I know someone who, as a child, would occasionally tell her parents, "I want something snaaaaacky!" Nothing would work except for something snacky, something really yummy.
We all have a child living in us, a child who really, really, really wants something snacky. And while we might know that certain things are good for us - salads, soups, and the like - nothing will do like some good snacky foods.
This is the post for those goodies. Most of these are from other sources, which I've named. Enjoy!
PARISIAN-STYLE SWEET CREPES
Makes 8 crêpes
This is from the September, 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times. The recipes starts with, "Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience is easy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack."
Crêpes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Fillings (optional)
Butter
Sugar
Nutella
Jam
Apple butter
Crème de marrons (chestnut purée)
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk in egg; mixture will be shaggy. Whisk in milk 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Cover, and chill 30 minutes, or overnight.
Whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup water into batter to thin. Lightly grease 9-inch nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet, tilting pan to swirl batter so it coats bottom of pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and center is dry. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Transfer crêpe to plate, and repeat with remaining batter. To serve crêpes: Reheat 1 minute in lightly greased skillet. Spread with desired fillings, fold into quarters, and serve.
nutritional information
Per Crêpe:
Calories: 132; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: <1 g; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Cholesterol: 28 mg; Sodium: 168 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: 10 g
SUPERFAST FUDGE BROWNIES
This recipe comes from The Working Stiff Cookbook, by Bob Sloan and illustrated by Michael Klein. I absolutely love this cookbook. Even vegetarians can find plenty to love in it. The great thing about this recipe is that it really doesn't take much longer than a boxed mix, and is so much better!
The recipe starts with, "The perfect comfort food to go with your burgers. (Burger Bliss was on the preceding page.) Brownies always lift the spirits. Especially these brownies. They're fast, easy, and foolproof." I agree!
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (or margarine), cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the cocoa powder, stirring continuously until the butter is just melted. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the butter mixture to a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is well combined. Add the flour and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with tiny crumbs on it. Serve warm or at room temperature.
BEAN BURGER
My kids had this one evening when I had a class at the local junior college; they loved it.
Note: If you're a vegetarian, use one or two packages of tofu crumbles in place of the hamburger. You can also find this recipe in an e-cookbook of mine on Amazon.com. It's called Off The Wall Cooking.
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
2 cans baked beans
2 T mustard (or to taste)
2 T brown sugar (or to taste)
Brown hamburger. Drain grease, then add beans, mustard & brown sugar. Heat thoroughly. May be eaten on hamburger buns, taco shells, or plain.
The next two sandwich recipes are also from Off the Wall Cooking.
BANANA-HAM SANDWHICH
After a business trip, my dad sent me a short note; in it, he wrote, "In Canada I had two sandwiches which were new and delicious." This one ended with, "GOOD!" Both this (and the next) are definitely that.
French bread, cut along long axis, without crust
1 cold banana
thinly sliced ham
Roll bread & thinly sliced ham around cold banana; deep fry about 15 seconds in very hot fat. Hot on outside & cold on the inside.
HAM & CHEESE SANDWICH
Ham & cheese on French bread but the bread is dropped in egg & fried (a la French Toast).
Monday, May 12, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Egg-zactly What To Fix...
Most Americans grew up eating eggs once in a while. Heck, many of us grew up thinking that breakfast wasn't breakfast if it didn't include eggs, cereal, toast, coffee, and juice--or any combination of the above. Pancakes and French toast were usually relegated to weekends, but they usually involved eggs.
While there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of ways to fix eggs, there are some that have become favorites around my house, including (are you ready?) three ways to dress up scrambled eggs, that staple of so many breakfast tables.
GRANDPA SHWEDO'S SCRAMBLED EGGS
My dad and his dad both loved to cook. Whenever Dad's parents would spend the weekend, Mom knew better than to attempt to fix every meal; there were entire weekends when the only time Mom could make an appearance in the kitchen was when it was time to clean up. Siiigh... This was one of Grandpa's Sunday morning specials. While the sour cream might not seem like anything special, it definitely perks up the taste of scrambled eggs very nicely.
I've written the instructions for two servings. You can adjust the amount accordingly.
4-6 large eggs
3-4 Tablespoons sour cream (you can use low-fat, if you'd like)
salt and pepper to taste
margarine for the pan
Crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl (or any bowl that won't have you spilling eggs on the counter). Add sour cream and stir well. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!
MARY'S SCRAMBLED EGGS
I visited my oldest son and his wife almost ten years ago. Mary fixed these scrambled eggs, which are as easy to fix as Grandpa's are. (Scrambled eggs really shouldn't be difficult!) Her "secret"? Cheese. Again, I'm giving you instructions for two servings. Adjust accordingly.
4-6 large eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk (doesn't have to be exact)
1/4 - 1/2 C shredded cheese (I usually use sharp cheddar for this)
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Crack eggs into bowl, add milk and cheese. Stir. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!
