Baked Applesauce

I apologize for being so absent from this blog the past four months. I have been going through a difficult season with my health.  In July, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and thyroid disfunction.  They are both connected, and in order to heal both, doctors recommended that I avoid eating wheat and gluten, anything processed or refined, all sugar, and as much dairy as possible.  There were other recommendations, but those are the big ones.  It's been a challenging, depressing time for me!  I obviously love food, and always pitied people who had to eat like that.  And now I'm one of those pitiable people! :)  I am feeling better now and usually function well throughout the day.  I'm also on medication to control my thyroid function.

The bad news is, I haven't had too much success with all my experiments of replacing foods I love.  I've tried cauliflower crust pizza.  Will not do that again. I'd just rather not eat pizza. : ) It's taken me some time to figure out how to cook... whether we all eat like this crazy diet I'm on, or if I cook normally for everyone else and make something separate for me once or twice a week and eat it over and over.  It's been a challenge, and taken every spare ounce of concentration I've had.

This week, since we're getting into Autumn, we began to start cooking like it.  One thing I can eat is applesauce. : )  I have tried all kinds of different methods for making applesauce, but this is by far my favorite! So rich, smooth, and delicious!

Baked Applesauce
2 kg apples, halved and cored
2-4 T. butter
6 T. brown sugar (Indian brown sugar works great!
2-4 t. cinnamon

First, cut each apple in half and remove the core.  Preheat the oven to about 175 celsius.  Melt the butter in the bottom of a 9x13 or other large baking dish.  Sprinkle the brown sugar  and cinnamon over the melted butter and place the apples, cut side down on top.  The skin should still be on them, so they look like red domes in the pan.

Bake then until the skin is wrinkly and they are really soft.

After they've cooled, with a spoon, scoop out the apple flesh from the skin.  Scrape it really good to remove as much as you can.  Put the flesh into a mixee/mixer.  Then, scrape all the juice left on the bottom of the pan into the mixer.  Blend until it's the right consistency. You may want to add more cinnamon!

I absolutely love this applesauce. And my kids do too... I can't stop eating it! It should last in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it's hardly ever there the day after I make it! :)

Make Your Own Rice-A-Roni

Make your Own Rice-A-Roni:

½ c. Vermicelli
¾ c. Uncooked Long Grain Rice
3 c. Water, Plus More As Needed
2 T. Butter Or Oil
⅛ t. Salt 
⅛ t Paprika
⅛ t Pepper
⅛ t Onion Powder
⅛ t Garlic Powder
2 cubes Chicken Bouillon 
1 Medium Onion, Diced

Directions:
In medium skillet sauté onion.  When translucent, add broken pasta pieces and rice in butter, stirring constantly, until the pasta is golden brown. Carefully pour in water, spices and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Carrots with Rosemary Butter

This is a great savory side dish. I serve it alongside chicken 'n' dumplings, pasta, baked chicken...it goes great with just about anything and it's so easy and fast.

Ingredients:

3 c. carrots cut into sticks

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Steam carrot sticks to desired tenderness. Combine spices with butter. Add carrots and toss to coat. So easy, and so delicious:)

Italian Fried Paneer Sticks

We had this at June G's house several years ago, and I thought it was such a great idea!  So easy, and a great side item for Italian meals, especially for a vegetarian pasta meal. 

Italian Fried Paneer Sticks


250 grams paneer

2 t.. salt

1 1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. black pepper

1 t. onion powder

1 t. oregano 

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

Combine all spices in a bowl.  Cut the paneer into strips.  Pat them to dry on a paper towel.  Next, dredge them in the spice mixture.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a pan.  Get it nice and hot, barely smoking, then put the paneer strips into the pan.  Cook on one side until browned, then turn.  Try not to move them around much if possible to keep them in one piece.  If the pan is not hot enough, they will not sear on the outside and will crumble.  

Remove to a plate and serve!  Easy, peasy! You can mess with the seasonings until you get it just the way your family likes it! 

