Vegetarian Delights: A Confessions of a Foodie Offspring

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Showing posts with label Be Dazzled Cranberry Punch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Be Dazzled Cranberry Punch. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Summer Drinks

During the hot summer months, we definitely need to get more fluids into our system to keep functioning. Here are six yummy summery drinks to help you through the rest of the weekend and beyond, including Watermelon Punch and Be Dazzled Cranberry Punch. Enjoy!

PINK LADY PUNCH

Not sure where this one came from, though I'm thinking maybe from one of my mother's cookbooks that she bought to raise funds for some group or other...

This, as well as other yummy recipes, can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

Ingredients

4 C cranberry juice

1 1/2 C sugar

4 C pineapple juice

2 qts. chilled ginger ale

Directions

Add sugar to cranberry juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add pineapple juice. Chill. Pour into punch bowl & add ginger ale.

WATERMELON PUNCH

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.

This, as well as other yummy recipes, can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

Ingredients

1 watermelon

1 T honey

6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted

2 liter bottle ginger ale

Directions

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.

TROPICAL PAPAYA PERFECTION

This recipe, as well as the next one (Just Peachy) are from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. They’re originally from The Editors of Prevention.

This one begins, “Thick like a milkshake, this coconut-infused smoothie recipe transports you to a tropical island.”

Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 papaya, cut into chunks

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp ground flaxseed

Directions

Combine the papaya, yogurt, pineapple, ice, coconut extract, and flaxseed. Process for about 30 seconds, or until smooth and frosty.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 299; Protein: 13 g; Carbs: 64 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 44 g; Total fat: 1.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.1 g; Sodium: 149 mg

JUST PEACHY

This recipe begins, “Fat-free vanilla ice cream makes this protein packed smoothie sinful and slimming. Skip the spoonful of sugar for a healthier pick.”

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1/2 cup strawberries

1/8 tsp powdered ginger

2 tsp whey protein powder (such as Source Organic Whey Protein)

3 ice cubes

Directions

Blend together any liquid ingredients (milk, yogurt, juice, etc.) and protein powder; this will help break down the grainy powder and make sure it’s evenly distributed.

Add mushy ingredients, like precooked oatmeal and fruit, then add ice at the end. For a thicker shake, you can toss in more ice cubes; you’ll add volume without the calories.

Nutrition Information: Calories (per serving): 150; Protein: 9 g; Carbs: 26.5 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 24 g; Total fat: 2 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 73 mg

CAFE DE OLLA

The recipe for this yummy coffee is from the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47. It starts off, “Literally 'coffee from the pot,' this recipe offers a simple way to make coffee for a crowd, with a spiced twist that no one can resist.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

4 allspice berries

4 whole cloves

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or 4 oz. piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar cones)

2 cups medium grind, dark roast coffee beans

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup coffee liqueur, such as KahlĂșa, optional

Directions

Lightly crush cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves with mortar and pestle. Place in resealable plastic bag, and pound with rolling pin. Transfer to large saucepan, and add sugar and 8 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add coffee, and let steep 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm milk in small saucepan, and whisk until frothy.

Strain coffee through fine sieve or coffee filter into pitcher. Stir in coffee liqueur (if using). Serve with frothed milk.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 80; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 35 mg; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g; Gluten-Free

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Wednesday Recipes

We're half-way through the week. Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Hard Rock's Cole Slaw and Starbuck's Frappucino. Enjoy!

The first four recipes are from the Healing Heart Foundation.

MOCK TUNA-PASTA MELT

An easy casserole favorite

8-oz. package baked marinated tofu (any flavor), finely diced

2 large stalks celery, finely diced

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 C ketchup

1 T sweet pickle relish (sour pickle relish may be used if preferred)

1 t Dijon mustard

3 oz non-fat soy cheddar cheese, grated or finely diced

10 oz. whole wheat pasta elbows (or any small fancy pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add pasta. Boil until almost tender, but not soft (about 3/4 of regular cooking time). Rinse with cool running water to stop cooking, drain. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. Gently mix together all other ingredients except cheese, addding in the cooked pasta and sprinkle soy cheese on top. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt.

6 servings, each 184 calories: 6% from fat (1.4 g), 78% from carbohydrates (41.5 g), 16% from protein (8.8 g). Sodium 208 mg, Fiber 7.1 g.

Healing Heart Hint

Baked tofu is available in most health food stores. You can bake regular low-fat tofu after marinading (soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc) overnight in a moderate oven for 25 to 50 minutes, or until it starts to become firm.

If baked tofu isn't desired or available, rehydrated TVP flakes or dried bean curd will work as an excellent 'tuna' substitute

For a 'gourmet' touch, bake as above for 20 minutes, then place in hollowed-out tomatoes and bake 5 minutes more before serving.