VEGGIE SCRAMBLED EGGSThis is how I sometimes fix scrambled eggs. You can start off with plain scrambled eggs, which is what I'm doing for this recipe, or start off with Grandpa's or Mary's version. Whatever works for you! Again, this is for two people.
4-6 large eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, diced (see note)
1 potato, peeled and diced small
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Melt margarine in pan over medium heat. Add the diced veggies and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Crack eggs into bowl, add milk, and stir. Pour over the veggies, then stir frequently in the pan. Add salt and pepper just before the eggs are done. Enjoy!
Note: Whenever I run out of peppers, I usually buy a bunch of them in a variety of colors, usually green, red, orange and yellow, trying to get an equal number of each. Then I chop them all up, removing the seeds and stems, and put them into a freezer-safe container with lid. Then, whenever I need peppers, I've got a colorful mix to add to whatever I'm fixing. Usually I guess-timate the amount, approximately 1-2 peppers-worth. But if this doesn't sound like something you're into, no problem. Simply dice up any color pepper you want and add to the mix.
PIRATE EGGS
When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.
The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.
1-2 eggs
1-2 pieces of bread
margarine for the pan
Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!
SPINACH FRITTATA
I fixed this one evening when I wanted something quick, easy and filling. You can use any veggies and cheese you like, but I'm adding the ones I like. This is enough for two people.
4 eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
1/2 bag of spinach (10-16 ounce bag), rinced
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Melt margarine in an oven-proof pan over medium heat on the stove. Add veggies, cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Crack eggs in bowl, add milk, and beat. Pour eggs over veggies. Do NOT stir all the way through like you would with scrambled eggs, but do occasionally stir the top layer of liquid-y eggs, letting the bottom layer set. Add the shredded cheese and salt and pepper, then place a lid to help the eggs cook more evenly, lifting the lid only to stir the top layer so that it cooks evenly. When the eggs are almost completely done cooking, turn the oven's broiler on and place the pan--WITHOUT THE LID!--under the broiler, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Take out of oven, using care, as the handle will be very hot. Cut the frittata in half, place on plates, and enjoy!
While there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of ways to fix eggs, there are some that have become favorites around my house, including (are you ready?) three ways to dress up scrambled eggs, that staple of so many breakfast tables.
GRANDPA SHWEDO'S SCRAMBLED EGGS
My dad and his dad both loved to cook. Whenever Dad's parents would spend the weekend, Mom knew better than to attempt to fix every meal; there were entire weekends when the only time Mom could make an appearance in the kitchen was when it was time to clean up. Siiigh... This was one of Grandpa's Sunday morning specials. While the sour cream might not seem like anything special, it definitely perks up the taste of scrambled eggs very nicely.
I've written the instructions for two servings. You can adjust the amount accordingly.
4-6 large eggs
3-4 Tablespoons sour cream (you can use low-fat, if you'd like)
salt and pepper to taste
margarine for the pan
Crack eggs into a medium-sized bowl (or any bowl that won't have you spilling eggs on the counter). Add sour cream and stir well. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!
MARY'S SCRAMBLED EGGS
I visited my oldest son and his wife almost ten years ago. Mary fixed these scrambled eggs, which are as easy to fix as Grandpa's are. (Scrambled eggs really shouldn't be difficult!) Her "secret"? Cheese. Again, I'm giving you instructions for two servings. Adjust accordingly.
4-6 large eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk (doesn't have to be exact)
1/4 - 1/2 C shredded cheese (I usually use sharp cheddar for this)
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Crack eggs into bowl, add milk and cheese. Stir. Add margarine to pan and melt on medium heat. Add eggs and stir frequently, cooking on low- to medium-heat. Add salt and pepper to taste just before the eggs are finished cooking. Enjoy!
VEGGIE SCRAMBLED EGGSThis is how I sometimes fix scrambled eggs. You can start off with plain scrambled eggs, which is what I'm doing for this recipe, or start off with Grandpa's or Mary's version. Whatever works for you! Again, this is for two people.
4-6 large eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, diced (see note)
1 potato, peeled and diced small
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Melt margarine in pan over medium heat. Add the diced veggies and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Crack eggs into bowl, add milk, and stir. Pour over the veggies, then stir frequently in the pan. Add salt and pepper just before the eggs are done. Enjoy!
Note: Whenever I run out of peppers, I usually buy a bunch of them in a variety of colors, usually green, red, orange and yellow, trying to get an equal number of each. Then I chop them all up, removing the seeds and stems, and put them into a freezer-safe container with lid. Then, whenever I need peppers, I've got a colorful mix to add to whatever I'm fixing. Usually I guess-timate the amount, approximately 1-2 peppers-worth. But if this doesn't sound like something you're into, no problem. Simply dice up any color pepper you want and add to the mix.
PIRATE EGGS
When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.
The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.
1-2 eggs
1-2 pieces of bread
margarine for the pan
Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!
SPINACH FRITTATA
I fixed this one evening when I wanted something quick, easy and filling. You can use any veggies and cheese you like, but I'm adding the ones I like. This is enough for two people.
