If you like freshly baked cake as much as I do, today's post is sure to get your attention in a good way. Here are six cake recipes to help you through the rest of the weekend, including Stuffed Piñata Cake and Rocky Road Cake. Enjoy!
THE CAKE
This recipe was given to my mom by a friend, who worked as a lawyer for years. She was married to an Episcopal priest; both were involved in the civil rights movement.
This recipe, as well as the next one (Rocky Road Cake), can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 egg, unbeaten
3/4 C oil
1 package (small) vanilla pudding
3/4 C sherry
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Put ingredients in bowl. Beat for 5 minutes. Pour into greased tube cake pan or mold. Bake for 45 minutes.
ROCKY ROAD CAKE
Years ago, I'd gone back to school at the local junior college, something that eventually took way longer than I'd anticipated: a few years here (with repeated classes), a couple of semesters there, until I finally graduated in 2002. (Hooray!!!)
One of the classes that was required to graduate was a speech class. One week we had to give a demonstration speech. One of the students demonstrated how to make this cake. After her short demonstration, she passed out copies of the recipe along with pieces of cake. It’s absolutely delicious. The icing can be used on almost any kind of cake; it would be really good on carrot cake!
This recipe can also be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1 C chopped nuts
4 eggs
1 C raisins
1 C mayonnaise
1 C mini-marshmallows
1 C water
6 oz. package of chocolate
1 package (18.25 oz) Devil’s Food cake mix with pudding
Grease and flour 2 9” pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix first four ingredients in medium-size bowl.
In large bowl at low speed, mix cake mix, eggs, mayo and water until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir the nut mixture into the cake batter, then pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes on cooling rack.
Icing (for Rocky Road Cake)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 box confectioners sugar
Place ingredients in bowl and cream together. When cake is cool, ice. ENJOY!
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
STUFFED PINATA CAKE
This is from The Food Network, and begins, “Your guests will certainly be delighted by the sight of this bright cake. But make sure they don't put their cameras away too soon: once you cut into it, a candy surprise comes spilling out!”
Total: 3 hours 15 minutes; Active: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10; Level: Intermediate
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/stuffed-pinata-cake.
Ingredients
Frosting:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch fine salt
6 large egg whites
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, at room temperature
5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Filling and Decoration:
Blue, orange, yellow, purple and pink food coloring
2 cups of your favorite small and soft candies (none in wrappers), such as gummies or candy-covered chocolates
Cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
DirectionsFor the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bottom of each with parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk together in another medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy. Add about a third of the flour mixture and beat on medium low until incorporated. Now add a third of the egg-milk mixture and continue to beat on medium low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg-milk mixtures, finishing with the flour.
Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the cake pans on a rack.
For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer's bowl above the water.
Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites to the mixer bowl and whisk together by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar completely dissolves. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until cool and the whites hold stiff peaks, 10 to 15 minutes.
Toss in a couple of chunks of butter at a time, making sure the pieces are incorporated before adding more. After all the butter is added, continue beating on medium-high speed. The mixture will deflate and appear curdled. Continue beating until the frosting comes back together to a smooth and spreadable consistency. (If the frosting is very soft or begins to break, refrigerate until set but still spreadable, then beat until light before using.)
For the filling and decoration: Dye the coconut: Have ready 5 resealable plastic bags or plastic containers. Put 1 1/2 cups of the coconut in one container with 6 to 8 drops of blue food coloring. Put 1 cup of coconut in the second container with 5 to 6 drops of orange food coloring, 1 cup of coconut in the third with 5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring and 1 cup of coconut in the fourth with 6 to 8 drops purple food coloring. Put the remaining 1/2 cup coconut in the fifth container with 4 to 5 drops pink food coloring. Seal each container and shake vigorously until the coconut is evenly dyed. Add more food coloring 1 drop at a time as needed to get bright, vibrant colors.