Again, check out the Healing Heart Foundation at http://heart.kumu.org for more recipes and hints.

HARD ROCK'S COLE SLAW


"Our very low-fat taste-alike," according to the web site.

1 1/3 C fat-free mayonnaise

3 T white vinegar

3 T granulated sugar

2 T soy milk or rice milk

dash salt

8 C chopped cabbage (1 head)

1/2 C shredded carrot

Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until smooth with a hand or electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic or ceramic container (don't use metal).

8 servings, each 96.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.04 g), 82% from carbohydrates (22.4 g), 14% from protein (3.92 g). Sodium 76 mg, Fiber 4 g.

Healing Heart Hint

To bring out the full flavors, keep one or two days in the refrigerator before serving.

For variety (but not like the Hard Rock Cafe's slaw), try adding golden or brown raisins, poppy seeds or chopped chestnuts.

For a kimchi-style slaw add garlic and chili paste.

HARD ROCK CAFE'S BAR-B-Q BEANS

The low-fat vegetarian clone of HRC's famous beans

2 15-ounce cans low-sodium pinto beans (with liquid)

2 T water

2 t cornstarch

1/2 C ketchup

1/3 C white vinegar

1/4 C brown sugar

2 T diced onion

1 t prepared mustard

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 C soy imitation bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350° F. Empty the cans of pinto beans and liquid in a casserole dish. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every half hour. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

6 servings, each 337 calories: 10% from fat (2.6 g), 70% from carbohydrates (42.6 g), 20% from protein (11.8 g). Sodium 638 mg, Fiber 4 g.

STARBUCK'S FRAPPUCINO

Make this popular frozen delight at home, without the caffeine buzz(or with it)

1 1/2 cups strong cold decaffeinated coffee

1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat soy or rice milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon chocolate syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses.

2 - 16 oz servings, each 191 calories: <1% from fat (0.029 g), 99% from carbohydrates (47.7 g), 1% from protein (0.24 g). Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 0 g.

Again, all these and more can be found at http://heart.kumu.org/.

CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD

This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”

Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes

1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)

1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)

3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)

1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)

1 tsp Hot mustard

1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)

1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)

1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)

2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)

2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)

Instructions

Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.

Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)

Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)

Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.

Notes

Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas and Ambrosia Cake. Enjoy!

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock. I omitted the chicken stock option, for obvious reasons.

AMBROSIA CAKE

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “If you love the combination of oranges, coconut and marshmallows found in a traditional ambrosia — the salad or dessert that often also contains pineapple, bananas, cherries and some kind of creamy dressing such as whipped cream or sour cream — you’ll adore this cake. The coconut is baked into the cake layers and used as a sweet, shaggy garnish, while the oranges (in this case, diminutive, seedless clementines) are juiced into curd and sliced fresh for the filling. Then, as a final, fluffy touch, a homemade marshmallow frosting tops it off. It may be a lot of work, but it’s an impressive result. And you can make the curd and cake a few days ahead. Just be sure to make the frosting and assemble everything within 8 hours of serving. Otherwise the fruit starts to break down and the icing may crystallize.”

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 3 hours

This was originally featured in “An Ambrosial Cake, and That’s Just the Filling” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon coconut rum or dark rum (or use 1 teaspoon coconut extract)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled (or use more butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated

1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest (from about 2 clementines)

For the Filling:

1/3 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 4 clementines), plus 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)

7 tablespoons sugar

Pinch kosher salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cubed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch kosher salt

For Decorating and Assembling:

8 to 10 seedless clementines

1 1/2 to 3 cups shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut, to taste

Strawberries, sliced (optional)

Preparation

Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, rum and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in zest. Beat in half the flour mixture, followed by half the milk mixture. Repeat, beating just until combined and scraping down bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to whisk egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.

Divide batter between pans. Bake until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold cakes and cool completely on rack. (Cakes can be made up to 2 days ahead; once cool, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.)

Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring clementine juice and lemon juice to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Push through a strainer set over a medium bowl, and stir in clementine zest. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cold. (Curd can be made up to 5 days ahead.) Or to speed up cooling, set bowl of curd in a larger bowl filled with ice water and stir curd until very cold, 7 to 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare clementines for decorating the cake: Cut the top and bottom off a clementine and set it cut-side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away peel and pith, following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, carefully cut out each segment from the membrane; it should fall into the bowl as you cut. Lay segments out on paper towels to dry slightly while you cut remaining fruit.

Use a large knife to trim tops of cakes to level them, and cut both cakes in half horizontally to make layers.

Place a cake layer on a serving dish and spread a third of the curd over it, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Layer a third of the clementine segments on top of curd, spacing them evenly so cake will be balanced. Top with another layer, spread another third of curd over it, and layer with 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Top with cake layer, repeat curd and clementines, saving some clementines for top of cake. Place the remaining cake layer on top, and chill while making frosting.