Fried Okra

This is one of my favorites! I can't resist them, I have no will power when a place of fried okra is sitting in front of me.  I even open the fridge and eat a few cold for a snack! : )

2 pounds Okra, Well Rinsed
1 Egg, Beaten
2 t. Water
2 c. Buttermilk
4 t. Salt 
1 t. Cayenne Pepper
2 c. Flour
2 c. Smashed Saltine Crackers or Ritz-like crackers
Black Pepper
4 c. Vegetable Oil


Cut the stems off and slice the okra ¼ inch thick.  In a large bowl, mix together the egg, water, buttermilk and 2 t. salt.  Add okra.  In another bowl, mix together the flour, cracker crumbs, remaining salt, and the cayenne and black pepper.  Remove okra with a slotted spoon and add to flour mixture.  Toss and remove to a rack to shake off excess flour.  Heat the oil to 350˚.  Add the okra by spoonfuls and fry to golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.  Keep warm while you fry remaining okra.  Serves 8-10. 


One way I love to serve this is on "Cracker Barrel Veg Platter" night. : )  We have fried okra, mashed potatoes, cinnamon apples and biscuits as our meal.  Yes, it's good. : )

Garlicky Brown Rice

1 T. olive oil
1 c. uncooked brown rice
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c. water
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 t. salt
1/8 c. thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add rice, and saute one minute.  Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.  Stir in water, broth, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and cook over medium low heat until liquid is absorbed.  (About 30 minutes?)  Fluff with a fork and top with green onions.  4-5 servings.  

The Best Baked Beans Ever

I grew up eating these baked beans, they're my mom's recipe. They always get rave reviews, even leaving out a few of the key ingredients we can't get here. I'll post the whole recipe, so that when you are in the US you can try them and see how good they really are...

Baked Beans

½ lb. bacon, diced (obviously omitted in SA)

½ lb. sausage, crumbled (obviously omitted in SA)

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

6 cloves garlic or 2 t. garlic salt

3 16 oz cans Pork n Beans (I use either Heinz or American Garden, I think!)

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. liquid hickory smoke (if you don't have this, you can leave it out, but it's a great thing to bring over)

¼ t. cayenne pepper or lal mirch

¼ t. black pepper

2 T. mustard (like French's)

¼ c. brown sugar

3 oz. tomato paste or ketchup

Cook bacon and sausage. Saute onion and green pepper with meat. Add all other ingredients in a deep round dish. Bake 2-3 hours at 325ºF.

Thanksgiving Preparations, Day 3

Wow! This has been a full day! I couldn't have done all this without the help of my wonderful husband. I've hosted Thanksgiving before, but I've never done everything on my own, and I think I just wanted to see if I could do it. So far so good, but I'm not sure I'll do this again next year! :)

What I did today:

-Pecan Pie (http://www.joyofbaking.com/pecanpie.html)

-Pumpkin Pie(http://www.joyofbaking.com/pumpkinpie.html)

-Dressing

-Iced Tea

-Whipped Cream (by hand for the first time ever! I'm so excited!)

-Au Gratin Potatoes(recipe below)

-Crust for apple tart

-Cream soup base for green bean casserole

So here's one thing I learned today. :) Okay, two. Cream can be whipped by hand and it tastes gooood. :) I added a little sugar and vanilla, and whipped for 20 minutes. I thought my arm was going to die! But I did it, and it's chillin in the fridge right now. So excited...

Second thing. I made the equivalent of seven cans of pumpkin puree today as well. I was getting ready to make the pumpkin pie, and thankfully read on the Joy of Baking website that if you're using fresh pumpkin puree, it's best to strain it through a cheese cloth before using it. Otherwise your crust can get soggy. So, in the cheese cloth it went. I put 3 1/2 cups of my puree in the strainer, and after three hours when it finally stopped dripping, there was just barely two cups left! I couldn't believe how much water came out!!! Anyway, one other little tip I got from that website. To help prevent a soggy crust, they suggested crumbing some gingersnap cookies and pressing them into the crust before pouring the pumpkin filling in. What a great idea! I happened to have some of those McVities Ginger cookies in my pantry, so I crumbed them up and pressed them in the crust. I'll let you know tomorrow how it tasted. It sure does looks beautiful!

