October 2008

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (4 medium sweet potatoes)
1 tsp vanilla
2 well-beaten eggs
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup Rapadura (evaporated cane juice)
¼ cup honey
1tsp unrefined extra virgin coconut oil to grease pan

Boil potatoes with skins on for 25-35 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from pot, let cool and peel.  Mix all ingredients with a fork, and pour into greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Topping:

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
½ cup spelt flour
½ cup Rapadura sweetener
¼ cup honey
¾ stick butter, melted

Combine ingredients and sprinkle over potato mixture.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fruit Custard Cake

 3 cups fresh fruit, such as pitted cherries, sliced nectarines or peaches, or pineapple cut into chunks
¼ cup Rapadura (evaporated cane juice which can be found at the health food store) or sugar
3 eggs
½ cup Rapadura or sugar
¼ cup unbleached flour
1/3-cup crème fraiche (or use best quality, additive-free sour cream)

This is a traditional French dessert, something between cake and custard.  Sprinkle fruit with ¼ cup Rapadura and set aside for about ½ hour.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a buttered baking pan and bake at 250-degrees for an hour or more until fruit is rather dry.  Butter an easy-remove, 10-inch cake pan.  Beat eggs with ½ cup Rapadura until smooth.  Beat in flour and cream.  Stir in fruit and pour batter into pan.  Bake about 1 hour at 350-degrees.  Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

Apple Cobbler

 4 cups sliced apples
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup water

Topping
1-cup sugar
¾ cup flour
¼ pound butter (1 stick)

Slice apples thinly and place in buttered 9x9 casserole.  Sprinkle top of apples with cinnamon.  Pour ½ cup water over apples and cinnamon.  Mix topping and sprinkle over apples.  Bake at 400-degrees for 35 minutes.

Fruit Ice Cream

makes 1 quart

2 cups fresh fruit, such as peaches, pears, or plums, peeled and sliced
2 tbs lemon juice
4 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp gelatin
2 egg yolks lightly beaten
2 cups heavy cream

Mix maple syrup with lemon juice and toss with fruit.  Cover and let stand for 2 hours.  Drain the fruit and combine ¾ cup of the drained juice with the gelatin.  Heat gently until the gelatin is dissolved.  Place fruit in food processor with gelatin mixture and process until desired texture is obtained-either smooth or chunky.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to instructions.  For ease of serving, transfer ice cream to a shallow plastic container, cover and store in the freezer.

Peach Cake

 1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 (16 ounce) can peaches undrained or 3 cups peaches (fresh)
½ cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Combine cake mix, eggs and peaches.  Pour in greased 9x13-inch pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven about 35 minutes or until done.  While cake is baking, boil, sugar and milk.  When cake comes out of the oven, pour boiled ingredients over cake.  Let sit a few minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

Peach Pound Cake

1-cup butter
2 tbs butter
2 ¼  cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups chopped, fresh peaches

Grease a 10-inch tube pan with two tablespoons butter.  Sprinkle pan with ¼ cup sugar.  Cream remaining butter; gradually add remaining two cups of sugar, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Combine 2 and ¾  cups flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until well blended.  Dredge peaches with remaining ¼ cup flour.  Fold peaches into batter.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325-degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

Apple Dapple Cake

Cake:

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup nuts (chopped)
3 cups chopped raw apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together sugar, eggs and oil.  Add sifted dry ingredients.  Stir in apples, nuts and vanilla.  Pour batter into 9” X 13” baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Topping:

¼ lb. butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canned milk
Nuts and/or coconut (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and boil 2 ½ minutes.  Pour over cake once it comes out of the oven.

July 2008

Cobbler 

1 cup spelt flour or flour of your choosing

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup honey

½ cup *Rapadura sweetener (evaporated cane juice) or sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

*may be purchased at natural food store 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt ½ stick butter in 8x8 pan.  Mix dry ingredients and pour on top of melted butter.  Pour 2-2 ½ cups berries (may use cherries, peaches or combination) on top of mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Serve with whip cream.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

 Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar

½  cup butter

½ (8-ounce) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

cooking spray

½ cup powdered sugar

4 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well.  Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla;  pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

 Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan.  Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake.  Cut with a serrated knife.