4 eggs
2-4 Tablespoons milk
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
1/2 bag of spinach (10-16 ounce bag), rinced
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
margarine for pan
salt and pepper to taste
Melt margarine in an oven-proof pan over medium heat on the stove. Add veggies, cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Crack eggs in bowl, add milk, and beat. Pour eggs over veggies. Do NOT stir all the way through like you would with scrambled eggs, but do occasionally stir the top layer of liquid-y eggs, letting the bottom layer set. Add the shredded cheese and salt and pepper, then place a lid to help the eggs cook more evenly, lifting the lid only to stir the top layer so that it cooks evenly. When the eggs are almost completely done cooking, turn the oven's broiler on and place the pan--WITHOUT THE LID!--under the broiler, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Take out of oven, using care, as the handle will be very hot. Cut the frittata in half, place on plates, and enjoy!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Mixed Berry & Jasmine Tea Scones, Classic Pizza Margharita, and Grilled Vegetable Wraps
I've grabbed several very yummy recipes from some of the emailing lists that I'm on. Credit is given to each list...Enjoy!
MIXED BERRY & JASMINE TEA SCONES
This is from one of my all-time favorite emailing lists. http://www.thekitchn.com/TheKitchn has all sorts of recipes, as well as what's new in kitchen-ware, hints for up-dating one's kitchen, etc. I whole-heartedly recommend getting signed up for Sara Kate's emails, as well as emails from the TheKitchn's partner, Apartment Therapy. (You can view this recipes on TheKitchn here.)
Serves 6 to 8
1 tablespoon loose jasmine tea leaves
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 ounces frozen blackberries
4 ounces frozen raspberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Course sugar, to top
Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.
Place jasmine tea leaves in a coffee grinder or food processor, and process to a fine grind. Combine finely ground jasmine tea leaves, flour, almond flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor bowl. Pulse 4 times in three second bursts to blend all dry ingredients. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Pour 3/4 cup of the heavy cream over the mixture and pulse another 3 to 4 times in 3-second bursts or until dough starts to come together. Turn dough into a bowl and fold in berries.
Transfer the dough to a heavily-floured work surface and pat it into 1-inch-thick square. Using a knife, cut dough into 3-inch x 4-inch rectangles and then halve each rectangle diagonally. Transfer triangles to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove the scones from refrigerator, brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Transfer to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops and bottom edge start to turn golden. Cool scones on a wire rack before serving.
Recipe Notes
Berry Mix: Use any mix of berries you have on hand, just keep the total ratio of berries to 8 ounces. Frozen or fresh berries will work. Keep in mind if you use fresh berries, they will break in the process of folding and color the dough. Fresh berries will also require a bit more flour on your work surface while you shape the dough into triangles.
Freezing Scones: To freeze, wrap the shaped, unbaked scones in a layer of foil and another layer of plastic wrap. Scones can be baked from frozen, but add 5 to 7 minutes on to the baking time.
CLASSIC PIZZA MARGHARITA
This came from Family Time's emailing list. To view the recipe on the site, click here.
An easy pizza deserves an easy salad, so open a bag of Caesar salad, sit back and enjoy.
Prep. time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes; Serves: 8; Source: Nestle® Very Best Meals
Ingredients
1 (12-in.) prepared pizza crust or Italian bread shell
1/3 cup BUITONI® Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional), crushed
Directions
SPREAD pesto over pizza crust. Arrange tomatoes over pesto. Sprinkle with cheese and crushed red pepper. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges.
*BUITONI Refrigerated Reduced-Fat Pesto with Basil can be substituted.
GRILLED VEGETABLE WRAP
From Vegetarian Times. This is from theMay/June 2010 issue, page 66.
Makes 2 wraps
30 minutes or fewer
According to Vegetarian Times, "When you roast asparagus, bell pepper, and squash for this recipe, you’ll be making extra veggies and squash that can be added to salads, pasta, or rice dishes later in the week." Enjoy!
Ingredients
12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (1 cup)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup white beans
1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. red chile sauce, such as sriracha
2 8-inch whole-grain tortillas
6 small whole basil leaves
8 thin slices red onion
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Directions
Preheat grill or broiler. Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, squash, and oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Grill or broil vegetables 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning once.
Mash together beans, garlic, and chile sauce in small bowl until smooth.
Spread half of bean mixture over each tortilla. Top each with 3 basil leaves, 1/2 cup roasted vegetables, 4 onion slices, and 1/2 cup arugula. Fold bottom third of tortillas over vegetables, and roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go. Cut wraps in half on diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each half in foil or wax paper, and chill until ready to eat.
MIXED BERRY & JASMINE TEA SCONES
This is from one of my all-time favorite emailing lists. http://www.thekitchn.com/TheKitchn has all sorts of recipes, as well as what's new in kitchen-ware, hints for up-dating one's kitchen, etc. I whole-heartedly recommend getting signed up for Sara Kate's emails, as well as emails from the TheKitchn's partner, Apartment Therapy. (You can view this recipes on TheKitchn here.)
