YumSugar

Handmade with Love – Fruit Tarts

glitzy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:36:32 -0800

With Valentine's Day round the corner, maybe it's time to get busy in the kitchen and bake some sweet desserts for your loverboy!
INGREDIENTS

Pastry

1/4 lb butter, cold, chopped into pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 egg yolks

Custard

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk (full fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

3/4 cup apricot jam
Various fresh fruits (or canned)

PROCEDURES
1. To make pastry: Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in sugar and egg yolks, press mixture together to form a ball and refrigerate in plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Meanwhile, make custard: In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and flour until the mixture turns thick and pale. Then, heat the milk in saucepan until it is almost boiling, remove from heat. Slowly dribble in hot milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously, until all of milk has been added. Return custard to pot and cook, over medium-low heat, until custard has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (5-7 minutes). Place piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of custard (this prevents a 'skin' from forming) and allow to cool completely.
3. Roll pastry between two sheets of wax paper, making the pastry large enough to cover base and sides of a buttered 9-inch fluted tart pan.

i) Place sheet of foil into pastry and fill with pie weights (we used rice grains). Trim edges of the foil. ii) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and rice grains from the pastry and bake a further 5 minutes. iii) Allow the pastry to cool. 4. To assemble: Spoon custard into baked pie crust and smooth. Place pieces of fruit attractively over the tart. Heat apricot jam until it is quite liquid and brush this generously over the fresh fruit to set and seal the tart. Refrigerate the tarts.
Voila!

Yummy Valentine’s Day Treats to Make Tonight!

PinkNC — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:09:14 -0800

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I think these would be a lovely Valentine’s Day surprise for just about anyone special in your life: your man, your best friend, your mom. Extra credit if you make a few batches and take them into work. I guarantee your co-workers will love you.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 10 medium cookie pies (cake recipe adapted from My Baking Heart)

1-1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1/2 c + 2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk * (you can make buttermilk by combining 1 Tbsp white vinegar or Lemon Juice. and pouring in milk til you reach 1 cup. Let sit for 5 min = buttermilk!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

Beat butter with the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

Place heaping tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Spread a teeny bit but not too much, otherwise you'll end up with pancakes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Once cool, frost half with cream cheese frosting and sandwich the rest together.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Soften the cream cheese and butter slightly and beat. Add in the vanilla. When combined pour in the confectioner's sugar stirring throughout.

Take your time preparing this dish and when presenting your treats on a beautiful platter for you and your mate

Here are some questions: Do you ever bake or make presents? What sorts of gifts do you usually give? Is your man a good cook? Who would you make these yummy whoopie pies for?
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Yummy Valentine’s Day Treats to Make Tonight!

PinkNC — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:05:35 -0800

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 10 medium cookie pies (cake recipe adapted from My Baking Heart)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

Beat butter with the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

Once cool, frost half with cream cheese frosting and sandwich the rest together.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Soften the cream cheese and butter slightly and beat. Add in the vanilla. When combined pour in the confectioner's sugar stirring throughout.

Take your time preparing this dish and when presenting your treats on a beautiful platter for you and your mate

Here are some questions: Do you ever bake or make presents? What sorts of gifts do you usually give? Is your man a good cook? Who would you make these yummy whoopie pies for?
.
.
.

Yummy Valentine’s Day Treats to Make Tonight!

PinkNC — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:59:19 -0800

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 10 medium cookie pies (cake recipe adapted from My Baking Heart)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

Beat butter with the sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

Once cool, frost half with cream cheese frosting and sandwich the rest together.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Soften the cream cheese and butter slightly and beat. Add in the vanilla. When combined pour in the confectioner's sugar stirring throughout.

Take your time preparing this dish and when presenting your treats on a beautiful platter for you and your mate

Here are some questions: Do you ever bake or make presents? What sorts of gifts do you usually give? Is your man a good cook? Who would you make these yummy whoopie pies for?
.
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.

Food Journal

insanitypepper — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:28:03 -0800

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Today's Water & Fruit / Veggie Serving consumption.
what's this | view progress

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Tuesday January 26

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Chicken Not Pie

Monique Marie — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:45:59 -0800

Chicken Not-Pie

If your kids are fans of April Fools' Day, they'll love digging into this surprise dessert version of a traditional comfort food. Our convincing potpie is easy to make and has a flaky pastry top crust, just like the classic dish. But while the real deal is filled with chicken and vegetables in savory sauce, ours features candy and fruit look-alikes in sweet, creamy pudding. It's the perfect unexpected treat for this most mischievous of holidays.