Make the frosting: Bring a medium pot with 1 inch of water to boil. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until eggs reach 160 degrees, or the sugar has melted. Remove from heat, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Immediately spread frosting on cake and press coconut shreds into tops and sides. Top with clementine wedges and strawberries if using; serve within an hour or two. (Or, keep refrigerated for up to 8 hours and wait until just before serving to top with fresh fruit.)

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

This is from The Food Network and can be viewed online at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-1942581.

Total Time: 1 hr 35 minutes; Active Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 scallion, finely chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

STONE FRUIT POUCHES

This is from Alton Brown on The Cooking Channel.

Total Timei: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups crushed gingersnaps

4 apricots, pit removed and cut into eighths

4 plums, pit removed and cut into fourths

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Pinch salt

4 teaspoons lime zest

2 limes, juiced

4 teaspoons brandy

Directions

Heat coals of grill or fire pit. Cut 8 (18 by 18-inch) squares of aluminum foil. Lay down double thickness of foil and divide gingersnaps evenly among the 4 squares. Divide fruit evenly and place on top of gingersnaps. Dot with butter. In small bowl mix sugar, salt, and lime zest. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over fruit, drizzle with juice and brandy and seal packets. Once coals are ash covered, lay packets over them and cover with lid of grill. If cooking in a fire pit carefully try to partially bury packets in hot coals. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and open carefully, as steam inside packet is very hot. Serve on plates as is or spoon into shallow bowls and top with creme fraiche or ice cream.

BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

This is from Joyce Gan, who describes herself as “the recipe developer, blog post writer, and food photographer behind LightOrangeBean.com. I am also a wife, mom of a 4-year-old, and resident of Michigan, USA.” She started Light Orange Bean in September 2014.

Prep time: 35 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Total time: 1 hour; Serves: 4-6 servings

You can view this recipe on Light Orange Bean by going to http://lightorangebean.com/black-bean-vegan-enchiladas/.

Tools: 10”saute pan and spatula, strainer, knife and cutting board, potato masher, medium sized mixing bowl, 9”×13” baking dish, pastry brush, aluminum foil.

Ingredients

1 tbs canola oil

1 medium size yellow onion (finely chopped, approximately 8 oz)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 cups cooked black beans

1 tsp salt

2 cups tomato puree or 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup + 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium size jalapenos (seeded, finely chopped, approximately 1 oz)

8 oz vegan cheese (Mexican style GoVeggie preferred)

12-14 (5.5-inch) corn tortillas (gluten-free if desired)

Instructions

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the beans and tomato puree and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Mash the beans with a potato masher and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the bean mixture from the heat and strain, reserving the sauce. Transfer the strained bean mixture to a medium bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cilantro, jalapenos, and 4 oz of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Microwave 5 tortillas at a time or follow the package instructions to soften. Scoop about 1/4 cup bean mixture into each tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish seam-side down. Finish all tortillas.

Dip the pastry brush in the sauce and brush the ends of each tortilla. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.

Garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.

Notes

1. If there is any remaining bean mixture, it can be used as a filling in tortilla shells without any further cooking. Add lettuce if desired.

2. Due to different recipes of making tomato puree, the liquid content may vary. Gradually add excess water when making the bean mixture if necessary.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Drinks

While we need to eat, we also need drinks. True, we can get by with coffee, tea, water, or any number of other drinks, it's nice to have something a little different to spice things up.

That said, here are six drink recipes to help you through the day, including Watermelon Punch and Homemade Ginger Tea. Enjoy!

RUMPLEMAYER’S HOT CHOCOLATE

This is from Molly O’Neill in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “Hot chocolate is traceable to the Aztecs, who regarded the dark and bitter drink as a sacred brew. The hot cocoa that Columbus offered his patrons tasted “bitter, scummy and peppery,” according to Chantal Coady's account in “The Chocolate Companion,” which explains, no doubt, why they disliked it intensely. Sometime later, Cortez offered the same beverage to Charles V and his courtiers and succeeded in capturing their imagination with the addition, Ms. Coady writes, of some sugar and vanilla. This version, adapted from Rumplemayer's, a now-closed New York restaurant once known for its hot chocolate and pastries, falls into the latter camp; it is rich, sweet and smooth. It calls for real semisweet chocolate (we bet a mix of semisweet and bittersweet would be delightful, too) so there's none of the chalky aftertaste hot cocoa often leaves behind. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if you wish, take it over the top.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 2 minutes.

This was featured in “Food; Loco for Cocoa,” and can be viewed here.

