Experiments with Molasses and Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

1 Serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

 

Pasta of your choice

½ a large sweet potato, cubed very small

2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

3 tsp white vinegar

Black Pepper

Paprika

Garlic

Basil

Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Onions (and/or other vegetables to top the pasta)

Boil pasta according to instructions. Drain. Set aside.

Boil sweet potatoes until very tender. Drain and smash. Add cream cheese, vinegar, pepper, paprika, garlic, and basil.

Sauté vegetables. Add on top.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, as desired.

Baked Latkes

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 2 serving of vegetables)

1 medium Sweet Potato

1 large white Potato

1 medium onion, chopped

2 eggs, beated

3 tsp. White Vinegar

1/4 cup Flour

Garlic

Paprika

Black Pepper

Peel and grate potatoes. Place in large bowl. Add onions, eggs, vinegar. Stir well. Add flour and spices.

Pour into well-oiled muffin tins or on a greased baking sheet. If using muffin tins, be careful of crumbling when removing. (I began with the muffin tins, removed the latkes, and resumed baking on a pan).

Bake at 350 degrees until Latkes begin to brown. Top with sour cream, and apple or cranberry sauce.

Ginger Bread Cookies

Multiple Servings/Family Size

2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 stick butter, softened

½ cup Vegetable oil

3/4 cup firmly packed Brown sugar
1/2 cup Molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Roasted Almonds

 Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed. Roll dough into large ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press down each ball with a fork. Add an almond. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown.

Apple Molasses Muffins

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 1 serving of fruit)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

1 cup Whole wheat flour
1 cup  All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Ginger

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cloves
1 stick Butter, softened
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup Molasses
1 cup Buttermilk or 

      2 Tbsp Sour Cream mixed with water to make 1 cup.
2 large apples, cored, and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

                                                  
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place 18 paper muffin cups in muffin tins.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat butter and the brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, molasses and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk (or sour cream mixture) gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling with a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin tins and cool.

As the weather gets colder, my kitchen gets warmer. . .

Spaghetti Squash has been a staple in my diet these last few weeks. It's so versatile and delicious, and yet somehow I have neglected to post a recipe. Here is a basic marinara for you to enjoy. It can be mixed with regular pasta, but it definitely doesn't need to be.

This granola is a variation on my mom's family famous recipe. If you're like me, mixing cereal is the way to go. I often combine this flavor-filled granola with Cheerios or Shredded Wheat.

And yesterday I go an immense hankering for Potato Leek soup, so I made my way to the store and purchased the desired ingredients. I'm glad I did. It turned out marvelously.

Potato Leek Soup

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 3-4 servings of vegetables)

3 tsp. Butter

Garlic

3 Large Leeks, chopped

1 cup ground Turkey

5 Medium Red Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Carton of Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Black Pepper

Paprika

Parsley

3 tsp. White Vinegar

In large soup pot, sauté leeks and garlic in a butter. Add ground turkey and zucchini, black pepper and paprika. Stir until vegetables begin to brown. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Once potatoes are soft, add parsley and vinegar.

 

Granola

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 1 serving of fruit)

*Inspired by my mother, Sharon Rediner

3 oz Oil

3 oz Honey

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 cups Oats

¼ cup Flax Seed, Roasted

½-1 cup Chopped Nuts (I used almonds)

Cranberries or Raisins

Measure out oats, flax seed and nuts into a large bowl. In a small sauce pan, bring oil, honey and cinnamon to a boil. Pour contents of sauce pan over oats, etc, stirring well.

Pour oats, etc. onto a greased edged cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Half way through, stir to prevent sticking. When done baking, let sit in cookie sheet for 3 hours, or overnight. 

Spaghetti Squash Marinara 

1 Serving (includes 4 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Garlic

Onions, chopped

Mushrooms, chopped

Green beans (frozen or fresh)

Spaghetti Squash, pre-cooked (Click here for instructions)

4 oz Tomato Pasta

3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Italian Herbs

Black Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Sauté onions, garlic, mushrooms and green beans in small amount of oil olive. Add spaghetti squash. Cook until vegetables begin to brown. Add tomato paste, water, vinegar and herbs. Continue to heat and stir until well-blended. Top with parmesan cheese.

