Confessions of a Foodie

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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

More Cold Weather Food

Two more cold-weather meals, and one dessert. Enjoy!

LOW FAT BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients

2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (14.5 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 (12 fluid oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk

 Methods

In a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion and broth; simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree half of the mixture in a blender; return to the saucepan.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 3 tbsp. of milk until smooth. Gradually add remaining milk. Stir into the broccoli mixture. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.

Additional Tips prep time 30 Min; ready in30 Min; Makes 4 servings. from mydailymoment.com

STOVETOP VEGETARIAN ORZO AND SPINACH SKILLET DINNER

By Jolinda Hackett, at about.com

Jolinda writes, "This is a super easy one-pot complete vegetarian meal using pre-cooked orzo, canned chickpeas, fresh or frozen spinach and topped off with optional crumbled feta cheese, if you're not eating vegan. If you need a quick meal but don't have orzo on hand, you could try using this recipe with instant rice or even another whole grain that you have handy. Couscous would also be super quick, but orzo would be better. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, and, if you omit the feta cheese, it's vegan as well."

Recipe courtesy of Bush's® Beans.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1/2 cup cooked orzo

1 lemon, juiced

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or 12 ounces frozen, thawed and squeezed to drain

salt and pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until almost clear, about 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, cooked orzo, lemon juice and spinach, stirring to combine well.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to heat for 4-5 minutes until spinach has cooked through and everything is heated and well combined.

Serve topped with feta cheese.

Makes four servings.

PINEAPPLE COBBLER

From Vegetarian Times, January/February 2012 issue, p. 65

Serves 9

"Pineapples and dates create a luscious filling for this dessert. Experiment with different fruit juices and with dried fruits other than dates."

Filling

5 cups fresh pineapple cubes

1 cup coconut-pineapple juice or unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cup chopped dates

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or allspice

Topping

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2cup all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup coconut-pineapple juice or unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 cup brown sugar, optional

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or nutmeg

1/4 cup vegan margarine

3 Tbs. coconut or safflower oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

To make Filling: Stir together pineapple cubes, juice, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 10 minutes, or until dates begin to break apart, stirring frequently.

To make Topping: Combine oats, flour, juice, brown sugar (if using), cinnamon, and cardamom in large bowl. Melt margarine and oil in small saucepan. Stir margarine mixture into oats mixture.

Spoon Filling into prepared baking dish. Spread Topping over Filling, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until Topping is golden brown.

nutritional information Per 2/3-cup serving: Calories: 264; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 37 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 26 g

Monday, January 20, 2014

Cold weather food

When the weather turns cold, most of us want something warm and filling to eat. Here are a few (mostly) healthy goodies to get you started. Enjoy!

BEST MAC AND CHEESE

Okay, this might not be the healthiest recipe...but let's face it: who doesn't like mac and cheese?

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cup (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. low-sodium Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. hot sauce

4 cups hot cooked medium elbow macaroni

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheeses and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheeses melt. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni in a bowl; stir well. Serve immediately.

Ready in 20 min. Makes 6 servings

From My Daily Moment

STUFFED PEPPERS

Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/238.shtml

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, any color or combination

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium crookneck squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced onion (1 medium)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 to 2/3 cup uncooked)

1/2 cup grated fat-free or low-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (2 ounces)

1 cup no-salt-added tomato juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems, ribs, and seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Saute tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until zucchini is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cheese, and water chestnuts. Gently stir into skillet. Stuff pepper halves with vegetable mixture. Place in 9-inch round or square casserole dish, then carefully pour tomato juice around peppers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 119 ; Protein: 5 g ; Fat: 1 g ; Sodium: 68 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg ; Carbohydrates: 23 g Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Vegetable



LOW-CALORIE, ALMOST FAT-FREE VEGETABLE CHILI RECIPE

Jolinda Hackett of About.com's vegetarian channel writes, "Using extra vegetables, tomato juice and tomatoes with fewer beans keeps this vegetarian chili lower in calories. Though meatless chili is already a healthy and low-fat choice, this version is extra low-cal. It's really more like a chili-spiced tomato soup than a hearty chili." She added, "This was one of those recipes that came about purely because of what I had on hand in my kitchen, which happened to be lots of veggies, and not so many beans. But I really wanted chili." (For more of her wonderful vegetarian recipes, click here.)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp water

1 large carrot, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, chopped small

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 12-ounce can tomato juice or V8

water

1 jalapeno or other small spicy pepper, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

green onions for garnish, optional

Preparation:

In a large non-stick pot, heat the garlic and onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and carrots and heat, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and soy sauce, stirring to combine well. Heat for just another minute or two. Reduce heat to medium low and add all the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions. Cover and allow to slowly simmer for at least 25 minutes and up to 40 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings to taste, garnish with some green onions or even a bit of cheese or sour cream if you're not eating vegan.

Nutritional information, via CalorieCount 3:

Calories: 195; Calories from Fat: 10; Total Fat: 1.1g, 2% daily value; Trans Fat: 0.0g; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 614mg, 26%; Total Carbohydrates: 38.0g, 13%; Dietary Fiber: 9.6g, 38%; Sugars: 9.5g; Protein: 11.2g; Vitamin A 80%, Vitamin C 159% Calcium 5%, Iron 32;

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Turkey

Most of us have used up our leftover turkey already. But for the next time you're in the mood to cook up a turkey - something I did a week ago, once the holidays were over - you can use these for the leftovers. Not sure which food emailing list/forums I got them from...

TURKEY POT PIE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed under cold water

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups turkey or chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie, prepared or purchased

Preparation:

Drain peas and carrots; set aside. Heat butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat then stir in broth and milk. Place back on heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in turkey and vegetables. Prepare pastry. Roll 2/3 of the pastry into a 13-inch square; ease into ungreased 9-inch square pan. Pour turkey mixture into the pastry-lined pan. Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square; cut out designs with small cookie cutter. Place square over filling; turn edges under and crimp. Bake in 425° oven until golden brown, about 35 min.

Serves 6.

TURKEY CURRY

Use leftover turkey to make this tasty turkey dish.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons curry powder

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (8 to 9 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

3 cups cooked diced turkey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

hot cooked rice

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat curry powder in butter, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in onions; continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are softened. Blend in flour and ginger; add chicken broth and pineapple. Heat to boiling; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in turkey. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until heated through. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Serves 4.

TURKEY MACARONI CASSEROLE

Turkey casserole recipe with macaroni and cheddar cheese, almonds, butter, celery and other ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chopped turkey

1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimiento, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds*

Preparation:

Cook and drain macaroni, following package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add celery, green pepper, and onion; cook until tender. Blend in soup, milk, and shredded cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Combine cheese mixture with macaroni, pimiento, turkey, salt, and nutmeg. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart casserole; top with toasted almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Turkey Casserole Recipe serves 6.

*To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350° oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

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.