency of soft whipped cream. (Keep a close eye on it so as not to overwhip.)
Mix the berries you are not holding back for garnish in a large bowl, and set aside.
Remove one sponge layer from the freezer at a time, and place on a serving platter or cutting board. Do not remove them all at once; they need to be frozen. Trim about 1/2 inch off all the edges to make a clean rectangle, then spread roughly 1/3 of the ganache mixture across the top of the cake. Scatter 1/2 of the berries on top of the ganache mixture, making sure they are evenly spread right to the edges of the cake. Trim the second sponge layer, place it on top of the first and cover it with another 1/3 of the ganache mixture and the remainder of the fruit. Remove the final layer of cake from the freezer, trim it and place it on top of the second, then spread the remaining ganache across the top of the cake, smoothing it with a palette knife. Place the fruit reserved as garnish in each corner of the cake, and dust the whole thing lightly with powdered sugar, if you like. If you’re not serving the cake right away, store in the refrigerator for a few hours, bringing it out 30 minutes before serving.
ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE
This comes from Nigella Lawson, from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. If you haven't signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it. Nigella writes, “This is the perfect chocolate cake: beautiful, melting, intense but not heavy. The batter comes together quickly in a food processor, and the cake bakes at 350 degrees for a while, giving the baker time to assemble the frosting, which is given a luscious sheen by a bit of corn syrup. Use the best chocolate you can find for the frosting, and gild it however you like: with a few flowers, some birthday candles or nothing at all.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; 10 to 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Butter for greasing baking pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup best-quality cocoa powder
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
For the Frosting:
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 ounces ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Preparation
For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.
Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.
For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.
Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.
Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, mayo, and water until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl and cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
CHOCOLATE FILLED CAKE ROLL
Servings: 12 one-inch slices
To view online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake:
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 packets of Sweet'n Low
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Filling:
2 cups skim milk
1 package sugar-free chocolate instant pudding mix
Topping:
2 teaspoons sugar-free cocoa mix
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease and line the bottom of a 10x15" jelly roll pan with waxed paper.
Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy.
Sprinkle sugar, Sweet'n Low and vanilla over eggs; continue beating for 2 minutes.
Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together.
Sprinkle half the mixture over batter; fold in with spatula.
Repeat with remaining flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake on center rack in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.
Arrange a towel on work surface and cover with aluminum foil.
Loosen edges of cake; unmold on foil.
Roll cake jelly roll style, using towel as a guide.
Leave cake rolled until it cools into jelly roll shape.
To make filling, blend milk with pudding mix according to package directions.
Refrigerate pudding until it thickens.
Unroll cake, spread evenly with pudding, and reroll.
Lightly sprinkle sugar-free cocoa over the top to decorate.
Cut into 1" slices and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 122; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 197 mg; Cholesterol: 92 mg; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1/2 Skim Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1 Starch
Of course, it wasn't always like that. There was a time when people would use a recipe passed down from one person to the next.
While there's nothing wrong with using cake mixes (I've used many a boxed cake mix over the years), and while there are many decent bakeries with wonderful cakes, there are times when it's just more satisfying to make a cake from scratch, using a favorite recipe (or a new-to-us, soon-to-be-favorite recipe) to bake some satisfying goodness.
Today's six cake recipes include All-in-One Chocolate Cake and Rocky Road Cake. Enjoy!
CARROT CAKE
This comes from Alton Brown of the Food Network show Good Eats.
Total:2 hr 50 min; Prep: 40 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 1 hr 10 min; Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.
With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.
Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Yield: approximately 2 cups
CELEBRATION CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This cake, which was developed by the British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, may not look perfect. You may end up with cracked layers, roughly cut edges and a white-chocolate ganache spread willy-nilly. I think it’s best if it is superrustic,’ Ottolenghi said. But it will be elegant anyway, the astonishingly good result of care and time spent in the kitchen for loved ones, and the flavors are terrific.”