Ingredients

1 (4 1/2-inch) aluminum foil potpie tin
1 refrigerated piecrust (most 15-ounce packages contain 2 crusts, enough for 6 of our pies)
Aluminum foil
1 egg (makes enough for 6 pies)
2 tablespoons water

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla or white-chocolate pudding (1 box makes enough for 3 pies)
1 yellow and 2 orange Starburst candies
1 green Chewy Jolly Rancher candy or green Tootsie Roll candy (we found the green Starburst candies to be too pale)
1 banana (makes enough for 6 pies)
1 to 2 dried apple rings or a 4-ounce bar of white chocolate (1 bar is enough for 6 pies)

Instructions

Bake the crust:Heat the oven to 450°. Unroll or unfold a piecrust on your work surface. Using the upside-down potpie tin as a guide, cut a circle of dough about 1/2 inch larger than the tin. (If you're making more than one potpie, simply cut another circle from the dough. Reroll the scraps to cut out a third.) Crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a 1 1/2-inch ball and set it in the potpie tin. Cover it with a layer of foil to create a smooth mound, then lay the circle of dough on top. (A)
Now press the tines of a fork around the edge of the dough to crimp it, then use the fork to gently poke a few holes in the crust. (B)
Beat the egg with the water, then brush the mixture over the dough.
Set the pie tin on a baking sheet and bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Let it cool completely.
Make the filling:Prepare the pudding according to the package directions and refrigerate until serving time.
Create the faux chicken and vegetables:To make the Starburst or Tootsie Roll candies easier to work with, place them unwrapped on a paper plate and warm them in the microwave just until they're slightly softened, about 12 to 15 seconds. (The Jolly Rancher candies will soften from the warmth of your hands.) Once you've shaped them, lay the candies on waxed paper or a paper plate, set apart from each other so they won't stick together.
Corn kernels: Roll the yellow candy between your hands or on a clean work surface to create a 4-inch-long rope, then use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces. With your fingers, form each piece into a kernel by flattening one end and pinching the other.
Chicken: Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the apple rings into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. If you're using white chocolate, chop or break it into roughly 1/2-inch-wide pieces.
Peas: Roll the green candy into a 5-inch-long rope. Cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces, then roll each piece into a ball.
Potatoes: Peel the banana, slice off three 1/4-inch-thick pieces, then cut each piece into small cubes.
Cubed carrots: Cut each orange candy into 4 squares.
Assemble the pie:Just before serving time, spoon about 2/3 cup of the pudding into the pie tin.
Add the candies and the fruit to the pudding, then set the piecrust on top.

AROMAS FROM HEAVEN

Monique Marie — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:30:41 -0800

Want to buy some candles that actually smell up a room and tired of paying over $20 for just one candle? Even though these candles are a little more than I would pay for on a daily basis, I really LOVE these candles. They are all home made and they really smell up a room and last forever. Plus, I guess I am a little bias because the candles that I bought were from an elderly gentleman trying to make some money. He was at the only booth out of the whole entire fair that did not have a fan or an awning and it was at least 80 degrees out. I could tell that he used most of his money to buy himself a spot. This company not only produces high quality, good smelling candles, but they are one of the nicest companies I have dealt with. So, if you are looking for some candles as presents or just would like to buy some candles, check this site out.

www.aromasfromheaven.org

16 oz candle is $14.00 Below are the scents they come in.