 Yield

16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

 This is a lighter version of a pound cake- adapted from a Cooking Light recipe that I found 10 years ago.  It is always a real hit when I share with friends and family.  Enjoy!

June 2008

Zucchini Cakes 

4 cups grated zucchini, washed, trimmed and grated
1 tbs sea salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups whole grain bread crumbs
sea salt and pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 tbs butter
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Mix zucchini with salt and let stand ½ hour.  Rinse well with filtered water and squeeze dry in a tea towel.  Mix with eggs, onion, bread crumbs, cheese and cayenne pepper and season to taste.  Form into cakes and sauté a few at a time in butter and olive oil.

Squash Cornbread

 2 cups shredded or finely chopped squash
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup buttermilk
½ stick margarine (melted)
2 tbs chopped onion
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together.  Bake in 8x8 glass pyrex dish at 400 degrees until done (lightly browned)

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake  

 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
3 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, melted
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup pecans (optional)
powdered sugar

1. Combine first 3 ingredients

2. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer.  Gradually add granulated sugar;  beat until blended.  Add chocolate and oil;  beat until blended.  Gradually add flour mixture;  beat at low speed until blended.  Fold in zucchini and pecans.  Pour batter into a well greased and floured bundt pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  Remove from pan;  cool completely on wire rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Zucchini Bread

½ cup extra virgin, unrefined, organic coconut oil
½ cup raw honey
½ cup Rapadura ( evaporated cane juice found in natural food stores )
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups spelt or whole grain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
3 tbs whipping cream (may substitute milk)
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat coconut oil and Rapadura.  Add eggs and zucchini.  Add dry ingredients.  Add cream and vanilla.  Stir in walnuts.  Pour in greased loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

BEETS   May 2008

OVEN-ROASTED BEETS

 Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt & pepper, and place in a roasting pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until a knife can easily go through the center of the beet.  Remove the skins, then slice and serve warm, plain or tossed with butter and vinegar (balsamic or raw apple cider vinegar).  Or chill the cooked beet slices and layer on top of greens.  Dress with vinaigrette and sprinkle with goat cheese.

 RUSSIAN BEET SALAD

 6 medium beets

3 tbs. raw apple cider vinegar

4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs. orange juice

pinch of sea salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp. caraway seeds

pinch of cloves

pinch of cinnamon

½ tsp. finely grated lemon peel

½ tsp. finely grated orange peel

lettuce leaves for garnish

 
Bake beets at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until tender.  Peel and chop finely.  Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, toss with beets and refrigerate several hours.  Serve on lettuce leaves.

STRAWBERRY RECIPES  May 2008

 Strawberry Coffee Cake 

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups sugar

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

4 eggs well beaten

1 ¼  cups vegetable oil

1 ¼ cups chopped pecans

Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar into a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add strawberries, eggs and oil and nuts.  Mix.  Pour into a well greased bundt pan or two loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

Strawberry Jam

2 cups crushed or cut strawberries

2 cups sugar

juice of one lemon

 
Cook Strawberries, add sugar and lemon juice.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Increase heat and bring to a full, rolling boil, stirring often.  Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace and seal in hot water bath for at least 10-15 minutes. 

Freezer Strawberry Jam

 4 cups of mashed strawberries

2 ¾ cups sugar

1 box of Sure-Jell pectin

Combine pectin with ¼ cup of sugar;  gradually add pectin mixture to fruit;  stirring well;  set aside for 30 minutes stirring frequently.  Gradually stir in rest of sugar until dissolved;  pour jam into jars and cover tightly with lids.  Let stand at room temperature overnight;  then store in freezer.

Strawberry Pie

1  8-inch pie shell
1  pint strawberries 

Fill pie crust with berries.

Filling:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 tbsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. red food coloring

4 tbsp. strawberry Jell-o

Mix and boil slowly until thick  Stir in 4 tbsp only strawberry Jell-o.  Let cool.  Pour over fresh strawberries in pie shell.

 Berry Smoothie

10 oz. yogurt, whole milk, plain or coconut milk, whole milk without additives (ex. Thai Kitchen or Native Forest)

1-2 raw omega-3 eggs (optional; from healthy, free-range, pastured chickens)

1 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp. flax seed oil

1-2 tbsp. raw honey or maple syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen berries

vanilla extract (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until well blended.