Friday November 12, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Diabetic Friendly Heirloom Recipes

Gearing up for the 2-day shoot on Monday and Tuesday. About to head out to buy ingredients and will spend weekend prepping and making each of the following dishes in 3 stages of completeness:
1st: Completely cooked and plated for beauty shots
2nd: Partially done
3rd: All individual ingredients measured out and in ramekins or mixing bowls

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

4 eggs

4 Tbsp canola oil

2/3 cups applesauce

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cups pumpkin

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl whisk together the first 8 ingredients (all the dry ingredients).

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, canola, applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar and pumpkin. Once that is well blended, add the flour mixture in 3 batches to make sure it is well incorporated.

Fill cupcake tins about 3/4 full. I recommend using a non-stick cupcake tin. Place in middle of the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until your tester comes out clean and the cupcake springs back when you touch it. Remove from oven and let cool before icing.

Icing

1 8 oz packages of low-fat cream cheese

2 Tbsp skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 packets stevia

zest of one lemon

Blend until smooth with an electric mixer. Ice the cooled cupcakes and enjoy.

Apple Cheesecake Torte

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbsp melted butter (or margarine)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream Cheese Filling

2 - 8 oz. packages of low fat cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar ( or sugar substitute)

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs at room temperature

Apples

2 large tart apples such as Granny Smith - peeled, cored and sliced

1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all crust ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press into bottom and up about 1” of the sides of a 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes, cool to room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spoon mixture into crust.

Mix apples sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Spoon over cream cheese mixture and then sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes until your tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack and then carefully remove sides of springform pan. When completely cool, turn upside-down, remove bottom of pan, place plate on top and flip over. And ENJOY!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies (gluten free as well!!)

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 350

Mix all ingredients together.

Spoon onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes in middle of oven until golden.

Chicken Breast Cacciatore

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup minced parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix the EVOO, garlic, paprika and 1/4 cup parsley in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and spread 2 Tbsp of the olive oil mixture on top of the breasts. Add the remaining olive oil mixture to the diced tomatoes and then pour over top. Place in middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Top with remaining parsley and serve over brown rice with a side salad.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin and root vegetables

2 small pork tenderloins

1/4 cup EVOO

1/4 cup dijon mustard

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp rosemary, minced

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

4 sweet potatoes, sliced

3 onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 apples, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix the EVOO, mustard, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, s and p together. Rub over pork. Place pork in rack in middle of roasting pan. Toss the potatoes, onions, garlic and EVOO together and spread in bottom of roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove pork, tent with tin foil and let sit; meanwhile put veggies back in oven for the 5-10 minutes that the pork is resting. Slice pork to desired thickness, place on platter with vegetables.

Leftover Brown Rice Stir-Fry

Leftover rice - 2-4 cups

3 Tbsp EVOO

Any and/or all the following veggies:

1-2 onions, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 green or red pap per, chopped

broccoli

mushrooms

1/4 cup low-sodium, gluten-free soy sauce

1 egg (optional)

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. If using all, start with onion, then add mushrooms and pepper, then carrots, garlic and broccoli. Saute until browned and desired doneness. Toss the brown rice with 1 Tbsp of EVOO and add to veggies. Turn the heat up so the rice browns for about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce which nicely deglazes the pan and then add an egg if desired.

Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey (can also use grass fed beef)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 slice whole grain bread soaked in 1/4- 1/2 cup skim milk

2 Tbsp minced parsley

1 egg

1/4 cup pecorino romano OR parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375

Mix all ingredients together until well-blended. Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-30 minutes until nicely browned, checking and turning as you go.

Use your own sauce or a jar but make sure no sugar added!! Add turkey balls to sauce and heat. Serve over whole wheat spaghetti.

Jen’s Simple Pizza

1 whole wheat lavash wrap

For red sauce:

1 small can tomato sauce

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 Tbsp EVOO

pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

dried oregano, basil or italian seasonings

salt and pepper to taste

low fat shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400

Heat the EVOO in small saucepan. Add garlic, pepper flakes, and seasoning and heat for about a minute being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomato sauce and cook over low-medium heat. Spray the baking sheet with pam. Place the lavash on baking sheet and add sauce and a handful of shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or so until cheese is melted and bubbling.

For the white topping:

2 onions, sliced

2 Tbsp EVOO

Crumbled goat cheese or feta

Sliced olives

Arugula and balsamic vinegar (optional but delicious!)

Saute onions until golden. Spread on lavash, add cheese and olives and bake as above. Throw a handful of arugula on top of oven-hot pizza with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for a special treat!

Friday November 05, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Mystery Meat Revealed

aka Italian-style Meatloaf a la Nana/Mom/me.

In our family meatloaf is basically a giant meatball baked in the oven with a surprise in the middle. The surprise that my Nana put in the middle were a couple of hard-boiled eggs. This remains a great mystery to me. As a kid, I would surgically remove the hard boiled eggs. I found them completely unnecessary and their texture and taste not quite right. I am BUMMED for never asking my Nana why she added the eggs. And my Mom doesn't really know why, she just knows "that's how it was done!" Not quite the anwer I was expecting. So, I have eliminated the eggs but added my own surprise. Other than that, this is our meatloaf recipe:
2-3 onions, caramelized
4 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs of a combo of ground veal, beef and pork in equal proportions (if you are lucky enough to have a good butcher they can do this for you!)
2 eggs
1 kaiser roll, or 2 slices of bread or in my case, 1 gluten-free roll
1 cup milk - whole, low-fat or skim - whatever you have on hand
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese - pecorino romano OR parmesan
1 jar or can tomatoes, pureed in blender
Surprise Ingredient - need to scroll through recipe!!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Caramelize the onions in 2 Tbsp olive oil. This takes about 20 + minutes. Add the minced garlic at the end so it doesn't get burned but cooks enough to get aromatic and soft.