Ingredients

4 cups milk

6 tablespoons sugar

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream (optional)

Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Combine the milk, sugar and chocolate in a large saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Ladle the hot chocolate into 4 mugs, top with whipped cream and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.

CHERRY SMOOTHIE

This comes from Yishane Lee in the July 2012 issue of Runner’s World, page 48. I couldn’t find a link for it…

Ingredients

1 cup pitted cherries

3/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup ice

Preparation

Place ingredients in blender and blend. Yum!

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

This is from MyDailyMoment, and begins, “Whether you've got a busy morning and need a meal on the go, or you're looking for a way to give the kids their morning boost of protein and vitamins, this classic strawberry smoothie is a healthy dish in a cup.”

Yield: For 2 people; Time: 8 minutes.

To view this online, go to https://www.mydailymoment.com/recipes/classic_strawberry_smoothie.php.

Ingredients

8 strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 ice cubes, crushed

Directions

In a blender combine strawberries, milk, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Toss in the ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and serve.

HOMEMADE GINGER TEA

This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats Jolinda wrote, “Wondering how to make a simple and easy homemade ginger tea? Why go out and buy stale old tea bags when you can easily make your own fresh and homemade ginger tea at home using fresh ginger? Treat yourself to a cup of piping hot ginger tea, a healthy drink that's great for digestion.

”Here's how to make the tastiest and most soothing and healing ginger tea you've ever had! There's really no comparison.

“This healing ginger tea recipe actually comes from the raw food and natural health retreat center I used to work at in Thailand, where we served it to our guests bright and early every single morning, seven days a week. The secret to the perfect healing ginger tea? Lots and lots of fresh ginger, simmered for a long time to bring out the flavor, and the lime, which compliments the ginger perfectly, and plenty of natural agave nectar or honey for a refined sugar-free sweetener (or you might prefer it unsweetened, depending on your health goals - It's still delicious, I promise!). Try this simple ginger tea for an immune system boost or for an invigorating way to start the morning.

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 2 servings of ginger tea

To check this out online, click here.

Ingredients

About 2 inches of fresh raw ginger (use more or less, depending on how strong you want it!)

1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar, to taste)

Optional: 1/2 lime (juiced, or to taste)

Directions

First, prepare the fresh ginger by peeling it and slicing it thinly to maximize the surface area. This will help you make a very flavorful ginger tea.

Boil the ginger in water for at least 10 minutes. For a stronger and tangier tea, allow to boil for 20 minutes or more, and use more slices of ginger. You really can't over do it, so feel free to add as much ginger and simmer it for as long as you want.

Remove from heat and add lime juice and honey (or agave nectar) to taste.

The secret to making a really flavorful ginger tea is to use plenty of ginger-more than you think you will need-and also to add a bit of lime juice and honey to your ginger tea. You will also probably want to add more honey than you think you will need as well.

Enjoy your hot ginger tea! A homemade ginger tea is excellent in soothing stomach aches and in aiding digestion.

WATERMELON PUNCH

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.

This recipe is from my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking, soon to be updated.)

1 watermelon

1 T honey

6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted

2 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.

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas and Ambrosia Cake.Enjoy!

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock. I omitted the chicken stock option, for obvious reasons.

AMBROSIA CAKE

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “If you love the combination of oranges, coconut and marshmallows found in a traditional ambrosia — the salad or dessert that often also contains pineapple, bananas, cherries and some kind of creamy dressing such as whipped cream or sour cream — you’ll adore this cake. The coconut is baked into the cake layers and used as a sweet, shaggy garnish, while the oranges (in this case, diminutive, seedless clementines) are juiced into curd and sliced fresh for the filling. Then, as a final, fluffy touch, a homemade marshmallow frosting tops it off. It may be a lot of work, but it’s an impressive result. And you can make the curd and cake a few days ahead. Just be sure to make the frosting and assemble everything within 8 hours of serving. Otherwise the fruit starts to break down and the icing may crystallize.”

Yield: 12 servings; Time: 3 hours

This was originally featured in “An Ambrosial Cake, and That’s Just the Filling” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon coconut rum or dark rum (or use 1 teaspoon coconut extract)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled (or use more butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated

1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest (from about 2 clementines)

For the Filling:

1/3 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 4 clementines), plus 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated clementine zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)

7 tablespoons sugar

Pinch kosher salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cubed

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch kosher salt

For Decorating and Assembling:

8 to 10 seedless clementines

1 1/2 to 3 cups shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut, to taste

Strawberries, sliced (optional)

Preparation

Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, coconut milk, rum and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, coconut oil and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, then beat in zest. Beat in half the flour mixture, followed by half the milk mixture. Repeat, beating just until combined and scraping down bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, use an electric beater to whisk egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter.

