German Rice Pudding

Photo by Juan Guaman - gopixpic.com

Brrr, it's cold outside.

As temperatures drop, I start to crave my Momma's comforting rice pudding. She makes it on a stove top, and it is relatively healthy. On cold hectic days, rice pudding makes a mighty fine, one pot dinner at my table! Here is my mother's recipe:

German Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups milk (2% fat is creamy; whole milk and/or cream is creamier still! It will be thinner, but I sometimes use skim milk.)
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste (If you can eat it with less sugar, more power to you!)
a sprinkle of sea salt
1 cup of white rice (Alternative: See directions for brown rice below.)
1 tablespoon vanilla, 0r scrape out a vanilla bean
sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:

1) Pour the milk, eggs and sugar into a large saucepan and beat thoroughly while the milk is cold. Add in the sea salt and dry white rice.

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Directions for brown rice: It's a bit trickier. Although white rice makes a creamier pudding, I sometimes substitute brown rice to make the dish even healthier. Brown rice will be slightly chewy compared to white rice. I cook the brown rice according to the directions on the package first. (One cup of dry brown rice takes 45 minutes to cook, which is the amount I use.). After it's done, I pour in the cold milk, eggs and the rest of the ingredients, except for the vanilla, then proceed to step two below.
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2) Turn on the flame to bring the mixture to a boil before reducing it to a simmer. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes while stirring frequently with a spoon. Simmer and stir until the mixture thickens into a pudding, and the rice is tender.

3) Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Top with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Extra tips: We like our rice pudding plain. It's about the vanilla! But you can add raisins, chopped nuts, dark chocolate shavings, or whatever you like. Some folks make the pudding without the eggs. But, my family likes the richness and extra protein that eggs give the pudding.

Serve German rice pudding warm along with your favorite fruit (peaches, pears, blueberries, strawberries) for balanced nutrition. Chill any leftover pudding in the refrigerator to eat the next day. It's tasty warm or cold.

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Czechoslovakian Cookies

Photo: © Barbara Rolek on About.com, Inc.

Years ago my Mom clipped this recipe out of the newpaper, and thereafter made them for Christmas and special occasions. We have no idea how they got their name, but everyone seems to love them. It's a luscious dessert for a dinner party or afternoon tea. Easy to make too!

Czechoslovakian Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, soften (= 1 cup)
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks (Unless I'm also making coconut macaroons, I just use one whole egg.)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopper walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Directions:

1) Add and mix the first four ingredients (one at a time) in a large bowl using an electric mixer until a dough forms.
2) Fold in the nuts.
3) Spread half the batter evenly into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square cake pan.
4) Spoon the strawberry preserves on top, avoiding the edges.
5) Top with the remaining batter, covering the preserves.
6) Slide the pan into a preheated oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour or until lightly brown.

Take out of the oven. Allow to cool before cutting into 2 inch squares to serve. I like to sprinkle the top with confectionery sugar.

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A Serving Of Indian Pudding

Hmm, how about adding nuts and dried cranberries?

Indian pudding is a dish I tasted for the very first time over the weekend when I tried making a batch. It's a New Englander comfort food, but I grew up elsewhere. Made with cornmeal, it derives from British hasty pudding, a wheat flour porridge cooked on a stove top. The American colonials lacked wheat, but had plenty of cornmeal, which they called Indian meal. So thus, hasty pudding became Indian pudding.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups milk
½ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses (Didn't have it. I substituted a squirt of maple syrup.)
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
a sprinkle of nutmeg
1/3 cup raisins

Optional: A scoop of vanilla ice cream as a topping.

Directions:

1. Put the ingredients, one by one, into a saucepan. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and slide it into a 325 degree F preheated oven.
4. Bake for 1 ½ - 3 hours. Baking for a longer period of time at a low heat turns the grainy porridge into a smooth pudding.

Eat the Indian pudding while warm, topped with the vanilla ice cream, if desired. The pudding, alone, is light and wholesome without too much sugar.

I can't say I dislike it; it's good. However, I like cornbread better, and cornbread takes less time to bake. But now ... like our forebears, I have eaten Indian pudding. To me, it tastes more like hot cereal than dessert.

You often perfer the foods and textures you are accustomed to eating. Perhaps a New Englander likes his Indian pudding as much as I like cornbread. Try it once.

This is James.

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How To Froth Milk Without A Frother

You don't need a fancy gadget to froth milk for a delicious cup of coffee (or cappuccino). The effort takes two minutes and is simple, so why bring another appliance into your kitchen?

