Cooking Healthy ?

I watched last night’s Chopped:Light Makes Right and was so so on the what was promoted as Healthy. Some fat and some sugar are not bad but in what forms? One of the cooks was using Honey, while I think this is a better form of sugar I would have grabbed the Agave. Coconut oil, is it really better than Olive oil. Spices can substitute for sugar and other ingredients but lack of spices will really put people off even if the food is healthy. As one of the chefs found out. Remember that healthy can be a relative term. You need some fats to keep your body healthy and a total lack of sugar can be bad as well. Be moderate when you changing your diet and you will have better luck.

Sand cake, old german style pound cake.

Sand cake, starts by beating together one cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar till well blended. Then add 3 whole eggs, one at a time. Then add 3/4 cup of sifted flour and 3/4 cup of potato starch. Finish off the batter with 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees. Bake for 45 to 60 mins. Test doneness with a toothpick.
Enjoy with strawberries or some fruit and whipped cream. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Schnitzel, Red Cabbage, Cucmbers & Onions

Schnitzel
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
mixed with breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
lemon wedges

Once you have cut the tenderloins, place them one at a time between two pieces of saran wrap and pound them thin. Place the one at a time in the egg wash coat completely. Then cover them in the bread crumb mixture.
Place in frying pan with heated olive oil and cook completely.
Serve with Cabbage and lemon wedges.

Bavarian Red Cabbage
One medium size head of read cabbage, shredded.
one whole onion diced
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
4 slices of bacon or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 apple cored and diced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
half a potato grated, 1/4 water.

Cut bacon into small pieces and brown or just add olive oil to dutch oven on low to med.
add onions and cook until soft then add cloves and cabbage and all other ingredients (except potato).
Cover. Stir occasionally so as not to burn, when cabbages is wilted and potato to thicken juices.
Ready to serve. Usually this is much better if made a day ahead then slowly reheated.

Cucumber and Onions

One cucumber
half red or Vandal onion
salt and pepper
red wine vinegar

remove outside of cucumber, slice thin, place in bowl
add minced up onion, season with salt and pepper, add vinegar about 2 tablespoons and stir.
Let sit for at least and hour before serving.

Good luck and enjoy.

Something quick and yummy…with store refrigerated biscuits.

I’ve talked about making things with Pillsbury rolls but now for something else yummy and easy.
Carmel Bubbles
1 can of refrigerated biscuits (small biscuits not the big ones)
1/4 cup and 2 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons & 2 teaspoons water.
Grease a 9″ cake pan set aside.
In a small sauce pan, melt brown sugar, butter and water together till nice and mixed and smooth.
Cut each biscuit into four pieces and roll them in the brown sugar mix with spoon and place in the cake pan.
Bake at 450 degrees for about 10-15 mins. Remove from oven let rest about a min then flip over onto a plate and hand everyone a fork. be sure to let it cool before you start popping them into your mouth.

Jam filled Biscuits
Oven preheated to 350 degrees. Put parchment paper on a backing sheet.
1 can of Big refrigerated biscuits
Your flavor of jam and/or chocolate morsels
Separate the biscuits and place a few morsels and say about 1/2 tsp, jam in the center and then press the edges shut. Sprinkle top with little sugar.
Then back about 12-14 min. Serve warm.
Not much work but they are yummy.

Bavarian Red Cabbage

This goes well with schnitzel or with the stroganoff.
One medium size head of read cabbage, shredded.
one whole onion diced
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
4 slices of bacon or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 apple cored and diced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
half a potato grated, 1/4 water.

Cut bacon into small pieces and brown or just add olive oil to dutch oven on low to med.
add onions and cook until soft then add cloves and cabbage and all other ingredients (except potato).
Cover. Stir occasionally so as not to burn, when cabbages is wilted and potato to thicken juices.
Ready to serve. Usually this is much better if made a day ahead then slowly reheated.

Beef Stroganoff with a twist.

This is a very old recipe.
1 lb. cubed beef
1/2 of onion diced, sauteed with butter till onion are clear.
1 bullion cube
4 cups water
Paprika, salt and pepper to your liking.
Place in dutch oven in 325 degree oven for 2 hours.
in a cup take two teaspoons corn starch and 1 teaspoon flour and make a rue.
Add the rue slowly to heated dutch oven.
Serve with bread dumplings.
Bread Dumplings:
1 loaf of bread that has been sitting out to dry about 2 hours or overnight.
1 tablespoon butter, half an onion finely chopped and sauteed with butter till onion are clear.
2 eggs, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, handful finely chopped parsley and 1 1/4 cups warm milk.
Use your hands and blend all the ingredients if it’s too mushy added some extra bread crumbs.
make into hand size dumplings and place in boiling water. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Remove from heat and let steep for another 10 mins.
Cut up the bread dumplings in bowl and beef mixture and them put a spoon or to of sour cream on top.
Hmmmmm, comfort food.

Cookies….Cookies!

Here are a few from this fun plate.
Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (Crisco Recipe)
3/4 cup Crisco Butter Flavor Shortening or 1 Butter flavored Baking Stick
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Makes 3 dozen.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. coat baking sheets with no-stick spray. Beat shortening, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat into shortening mixture until smooth. Stir in oats, dried cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Almond Lace Wafers (can’t remember where my mom found this recipe, it’s really old.)
3/4 cup ground unblanched almonds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon milk
Ground almonds until mealy. Combine nuts with all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low stirring constantly until butter melts. Then remove from heat. Drop by teaspoonfuls on non-stick cookie sheets about 3 inches apart, they will spread. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 5 to 6 mins or until they turn a light caramel color with bubbly enter. Let stand on sheet for about 1/2 minute then transfer to paper towel to cool. They will be very fragile but very delicious.

Chocolate Scotcheroos (very old recipe too)
Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup light corn syrup to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Remove from heat. add in 1 cup peanut butter, mix well. then add 6 cups Rice Krispies. Press into buttered 13″ X 9″ pan. Melt in another pan a 6 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 6 oz package of butterscotch morsels. Spread over krispies and chill till firm.

Rum Balls (although this year I also used Kahlua)
1 cup vanilla wafers crushed
1 cup chopped nuts, I’ve used everything from walnuts to pecans, even almonds.
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. rum
2 tbsp. brandy
2 1/2 tbsp. Karo syrup
2 tbsp. chocolate powder

Mix it all together and roll into balls. Then roll in extra powdered sugar.
You can substitute whiskey or other alcohol for the rum and brandy.
We tried the new Cinnamon Spice Kahlua for one batch, it was great.

What to do with leftover Turkey.

One suggestion on the Pillsbury site is to make a Turkey Philly.
Ok that sounds good but lets take that in a different direction, what about Swiss or Gruyere cheese instead of Mozzarella.
How about a little cranberry sauce on that. Or switch it with some Brie, granny smith apple slices.
Not in the mood for a Sandwich. Slice it up and add it to a salad, with some blue cheese and sliced green peppers and tomatoes.
Use a pizza crust and white sauce and make a turkey pizza with olives, peppers and Mozzarella cheese.
Turkey is just another poultry so what do you do with your chicken, try the turkey instead.

Fall party food.

If your having close to 12 people over and want to be somewhat easy on yourself my I suggest.

Choucroute Garni

1 medium onion sliced or diced, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 pounds slow cooked baby-back ribs cut into 3 rib potions, 1 lb smoked pork chops,  1lb bratwurst, 32oz of sauerkraut, rinsed and drained, 2 cooking apples peeled cored and cut into wedges, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 4 whole cloves, 3 juniper berries crushed, 2 small cloves garlic minced, 1 bay leaf, 1/8 tsp pepper 1 1/2 cup Rhine wine, boiled potatoes.

Cook onion in sauce pan till wilted in olive oil. Place in large crock pot. add ribs, chops. Mix sauerkraut and next 7 ingredients spoon over top of meat, pour the wine over all. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Before time to serve, get potatoes and cook bratwurst and add to serving dish. This can also be prepared in a dutch oven.

We served this the other night with a Pineapple cheesecake

Make in a 9-inch springform pan, with graham cracker crust. 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, 1 pound cream cheese, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 large eggs, lightly beaten.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain the pineapple thoroughly, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve the juice for the topping. In large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until very smooth. Add the pineapple and stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. 2 cups sour cream, 2 tbsp pineapple juice, 3 tbsp sugar, gently mix together. When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and increase the oven temp to 450 degrees. Pour the topping mixture over the cake and place the cake back int he oven. Bake for 5 mins, then allow to cool in oven with the door open slightly for 1 hour. Chill. ( found this one in The joy of Cheesecake).

 

A stew with a little bite.

This will make 8 servings and take about 3 hours total time.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon cayenne

Sea Salt and Ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 minced garlic clove

14-ounces Stout beer of your choice i.e. Guinness, Master Thief, etc.

2 cups diced carrots

3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes or white potatoes peeled and cubed

1 large Vidalia Onion chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups beef stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

sprig of thyme

Brown beef in a large Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon olive oil. In small bowl mix all the seasoning (except bay leaf and thyme)  to flour, when the beef is brown and beef to flour mixture in bowl and set aside. Add olive oil to Dutch oven and lightly brown onions and garlic. Add a little Master Thief to get all the good stuff from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Mix back in the beef and Master Thief plus the tomato paste. Add beef stock and Worcestershire, bay leaf and thyme. Let simmer for an hour. Add carrots and potatoes and simmer till potatoes are done. Don’t forget to take out the bay leaf afterwards.

Server with warm bread and have a wonderful feast.

A salad for a starter and some beer to go along makes a nice addition to this meal.