I went to my doctor's office today. Last time I saw him, I told him I was experimenting with baking, and asked if I could bring some baked goods in for the office to share. See, when my grandmother was alive, she was CONSTANTLY baking banana bread, apple bread, coffee can bread, etc. And she would bring them to the doctor's office, the bank, the supermarket, just about anyone she liked would get baked goods. So, since I am diabetic, I do not want to eat too many sweets myself, and decided to distribute them. So, last night I whipped out a bag of Amish bread starter, let it defrost for a few hours, and made this variation.
I didn't even taste the bread, so I was a little nervous about bringing it to the office. Not too nervous though, because so far, every recipe I have made with the starter has been delicious. Well, as soon as I walked through the door of my apartment after my appointment, I got a phone call from the doctor's office. A member of the office staff and a nurse were on the phone telling me how much they enjoyed the bread, and asking me to share the recipe! So, I figured I would spread the love to my blog too! Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1 cup Amish friendship bread starter
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 large box instant lemon pudding
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Mix all ingredient thoroughly.
Grease 2 large loaf pans. Dust the loaf pans with sugar.
Pour the batter evenly in the two pans.
Bake 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from the pan evenly (about 10 minutes) turn out onto a serving dish.
Note: I have one cup bags of starter in my freezer. You can either take a bag out and baked right away, or feed it for ten days, according to the instructions.
Note: If you do not have access to a starter, you can make your own. This is the recipe. (I have not tried it yet)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cheesy Grits and Eggs
I love grits with scrambled eggs and cheese. I can have that for breakfast EVERY DAY. But, cooking the grits with butter and fatty cheddar or American cheese can be kind of dangerous when you are trying to eat healthier. So, I devised this recipe so that I can enjoy tasty, cheesy grits with a lot less fat and calories. I know to some it seems odd to use chicken broth for grits, but believe me, it lends a wonderful flavor. I used a chicken cube, so it has no fat. Now, on occasion, I will still eat the standard buttery, cheesy grits, but for an every day meal, this is a tasty substitute.
1 1/4 cups chicken broth (or 1 1/4 cups water and a chicken cube)
1/4 cup quick grits
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 wedges light garlic and herb cheese (laughing cow)
1/4 cup southwestern egg substitute (you can use plain egg substitute as well)
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add grits, garlic powder and black pepper, whisking vigorously.
Bring back to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer 3-5 minutes, or until grits are thickened and creamy in texture, stirring often.
Break cheese wedges into smaller pieces, add to the grits. Whisk constantly until the cheese is fully melted. Pour into a bowl.
Meanwhile, spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Add southwestern egg substitute, scramble to desired consistency. Break eggs into bite size pieces, mix into the grits
Note: I did not grow up eating grits. I never even tried grits until I was in my late 20s. For Southerners and grits purists, this recipe may seem like sacrilege, but for an Italian girl from NY, this is a wonderful meal.
1 1/4 cups chicken broth (or 1 1/4 cups water and a chicken cube)
1/4 cup quick grits
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 wedges light garlic and herb cheese (laughing cow)
1/4 cup southwestern egg substitute (you can use plain egg substitute as well)
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add grits, garlic powder and black pepper, whisking vigorously.
Bring back to a boil, lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer 3-5 minutes, or until grits are thickened and creamy in texture, stirring often.
Break cheese wedges into smaller pieces, add to the grits. Whisk constantly until the cheese is fully melted. Pour into a bowl.
Meanwhile, spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Add southwestern egg substitute, scramble to desired consistency. Break eggs into bite size pieces, mix into the grits
Note: I did not grow up eating grits. I never even tried grits until I was in my late 20s. For Southerners and grits purists, this recipe may seem like sacrilege, but for an Italian girl from NY, this is a wonderful meal.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Cabbage and Potatoes
When I was younger, we probably ate cabbage once or twice a year. It was one of my favorite vegetables, but we really only ate it on St. Patty's Day. My grandmother or mother would boil the cabbage in the water left over from cooking the corned beef, so the beefy taste would permeate the cabbage. I tried making cabbage myself a few times, but was unsuccessful, because I didn't realize how vital the meat flavor was to the cooking process. When I just boiled it in salted water, it tasted extremely bland.
Then, I moved into a house with a couple of room mates. They used to use either salt pork or fat back in their cabbage (I had never used either in any of my cooking). They showed me the trick to making delicious cabbage. Now, I cook cabbage ALL THE TIME, and boil a kielbasa to go with it. It has turned out to be one of my favorite meals!
Of course, on March 17 I abandon this method and boil my cabbage right in the same water I cooked my corned beef in!
1 Tsp olive oil
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 oz salt pork, diced
1 head cabbage, shredded
½ tsp. black pepper
3 potatoes, sliced
Heat olive oil in deep pot. Add green bell pepper and salt pork, saute 5 minutes. Add cabbage to pot, lower heat, cover and cook 20 minutes. Add enough water to cover the cabbage, and black pepper. Simmer 45 minutes, Add potatoes, simmer 20 additional minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender,
Then, I moved into a house with a couple of room mates. They used to use either salt pork or fat back in their cabbage (I had never used either in any of my cooking). They showed me the trick to making delicious cabbage. Now, I cook cabbage ALL THE TIME, and boil a kielbasa to go with it. It has turned out to be one of my favorite meals!
Of course, on March 17 I abandon this method and boil my cabbage right in the same water I cooked my corned beef in!
1 Tsp olive oil
½ green bell pepper, diced
2 oz salt pork, diced
1 head cabbage, shredded
½ tsp. black pepper
3 potatoes, sliced
Heat olive oil in deep pot. Add green bell pepper and salt pork, saute 5 minutes. Add cabbage to pot, lower heat, cover and cook 20 minutes. Add enough water to cover the cabbage, and black pepper. Simmer 45 minutes, Add potatoes, simmer 20 additional minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender,
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A stroll down memory lane......
When I was in elementary school back in the early 80s, the cafeteria sold large hard pretzel rods for a nickel each. I remember getting two almost every day. We would, of course, play with the pretzel rods before we ate them. They made wonderful fake cigars, and we used to think we were SO COOL holding them between our fingers and puffing on them like we were grown.
I remember I used to like to suck on the tips of the pretzel rods before I ate them. Then, I would proceed to use my bottom teeth to scrape the outer, brown layer of the pretzel off. Only when about two inches of the pretzels were denuded of their bark did I bite into the pretzel and fully enjoy their salty, crunchy goodness.
So, I was in heaven when I saw a big tub of these very snack items at the supermarket the other day. Only $5.99 for a tub of almost 100 pretzel rods. I had to have them!! When I got them home, I put them on my kitchen counter in a very prominent spot. And, I pointed them out to every guest I had in my house, taking the opportunity to talk about those elementary school memories with each person.
Now, just to let you know, I have been trying to be careful the past six months about what I eat. I lowered my blood sugar from an average of 300 to an average of about 110. I cannot say I am actually on a "diet", I eat what I like, I just try to be a little more thoughtful about what I consume lately. My caloric intake is probably about 2/3 of what is was 6 months ago. PORTION CONTROLLED PACKAGING has been VITAL in my struggle towards healthier habits.
I LOVE 100 calorie packs. I buy single serve ice cream treats so I will not overindulge. I buy individual bags of sun chips or cookies. I should have known that bringing a huge tub of pretzels into my house was a recipe for disaster!! And, really, what was I thinking when I put them front and center on the counter top?
I swear this pretzels are laced with some kind of highly addictive drug. At least twice a day, I find myself pulling 3 or 4 pretzel rods out of the tub and munching on them. So, what started out as a healthy snack choice has become a recipe for disaster.
At first I thought that I would keep the tub of pretzels in the cabinet or above the refrigerator next time I purchase them. But, I do not know if that will even help. I think I am going to have to quit my pretzel rod habit cold turkey! So, I am NOT going to buy these pretzels when I go to the store this week. I just hope the withdrawal symptoms are not too debilitating!
I remember I used to like to suck on the tips of the pretzel rods before I ate them. Then, I would proceed to use my bottom teeth to scrape the outer, brown layer of the pretzel off. Only when about two inches of the pretzels were denuded of their bark did I bite into the pretzel and fully enjoy their salty, crunchy goodness.
So, I was in heaven when I saw a big tub of these very snack items at the supermarket the other day. Only $5.99 for a tub of almost 100 pretzel rods. I had to have them!! When I got them home, I put them on my kitchen counter in a very prominent spot. And, I pointed them out to every guest I had in my house, taking the opportunity to talk about those elementary school memories with each person.
Now, just to let you know, I have been trying to be careful the past six months about what I eat. I lowered my blood sugar from an average of 300 to an average of about 110. I cannot say I am actually on a "diet", I eat what I like, I just try to be a little more thoughtful about what I consume lately. My caloric intake is probably about 2/3 of what is was 6 months ago. PORTION CONTROLLED PACKAGING has been VITAL in my struggle towards healthier habits.
I LOVE 100 calorie packs. I buy single serve ice cream treats so I will not overindulge. I buy individual bags of sun chips or cookies. I should have known that bringing a huge tub of pretzels into my house was a recipe for disaster!! And, really, what was I thinking when I put them front and center on the counter top?
I swear this pretzels are laced with some kind of highly addictive drug. At least twice a day, I find myself pulling 3 or 4 pretzel rods out of the tub and munching on them. So, what started out as a healthy snack choice has become a recipe for disaster.
At first I thought that I would keep the tub of pretzels in the cabinet or above the refrigerator next time I purchase them. But, I do not know if that will even help. I think I am going to have to quit my pretzel rod habit cold turkey! So, I am NOT going to buy these pretzels when I go to the store this week. I just hope the withdrawal symptoms are not too debilitating!
World's Easiest Macaroni and Cheese
Growing up, macaroni and cheese meant the blue box. We rarely ate mac and cheese, and when we did, it was made from a box and a package of powdered cheese. Once in a blue moon, we would order some of that gloppy, gooey mess from the local fried chicken spot. But real macaroni and cheese? My family knew nothing about it!
Then one day, my mother discovered this recipe for macaroni and cheese. It was so simple to make, and EVERYONE who tasted it loved it! My Mom made it once or twice on a holiday before she passed away, and after she was gone, I took over. Now, I prepare this macaroni and cheese every year for Christmas Eve, and sometimes for Thanksgiving as well. It never fails to please!
* 1 lb. elbow macaroni
* 1 lb. velveeta, cubed
* 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese cubed
* 1 stick butter cubed
* 1 can evaporated milk
* 1/2 tsp. black pepper
* 8 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and put back into the pot. Add velveeta, sharp cheddar, butter, evaporated milk and black pepper. Stir until velveeta begins to melt. Spread into a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle mild cheddar over the top. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake 15 minutes more until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Note: the original recipe called for the addition of a can of green chili peppers, but we never made it that way.
Then one day, my mother discovered this recipe for macaroni and cheese. It was so simple to make, and EVERYONE who tasted it loved it! My Mom made it once or twice on a holiday before she passed away, and after she was gone, I took over. Now, I prepare this macaroni and cheese every year for Christmas Eve, and sometimes for Thanksgiving as well. It never fails to please!
* 1 lb. elbow macaroni
* 1 lb. velveeta, cubed
* 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese cubed
* 1 stick butter cubed
* 1 can evaporated milk
* 1/2 tsp. black pepper
* 8 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and put back into the pot. Add velveeta, sharp cheddar, butter, evaporated milk and black pepper. Stir until velveeta begins to melt. Spread into a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle mild cheddar over the top. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake 15 minutes more until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Note: the original recipe called for the addition of a can of green chili peppers, but we never made it that way.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Salmon Cakes
I have made this recipe many times, it is my favorite use for canned salmon. It comes from Sylvia's Family Soul Food Cook Book.
I have a huge collection of cookbooks, however due to space restraints, most of them are in boxes in my closet, and totally inaccessible on a regular basis. But, I do have a collection of about 20 books that I refer back to on a regular basis, either for actual recipes or for inspiration for my own creations. This cookbook is one that I feature prominently on my living room bookshelf.
I have not yet had to opportunity to go to Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, but I have made many of her recipes at home, and all have turned out wonderfully. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
5 slices soft white bread
15 oz can salmon
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2-4 tsp vegetable oil
1. Tear the bread into small pieces and place in a medium bowl.
2. Drain the juices from the salmon over the bread and toss.
3. Add the salmon to the bowl with the bread. Add the eggs, onion, pepper and salt. Toss to combine.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat until the oil bubble when some bread crumbs are dropped in. Drop the salmon mixture by heaping soupspoonsful into the hot oil (make as many as fit in the skillet without touching). Fry until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and fry until the other side is browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining salmon mixture until it is all cooked, adding more oil if necessary.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: I usually shape the salmon patties into a disk with my hands before adding to the pan.