Divide batter between pans. Bake until lightly golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold cakes and cool completely on rack. (Cakes can be made up to 2 days ahead; once cool, wrap in plastic and refrigerate.)

Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring clementine juice and lemon juice to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Push through a strainer set over a medium bowl, and stir in clementine zest. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cold. (Curd can be made up to 5 days ahead.) Or to speed up cooling, set bowl of curd in a larger bowl filled with ice water and stir curd until very cold, 7 to 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare clementines for decorating the cake: Cut the top and bottom off a clementine and set it cut-side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut away peel and pith, following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, carefully cut out each segment from the membrane; it should fall into the bowl as you cut. Lay segments out on paper towels to dry slightly while you cut remaining fruit.

Use a large knife to trim tops of cakes to level them, and cut both cakes in half horizontally to make layers.

Place a cake layer on a serving dish and spread a third of the curd over it, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Layer a third of the clementine segments on top of curd, spacing them evenly so cake will be balanced. Top with another layer, spread another third of curd over it, and layer with 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Top with cake layer, repeat curd and clementines, saving some clementines for top of cake. Place the remaining cake layer on top, and chill while making frosting.

Make the frosting: Bring a medium pot with 1 inch of water to boil. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Set bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until eggs reach 160 degrees, or the sugar has melted. Remove from heat, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Immediately spread frosting on cake and press coconut shreds into tops and sides. Top with clementine wedges and strawberries if using; serve within an hour or two. (Or, keep refrigerated for up to 8 hours and wait until just before serving to top with fresh fruit.)

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

This is from The Food Network and can be viewed online at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-1942581.

Total Time: 1 hr 35 minutes; Active Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 scallion, finely chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

STONE FRUIT POUCHES

This is from Alton Brown on The Cooking Channel.

Total Timei: 25 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cups crushed gingersnaps

4 apricots, pit removed and cut into eighths

4 plums, pit removed and cut into fourths

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Pinch salt

4 teaspoons lime zest

2 limes, juiced

4 teaspoons brandy

Directions

Heat coals of grill or fire pit. Cut 8 (18 by 18-inch) squares of aluminum foil. Lay down double thickness of foil and divide gingersnaps evenly among the 4 squares. Divide fruit evenly and place on top of gingersnaps. Dot with butter. In small bowl mix sugar, salt, and lime zest. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over fruit, drizzle with juice and brandy and seal packets. Once coals are ash covered, lay packets over them and cover with lid of grill. If cooking in a fire pit carefully try to partially bury packets in hot coals. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and open carefully, as steam inside packet is very hot. Serve on plates as is or spoon into shallow bowls and top with creme fraiche or ice cream.

BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

This is from Joyce Gan, who describes herself as “the recipe developer, blog post writer, and food photographer behind LightOrangeBean.com. I am also a wife, mom of a 4-year-old, and resident of Michigan, USA.” She started Light Orange Bean in September 2014.

Prep time: 35 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Total time: 1 hour; Serves: 4-6 servings

You can view this recipe on Light Orange Bean by going to http://lightorangebean.com/black-bean-vegan-enchiladas/.

Tools: 10”saute pan and spatula, strainer, knife and cutting board, potato masher, medium sized mixing bowl, 9”×13” baking dish, pastry brush, aluminum foil.

Ingredients

1 tbs canola oil

1 medium size yellow onion (finely chopped, approximately 8 oz)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 cups cooked black beans

1 tsp salt

2 cups tomato puree or 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup + 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium size jalapenos (seeded, finely chopped, approximately 1 oz)

8 oz vegan cheese (Mexican style GoVeggie preferred)

12-14 (5.5-inch) corn tortillas (gluten-free if desired)

Instructions

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the beans and tomato puree and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Mash the beans with a potato masher and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the bean mixture from the heat and strain, reserving the sauce. Transfer the strained bean mixture to a medium bowl and mix together with 1/2 cup cilantro, jalapenos, and 4 oz of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Microwave 5 tortillas at a time or follow the package instructions to soften. Scoop about 1/4 cup bean mixture into each tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish seam-side down. Finish all tortillas.

Dip the pastry brush in the sauce and brush the ends of each tortilla. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.

Garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.

Notes

1. If there is any remaining bean mixture, it can be used as a filling in tortilla shells without any further cooking. Add lettuce if desired.

2. Due to different recipes of making tomato puree, the liquid content may vary. Gradually add excess water when making the bean mixture if necessary.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Here are six vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Minestrone Soup and Rhubarb Ice Cream With a Caramel Swirl. Enjoy!