To froth milk is to produce a mass of air bubbles by agitation. There are several ways to do so:

Method #1. Pour ½ cup of milk (per serving of coffee) into a jar; or use as much milk as you need as long as the jar is at least half empty. Secure the lid and shake the jar vigoriously for 30-60 seconds. Remove the lid and microwave it for 30-40 seconds. Voilà, warm froth! Pour the milk into hot coffee, and spoon the foam on top.

Method #2. Pour ½ cup of milk into a large mug and either microwave for 30-40 seconds, or pour into a saucepan and heat for several minutes on a stovetop until steaming. When it starts to produce steam, remove and use a whisk to stir vigoriously for 30-60 seconds. Add to coffee.

Lazy Girl (My) Method #3. Pour ½ cup of milk into a big mug to heat in a microwave for 30-40 seconds, or pour into a saucepan on a stovetop until it begins to steam. Remove and pour into a blender. Blend until frothy. Pour into your coffee.

Method #4. If you have a portion of milk left in a mostly empty milk jug, hold the lid on tightly with your thumb and shake the jug vigoriously for 30-60 seconds. Presto, you have froth. Pour it into a dish and microwave for 30-40 seconds before pouring into coffee. 

The reason you microwave the froth is to set the foam (i.e. air bubbles in liquid). It keeps the mixture from returning to milk. 

I use skim milk. (That's what I normally stock. For guests I open a can of creamier condensed milk.) Milk with 1% or 2% fat works too. Use whatever you buy.

For cappuccino (the word means hood in Italian), brew a strong cup of coffee. Top with steamed (agitated) milk, ta-da ... froth.

No extra space, equipment or batteries needed. You're welcome!

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A Classic Dark Chocolate Cake

Photo: taste.com.au

Let the baking begin. It was my first time making a traditional chocolate cake from scratch, but I didn't let that stop me and neither should you. Look how easy/breezy.

After checking a few sources, I used the recipe off the side of a Hersey's Unsweetened Cocoa canister. The chocolate company was established in 1894. I tweaked the ingredients a little bit for the benefit of real chocolate lovers:

Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Cocoa, in all its glorious forms: beans, powder; a chocolate bar

1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup dark unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

optional: 2 melted squares of gourmet (or Baker's) dark chocolate bar (if you have it)

Directions:
1) Put the ingredients, one by one, into a mixing bowl while beating with an electric mixer until blended (about 2 minutes). You don't want to over mix this cake. Expect a thin batter.
2) Pour the batter into two 9-inch greased baking pans (or three-8 inch baking pans).
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degree F in the oven.
4. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans to cool completely.

Next select a frosting ...

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Ingredients:
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips, or pieces
1 ½ cup heavy cream (or you can substitute ½ cup of condensed milk, which also works. Naturally, the fatty heavy cream tastes better.)
Choose one flavor: 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, or 1 teaspoon real vanilla

Directions:
1. Heat the cream in a pan on a stove top until it just begins to simmer.
2. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate (and coffee or vanilla). Allow the chocolate to melt.
3. Whisk thoroughly. (If I want to thicken the ganache because I've used too much condensed milk, I will return the pot to the stove to simmer it on a low flame while whisking continuously.)
4. Let the mixture sit at room temperature until it thickens and cools.
3. Frost the layers and sides of the cake.

Or you can make a Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting: Blend together: 1 stick of melted butter, 1/3 cup milk, ⅔ cup of dark cocoa powder; choose one flavor: 1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 teaspoon of instant coffee; and add about 3 cups of confectionery sugar until you get a thick, spreadable frosting. Baker's tip: Double Frost your cake: Frost the cake, refrigerator it, then frost it again. That's how professional bakers make cakes look so scrumptious. Add the chocolate shavings, if you wish!

For an intense chocolate flavor, as well as, the health benefits of anti-oxidants, try using organic raw cocoa powder in lieu of a commercial processed cocoa powder.

Invite friends over ... and serve.

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My Best Bean Soup

Photo: FineArtAmerica

As temperatures fall, do you eat more soup? I certainly do ... and as mentioned, I don't buy canned soups anymore. Homemade soup tastes much better. It's chunkier and you know exactly what's in it. Plus, you can freeze leftovers in 16 ounce containers for quick lunches, or dinners. Simply pop a single serving into the microwave.

Recently I made the best bean soup ever! Although I used pintos, other beans will do. Mix it up each time you make a batch. Use navy, pink, pinto, or whatever bean you like. Also, the ingredients can change slightly, depending on what's in your refrigerator and cupboard. Sometimes I'll throw in carrots or ham, but this time it was vegetarian. If you don't have the Cajun seasoning (click below for recipe) I put in my soup, then season to taste with black pepper and the spices you like. 