Almond / Amaretto / Amber Romance / Ambrosia / Angel Whisper's / Angel Wing's / Apple / Apple Blossom / Apple Cinnamon / Apple Fritter / Apple Pie / Apples & Berries / Apples & Clove / Apples & Oak / Apricot / Apricot Freesia / Aroma Therapy / Autumn Afternoon / Autumn Leaves / Baby Magic / Baby Powder / Banana / Banana Nut Bread / Bayberry / Bedazzled / Bergamont / Berries Jubilee / Berry Cobbler / Beulah Land / Birthday Cake / Blackberry / Blackberry Cheesecake / Blackberry Tea / Black Cherry / Black Raspberry Vanilla / Blue Lagoon / Blueberry / Blueberry Cheesecake / Blueberry Cream / Blueberry Muffin / Bounce / Brown Sugar / Brown Sugar & Fig / Brown Sugar & Spice / Bubble Gum / Buttercream Frosting / Butterfly Kisses / Buttermilk Pancakes / Butternut Cookies / Butterscotch / Butterscotch Candy / Buttery Toffee / Buttery Vanilla / Calm / Candy Cane / Candy Corn / Cantaloupe / Cappuccino / Caribbean Cool / Carmel Apple / Carmel Toffee / Carnation / Carrot Cake / Cedar / Chamomile / Chamomile & Lavender / Chanel #5 / Cherry / Cherry Almond / Cherry Blossom / Cherry Cheesecake / Cherry Cream / Cherry Jubilee / Cherry Vanilla / China Rain / Chocolate / Chocolate Cake / Chocolate Chip Cookie / Chocolate Covered Cherry / Chocolate Mint / Chocolate Mint Cookie / Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup / Christmas Clove / Christmas Cookie / Christmas Essence / Christmas Eve / Christmas Spice / Christmas Splendor / Christmas Tree / Christmas Wreath / Cinnamon / Cinnamon Bun / Cinnamon Candy / Cinnamon & Cedar / Cinnamon & Clove / Cinnamon Crunch / Cinnamon Pear / Cinnamon Rose / Cinnamon Spice / Cinnamon Styx / Citrus Blast / Clean Cotton / Clove / Coconut / Coconut Cream / Coconut Lime / Coconut Lime Verbina / Coffee / Coffee Cake / Concord Grape / Cookie Jar / Cool Water / Cotton Blossom / Cotton Candy Red / Cotton Candy Blue / Cotton Cany Vanilla / Country Berry Hot Cakes / Country Clothesline / Country Fresh / Country Spice / Cranberry / Cranberry Ice / Cranberry Orange / Cranberry Plum Cranberry Spice / Creme Brulee / Cucumber & Cantaloupe / Cucumber Melon / Daddodil / Diane's Garden / Dogwood / Downy / Dragon's Blood (Flower) / Drakkar / Dream Angel / Deaamsickle / Dutch Apple Crunch / Egg Nog / Egyptian Musk / Elf Toots / Emerald Pear / English Lavender / Eucalyptus / Eucalyptus Leaf / Euphoria / Exotica / FaBreeze / Fall Fruit / Fantasy Fruit / Field of Dreams / Fireside / Fireside Apple Pie / Fireside Embers / Fireside Pumpkin / First Snow / Frankincense / Frankincense & Myrhh / Freesia / French Toast / French Vanilla / French Vanilla Coffee / Fresh & Clean / Fresh Baked Bread / Fresh Clover / Fresh Cut Grass / Fresh Cut Roses / Fresh Linen / Fresh Rain / Fresh Squeezed Orange / Fried Ice Cream / Fruit Slices / Fuzzy Navel / Gardenia / Georgia Peach / Gingerbread / Gingerbread Spice / God's Love / Golden Delicious Apple / Grandma's Kitchen / Grapefruit / Green Apple / Green Clover & Aloe / Green Tea / Green Tea & Ginger / Green Tea & Cucumber / Harvest / Harvest Berries / Harvest Spice / Hawaiian Delight / Hawaiian Ginger / Hawaiian Paradiese / Hawthorne / Hawthorne & Dogwood / Hazelnut / Hazelnut Coffee / Heart's Song / Heather / Heaven / Heavenly Angel / Holly Berry / Home For The Holidays / Home Sweet Home / Honeydew Melon / Honeysuckle / Hot Apple Cider / Hot Baked Apple Pie / Hot Buttered Rum / Hot Cider & Cinnamon / Hot Cinnamon Apples / Hot Cocoa / Hot Fudge Brownies / Hot Maple Toddy / Hyacinth / Hydrangia / Irish Cream / Island Paradise / Issey Miyake / Jade / Jasmine / Jelly Bean / Juniper Breeze / Kahlua & Cream / Kitchen Spices / Kiss Me All Over / Kiwi / Lady Bug / Lavender / Lavender & Violet / Leather Black / Leather Brown / Lemon / Lemon Cake / Lemon Lime / Lemon Lime Verbina / Lemongrass / Lilac / Lilly of The Valley / Lime / Love / Love Spell vs type / Macintosh Apple / Magnolia / Mango / Mango & Mandarin / Mango & Papaya / Maple Brown Sugar / Maple Pecan / Maraschino Cherry / Meditation / Mid Night Musk / Mid Summer Night / Mint Chocolate / Mintolyptus / Mistletoe / Mixes Berries / Mocha Cream / Mountain Berries / Mount Laurel / Mountain Lodge / Mountain Mist / Mulberry / Mulberry Spice / Mulled Cider / Mulled Wine / Muscadine / Musk / Myrhh / Natures Embrace / Nilla Scotchy / Noble Fir / Nutmeg / Oatmeal Raisin Cookie / Obsession / Obession & Patchouli / Ocean Breeze / Odor Eliminator / Old Fashion Christmas / Orange / Orange Blossom / Orange Clove / Orange Dreamsickle / Orange Sherbert / Passion Fruit / Patchouli / Peach / Peaches & Cream / Peanut Butter Cookie / Peanut Butter CUp / Pear / Pears & Berries / Pecan Pie / Peony / Peony & Tulip / Peppermint / Pina Colada / Pine Forest / Pine Mountain / Pine Needles / Pineapple / Pineapple Upside Down Cake / Pineapple Paradise / Pineapple Verbina / Pink Grapefruit / Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine / Pink Lemonade / Pleasures / Plum Pudding / Plumeria / Pomegranite / Potpouri / Primrose / Pumpkin Harvest / Pumpkin Pie / Pumpkin Pie Spice / Pumpkin Spice / Rain Tree / Red Currant / Red Hots Candy / Relaxations / Roodbeer / Rose / Rose & Sweet Pea / Rudolph's Kisses / Sage / Sage & Citrus / Sandalwood / Sassafrass / Sea Breeze / Serintiy / Sleighbells / Smoke Eliminator / Snickerdoodle / Spearmint / Spice / Spice Cake / Spiced Apples / Spiced Cider / Spiced Mulberry / Spiced Orange / Spiced Patchouli / Spiced Pear / Spiced Raspberry / Spicy Apple Pie / Storm Watch / Spring Flowers / Spring Rain / Spring Showeres / Strawberry / Strawberry Champagne / Strawberry Kiwi / Strawberry Margarita / Strawberry Patchouli / Strawberry Shortcake / Sugar Bear / Sugar Cookie / Summer Rain / Sun Ripened Raspberry / Sunflower / Sweet Almond / Sweet Cinnamon / Sweet Cream / Sweet Dreams / Sweet Pea / Sweet Pea & Lilly / Sweet Pea & Patchouli / Tangerine Dreams / Tea Rose / Toasted Marshmellow / Tootsie Roll / Tropical Fruit / Tulips / Vanilla / Vanilla Bean / Vanilla Cinnamon / Vanilla Clove / Vanilla Cookie / Vanilla Jasmine / Vanilla Hazelnut / Vanilla Heather / Vanilla Ice / Vanilla Lace / Vanilla Lavender / Vanilla Patchouli / Vanilla Pumpkin / Vanilla Sandalwood / Vanilla Spice / Verbina / Very Sexy / Violets / Warm Summer Day / Warm Vanilla Sugar / Watermelon / Wedding Cake / White Eucalyptus / White Diamonds / White Linen / White Tea / White Tea & Ginger / Wild Berries / Winter Pear / Wisteria