Yield: Serves 10-20; Time: 24 hours, plus freezing
This was featured in “Revel in the Bounty of Spring, With a Feast From Yotam Ottolenghi” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
For the Layer Cakes:
15 1/2 ounces dark baking chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped
9 ounces egg yolks (the yolks from 14 or 15 large eggs)
15 1/2 ounces superfine sugar
14 ounces egg whites (the whites from about 10 large eggs)
1 tablespoon brandy
For the Ganache:
10 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
To Finish:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
7 ounces blueberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish
7 ounces blackberries, with 12 or so set aside for garnish
7 ounces strawberries, trimmed and thinly sliced, lengthwise
7 ounces raspberries, with 8 or so set aside for garnish
Powdered sugar, to dust (optional)
Preparation
To make the layers for the cake, heat oven to 350. Grease and line three 10-by-14-inch jellyroll pans with parchment paper. (If you only have one, you can make the layers separately.)
Put a medium-size pot with a few inches of water in it over medium heat, and bring it to a simmer. Place a large, heatproof bowl on top of the pot, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Put the chocolate in the bowl, and melt it over the simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 3 minutes, until thick and pale, and then gently fold the mixture into the melted chocolate. Stir until almost combined, and set aside.
Put the egg whites in the clean bowl of an electric mixer with a clean whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form, and then gently fold them into the chocolate, followed by the brandy.
Divide the chocolate mixture between the 3 jellyroll pans (or pour a third of the mix into one, if you’re baking in 3 batches). Use a spatula to even out the tops or top, and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until firm to touch and a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Once the cakes have cooled, place a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan, and set it over one of the finished spongecakes, then flip the whole thing over, so the sheet pan is now sitting under the cake. Remove the jellyroll pan and the used paper. Repeat with the remaining cakes, placing each on a clean sheet of parchment paper and stacking them. Wrap them well with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
To make the ganache, place white chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Add the cream to a medium saucepan with a heavy base and place it on medium-low heat. Cook until just starting to simmer, and then pour it over the chocolate. Allow to sit for 3 minutes or so, until the chocolate has softened, and then gently stir until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the cream. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for up to 3 days).
To assemble the cake, put the ganache into the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the cream, and whip on medium-high until the mixture has achieved the consistency of soft whipped cream. (Keep a close eye on it so as not to overwhip.)
Mix the berries you are not holding back for garnish in a large bowl, and set aside.
Remove one sponge layer from the freezer at a time, and place on a serving platter or cutting board. Do not remove them all at once; they need to be frozen. Trim about 1/2 inch off all the edges to make a clean rectangle, then spread roughly 1/3 of the ganache mixture across the top of the cake. Scatter 1/2 of the berries on top of the ganache mixture, making sure they are evenly spread right to the edges of the cake. Trim the second sponge layer, place it on top of the first and cover it with another 1/3 of the ganache mixture and the remainder of the fruit. Remove the final layer of cake from the freezer, trim it and place it on top of the second, then spread the remaining ganache across the top of the cake, smoothing it with a palette knife. Place the fruit reserved as garnish in each corner of the cake, and dust the whole thing lightly with powdered sugar, if you like. If you’re not serving the cake right away, store in the refrigerator for a few hours, bringing it out 30 minutes before serving.
ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE
This comes from Nigella Lawson, from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. If you haven't signed up for their newsletter, I highly recommend it. Nigella writes, “This is the perfect chocolate cake: beautiful, melting, intense but not heavy. The batter comes together quickly in a food processor, and the cake bakes at 350 degrees for a while, giving the baker time to assemble the frosting, which is given a luscious sheen by a bit of corn syrup. Use the best chocolate you can find for the frosting, and gild it however you like: with a few flowers, some birthday candles or nothing at all.” Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; 10 to 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
Butter for greasing baking pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup best-quality cocoa powder
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
For the Frosting:
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 ounces ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Preparation
For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.
Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.
For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.
Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.
Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, mayo, and water until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl and cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
CHOCOLATE FILLED CAKE ROLL
Servings: 12 one-inch slices
To view online, click here.