Serves 6 to 8
1 tablespoon loose jasmine tea leaves
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 ounces frozen blackberries
4 ounces frozen raspberries
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Course sugar, to top
Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.
Place jasmine tea leaves in a coffee grinder or food processor, and process to a fine grind. Combine finely ground jasmine tea leaves, flour, almond flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor bowl. Pulse 4 times in three second bursts to blend all dry ingredients. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Pour 3/4 cup of the heavy cream over the mixture and pulse another 3 to 4 times in 3-second bursts or until dough starts to come together. Turn dough into a bowl and fold in berries.
Transfer the dough to a heavily-floured work surface and pat it into 1-inch-thick square. Using a knife, cut dough into 3-inch x 4-inch rectangles and then halve each rectangle diagonally. Transfer triangles to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove the scones from refrigerator, brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Transfer to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops and bottom edge start to turn golden. Cool scones on a wire rack before serving.
Recipe Notes
Berry Mix: Use any mix of berries you have on hand, just keep the total ratio of berries to 8 ounces. Frozen or fresh berries will work. Keep in mind if you use fresh berries, they will break in the process of folding and color the dough. Fresh berries will also require a bit more flour on your work surface while you shape the dough into triangles.
Freezing Scones: To freeze, wrap the shaped, unbaked scones in a layer of foil and another layer of plastic wrap. Scones can be baked from frozen, but add 5 to 7 minutes on to the baking time.
CLASSIC PIZZA MARGHARITA
This came from Family Time's emailing list. To view the recipe on the site, click here.
An easy pizza deserves an easy salad, so open a bag of Caesar salad, sit back and enjoy.
Prep. time: 5 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes; Serves: 8; Source: Nestle® Very Best Meals
Ingredients
1 (12-in.) prepared pizza crust or Italian bread shell
1/3 cup BUITONI® Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional), crushed
Directions
SPREAD pesto over pizza crust. Arrange tomatoes over pesto. Sprinkle with cheese and crushed red pepper. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges.
*BUITONI Refrigerated Reduced-Fat Pesto with Basil can be substituted.
GRILLED VEGETABLE WRAP
From Vegetarian Times. This is from theMay/June 2010 issue, page 66.
Makes 2 wraps
30 minutes or fewer
According to Vegetarian Times, "When you roast asparagus, bell pepper, and squash for this recipe, you’ll be making extra veggies and squash that can be added to salads, pasta, or rice dishes later in the week." Enjoy!
Ingredients
12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (1 cup)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup white beans
1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. red chile sauce, such as sriracha
2 8-inch whole-grain tortillas
6 small whole basil leaves
8 thin slices red onion
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Directions
Preheat grill or broiler. Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, squash, and oil on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Grill or broil vegetables 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning once.
Mash together beans, garlic, and chile sauce in small bowl until smooth.
Spread half of bean mixture over each tortilla. Top each with 3 basil leaves, 1/2 cup roasted vegetables, 4 onion slices, and 1/2 cup arugula. Fold bottom third of tortillas over vegetables, and roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go. Cut wraps in half on diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each half in foil or wax paper, and chill until ready to eat.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Yummy Desserts
There are some days when one wants nothing more than a yummy dessert to finish off a meal. To that end, feel free to try any of the following recipes. Enjoy!
RASPBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Makes 9 servings
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk or water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, if desired
Heat oven to 350°. Heat margarine in round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8x8x2 inches, in oven until melted. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over melted margarine. Arrange raspberries with open ends up over sugar mixture; sprinkle with almonds. Beat remaining ingredients except whipped cream in medium bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over raspberries. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof serving plate; leave pan over cake a few minutes. Remove pan. Let cake stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Not recommended for use.
SOFT LEMONADE COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate, divided
Additional sugar
In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Combine the flour and the baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate. Beat well after each addition. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Brush with the remaining lemonade concentrate. Sprinkle with the sugar. Allow to cool. Makes 6 dozen.
LEMON RICOTTA GRANITA
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis, from The Food Network.
Prep Time: 20 min; Inactive Prep Time: 5 hr 0 min; Cook Time: 5 min.; Level: Easy; Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Pinch salt
1 lemon, for zesting
Directions
Stir the water and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon mixture into an 8-inch square glass dish. Cover and freeze, stirring occasionally, until the liquid just becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape the granita every 30 minutes until it is completely made up of ice crystals. (The granita can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen, and scrape every so often so that the crystals stay loose.)
Whisk the ricotta, remaining sugar, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Spoon the granita into dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of the ricotta. Zest the lemon peel over the desserts and serve.
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CUPS
Another recipe from Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 5 min; Cook Time: 15 min; Serves: 4 to 6 servings (6 cups)
Ingredients
5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup espresso
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
Heat the milk in a medium pot over high heat until hot, but not boiling. Reduce the heat to very low and add the espresso, chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. Using a whisk, stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. Continue to whisk the chocolate mixture until frothy every few minutes for about 8 minutes, until the chocolate has completely dissolved into the milk. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.
APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP
2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.
In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.
RASPBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Makes 9 servings
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk or water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, if desired
Heat oven to 350°. Heat margarine in round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8x8x2 inches, in oven until melted. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over melted margarine. Arrange raspberries with open ends up over sugar mixture; sprinkle with almonds. Beat remaining ingredients except whipped cream in medium bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over raspberries. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof serving plate; leave pan over cake a few minutes. Remove pan. Let cake stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Not recommended for use.
SOFT LEMONADE COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate, divided
Additional sugar
In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Combine the flour and the baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate. Beat well after each addition. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Brush with the remaining lemonade concentrate. Sprinkle with the sugar. Allow to cool. Makes 6 dozen.
LEMON RICOTTA GRANITA
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis, from The Food Network.
Prep Time: 20 min; Inactive Prep Time: 5 hr 0 min; Cook Time: 5 min.; Level: Easy; Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Pinch salt
1 lemon, for zesting
Directions
Stir the water and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon mixture into an 8-inch square glass dish. Cover and freeze, stirring occasionally, until the liquid just becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape the granita every 30 minutes until it is completely made up of ice crystals. (The granita can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen, and scrape every so often so that the crystals stay loose.)
Whisk the ricotta, remaining sugar, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Spoon the granita into dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of the ricotta. Zest the lemon peel over the desserts and serve.
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CUPS
Another recipe from Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 5 min; Cook Time: 15 min; Serves: 4 to 6 servings (6 cups)
Ingredients
5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup espresso
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
Heat the milk in a medium pot over high heat until hot, but not boiling. Reduce the heat to very low and add the espresso, chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. Using a whisk, stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. Continue to whisk the chocolate mixture until frothy every few minutes for about 8 minutes, until the chocolate has completely dissolved into the milk. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.
APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP
2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.
In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Vegan Cookies
Cookies...COOKIES...COOKIES! We all love 'em (well, most of us do). But what happens if a cookie-loving person decides to go vegan? Have no fear. While cleaning out my email inbox, I happened to run across an old email from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/ with some of the best looking vegan cookies. These are holiday cookies, but there's no need to wait for a holiday to whip up a batch of them. And if you want to see all ten of the recipes on the email list, go to http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/our-top-10-holiday-vegan-cookie-recipes/. Even if you're not a vegan, I have a feeling that you'll find something on here to make your cookie-lover happy.
CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY COOKIES
Recipe by Nikki Haney: Blogger, The Tolerant Vegan
(makes about 24 cookies)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 cup refined sugar
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
24 dark morello cherries in syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla milk
3 teaspoons morello cherry juice, from jar
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Place the Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread and refined sugar in a large bowl. Mix on low-medium speed until fluffy. Add in the mashed banana and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium speed until fully combined. The cookie batter will be pretty thick.
Scoop the batter onto a baking pan and make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Scoop the cherries out of their jar and place one cherry in each thumbprint.
In a small pot over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and non-dairy milk, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate over top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven, spoon another teaspoon of chocolate over each cookie and allow them to cool to room temperature.
GLUTEN-FREE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH DARK CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine almond flour, salt, sugar, Earth Balance, vanilla and peanut butter in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Form into 1″ balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until set and lightly browned. Cool.
Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave (for 45 seconds at a time, stirring in between until melted) or a double boiler, and drizzle on top of cookies.
SANDWICH COOKIES
Ingredients
Cookies1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic cane sugar
3/4 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
Ener-G Egg Replacer for one egg (1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Filling
1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and Ener-G egg replacer. Mix until well blended dough.
For mini sandwiches, drop by teaspoons onto lined baking sheet. For bigger sandwiches, drop by tablespoons onto lined baking sheet. Use hand to flatten cookies. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. Cool on a rack.
While cookies are cooling, beat together softened Earth Balance and confectioner’s sugar at low speed. Add vanilla and mix at higher speed for about 2 minutes. Use a pastry bag and a small star or drop flower tip and pipe icing onto one cookie, and top with another cookie. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY COOKIES
Recipe by Nikki Haney: Blogger, The Tolerant Vegan
(makes about 24 cookies)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 cup refined sugar
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
24 dark morello cherries in syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla milk
3 teaspoons morello cherry juice, from jar
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Place the Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread and refined sugar in a large bowl. Mix on low-medium speed until fluffy. Add in the mashed banana and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium speed until fully combined. The cookie batter will be pretty thick.
Scoop the batter onto a baking pan and make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Scoop the cherries out of their jar and place one cherry in each thumbprint.
In a small pot over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and non-dairy milk, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate over top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven, spoon another teaspoon of chocolate over each cookie and allow them to cool to room temperature.
GLUTEN-FREE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH DARK CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine almond flour, salt, sugar, Earth Balance, vanilla and peanut butter in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Form into 1″ balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until set and lightly browned. Cool.
Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave (for 45 seconds at a time, stirring in between until melted) or a double boiler, and drizzle on top of cookies.