Megan's Au Gratin Potatoes

1. 5 kg potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced

3 T. butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 c. milk

1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

pinch of thyme

pinch of paprika

3/4 c. gouda

1/2 c. cheddar

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the sliced potatoes in and cook for about five minutes. You just want to start them getting soft, but not cook them all the way through. They should still have a bite to them. Strain the water off and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and saute till browned.

3. Dissolve the flour in the milk. (If you want to substitute 1/4 c. of cream for 1/4 c. of the milk, that'd be fine!) Add this to the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously.

4. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue stirring until the sauce becomes thick and bubbly. Then remove from heat, stir in paprika, and 1/4 c. gouda and 1/4 c. cheddar.

5. Combine the potatoes and the cheese sauce. Place half of the potato mixture in a large casserole dish. Layer 1/4 c. gouda and 1/4 c. cheddar on top of that. Place remaining potatoes on top, and top with remaining gouda cheese, a sprinkle of paprika, and some fresh chopped parsley, if you like.

6. Bake at 180 for 15-20 minutes. Cover if the cheese is starting to brown too much.

Grandma's Dressing

My grandma has made this dressing every Thanksgiving since I can remember. There was no recipe, just all done on instinct until I forced her to tell me how she did it! :) Here is what we got:

1/2 an 8 inch skillet of cornbread

1 loaf of bread (think American sized loafs!), crumbled

2 packages Monaco crackers

1 c. chopped onion, cooked

1/2 c. chopped celery, cooked (if you can get this, if not, it's okay, you can throw in some dried celery if you have it, or nothing...)

Rubbed sage, till it smells good :) (That's what Grandma said!) (approx, 1 tsp)

3-4 cups of drippings, broth, almost boiling (I use chicken broth)

1/2 stick butter

1 egg

Toast half the loaf of bread. Crumble all the breads and crackers together in a 9x13 pan. Add the onion and celery and sage, combine well. Add enough liquid to look soupy, and the butter. Stir the egg in the hot mixture. Bake at 150 for an hour.

Green Bean Casserole-From Scratch

Hopefully this is in time for your Thanksgiving preparations!

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

1 kg of green beans, trimmed and cut to 1 inch pieces

3-4 mushrooms, finely chopped

2 T. butter

2/3 c. cream soup mix

2 1/2 c. water or vegetable broth or chicken broth/bullion

1 c. milk

2 t. soy sauce

Fried onions (recipe below)

1. Boil the green beans until nice and tender and dark green. (You can do this several days ahead of time and refrigerate).

2. Melt butter in a sauce pan and add the mushrooms. Saute a few minutes till mushrooms are browned. Add water or broth and cream soup mix and stir to combine. Cook over a low heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in milk and soy sauce.

3. Combine soup mixture and green beans. Stir in 1/3-1/2 of the fried onions. Bake at 175 for 25 minutes. Top with remaining onions and bake five more minutes.

For Fried onions:

2-3 onions, sliced into rings (more if you like, depends on your personal taste, how much onion you like!)

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. cayenne or red pepper

1 c. buttermilk (regular milk with 1 T. vinegar added, sit for 5 minutes)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Heat 2-3 c. of oil in a deep pot.

Combine flour, salt, pepper and cayenne. Combine butter milk, salt and pepper. Dredge onion rings in flour, then in the buttermilk, then back in the flour.

Deep fry for about four minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

You can do everything ahead except the onions. I would do them the day you serve the casserole. Fresh fried food is best! :)

Easy Mexican Creamy Corn

I came up with this last night, it was so quick and yummy! Makes a great side dish for fajitas or tacos or anything else Mexican...

1 bag of frozen corn

3-4 cubes of Kiri cream cheese, cut into small pieces

1/2-1 c. milk

2 t. cumin

2 t. American chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the corn until soft and cooked. Strain water out. Return to gas. Add milk and cream cheese and still till combined and smooth. Add spices and cook until well blended.