Ingredients
Cake:
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 packets of Sweet'n Low
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Filling:
2 cups skim milk
1 package sugar-free chocolate instant pudding mix
Topping:
2 teaspoons sugar-free cocoa mix
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Grease and line the bottom of a 10x15" jelly roll pan with waxed paper.
Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy.
Sprinkle sugar, Sweet'n Low and vanilla over eggs; continue beating for 2 minutes.
Sift flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together.
Sprinkle half the mixture over batter; fold in with spatula.
Repeat with remaining flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake on center rack in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.
Arrange a towel on work surface and cover with aluminum foil.
Loosen edges of cake; unmold on foil.
Roll cake jelly roll style, using towel as a guide.
Leave cake rolled until it cools into jelly roll shape.
To make filling, blend milk with pudding mix according to package directions.
Refrigerate pudding until it thickens.
Unroll cake, spread evenly with pudding, and reroll.
Lightly sprinkle sugar-free cocoa over the top to decorate.
Cut into 1" slices and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 122; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 197 mg; Cholesterol: 92 mg; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1/2 Skim Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1 Starch
Friday, February 2, 2018
Friday Recipes
Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Zelda & Shella’s Clam Chowder and Lasagna Primavera. Enjoy!
BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER
This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
Serve the soup warm!
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Prep Time: 10 Minutes - Cost: $ Servings: 4 - Difficulty Level: 2
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/175.shtml
Ingredients
4 Medium potatoes, baked
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp onion, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes
Directions
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes, leaving skins intact for restuffing.
With wire whisk, beat potatoes with cottage cheese, milk, and onion. Spoon mixture back into skins.
Sprinkle with paprika flakes and black pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes until just golden.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 73; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Exchanges: 1 Bread
LASAGNA PRIMAVERA
This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER
I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.
Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"
Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.
In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.
Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.
BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER
This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
Serve the soup warm!
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Prep Time: 10 Minutes - Cost: $ Servings: 4 - Difficulty Level: 2
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/175.shtml
Ingredients
4 Medium potatoes, baked
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp onion, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes
Directions
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes, leaving skins intact for restuffing.
With wire whisk, beat potatoes with cottage cheese, milk, and onion. Spoon mixture back into skins.
Sprinkle with paprika flakes and black pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes until just golden.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 73; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Exchanges: 1 Bread
LASAGNA PRIMAVERA
This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER
I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.
Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"
Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.
In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.
Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Cake!
Today, we're dealing with cake! How to frost a cake, as well as six yummy cake recipes. Enjoy!
First off, I want to share an article and video on frosting cakes. It come from Melissa Clark in the The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and is titled (naturally) How to Frost a Cake.
You may be thinking, “Excuse me, but I’ve been frosting cakes since the first time I baked a cake when I was a kid.” I know that was my first thought. But seriously, how often have you baked a cake that tasted yummy, only to frost it and have it look a little less than fantastic? Yup, happens all the time - at least when I’m frosting that cake! So, to view the article and videos, click here.
COCONUT LAYER CAKE
This comes from Melissa Clark in the The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This impressive and wonderfully moist layer cake is less sweet than the usual coconut affair, thanks to a tangy cream cheese frosting on top and dose of orange juice in the batter. This is a great dessert to make in advance. You can bake the cake layers up to 3 days ahead and store them, well-wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator. The frosted cake will keep for 2 days in the fridge as well, either under a cake dome or overturned bowl, or loosely tented with foil. Just make sure to bring the cake to room temperature before serving.” Time: 2 hours, plus cooling; makes 8 to 12 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated, plus 3 whites
1 1/2 cups cream of coconut
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut or dark rum
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
For the Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 1/4 cups/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
2 3/4 cups unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted
Preparation
Make the Cake:
Grease 3 8-inch cake pans and dust with flour. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and reserve. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl with spatula. Lower speed and gradually add flour mixture. Batter will be thick and pasty.
Whisk together cream of coconut, coconut milk, rum and orange juice. Alternately add shredded coconut and the orange juice mixture to the batter.