Assemble the cake: Cut a 4-inch circle out of the center of each cake (reserve the small cut-out cake rounds). Put one of the cake rings on a cake stand or serving platter and frost with about 1 cup of frosting. Put the other cake ring on top and push down slightly. Fill the hole with candy. Cut one of the reserved cake rounds in half horizontally to make 2 thinner rounds. Use one to fill the hole on top of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Cut a strip of parchment about 30 inches long and 3 inches wide. Wrap this parchment around the cake like a collar, leaving 1 inch of frosting exposed around the bottom perimeter of the cake. Pack some of the blue coconut onto the exposed frosting to make your first strip of color. Lift the collar up another 1 inch and do the same with the orange coconut. Remove the collar and fill the remaining inch of frosting with the yellow coconut. For the top, make 1-inch-wide rings, starting on the outside and working your way in, with the purple, pink, blue and orange coconut until the top is completely covered. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
STRAWBERRY COUNTRY CAKE
This is from Ina Garten, star of The Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 30 min; Cook: 45 min; Yield: 2 (8-inch) cakes; Level: Intermediate
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/strawberry-country-cake-recipe.html?oc=linkback.
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling for each cake:
1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans.
Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.
Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.
To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries.
GRANNY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This cake recipe was adapted from the chef Larry Forgione, who served his grandmother's cake recipe at his restaurant An American Place. The dessert proved so popular that every time he tried to take it off of the menu, he said his customers threatened to riot. It's a perfect proportion of crumb to buttercream, ideal for birthdays or other celebrations where layer cake is required.”
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
Butter and flour for preparing pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
q/w teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
Chocolate frosting (see recipe, which follows)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. Dust pans with flour, and shake out excess.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 2 or 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake layer comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto other racks and peel off the paper. Invert again, and let cool completely on the racks. Frost with chocolate frosting.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
This is also from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Here is a buttercream frosting like your grandmother might have made. Pair it with chocolate cake for a rich birthday treat.”
Yield: 2 cups; Time: 20 minutes.
This was also featured in “Endangered: The Beloved American Layer Cake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preparation
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with 1/3 cup water and the cocoa, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and let cool.
Add confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until smooth, and then chocolate. Use immediately.
Showing posts with label Rosemary Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rosemary Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Show all posts
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Monday, April 10, 2017
Double-Post Monday
It's Double-Post Monday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Red Velvet Cake and Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone. Enjoy!
BLACK-EYED PEA CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Like any good chili, this black-eyed pea version is even tastier the second day.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (1 1/4 cups)
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Place black-eyed peas in large bowl, add 2 qt. water, and soak 8 hours, or overnight at room temperature. Drain, and rinse well.
Set rice cooker setting to “sauté” (or similar), and preheat 2 to 3 minutes. Add coconut oil, and heat 1 minute more. Add onion, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes; then add bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more, or until bell pepper and onion have softened. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili powder, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Adjust rice cooker setting to “slow cook” (or similar). Pour in black-eyed peas and broth. Cover, and cook 5 to 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve topped with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308;Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 335 mg; Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 13 g
BLACK BEAN & RED BEAN CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This thick, rich and satisfying chili gets an extra flavor twist from the corn and hominy. Make it with hot or mild chili powder, depending on your taste buds. If you can find canned posole—a processed corn similar to hominy— substitute it for the hominy.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup hot or mild chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin, or more to taste
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 15.5-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs. honey or maple syrup
2 5.5-oz. cans diced green chiles
1 1/2 cups water
1 14.5-oz. can hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (fresh or frozen), as garnish, optional
Instructions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots and garlic. Cover and cook to soften the vegetables, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, beans, honey, chiles and water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook until vegetables are tender and chili is thick, about 45 minutes. Stir in hominy, and cook to warm through.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and garnish with corn kernels, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 380; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: g; Carbohydrates: 71 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 1 mg; Fiber: 24 g; Sugar: 7 g
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
SLOW-COOKER VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE
This recipe begins, “With a few simple steps and time in the slow cooker, you'll have this delicious and nutritious minestrone soup ready to serve.”