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

MINESTRONE SOUP

Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)

Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/23.shtml

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

RHUBARB ICE CREAM WITH A CARAMEL SWIRL

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This ice cream is chock-full of sweet bits, but with enough satiny frozen custard to savor between the chunks. To keep the rhubarb from freezing into tooth-breaking fruity ice cubes, stew it with plenty of sugar, which keeps the fruit soft. The technique works with any summer fruit, though it’s especially nice with rhubarb, or gooseberries for that matter, both of which need a lot of sugar to tame their squint-inducing acid content. But you can substitute strawberries, apricots, cherries, peaches or plums as the summer fruit season progresses, adjusting the sugar depending upon the sweetness of the fruit.”

Yield: One scant quart

This was featured in “Rhubarb, It Turns Out, Can Be a Sweetie”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups whole milk

1 and 3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch fine sea salt

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 and 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preparation

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, whisk together the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla bean seeds and its pod. Simmer gently until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and return mixture to a bare simmer.

Place the yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture. Scrape the custard back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 1 cup sugar. Simmer until rhubarb is just tender and has begun releasing its juices, but has not started to fall apart, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to a bowl. Continue to simmer the juices until syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb. Cool completely.

In a clean, dry and preferably nonstick skillet, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt and lightly color, sprinkle in 2 more tablespoons and start swirling pan to help evenly distribute sugar. Add the final 2 tablespoons and cook, swirling pan until all the sugar has melted. Let cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar syrup caramelizes and turns dark brown. Pour in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons water (stand back; it may splatter). Simmer, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula until smooth. Cool completely.

Pour the custard base into an ice cream machine and churn. Add rhubarb compote for the last minute of churning.

Scrape a quarter of the caramel into the bottom of a freezer-proof quart container. Top with a quarter of the ice cream. Repeat layering until all of the caramel and ice cream has been used, ending with the ice cream. Freeze until firm for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.

KEY LIME PIE POPS

This was on the TODAY website, and starts off, “Turn your favorite summer pie into an easy creamy lime and graham cracker frozen treat.

Technique tip: You don't need fancy ice pop molds to make these pops. Try using basic tools you already have in your kitchen, such as small paper cups, a loaf pan, large ice cube trays or even empty yogurt containers.

Swap option: To give these pops a chocolaty twist, swap 16 chocolate wafer cookies for the graham crackers.”

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 graham crackers

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

Twelve 3-ounce paper cups

12 wooden craft sticks

Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to form fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime zest and juice.

Add the cream, then increase the speed until mixture is thick and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among the cups (about 5 tablespoons per cup). Top with the graham mixture and lightly press down to flatten.

Transfer the cups to a small, rimmed baking sheet and push a craft stick halfway down into each cup. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, peel the cups away from the pops.

CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD

This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”

Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes

1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)

1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)

3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)

1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)

1 tsp Hot mustard

1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)

1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)

1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)

2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)

2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)

Instructions

Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.

Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)

Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)

Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.

Notes

Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.

ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE AND APPLES

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food expert. Jolinda wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan recipe for acorn squash stuffed with vegetarian sausage and apples. Use store-bought vegetarian sausage to make this fall entree for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion meal. Stuffed acorn squash makes a very presentable centerpiece for a vegetarian of vegan meal. It's filled with a bread stuffing with plenty of fresh herbs, including sage and thyme - it's these herbs which will fill your kitchen and your entire home with that fabulous Thanksgiving aroma as it bakes.

“If you're looking for a gluten-free stuffed squash recipe, try using a quinoa stuffing instead of bread.

“This vegetarian and vegan stuffed acorn squash recipe serves four, but the portions are generous, so plan on it serving 6-8 if you're serving it as a side dish.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 4 as a main, 6 - 8 as a side.

Ingredients

1 package vegetarian sausage (use Gimme Lean brand)

2 cups water

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 Tbsp fresh sage OR 1 tsp dried

1 Tbsp fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried

6 oz plain stuffing cubes, OR 8 cups toasted bread crumbs

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 medium apple, any kind, diced

1/3 cup apple cider

2 large acorn squash, cut in half, with seeds removed

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Lightly brown the vegetarian sausage in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil, breaking it up and crumbling it with a spatula as it browns, just as you would with a meat sausage. Set aside.

Bring water and olive oil to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Stir in onion, celery, sage, and thyme. Cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in stuffing cubes, salt and pepper, applesauce, apple cider, and the browned sausage, mixing to combine. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.

Divide the stuffing evenly among the acorn squash halves. Arrange the halves in a roasting pan and pour water around (not on) the squash to 1 inch.

Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan with olive oil spray. This will prevent it from sticking to the stuffing. Cover the pan tightly, tending slightly with the sprayed side down.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Monday Recipes

Here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Hard Rock's Cole Slaw and Starbuck's Frappucino. Enjoy!

The first four recipes are from the Healing Heart Foundation.