SANDWICH COOKIES
Ingredients
Cookies1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic cane sugar
3/4 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
Ener-G Egg Replacer for one egg (1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Filling
1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and Ener-G egg replacer. Mix until well blended dough.
For mini sandwiches, drop by teaspoons onto lined baking sheet. For bigger sandwiches, drop by tablespoons onto lined baking sheet. Use hand to flatten cookies. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. Cool on a rack.
While cookies are cooling, beat together softened Earth Balance and confectioner’s sugar at low speed. Add vanilla and mix at higher speed for about 2 minutes. Use a pastry bag and a small star or drop flower tip and pipe icing onto one cookie, and top with another cookie. Enjoy!
Off The Wall Cooking, and Zelda's Clam Chowder
Most of us have recipes that we've picked up along the way from friends, relatives, acquaintances, etc. Today's post has several such recipes, along with a short blurb about the recipe and/or the person I got it from.
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.
WATERMELON PUNCH
This recipe, as well as the rest of the ones here, are in an e-book I've got for sale at Amazon.com. The book is titled Off The Wall Cooking and can be found here.
Years ago, I was a bride’s maid at a friend’s wedding. A friend of the couple held the reception dinner; this punch was served with the hors d’oeuvres. I’ve added ginger ale to the recipe; it’s good either way.
1 watermelon
6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted
1 T honey
1 liter bottle ginger ale
Put watermelon (excluding rind and seeds) in a blender—and blend. Pour juice through a strainer into a large bowl. Add orange juice and honey, stir, and add ice. Add ginger ale just before serving.
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
6 C sugar
1 large lemon
4 C boiling water
2 large oranges
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.
YUMMY FRUIT SALAD
My mom used to make a variation of this when I was a teen. Great with baked ham.
1 package mini-marshmallows
2 bananas, cut up
1 large can pineapple
1 C shredded coconut
1/2 C grapes
1 small can mandarin oranges
2 C sour cream
Mix & chill.
VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One year, my oldest sontook the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it. I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?”
Tomato sauce:
2-3 onions, chopped
1 T oregano
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil
28 oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. thyme
2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. dill
2-6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 tsp. anise
2 T oil
2-10 oz. package tofu crumbles
Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.
Cheese layer:
2 C sour cream
4 C mozzarella, grated
2 C cottage cheese
2 C cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 C Parmesan cheese
Mix ingredients together in large bowl.
Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.
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.
WATERMELON PUNCH
This recipe, as well as the rest of the ones here, are in an e-book I've got for sale at Amazon.com. The book is titled Off The Wall Cooking and can be found here.
Years ago, I was a bride’s maid at a friend’s wedding. A friend of the couple held the reception dinner; this punch was served with the hors d’oeuvres. I’ve added ginger ale to the recipe; it’s good either way.
1 watermelon
6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted
1 T honey
1 liter bottle ginger ale
Put watermelon (excluding rind and seeds) in a blender—and blend. Pour juice through a strainer into a large bowl. Add orange juice and honey, stir, and add ice. Add ginger ale just before serving.
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
6 C sugar
1 large lemon
4 C boiling water
2 large oranges
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.
YUMMY FRUIT SALAD
My mom used to make a variation of this when I was a teen. Great with baked ham.
1 package mini-marshmallows
2 bananas, cut up
1 large can pineapple
1 C shredded coconut
1/2 C grapes
1 small can mandarin oranges
2 C sour cream
Mix & chill.
VEGETARIAN LASAGNA
I’d been making lasagna for years, using a favorite cookbook. One year, my oldest sontook the same recipe, and replaced the meat with eggplant. His came out tasting better than when I made it. I tried recreating the eggplant version, but it never quite came out the same. So, I ended up changing the recipe drastically, changing ingredients and amounts. The funny thing is that, while I use one or two packages of tofu crumbles instead of meat, it tastes enough like meat to fool several non-vegetarians. One person, after eating this, looked at me aghast, asking, “What are you, some kind of vegetarian?”
Tomato sauce:
2-3 onions, chopped
1 T oregano
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. basil
28 oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. thyme
2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. dill
2-6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 tsp. anise
2 T oil
2-10 oz. package tofu crumbles
Brown onions & garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, simmer for 1 hour. While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, cook 16 oz. lasagna noodles & make cheese layer.
Cheese layer:
2 C sour cream
4 C mozzarella, grated
2 C cottage cheese
2 C cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 C Parmesan cheese
Mix ingredients together in large bowl.
Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9” X 13” pan, place half the cooked lasagna noodles length-wise. Top with half the cheese mixture, then half the tomato sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting, as it tends to be a little runny when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with a salad and a loaf of hot Italian bread. Very yummy.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
More Soups and Rolls (And Challah)
It's another rainy day, which means soup and homemade bread or rolls. The first two recipes, Texas Moppin' Rolls and Bean Soup, were last posted here on February 12, 2012.