This is from Diabetic Connect
To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/6654-vegetarian-minestrone-slow-cooker
Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 cup green beans
1 small zucchini
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
Directions
Combine vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, celery, carrots, green beans, zucchini, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, thyme, and black pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.
Stir spinach and macaroni into minestrone; cook another 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Calories: 138; Carbohydrates: 25.2 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g; Sodium: 941 mg; Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g
GLAZED PINEAPPLE COOKIES
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.
Cookies:
1 can 8 3/4 ozs. crushed pineapple
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Glaze
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tbsps. liquid from pineapple
Drain pineapple, reserving liquid.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, with wooden spoon, or portable electric mixer at medium speed, cream shortening with sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add drained pineapple; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well combined.
On a prepared cookie sheet drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove to wire rack; cool partially.
Meanwhile, make Glaze:
In a medium bowl, combine sugar with pineapple liquid; stir until smooth. Spread tops of cookies with glaze while they are still slightly warm.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.
RED VELVET CAKE
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1/2 C butter (see note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2 1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 8” round pans.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs.
Make paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to first mix.
Add salt and buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla.
Dissolve soda in vinegar and add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
Frosting For Red Velvet Cake
1 C butter (see note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour and milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes and add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy and refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9” round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
BLACK-EYED PEA CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Like any good chili, this black-eyed pea version is even tastier the second day.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (1 1/4 cups)
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Place black-eyed peas in large bowl, add 2 qt. water, and soak 8 hours, or overnight at room temperature. Drain, and rinse well.
Set rice cooker setting to “sauté” (or similar), and preheat 2 to 3 minutes. Add coconut oil, and heat 1 minute more. Add onion, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes; then add bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more, or until bell pepper and onion have softened. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili powder, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Adjust rice cooker setting to “slow cook” (or similar). Pour in black-eyed peas and broth. Cover, and cook 5 to 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve topped with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308;Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 335 mg; Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 13 g
BLACK BEAN & RED BEAN CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “This thick, rich and satisfying chili gets an extra flavor twist from the corn and hominy. Make it with hot or mild chili powder, depending on your taste buds. If you can find canned posole—a processed corn similar to hominy— substitute it for the hominy.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup hot or mild chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp. ground cumin, or more to taste
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 15.5-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs. honey or maple syrup
2 5.5-oz. cans diced green chiles
1 1/2 cups water
1 14.5-oz. can hominy, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (fresh or frozen), as garnish, optional
Instructions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots and garlic. Cover and cook to soften the vegetables, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, beans, honey, chiles and water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook until vegetables are tender and chili is thick, about 45 minutes. Stir in hominy, and cook to warm through.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and garnish with corn kernels, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 380; Protein: 18 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: g; Carbohydrates: 71 g; Cholesterol: mg; Sodium: 1 mg; Fiber: 24 g; Sugar: 7 g
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
SLOW-COOKER VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE
This recipe begins, “With a few simple steps and time in the slow cooker, you'll have this delicious and nutritious minestrone soup ready to serve.”
This is from Diabetic Connect
To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/6654-vegetarian-minestrone-slow-cooker
Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 cup green beans
1 small zucchini
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
Directions
Combine vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, celery, carrots, green beans, zucchini, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, thyme, and black pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.
Stir spinach and macaroni into minestrone; cook another 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Calories: 138; Carbohydrates: 25.2 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g; Sodium: 941 mg; Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g
GLAZED PINEAPPLE COOKIES
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.
Cookies:
1 can 8 3/4 ozs. crushed pineapple
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Glaze
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tbsps. liquid from pineapple
Drain pineapple, reserving liquid.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, with wooden spoon, or portable electric mixer at medium speed, cream shortening with sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add drained pineapple; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until well combined.
On a prepared cookie sheet drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove to wire rack; cool partially.
Meanwhile, make Glaze:
In a medium bowl, combine sugar with pineapple liquid; stir until smooth. Spread tops of cookies with glaze while they are still slightly warm.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.