 

Christmas Cookies and Chili

Two Cookies, One Dough

Yesterday some friends and I made Christmas cookies. We ingeniously invented a wonderful Candy Cane glaze for the regular sugar cookies.  For the second style of cookie, I decided to add some cocoa powder and make two colors for pinwheels!

3 ¾ cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup unsalted Butter, softened

1 ½ cup White Sugar

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cocoa Powder

Green Sprinkles

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed into dough. Divide in half. Cover one portion and place in refrigerator to chill for ½ hour-2 hour. Divide the second half in half again. Take the one of the second portion and kneed in cocoa powder. Cover the two dough portions and place in refrigerator to chill.

Sugar Cookies

Once dough is chilled, roll out the plain dough between two sheets of wax paper. Cut with cookie cutters, as desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Candy Cane Glaze

½ cup Powdered Sugar

3 or so Tbsp water

1 Candy Cane, crushed

Mix powdered sugar and water until glaze reaches a soupy consistency. Add crushed candy canes.

Spoon over cooled cookies. Allow to set for about 1 hour. Add green sprinkles if desired.

Pinwheel Cookies

Now take the second two portions of dough. Divide each section in half. Roll out each portion between two pieces of wax paper. Layer on top of each other, every other color. With a sharp knife, cut away a two-inch strip. Roll the dough into a log. Slowly cut ¼-inch circles from log. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat until dough is gone.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Half way through, add sprinkles, if desired.

Vegetable and Bean Chili

If you remember, my old soup pot bit the dust. So I was on the hunt for a new one. I found this beauty last week at Home Goods. For its inauguration, I decided to make some chili.

Olive Oil

Garlic

1 Purple Onion, chopped

1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

6 or some Mushrooms, chopped

1 can Low Sodium Black Beans

1 can Low Sodium Kidney Beans

1 can of Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes

1 can Low Sodium Chicken Broth, or 8 oz homemade broth

1 can Tomato Paste

½ tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Cocoa Powder

Chili Powder (to taste, but at least 2 Tbsp)

Paprika (to taste)

Italian Spices

Black Pepper

3 tsp. White Vinegar

Sauté onions, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add sweet potatoes and zucchini. Cook until vegetables begin to tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer until sweet potatoes are soft. Then add vinegar.

Thanksgiving!

I am sorry it has been a few weeks since I last posted. I am without a laptop, and it really does hinder my ability to share my recipes. But fear not, I have not abandoned the kitchen!

Here are some Thanksgiving recipes for you. With the exception of “Stephie’s Potatoes” everything in this post is low-sodium.

In our family it is a Thanksgiving tradition for the siblings to do most of the cooking. My sister made the potatoes (as well as some mashed) and my brother made the pies. The cranberry sauce at the end is a recipe from my roommate Jen. It was not present for this particular meal, but it is such a good recipe I needed to share it. You will also notice that I did not include a turkey recipe. I have nothing against turkey, but I am definitely not an expert in that field. Our Thanksgiving turkey was delicious, but it had more to do with the excellent stuffing inside and the onions and garlic around the edges.

Enjoy!

Sorrel Stuffing

Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

12 pieces of bread, cubed and toasted

2-3 bunches of Sorrel, fresh or frozen from the summer, chopped into small pieces. (You can also use Spinach or Swiss Chard)

½ pt. Carton of Heavy Whipping Cream

3 tsp. Yellow Mustard

2 tsp. Garlic

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. Sage

1 tsp. Thyme

3 Tbsp. Water

(2 tsp. Lemon juice if you don’t use Sorrel)

Sauté onions and oil in large frying pan.

Pour into large bowl with toasted bread and sorrel. Add whipping cream, mustard, water, and spices.

Stir together.

Stuff into turkey or bake in large glass dish with lid at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Stephie’s Potatoes

Red Potatoes, washed well and cubed

Vegetable Oil

Water

Soy Sauce

Parsley

Garlic

Pepper

Pour ¼ inch oil in the bottom of a large glass dish. Add ½ inch water. Pour in potatoes. Liberally add soy sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, pepper and garlic powder.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, stir with metal spatula.

