Monthly Archives: March 2014

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

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4 oz molasses
2 cups milk
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup corn meal
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbs baking powder

in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine molasses, 2 cups milk, and egg. mix on medium speed for about 4 minutes. sift together flours, corn meal, and salt and add to molasses and blend for 1 minute. dissolve baking powder in half cup of milk and add to flour mixture. blend well, scraping down sides of bowl and mixing until well incorporated.

using 3 canning jars with tight-fitting lids, spray inside of jars with non-stick cooking spray. divide batter evenly among jars and close lids. place closed jars in a large pot of boiling water, standing upright, and cover pot. reduce heat to a simmer and steam bread for approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes. check pot frequently and replenish water as necessary. do not let pot go dry, or jars may break. when bread is done, remove from pot and allow to cool for 2 hours.

refrigerate any unused bread.

makes 3 (1 lb) loaves

LOW CALORIE CAULIFLOWER SOUP

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3 cups water
2 cups cauliflower, cored, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
salt
white pepper

in a 2 1/2 qt saucepan, add all ingredients but salt and pepper. cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes). strain off and reserve most of the liquid. place vegetables in a food processor and puree. add vegetables and reserved liquid back into the pot add salt and pepper to taste, and reheat.

makes 1 qt.

DEEP FRIED MOZZARELLA

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1 lb whole mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
marinara sauce

cut mozzarella cheese into 3″ sticks about 1/2″ thick. combine bread crumbs and chopped parsley in a small bowl and set up beaten eggs in another. place flour on a plate. first, thoroughly dust cheese sticks in flour, shaking off any excess. dip in beaten egg, coating thoroughly, and then in bread crumbs. press lightly to ensure an even coating. refrigerate 15 minutes to allow breading to set up.

in the meantime, heat oil in a heavy skillet just large enough to allow for 2″ of oil. when oil is hot, fry a few cheese sticks at a time to a golden brown. drain on paper towels. repeat until all cheese has been fried.

serve hot with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

4 servings

UNDERSTANDING A FOOD LABEL

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Although they can seem complicated, food labels are an important part of understanding what we are eating. To learn the basics of what different types of information on a food label mean, keep reading…

SERVING SIZE: Based on the amount of food people typically eat. The serving size influences all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label.

SERVINGS PER CONTAINER: It’s important to understand that this number represents the entire amount of food included in the packaging and that nutrient listings are based on the serving size, not servings per container!

CALORIES & CALORIES FROM FAT: The number of calories in a single serving of the food is listed on the left of the label and tells you the amount of energy in the food. The listing for “calories from fat” is also important because it’s good to limit fat intake. The calories in a food come from either fat, protein, or carbohydrates.

%DAILY VALUES: These are the recommended percentages of nutrients an ADULT should consume each day. The percentages are similar for adults and kids, although kids may need more or less of a particular nutrient based on their age and size.

Some Daily Values are based on the amount of calories and energy a person needs. These include carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. The other Percent Daily Values (sodium, potassium, vitamins, and minerals) stay the same no matter how many calories a person eats.

TOTAL FAT: Number of fat grams contained in one serving. The different kinds of fat (saturated, unsaturated and trans fat) may be listed separately on the label.

CHOLESTEROL AND SODIUM: Indicate how much of these nutrients are in a serving of food. These are usually listed in milligrams and are included because many people need to limit their intake of salt and cholesterol.

TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE: Indicates how many carbohydrate grams (a body’s primary source of energy) are in one serving.

PROTEIN: Often measured in grams, lists how much protein is in a single serving.

VITAMIN A & C: Two of the most important vitamins, each is given a Percent Daily Value. If a food gives 20% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A, that one servings gives an adult 1/5 of the Vitamin A needed for the day.

CALCIUM AND IRON: Two of the most important minerals because they contribute to strong bones and healthy blood.

POUND CAKE

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3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 tsp salt
5 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbs flavoring, to taste: vanilla, lemon, almond, etc

bring all ingredients to room temperature. combine sugar, butter, and Crisco. cream well. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. add milk and flour alternately. grease a fluted cake pan and fill with batter. bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until cake tests done. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR THE FIRST HOUR THE CAKE IS BAKING.

LEMON SHRIMP PASTA

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20 med shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 tbs butter
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of mrs. dash table blend seasoning
6 fresh basil leaves
black pepper, to taste
1 cup plus 1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs cornstarch
juice of 1 lemon
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
fettuccine pasta

melt butter in a frying pan. add shrimp, lemon juice, 1 cup white wine, pepper, red pepper flakes and mrs. dash. cook over medium heat until shrimp turn pink. add in basil leaves and continue to cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. in a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup white wine. add cornstarch mixture to shrimp and stir until thickened. if the sauce becomes tooth thick, you can thin by adding white wine. add parmesan cheese. serve over fettuccine pasta.

CARAMEL APPLE DIP

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1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup cold milk
1 (3 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
apples and assorted fruits

in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. add sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, milk, and pudding mix, beating between each. refrigerate for at least one hour. serve with apples and assorted pieces of fruit.

DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN PIE

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1 (6 oz) graham cracker crust
3 oz cream cheese
1 cup plus 1 tbs half and half
1 tbs sugar
1 1/2 cups cool whip, thawed
2 pkgs vanilla instant pudding
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

mix cream cheese, 1 tbs half and half, and sugar with a wire whisk until smooth. gently stir in cool whip. spread mixture on bottom of graham cracker crust.

beat 1 cup half and half and vanilla pudding mix until blended. let stand for 3 minutes. add pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. mix well. spread over cream cheese layer and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

SEVEN LAYER CHICKEN SALAD

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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 box frozen peas
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 lg onion, chopped
1 tbs sugar
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (16 oz) jar mayonnaise
parmesan cheese
bacon bits
onion and garlic croutons

cut chicken breasts into strips and grill until done. layer the salad in a bowl in the following order: lettuce, peas, celery, onion, green pepper, sugar, and chicken. cover with mayonnaise. sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. cover salad and refrigerate overnight. just before serving salad, add bacon bits and croutons. toss.