RED VELVET CAKE
We lived in Connecticut for several years while I was growing up. During this time, a lady called the local radio station and said she’d recently returned from a trip. During a stay in a fancy hotel with her husband, she had this cake in their restaurant. Returning home, she wrote to the hotel and requested a copy of the recipe, saying she’d pay for it. She received a copy of the recipe, along with a bill for $300. (This was during the mid-1960s.) Furious over the bill, she proceeded to read the recipe over the air.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1/2 C butter (see note)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 T vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T cocoa
2 1/4 C flour (sifted)
2 oz. red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 8” round pans.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs.
Make paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to first mix.
Add salt and buttermilk alternately with flour. Add vanilla.
Dissolve soda in vinegar and add this last. Blend all ingredients, as little as possible. Pour into pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. When cool, split each layer horizontally.
Frosting For Red Velvet Cake
1 C butter (see note)
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
5 T unbleached flour
Cream butter with sugar. Cook flour and milk in saucepan until very thick, stirring the whole time. Cool. Combine 2 mixes and add vanilla, using electric mixer. Spread on cake.
NOTE: Butter must be used in the frosting, otherwise the frosting will liquefy and refuse to harden. In the cake itself, though, margarine may be used. Also, if two 9” round pans are used, layers don’t need to be cut in half.
Friday, April 7, 2017
Friday Recipes
It's Friday, time to get ready for the weekend. Here are six vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Sweet Potato Soufflé (great for next weekend's Easter dinner) and Corn and Black Bean Taquiots. Enjoy!
ROASTED CARROT AND RED LENTIL RAGOUT
This is from Molly O’Neill in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “Somehow, over the centuries, the word ragout (which in 17th-century France meant anything that stimulated appetite) has come to signify a dish of sturdy consolation. Nearly any simmered food, be it meat, vegetable, fish or fowl, can be called a ragout, although in France, it is generally assumed that the main ingredients will be of a uniform chunk cut into slightly smaller than bite-size pieces. This spicy carrot and lentil ragout can be served first as a main course and later extended with coconut milk or chicken broth to make a soup. Serve it over rice to temper the heat.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
This was featured in “Food; Simmer Down” and can be viewed online here. Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, titled “How to Cook Beans” to help with the cooking process.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils
5 cups chicken stock
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the carrots in a roasting pan and toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the carrots, add the onion and roast 15 minutes, until the carrots are brown and tender. When carrots are cool enough, cut them in 1/4-inch dice.
Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan. Add the carrot-and-onion mixture, the chili powders and the cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils. Add the stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are falling apart. Season with remaining salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice, or as a thick soup.
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The Hawaiian answer to the stir-fry, this dish is exotic, colorful, and bursting with flavor. To fill out the dish with more veggies, add 1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms along with the onions and garlic, and 1/2 cup peas just after the carrots.” Serves 6.
This can be viewed at http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/pineapple-fried-rice.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 1/4 cups diced fresh pineapple, divided
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
1 small carrot, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
5 green onions, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)
Instructions:
Bring 2 cups broth and rice to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Blend 1/2 cup pineapple, remaining 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in blender until smooth. Set aside.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add carrot and bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes more. Add remaining 3/4 cup diced pineapple, and cook 3 minutes. Add cooked rice to skillet, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blended pineapple mixture, and cook 3 minutes more, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onions; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 198; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 156 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 6 g
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE
This is my mom’s recipe. Mom used to make this for holiday meals or if she was fixing ham for Sunday dinner. There was seldom any leftover soufflé.
Not to worry: since this is a vegetarian blog, I'm not going to suddenly post meat here. I'm just sharing a memory for decades past. Feel free to fix it whenever you want something a little festive.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
4 – 5 sweet potatoes
1 egg
1 small can pineapple
1 C nuts
2 T orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. salt
Cinnamon
dash pepper
1/2 C brown sugar
9 large marshmallows
Peel & dice sweet potatoes, place in pan of water, and cook until tender. Mash & add other ingredients except marshmallows. Put in square pan, cut in 9 squares & place 1 marshmallow in each square. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Another one of Mom's recipes. Mom made these and passed them out for Christmas presents in 1989. It’s amazing that any of them made the trip home; they are incredibly good.