MOCK TUNA-PASTA MELT

An easy casserole favorite

8-oz. package baked marinated tofu (any flavor), finely diced

2 large stalks celery, finely diced

2 medium scallions, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 C fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 C ketchup

1 T sweet pickle relish (sour pickle relish may be used if preferred)

1 t Dijon mustard

3 oz non-fat soy cheddar cheese, grated or finely diced

10 oz. whole wheat pasta elbows (or any small fancy pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add pasta. Boil until almost tender, but not soft (about 3/4 of regular cooking time). Rinse with cool running water to stop cooking, drain. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. Gently mix together all other ingredients except cheese, addding in the cooked pasta and sprinkle soy cheese on top. Oven bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. or microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt.

6 servings, each 184 calories: 6% from fat (1.4 g), 78% from carbohydrates (41.5 g), 16% from protein (8.8 g). Sodium 208 mg, Fiber 7.1 g.

Healing Heart Hint

Baked tofu is available in most health food stores. You can bake regular low-fat tofu after marinading (soy sauce, bbq sauce, etc) overnight in a moderate oven for 25 to 50 minutes, or until it starts to become firm.

If baked tofu isn't desired or available, rehydrated TVP flakes or dried bean curd will work as an excellent 'tuna' substitute

For a 'gourmet' touch, bake as above for 20 minutes, then place in hollowed-out tomatoes and bake 5 minutes more before serving.

Again, check out the Healing Heart Foundation at http://heart.kumu.org for more recipes and hints.

HARD ROCK'S COLE SLAW


"Our very low-fat taste-alike," according to the web site.

1 1/3 C fat-free mayonnaise

3 T white vinegar

3 T granulated sugar

2 T soy milk or rice milk

dash salt

8 C chopped cabbage (1 head)

1/2 C shredded carrot

Combine all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl and blend until smooth with a hand or electric mixer. Add cabbage and carrots and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight in a plastic or ceramic container (don't use metal).

8 servings, each 96.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.04 g), 82% from carbohydrates (22.4 g), 14% from protein (3.92 g). Sodium 76 mg, Fiber 4 g.

Healing Heart Hint

To bring out the full flavors, keep one or two days in the refrigerator before serving.

For variety (but not like the Hard Rock Cafe's slaw), try adding golden or brown raisins, poppy seeds or chopped chestnuts.

For a kimchi-style slaw add garlic and chili paste.

HARD ROCK CAFE'S BAR-B-Q BEANS

The low-fat vegetarian clone of HRC's famous beans

2 15-ounce cans low-sodium pinto beans (with liquid)

2 T water

2 t cornstarch

1/2 C ketchup

1/3 C white vinegar

1/4 C brown sugar

2 T diced onion

1 t prepared mustard

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 C soy imitation bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350° F. Empty the cans of pinto beans and liquid in a casserole dish. Dissolve cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well and cover. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir every half hour. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

6 servings, each 337 calories: 10% from fat (2.6 g), 70% from carbohydrates (42.6 g), 20% from protein (11.8 g). Sodium 638 mg, Fiber 4 g.

STARBUCK'S FRAPPUCINO

Make this popular frozen delight at home, without the caffeine buzz(or with it)

1 1/2 cups strong cold decaffeinated coffee

1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat soy or rice milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon chocolate syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

Combine the coffee, milk, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in a blender and mix on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve sugar. Add the vanilla extract and ice then blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses.

2 - 16 oz servings, each 191 calories: <1% from fat (0.029 g), 99% from carbohydrates (47.7 g), 1% from protein (0.24 g). Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 0 g.

Again, all these and more can be found at http://heart.kumu.org/.

CREAMY VEGAN MAYO-FREE POTATO SALAD

This is from Brittany at I Love Vegan and begins, “Good ol’ potato salad is a quintessential summer salad and a staple at barbeques and potlucks. This creamy vegan potato salad is made without mayo! 30 minutes of active cooking time. Makes 4 cups.”

Prep 30 mins; Cook 25 mins; Inactive 2 hours, 15 mins; Total 3 hours, 10 mins; Yield 4 cups

This can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 - 1.5lb bag of The Little Potato Company’s Blushing Belle Creamer potatoes

1/2 cup Coconut milk (full-fat)

1/3 cup Nutritional yeast flakes

1/4 cup Canola oil (or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil)

3 tbsp Dill pickle juice (or 2 tbsp white vinegar)

1 tbsp Granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)

1 tsp Hot mustard

1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup Thin-sliced celery (approx. 1 rib celery)

1/4 cup Grated carrot (approx. 1 medium carrot)

1/4 cup Chopped green onion (approx. 4-5 shoots)

2-3 tbsp minced shallot (soaked in salt water) (approx. 1 small shallot)

2 tbsp Chopped dill pickle (approx. 1 large pickle)

Instructions

Begin cooking the potatoes while you prep the vegetables and the dressing. In a large pot of cold water, heat the potatoes over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the largest potato is fork-tender in the center. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside to cool slightly.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine coconut milk, nutritional yeast, canola oil, pickle juice, sugar, hot mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously and set aside. Prepare the dill, celery, carrot, green onion, shallot, and pickle.