That's it! You can also make this just a regular creamed corn by omitting the cumin and chili powder and throwing some finely chopped green onions in there. :)

Ericka's Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

2 Tbls vegetable oil

1 C uncooked long grain rice

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ½ C water

2 Tsp salt

½ Tsp chili flakes or powder

1/8 Tsp garlic powder two cloves or 2 Tbls garlic paste

1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 box tomato puree or can of tomato sauce / paste (about 8 oz)

In a 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute rice and onion stirring frequently until golden (about 5 minutes). Stir in other spices and heat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking. The liquid should evaporate and the rice should become tender. Add additional seasoning to taste.

Ericka's Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

4 corn or flour tortillas

Melted butter / margarine, oil or non-stick spray such as Pam

Salt

Heat over to 375F or 180C. Lightly brush or spray tortillas with oil. Then cut into triangle wedges. Place in single layer on ungreased pans.

(will continue to crisp as they cool). Serve warm or cool and store in covered container up to 3 weeks at room temperature. These chips can be used with salsa or dips, for nachos or taco salads.

Ericka's Refried Beans

Refried Beans

1-1¼ c. dried beans (if you can find white rajma these work good, shaped like kidney beans but speckled like pinto beans)

1 c. finely chopped onions

2 t. salt

¼ t. cumin

2 garlic cloves minced or 1 T. garlic paste or 1/8 t. garlic powder

¼ t. chili powder

3 T. olive oil or vegetable oil

Wash beans and cover with water (about two inches above beans) and soak overnight. The following morning drain the beans. Put beans in a pot or pressure cooker. Cover with water 2-3 inches above beans. Bring to a boil and lower heat. In pressure cooker, add weight and cook 45 minutes up to 1 hour. In a pot, simmer uncovered for 11/2 – 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep beans covered. Cook until very soft. When beans are mushy, mash with a spoon or potato masher. Remove from heat.

In large skillet, heat oil on medium heat (can also use bacon grease). Cook onions until soft (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and other spices (adjust to taste – may add more at the end of cooking after tasting it). Add beans and any liquid. Stir to combine. Cook until a past forms (5 to 10 minutes). If beans begin to dry, add water 1 Tbls at a time.

Taste to see if anything else is needed. Beans are ready to eat, but plain yogurt and cheese can also be added to taste. These are great as a side, in bean burritos, taco salads or other Mexican dishes. These can be stored in the fridge for about a week or frozen for a few months.

Eggplant Hummus

Thanks to RachelR for this recipe as well, though she credits JoyceF for it originally.

"The eggplant is optional but SO stinkin' good. It's so creamy. Just wrap the eggplant in foil (well!) and toss it in the oven the next time you bake something. When it soft, it's done. Let cool completely in foil, then unwrap and add to hummus in the blender. This is great with chapatis!"

Eggplant Hummus
1 1/2 - 2 cups chickpeas (you'll want to soak these overnight before cooking them in the pressure cooker for about 1 hour)
2-4 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1/2 tsp dried garlic)
1/6 cup water
2-4 Tbsp tahini (opt)
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch salt
Lemon juice - start with 1/2 lemon and add to taste
1 eggplant, roasted*

Dump. Purée with stick blender/blender/food processor. Dip chapatis, pita or other flat bread.

*Many of you have probably seen your helper do this, but another way to roast an eggplant is to put it directly on the burner with the gas on and turn it continuously. It usually takes about 30 minutes, if I remember correctly.

Tunisian Carrot Salad

Tunisian Carrot Salad

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick round

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red chili powder

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or just plain vinegar if that's all you have, plus a little sugar)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook carrots in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
Drain well.

Stir oil, cumin and cayenne in heavy large skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Add carrots, then 1/2 cup water and vinegar.

Simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Cool.
Mix in cilantro.
(Can be made 1 day ahead.
Cover and chill.
Bring to room temperature before serving.)

4 Servings