Sweet Potato Fries

Olive Oil

Sweet Potatoes

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Thyme

Peel and cut potatoes into long strips. Pour oil on the bottom of an edged-baking pan. Add potatoes, stirring to coat with the oil. Sprinkle with herbs and spices.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until they start to brown. Half way through, stir with metal spatula.

Apple Pie

Recipe by Sharon Redinger, made by Isaac Redinger

Crust:

1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour

¼ tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Mazola oil

3 Tbsp. Cold water

Stir together and form into ball. Set aside 1/3 for crumble top. Roll 2/3 portion between two pieces of wax paper. Place in pie dish. Embellish the edges as desired.

Filling:

Apples, cubed

1/4 cup Flour

1/3 stick Butter

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

Boil apples for about 10 minutes in a small amount of water. Pour apples onto crust, in a heaping pile. Sprinkle with flour, sugar, cinnamon and pats of butter. Crumble remaining crust on top.

Place two long pieces of tin foil on the table, in the shape of a cross. Place pie pan at the center. Fold up the edges so only a four-inch circle remains open.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes with foil, and another 30 minutes with foil folded down.

Cranberry Sauce

Recipe from Jennifer Risz

1 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water

2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Allspice

1/8 tsp Cloves

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ginger

Bring all ingredients to a boil in heavy saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until most of Cranberries burst. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

The Joy of One's Own Kitchen

 

This past weekend I attended a retreat/conference in Wisconsin. The weather was beautiful and chilly, I got to hang out with new and old friends, and I was blessed to hear some really good speakers. The one thing I missed was my kitchen. The food was good, but most of it I had to eat around, skirting the sauces and seasonings to avoid the sodium. I was glad to get home and know that I could make healthy, delicious meals. 

That being said, I made this soup a couple weeks ago. My brother was rolling through town on his way back from working at an organic farm in Georgia, so I thought I'd make him some veggie-filled soup. It turned out marvelous, but the funny thing is, it could not stay in the pot. I'm not kidding, I dropped it twice. Once when the soup pot handle fell off and a second time when a wet plastic container slid through my fingers. It was rather pathetic, yet fortunately I only lost two bowls worth to the floor. Let this be a lesson in securing hardware and drying tupperware.

Tomato Lentil Soup

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 3-4 servings of vegetables)
*This recipe is borrowed from my cousin Shannon*

2 T. Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

2 cups Veggies, chopped (I used Zucchini and Butternut Squash, but you can also use Carrots and Celery)

Garlic

1 ½ cups dried Lentils

5 ½ cup Water or 1 carton Broth + water  to equal 5 ½ cups

Parsley

Oregano

Chili Powder

1- 8 oz can Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Black Pepper

Crumbled Feta

In a frying pan, sauté onions and garlic until they start to brown. Pour into Soup Pot. Sauté other vegetables in same oil and pan, just to brown a little. Add to soup pot.

Rinse and sort lentils. Pour in. Add water or broth/water combo, tomato paste, chili powder, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until hard vegetable are tender.

Stir in vinegar and pepper.

Sprinkle with Feta Cheese, if desired.

Spaghetti Squash and Green Beans over Pasta

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Garlic

Green Beans, frozen or fresh

Pasta of your choice

Spaghetti Squash

1 Tbsp Butter

Black Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

To cook squash, slice length-wise, into halves or quarters. Scoop out seeds. Place face down in a deep pan with 3/4-1 cup water. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes. Once cooled enough to touch, scrape out of skin with a fork. This recipe calls for 1 cup of squash. Set aside the rest for later recipes.

Add butter, garlic and pepper. Stir well.

Cook/heat up green beans in a small pot with water and garlic.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Stir everything together and add balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic Tuna Primavera

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Onion

Red Bell Pepper

Tomato

1 Can of Tuna

Basil

Black pepper

Pasta of your choice

Balsamic Vinegar

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside.

Sauté vegetables in small amount of olive oil. Add tuna, balsamic vinegar, basil and pepper.

Stir everything together. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.