Orange Raspberry Trifle

In my Easter dinner post I said I would post the photos of the dessert that I was making and taking to my sister’s house. As you can see from the photos below there were a few steps involved. This is not the type of recipe I would recommend for a beginner cook but the process can be simplified. See below.

Just because I made everything from scratch doesn’t mean you have to. This could be prepared quickly with a few prepared, store bought ingredients.

Start with a prepared pound cake, a large box of instant vanilla pudding, your favorite berry jam, fresh berries and a pint of heavy whipping cream.

Whip together pint of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Increase speed until soft peaks form when beaters are removed.

Prepare the pudding as directed on the box.

While the pudding is refrigerating, slice the pound cake and spread one side of each slice with favorite jam. Begin assembly by laying 3-4 slices of pound cake at the bottom of a large bowl. Next, spoon over pudding and whipped cream followed by a layer of berries. Repeat until you have completed four layers. Top with remaining whipped cream and berries. Serve.

This is the perfect dessert for warm weather because you don’t have to use the oven. It also showcases the sweet berries of Spring and Summer.

Greens and Beets Continued

This is a continuation from my previous post on Greens and Beets.

Helpful hint: Add cooked greens to  scrambled eggs for a nutrient packed breakfast. Spinach can be added directly to the eggs as they are being scrambled. Since the spinach leaves are tender they don’t require as much cooking as the greens. You can also add some grated parmesan or bacon bits. This is a hearty, healthy breakfast.

Since this post is titled Beets and Greens I suppose I should share my “new” beet recipe. I thought I was so clever in coming up with this recipe but when I went to look at one of my cookbooks to get some ideas on wording, there it was, “Beets with Blue Cheese”. I have added a few changes. This recipe was adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese

3-4 Medium sized beets, greens removed(save beet greens and prepare as you would other greens)

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-3 Tablespoons Onion or Shallot, chopped fine

1 clove garlic minced/chopped fine or pressed through a garlic press

3 Tablespoons blue cheese crumbles

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel beets and cut into cubes the size of dice. Spread beets out evenly on a cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil. Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Put cookie sheet in the oven and roast until a fork inserts easily into the beets, about 20 minutes.

While beets are roasting in the oven heat additional tablespoon of olive  oil in a 8 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown. Quickly add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Mix together roasted beets and caramelized onions in a serving dish. Add blue cheese crumbles. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Greens and Beets

In elementary school, during lunch, I was served some of the most unappetizing food ever. What was supposed to be cooked spinach resembled pond algae. You know that green, hairy stuff that gets caught on the fishing hook when you’re reeling in your fishing line. Yep, that was on my lunch tray. Consequently, I have had a prejudice against cooked spinach or anything that might resemble it, until recently.

I decided to give spinach another chance. I found that when not overcooked it is very tasty and visually pleasing. In fact, this has changed my perspective on many vegetables I have never tried to cook myself such as greens(kale, chard, mustard and collard) and beets.

Here’s some easy tips and recipes for spinach and greens.

Spinach-1 serving

1 tablespoon EVOO or an infused oil, such as garlic or herb

1 tablespoon minced onion(green onion and shallot can be used as well)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cup raw spinach, rinse well

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Cook the garlic only a few seconds until it becomes fragrant. Using tongs quickly add spinach. Turn the spinach over quickly until is is slightly wilted. Work fast because it can become overcooked. Remove the skillet from the heat and move the spinach to a serving dish otherwise it will continue to cook. Salt and pepper spinach and add a squeeze of lemon.

Greens-1 serving

1 tablespoon EVOO or an infused oil, such as garlic or herb

1 tablespoon minced onion(green onion and shallot can be used as well)

15 crushed red pepper flakes or more depending on how much heat you want

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups greens(kale, chard, beet greens, mustard) sliced into 1/2 ribbons, rinse well

Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion is golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Cook the garlic only a few seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add greens and stir fry until tender, about 4 minutes.(Takes longer than spinach.)

I’ll be sharing a beet recipe and some other ways to incorporate greens into a daily diet over the next couple of days.

