Tiramisu

This is a recipe that is an adaption of a Martha Stewart recipe for tiramisu. I believe she shops in different grocery stores than I do, so I have made some substitutions:) The book in which the recipe was found is called Dinner at Home and it is stunning. I recommend it highly even though I do not generally keep cookbooks around since the invention of the Internet.

Ingredients:

Vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies

8 oz mascarpone cheese - room temperature
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons brandy or spiced rum
1/2 cup sugar

At least one cup of expresso or Very Strong coffee

1 dark chocolate candy bar of some good quality chocolate

Directions:

1. Brew the coffee and let it cool.

2. Line the bottom of a glass bread pan with vanilla wafers. Slowly drizzle about 1/2 of the expresso coffee over them until they are tinged brown. Don't soak them. You want them flavored but not soggy.

3. Put the cheese, cream, vanilla, brandy, and sugar into a glass bowl with fairly tall sides. Whip this mixture with an electric mixer on high until it forms stiff peaks. This will take about 4 minutes.

4. When you have a nice stiff cheese mixture, spread half of it over the expresso flavored cookies.

5. Scrape some of the chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler and sprinke some chocolate over the cheese layer.

6. Dip more cookies in the remaining coffee, and layer them over the cheese mixture. When you are finished, spread the other half of the cheese mixture over the cookies.

7. Scrape more of chocolate and sprinkle generously over the top of the cheese.

8. Cover with plastic or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Serve on plates or in dessert goblets.

Enjoy!

If life must be a race to use up everything we have, who exactly will win that race?
Barbara Kingsolver in Small Wonder

Flax and Poppy Seed Rolls

Flax and Poppy Seed Bread

This bread has a more subtle flavor than the wheat berry and oat berry breads, and the texture is a little finer.

Follow the steps outlined in Bread Making Procedures. Add ½ cup ground flax seeds, ¾ cup nonfat dry milk, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup poppy seeds.

After the first rise, shape the dough into small mounds - about fist size - and place on a cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. If they rise and touch each other, that's OK. They can be torn apart after they are baked and cooled.

Mocha Java Pecan Pie

This is a good dessert for a low sugar eating plan. The pecans and the cream or coconut milk provide richness without too much added sweetener.

Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk or half and half
1/2 cup brown sugar or raw honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee
2 cups pecan halves
Crust options: Graham cracker or cookie crust, regular pie crust, or nut crust. No crust is also an option.

 Nut crust:

1 cup crushed walnuts
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup melted butter (Use coconut oil for a dairy free version)
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 3 tablespoons honey if you want a slightly sweet crust

1. Beat eggs and add all filling ingredients except pecans.

2. When the mixture is smooth, pour in the pecan halves.

3. Pour the pecan mixture into the crust if you are using one.

5. Bake at 325 for about 50 minutes. To keep the crust from burning, cover the edges of the dish with narrow strips of aluminum foil. When the pie is done, the middle will be a bit puffy. Serve with whipped cream.


The responsibility of tolerance lies with those who have the wider view.
Mary Ann Evans Cross
Aka: George Eliot

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This recipe is for two cheesecake pies.

Bowl 1

Nut crusts*
2 cup almond meal
2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 4 tablespoons honey if you want a slightly sweet crust

*You could use regular flour pie crusts if you prefer them.

Bowl 2

1 ½ cups pumpkin
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
2 eggs


Bowl 3

½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup softened cream cheese
½ cup sugar or 1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour ½ of the pumpkin mix on top of each of the unbaked crusts.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture on pumpkin mixture to make about 8 white circles on the pumpkin mix. Draw a knife or fork through the circles to mix the two mixtures very slightly.

Bake at 350 for about 50 – 55 minutes, or until the mixture is solid. If you use two oven racks, exchange the dishes when the pie is about half done.

All appears to change when we change. Henri Amiel

Laurel's Pumpkin Pie

Mix together and press into glass pie plate:

1 cup crushed walnuts
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 - 3 tablespoons honey if you want a slightly sweet crust

Mix together and pour into crust:

3 cups cooked pumpkin
3 eggs beaten
1 can full fat coconut milk
3/4 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt

Do not overfill.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake for 50 minutes or until the custard is set.