There are other sizes and soy candles available, plus oil for oil burners. Check the site out, they have some awesome stuff.

Rum Pumpkin Cupcakes

lengel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:57:35 -0700

Every weekend I have this little obsession of browsing through the recipes of Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Martha Stewart & Sunset magazines in search for a little inspiration or a recipe that is unique and fun. This Sunday I had a hankering for something Fall, Halloween themed and Sassy. Something that I could easily ship to work to feed my coworkers and something that I could add a personal twist too. There's nothing like the personal twists!

My eyes fell upon the mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes in this month's Bon Appetit (Page 52 to be exact). I noticed they mentioned the cupcakes were "kid-sized" so I decided to add some Rum to the batter as there are no kids in this household! These are now the Working Girl's "bite-sized" Sassy Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes that will wow any adult crowd.

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Bon Appetit, October 2009

1 cup self rising flour
(1 Cup flour + 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/8 teaspoon salt)
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
(1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ginger + 1/8 tsp nut
meg + 1/8 tsp cloves)
1 large free range egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (pure! pumpkin)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use Spectrum Canola Oil)
1/3 cup organic Greek yogurt (substitution for sour cream)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Dark Rum (or to your discretion)
1 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger (optional, but worth it)
1 cup powdered sugar
nonfat milk
1/2 lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line your mini muffin pan with paper liners (I skipped this step . . . no motivation to drive to the grocery store)

Cupcakes
In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking
soda, salt, golden brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice. In a medium bowl mix together the wet ingredients: egg, canned pumpkin, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, rum. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine. Spoon batter into paper liners (or just the muffin tin).

Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. I baked my cupcakes at 335 F convention bake for 12 minutes, they turned out perfect. The Bon Appetit bake time is 16 minutes.

Frosting
In a bowl combine the powdered sugar, a drop of nonfat milk and just a small squeeze of a lemon. Combine with a fork to the texture you desire. I wanted my frosting thick so didn't add too much liquid. (If you enjoy the cream cheese butter frostings, go right ahead and use the one in Bon Appetit)

Once the cupcakes have cooled, gently spread on the frosting.

This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner

emilyplayscello — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:18:03 -0800

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I had the honor of cooking dinner for a small group of four people. The meal was vegetarian (actually vegan, except for one dessert), mostly organic, with no added sugar and nothing refined.

The appetizer was root vegetable soup and pumpkin biscuits.

Root Vegetable Soup was made by steaming one large sweet potato, parsnips, and carrots, and sautéeing onions and garlic. All were combined with vegetable broth in a blender, adding some sesame tahini and salt to taste. Then it's transferred to a pot on the stove and I added thyme and basil. I make a soup like this about once a week and experiment with different combinations of vegetables and herbs.
The recipe for Pumpkin Biscuits was taken from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I adjusted it slightly.
- 2 cups alternative flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)'
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup soy milk or milk alternative
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar and 1 teaspoon maple flavoring, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees; oil a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients and combine wet ingredients separately.
3. Combine dry and wet; do not overmix.
4. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use biscuit cutter or small drinking glass to cut into 2-inch rounds and place on baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and make more until dough is finished.
5. Bake on center oven rack about 12 to 14 minutes.

Dinner was (starting from top right) rosemary roasted vegetables, mashed yams, sautéed swiss chard and kale, green beans and asparagus with pine nuts, walnut avocado salad, and qunioa.

Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

This is a great, simple way to use all the delicious root vegetables that are in season right now. I used a combination of sweet potato, parsnips, carrots, zucchini, and onion. I pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, chop the vegetables to desired size, and coat in olive oil, salt, and rosemary. The easiest way to do this is by putting a few chopped vegetables in a plastic bag and adding the oil, salt, and rosemary. Seal the bag and shake it around to ensure the vegetables are fully-coated. Put on baking sheet and bake for 10-25 minutes to desired browness.

Mashed Yams

Yams and sweet potatoes, surprisingly, are much healthier than white or red potatoes. They are a greater source of vitamin K and provide more fiber. Their glycemic load is much smaller which means they keep blood sugar levels balanced. I chop and steam garnet yams for about 20-25 minutes, until tender. You can also boil them, but some nutrients are lost in the water by this method. Once done, I mash and add a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, cinnamon, and fresh sage. The sage is a nice touch, but these are sweet and delicious without it as well. I leave the skins on as they are a good source of fiber and nutrients.

Sautéed Kale and Swiss Chard

Leafy greens are one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. This is an easy way to prepare them and is quite delicious, even to those who aren't vegetable lovers. Chop swiss chard and/or kale, and sauté in olive oil with chopped onion and 2-3 pressed cloves of garlic. Cook until leaves have softened and reduced (but don't overcook) and add sea salt.

Green Beans and Asparagus with Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are a delicious addition to this dish, but they are quite expensive. Slivered almonds would be a fine substitute. Trim green beans and break off white bottoms of asparagus. Steam for about 10 minutes, just until slightly softened. Transfer to a pan with toasted sesame oil, add pine nuts, and cook until lightly browned. Spray with Bragg's Liquid Aminos (a soy sauce substitute sold at health food stores) or add sea salt once cooked.

