Confessions of a Foodie

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Thursday, January 2, 2014

New Year Yumminess...

I know I should be putting nice, healthy recipes on this blog, especially for my first post of the new year. But looking back through some of the recipes I've picked up over the years, I figured I'd go with two yummy desserts from Vegetarian Times. Both the truffles and the cake are listed as vegan; hopefully, that'll fit onto your healthy list. And dark chocolate is supposed to be healthy, isn't it? Either way, enjoy!

Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles

from the May 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times

Serves 10 (makes about 30 truffles)

Truffles are usually made with heavy cream, but you'll never miss the dairy in these luscious vegan chocolates.

6 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa), finely chopped

1/4 cup walnut, almond or canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place chocolate, oil and 1/3 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave 1 minute. Stir; heat 1 minute more, or until chocolate has melted. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 6 hours, or overnight.

Place cocoa and nuts on separate plates. Shape truffle mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into small, 3/4-inch balls. Roll in cocoa or chopped nuts. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional information, per truffle:

Calories: 66, Protein: 1 g, Total Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g. Vegan.

Fabulous Vegan Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Icing

from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 66)

Serves 8

“I’ve tried vegan cake recipes in the past, but didn’t like the sour taste of the vinegar that is usually used to activate the leavening,” says single mom and café manager Shelly Platten. “I tinkered with some recipes that didn’t use vinegar to come up with a fudgy, satisfying cake.”

1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour

1 2/3 cups Florida Crystals organic cane sugar, divided

1 1/3 cups Chatfield’s cocoa powder, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk vanilla soymilk, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk together 2/3 cup soymilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup water in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold onto plate.

Warm remaining 2/3 cup cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining 1/3 cup soymilk, and cook 1 minute, or until smooth. Spread icing over warm cake, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Nutritional Information, per slice:

Calories: 525, protein: 5 g, total fat: 25 g, saturated fat: 2g, carbohydrates: 67 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium 315 mg, fiber: 7 g, sugar: 43 g. Vegan

Friday, December 27, 2013

New Year's Resolutions

Most of us go into the last week of the old year making New Year's resolutions. These usually entail something like losing weight, exercising more, saving more money, and other worth-while things.

The problem, of course, is that we lose sight of our resolutions fairly quickly. While the following recipes won't help you keep your resolutions (or help me with mine), they might help in the following way: the turkey pot pie (a Campbell's recipe) will help you use up any holiday turkey (hopefully not left over on the counter from Thanksgiving!), the risotto (from Diabetic Gourmet) shows that if you're diabetic or cooking for a diabetic, the food can still taste good while being good for you, the spinach omelet (from Weight Watchers) is healthy and light. The apple & cranberry crisp? I don't know about you, but if I don't have something a little snacky once in a while, I'm going to have problems keeping to any kind of diet.

Enjoy the following. Oh, and one other thing: Happy New Year's!

CAMPBELL'S® EASY TURKEY POT PIE

Prep. time: 10 min. Cooking time: 30 min.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Soup OR 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup

1 pkg. (about 9 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup cubed cooked turkey OR chicken

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose baking mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix soup, vegetables and turkey in 9" pie plate.

Mix milk, egg and baking mix. Pour over turkey mixture. Bake 30 min. or until golden.

Tips

*Or use Campbell's® Cream of Chicken with Herbs Soup.

Serve with a tossed green salad. For dessert serve pineapple tidbits.

APPLE & CRANBERRY CRISP

Filling:

12 apples

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Juice of one lemon

Topping:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Filling: Peel and core apples. Cut into bite-size chunks. Combine with all other filling ingredients. Spoon into generously buttered ramekins.

Topping: Combine all ingredients. Using fingers, crumble butter until mixture resembles peas. Spoon generous 2 tablespoons on top of each apple-filled ramekin.

Place ramekins on baking sheet. bake for 35-45 minutes, until browned on top.

Makes 10 generous servings.

RISOTTO

Yield: 4 side-dish servings

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

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

Ingredients

2 teaspoons virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup Italian Arborio rice

2 cups Vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions

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

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe):

Calories: 136, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Carbohydrate: 26 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 107 mg, Fat: 2 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Starch/Bread

SPANISH OMELET

POINTS® value | 5

Servings | 1

Preparation Time | 8 min

Cooking Time | 10 min

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup spinach, coarsely chopped (do not dry)

2 large egg(s)

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions

In a medium saucepan, cook spinach with just the water that clings to it until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out all liquid. Cool, then chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon water.