This, as well as Mom's recipe above for Sweet Potato Souffle, can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1 lb. butter or margarine, room temperature
2 – 3 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (opt.)
2 lb. peanut butter, room temperature
2-12 oz. packages of chocolate chips
1/2 bar paraffin (4 oz.)
Mix butter and peanut butter. Add vanilla. Blend well. Mix in confectioner’s sugar. Roll into small balls and refrigerate several hours.
Melt chocolate chips and paraffin in top of double boiler.
With toothpicks in each peanut butter ball, dip ball into melted chocolate, leaving spot on top of peanut butter balls undipped, then place on wax paper to harden. Try not to eat in one sitting!
CORN AND BLACK BEAN TAQUITOS
This begins, “Minimum prep and bake time makes homemade taquitos a healthy "fast food" for busy days. Couple with a side salad for a balanced meal.”
This is from Diabetic Connect.
Can be viewed at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7259-corn-and-black-bean-taquitos
Ingredients
8 low carb tortillas
15 oz. black beans, drained
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
3 TBSP salsa
2 TBSP lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
Pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slightly mash beans with a fork. Add all ingredients together and mix well.
Spoon 3 – 4 TBSP of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll and place on greased baking sheet. Spray the taquitos with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until taquitos are lightly brown and crisp.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; For 1 taquito: Calories 102; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 242 mg; Carbohydrates: 12 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 7 g
ROASTED CARROT AND RED LENTIL RAGOUT
This is from Molly O’Neill in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Molly wrote, “Somehow, over the centuries, the word ragout (which in 17th-century France meant anything that stimulated appetite) has come to signify a dish of sturdy consolation. Nearly any simmered food, be it meat, vegetable, fish or fowl, can be called a ragout, although in France, it is generally assumed that the main ingredients will be of a uniform chunk cut into slightly smaller than bite-size pieces. This spicy carrot and lentil ragout can be served first as a main course and later extended with coconut milk or chicken broth to make a soup. Serve it over rice to temper the heat.”
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
This was featured in “Food; Simmer Down” and can be viewed online here. Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, titled “How to Cook Beans” to help with the cooking process.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup red lentils
5 cups chicken stock
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the carrots in a roasting pan and toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the carrots, add the onion and roast 15 minutes, until the carrots are brown and tender. When carrots are cool enough, cut them in 1/4-inch dice.
Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan. Add the carrot-and-onion mixture, the chili powders and the cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils. Add the stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are falling apart. Season with remaining salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice, or as a thick soup.
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “The Hawaiian answer to the stir-fry, this dish is exotic, colorful, and bursting with flavor. To fill out the dish with more veggies, add 1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms along with the onions and garlic, and 1/2 cup peas just after the carrots.” Serves 6.
This can be viewed at http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/pineapple-fried-rice.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 1/4 cups diced fresh pineapple, divided
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
1 small carrot, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
5 green onions, thinly sliced (1/3 cup)
Instructions:
Bring 2 cups broth and rice to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Blend 1/2 cup pineapple, remaining 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in blender until smooth. Set aside.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add carrot and bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes more. Add remaining 3/4 cup diced pineapple, and cook 3 minutes. Add cooked rice to skillet, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blended pineapple mixture, and cook 3 minutes more, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onions; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 198; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 156 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 6 g
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE
This is my mom’s recipe. Mom used to make this for holiday meals or if she was fixing ham for Sunday dinner. There was seldom any leftover soufflé.
Not to worry: since this is a vegetarian blog, I'm not going to suddenly post meat here. I'm just sharing a memory for decades past. Feel free to fix it whenever you want something a little festive.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
4 – 5 sweet potatoes
1 egg
1 small can pineapple
1 C nuts
2 T orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. salt
Cinnamon
dash pepper
1/2 C brown sugar
9 large marshmallows
Peel & dice sweet potatoes, place in pan of water, and cook until tender. Mash & add other ingredients except marshmallows. Put in square pan, cut in 9 squares & place 1 marshmallow in each square. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Another one of Mom's recipes. Mom made these and passed them out for Christmas presents in 1989. It’s amazing that any of them made the trip home; they are incredibly good.