There are some foods that just go perfectly with certain types of weather. A hot August afternoon screams for a dinner requiring little or not cooking (think hoagies, potato salad, or burgers grilled to perfection) with a large glass of iced tea, iced coffee, or other cold drink. And cold winter days require something hot to warm you from the inside out.
While Florida doesn't get as cold as, say, New England, New York, Minnesota, or Canada, we still get our occasional cold days. Today, it is merely rainy as a cold front makes its way across the state.
Right now, I've got the beginnings of bean soup cooking on the stove while the dough for Texas Moppin' Rolls rises in the oven. While the beans come in a nice, neat little package with instructions on how to cook up a nice pot of soup, I have a habit of glancing at the recipe, then going my own way.
The Texas Moppin' Rolls are another story. Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
YIELD:12 rolls
Ingredients:
2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: Fr. Dominic wrote, "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper. I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well.
BEAN SOUP
1 package 15-bean soup mix
3 quarts water (see first note, below)
2 onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can stewed tomatoes
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Any small bag of frozen veggies
1 T oregano (see second note, below)
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Clean through package of beans to make sure there are not bits of small pebbles or dirt, then rinse. Place in large pot with 3 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for one hour.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for one more hour.
First Note: You'll probably need to add water as the soup cooks. This is normal. Just don't overdo it.
Second Note: Most 15-bean packages come with small packets of spices for whatever flavor the bag is labled as: chicken flavored, ham flavored, etc. I picked up the Cajun flavored packages. The beans themselves don't carry the flavors; while I haven't checked, I'm sure that if you take the time to read the ingredient lists, the beans on each flavor are the same. It's the spice packets inside that you're supposed to add near the end that add the flavor. I usually discard this spice packet, since I never know how much salt and/or preservatives are in the packets. I prefer to add whatever spices I feel like adding. So...if you want to add the packet, please feel free to. Just forgo the spices I've added...or, at least, forgo the salt.
Serve with Texas Moppin' Rolls.
ENJOY!!!
SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Total Time: 15 min; Prep: 5 min; Cook: 10 min; Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
Dried basil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
Salt and pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
Directions
In a large pot, bring stock to simmer. Stir in tortellini and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Read more here.
BROCCOLI CHOWDER
Yield: 6 servings, 1 cup each
Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 large carrot, diced (1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)
1 large potato, peeled and diced (1-1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)
8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated (3 cups)
1 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more.
Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. Season with salt.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup each): Calories: 180, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sodium: 354 mg Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat
CHALLAH
YIELD:1 large loaf; about 20 to 25 slices
This one is also from Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic
INGREDIENTS:
2 packages FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 to 7 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten, for glaze
DIRECTIONS:
Combine yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; let stand about 30 minutes to let the yeast develop.
Combine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture; mix well.
Add the remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you get slightly firm dough. It will be a bit softer than ordinary bread dough because of the eggs. Knead in bowl about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch down dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to work out the larger air pockets. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 24 inches long. Braid ropes to form a loaf, tucking the ends underneath. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. The loaf will be quite large.
About 15 minutes before loaf has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf all over with beaten egg. Bake in 375-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven doesn't bake evenly, be sure to turn the pan every 10 minutes or so. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a rack.
Note:
A large, braided loaf is one of the traditional forms of challah. One also finds it shaped as a large braid with a smaller braid on top. I generally prefer to make two smaller single braids, as may be necessary if you have a smaller oven.
MINESTRONE SOUP
Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"
To make this truly vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock.
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 medium carrot, finely diced
1/4 stalk celery, finely diced
2/3 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons leeks, finely diced
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) frozen spinach, chopped
3/4 cup white beans, cooked
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and leek and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and white beans. Return the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Serve immediately and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1 cup):
Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g,Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat
POTATO SOUP
I'm not sure where I found this recipe. Whoever wrote it added, "This creamy potato soup needs a crispy salad and crusty bread and voila! You have a meal." All I can really add is: Yum!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 large yellow onions
6 leeks, well washed, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; add the salt. Add the potatoes, onions and leeks; cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes into the broth until it becomes a coarse-textured soup. Add the oregano, parsley, heavy cream and butter; simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
There are some foods that just go perfectly with certain types of weather. A hot August afternoon screams for a dinner requiring little or not cooking (think hoagies, potato salad, or burgers grilled to perfection) with a large glass of iced tea, iced coffee, or other cold drink. And cold winter days require something hot to warm you from the inside out.
While Florida doesn't get as cold as, say, New England, New York, Minnesota, or Canada, we still get our occasional cold days. Today, it is merely rainy as a cold front makes its way across the state.
Right now, I've got the beginnings of bean soup cooking on the stove while the dough for Texas Moppin' Rolls rises in the oven. While the beans come in a nice, neat little package with instructions on how to cook up a nice pot of soup, I have a habit of glancing at the recipe, then going my own way.
The Texas Moppin' Rolls are another story. Years ago, right after getting hooked up to cable, I was channel surfing and discovered a show on the Food Network titled Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. The show is no longer on the Food Network (hey, Food Network people: how about bringing Father Dominic's show back!), but Fr. Dominic still has a website.