In the clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter.
Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack. Unmold cakes once cool.
Make the Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix until combined and fluffy.
Spread 1/4-inch-thick layer of frosting on top of the first layer of cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Place next cake layer on top and repeat with frosting and coconut. Repeat with the third layer, spreading frosting on top and around sides of cake. Hold cake steadily in one hand and use other hand to pat remaining coconut onto edges of cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE
Not sure where this cake is from. The recipe starts with, "A rich and moist healthy treat." Serves 8
Ingredients:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar or Sucanet
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup silken tofu
2 cups carrots, finely grated
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oil, orange juice, sugar or Sucanet, cocoa powder and tofu in a blender or food processor and then add the grated carrot. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Spoon the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened. Pour batter into a lightly oiled bundt or tube pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. If baking in 2 seperate 8" pans, bake until a toothpick come out clean.
GOOBER CAKE
This comes from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet food blog's guide, who attributes this to Vintage Cakes, by Julie Richardson (Ten Speed Press, 2012). The recipe starts with, "In the South, 'goober' is another term for peanuts. This delicious vintage dessert starts with a moist and flavorful peanut butter cake and then adds a wonderful peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache. Chocolate and peanut butter taste heavenly together but, for something different, you can substitute the ganache with your favorite jam." Don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe. Read through it once or twice, then give it a try. It's worth it.
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
3 cups (12 ounces) sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cups (12 3/4 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (5 ounces) natural crunchy unsalted peanut butter, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
For the Chocolate Ganache
1 or 1 1/4 cups heavy cream , depending on the type of chocolate
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chipsFor the Peanut Butter Frosting
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter , at room temperature, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (5 ounces) natural crunchy salted peanut butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
To make the cake:
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture by hand to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the brown sugar and the butter on medium speed until they are a smooth paste. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the oil and the vanilla into the bowl until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and cream the mixture until it is fluffy, about 5 minutes. As you make the batter, stop the mixer frequently and scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend in the peanut butter on low speed. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter . With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (there will be approximately 1 pound 2 ounces per pan) and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven until the cakes are golden and firm and have small cracks forming on top, 28 to 32 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and promptly run a thin knife around the edges of the pans to help the cakes retract evenly from the sides. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Flip the cakes out of the pans. Let the cakes continue to cool on the rack, top side up, until they reach room temperature.
To assemble the cake, place one cake on a flat plate, top side up. Using about one third of the ganache, spread a thin layer onto the top of the cake. If the ganache is warm, pop the cake in the refrigerator to let the ganache firm up before you proceed. Next, spread a third of the peanut butter frosting-about 3/4 cup-over the ganache. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, also top side up. Cover it with a thin layer of ganache and 3/4 cup of peanut butter frosting, as you did with the bottom layer. Top with the third cake (top side up), align the layers, and spread ganache and peanut butter frosting on the top layer, using up the remainder of both the ganache and the frosting.
This cake keeps for up to 3 days at cool room temperature.
To make the chocolate ganache:
Measure the chocolate into a small heat-resistant bowl. If you are using semisweet chocolate , use 1 cup of cream. If you are using bittersweet chocolate, use 11/4 cups of cream. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the cream begins to simmer , quickly remove the pot from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl to ensure that all the chocolate is coated with the hot cream.
Cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and begin to slowly whisk the mixture, starting with small circles in the middle and working your way outward until you have a smooth, glossy frosting.
If you intend to use the ganache as a glaze , let it cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pour the liquid ganache over your cake while the ganache is still warm but not hot. If the ganache thickens too much, rewarm it by placing it over (not in) simmering water.
If you plan to use the ganache as a frosting (not a glaze), you can leave the ganache at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches spreading consistency. The time varies for this depending on your room temperature, but plan for 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, you can pop it into the refrigerator to hurry this process, gently stirring it with a spatula every 10 minutes or so until it stiffens up to spreading consistency. If the ganache ever becomes too hard to spread, simply put it somewhere warm to soften.