Here is my tasty recipe:

Pinto Bean Soup

Ingredients:
16 ounces dried beans
(Soak overnight in water according to the package.)
8 cups water
2 large (or 4 small bouillon cubes)
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried celery
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
a dash of soy sauce
a dash of nutmeg
a dash of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

optional: 2 cups ham, sausage or hot dogs, sliced. (Next time around for me. This time vegetarian.)

Directions:
1. Throw all the above ingredients into a big pot. 
2. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat.
3. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 - 3 hours. How easy, breezy!

I often make corn bread to eat with bean soup. However, last night I served my pinto bean soup with Virginia ham sandwiches on hearty whole grain bread and a mixed green salad.

Another quick pairing is Cheesy Garlic Toast: Lightly butter slices of whole grain bread. Sprinkle with dried garlic, onion powder and parsley, then top with a generous amount of shredded, sharp cheddar cheese. Place on a cookie sheet: Bake in the oven at 350 degree F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread is crispy and the cheese melted. If you have a whole loaf of unsliced bread, you can slice it in two ... lengthwise to get 2 long halves. Put the toppings on each of the loaf halves. Bake it on a cookie sheet until the bread is golden brown and the cheese bubbles (about 20-30 minutes), then cut the loaf halves into single portions. Either way works. Serve with your delicious soup. 

Bon Appetit!

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Healthy Chocolate Chip Clippers

Traditional chocolate chip cookies are usually loaded with unhealthy fat, sugar and white flour. Once in a while I eat a decadent, sugary, fat laden cookie, but I try to adhere to a healthy diet most of the time. The majority of the time I train my appetite to like better, or lighter ingredients. You will crave whatever you are in the habit of eating.

The following recipe is a less sinful, but an equally satisfying chocolate chip confection. It comes from the good folks at HealthyBarn USA. These clippers have a hardy, crunchy, yet moist texture. They are whole-grain, fiber rich with less fat and sweetness than classic chocolate chip cookies. My batch has lots of chocolate chips in every bite! I served them with a pot of Prince of Wales (a mild black) tea and milk for a delicious afternoon snack.

Chocolate Chip Clippers 

Ingredients: 
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds¾ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt½ cup packed light brown sugar½ cup unsweetened applesauce¾ cup low salt canned chickpeas, mashed (or substitute peanut butter; or mashed beans)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

optional: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts; or pecans
A sprinkle of cinnamin, nutmeg and black pepper, if you like.
2 tablespoons olive oil (for a traditional cookie texture, if you don't mind the calories. If you add the oil, reduce the applesauce by 2 tablespoons.)

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, one at a time.
2. Follow with the wet ingredients, one at a time.
3. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts, using a fork.
4. With a round tablespoon, drop buttons of cookie dough onto 2 greased baking sheets. (I brush the pans with a little olive oil or butter to prevent sticking.)
5. Pop into a preheated 350 degree F oven and bake about 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheets. The clippers are especially good while they are still warm fresh out of the oven.

Another healthy habit to develop is to eat any sweet you like, as long as you make it yourself. You consume less sugar because they are not within easy reach. This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and steps!

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Dr. Frank Lipman's Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

On Sunday night I made a modified version of Dr. Frank Lipman's Blueberry Avocado Smoothie. I often have blueberries and an avocado. When they are on the verge of being too ripe, I can throw them into a blender to make this healthy and delicious drink. 

As Dr. Lipman, the integrative health and medical doctor, says,“Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and disease-fighting phytochemicals, ” and “avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids," which are heart healthy. The vitamin B-6 and folic acid in avocados also supports the heart,” according to Dr. Lipman.

Since I like the taste of and don't have a problem digesting milk, I substituted a cup of skim milk in place of the coconut water, which I rarely buy. Likewise, if you ever find greens powder in my cupboard, you have entered the wrong apartment by mistake. I had frozen spinach on hand, so threw about 2 ounces of it into the mix to replace the greens powder I never stock. (Once I sampled prepared greens powder at a neighborhood health food store. Frankly, it had an awful taste like consuming liquefied grass or hay. I think my frozen (or fresh) spinach makes a more delicious smoothie!

Dr. Frank Lipman's Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blueberries

¼ avocado

1 cup coconut water (As mentioned I will usually substitute skim milk.)

juice of ½ lime

1 serving vanilla whey protein powder or non-dairy protein powder

1 serving greens powder (optional)

sweeten to taste with raw honey or stevia or xylitol (not xylitol! Many people can't digest that one.) 