I have a huge collection of cookbooks, however due to space restraints, most of them are in boxes in my closet, and totally inaccessible on a regular basis. But, I do have a collection of about 20 books that I refer back to on a regular basis, either for actual recipes or for inspiration for my own creations. This cookbook is one that I feature prominently on my living room bookshelf.
I have not yet had to opportunity to go to Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, but I have made many of her recipes at home, and all have turned out wonderfully. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
5 slices soft white bread
15 oz can salmon
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2-4 tsp vegetable oil
1. Tear the bread into small pieces and place in a medium bowl.
2. Drain the juices from the salmon over the bread and toss.
3. Add the salmon to the bowl with the bread. Add the eggs, onion, pepper and salt. Toss to combine.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat until the oil bubble when some bread crumbs are dropped in. Drop the salmon mixture by heaping soupspoonsful into the hot oil (make as many as fit in the skillet without touching). Fry until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and fry until the other side is browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining salmon mixture until it is all cooked, adding more oil if necessary.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: I usually shape the salmon patties into a disk with my hands before adding to the pan.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix
Today I decided that I wanted to bake some bread. So, I almost went into my closet and pulled out the bread machine, along with one of the boxed mixes I keep on hand. But then I remembered I had something different on hand. I had a box of Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix. All I had to do was add a 12oz. can of beer (I used Budweiser) to the mix, spread it in a loaf pan, and top with 1/4 cup of melted butter. The box said you could adjust to taste, using herbs or cheese. So, I added about 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes, along with about 1/4 tsp. of Black pepper.
I put the bread in a 375 degree, preheated oven, and set the timer for 55 minutes (the instructions say 45-50 minutes, but my oven always takes longer.) I made sure to use my clay loaf pan, because I notice when I use metal pans, bread gets overcooked on the outside by the time the inside is cooked through. When the timer went off, I had a perfectly beautiful, golden brown loaf of bread.
The taste of the bread was very good, but next time, I will probably add a bit more of the garlic, pepper flakes and black pepper, and maybe a little bit of salt. I do not like the taste of beer, so I was a little nervous to try this, but it did not have that strong beer taste. The crust was tender and salty (from the butter) and was very light (I hate dark crusts on bread). The texture left a little to be desired, it was a little bit rubbery (I think I over mixed it, which the box specifically says not to do).
Overall, I really enjoyed this bread. I think it will be delicious toasted with a little bit of butter or margarine spread on top. The box says that it freezes well if you cannot use the whole loaf right away. I believe I will be making this product again, but will add a little bit more seasoning, and I will refrain from over mixing. But, I would give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I think with the addition of a little more seasoning and less mixing, this would get 4 stars.
Nutritional information:
16 servings
170 calories
3.5 g. fat
28 g. carbohydrate
I put the bread in a 375 degree, preheated oven, and set the timer for 55 minutes (the instructions say 45-50 minutes, but my oven always takes longer.) I made sure to use my clay loaf pan, because I notice when I use metal pans, bread gets overcooked on the outside by the time the inside is cooked through. When the timer went off, I had a perfectly beautiful, golden brown loaf of bread.
The taste of the bread was very good, but next time, I will probably add a bit more of the garlic, pepper flakes and black pepper, and maybe a little bit of salt. I do not like the taste of beer, so I was a little nervous to try this, but it did not have that strong beer taste. The crust was tender and salty (from the butter) and was very light (I hate dark crusts on bread). The texture left a little to be desired, it was a little bit rubbery (I think I over mixed it, which the box specifically says not to do).
Overall, I really enjoyed this bread. I think it will be delicious toasted with a little bit of butter or margarine spread on top. The box says that it freezes well if you cannot use the whole loaf right away. I believe I will be making this product again, but will add a little bit more seasoning, and I will refrain from over mixing. But, I would give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I think with the addition of a little more seasoning and less mixing, this would get 4 stars.
Nutritional information:
16 servings
170 calories
3.5 g. fat
28 g. carbohydrate
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