Walnut Avocado Salad
This salad was made with baby spinach as the leafy base. You could substitute any dark lettuce. Dark greens are more nutritious than light lettuces like iceberg. Then add chopped onion, shredded carrot, cherry tomatoes, cubed avocado, walnuts, and top with walnut oil and lemon juice. If you can't find walnut oil, olive oil works well, too.

Quinoa
Quinoa, once a mysterious grain, is gaining in popularity. It has a texture like ultrafine couscous, but it is truly superior. It has a very high concentration of protein and fiber, and is gluten-free. It is technically not a grain, so those who limit their carbohydrates or grain intake can enjoy quinoa in moderation. It is cooked 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water or broth for about 12 minutes. I topped with olive oil and sea salt.

Dessert was pumpkin pie, mixed berry pie, carrot cake, and date bites.

Pumpkin Pie

This is so simple to make and a much healthier alternative to sugar-laden pumpkin pies. Powdered stevias vary in strength; in this recipe I used SteviaPlus brand. I also use pre-made spelt pie crusts, available at health food stores. A pre-made whole wheat crust would work, too.

- 1 pre-made pie crust
- 2 cups canned pumpkin
- 1 cup unsweetened milk alternative
- 2 TBS tapioca starch, available at health food stores, or corn starch
- 3 TBS coconut oil
- 2 TBS SteviaPlus powdered stevia
- about 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- dash sea salt

Combine all ingredients in the blender. Pour into pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely and refrigerate.

Mixed Berry Pie

This pie also uses SteviaPlus powdered stevia and a pre-made spelt pie crust. This pie is deliciously rich and intense with berries. I buy frozen berries because they're just as good and far less expensive; just be sure to let them thaw.

Mixed Berry Pie
- 4 cups blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 TBS unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 TBS SteviaPlus powdered stevia
- cinnamon, to taste

1. Combine 3 1/2 cups of berries with flour, almond milk, stevia, and cinnamon and blend in blender. Add more almond milk if mixture does not seem wet enough.
2. Once it reaches a homogeneous consistency, add mixture to pie crust and use extra 1/2 cup of berries to cover. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes and let cool.

Carrot Cake

This recipe uses cashews to make an incredible, sweet frosting. It also uses stevia concentrate powder, which is the most concentrated stevia powder available.

- 2 cups alternative flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp stevia concentrate powder
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 TBS coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup plain full-fat greek yogurt
- 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all moist ingredients, adding eggs last.
3. Combine dry ingredients and mix with wet.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Cashew Frosting:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup (or more) unsweetened almond milk
- liquid stevia or agave nectar

1. In a food processor, grind cashews finely.
2. Add liquid and continue to process. Add a few drops liquid stevia or drizzle agave nectar to taste.
3. Purée to desired texture and spread on cake.

Sesame Date Bites and Chocolate Coconut Date Bites
These are an easy, no cook dessert.

Sesame Date Bites:
- pitted dates
- 1 TBS sesame tahini
- 1 TBS (or less) agave nectar
- cinnamon
- sesame seeds
- raw almonds

Combine tahini, agave, and sprinkle cinnamon. Place a raw almond inside a pitted date. Roll in tahini mixture and roll in sesame seeds. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Chocolate Coconut Date Bites
- pitted dates
- 2 TBS coconut butter
- 1 TBS (or less) agave nectar
- unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste, about 2 TBS
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- raw almonds

Combine coconut butter, agave, and cocoa powder. Add warm water to achieve desired consistency. Place an almond in the pitted date and roll in chocolate coconut paste. Roll in shredded coconut and refrigerate for about an hour.

I hope your Thanksgiving was happy and healthy. Try these recipes out and let me know what you think!

Eat well,
Emily

Come Party With Me: Potluck Thanksgiving - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:50:13 -0800

If you've volunteered (or been assigned) to bring a dessert to a Thanksgiving potluck, don't run to the nearest bakery. You can bake a delicious homemade treat that will impress your friends and family! Start by selecting an unexpected dessert like caramel-walnut pie. It's similar to classic pecan pie, but is made with walnuts instead. Next give yourself plenty of time to make the pie and if necessary, experiment with the recipe. Although the resulting pie, with its rich Fall flavors, is scrumptious, the technique to put it together is wildly simple.

The dough is store bought and the filling requires nothing more than a whisk, measuring cups, and a bowl. To give this easy, yet divine Thanksgiving dessert a try, keep reading.