Once the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them and transfer them to a large bowl. (Refer to recipe notes for tips on changing the texture of the potato salad)

Cover the warm potatoes with dressing and add all of the chopped vegetables. Mix roughly and thoroughly to the help break up the potatoes and thicken the dressing.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (until thoroughly chilled – overnight is best so there’s plenty of time for the dressing to thicken.)

Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to suit your preferences.

Notes

Depending on your personal preferences, it's easy to adjust the texture of this potato salad. I coarsely mashed the halved potatoes for a thick salad with different-sized chunky pieces of potato. For a more evenly textured potato salad, dice 2/3 of the warm potatoes and thoroughly mash the remaining potatoes. If you prefer a mashed potato salad, fully mash the potatoes.

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Summer Drinks

During the hot summer months, we definitely need to get more fluids into our system to keep functioning. Here are six yummy summery drinks to help you through the rest of the weekend and beyond, including Watermelon Punch and Be Dazzled Cranberry Punch. Enjoy!

PINK LADY PUNCH

Not sure where this one came from, though I'm thinking maybe from one of my mother's cookbooks that she bought to raise funds for some group or other...

This, as well as other yummy recipes, can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

4 C cranberry juice

1 1/2 C sugar

4 C pineapple juice

2 qts. chilled ginger ale

Add sugar to cranberry juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add pineapple juice. Chill. Pour into punch bowl & add ginger ale.

WATERMELON PUNCH

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.

This, as well as other yummy recipes, can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

1 watermelon

1 T honey

6 oz. can orange juice, undiluted

2 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.

TROPICAL PAPAYA PERFECTION

This recipe, as well as the next one (Just Peachy) are from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. They’re originally from The Editors of Prevention.

This one begins, “Thick like a milkshake, this coconut-infused smoothie recipe transports you to a tropical island.”

Servings: 1

1 papaya, cut into chunks

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp ground flaxseed

Combine the papaya, yogurt, pineapple, ice, coconut extract, and flaxseed. Process for about 30 seconds, or until smooth and frosty.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 299; Protein: 13 g; Carbs: 64 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 44 g; Total fat: 1.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.1 g; Sodium: 149 mg

JUST PEACHY

This recipe begins, “Fat-free vanilla ice cream makes this protein packed smoothie sinful and slimming. Skip the spoonful of sugar for a healthier pick.”

Servings: 2

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup frozen peaches

1/2 cup strawberries

1/8 tsp powdered ginger

2 tsp whey protein powder (such as Source Organic Whey Protein)

3 ice cubes

Blend together any liquid ingredients (milk, yogurt, juice, etc.) and protein powder; this will help break down the grainy powder and make sure it’s evenly distributed.

Add mushy ingredients, like precooked oatmeal and fruit, then add ice at the end. For a thicker shake, you can toss in more ice cubes; you’ll add volume without the calories.

Nutrition Information: Calories (per serving): 150; Protein: 9 g; Carbs: 26.5 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 24 g; Total fat: 2 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 73 mg

CAFE DE OLLA

The recipe for this yummy coffee is from the December 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 47. It starts off, “Literally 'coffee from the pot,' this recipe offers a simple way to make coffee for a crowd, with a spiced twist that no one can resist.” Serves 8 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, click here.

4 cinnamon sticks

4 star anise

4 allspice berries

4 whole cloves

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar or 4 oz. piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar cones)

2 cups medium grind, dark roast coffee beans

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup coffee liqueur, such as KahlĂșa, optional

Lightly crush cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, and cloves with mortar and pestle. Place in resealable plastic bag, and pound with rolling pin. Transfer to large saucepan, and add sugar and 8 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add coffee, and let steep 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm milk in small saucepan, and whisk until frothy.

Strain coffee through fine sieve or coffee filter into pitcher. Stir in coffee liqueur (if using). Serve with frothed milk.

nutritional information Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 80; Protein: 2 g; Total Fat: less than 1 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 35 mg; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g; Gluten-Free

BE DAZZLED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is from Ocean Spray. Prep Time: 5 minutes plus freezing; Yield: Makes about 14 6-ounce servings

To view this yumminess, click here.

Ingredients

1 64-ounce bottle Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail

24 ounces club soda

8 ounces orange juice

Ice ring, garnish

Orange slices, garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except garnishes, in a large punch bowl. Gently stir ingredients. Add ice ring and orange slices just before serving.