This, as well as Mom's recipe above for Sweet Potato Souffle, can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
1 lb. butter or margarine, room temperature
2 – 3 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (opt.)
2 lb. peanut butter, room temperature
2-12 oz. packages of chocolate chips
1/2 bar paraffin (4 oz.)
Mix butter and peanut butter. Add vanilla. Blend well. Mix in confectioner’s sugar. Roll into small balls and refrigerate several hours.
Melt chocolate chips and paraffin in top of double boiler.
With toothpicks in each peanut butter ball, dip ball into melted chocolate, leaving spot on top of peanut butter balls undipped, then place on wax paper to harden. Try not to eat in one sitting!
CORN AND BLACK BEAN TAQUITOS
This begins, “Minimum prep and bake time makes homemade taquitos a healthy "fast food" for busy days. Couple with a side salad for a balanced meal.”
This is from Diabetic Connect.
Can be viewed at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7259-corn-and-black-bean-taquitos
Ingredients
8 low carb tortillas
15 oz. black beans, drained
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
3 TBSP salsa
2 TBSP lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
Pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slightly mash beans with a fork. Add all ingredients together and mix well.
Spoon 3 – 4 TBSP of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll and place on greased baking sheet. Spray the taquitos with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until taquitos are lightly brown and crisp.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; For 1 taquito: Calories 102; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 242 mg; Carbohydrates: 12 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Protein: 7 g
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Saturday Post
I know, I almost never post on weekends. But I figured I might extend my posting (at least temporarily) to six days a week - at least for a couple of weeks to test it out.
Hope your weekend is going well. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Zucchini Lasagna and Rosemary Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Enjoy!
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
This recipe begins, “Substituting vegetables for white carbs not only adds nutrition, but flavor.”
This is from Diabetic Connect
To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7300-zucchini-lasagna
Ingredients
3 zucchinis
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
1 whole eggs
1 jar marinara sauce (sugar-free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a mandolin or a knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks. Place zucchini on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil on front and back, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
Combine in a mixing bowl the cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, and mozzarella.
Layer in a casserole pan, 1-inch marinara, 1/2 of zucchini slices, 1/2 of cheese mixture, then repeat layering being sure to end with cheese on top. NOTE: There may be marinara left over. If so, refrigerate for later use.
Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 3o minutes, or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.
Remove the foil and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and basil if desired. Allow lasagna to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 6; Calories: 300; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Potassium: 750 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 24 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 18 g
ONION SUPREME
My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
8 – 10 potatoes
2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin
4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
3-4 yellow onions, sliced thin
1 stick butter or margarine
20 small white onions
1 1/2 C half & half
Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.
JEAN'S SPECIAL POTATOES
Jean and I used to spend many hours on the phone together. One afternoon, we spent the better part of 30 minutes talking about food. I told her about Dad’s Onion Supreme; she, in turn, gave me this recipe.
This recipe can also be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
8 – 10 potatoes
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C butter
2 tsp. chives
Peel and cook potatoes. Whip cream cheese and add potatoes. Mix sour cream, butter and chives. Add to potato mix. Cover and chill overnight (or several hours). Put in greased 2-quart casserole & cover; bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
FIVE BEAN SOUP
This comes from Eden Kitchens
Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.
2 Tbs Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 C celery, diced
1/2 C carrots, diced
3 Tbs barley, rinsed
3 C water
1 can Eden Organic Pinto Beans
1 can Eden Organic Black Beans
1 can Eden Organic Kidney Beans
1 can Eden Organic Navy Beans
1 can Eden Organic Garbanzo Beams
1 C sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1 can Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf
1 tsp Eden Sea Salt – French Celtic
Heat oil in soup pot, sauté garlic & onion until onion is translucent. Add water, celery, carrot & barley, beans, corn, tomatoes & herbs. Add salt, cover & simmer 30 minutes. Serve.
TUSCAN-STYLE QUINOA
This is from the November 2005 issue of Runner’s World.
1 1/2 C quinoa
3 C water
2 Tbls olive oil
3 coves garlic, minced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
6 C shredded Swiss chard
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/3 C Parmesan cheese
Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in saucepan, heat to medium-high, pour in quinoa to toast for four minutes. Cover with water, turn down to simmer, cook for 15 minutes until tender. Heat nonstick skillet with remaining olive oil & sauté garlic & onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chard & sauté until wilted. Add tomato & heat through. Fold in cooked quinoa, season with salt, pepper, & chili flakes to taste, & top with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 3-5 minutes to blend flavors.
Hope your weekend is going well. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Zucchini Lasagna and Rosemary Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Enjoy!
ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE
This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”
Yield: 10 servings.
This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.
Ingredients
For the Crystallized Rosemary:
10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)
For the Cake:
About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Orange Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
Preparation
At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.
Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.
Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.
Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.
ZUCCHINI LASAGNA
This recipe begins, “Substituting vegetables for white carbs not only adds nutrition, but flavor.”
This is from Diabetic Connect
To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7300-zucchini-lasagna
Ingredients
3 zucchinis
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 tsp fresh oregano leaves (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
1 whole eggs
1 jar marinara sauce (sugar-free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a mandolin or a knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks. Place zucchini on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil on front and back, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
Combine in a mixing bowl the cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, and mozzarella.
Layer in a casserole pan, 1-inch marinara, 1/2 of zucchini slices, 1/2 of cheese mixture, then repeat layering being sure to end with cheese on top. NOTE: There may be marinara left over. If so, refrigerate for later use.
Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 3o minutes, or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.
Remove the foil and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and basil if desired. Allow lasagna to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Facts: Servings: 6; Calories: 300; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Potassium: 750 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 24 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 18 g
ONION SUPREME
My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.
This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
8 – 10 potatoes
2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin
4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
3-4 yellow onions, sliced thin
1 stick butter or margarine
20 small white onions
1 1/2 C half & half
Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.
JEAN'S SPECIAL POTATOES
Jean and I used to spend many hours on the phone together. One afternoon, we spent the better part of 30 minutes talking about food. I told her about Dad’s Onion Supreme; she, in turn, gave me this recipe.
This recipe can also be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.
8 – 10 potatoes
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C butter
2 tsp. chives
Peel and cook potatoes. Whip cream cheese and add potatoes. Mix sour cream, butter and chives. Add to potato mix. Cover and chill overnight (or several hours). Put in greased 2-quart casserole & cover; bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
FIVE BEAN SOUP
This comes from Eden Kitchens
Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.
2 Tbs Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 C celery, diced
1/2 C carrots, diced
3 Tbs barley, rinsed
3 C water
1 can Eden Organic Pinto Beans
1 can Eden Organic Black Beans
1 can Eden Organic Kidney Beans
1 can Eden Organic Navy Beans
1 can Eden Organic Garbanzo Beams
1 C sweet corn, fresh or frozen
1 can Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf
1 tsp Eden Sea Salt – French Celtic
Heat oil in soup pot, sauté garlic & onion until onion is translucent. Add water, celery, carrot & barley, beans, corn, tomatoes & herbs. Add salt, cover & simmer 30 minutes. Serve.
TUSCAN-STYLE QUINOA
This is from the November 2005 issue of Runner’s World.
1 1/2 C quinoa
3 C water
2 Tbls olive oil
3 coves garlic, minced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
6 C shredded Swiss chard
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/3 C Parmesan cheese
Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in saucepan, heat to medium-high, pour in quinoa to toast for four minutes. Cover with water, turn down to simmer, cook for 15 minutes until tender. Heat nonstick skillet with remaining olive oil & sauté garlic & onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chard & sauté until wilted. Add tomato & heat through. Fold in cooked quinoa, season with salt, pepper, & chili flakes to taste, & top with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 3-5 minutes to blend flavors.
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