Yogurt Topped With Honey, Prunes and Wheat Germ

Great mid-morning snack with lots of calcium and protein and it has only four ingredients. In a small bowl, place two large spoonfuls of non-fat plain Greek yogurt, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. wheat germ, top with two D'Noir Prunes (I like the Sunsweet brand without preservatives), and then drizzle with 1 Tbsp. honey (I've been using a locally made buckwheat honey from Berryville, VA this winter -- local honey is supposed to be good for your immune system, and the buckwheat is nice for a change as it seems a little less sweet than clover or orange blossom honey). Serves 1.  Approximately 250 calories.

Bittersweet Chocolate on Sliced French Baguette

If you like chocolate croissants, you will like this.  Take a 1/2 inch slice of a French baguette, top with 2/3 of a square of bittersweet chocolate (such as 60% Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate).  Place on the lowest rack of the toaster oven.  Heat for a couple of minutes until chocolate melts and the bread will be slightly crunchy.  Remove from the oven, spread the chocolate smooth, and enjoy! Besides the taste, the best part is that it is only about 150 calories!

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Pad Thai (for Shellfish Allergies)

A vegetarian version which is also shellfish-free with the substitution of  soy sauce (I used Kikoman's brand) for fish sauce.  Fish sauce is made with anchovies which, although not shellfish, is to be avoided by those allergic to shellfish.  Also, since I did not have tamarind pulp on hand (which adds a nice, authentic flavor), I substituted The Wizard's Organic Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (an anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce that is available at Whole Foods stores).  Worcestershire sauce contains tamarind, and I keep this brand on hand since the original Lea and Perrins brand Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. This recipe is also Gluten-free.  Serve with cooked rice.  Serves 8.

Ingredients:

Pad Thai Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lime juice (approximately1 large lime)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used Kikoman's -- regular, not reduced sodium)

3 tsp. anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce (such as The Wizard's Organic Vegan Worcestershire Sauce)

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1 12-14 oz. package of rice noodles (linguini-style, such as Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles) OR Cellophane (mung bean thread) noodles (such as Ty Ling)

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Spice Mixture -- In a small dish, mix together the following:

Additional 1 1/2  Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2  tsp. salt 

1 tsp. chili powder

3 dashes cayenne pepper

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1/2 cup peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 eggs, beaten

1 14 oz package extra-firm tofu, sliced into thin 1/2 inch julienne strips

1 1/2 cups finely chopped peanuts

2 medium shallots, very thinly sliced

2 cups fresh bean sprouts (traditional, but optional)

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Directions:

(1) Prepare rice noodles by soaking according to package directions.

(2)  Prepare Pat Thai sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together sauce ingredients -- sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, stirring occasionally.  Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to simmer 5 minutes; remove from heat.

(3) In a large skillet on medium heat, add oil and heat.  Add minced garlic, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beaten eggs, stirring until cooked though.  Add tofu strips, stirring to mix well, and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add Pad Thai Sauce and additional Spice Mixture; stir well.  Add the cooked, drained noodles, stirring to mix well. Add chopped peanuts, sliced shallots and bean sprouts, if used, stirring to mix thoroughly until sauce mixture is absorbed and the Pad Thai is heated through.  Serve.

Sweet and Savory Kale

Very easy and delicious way to get more variety of greens into diet. Recipe from the back of a 16 oz. package of fresh, pre-washed and pre-cut, Nature's Greens Kale Greens.  

 Note:  Recipe calls for using the whole bag of kale  -- says it serves 4-6, but I think it makes enough to serve 8, at least, depending on portion sizes.  I halved the recipe for the four of us, but here is the whole recipe:

Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups chicken stock (or canned broth)

1 1lb. (16 oz)  bag Nature's Greens Kale

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 sliced almonds - optional

Salt and pepper, to taste (I did not add any)

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic; saute until onion softens, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mustard, sugar, cider vinegar and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil on high heat. Add kale, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add cranberries and continue cooking on medium-high heat, stirring often.   The liquid should reduce by about half and cranberries will get plump in about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, if needed.  Sprinkle with almonds, if desired.  

Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)

These are the first Christmas cookies I make every year.  I usually make them just before I start writing Christmas cards and enjoy a few while I'm writing.  I've had this recipe for over 25 years -- as originally printed in a South Florida newspaper:

Ingredients:

1 lb. butter, softened (4 sticks)

8 Tbsp. confectioners sugar

4 c. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. blanched almonds, toasted and ground

Additional confectioners sugar 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Stir in flour, vanilla and almonds.  Dough should form a soft ball.  Shape into walnut sized balls (about an inch in diameter) and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press slightly with your thumb.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until slightly brown.  Let cool 5 minutes, then sift confectioners sugar over the top.  When completely cool, roll again in confectioners sugar. Makes 5- 6 dozen.