While the onions are caramelizing, soak the roll in the milk until is is mushy and breaks into pieces.

Mix the meat, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, grated cheese and soaked roll together until well blended.

And the add the caramelized onion and garlic mixture. This is truly what makes this meatloaf so good!!

Put 2 Tbsp olive oil in your baking dish and place in your preheated oven to heat the oil.

Once the oil is hot, form the bottom layer of your meatloaf in the heated oil and add sliced CHEDDAR CHEESE before you put your top layer on.

Pour your pureed tomato sauce over the top and bake for about an hour until bubbling and slightly browned on top.

Serve with roasted regular and sweet potatoes or mashed and sauteed spinach.

And Enjoy!!

PS - Leftovers are O-U-T-R-A-G-E-O-U-S!!!

Friday October 29, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Nana’s Recipe to Soothe a Sore Throat

I don't know what it is about old wives' tales and concoctions but many of them are truly useful and actually work. I, for one, will always go for a natural remedy as I think we are an over-prescribed, over-medicated society. I'll stick to aspirin, chicken soup and hot lemon and honey any day over nyquil.

Oh and yes, you guessed, I've been sick for a couple of days - fever, dry cough, aches - not fun. But, I swear that when I sip hot lemon with honey, my throat feels better!! This is what my grandmother and Mom gave us and now I am self-administering for my sore throat.

Try it:

Start with a lemon, place on counter and roll it under the palm of your hand for 30 seconds to loosen the juice, cut it into quarters, place in small saucepan with a cup or two of water, bring to a boil.

Put a Tbsp or any amount of honey you like (to taste) in a mug, pour hot lemon juice through a strainer into mug, stir and let the soothing begin!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Feeling better already!!

Friday October 22, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Teresa Tavares’ Portuguese Kale Soup

Back in June, Teresa shared her tales of spending her early youth in the Azores and how this recipe was the primary go-to dish in their family, then and now. This soup is delicious, hearty and packed with anti-oxidants. What I remember distinctly from her interview was sea salt and garlic are used in almost every one of Teresa's recipes. Surely the old way of eating has much to teach us. So happy to have this authentic recipe because Kale is a great winter green and rivals spinach with its nutrient content. And, the soup also calls for cabbage - I had purple cabbage on hand but a savoy would work nicely as well. The colors in the soup were fantastic and it's amazing that the deliciousness is equal to its nutritiousness!! This will be one of my go-to winter soups for years to come. Thank you Teresa!!

Sopa de Couve - Portuguese Kale Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 quarts of water

1 quart of vegetable broth

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

Sea salt to taste

2-16 oz of red kidney beans

8 cups of chopped kale leaves washed and rinsed without stems

4 cups of chopped cabbage washed and rinsed

6 medium potatoes peeled washed and cubed

½-cup olive oil

8 oz of Gaspar’s Linguica cut into ½-inch rounds

Preparation:

In a 4-quart pan, bring the water and broth to a boil

Add onion, garlic and sea salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes

Add the 2 cans of red kidney beans and simmer for 3 minutes

Add the kale, cabbage, potatoes, linguica and olive oil and simmer on low until cabbage and kale are tender/cooked

Let sit for ½ hour before serving

Best served with Portuguese corn bread (recipe to come after I've made it!!)

Friday October 15, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Spag Bol

Really, it's spaghetti bolognese. I had an old British boyfriend that called it spag bol and it stuck. Leave it to a Brit to rename a tasty Italian dish.
What I embrace about these cooler, darker days is cooking comfort food and in particular, a Friday evening when the kids arrive. I am a broken record about this... But is there a greater pleasure than making your kids(step kids) their favorite dishes?

So here's my recipe/concoction
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
2 medium onions, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
2 lbs of ground chuck or a combo of beef, veal and pork in equal proportions. One additional point is if you can find grass fed chuck, try it - it provides such a robust flavor you may never use anything else. I used 2 lbs ground organic grass fed chuck for this evening's sauce.

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim because it's what I have on hand but 2% or whole is fine)
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 large can diced tomatoes ( I used fresh romas and cherry tomatoes from my garden with a small can of tomato paste as it's what I had on hand tonight)
Nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and heat oil in large saucepan. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until they begin to soften, around 10 minutes.

Add meat and cook until no longer pink.

Add milk and season with nutmeg. Continue to cook until milk is cooked off. Next add white wine and cook until it is evaporated.

Add tomatoes and cook for another hour or so on low.

Serve over spaghetti, linguini, or pasta of your choice. Because Jim has celiacs disease, I use a gluten-free pasta and it's yummy too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Unnamed Rd,Stockbridge,United States

Friday October 08, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Gordon Hyatt’s Pumpkin Soup

This is the simplest and most delicious soup. Thank you Gordon!!
Jim said he loved the flavors. And pumpkin is really healthy!!

One sugar pumpkin, cut in half, seeded
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1 potato. peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 cups Chicken broth
Cumin, to taste

In a 400 degree oven, roast pumpkin by placing flesh-down with about 1" water and cover with tin foil for about 30 minutes.