TEXAS MOPPIN' ROLLS
YIELD:12 rolls
Ingredients:
2 packages FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Directions:
Combine yeast, honey and warm water in large bowl; stir until completely dissolved. Add salt, hot red pepper flakes, onion, Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese; stir until thoroughly mixed. Add 6 cups of the flour, 2 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 6 to 8 minutes, adding enough of remaining flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil surface of dough and place dough in bowl. Cover with a clean, dry cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly to expel large air bubbles. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a fat oval. Place rolls in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan (three rolls across, four down). Let rise about 20 minutes, or until nearly doubled.
While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is browned. Remove rolls from pan and let cool on racks.
Note: Fr. Dominic wrote, "With so many different palates to please, our abbey cooks are usually pretty cautious about spicy seasonings. As a result, sometimes monastery food is a bit bland, so I like to create breads with strong flavors. Every time I serve these rolls, one of the brothers is sure to comment on how he expected "just another roll" and got a mouthful of pepper-and-cheese-bread-with-an-attitude. These rolls are actually pretty mild compared to a lot of Tex-Mex food, so feel free to increase the amount of crushed red pepper. I used ordinary dried crushed red pepper (hot red pepper flakes) for this recipe, but if you keep fresh jalapenos or other hot peppers in the fridge, by all means use them. Three 3-inch jalapenos, minced fine, provide moderate heat. You can experiment with other peppers as well.
BEAN SOUP
1 package 15-bean soup mix
3 quarts water (see first note, below)
2 onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can stewed tomatoes
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Any small bag of frozen veggies
1 T oregano (see second note, below)
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Clean through package of beans to make sure there are not bits of small pebbles or dirt, then rinse. Place in large pot with 3 quarts water, bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for one hour.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for one more hour.
First Note: You'll probably need to add water as the soup cooks. This is normal. Just don't overdo it.
Second Note: Most 15-bean packages come with small packets of spices for whatever flavor the bag is labled as: chicken flavored, ham flavored, etc. I picked up the Cajun flavored packages. The beans themselves don't carry the flavors; while I haven't checked, I'm sure that if you take the time to read the ingredient lists, the beans on each flavor are the same. It's the spice packets inside that you're supposed to add near the end that add the flavor. I usually discard this spice packet, since I never know how much salt and/or preservatives are in the packets. I prefer to add whatever spices I feel like adding. So...if you want to add the packet, please feel free to. Just forgo the spices I've added...or, at least, forgo the salt.
Serve with Texas Moppin' Rolls.
ENJOY!!!
SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Total Time: 15 min; Prep: 5 min; Cook: 10 min; Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
Dried basil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
Salt and pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
Directions
In a large pot, bring stock to simmer. Stir in tortellini and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.
Read more here.
BROCCOLI CHOWDER
Yield: 6 servings, 1 cup each
Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 large carrot, diced (1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)
1 large potato, peeled and diced (1-1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)
8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated (3 cups)
1 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more.
Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. Season with salt.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup each): Calories: 180, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sodium: 354 mg Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat
CHALLAH
YIELD:1 large loaf; about 20 to 25 slices
This one is also from Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic
INGREDIENTS:
2 packages FLEISCHMANN's Active Dry Yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 to 7 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten, for glaze
DIRECTIONS:
Combine yeast, 1 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar in medium bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in 2 cups of the flour; let stand about 30 minutes to let the yeast develop.
Combine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, oil and 3 eggs in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the yeast mixture; mix well.
Add the remaining flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you get slightly firm dough. It will be a bit softer than ordinary bread dough because of the eggs. Knead in bowl about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch down dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to work out the larger air pockets. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, about 24 inches long. Braid ropes to form a loaf, tucking the ends underneath. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk. The loaf will be quite large.
About 15 minutes before loaf has finished rising, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf all over with beaten egg. Bake in 375-degree oven about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. If your oven doesn't bake evenly, be sure to turn the pan every 10 minutes or so. Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a rack.
Note:
A large, braided loaf is one of the traditional forms of challah. One also finds it shaped as a large braid with a smaller braid on top. I generally prefer to make two smaller single braids, as may be necessary if you have a smaller oven.
MINESTRONE SOUP
Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"
To make this truly vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock.
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/4 medium carrot, finely diced
1/4 stalk celery, finely diced
2/3 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons leeks, finely diced
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) frozen spinach, chopped
3/4 cup white beans, cooked
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic and leek and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato, zucchini, thyme, oregano, and chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and white beans. Return the liquid to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and white pepper. Serve immediately and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1 cup):
Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 283 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g,Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat
POTATO SOUP
I'm not sure where I found this recipe. Whoever wrote it added, "This creamy potato soup needs a crispy salad and crusty bread and voila! You have a meal." All I can really add is: Yum!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 large yellow onions
6 leeks, well washed, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan; add the salt. Add the potatoes, onions and leeks; cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes into the broth until it becomes a coarse-textured soup. Add the oregano, parsley, heavy cream and butter; simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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