Saturday, October 17, 2009

Summer Reprieve!

Whew! Gonna be a "Cod Roaster" here today.(LOL) I love using that expression for when it is going to be HOT!. I think we'll see the low 90's here today. Probably warmer down in the L.A. Basin. My sister and family will be up this afternoon. I have some pork shoulder cookin off, so we can ave some BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. With coleslaw and baked beans. Umm Umm good Opie!(Do you remember Opie?)

Anyway , I hopa your weekend is a good one!
Have a day!
Kent

Pumpkin Coconut Tart


Dark rum, coconut milk, cinnamon, ginger and cloves give this pumpkin tart a complex flavor that matches perfectly with a cup of chai laced with milk

Ingredients


Crust

1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour, (see Ingredient Note)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Tip)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 tablespoons cold reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)

Filling

1 1/2 cups canned unseasoned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs

1 cup “lite” coconut milk

Garnish

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut chips, (see Ingredient Note) or flaked coconut, toasted (optional
 
Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.

2.To prepare crust: Combine flour, almonds, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, and then cream cheese by the tablespoonful, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.

3.Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

4.To prepare filling: Beat pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, rum, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in coconut milk. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.

5.Bake the tart until the filling is just set (the center may still appear soft, but will become more solid as it cools), 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until chilled. Remove the pan sides before slicing. Garnish with coconut, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 2), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover and refrigerate the cooled tart for up to 1 day.
Equipment: 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom pan

Ingredient note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Tip: Place slivered almonds in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Ingredient note: Large thin flakes of dried coconut called coconut chips make attractive garnishes. Find them in the produce section of large supermarkets or at melissas.com.

Nutrition

Per serving: 260 calories; 12 g fat (6 g sat, 3 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 168 mg sodium; 163 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value), Iron (17% dv).



2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrates (other), 2 fat

Apple-Bacon Pancakes with Cider Syrup


If you like apple pancakes and you like bacon, you’ll love the taste of these sweet, smoky pancakes. Any kind of apple works well. A quick cider syrup drizzled on top enhances the apple flavorIngredients


1/2 cup apple cider

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced, (about 1 cup)

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
 
Preparation


1.Combine cider, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

2.Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a small bowl. Whisk egg, egg white and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients, apples and bacon until just combined. (The batter will be thick.)

3.Brush a large nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and place over medium heat until hot. Cooking 4 at a time, use about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and gently spread it to make them about 3 inches in diameter. Cook until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, reducing the heat as necessary to prevent burning. Reheat the cider syrup, if desired, and serve with the pancakes.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the syrup (Step 1) for up to 1 week. Reheat on low before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 256 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 2 g fiber; 465 mg sodium; 165 mg potassium.



3 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Spinach Toasts

Description


Cooking spinach takes very little time, but you need to wash and drain it carefully, and remove tough stems first, which may take 5 or 10 minutes. Plan accordingly. The spinach on these little appetizers is a great source of iron and vitamins A and C.





Ingredients

3/4 cup purified water

2 bunches fresh spinach (about 2 pounds), stemmed

9 pieces thinly sliced whole wheat bread

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon canola or grape seed oil

2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Freshly ground pepper to taste

11/2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts



GARNISH

1 red apple, cut in thin wedges





Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F.



Pour the water into a large stainless steel pot and bring it to a boil. Drop in the washed spinach and cook for 3 minutes, stirring several times. Drain the spinach in a colander over a pan to catch all the water, which you can save to make vegetable stock (page 122). Put a bowl or plate on top of the spinach, inside the colander, and press down to squeeze excess water from the leaves.



Trim the crusts from the bread slices, cut on the diagonal to create 2 triangular pieces, then cut again to make 4 triangles. Put them on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic in canola or grape seed oil in a medium nonstick sauté pan over low heat until onions are softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.



Put the spinach leaves into a medium bowl, along with the onions and the garlic. Add the yogurt, mint, pepper, and nuts and toss thoroughly with a fork. Spread the spinach mixture on the toasts just before serving. Garnish with apple wedges. Makes 36 pieces - 3 triangles per person.

Spicy smothered pork

Prep: 10 minutes


Cook: 20 minutes

Servings: 4



Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless pork chops

½teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons spicy or sweet paprika

¼teaspoon hot pepper flakes or to taste

2tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

1 can (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes



Heat oil in large heavy skillet over high heat; add onion. Stir-fry until wilted, 3 minutes. Add garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Transfer onion and garlic to a plate.



Salt pork. Add to the skillet; brown, 3 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate. Reduce heat to medium; add paprika and pepper flakes to skillet.



Stir in onions and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add vinegar; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes. Cover; cook 3 minutes. Return pork to pan; cover with sauce. Cook until pork is no longer pink in center, 5 minutes.



Nutrition information

Per serving: 238 calories, 55% of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 16 g protein, 572 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

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