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil. Pour egg mixture into pan; reduce heat and cook until base is set and top is still a little creamy, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle spinach over one half of eggs; fold omelet in half and cook until eggs are completely set, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Six Pumpkin Recipes (And One Gingerbread)

I know, I know...Two days after Thanksgiving, and if you're like many Americans, you have a ton of turkey and other leftovers in your 'fridge, just begging to be used. What's a person to do? Look for recipes for all that food. And I very nearly started blogging recipes to use up turkey and leftover mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes/stuffing/everything else in all those containers.

Problem is, most people know how they're going to use up their leftovers. Turkey becomes turkey sandwiches and/or turkey casserole. Mashed potatoes become potato pancakes; that's not a bad idea for mashed sweet potatoes, too. This year was the first that I actually found a new leftover turkey recipe that I might use (turkey sliders); unfortunately, after cutting it out from the flier (I'm thinking a Publix flier), I promptly managed to lose it.

But then, it seems that recipes for using up the leftovers are everywhere. So, rather, I've put together six pumpkin recipes and one gingerbread one. Many of these have graced this blog before, while a few others are new contributions. None of these are my inventions. If I know where they came from, I mention it; if not, and if someone knows where they came from, let me know. (Thanks, in advance.)

Pumpkin Smoothie

Prep: 4 min

Yields: 6 servings

Probably from Nestle/Libby's

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin, chilled

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, chilled

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 small sliced banana

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 dozen ice cubes (optional)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

PLACE pumpkin, evaporated milk, orange juice, banana and sugar in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour over ice. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 6 servings

Serving Size 1/6 of recipe

Calories 150

Total Fat 1.5g

Dietary Fiber 3g

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

Prep: 20 min

Cooking: 25 min

Yields: 48 servings

Probably from Libby's/Nestle

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well. Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:

COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 48 servings

Serving Size 1/48 of recipe

Calories 70

Total Fat 2g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Wow a holiday crowd with this amazing pumpkin cheesecake!

From Recipe Cookbook Nestle® Very Best Baking

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cooking Time 55 minutes

Serves 16

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted OR 1/3 cup margarine, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 package cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 can LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 container sour cream, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

FOR CRUST:

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

FOR CHEESECAKE:

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

FOR TOPPING:

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving7 entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth8, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.

Pumpkin Orange Cake Roll

This angel food cake roll is filled with a cinnamon-orange scented pumpkin filling. A lighter alternative to heavy holiday desserts.

from Recipe Cookbook Nestle® Very Best Baking

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Serves 10

Ingredients

1 package (16-oz.) angel food cake mix

2 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, grated, divided

1 1/4 cups LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoon CROSSE & BLACKWELL® Red Currant Jelly, optional

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan with foil. Foil should extend 1 inch above edge of pan. Sprinkle a clean towel with powdered sugar.

PREPARE cake mix according to package direction, adding 1 ½ teaspoons orange peel at end of mixing time. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE for 30 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off foil. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

COMBINE pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and remaining orange peel in a medium bowl. Carefully unroll cake; spread pumpkin mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Spoon jelly into small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut off corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle jelly over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Soup

For a dramatic presentation, serve this warm, creamy soup inside a scooped-out pumpkin. It's just as delicious ladled out of a pot.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 20 minutes

Serves 6

Not sure where this came from.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

one 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

one 8-ounce jar applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

freshly ground pepper, to taste

croutons, optional

Directions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until mixed. Add the chicken broth and pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, pepper, and croutons. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until hot and the flavors have blended.

Stir in the cream and heat until hot. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately with crisp croutons, if desired.

GINGERBREAD

Sweeten the season with our gingerbread.

This simple recipe is the perfect holiday dessert, especially when topped with yogurt or fresh fruit. Just grab a fresh box of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda- an important ingredient for great baking and prepare a treat for the whole family.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

Sift together flour, Baking Soda, ginger and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in egg thoroughly; blend in molasses. Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Beat thoroughly. Stir in water. Turn into greased and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Makes one 8-inch square cake. Cut into 16 servings.

Whoever first posted this (probably on one of the emailing lists I was on, years ago), added, "I LIKE MINE TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF COOL WHIP!"

Friday, November 22, 2013

Stuff for the Holidays

A little of this and that to spice up your holiday meals.

Spice Tea

I used to make this every year for Christmas presents.

8 oz loose tea

3 orange peels

1 1/2 - 2 sticks cinnamon

2 T chopped cloves

Cut orange peels into small pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occaion-ally. Let cool, add to loose tea, along with broken cinnamon sticks & cloves. Store in tight containers.

Rose Hip Marmalade

This recipe is from friends of the family, an Episcopal priest and his wife. Both were involved in the civil rights movement. He past away several years ago, but I still remember them fondly.

3 lbs. rose hips

1 large lemon

2 large oranges

6 C sugar

4 C boiling water

Remove stem & flower area ends from rose hips. Cut each berry in half. Cover with boiling water; simmer for 30 minutes. Rub through sieve or food mill. Add to pulp juice of lemon & oranges, coarsely ground-up rind of oranges, & sugar. Boil about 20 min-utes. Pour into jelly glasses. When cool, cover with paraffin.

Onion Supreme

My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.

2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin

3 - 4 yellow onions, sliced thin

4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin

20 small white onions

1 stick butter or margarine

1 1/2 C half & half

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.

Cranberry Pie

Dad sent this in a letter dated "18 Nov '79". He wrote, "Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it."

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/3 tsp salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want.)

Variation

2 T cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1 1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Make as above.

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie

1 C canned eggnog

1 egg

18 oz. can pumpkin pie filling

9" pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, combine egg nog, egg & pie filling; blend well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream.

Peanut Butter Pie

I drove cab for several years. This was given to me by one of my fares, a divorced man with custody of his two kids. It took three trips to get the recipe, including the amounts. I increased the amounts of the peanut butter and sugar from 1/3 C.

1/2 C peanut butter (note)

8 oz. cream cheese (note)

1/2 C confectioner’s sugar

8 oz. tub cool whip (note)

graham cracker crust

Mix peanut butter, sugar, cream cheese & cool whip together, pour into crust, refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour.

NOTE: The peanut butter should be creamy. The cream cheese can be low fat, but should NOT be fat-free; the pie won’t taste (or set up) right. The cool whip can be low fat, too.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Fall Recipes - Pumpkin, Squash Recipes

I love autumn for many reasons, one of which is the wonderful food. Whether you call it fall or autumn, pumpkins and different kinds of squash seem to be on everyone's plates.

Most of the following recipes were from different emailing lists, most of which have since disappeared. I'm not sure exactly who came up with these recipes, although I'm sure that the Vegan Pumpkin Risoto came from a vegetarian list, possibly Vegetarian Times.

Either way, check these out and enjoy!

Autumn Squash Casserole

Ingredients

1 stick of butter, melted

1 onion, chopped

5 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Place the butter, onion, squash and orange juice in the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 10 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Add the cinnamon and maple syrup. Using a potato masher, mash the ingredients. Mix until smooth and serve warm.

Butternut Squash, Apple, Onion Au Gratin

Cooking spray

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cinnamon

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded and sliced

4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9- x 11-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray.

Place flour, salt, and cinnamon into a large plastic bag. Add squash, apples, and onions; shake until lightly dusted.

In glass dish, layer 1/2 of squash, apples, and sweet onion. Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the top, then sprinkle 1/2 of cheese. Layer with remaining squash, apple, and onions. Pour remaining chicken stock over the top, and cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Take out and sprinkle with bacon crumbles and remaining cheese. Return, uncovered, to oven; bake for another 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Prep: 20 min

Cooking: 10 min

Yields: 36 mini pies

Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 36 mini pies:

Serving Size 1/36 of recipe:

Calories 130, Total Fat 6g, Dietary Fiber 0g,

Pumpkin Smoothie

Prep: 4 min

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin, chilled

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, chilled

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 small sliced banana

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 dozen ice cubes (optional)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

PLACE pumpkin, evaporated milk, orange juice, banana and sugar in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour over ice. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 6 servings: Serving Size 1/6 of recipe: Calories 150, Total Fat 1.5g, Dietary Fiber 3g

Pumpkin Mousse

Inspired by Martinique’s tropical cuisine, mildly spicy whipped pumpkin can stand alone as a dessert or accompany seafood as an exotic side dish.

Prep Time: 1 hours, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1 cup plus 2 cups chilled heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ounces white chocolate, shaved

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, stir together the pumpkin, 1 cup heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Chill for at least 1 hour before preparing the mousse.

Whip the remaining 2 cups chilled cream into peaks. Gently stir 1/2 cup of the chilled pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream. Once the 1/2 cup of pumpkin is almost fully incorporated into the cream, fold in the remaining pumpkin. Serve chilled with white chocolate shavings as a garnish.

Makes 8 servings.

Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving7 entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

This one is from Very Best Baking Kitchen

Prep: 10 min

Cooking: 18 min

Cooling time: 2 min cooling

Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:

COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.


