Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's offerings include Creamy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding and Supernatural Brownies. Enjoy!

THREE-CUP VEGETABLES

This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, “This vegan dish is inspired by three-cup chicken, a deeply savory Taiwanese specialty that can be traced back to the 13th century, to the execution of Wen Tianxiang, a scholar-general of the Song dynasty who resisted Kublai Khan’s invasion. The night before Wen’s death, a guard is said to have made him the surprisingly pungent chicken dish with the prison’s limited resources. It has many variations, but usually calls for braising chicken in rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil with plenty of ginger, garlic and basil. Here, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnips take the place of the chicken, but feel free to also add tofu and quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli or snap peas with the roots. Serve over rice or ramen noodles to soak up sauce.”

Note: While this is a vegetarian blog, I felt the need to have the above quote in its entirety.

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

To view this on the Times’ website, click here.

Note: If, like me, you don't keep alcohol around the house, don't panic. I've been known to add water (or a suitable broth) in place of wine in recipes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

6 cups root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and-or turnips, cut into 1/4-inch slices and halved or quartered if large (about 2 pounds)

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3/4 cup Chinese rice wine

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 dried chiles, like chiles de árbol, or 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn if large

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and browned in spots, 7 to 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium and stir in the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil.

IRISH WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. However, since it has nutritional info for diabetics, I have to guess that it was in a diabetic email.

Yield: Makes 1 Round Loaf

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk all at once, stirring with a fork to make a soft, but slightly sticky dough.

With lightly floured hands, form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently for 8 to 10 times. Pat the dough into a 6-inch thick round with a slightly flattened top.

Place dough on prepared baking sheet. With a shape knife or pizza cutter, score the top in the shape of a cross or large X. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from baking sheet onto a cooling rack immediately. Dust top with rice flour. Serve warm from the oven.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of loaf): Calories: 123, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 335 mg, Cholesterol: 1 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch/Bread

CREAMY SLOW COOKER RICE PUDDING

This came from Stephanie Gallagher on The Spruce Eats. Stephanie wrote, “This easy rice pudding recipe is so simple to prepare, kids can do it all by themselves. The combination of vanilla and cinnamon give this creamy rice pudding recipe a warm and homey flavor. Using a slow cooker means that you can add all the ingredients, turn it on and walk away, and then come home hours later to a creamy, comforting dessert.

“Rice pudding is made from rice, water or milk, and other ingredients like cinnamon or raisins. It's a traditional dessert that can be found nearly all over the world. The recipes vary slightly depending on the region. Depending on the preparation (boiled or baked) and ingredients (different spices, toppings, and sweeteners), each rice pudding can have its own distinct taste. You can make it as flavorful and spicy as you want, and see below for some topping ideas.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 3 hours; Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3/4 cup long grain rice

3 cups milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Spray the slow cooker stoneware with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.

Cook on HIGH 2 to 3 hours or LOW 4 to 5 hours (follow the directions for your slow cooker, as they may vary depending on the model).

Serve warm and add toppings if desired.

Enjoy!

Recipe Variation

You could also try making rice pudding with different kinds of milk, such as almond, soy, or coconut. Not only does it give the rice a new flavor (coconut milk would be delicious), it can be allergy friendly.

Topping Suggestions

Dust on some cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger or cardamom.

Add chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, cashews, walnuts).

Top with dried fruit (raisins, dried apricots, cranberries).

Drizzle on some honey or sweetened condensed milk.

Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar.

Shave milk or dark chocolate on top.

Arrange some fruit on top (bananas, berries, mangoes, coconut flakes, lemon zest).

CONFETTI BEAN SALAD

Servings: 6

Source: The Diabetic Newsletter

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/43.shtml

Ingredients

16 ounces can mixed cut green & wax beans

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons pimiento, chopped

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Sugar substitute equivalent to 5 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Crisp lettuce leaves

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

Directions

Drain beans, saving liquid.

Combine this liquid with vinegar in a saucepan.

Add mixed pickling spice, either loose or in a small cheesecloth bag.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the vegetables in a bowl.

Remove liquid from heat; add sweetener and stir until dissolved.

Pour over vegetables and remove spice bag or loose spices.

Chill several hours, stirring occasionally.

Drain before serving on crisp lettuce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 28; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

HEALTHIFIED BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

This yummy recipe is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

This can be viewed online by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium red-skinned potato, diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or vegetable broth. For obvious reasons, I've left this as just the veggie broth.

Directions

Separate the stems and the florets from the broccoli. Trim and discard the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel the tough outer layers. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the florets and set aside separately.

Mist a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the broccoli stems, onions and potatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the reserved florets and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and continue to steam until the florets are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the entire contents of the pot with the florets to the soup along with the nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar, Worcestershire and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions.

Cook’s Note

Leftover soup should be reheated in the microwave rather than the stovetop, where the cheese will "break" or separate from the broth.

SUPERNATURAL BROWNIES

This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This recipe is an accidental creation by Nick Malgieri, who (in a rare human moment for a pastry chef) once forgot to double the flour when baking his own fudge brownie recipe. He also adds a measure of brown sugar to the basic formula. The experts are divided as to whether the brown sugar actually contributes flavor or simply makes the brownie moister (molasses, which makes brown sugar brown, is powerfully hydrophilic). It’s my belief that the slightly bitter taste of molasses acts as an invisible enhancer to the chocolate. The result is as complex and sophisticated as any terrine or truffle I have ever produced.”

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies; Time: About 1 hour

This was featured in “Simple Pleasure, American Style”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional

Preparation

Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter, chocolate and sugars together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt and vanilla.

Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Tip

For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.