Covered with plastic wrap at room temperature, this frosting keeps for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 1/2 cups (enough to lightly glaze or frost an 8- or 9-inch cake. Note: If you are using the ganache as a frosting (rather than a glaze), make it at least 2 or 3 hours before you'll need it, as it takes time to reach a spreading consistency.
To make the peanut butter frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the paddle, as often as necessary to incorporate all the ingredients.
This frosting keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought back to room temperature and rewhipped before using. Makes about 2 1/2 cups (enough to fill and top but not completely frost an 8- or 9-inch layer cake).
RED VELVET CAKE
This can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
Ingredients for the cake
1/2 C butter (note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2 1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring & cocoa. Add to 1st mix. Add salt & buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar & add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans & bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
Frosting For Red Velvet Cake
1 C butter (note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Directions
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour & milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes & add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy & refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9" round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
First off, I want to share an article and video on frosting cakes. It come from Melissa Clark in the The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and is titled (naturally) How to Frost a Cake.
You may be thinking, “Excuse me, but I’ve been frosting cakes since the first time I baked a cake when I was a kid.” I know that was my first thought. But seriously, how often have you baked a cake that tasted yummy, only to frost it and have it look a little less than fantastic? Yup, happens all the time - at least when I’m frosting that cake! So, to view the article and videos, click here.
COCONUT LAYER CAKE
This comes from Melissa Clark in the The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This impressive and wonderfully moist layer cake is less sweet than the usual coconut affair, thanks to a tangy cream cheese frosting on top and dose of orange juice in the batter. This is a great dessert to make in advance. You can bake the cake layers up to 3 days ahead and store them, well-wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator. The frosted cake will keep for 2 days in the fridge as well, either under a cake dome or overturned bowl, or loosely tented with foil. Just make sure to bring the cake to room temperature before serving.” Time: 2 hours, plus cooling; makes 8 to 12 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated, plus 3 whites
1 1/2 cups cream of coconut
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut or dark rum
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
For the Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 1/4 cups/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
2 3/4 cups unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut, toasted
Preparation
Make the Cake:
Grease 3 8-inch cake pans and dust with flour. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and reserve. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl with spatula. Lower speed and gradually add flour mixture. Batter will be thick and pasty.
Whisk together cream of coconut, coconut milk, rum and orange juice. Alternately add shredded coconut and the orange juice mixture to the batter.
In the clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter.
Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack. Unmold cakes once cool.
Make the Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix until combined and fluffy.
Spread 1/4-inch-thick layer of frosting on top of the first layer of cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Place next cake layer on top and repeat with frosting and coconut. Repeat with the third layer, spreading frosting on top and around sides of cake. Hold cake steadily in one hand and use other hand to pat remaining coconut onto edges of cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE
Not sure where this cake is from. The recipe starts with, "A rich and moist healthy treat." Serves 8
Ingredients:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar or Sucanet
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup silken tofu
2 cups carrots, finely grated
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oil, orange juice, sugar or Sucanet, cocoa powder and tofu in a blender or food processor and then add the grated carrot. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Spoon the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened. Pour batter into a lightly oiled bundt or tube pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. If baking in 2 seperate 8" pans, bake until a toothpick come out clean.
GOOBER CAKE
This comes from Brett Moore, About.com's Gourmet food blog's guide, who attributes this to Vintage Cakes, by Julie Richardson (Ten Speed Press, 2012). The recipe starts with, "In the South, 'goober' is another term for peanuts. This delicious vintage dessert starts with a moist and flavorful peanut butter cake and then adds a wonderful peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache. Chocolate and peanut butter taste heavenly together but, for something different, you can substitute the ganache with your favorite jam." Don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe. Read through it once or twice, then give it a try. It's worth it.