I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.
William Penn

Beef Stew with Cheese and Herb Dumplings

For some reason, it is more common to add dumplings to a chicken soup, but there is no reason not to dress up a beef stew with these tasty treats, and it’s a very efficient way to create an entire meal in one kettle.

Stew
1 pound beef steak with plenty of marbling
¼ cup olive oil
Carrots – peeled and cut into large chunks
Potatoes (Yukons are very good.) – wash, and cut into chunks
Onion - diced

Biscuits
1 cup cheddar cheese - grated
1 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons soft butter or vegetable oil, pinch of ground rosemary, pinch of basil, pinch of parsley
½ cup milk

1. Cut the steak into small cubes – approximately 1”.
2. Dice a medium sized onion.
3. Sauté the onion and cubed steak in the olive oil over low heat for 20 minutes or until steak is browned and onions are translucent.
4. Put steak, oil, onion mixture into a large soup kettle and add about 1 ½ quarts broth.
5. Simmer on low for about one hour or until the meat is very tender
6. Add carrots and potatoes.


When vegetables are almost done cooking, mix the dumpling batter:
1 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1 cup cheddar cheese, and spices

When the meat is tender, bring the stew to a gentle boil, and drop the batter by spoonfuls on the top of the vegetables. Turn the heat to low, cover and let the dumplings steam for about 15 minutes.

Serve in large bowls. Be sure to allow the stew to cool in the bowls; dumplings really trap heat and the stew will be scalding hot.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Albert Einstein

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

This is a delicately flavored cheese and meat pizza with fresh ingredients that make it both satisfying and nutritious. There is enough preparation activity in this meal to occupy two people for a couple of hours. Cooking can be a social occasion as well as a task.

Pizza dough (See below)

Alfredo sauce:
¼ lb butter
2 cups milk
1/3 cup flour
¾ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Toppings:
1 pound cooked white meat chicken or turkey
chili powder
A – 1 sauce
10 - 12 sliced mushrooms
2 large ripe tomatoes
one half small yellow onion, sliced thin
½ pound grated mozzarella cheese

While the dough is rising, sauté the chicken, make the Alfredo sauce, and prepare the other toppings.

Spicy Chicken: 1 pound chopped white meat chicken or turkey
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons A – 1 or other favorite meat sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil

Put chicken, oil and spices in skillet and sauté for approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.

Alfredo sauce: 1. Melt butter in medium size sauce pan.
2. Pull from heat and add 1 cup flour. Stir well.
3. Pour in 2 cups whole milk while stirring.
4. Put back on low heat and stir until smooth.
5. Add grated Parmesan or Romano
Set aside.

Slice tomatoes, slice mushrooms, grate mozzarella, slice onion.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

1. When the dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl, knead gently, and shape into two balls of dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 – 15 minutes.
Press each ball of dough onto a pizza stone.

2. Ladle about ¾ cup of sauce on each crust.

Layer each of the toppings on both pizzas
Mozzarella
Spicy chicken
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Onions

Bake for ½ hour at 375.

This recipe makes two medium pizzas.

DOUGH ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1 ½ teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, oil to coat the bowl

1. Warm the water to 45 C or 110 F – warm but not hot. Put in the yeast and sugar. Let the yeast work for 10 – 15 minutes.
2. Pour the yeast mixture in a glass bowl. Add 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Mix the flour and liquid; then turn the dough out onto a floured cloth and knead until smooth. Add flour if necessary.
4. Generously oil a second glass bowl; place the dough in top side down. Turn so oiled side is up, cover with a clean cloth and set in a warm place* to rise for 1 – 1 ½ hours.

*(Turn the oven on “warm” for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn the oven off and open door for about 1 minute to let some of the heat escape, place the covered bread dough inside, and close the door.)

There is no way to peace; peace is the way. -- A.J. Muste (1885-1967)