Fruits, Nuts & Healthy Snacks

After all those holiday parties and high calorie eating it is tough to resist the desire to continue over eat. One practical tip I have learned is to eat smaller meals through out the day. For example, in the morning I’ll have a piece of toast with an egg. About 2 hours later I’ll have a mid morning snack such as apples with peanut butter, cottage cheese or dried fruits and nuts. This way I’m not ravenous when lunchtime comes around and I make better choices regarding what I eat and how much. Another useful suggestion is to package dried fruits and nuts in small baggies to take with you when you’re out and about. Consequently, you won’t be tempted to stop for fast food.

FromTheFarm.com has a variety of options for healthy snacks. Here they are:

Nuts:

Walnuts: rich in Omega 3

Almonds

Dried Fruits:

Dates

Prunes

White Peaches

Nectarines

Pears

Angelino Plums

Yellow Peaches

All Natural Fruit Bars: 100% all-natural. Contains two servings of fruit and is gluten, dairy, wheat and nut free! No preservatives or additives. Comes in 4 flavors: Marionberry Blueberry, Marionberry Strawberry, Marionberry and Marionberry with Dark Chocolate. These are the consistency of a thick fruit leather. Convenient for after sports snack, on backpacking trips, pocket or purse. My favorites are the Marionberry and the Marionberrry with dark chocolate.

Gourmet Jams and Syrups

Oregon Hill Farms started with the intention of bringing that “fresh from the field flavor” into their gourmet syrups and jams. Their products are made with all natural ingredients, using only pure cane sugar. Genuine ingredients are used, adding nothing artificial – no low quality fructose corn syrups, preservatives, colors, gums, or thickening agents. As a consumer who is concerned about my health and what I put into my body I appreciate the attention to quality, natural ingredients.

Oregon Hill Farms gourmet jams and syrups taste just like homemade. The flavor of the fruit is concentrated and intense. I like the syrup on pancakes and the jams on buttermilk biscuits although you could use it on ice cream, p b & j and in jam thumbprints. I especially love the marionberry syrup.

Persimmon Cookies

I can’t think about this recipe for persimmon cookies without thinking of the home where I grew up and especially our persimmon tree. I have vivid memories of how it looked in the late fall on a landscape devoid of color. The leafless tree stood out against a drab backdrop. Its blazing orange fruit dangling on its branches like holidays bulbs hung from a Christmas tree.

When I was a child I never paid much attention to the tree with the strange looking, orange fruit. I had tried to eat an unripe persimmon once. Once. It was a lip puckering experience that I never want to repeat. However, I overcame my fear when I tasted my mom’s persimmon cookies.

Persimmon Cookies

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup Hachiya persimmon pulp(see below)

1 cup raisins, I prefer golden

1 cup walnuts, optional

Oven Temperature: 375 degrees

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together the shortening and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg, beat until well combined on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients and the persimmon pulp alternately to the shortening mixture. Mix until combined. Add raisins and nuts. Stir on low speed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Persimmons: There are two different type of persimmons. The Hachiya which is predominantly used for baking and the Fuyu for eating. When you are selecting the Hachiya persimmon make sure that it is very soft. If there is any firmness at all freeze them for a couple of days. When they thaw they will be soft enough to use. In order to puree the pulp pull the green blossom off the top of the persimmon and scoop the contents into a food processor or blender. Feel through the pulp for any seeds, remove and process the persimmon pulp until smooth. For this recipe use 4 persimmons.

German Pancake with Sauteed Apples

I am working my way through a large amount of apples and many apple recipes. I have to admit I am getting a little tired of the traditional apple bread, muffins and the like. I was intrigued when I found a recipe that called for sauteed apples. For that reason, on Saturday morning my husband made german pancake while I made the sauteed apples.

If you’ve never had german pancake you really must try it. It is a simple flour and egg mixture that puffs up as it bakes. Dollops of butter in the batter melt into golden crusty bits as the center becomes firm and quiche like. The edges bake up just like a popover. Syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit, top this savory concoction with a sweet balance.

German Pancake

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

Yield: 4 servings

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously butter a 10 inch oven proof skillet, pie plate or round baking dish and a 6 inch round oven proof dish. Beat eggs until blended. Add flour, salt, and milk to eggs. Mix together.

Pour the batter into prepared skillet/dish. Top with teaspoon sized dollops of butter.

Place in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. Serve with powdered sugar and topping of choice.

Sauteed Apples

3-4 medium sized apples

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3-4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple juice or cider

Peel and slice apples. Melt butter in 10 inch skillet.  Add apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and cider/juice. Cook until apples are fork tender. Serve over german pancake or as a side dish.