4 ice cubes (Because my blueberries and spinach were frozen, I didn't need the ice. Eyeball it.)
My addition: a dash of ginger, cinnamon, fresh nutmeg and black pepper for a kick of favor, if you like. (I liked!)

Directions:
Throw all ingredients into an electric blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy.

This is a refreshing smoothie for the dog days of August, when you don't feel like turning on a stove, yet still need nutrition and energy to sustain you. It's a high protein, slurpy drink, with anti-oxidants and fiber to satisfy your hunger. It tastes great ... bottoms up!

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Shredded Brussels Sprout Becames Shredded Cabbage Salad

Photo: What's Gabby Cooking

Summers are for light, easy fare. Doesn't this shredded brussels sprout salad look mouthwatering? I love avocados and different textures in a dish. The recipe was created by "What's Gabby Cooking." It came to me via Facebook. However, I have simplified a step by substituting a 14 oz bag of classic coleslaw for the shredded brussels sprout. Frankly, I wouldn't have the patience to shred little heads of brussels sprout. Tedious! Cabbage and brussels sprout are in the same family and have the same crunch and health benefits (namely vitamin C and fiber). A bag of shredded cabbage is inexpensive, and there's some vitamin A from shredded carrots.

Here's my tweaked-lazy-chef recipe:

For the salad

Ingredients:
14 oz bag coleslaw
½ cup dried cranberries
1 ripe avocado, cubed
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For The Lemon Vinaigrette dressing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Dump the salad ingredients into a big serving bowl.
2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and drizzle on the salad. Toss and eat!

I might substitute different vinegars in place of lemon juice occasionally. I can also see adding a can of beans, or cubed soy or chicken for more protein, depending on the rest of your dinner. Leftovers become a healthy snack you keep in the refrigerator. 

Finally, here's a link to watch Gabby making her salad her way. All versions, delish! (Books on salad here.)

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What A Lovely Zebra Cake

Photo and recipe created by Cookies, Cakes and Carbs. Video here.

My family celebrates a lot of summer birthdays. We either buy torte cakes from a good European bakery, or make cakes, using real vanilla, dark chocolate and nuts. We try to eat cakes worth their calories. This year I'm making a zebra cake. Doesn't it look devine? 

For your benefit, I will type the recipe below, as well as, link it to its original source. Tweaks: To my cake batter, I will add ¼ cup of very finely ground, toasted walnuts ... and to the black batter ONLY ... a little ground dark chocolate and instant coffee. Reportedly, you can't substitute butter for vegetable oil in the cake batter, or you won't get the zebra design. So don't do it! Butter makes the batter too thick for the design to take effect.

Zebra Cake

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar (I use ½ cup less.)
¾ cups vegetable oil (I use a light olive oil.)
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use more.)
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
white, pink, and black gel food coloring
vanilla butter cream frosting (see below)
black fondant
pink butter cream
Wilton tip 1A
Optional: dark chocolate and instant coffee 

Directions: 

(Preheat the oven to 350F.)
1. In a mixing bow, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder.  

2. One at a time, add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Beat for 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. [Here's where I add ¼ cup of nuts.]

3. Divide the batter into three separate bowls, with one bowl having half of the batter and the other two having a quarter each.

4. Color the large bowl with white color gel, and the two smaller bowls with black and pink color gels, respectively.  Mix the coloring thoroughly until no light streaks remain.  [I add dark chocolate and instant coffee to the black batter.]

5. Grease two 8 inch pans.  

6. Place four tablespoons of white batter into the center of each pan.  Then, directly into the middle of the white batter, place two tablespoons of black batter.  Directly into the center of the black batter, place two tablespoons of pink batter.  Repeat white/black/pink batter additions until all the batter is used up, or the pans are ⅔ full.  

7. Place the cake pans into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

8. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, remove from the pan, and cool completely on a wire wrack.

9. Once the cake is cool, level, stack and cover in white butter cream.

10. To cut the fondant pieces, roll fondant out very thinly and using a rolling cutter (pizza or pastry) slice long, narrow stripes and arrange on the white cake as desired.  

11. To finish the cake off, using the pink butter cream with Wilton 1A tip, pipe a small beaded border along the bottom of the cake.

Personally, I will make butter cream frosting, myself (easy), but buy the fondant for the zebra stripes (too time consuming!). Sometimes I make whipped cream frosting. It's not as sweet. Lastly, a few strategically placed fresh stawberries are a lovely garnish. Enjoy!

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