Applesauce and Oatmeal Muffins- Vegan
Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
I had a request from a friend for more vegan baking recipes. Came up with these muffins and thought I would share. They came out moist and light. I also have a lot of applesauce that I canned, so always interested in new recipes using applesauce. I added both raisins and walnuts for more texture and flavor. You could omit them, or add different dried fruit. You can also sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of the muffins before baking, if you like.
Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
2 c. applesauce- I used homemade with cinnamon in it
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour Note: You can use all purpose, I used whole wheat pastry flour.
1 c. rolled oats
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. dried cranberries or raisins
1 c. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or grease lightly. Set aside. Combine applesauce with the oil and stir in sugar and vanilla. Add flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir to mix well. Stir in fruit and nuts. Spoon batter in to muffin cups, filling just over half-full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Makes 24.
Butternut Squash Saute
Butternut Squash Saute
I have to celebrate the first day of Autumn with a squash recipe. Winter squash season is here, and I could not be happier. I love the variety of squash (and pumpkin) at the markets this time of year. They are both beautiful and tasty. This dish is a saute of butternut squash with onions, garlic, carrots and finished off with black sesame seeds. I used butternut squash, but you could use any number of hard squashes, or even pumpkin. If you are looking for a different way to cook some of those squash- try this dish. I think you might be surprised at just how good it is.
Butternut Squash Sauté
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups cubed fresh butternut, acorn or Hubbard squash or pumpkin
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the squash, carrot, soy sauce, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, another 5 to 7 minutes, until squash is tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
Broccoli Rabe with Pasta and Pecans
Broccoli Rabe with Pasta and Pecans
I taught a class last night on cooking with leafy greens. We had dishes made with collards, kale, Swiss chard and broccoli rabe. I am always surprised at how many people have never tried broccoli rabe- also known as rapini. This versatile vegetable consists of stems, leaves and small florets, with a strong broccoli flavor.
I think perhaps the sometimes strong, even bitter flavor, might turn people away from trying it. I enjoy that bitterness. If you don’t, you can temper it by blanching the broccoli rabe. That’s what I did with this dish. I also paired the broccoli rabe with pasta and some cheese which also mellows out the flavor.
Broccoli Rabe with Pasta and Pecans
1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box uncooked pasta
½ c. pecans
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the broccoli rabe, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Return the water to a boil, and stir in the pasta. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. While the pasta is cooking, cook and stir the pecans in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set the nuts aside, add the olive oil, and reduce heat to low. Stir in the garlic, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe, and cook 3 minutes to reheat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then stir in the drained pasta and walnuts. Toss with Parmesan cheese before serving. Serves 4.
Broccoli Rabe
Cream of Tomato Soup
Cream of Tomato Soup
As tomato growing season draws to a close, I seem to enjoy each fresh tomato even more. The season is never long enough. Every one I harvest from now, until the first frost, is extra special. One of my favorite dishes made with fresh tomatoes, is this cream of tomato soup. I made it in a class recently, and people seemed to love it as much as I do. It is full of fresh tomato flavor.
I enjoy it served hot, but have been known to eat this soup cold, too. I prefer to use fresh tomatoes, but have also used my home canned tomatoes in a pinch. If you want a stronger tomato flavor- use a couple extra tomatoes.
Cream of Tomato Soup
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
Pinch of sugar, optional
3 whole cloves
1 small bay leaf
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 t. salt
3 c. milk
Peel and chop tomatoes. Place tomatoes in saucepan with onion, celery, sugar (if adding), cloves and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover, simmering 15 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan then stir in flour and salt. Cook mixture until bubbly. Add milk and cook until thickened stirring constantly. Puree tomato mixture through strainer, food mill or in a blender or processor. Add to milk mixture and heat through. Serves 6.
Pear and Pecan Cinnamon Cake
Pear and Pecan Cinnamon Cake
I am celebrating the birthday of a dear friend this weekend and wanted a special cake for the occasion. I combined ripe pears with pecans and cinnamon sugar to create this moist and flavorful cake. I had both Bosc and Bartlett pears, but use whatever pears you have on had. They should be ripe, but still firm. The recipe says to have the pears peeled and sliced, and ready to go in the cake. I actually made the batter first, then prepped the fruit. Mostly because I was distracted and forgot. It worked out just fine. The upside was that the pears did not have a chance to discolor, and I didn’t have to put them in lemon water until ready to use.
The cake is fine served all on its own, but we will be having our cake with ice cream later tonight.
