Category Archives: Recipes

January 14, 2015 · 11:31 am

Fat Free Dessert

How are you doing on that New Year’s resolution to lose weight? Or perhaps you vowed to eat more healthily. Forego all sweets? I’m a firm believer in moderation. If you say “no desserts” you’ll feel deprived. Self-pity leads to indulgence, which leads to discouragement and feelings of failure in your efforts to maintain a healthy diet.

One of my favorite choices for the occasional dessert is angel food cake. It’s light, versatile, and is one of the few cakes I prefer the boxed mix to homemade. Homemade is too time consuming for me when a mix produces reasonably tasty results.

I call this version Aunt Nell’s cake because my late aunt made it the first time I took my husband to her house. He ate three or four slices of it because he loved it! She loved that he loved it. It’s simply an angel food cake frosted with 7-minute icing. I thought it was amazing. (Because I suck at frosting, mine never looks pretty, but hers did)

To make 7-minute frosting:

In a small saucepan, combine 5 Tbsp. water (or citrus juice if you prefer) with 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup, and 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar. Stir over low heat until a syrup forms. Using a candy thermometer, cook (stir occasionally) until it reaches 140°.

Meanwhile, using a stand mixer and a whisk beater, beat 2 egg whites until fluffy. Turn mixer to low and SLOWLY pour in the syrup. Remember it’s 140° and you don’t want to cook the eggs. After all the syrup is incorporated, turn the mixer up to its fastest speed and whip for seven minutes. Set a timer.

That’s it. Then you’re ready to frost the cooked and completely cooled cake of your choice.

Aunt Nell’s version was much prettier.

One slice is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Even if a dessert is fat free, it’s still a good idea to limit the desserts in your diet. Enjoy.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. What a year! Wishing all my foodie friends a happy 2015.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 8,100 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

FRENCH ONION SOUP FOR TWO

I love French onion soup, but most in my family don’t. I needed a smaller portion so I developed this simple recipe that yields about two bowls (1 quart).

Keep in mind French onion soup is about onions. You need little else, but you do need onions. Even for two servings, I use four onions because I want the flavor and texture. I slow-cook the recipe for convenience, but it requires little simmering time once the onions are done. The flavors intensify in cooking sliced onions in butter. The rest is about turning rich, delicious onions into soup.

Bon appétit!

RECIPE

French Onion Soup for Two
Ingredients:
• 4 medium onions
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 16-20 ounces stock (beef or poultry—homemade is best, but get reduced sodium if you buy ready-made stock)
• 1 sprig fresh Rosemary
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or your choice)
Directions:
1. Peel, halve, and thinly slice onions using a knife, food processor, or mandolin.
2. Melt butter in a two-quart pan over low heat.
3. Add onions, salt, pepper, and Rosemary to melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn a golden color.
4. Deglaze the bottom of the pan with the wine and a wooden spoon.
5. Carefully pour in the pint of stock, cover, and cook at least twenty minutes or until heated through (or you may transfer to a slow cooker and heat on lowest setting two-three hours).
6. Divide between two large soup bowls and immediately top each serving with the cheese. Allow the cheese to melt (tent with foil for about five minutes).
7. Serve with French bread or a baguette.

1. Melt unsalted butter.

2. Cook onions over low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Add 1/4 cup white wine.

4. Deglaze pan.

5. Add stock and stir.

6. Simmer until soup is heated through.

7. Top with cheese and serve.

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Filed under cooking, Healthful Eating, onions, Soups & Stews

Tagged as French Onion Soup

September 28, 2014 · 5:49 pm

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

The idea for this delicious and easy dish came from my author friend Susan Sweet. I modified her recipe a bit by adding vegetables, but that’s an option. Her recipe calls for pineapple juice. I didn’t have any, but I always have crushed pineapple in my pantry. I prefer the added fiber.

Prep time for this meal is about ten minutes. Then plug in your slow cooker and forget about it for five or six hours. I put this on Sunday morning and it’s ready by the time we return home from church.

RECIPE

SLOW COOKER PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (include juice)
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
(optional) 1 Tbsp. corn starch if you prefer thicker sauce
2 cups cooked brown rice

What you need to make slow cooker pineapple chicken

Directions:

Empty contents of crushed pineapple into slow cooker pot. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, and (optional) corn starch.
Add celery, onion, and bell pepper pieces.
Cut chicken into one inch cubes and add to the pot.
Cover and set slow cooker to Low. Cook for at least five hours.
Serve over 1/2 cup cooked rice per person.