Chocolate Zucchini Brownie Cake

Amazing  Chocolate Zucchini Cake!

(from my friend, Kim, who is more like a sister,  in Edmonton, 2012)

1 pkg devils food cake mix

½ cup coca cola
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil

1 ½ cups grated zucchini ( unpeeled) About 1 medium
2 cups chocolate chips

I cheated, and stopped at McDonald's to get a cup of coke.....

Mix together first 4 ingredients, and once combined, and smooth, fold in zucchini and the chocolate chips. The original recipe said to only use 1 cup, but I tossed in both……

Pour into 9x13 greased pan, sprinkle with more chocolate chips if you want. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  I served it with Red Velvet Frozen Yogurt…….

                                         YUMMMMMM.....

Blueberry bestest Muffins

 I  love these muffins. This time I threw in some frozen raspberries....wonderful. Just love the colour and taste.  Got bored with just making ordinary blueberry muffins....these are pretty, pretty, pretty.

 

BEST BLUEBERRY/Orange or Lemon MUFFINS

(Healthy and wonderful, still warm from the oven)

**Soured Milk: Splash a good dollop of lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add fresh milk up to the ¾ line.  Can also use fresh buttermilk, if you choose.

1 cup unbleached  flour       2 large eggs

1 cup whole wheat              ½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder           ¼ cup canola oil
Pinch kosher salt                  1 cup unsweetened applesauce        
¼ tsp baking soda                1 tblsp grated orange/lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract              ¾ cup soured milk (see above)
1 cup blueberries AND  a cup of raspberries

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray  muffin pans with veggie spray.

2.   Combine all dry ingredients.

3.   Combine wet ingredients, leaving blueberries separate.

4.   FOLD dry into wet.

5.   Add blueberries. Do NOT over mix, of the muffins will be tough.

6.   Portion the batter between the muffin cups, filling them up to the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.

7.   Bake at 400 for about 19 minutes, then add a minute or so, if needed, after testing to see if done.

8.   These are so light, and tender. Wonderful. They will disappear in a flash.

Apple Kuchen Bread

APPLE KUCHEN  BREAD

1 tsp sugar, ¼ cup warm water, 2 ¼ tsp yeast  mixed and let stand 10 minutes

1 cup milk
½ cup marg
½ cup sugar
Pinch kosher salt

Add these four ingredients to yeast mixture.

2 cups flour

1 egg

Add these two ingredients to mixture.

2 cups flour

Add this ingredient to mixture. Combine. Cover bowl. Chill in fridge for 2 hours. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Press each portion into greased pan ( used a 9 x 13” but 9x 9” works well).  Press up sides to make edges.

TOPPING

Cut: 4 apples cut into thin slices.

COMBINE: ¼ cup melted marg, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Press apples into dough. Slather with topping mixture. I use my hand, as it works a bit easier.

BAKE: 375 oven for about 30 minutes till brown. Serve warm or cold

SPICED PICKLED BEETS

Spiced Pickled Beets ( 2012)

(Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, providing anti-inflammatory  and detoxification support.Other foods containing this: chard, spinach, and quinoa.)

2 nice sized bunches of beets (guesstimated)

Pickling Mixture:
½ cup red wine vinegar or balsamic
½ cup water
2 tbsp sugar
Grind or two of pepper
Pinch or two of kosher salt
Pinch of garlic
½ tsp of cinnamon
Sprinkling of parsley
¼ cup olive oil
Pinch of nutmeg

Cut ends and top beets, leaving about 2 inches of stalk.  After washing, simmer  about 20- 40 minutes till tender. Test with fork. Do not eat at this point ( though they are wonderful, just like this). Drain. Put beets aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, skim off the skin, and top the remains of the stalks. In same pot that has been drained, put all of the pickling mixture. Boil this this about 5 minutes. Put skimmed beets into a container, pour over the hot pickling mixture. Keep covered in fridge……enjoy. Nibble at those betalains, every chance you get!

Tunisian Couscous

Quick way to make cousous with as many veggies as you can stuff in the pot. Seasoned with smoky paprika, cardamom and orange zest.......

Cook veggies in large pot with a few tablespoons olive oil. Use a mix of onion, zucchini, carrot, pepper (various colours), mushrooms, broccoli, 2 chopped tomatoes, a pinch or two of  grated orange peel,cilantro.

Add a can of chick peas or lentils, if you wish. Make sure veggies are cooked, and not raw.