Pear and Pecan Cinnamon Cake
1 c. oil- I like to use olive oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. orange or lemon juice
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
3-4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
½ c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
¾ c. pecan halves or pieces
Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine oil with eggs, vanilla and juice until well blended. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to egg mixture. Beat together until batter is smooth. Batter will be thick. Combine the ½ cup sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside. Place ½ of batter in prepared pan. Arrange pear slices on batter and sprinkle on ½ of the cinnamon mixture. Pour on remaining batter and top with the pecans. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Bake 50- 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool before slicing. Serves 10-12.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Amaretto Pear Blintz with Candied Almonds
I have a dear friend visiting from out of town. I wanted to make her a special dish for brunch today. I had some beautiful fresh pears and some tortillas, so I used them together. Since she likes all things almonds, I included them in the dish, too. I also added some Amaretto to the pears. Martha gave them two thumbs up. She would have said how much she liked them, but her mouth was full.
When she was able to speak, she said they reminded her of apple pie. In fact, she didn’t believe me at first, when I said they were pears. If you like the taste of homemade fruit pie, but don’t have the time to bake, these are a nice option. Because they are barely cooked, the pears retain some shape. In a pie, they tend to fall apart.
Since we had them for brunch, I left them plain, but these would make a great dessert topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Even a dusting of powdered sugar, would be nice. Simple and quite flavorful.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Blintzes:
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas, I used whole wheat
2 oz. milk
2 T. butter
Filling:
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. Amaretto
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Almonds:
¾ c. sliced almonds
½ c. sugar
¼ c. water
½ t. cinnamon
Place tortillas in shallow dish and drizzle the milk over them. Try to get some milk on each of the tortillas to soften them. While the tortillas are softening, prepare the filling. In medium skillet, combine pears with the rest of the filling ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Combine almonds with the sugar, water and cinnamon in medium skillet. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pour almonds onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking sheet or foil. Spread out and allow nuts to cool.
Place butter in skillet and start to heat up the pan. While pan is heating, divide pear filling among the 4 tortillas. Place filling along center of tortilla and fold up edges over, to cover the filling. Heat the tortillas, seam side down, in the pan until golden, turning to toast evenly on both sides. Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Top with some of the candied almonds. Serves 4.
Duck with Ginger Pear Sauce
Duck with Ginger Pear Sauce
I love the way duck tastes when served with pears. Duck, with its dark, rich meat really works well with all sorts of fruit. I’ve made sauces and glazes for duck from cherries, prunes, mangoes, peaches and of course, oranges. Since I had several very ripe pears, and a duck I was roasting, I thought I’d try them together. Oh yum!! I could see serving the ginger pear sauce with other meats, like pork or lamb or with chicken or turkey.
Ginger Pear Sauce
3-4 ripe pears
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 t. grated fresh ginger- or 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
1 t. hot sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel, core and chop pears. Set in a saucepan with remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook, over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until pears start to soften. Makes 1½ -2 cups. Warm sauce when ready to serve.
To roast the duck: This was a locally grown duck so not as fatty as ducks I get at the grocery store. For the very fatty ducks you need to score the skin and trim off extra fat. If you don’t, the skin won’t get crispy and isn’t very appetizing. Still, I wanted a nice high heat to crisp up the skin. I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan. I did cut up an onion and a small orange and placed them in the cavity. Sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and placed the duck in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then I turned the heat down to 425 until the duck was done. In this case, it was a smallish duck and cooked in about 65 minutes. It is OK if the duck meat is a little pink. Kind of preferred a little pink by most, but cook it to your own comfort level. Let duck rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Warm the pear sauce and serve with the duck.
Right out of the oven
Greek Salad
Greek Salad
I will confess, the first time I had a Greek salad, I didn’t like it very much. I was at a little restaurant, with friends, many years ago. The salad was so full of feta that the saltiness overwhelmed everything else. Don’t get me wrong, I like feta, but this salad was basically a bowl of feta with some lettuce hiding under it.
I had another Greek salad some years later, that was so much better. The right balance of veggies, cheese, olives and dressing. I am glad I gave it another try.
I have learned to love Greek salads since then and eat them often. There are so many variations out there. This is the recipe I use most of the time, although I do play around with it. It is especially nice to enjoy one this time of year with the fresh, local tomatoes.