Buttermilk Pancakes

 Ingredients (Original Recipe -- makes 12-14 pancakes):                                                           

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour                                     

2 Tbsp. sugar                                                          

1 tsp. baking soda                                                   

1 tsp. baking powder                                               

1/2 tsp salt                                                               

1 1/3 cups buttermilk                                               

1 egg, slightly beaten                                                

3 Tbsp. corn or canola oil                                        

Additional oil for the pan  

For more pancakes for a bigger crowd:                                        

Ingredients (1-1/2 x Recipe -- Makes 18-21 pancakes):

2 cups all-purpose flour

 3 Tbsp. sugar

 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

 3/4 tsp salt

 2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

4 1/2 Tbsp. corn or canola oil

Additional oil for the pan

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, measure all ingredients; stir until well mixed. You can thin the batter with a little more buttermilk, if needed, or add a Tbsp. more flour, depending on the desired thickness of the pancakes.

2.  Heat electric skillet or griddle over med- high heat (about 375 degrees).  When hot, add the additional oil --  about 2 Tbsp.  Wipe off excess oil with a paper towel so there is a uniform coating on the bottom and sides of pan.

3.  Pour in batter to form about 4 inch pancakes; space so they are not touching.  Cook until the edges start to lose their shine,  about 2 minutes.  Then with a metal pancake turner, turn over one pancake to test that it is done -- nicely and evenly browned. If the test one is done, turn over the other pancakes. Otherwise, adjust the time on the others a few more seconds.

4.  When the bottom starts to look brown around the edges, and the pancakes look done, remove them to a serving plate.  Repeat until all batter is used.  Serve with maple syrup.

Favorite Chocolate Fudge

  
I'm not going to say that making fudge is tricky -- most of the time, the fudge will come out just the way you want it.  However, you have to be willing to work with it a little if it doesn't.  If you keep a few things in mind, this recipe can become a Christmas tradition, as it is in our family -- it is the best chocolate fudge!

(1) Atmospheric conditions --  try to cook this on a dry day!  You can make this recipe when it is cold or warm (using your candy thermometer as indicated in the recipe directions, Step 3), but probably should wait if it's a rainy day, humid, or low pressure (see Note at bottom of recipe).

(2)  This recipe requires a good candy thermometer (again, suggested temperatures are given in the directions, step 3),  and for consistent and best results, keep a glass of cold water next to your work area to check if the mixture has reached the soft-ball stage.  Change the water each time you perform the test so it is cold and fresh.  (What I am describing here is when you drop some of the hot mixture from a wooden spoon into the cold water.  If when you take the small piece out of the water,  it can be formed into a soft ball with your hands, then that is the result you want.  You may have to do this a few times as the mixture approaches the proper temperature.

(3) Here are some additional hints from 20+ years of making this recipe: 

Hint #1:  If you cook it too long it will turn hard when you test it in the water (hard ball stage) -- you do not want this, but may still be able to salvage the fudge by adding a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to the pot after the butter has melted, but before adding the vanilla extract and beating it.  In this case too, I would not wait for the mixture to cool to the recommended time or temperature -- I would do it right after the butter has melted. This has happened to me before, a couple of times -- and one time I actually broke off the end of a knife cutting into the fudge (it is still good to eat, just hard).

Hint #2:  If you do not cook it long enough and no matter how long you beat it, it does not turn from a hot fudge sauce consistency to something that will firm up, you can put it back into the pan and try reheating it to get the temperature up again.  In this case, I would also recommend adding a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to it while you are reheating it.  When you take it off the burner, you do not have to add more butter and vanilla (as you would have added them before), just let it sit and cool down again (20 minutes) and beat it again.  This time it will probably be a better consistency and will turn into fudge, or if the worse happens, you can always save it for hot fudge sauce -- although this worst case scenario has never happened to me. I did end up once with fudge the consistency of Tootsie Rolls, but don't remember the exact cause...it always tastes good at least!  

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (I prefer Ghirardelli)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup chopped nuts -- pecans or walnuts, optional 

1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 Tablespoons or 1/2 stick)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Butter an 8x8" baking pan, or other plate to pour fudge onto for serving. In a large, heavy saucepan (of at least 3-3/4 cups capacity), combine sugar and cocoa.  Add salt and mix well.  Add milk and corn syrup; mix well.

2.  Start cooking over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.  Attach candy thermometer to the pot and increase heat to medium-high.  Continue stirring with the wooden spoon.  The sugar crystals on the side of the pot can impart a grainy texture to the fudge, so if you must scrape the side of the pot, do it with a separate spatula that is dipped in a little water first. I think this helps a bit.

3.  Using a candy thermometer, cook until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (test for soft-ball stage in cold water, which will be approximately 236 degrees -- adjust to 234-236 during cold weather; 236-238 during warm weather). Remove the pan from the heat.

4.  Place the butter gently on the mixture in the saucepan and do not disturb.  Let sit for 20 minutes or until mixture reaches 110 degrees.

5  Add the vanilla (and chopped nuts, if desired).  Beat vigorously with the wooden spoon, periodically lifting spoonfuls of the mixture and letting them drop back into the fudge mixture and then continue beating.  This helps to make creamier fudge.  Beat until the mixture becomes very thick (not stiff) and just begins to lose its shine a little.

6.  Quickly spread the fudge in the buttered pan or plate and set aside to cool, about 15 minutes.

Notes:  Do not double this recipe.  Caution when cooking during humid, rainy weather or low pressure -- can cause "fudge disasters".  Try to cook on a dry day!