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
3 cups (12 ounces) sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 3/4 cups (12 3/4 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (5 ounces) natural crunchy unsalted peanut butter, at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
For the Chocolate Ganache
1 or 1 1/4 cups heavy cream , depending on the type of chocolate
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chipsFor the Peanut Butter Frosting
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter , at room temperature, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (5 ounces) natural crunchy salted peanut butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
To make the cake:
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture by hand to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the brown sugar and the butter on medium speed until they are a smooth paste. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the oil and the vanilla into the bowl until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and cream the mixture until it is fluffy, about 5 minutes. As you make the batter, stop the mixer frequently and scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend in the peanut butter on low speed. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter . With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (there will be approximately 1 pound 2 ounces per pan) and smooth the tops. Bake in the middle of the oven until the cakes are golden and firm and have small cracks forming on top, 28 to 32 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and promptly run a thin knife around the edges of the pans to help the cakes retract evenly from the sides. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Flip the cakes out of the pans. Let the cakes continue to cool on the rack, top side up, until they reach room temperature.
To assemble the cake, place one cake on a flat plate, top side up. Using about one third of the ganache, spread a thin layer onto the top of the cake. If the ganache is warm, pop the cake in the refrigerator to let the ganache firm up before you proceed. Next, spread a third of the peanut butter frosting-about 3/4 cup-over the ganache. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, also top side up. Cover it with a thin layer of ganache and 3/4 cup of peanut butter frosting, as you did with the bottom layer. Top with the third cake (top side up), align the layers, and spread ganache and peanut butter frosting on the top layer, using up the remainder of both the ganache and the frosting.
This cake keeps for up to 3 days at cool room temperature.
To make the chocolate ganache:
Measure the chocolate into a small heat-resistant bowl. If you are using semisweet chocolate , use 1 cup of cream. If you are using bittersweet chocolate, use 11/4 cups of cream. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the cream begins to simmer , quickly remove the pot from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl to ensure that all the chocolate is coated with the hot cream.
Cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and begin to slowly whisk the mixture, starting with small circles in the middle and working your way outward until you have a smooth, glossy frosting.
If you intend to use the ganache as a glaze , let it cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Pour the liquid ganache over your cake while the ganache is still warm but not hot. If the ganache thickens too much, rewarm it by placing it over (not in) simmering water.
If you plan to use the ganache as a frosting (not a glaze), you can leave the ganache at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches spreading consistency. The time varies for this depending on your room temperature, but plan for 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, you can pop it into the refrigerator to hurry this process, gently stirring it with a spatula every 10 minutes or so until it stiffens up to spreading consistency. If the ganache ever becomes too hard to spread, simply put it somewhere warm to soften.
Covered with plastic wrap at room temperature, this frosting keeps for up to 3 days. Makes about 1 1/2 cups (enough to lightly glaze or frost an 8- or 9-inch cake. Note: If you are using the ganache as a frosting (rather than a glaze), make it at least 2 or 3 hours before you'll need it, as it takes time to reach a spreading consistency.
To make the peanut butter frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the paddle, as often as necessary to incorporate all the ingredients.
This frosting keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought back to room temperature and rewhipped before using. Makes about 2 1/2 cups (enough to fill and top but not completely frost an 8- or 9-inch layer cake).
RED VELVET CAKE
This can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
Ingredients for the cake
1/2 C butter (note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2 1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 8" round pans. Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs. Make paste of food coloring & cocoa. Add to 1st mix. Add salt & buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar & add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans & bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
Frosting For Red Velvet Cake
1 C butter (note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Directions
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour & milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes & add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy & refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9" round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Week Day Food
Wow, late again. Such is life. Meanwhile, here are today's offerings. Enjoy!
BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER
This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
Serve the soup warm!
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Prep Time: 10 Minutes - Cost: $ Servings: 4 - Difficulty Level: 2
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/175.shtml
Ingredients
4 Medium potatoes, baked
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp onion, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes
Directions
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes, leaving skins intact for restuffing.
With wire whisk, beat potatoes with cottage cheese, milk, and onion. Spoon mixture back into skins.
Sprinkle with paprika flakes and black pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes until just golden.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 73; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Exchanges: 1 Bread
LASAGNA PRIMAVERA
This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, , sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER
I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.
Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"
Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.
In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.
Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.
BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER
This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 25 min; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/best-tomato-soup-ever.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sherry, optional
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent.
Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.
Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others. (For what it's worth, and I realize it's not worth much, I use 6 tablespoons of sugar.)
Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. I added 3, and it wound up being a little too much.
Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Add in the sherry if desired. Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.
Serve the soup warm!
TWICE BAKED POTATOES
Prep Time: 10 Minutes - Cost: $ Servings: 4 - Difficulty Level: 2
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/175.shtml
Ingredients
4 Medium potatoes, baked
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tbsp onion, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Dried Parsley Flakes
Directions
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potatoes, leaving skins intact for restuffing.
With wire whisk, beat potatoes with cottage cheese, milk, and onion. Spoon mixture back into skins.
Sprinkle with paprika flakes and black pepper.
Bake for 10 minutes until just golden.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 73; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Exchanges: 1 Bread
LASAGNA PRIMAVERA
This comes from FamilyTime.com, and starts off, "Using oven-ready lasagna noodles makes this recipe simple to prepare...and layering vegetables into the lasagna is a brilliant way to add flavor and lighten up this delicious dish." Serves: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep time: 40 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, or summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) cremini mushroom, , sliced (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 2 cups)
3 cups Prego® Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan Italian Sauce
12 oven-ready lasagna noodle, (no boil)
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or the mixture is golden. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the milk mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the nutmeg and black pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Heat the remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and asparagus and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Layer 1/2 cup Italian sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup Italian sauce, one-third of the milk mixture and half the vegetable mixture in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles, sauce and milk mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375°F. or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE ICING
This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts/Baking expert. She writes, "I grew-up eating this cake. It's so sinful, and yet, filled with good things for you. I've had house guests request Tropical Carrot Cake for breakfast. I think this carrot cake recipe is by far the best you'll ever have." Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
The Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, slighly beaten
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
The Frosting Recipe:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped and toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
Preparation
The Cake Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two bread loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, oil and eggs. Beat well, until mixed. Add other ingredients and stir. Put into baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Completely cool cakes before frosting.
The Frosting:
Combine butter and cream cheese; cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on each cake. Store cakes in the refrigerator.
Note: This cake freezes beautifully. Place on foil covered baking sheet. Freeze until hard. Remove from freezer and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Return to freezer. Unwrap totally and then defrost cake.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
I was taking a speech class at a local junior college. One week we had to give a demonstration speech; one lady demonstrated how to make this cake, passing out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake! For the longest time, several members of my family wanted this for their birthday cakes. It can be found at my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix w/pudding
Grease & flour 2 9" pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl. In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, may & water until blended. Increase speed to medium & beat for 2 minutes. Stir in nut mixture. Pour into greased & floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl & cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ZELDA'S (AND SHELLA'S) CLAM CHOWDER
I'd "met" Shella on a feminist bulletin board that has long since closed. She and her other half, Zelda, on a bulletin board that they then put together that also has long since closed. This was one of the recipes they shared.
Zelda wrote, "I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and altered it slightly." She also added at the end of the recipe, "This tastes really good with toasted sourdough bread! Yum!"
Also, since I lean towards vegetarianism, I'd probably forgo the clams and just make this into a potato soup.
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
1 quart half-and-half cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter for about 8 minutes or until tender. Add dried thyme and sauté another two minutes. Let cool about ten minutes and then blend with enough water to make a smooth paste.
In a large pot, combine potatoes, celery (I like a lot of celery so I usually add more), salt, pepper, onion mixture, and juice from clams. Augment with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
With the flour and the rest of the butter you will make a roux. This will do away with the raw flour taste and help to thicken the chowder. To make the roux, melt the butter in a skillet (I prefer cast iron), add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on a medium to high heat, stirring constantly. The color of the roux will be a light cream color when it is finished. Set aside.
Stir the half-and-half into the pot. Whisk roux into the chowder. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in clams and adjust seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes or until the clams are heated though.
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