Caramel Apples

Caramel apples aren’t just for kids. There is nothing like biting into smooth, creamy caramel and getting the sweet, tart, juiciness of an apple. It’s the perfect pairing. Normally, I use store bought caramels to make caramel apples but this year I decided to try and make my own using a candy recipe. The recipe I chose came from a little homemade cookbook that I picked up from a local pumpkin farm. It was easy to make. The caramel was much better than those little squares and I didn’t have to unwrap them, either. Don’t do like I did and forget to butter the wax paper. You’ll be sorry.

Caramel Apples

10 Golden Delicious apples(I love them)

1 pound brown sugar

1 cup butter, plus some for cookie sheet(I used salted)

Dash of salt

1 cup light corn syrup

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

10 popsicle sticks(you can get them in a craft store)

Wash the apples. Insert sticks half way into the apples. Liberally butter a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Melt the butter in a 3 quart, heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sugar, salt and corn syrup. Stir well. Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until 245 degrees on a candy thermometer. Once the caramel has reached that temperature remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Immediately begin to dip the apples. Use a spoon to help coat the apples thoroughly. Place the coated apples on the well buttered cookie sheet. Be careful the caramel is very hot and sticky.

Easy Apple Strudel

Only nine days left until the official start of fall. One of the reasons I love fall is because it is also the beginning of apple season. Every year around the middle of September my family and I go up to the foot hills to pick apples. We picnic, eat caramel apples and gorge ourselves on apple turnovers. I’m sure you’re thinking we must make ourselves sick and you’re right we do. It is our way of celebrating fall and continuing an annual tradition.

The Easy Apple Strudel recipe is very easy to make, hence the name Easy Apple Strudel. I pretty much like to eat the strudel all day long.  I start with some in the morning because it is great for breakfast.  Then I have some with lunch, I count it as a “fruit”. Finally, after I eat dinner I have it for dessert. So you can see it is a multipurpose food. Even my kids like it although they say they don’t like baked goods with fruit. Whatever, kids.

Easy Apple Strudel

Crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg yolk and milk to make 2/3 cup, lightly beaten

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Blend on medium speed until all ingredients are combined. Divide dough in half. Roll out half the dough on a well floured surface. Place it in a 15×10 inch jelly roll pan.Apple Filling:

5 cups peeled and sliced apples, any type of firm apple, I prefer golden delicious

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients except the egg white. Pour over the bottom crust. Roll out the rest of the dough and place on the top of the apple mixture. Brush the top of the dough with the egg white. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and fruit is bubbling from the sides.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk

Mix together and drizzle over warm crust.

Buttermilk Pancakes

I love the weekends at my house because my husband makes breakfast.  It’s something he has always done.  In fact, I have never made the pancake recipe I’m about to share with you . That’s right, I’ve never made it. I have even used that as my excuse when he asks me to make them, occasionally. I say “I don’t know how”. He just rolls his eyes. Although I have never made this recipe I have eaten it too many times to count.

A few years ago we started a quest for a “new” pancake recipe. We wanted one that tasted similar to what you get in a restaurant. You know what I mean, right? A pancake with a fluffy, light texture and a buttery taste. You always say to yourself “Why don’t mine taste like this?” We tried one recipe after another. Some were too sweet, too tough in texture or too thick. Nothing short of perfection would satisfy us. Finally, several recipes later, EUREKA! We found one that could deliver all we wanted in a pancake. It was easy to make, fluffy, thin, not too sweet, light, airy and tender.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar can be substituted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs, buttermilk, milk, and melted butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir gently, just to blend. Batter should be lumpy and thick. Do not over mix! This is the secret to tender pancakes. Allow batter to rest for 7 minutes.

Heat a  lightly oiled griddle or pan over medium-high heat.  Use a 1/4 cup measurement for the batter.  Pour batter on to the heated griddle.  Cook until bubbles cover the surface of the pancake and remain open. Flip over gently and cook until golden brown.

Serve with butter and maple syrup, fruit syrup or homemade jam.  I like to eat them with a fine sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Helpful Tip: Freeze leftover cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet.  When they are completely frozen put the pancakes into a storage container and freeze up to a month.  These are easily reheated in the microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes.