Blueberry Orange Bread

A tasty loaf for citrus-season, special occasion or brunch.

Prep:  25 minutes

Bake: 1 hour at 350 degrees

Makes: 1 loaf (16 servings)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

1 T all-purpose flour

1 t. finely shredded orange peel (zest)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey or other sweetener)

1 T baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t EnerG Egg Replacer + 2 T warm water (or 1beaten egg)

1 1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla

1.  Grease bottom and 1/2 of sides of loaf pan; set aside.

2.  In small bowl, combine blueberries, 1 T flour and orange peel, toss lightly to mix; set aside.

3.  In large mixing bowl (Bosch), combine 3 cups flour, sugar(or substitute with wet ingredients), baking powder, soda, and salt.  Make well in center of dry ingredients; set aside.

4.  Mix in egg, milk, orange juice, oil, vanilla (and sweetener if subsituting for sugar).  Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in blueberry mixture.

5.  Spoon into prepared pan.  Bake @350 for about an hour, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  (cover with foil for the last 10-15 mintues of cooking time to prevent overbrowning).  Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool thouroughly on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  (This can be made in advance and frozen for later use).



Vegetable Chicken Pot Pie

 

Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorite comfort foods and I love the flexibility of the recipe to add variety with whichever vegetables are fresh on hand.  (And with whichever topping sounds best.  See notes below).  It was a lot easier when I could add in a can of cream of chicken soup, but isn't too much more difficult (and probably healthier) to make up my own creamy sauce.

Vegetables:

Any you have on hand that sound tasty together.  Prepare by peeling if needed; slicing, dicing or cutting into bite-sized pieces.  Some recommended vegetables include: Carrots, potatoes, green beans, zuchinni, squash, onions, celery, etc.  (Frozen vegetables may also be used).

Vegetable Cream Sauce:

Makes: 1 1/2 cups thick cream sauce (Vegetables will add more liquid when cooked).

2 T Smart Balance (butter or margarine)

2 T all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup RiceMilk

1 cup Chicken broth

Black pepper and salt to taste

1 chicken breast, cooked, shredded

1. In saucepan, melt Smart Balance.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper.  Whisk in milk and chicken broth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

2.  Add in shredded chicken and vegetables. Stir together. Turn to low and prepare or roll out pie dough.

CRUST:

Prep: 15 minutes, Makes: 8 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening or Smart Balance

6 or 7 Tablespoons cold water

Dried or fresh herbs (if desired)

1. In large mixing bowl stir together flour and salt.  Add in fresh or dried herbs to taste (if desired), I think for this recipe I added in 1/2 tsp basil, parsley and/or oregano. Using pastry blender (or Bosch wire beaters), cut in shortening/Smart Balance until pieces are pea-size. 

2.  Sprinkle 1 T water over part of mixture; gently toss with fork (mix in with whisks or switch to cookie beaters).  Push moistened dough to side of bowl.  Repeat, using 1 T water at a time, until all dough is moistened. (I usually add in 5 T water and mix together with dough paddles in Bosch then add more water as necessary).  Divide in half.  Form each into a ball.

3.  On lightly floured surface, use your hands to lightly flatten one ball of dough.  Roll from center to edge in a 12 inch circle.  To transfer to pie dish, wrap gently around rolling pin.  Unroll into a 9 inch pie plate, careful not to stretch pastry.  Trim even with rim of pie plate.

4.  Roll remaining dough into 12 inch circle.  Once filling is inside pastry, place pastry on top; trim 1/2 beyond edge of plate.  Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Use any excess dough to decorate top if desired, making sure to cut slits to allow steam to escape (these can also be made decoratively).  Bake for 1 hour.  (Cover pie edges with foil last 10 minutes or so of baking, if desired, to prevent overbrowning.)

5.  Cool 5 minutes and serve.

*For another delicious twist on this recipe we've also made up the vegetable cream sauce filling then covered it with Suffing mix or home-made stuffing and baked as above.

*For a third tasty topping, try covering it with biscuits (homemade or store-bought).  It all comes out as yummy comfort food.

Candied Squash

Walking through the grocery store, our oldest spotted a beautiful Red Kuri Squash, which looked like a small pumpkin with character, and wanted to give it a try.  We looked up several squash recipes and decided to base ours on one from our Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook.  We decided the result was very tasty and a perfect Fall side dish.

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 60 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees
Yield: Will be determined by the size of squash you choose (The squash mentioned above was the size of a small pumpkin and probably about 5 lbs.)

Ingredients:
1 large squash of your choice (We used Kuri Squash)
1/8 cup maple syrup or 1 1/2 T brown sugar
2 T margarine or Smart Balance
1/2-1 tsp finely zested orange peel
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg

Wash squash exterior, cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.  Arrange halves in 9x13 pan, cut side down.  Add 1 inch water to dish.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn cut side up.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together syrup or sugar, butter, orange peel and cinnamon.  Drizzle orange mixture down sides of interior of squash, allowing to collect in center of each squash half. 
Bake squash another 20 minutes or so until squash is tender.  Remove from oven and scoop squash out of peel to serve each portion, Or slice and serve in the peel.

Pizza Ratatouille

Fall vegetables warrant experimentation with tasty new dishes.  With eggplant and zucchini calling my name, we came up with a modified Friday night treat.

Preparation and Baking about an hour
Preheat: 475 degrees, Bake: 475 degrees, Approximately 15-20 minutes.
Yield: 1 14-16 inch pizza.
Pizza dough:
1 package dry yeast (Approx 2-2 1/4 t)
1 cup warm water (to dissolve yeast)
2 tsp honey (or sugar)
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour (add approx 3/4 cup at a time, make it all whole wheat flour, mix with all-purpose flour--as you like)
Dash oregano* (optional)

Combine warm water, yeast and honey in bowl of mixer.  Let yeast activate (approx 5 min).  Add salt and flour 3/4 cup at a time.  Add additional flour if needed, small amounts at a time.  Add in seasonings if savory dough is desired.  Knead in mixer until dough pulls away from sides and is well kneaded (approx 5 min).

Ratatouille Toppings:
1 Young Eggplant, (younger eggplant has fewer seeds) peeled and grated
2-3 Zucchini (grated)
1/2 cup sliced or diced white/yellow Onions
1-2 T Olive Oil
Italian Blend Seasoning (oregano,
1-2 tsp minced Garlic
2 Tomatoes, seeded and sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced or diced *if desired)

Combine ingredients in pan and saute in heated olive oil til tender.

Other Toppings:
Crumbled Sausage/sliced links
Pepperoni or Turkey Pepperoni
One jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, (We like Classico and Barilla best lately)
Cornmeal to sprinkle under dough before baking.
Mozzarella cheese if desired* We don't use cheese.

Sprinkle pizza stone with corn meal and roll dough out onto stone/pan.  Use fork to create vent holes across surface of pizza to promote even cooking throughout.  Top with ratatouille mixture (reserve 1/2 if you desire to top the pizza with a tender topping, create a 'moat' towards the outside edge in the ratatouille's toppings to prevent sauce spilling off of the sides, then pour in marinara sauce and cover toppings in the center of the pizza as well.  Sprinkle on sausage and other meat toppings as desired, cover with remaining ratatouille topping if previously reserved, and cook in 475 oven approx 15 minutes or until sides of dough are lightly browned.  Serve and enjoy!

Hearty Tomato Basil Soup

Warm, creamy, vegetable deliciousness!

Makes approximately 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

1 can stewed tomatoes

2-6 oz cans V8 or vegetable juice

2-6 oz cans tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup RiceMilk

1 tsp dried, crushed Basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 box favorite pasta (we used Rozoni's Garden Delight Penne Rigate)

1-2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed

1.  In large pot, heat stewed tomatoes, V8 juice, tomato paste, and chicken broth and heat, stirring frequently. 

2. When heated through, stir in RiceMilk and basil leaves.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to low boil, continue stirring frequently. 

3. When soup begins to boil add pasta; cook until tender.  Stir frequently! Just before serving, add in spinach leaves.  They'll wilt but retain their bright green color making a beautiful soup.  Serve and enjoy with your favorite crusty bread or toast!

Banana Chocolate Pancakes

These moist, fluffy and chocolaty pancakes were an experiment we enjoyed during Christmas Break, but one that would be good for a special breakfast anytime!

Ingredients:

Dry:

3  c. all purpose or whole-wheat flour (or a combination of the two)

2-3 T  cocoa powder

1 T  baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. kosher salt

Wet:

2 1/2 c 'buttermilk' (~2 T lemon juice and RiceMilk to equal 2 1/2 c RiceMilk)

2 bananas, mashed

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 c oil/water

1/4 c honey

*Ghirardelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.  Measure out and combine all dry ingredients thoroughly in large bowl, make well in center.

2.  In separate bowl, combine and mix all the 'wet' ingredients.  Pour into the well of the 'dry' ingredients and stir with whisk till combined but slightly lumpy.

3.  Pour onto hot griddle 1/4 cup at a time...cook til surface bubbles and edges look slightly dry, turn and cook the other side til cooked through.  (If pancakes start to over-brown on the first side before the top surface is bubbly, turn heat down.)

4.  Top with maple syrup, applesauce, pineapple, whip cream or a strawberry syrup and a little Smart Balance or butter and your taste buds may trigger thoughts of a Banana Split.

*For an optional but official 'treat' look, top with a few Ghirardelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips--which are dairy free.

Oven-Fried Chicken

This one is based on a tasty recipe we found in the New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.  I'm not a big fan of fried chicken, but I love the crunchy baked texture of the 'breading' on this chicken and the aroma that fills the house while it bakes is heavenly too.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Oven: 375*
Makes: 6 servings

1 1/2 tsp EnerG Egg Replacer + 2 Tbs. warm water
3 Tbs. RiceMilk
1 1/4 cups finely crushed saltine crackers or rich round crackers (I use 1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers)
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks)
2 Tbs. Smart Balance, melted (optional)

1.  In a small bowl combine Egg Replacer and milk.  In a shallow dish, combine crushed crackers, thyme and pepper.  Set aside.  Skin Chicken (I usually use boneless, skinless breast halves [sometimes pre-frozen]).  Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

2.  In a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan, arrange the chicken, bone side down, so the pieces aren't touching.  Drizzle the chicken with the melted Smart Balance (or spray the pieces lightly with PAM or your favorite cooking spray).

3.  Bake uncovered, in a 375* oven for 45-55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170* for breasts, 180* for thighs and drumsticks).  Do not turn chicken pieces while baking.  Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Famous Rolls

We first enjoyed these rolls at a Thanksgiving dinner shared with The Quinn Family in our home.  They are Amy's mother's famous rolls and the extended family requested that she bring them to each Thanksgiving gathering.  We can understand why.  They're delicious and the recipe feeds a crowd!  Even with our substitutions they're great!

1/2 Batch (2 Dozen Rolls)

2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast)

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar/honey

1/2 cup Smart Balance

1 cup water

4 1/2 tsp EnergG Egg Replacer + 6 Tbs. water

1/2 cup sugar/honey

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

Full Batch (4 Dozen Rolls)

4 pkgs active dry yeast (9 Tbs. active dry yeast)

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tbs sugar/honey

1 cup Smart Balance + some to brush on top of rolls when they are baked

2 cups water

3 T EngerG Egg Replacer + 3/4 c. warm water)

3/4 cup honey

9 cups flour

4 tsp. salt

Directions for a full batch (4 dozen rolls):

1.  Dissolve 4 packages yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 2 Tbsp sugar/honey.  Cover with Saran Wrap and set aside to rise (if it doesn't foam, you did something wrong and need to start over).

2.  In a sauce pan, melt SmartBalance in the 2 cups water until hot, not boiling.  Beat EnerG Egg Replacer and water together.  Mix into the eggs, 1 cup sugar/honey, hot water and SmartBalance and then the foamy yeast.  Then stir in flour and salt.  You don't want to touch the dough now beacuse it is very sticky!  Just stir with a spoon (bamboo or wooden spoon).  Cover with a towel or the bowl's lid, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (the dough should double in size).

3.  Add some flour so it isn't too sticky, and divide dough into 4 equal sections.  Roll out, one section at a time, on a floured board or counter top to 1/2  " thickness.  Cut into 12 triangles (like a pizza).  Roll up each triangle--start at the wide edge and roll towards the center.  Put on greased baking sheet about 2" apart.  Cover with Saran Wrap and let rise 1 hour.

4.  Bake at 400* for 10 minutes.  Check the tops and bottoms of rolls.  If both are light brown, then rolls are ready.  If they are too light, then they aren't fully cooked so put them back in for a minute or two more until they are light brown.  Brush tops of rolls with Smart Balance as soon as they come out of the oven so the Smart Balance melts.  Enjoy!

*Quinn Note:  If using Rapid-Rise yeast, cut the rise times in half.  Everything else is the same.  Personally, I like to use regular because with rapid-rise you can taste the yeast more, but if you are crunched on time, rapid-rise will work and they'll still taste great!

*Lori Note:  Instead of the Eggs or EnerG Egg Replacer, I can also use 1 T ground flax and 3 T water per egg and 1 t. baking powder.  I also usually end up using an added 1-3 cups flour...depending on the humidity of the day I make these.  Extra rolls freeze well for later meals.

Egg Substitutes

For all of our recipes requiring eggs, we use something else.  Our substitutes do not always allow the results to turn out the same as they would with real eggs, but most of the recipes we post here are pretty close.  (If you want to try one of these recipes, do not have the 'substitute' listed, and are not allergic to eggs, just substitute what we use with an egg.)  Obviously some eggs act as binders in a recipe to hold ingredients together, while others are needed for their leavening effect, like in cakes and baked goods. So, the substitute will depend on the needed effect.  Here are a few of the substitutes we use.

1 egg = 1/2 banana.  Banana can be substituted in recipes as a binder but will influence the taste of the end product.  We like to use banana in things like cookies and quick breads like pancakes where it's sweet fruity taste is welcome.

1 egg = 1/4 cup applesauce and is used in the same way as banana.  If a little extra rise is needed with either of these substitutes, add 1/2 to 1 tsp. baking soda or baking powder as well for a little extra leavening.

1 egg = 1 Tbs Ground Flax + 3 Tbs warm water  This is kind of powerhouse substitute.  [Interestingly ground flax can also be used as substitute for butter and oil (as can the banana and applesauce) in a ratio of 1 T margarine = 3 T Flax].  We've noticed a slight 'fishy' taste with this substitute in foods without stronger flavors, which may reflect the Omega 3's so prevalent in this substitute.  A 2 Tbs serving of ground flax contains 3 g protien, 2800 mg Omega 3's, 850 mg Omega 6's and 4 g fiber.  It also contains up to 75 times more antioxidant propertied Lignans than other plant foods.  The fiber may really speed up food processing for those unaccustomed to fiber, so just be aware.  Sprinkle in 'everything' for a little added nutrition.

1 egg = 1-1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer + 2 Tbs warm water (mix thouroughly before adding to recipe).   This substitute has become one of our favorite to add to 'delicate' baked goods like cakes, fancy rolls, etc. and contains potato starch, tapioca flour and no lactose or gluten.

Tofu is another egg substitute, but one which I haven't played with yet to figure out ratios.  Should be easy to find specific recipes if someone wanted to try it though.  

Corn starch, Instant Clear Gel, Arrowroot Powder, Flour, Powdered Milk and other replacements exist out there, some even propose just substituting milk (we'd be using RiceMilk), not replacing the eggs with anything, etc. Depends on the recipe, the purpose and your preference.  I haven't played with all of them yet, but I'm sure I'll be adding to this post at a later date.

*NOTE:  Even for those of you not allergic to eggs, you may want to note the shelf stable, storable substitutions (like Ener-G Egg Replacer and Ground Flax) will work well in your food storage too.

Savory Beef Stew

Hearty and wonderfully aromatic; especially great for a cool evening served with your favorite bread.  An adaptation of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book's "Polenta Beef Stew" sans polenta, p. 489.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-oz can beef broth

1 1/2 cups water

8 ounces boiling onions

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

5 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup snipped fresh flat -leaf parsley

1 4 oz can tomato paste (or 8-10 oz V8 Vegetable Juice)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Place flour, garlic powder, thyme, basil 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a plastic bag.  Add meat pieces a few at a time, shaking to coat.  In a Dutch oven, (or large skillet) brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil; drain fat.  Return all meat to Dutch oven; add chopped onion, dried rosemary (if using) and garlic.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer covered 1-1/2 hours.

2.  Stir in boiling onions, potatoes and carrots.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes more until meat and vegetables are tender. 

3.  Just before serving, stir the 1 tsp. fresh rosemary (if using), parsley, and tomato paste (or Vegetable Juice) into the stew.  If desired, garnish with rosemary sprigs.

NOTES: 

*I usually make up a large batch of Beef Stew Meat following the proportions for spices and directions for browning the meat in step one, cool the extra in the refrigerator then freeze 1-2 lb portions in a quart freezer bag to add to vegetables for making a "quick" stew later. 

* After having prepared the meat, I often go off a basic mental formula for the rest of the ingredients. I usually use one to two cups broth (often water + beef bullion for stew) for each person I'm planning on serving, along with at least one carrot and one potato per person expected to dinner. My Grandma Phelps taught me that 'should company show up at dinner time, just add an extra cup of broth or water to stretch it a little farther'.

* I like to prepare the stew in the morning or early afternoon and cook it in a Crock Pot, enjoying the soothing aroma in the house all day and later enjoying time with my children during the evening hour that I'd otherwise be preparing dinner.  On low 6-8 hours (all day) or on high for 3-4 hours.

*Adding the tomato paste or V8 juice at the end, for that added savory flavor, ensures the acid doesn't toughen the stew, but that it is tender instead.

*I often use onions I chopped previously and stored frozen, or I rehydrate dehydrated onions instead of using onion powder and boiling onions.