Tips from Very Best Baking Kitchen

Note:For a variation add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts to the recipe.NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 36 cookies

Serving Size 1/36 of recipe

Calories 120, Total Fat 3g, Dietary Fiber .5g

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

1 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbls pumpkin pie spice

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

3 Tbls sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

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

Makes 2 dozen

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Return of the Chili

This is a rerun of a blog post from January 21 of this year. The recipes are really good, and, since we're heading into autumn, I figured several chili recipes would come in handy. So, without any further introduction, I bring you five chili recipes. (Actually, four recipes and a very tweaked variation.)

Winter meals and summer meals tend to be different. When it's cold out, we tend to want something to warm us up, while the hot summer months make cooking over a hot stove almost unbearable.

During these chilly months, chili seems like a natural option. I've added five chili recipes here. Actually, it started out as four recipes, but one of them has been tweaked: The Vegetarian Chili is originally from an issue of Runner's World; after fixing it many times, I began to change it to where it's different from what was published in Runner's World. Both recipes are marked accordingly so that there is no question as to which is which.

It seems that another one of the recipes might have been discovered in an airline magazine while in flight decades and decades ago (we're talking over forty years ago!). However, since my dad discovered it while flying home, and airlines have folded, merged with others, etc., I have no idea where it came from and how much Dad changed it. If anyone knows the origins of the Texas Chili (as far as airline, etc.), please let me know so that I can give credit where it's due.

TEXAS CHILI

One of my dad’s recipes. Note: Actually, it is the one he said he found in the airline magazine. Whenever Dad fixed this, he’d have to make 2 batches of chili: this for those brave enough to try it, another for everyone else, somewhat cooler.

A funny anecdote: Dad had been involved in Civil Defense when we lived in New York. He had a friend who was also in C.D. who swore that since he'd grown up in New Mexico, he could eat anything spicy hot without it bothering him; in fact, the hotter it was, the better he liked it.

One evening, Larry and his wife came to dinner. Dad had invited them, fixing up a batch of this chili, along with the milder batch. Larry was served the hot stuff. Next time Dad went to a C.D. meeting, he overheard Larry state, "I can eat anything hot - except John S's chili!" Be forewarned!

3 balls ground beef suet

4 slices bacon, cut up

2 lbs. stew beef, cut small

2 lbs. chopped chuck

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Bernudea onions, chopped

1 T paprika

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne

6-9 T chili powder

2-4 walnut-size pieces suet

1 can beef broth

1 tsp. oregano

3 cans measured water

3/4 tsp. cumin

6 C tomatoes & juice

1 2/3 T salt

1 1/2 lbs. drained kidney beans

In heavy pot place 3 balls suet with bacon. Cook out fat. Add & brown beef & chopped chuck. After browning, add garlic. Cook lightly. Add remainder of spices. In another pot, heat 2-4 pieces of suet. Add onions. Cook until almost burned. Add to meat pot. Deglaze pot with meat broth. Add water, tomatoes & juice. Mash tomatoes into chili. Cover & simmer slowly 1 1/2-2 hours. Uncover. Cook down for about 1/2 hour, adding kidney beans. Serves 6-8.

SUPER CHILI

One of my inventions.

2 C pinto beans

4 C water

4-8 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 onions, chopped

2 T chili powder

6 oz. can tomato paste

2 T oil or butter

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 lb. bacon, chopped

28 oz. can tomatoes (undrained)

1 tsp. oregano

1 T chili powder

Soak beans in water for several hours. Drain & place in 4 C water. Add 2-4 cloves gar-lic, 1 onion & 1 T chili powder. Bring to boil, stir, reduce heat, cover & simmer several hours, or until soft & creamy. Add tomato paste & 1 T chili powder & water as needed. Stir, cover & let simmer 30 more minutes. While beans are simmering, brown 1-3 onions, 2-4 cloves garlic & ground beef in butter. Add to beans. Cook bacon & add to beans. Add tomatoes, oregano & 1 T chili powder. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours. Great for anyone who likes good, hot chili. Better the next day.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

This is from Runner's World. Apparently, it was in the December 1999 issue and repeated after someone mentioned it in a letter in the February 2000 issue. I'm always amazed at the great food coming out of there!

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon soybean or olive oil

1 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 or 2 19-once cans of beans (kidney, pinto, or white)

1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté the onion, pepper & garlic in oil over medium heat. Add the tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Add the beans, stewed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serves 4.

From Runner’s World, December, 1999/letters Feb. 2000

REWORKED VEGETARIAN CHILI

I've fixed this recipe probably several hundred times, easily. I started off with the above Runner's World recipe; it slowly morphed into this recipes.

Note: I have a habit of buying anywhere from 16 to 20 (or more) peppers of varying colors at the same time, then chopping them all up, putting them into several containers, and freezing them. When I put them into the containers, they're not separated by color, but, rather, dumped in together. This way, I end up with containers with red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers all thrown in together. Then, whenever I need cut up peppers, I end up with a colorful bunch of peppers in whatever I'm putting them in. If you prefer, you can buy one or two peppers as needed (like for this recipe) and cut it up at that time. You can use whichever color bell pepper you want; if I'm out of frozen peppers, and am planning to buy only one or two for this recipe, I usually go with the green peppers, since they're usually the cheapest.

Also, with the onions, I usually try to have both yellow and red onions on hand; when I do, I use one of each in this recipe. Finally, for the cans of beans, I lean toward one can of black beans and one can of either Navy or Great Northern beans, both of which are white. Between the multi-colored peppers, two different kinds of onions, and different colored beans, it makes for a more colorful chili. But if you only have two cans of white, red or black beans, that's fine, too.

2 T olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 peppers, chopped

16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

2 19-once cans of beans, drained

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sauté the onion, pepper & garlic in oil over medium heat. Add tofu and sauté until crisp & lightly browned. While this is cooking, peel and cut the carrots. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, carrots, chili powder, cumin, & salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for 50-60 minutes. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.

QUICK AND EASY CHILI

I first had this at my former in-laws' house. It is about as quick and simple as you can get. It took me a while to warm up to this chili, after eating Dad's Texas Chili. No matter; my younger two love it, and I've grown to like it.

Note:The beans were pretty much required for this recipe. I usually don't push certain brands, and I suppose that other cans of chili beans could be used. But when I fix their dad's/paternal grandparents' chili, I use the beans listed. I've also added the oil to this, but this was not an original part of the recipe.

2 T olive oil

1 pound ground beef

4 cans Ranch Style beans

1 can tomato soup

Chili powder, to taste

Brown ground beef in oil. Add beans, soup, and chili powder. Stir, heat, eat.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Vegan Delights

One of my favorite magazines is Vegetarian Times. Other magazines may come and go on my I-like/love-this-magazine list, but this is one of three that always makes the list.

Today's offerings come from Vegetarian Times' emailing list, and are also available on the Vegetarian Times website. I make no claims that they are my recipes, nor are they my creations. If you click on the recipe's name, the link will take you to V.T.'s page where you can view the recipe; I've also included the issue that each recipe can be found in.

Enjoy!

Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles

Serves 10 (makes about 30 truffles)

The recipe comes with this disclaimer: "Truffles are usually made with heavy cream, but you'll never miss the dairy in these luscious vegan chocolates."

6 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa), finely chopped

1/4 cup walnut, almond or canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1. Place chocolate, oil and 1/3 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave 1 minute. Stir; heat 1 minute more, or until chocolate has melted. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 6 hours, or overnight.

2. Place cocoa and nuts on separate plates. Shape truffle mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into small, 3/4-inch balls. Roll in cocoa or chopped nuts. Chill until ready to serve.

from the May 2006 issue

nutritional information

Per TRUFFLE:

Calories: 66; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan

Fabulous Vegan Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Icing

Serves 8

From the website: “I’ve tried vegan cake recipes in the past, but didn’t like the sour taste of the vinegar that is usually used to activate the leavening,” says single mom and café manager Shelly Platten. “I tinkered with some recipes that didn’t use vinegar to come up with a fudgy, satisfying cake.”

1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour

1 2/3 cups Florida Crystals organic cane sugar, divided

1 1/3 cups Chatfield’s cocoa powder, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk vanilla soymilk, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk together 2/3 cup soymilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup water in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold onto plate.

Warm remaining 2/3 cup cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining 1/3 cup soymilk, and cook 1 minute, or until smooth. Spread icing over warm cake, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

from the September 2012 issue, p.66

nutritional information

Per Slice:

Calories: 525; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 67 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 315 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 43 g

Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 48 cookies

from the recipe: "Take chocolate chip cookies to the next level with this espresso-spiked dough that's laced with chewy oats."

3/4 cup all-purpose flour or oat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 oz. (1 stick) margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooled espresso or strong coffee

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl.

Cream margarine and sugar together with electric mixer in bowl. Beat in espresso and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, adding up to 1/2 cup more if necessary to make thick dough. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Divide dough in half. Transfer each dough half to large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Use plastic wrap to shape dough into 2 2-inch-diameter logs with plastic wrap or wax paper. Wrap tightly, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice dough logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer slices to greased or parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 11 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top. Cool cookies 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.

from the December 2011 issue, p.75

nutritional information

Per Cookie:

Calories: 56; Protein: less than 1 g; Total Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 43 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 4 g; Vegan