Pour in a carton of veggie broth. Add seasonings:
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp cardamom
pinch salt and grind of pepper as you wish
After it bubbles. Take off stove and pour in about 2 cups of dry couscous. Let stand till fluffy. Serve with a sprinkling of almonds,if you want, as a main dish, or as a side dish.

Tumeric and Cinnamon Ginger Veggies with Lentils

This is good as a side dish. Or a main dish. Has a different flavour and aroma when the cinnamon and ginger mix with.......I used a large crock pot and just filled it with the various veggies,chopped in chunks, kind of haphazardly. Worked well.

TUMERIC/CINNAMON/GINGER Veggies with Lentils
Chop up a mix of turnips, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, onions, celery, and pile into crock pot.
Toss in about 3/4 cup of  lentils  and mix with veggies.
Add  a carton of veggie broth and some water, to cover.
Add spices and herbs ( 1/4 tsp  each): basil, tumeric, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, kosher salt
Add handful of chopped cilantro.
Add a cup of canned tomatoes.

Cook for about 6 hours tilll tender. Wonderful flavour. May have to adjust seasonings.

BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I have tested out a lot of blueberry muffin recipes. Incorporates applesauce instead of margarine or butter.....this is the best I have found so far.....quite to drool for........

BEST BLUEBERRY/Orange or Lemon MUFFINS

(Healthy and wonderful, still warm from the oven)
**Soured Milk: Splash a good dollop of lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add fresh milk up to the ¾ line.  Can also use fresh buttermilk, if you choose.

1 cup unbleached  flour       2 large eggs
1 cup whole wheat              ½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder           ¼ cup canola oil
Pinch kosher salt                  1 cup unsweetened applesauce        
¼ tsp baking soda                1 tblsp grated orange/lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract              ¾ cup soured milk (see above)
1 ½ cups blueberries

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray  muffin pans with veggie spray.
2.   Combine all dry ingredients.
3.   Combine wet ingredients, leaving blueberries separate.
4.   FOLD dry into wet.
5.   Add blueberries. Do NOT over mix, of the muffins will be tough.
6.   Portion the batter between the muffin cups, filling them up to the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.
7.   Bake at 400 for about 19 minutes, then add a minute or so, if needed, after testing to see if done.
8.   These are so light, and tender. Wonderful. They will disappear in a flash.

Healthy Mac and Cheese

HEALTHY MAC and CHEESE (this is amazing.........lots of flavour. You will never want regular mac and cheese ever again.....well, maybe once or twice.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

(Or buy a couple of packages of frozen)

1 cup veggie broth

1 ½ cups skim milk or soy milk

1 tsp nutmeg

1.    Combine the above in a saucepan and let simmer about 20 minutes. Purree or mash till of desired consistency.

Handful of cilantro

Palmful of dried parsley
Coarse salt, to taste
Grated pepper
(Cayenne pepper, to taste, if you wish…..bleh)
1 pound elbow/shell macaroni ( brown rice is good)

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup ricotta skim milk cheese

Handful of breadcrumbs for scattering on top

1.    Combine everything in large bowl, add purreed squash mixture.

2.   Pile all into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3.   Bake at 375 about 20 minutes or so.

This is a WONDERFUL dish. Light. Has good taste. Not gloppy like regular mac and cheese. Time for Energizer Bunny Dance! It's THAT good....

Citrus Sugar Cookies

These are tea cookies. Next time I would make them 3x larger!  I found they were nicer sandwiched between a sharp jam, then baked.  Freeezes well.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES  (2009)

(This recipe gets 7 stars *******light and crisp on outside and soft on inside….lovely hint of lemon. However, I used orange this time. )

2 cups butter                             2 tsp grated lemon peel
4 cups powdered sugar           6 ½ cups flour
4 eggs                                         1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp lemon juice                    Pinch of coarse salt
3 tbsp ½ and ½ cream             Raw sugar for sprinkling

1.Cream butter, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time (Otherwise they do not mix well.)

2.Beat in lemon juice, cream and peel.

3.Combine flour, baking soda and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture.

4.Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or dough will be soft and gloopy. ( You do not want gloopy….butter needs to become solid in the dough)

5.On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with  cookie cutters dipped in flour.

6.Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets…..use Silpat liners or parchment….do not grease the pans.

7.Sprinkle cookies with coarse raw sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes till browned lightly.  Cool on wire racks.

***You can also roll dough into logs and freeze till later.

 Cut in circles, spread dough with jam, top with another circle and bake at 350 about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled.

   Looks lovely.