Greek Salad
8 c. mixed salad greens – I like Romaine and spinach
3-4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 roasted sweet pepper, seeded and diced*
2 c. sliced cucumber
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
1/2-3/4 c. sliced olives
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
2-3 cloves garlic
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/2 -2/3 c. olive oil
In large bowl combine vegetables. In blender combine lemon juice with garlic, salt, oregano and pepper and blend until smooth. With machine running add oil in a slow steady stream until it becomes emulsified. Adjust seasonings. Toss with vegetables and top with olives and cheese before serving. Serves 4-6.
* Here is how to roast a pepper, in case you didn’t know.
Pear Sweet and Sour Sauce
Pear Sweet and Sour Sauce
I love sweet and sour sauce. I have made many versions over the years and have used different fruits in them. I decided to try to make sweet and sour sauce with a ripe pear. It worked out wonderfully. Even better than I expected, actually. The sweetness of the pear was a great addition to the sauce. It came out a rich, mahogany color and is full of flavor. I will make a double batch the next time. I have already enjoyed it with egg rolls. Thinking of making sweet and sour chicken next.
I try to be as exact in measuring as I can. I had a pretty big Bartlett pear, but use 2 small pears, if that is what you have. Any pear will work in this recipe- just be sure it is ripe. As the sauce cooks the pear pretty much falls apart and disappears into the sauce. I also used Sriracha sauce, which is hot, but not as hot as some other hot sauces. Depending on the brand you are using, you might want to add less. Then again, heat is a matter of personal preference. Spice it up according to your own taste. That is one of the perks of making it yourself.
When I make a sweet and sour sauce- I use Clear Gel, instead of traditional corn starch. It is modified cornstarch (non-waxy) and when you reheat the sauce, it will stay thick. Regular cornstarch will often thin out when reheated. Clear Gel is used in pie fillings and a lot of frozen foods and condiments. Often listed on the label as modified food starch. It looks just like regular cornstarch. I buy mine online or when I am in stores in Amish communities.
So here is the recipe for a sweet and sour sauce I will surely make again. Planning on making some to freeze, too.
Pear Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 large pear, (about 8 oz.) peeled and diced fine
½ c. cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. Sriracha sauce- or other hot sauce- add to suit your taste
2 t. grated ginger
3 T. water
2 T. cornstarch or Clear Gel*
2 t. sesame oil
In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients, except the water, cornstarch and sesame oil . Simmer mixture, covered about 5-7 minutes, or until pear becomes tender. Stir occasionally. Combine cornstarch with water and stir until smooth. Pour slowly into simmering pear sauce, stirring to prevent sticking. Sauce with thicken. Stir in sesame oil. Makes about 2 cups. Keeps in fridge for weeks.
* If you use a type of cornstarch called Clear Gel, you can reheat the sauce without it becoming runny. Clear Gel, also called modified food starch, or modified cornstarch, is available online and at some specialty food stores. I find it in Amish communities.
Braided Herb Breads
Herb Breads
I had a fun herb program in North Canton today. I made this bread for them, and I promised to post the recipe. As fall begins, and the weather gets cooler, I find myself baking more bread. This is one of my favorite recipes. The mix of herbs, garlic and shallots gives this bread great flavor. I like to toast it and spread with a little butter. It also makes a wonderful sandwich bread. Works well for croutons and as bruschetta, too. You can bake the dough in 9×5 -inch loaf pans, if you want a more traditional shaped bread.
Braided Herb Breads
5 ½ -6 ½ c. flour
2 packages quick rising yeast
½ c. sauteed, minced shallots or onions*
2 T. each dried marjoram and parsley
1 T. each dried oregano and minced garlic
1 T. honey
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
2 ¼ c. hot water
In a mixing bowl combine 2 c. of flour with the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Beat with electric mixer 4 minutes then add 1-cup additional flour and beat 1 minute longer. Stir in flour ½ cup at a time until soft dough forms. Turn onto surface and knead, adding flour gradually until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn to cover. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Turn dough onto surface and cut in half. Cut each half into thirds. Roll each piece of dough into an 18-inch rope. Loosely braid three ropes together and repeat with the remaining dough. Place on greased baking sheet and cover until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 2.
* I cook the shallots or onions in a little oil or butter, then cool before adding to the dough.
Variation: Whole wheat: Add 2 cups of whole-wheat flour to replace 2 cups of white flour. Also try adding ¼ c. of wheat germ, oat bran or 2 tablespoons of seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, etc.)
Regular yeast can be used, but rising times will be longer and water should be warm, not hot.
